Kimkim Trip Reviews

Tina at KimKim did an excellent job in booking the exact vacation we wanted. Very professional and responsive.

The highlight of the trip was John Gray's Hong by Starlight in Phuking ... a superb outing with excellent tour guide (Mr. Eue?) and staff. Highly recommended and worth the trip by itself.

Another highlight was our trip to the elephant sanctuary. Bang (Pang?), our tour guide was great. with great communication skills and a wicked sense of humor. Loved this excursion. Loved interacting with the elephants and learning about the sanctuary.

Our trip to the national park outside of Chiang Mai was enjoyable. Patrick, our tour guide, was very nice and friendly but his communication skills were somewhat disappointing. We were eager to learn about the area but were frustrated by the language barrier.

The speed boat trip in Phuking was okay, but I suspect it was for a younger age group. My wife and I are seniors. The tour guide spent a lot of time barking orders and yelling but little time telling us about the area. It was loud and over crowded. Not a highlight.

All hotels were good but the best was the Heritage 99 in Chiang Mai. Great staff, great food, great service.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Hotel Reviews

Marriott Executive Apartments, Bangkok Townhall Sukhumvit

Bangkok

Convenient location, friendly and attentive staff, solid service.

Authenticity & Character

Very comfortable but a bit generic.

Location

In the midst of the metro with multiple excursion options.

Staff

Super friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kitchenette was very convenient.

Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach

Phuket

Right on the beach. Walk to the ocean and take a swim.

Authenticity & Character

Comfortable but a bit generic.

Location

Ocean front but a relatively long drive to excursions.

Staff

Friendly but limited evening dining options.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice, but mini bar was pretty limited.

99 Heritage Hotel

Chiang Mai

Excellent, serene environment in the heart of metro Chiang Mai. Thoughtful, friendly staff, great food, and a great location. Highly recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Charming decor.

Location

Right in the heart of the metro, close to everything.

Staff

Very friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless, comfortable accommodations.

Activity Reviews

Phi Phi island, Khai island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speed boat

Phuket

This excursion is for a younger crowd who doesn't mind loud, overcrowded excursions. Not recommended for seniors.

Quality of Experience

Not recommended.

Food

So-so.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was grumpy and very unfriendly. Guide yelled a lot.

Transport

Grumpy driver.

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

Easily the highlight of our trip to Thailand. Worth the trip if we did nothing else. Thrilling and informative, I'll never forget it.

Quality of Experience

Awe inspiring.

Food

Excellent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Superb.

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai-Half Day

Chiang Mai

Loved this excursion. Great tour guide and loved interacting with the animals.

Quality of Experience

Great up close experience.

Food

Food was okay but not great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable and friendly.

Our family of four adults chose Serendipity for our first trip to Costa Rica, and it exceeded our expectations. The trip was well-organized, with a nice mix of activities that perfectly matched our interests. We especially loved our stay at Royal Corin in La Fortuna. Some of the highlights included the scenic float trip in Arenal, hiking in Arenal and Manuel Antonio, and the fascinating coffee and chocolate tour. Everything was thoughtfully paced and seamlessly planned. We highly recommend Serendipity for an unforgettable Costa Rica adventure!

Hien is the ultimate agent. She constantly was aware of our travel and continued to assist us in prompt fashion whether it was changing transportation, getting seat assignments, processing refunds, and ensuring we were happy with the choices of hotels and tours.
At each airport within SE Asia we were greeted and helped through customs, assisted with luggage, and checking into hotel. It was flawless. It is unimaginable to think what efforts we would have had to spend to accomplish what Hien planned and executed.]
Each hotel chosen was excellent and the tours selected were largely worthwhile. All guides with the exception of one were excellent.

Hotel Reviews

Chen Sea Resort & Spa

Phu quoc

This is a low key resort with easy walks to the pool and beach. The beach is quite nice and the water great to swim in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

This hotel has great views of the sea from ocean villas. Ours had an amazing pool, giant bath tub and great deck with amazing views from everywhere in the villa. The villa was large and very comfortable. Service was excellent and the morning buffet may the best. The hotel has a few downsides, but still is a great boutique facility to stay. The first is that since it is on the side of steep hill getting to the pool or restaurants is a strenuous walk. They do have buggies which cart you around when easily requested and supplied. The other is that the beach is just adequate. However, the overall facility is great. In addition, they provide a shuttle service to a large mall about 29 minutes away. Otherwise restaurants require a cab ride.

Na Nirand Resort

Chiang Mai

This hotel has an amazing vibe and is highly stylistic. Staff is extremely helpful and courteous. Rooms are extremely comfortable and easy to live in. Great location to walk into numerous restaurants.

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Great place to stay along the river with shuttle boats available. Upper floor rooms with river view are spectacular. Rooms are very spacious, comfortable, and well equipped.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravelle Saigon

Excellent location, great service, and very comfortable room meticulously cared for.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rayavadee

This is the finest hotel in over 40 years of travel I have stayed. The service and friendliness of the staff couldn't be higher. They anticipated our needs and were ready to help in any way. The hotel's bungalows were spacious, well equipped with huge patios and the largest bed I have ever seen. They have the largest infinity pool I have ever seen with many chairs. They also have a premier beach with great service and comfortable chaises which are set up with multiple towels. They also have kayaks and other equipment free of charge. The included brunch was outstanding and overall the food was of the highest quality. It is a place I would like to return even though it is over 15k miles from my home. The resort is set on over 25 acres and in the jungle. We saw monkeys every day and a large monitor lizard. They have a great application that allows you to call for buggies to transport you if you wish around the facility and essentially accomplish anything you need. It is easy to easy to walk to local stores in Railey and to the pier for pickup for tours.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was perfect

Activity Reviews

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Full day of visiting Kanta Elephant Sanctuary - Orchid Farm & Doi Suthep Temple

Chiang Mai

Can't say enough about this. Loved the elephants and the people running the sanctuary who were informed and dedicated. Butterfly and orchid farm were outstanding.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trekking at Doi Inthanon (RA)

Chiang Mai

Well worth the experience exploring the forest, rice fields, waterfall, and learning about the variety of plant life and trees and how it is incorporated into the lives of those living there. It is a special area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Was taken to very authentic local Thai restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok City Tour Full Day (RA)

Bangkok

Visiting the Grand Palace and the various buildings surrounding it was excellent. There were many tourists but manageable. Also seeing it at night is a must. We would like to spend more time in Bangkok as there way too much to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok evening street food tour

Bangkok

The visit to China town, the best one I have ever been to, was exciting, delicious, and not to be missed. There is plenty of walking and we also got a chance to visit a local nightclub and the flower warehouse district. A great night.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Services

Thailand

Full day Angkor sightseeing and Ta Prohm temple

Siem Reap

This is a must do and see experience. There is significant walking involved and climbing up stairs. Visiting Angkor Wat is one of the greatest experiences of my life. It is breathtaking in scope, scale, and detail. It is hard to imagine that is was created when it was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Visa On Arrival Service

Cambodia

Mekong Delta Full day by Speed Boat ( LR) - updated

Vietnam

Parts of the trip were great. Other parts were ho hum. It seemed like they added things to just take up time. There were lots of obvious explanations. There is plenty of walking and it was hot. While I got a sense of the delta I felt like I wanted to learn more. Also the trip by boat was quite annoying as the river is filled with floating plant material which constantly clogged the propeller and required stopping and reversing the engine to go forward again. The river is quite dirty.

Quality of Experience

Food

We were taken to a restaurant which allowed us to experience many types of well prepared food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

This experience is not to be missed. The ingenuity of the Viet Cong and the guerilla tactics is scary. The dedication of the these guerilla fighters and how they lived is unimaginable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Street Food Tour With Vespa Wanderers

Ho Chi Minh City

Couldn't be more fun, interesting, with delicious food and a great guide. Riding on the back of a moped where traffic is scary is awesome.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay Day Trip (Jade Sails)

Hanoi

This is well worth the day on a comfortable boat with adequate space for the many passengers. The staff were excellent. The buffet lunch while extensive was not particularly tasty.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Half Day City Tour & Train Street

Hanoi

The half day tour was excellent. The train experience was okay. I would have rather spent more time discovering Hanoi.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our short trip was amazing, we asked Doris for a relaxed yet adventurous trip around the Mekong Delta and the activities she planned for us were perfect. Also the hotels chosen were on point. Our guide and the driver were lovely, we got a lot of interesting local insights from them. 100% recommended!

Our Costa Rica trips involved visiting three areas; La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manual Antonio. This is a good combination of the most interesting parts of the country.
The Najara Tented Camp in La Fortuna was one of the most amazing resort hotels we ever stayed at - right behind the Manadarin Oriental in Bodrum (Turkey) and the Four Seasons Sayan in Bali. There was a nice private thermal pool, access to five restaurants with very good food, and overall excellent service. We took three excursions - the Hanging Bridges and Butterfly Garden were both really good, but we would not recommend the Arena Volcano/La Fortuna Fall excursion, which was difficult and not worth seeing.
We stayed at the Monteverde Lodge and Gardens in Monteverde. The hotel was a little dated and can use an upgrade. However, the restaurant has unexpectedly good food and the staff there provided excellent service. After a while, we grew to enjoy the place. We took another Hanging Bridges tour, which turned out to be a self-guided tour instead of a guided tour as specified. But it was OK and we really enjoyed the excursion.
At Manual Antonio, we stayed at the Arenas del Mar Resort. Overall, this hotel was excellent, with the exception of the Beach Restaurant, which was terrible. We do not understand how the main restaurant served such good food especially the fish dishes) while the Beach Restaurant served such subpar food. The staff were very good, and even arranged a coffee bean roasting demonstration in the hotel and a tour of the hotel lab where ginger beer and beer were made. We had two excursions there - the Manual Antonio National Park walking tour and a waking tour of a Biological Reserve tour. We recommend both excursions.
Our Costa Rica tour was a custom private tour worked out with Kim Kim. Overall, it worked out well for us. There were several mishaps though. The first was that the detailed itinerary was sent to us very late, just 4-5 days before our departure. As a result, we were not aware of the early starting times of the local excursions. We are not early risers and the starting times have to be reworked, and some of the new starting times were not confirmed until the day of our departure. Tis caused lots of confusion. The second was not some of the local excursions were not the same as described in our itinerary, such as the Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna. It was actually better than the one described.
Kim Kim was good in making all the right hotel arrangements and private transfers.
Would we recommend using Kim Kim for Costa Rica trips? Yes, we would, but with the stipulation that the final detailed itinerary will be sent out no later than 2 weeks before departure, and the understanding that not everyone is an early riser. We have been in over 50 tours, and mot tours start at 9 am, and we consider a starting time of 6:45 am simply unacceptable for us.

We overall had an excellent time with KimKim and we loved how we could customize our itinerary to suit our needs. KimKim is a great in-between of planning our own trip with the highlights we want to do, but without the hassle of planning minute details or having to travel for weeks with a group without flexibility. We were able to add a few days on the front and tail end of our trip to explore on our own. Our favorite experiences were hiking in Torres del Paine and seeing Petito Moreno Glacier. The Latitud Ushaia team and Andrea from Buenos Aires went above and beyond to make our trip special. Overall the communication went well and we always had a source to contact. We did have some difficulty communicating with our local specialist, Carolina, at the beginning, but her communication overall was good and she ultimately ended up being a pleasant local specialist. I would recommend KimKim to others!

Jesse and Kim Kim made our trip a seamless, stress-free experience. She listened to our general needs and was able to put together a diverse itinerary that gave us a taste of all Atacama had to offer. She was attentive and accommodating to changes and gave us various options to meet the preferences of our group of 7. I'd use Jesse and Kim Kim again!

Hotel Review

Lodge Terrantai

San Pedro de Atacama

Loved this place. The service was impeccable and warm. I felt like I was returning home after every excursion and always had what I needed there, whether it was coffee, snacks, wine or water. The staff, from housekeeping to the front desk, were always so pleasant and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cejar Lagoon, Ojos del Salar & Tebenquiche

San Pedro de Atacama

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Francisco was wonderful in helping us plan this trip, lots of great suggestions...and when he was away on work he had a colleague interact and she filled his show very nicely. Overall they made is a very easy, smooth sailing trip!

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Australia. Kim-Kim's local travel agent, Vicky Steinhardt, did a great job working with us and our traveling companions, over an extended period, to plan our trip. I love planning travel but in the cases that we have used Kim-Kim they did a far better job than I could have done on my own. In this case Vicky had good suggestions which we would not have thought about. We were traveling with a second couple who participated in the trip planning. From our perspective the itinerary came together fairly easily. The hotels that Vicky selected were all well located and were ones that I would consider staying at in the future. I liked getting private car service from and to each airport. I was pleasantly surprised at how seamless that worked out.

Our Melbourne hotel was well located for walking to Victoria Market, the Australian Open, a laundromat, and restaurants. We had two small group tour daytrips while we were in Melbourne. One was a drive along the Great Ocean Road to see the beaches and the 12 Apostles. It was a very long day and while the scenery is spectacular it similar to what we have in California. The second tour to Phillips Island, to see the penguins march ashore, was more fun.

Aside from seeing the Australian Open, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, was the other major highlight of our trip. The Crystalbook Flynn Hotel was great and really close to the Cairns marina. The Seastar dive boat was also really good. There are only about 45 passengers and the crew is very attentive and personable. The underwater scenery is, of course, great. We also took a worthwhile small van daytrip to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rain Forest.

Our Sydney hotel was conveniently located next to Chinatown and Darling Harbor. There are a lot of restaurants, and a shopping mall nearby and it's close to a tram stop. We enjoyed our full day daytrip to the Blue Mountains and Leura. We were skeptical of touring the Sydney Opera House but it turned out to be a good call by Vicky. Our wives also enjoyed shopping at the weekend market at the Rocks. I'm also glad we got a half day tour of the highlights of Sydney.

The only travel problems that we had were pretty trivial. We had gone through multiple itineraries before arriving at the final one. Before we arrived in Sydney, Vicky caught the fact that our itinerary listed the wrong hotel. One of our domestic flights was on Jetstar. I would try to avoid them if I was traveling within Australia. Their maximum luggage weight limit is less than that of the international carrier and their check-in and boarding are chaotic if you're flying with them for the first time. We were dinged with a $120 hit for having overweight bags, however their gate agents were so disorganized and harried that they let us fly without collecting it. We had breakfast included at each of our hotels. This worked out well in Melbourne and Cairns but not so well in the Sydney Darling Harbor Vibe Hotel. To catch our tours we had to be out the door before 7:30 AM but they don't open their dining area until 7 AM and they only serve prepared meals and not a buffet.

Overall a very good trip and we expect to use KimKim in the future.

Cami was great to work with. She did a wonderful job booking everything we needed.

Our tour guide, Rich, was so fun and told us all about the island of Palawan. He even bought different foods for us to try.

Ana, in Manila, was quieter, but still a great guide.
Our trip was really fun and everything ran smoothly

Hotel Review

The Funny Lion

Puerto Princesa

It was really quiet and no beach

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was wonderful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pangsanjan Falls & Tagaytay

Philippines

Loved this excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Princesa Underground River Day Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am a single man 60+ .
I traveled by myself for seven days and even though I am well traveled, I was slightly nervous about visiting Egypt as an American.
From the moment I arrived at Cairo airport until I
was dropped off for the return flight I was very well taken care of by the KimKim team
Each guide was a trained Egyptologist with extensive knowledge of history of the country
and the sites , the drivers were unfailingly
polite and they worked together as great teams.
My email contact was Mohammed who responded very quickly. Egypt is. welcoming country. If I could give a 7 star review I would do so as 5 star is insufficient.
to all wuestions
.

the retjrn flight
I was cery wcared for by the KimKim team.
Each tour guide was a trained Egyptologist and each sriver was polite and hard working. lllknowledg
able

Activity Review

Half Day Tour To The Grand Egyptian Museum “GEM”

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

their knowledge and their friendliness

Transport

excellent helpful drivers

Incredible trip to Costa Rica with all its varied ecosystems and wildlife.

Our guide, Gustavo, really hooked it up. We were deeply impressed (and grateful) when he and the KimKim team arranged to get our passports couriered to us after we left them at our hotel. Top notch service!

Vicky put together a 33 day trip to Australia and Tasmania for us that went beyond our expectations. During the planning, she made time for 2 calls with us, and through a back and forth, created the ideal custom itinerary. The lodging included boutique hotels (we aren’t as fond of resort hotels), glamping, cottages and apartments. The activities were spaced enough that we could rest (we are an older couple), but each tour guide had grown up in the place we were touring, so the tours all felt very personal to each guide and helped get an authentic feel for the places. Vicky gave us many restaurant recommendations at our request, so we were able to make reservations early at some really great places. Apart from her skill in trip planning, Vicky was so easy with communication; prompt with her replies and clear with her recommendations (including the pros and cons of activities, etc.). We can’t recommend Vicky highly enough. She outdid herself with our trip. Thank you Vicky!

Hotel Reviews

The Henry Jones Art Hotel

Hobart

The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart was an intriguing place with a rich history that was evident in its architecture, which we absolutely loved. However, the layout of our room with the bedroom upstairs and bathroom downstairs was a bit challenging for us in terms of accessibility.

Falls Mountain Retreat

Wentworth Falls

The location of Falls Mountain Retreat was convenient as we could walk to nearby trails in the Blue Mountains, which was great. However, our accommodation was quite disappointing. The apartment felt shabby, the carpet was dirty, and the bed was not comfortable. The kitchen was poorly stocked, making it difficult for us to prepare meals as we had hoped. Overall, the stay at this place did not meet our expectations.

Activity Reviews

Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove

Palm Cove

The Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove was enjoyable and well organized. Although we didn't see many turtles, the guide handled the group well and made the experience pleasant. It was nice that we could walk from our hotel to the meetup location. It was a lovely way to spend time out on the water.

Luxe Bus Great Ocean Road with Wildlife Wonders

Melbourne

The Great Ocean Road Luxe Bus tour was outstanding. The Twelve Apostles were a breathtaking sight, and the tour group was small, which made the experience much more personal and enjoyable. I can't imagine visiting Melbourne without taking this amazing tour.

Melbourne Highlights & Foodie Tour

Melbourne

The Melbourne Highlights & Foodie Tour was fantastic. Marty and Rob showed us the vibrant street art and introduced us to the city's highlights. They were personable and took us to a superb restaurant for lunch. This tour really helped us appreciate Melbourne's charm beyond its big-city feel.

Tasmanian Seafood Seduction

Hobart

The Tasmanian Seafood Seduction tour in Hobart was absolutely amazing! The guide dove into the water to collect fresh sea urchins and abalone, which were then prepared into a meal. It was an incredible experience having seafood that fresh, and it made for an unforgettable day.

It was wonderful that we were met by somebody at every airport and take to our hotels. The guides we had were knowledgeable and friendly.

I thought the itinerary that Lorena worked with on turned out to be fantastic! A great mix of normal touring and experienced based activities! Specifically our guides for Torres De Paine, Ramiro - W Circuit Patagonia and our Torres Overview Tour Guide - Jose Gonzalez were outstanding. In addition I wanted to give a shout out to Valentina our local KimKIM Operations leader in Chile did a great job. The Magdelena Island / Penguin Colony and the Lago Grey Glacier are don't miss events.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Lago Grey was outstanding! Yes, it is remote within the National Park....but that was made it terrific. The on-site restaurant was fantastic, staff were very supportive and customer focused, and the rooms were big with knock out views of Lago Grey. The room did have a TV, but no refrigerator, but the staff were super accommodating to helping us get medications properly stored. I can't say enough great things about this property...a definite must go!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

If you are looking for a higher end accommodation, this may not be your place. It is centrally located in Puerto Natales, but the rooms were small and you won't be able to control room temperature from individual rooms. The room didn't come with a TV (which was ok, but not great), and no refrigerator...which was an issue because my wife has medications that required that. If you go upstairs to the hotel bar be prepared at checkout to have to pay in Chilean Pesos...since they wouldn't allow credit cards to finalize the bill...just a couple of small amenities that could have been better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ilaia

Punta Arenas

We were only there for a quick overnight ~8 hours. The hotel was fairly comfortable, and the staff was friendly. Probably not the best location or option if you are going to stay more than a couple of nights

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outside of town, not centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Trip to Glacier Grey

Chile

One of our highlights..especially since we stayed right at the Hotel Lago Grey! The boat trip was fantastic and the views of the glacier were awe inspiring!! This is a can't miss excursion if you are anywhere near Lago Grey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park Private Tour

Puerto Natales

This overview type tour was fantastic. Jose Gonzalez was one of the best tour guides we have ever experienced anywhere. This tour gives a great taste of many aspects of Torres Del Paine National Park...which was a great way to see a lot of things in half a day! The provided lunch at the Lago Grey cafeteria was very good and needed !! Nicely done to Jose!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jose's knowledge and presentation style made this a great tour

Transport

Base Torres Hike

Chile

Spectacular...but be forewarned, this hike is a difficult trek (not close to moderate) and not for the faint of heart. Views were spectacular and the guides were fantastic. 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) with elevation changes and variable trail conditions and weather conditions made this an experience of a lifetime, but also challenging!

Quality of Experience

Food

The provided lunch bag was not nearly enough nutrition to support this type of hike...bring energy bars and other food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Patagonia

Worth the effort to go to the island and view the penguins and other birds in their natural environment. A great tour for the Punta Arenas time of our itinerary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we had an excellent experience working with anita and all the kimkim staff! everyone was helpful, responsive and accommodating. well done!

a few items:

-while the process of developing the itinerary was initially difficult for me -because of the way communication is imbedded in the developing itinerary- anita was willing to accommodate me and work around it with direct contact via phone and email. thank you, anita! the app proved to be a very useful tool during the trip, providing up to date changes, quick contact and quick responses. what a great idea!

our trip went smoothly for the most part.

the guides were quite knowledgeable; some were extremely personable and fun. while all kindly accommodated the visually impaired member of our group, massimo stands out as having gone above and beyond. he was extremely helpful and caring. vito and donato also went out of their way to accommodate his needs; the ape calessino was a lifesaver in both matera and ostuni. all the guides were in contact in advance of our scheduled meeting time and were prompt in meeting us. the driver you hired at the last minute for the driving tour of naples proved to be as knowledgeable as any guide would have been; indeed, he actually was a guide. all well done!

all drivers were professional and helpful; in rome and naples, we were quite glad that they were driving and not us. again, each was in touch with us in advance of our meeting time and accommodated any travel delays cheerfully. this was especially true of vito and donato. the driver for our transfer to the rental car pickup at the naples airport was not informed of the correct pickup time. this delayed our arrival in matera, but vito and donato kindly waited for what was a substantial amount of time and cheerfully toured us anyway. we did regret that the driver assigned to pick us up in rome on arrival from munich did not learn of the delay until after he had already gone to the airport. i hope he was properly compensated.

each of the hotels stood out in different ways, but all of them were beautiful and comfortable and the staff professional and accommodating. however, the following were issues for our visually impaired friend:
-is it true that grab bars are only required in new construction in the eu? it was difficult for our friend without such accommodation. this might be wise to share with others who may be anticipating accommodations we take for granted in the united states.
-at the cenobia in matera, the staff was quite helpful and very nice, especially samir and mario, but the location was dangerously challenging. the hotel was at the bottom of several very long flights of exterior steps (no hand rails, of course). add in the rain and it was a difficult, dangerous situation for our friend. even the room assignment was problematic given the exterior steps by which it is accessed. it was fortunate the hotel was empty because it allowed management to change his room to one that had fewer steps to reach it (all entrances were exterior). as it was, it took several people to help him navigate all these steps, in the dark and the rain. he did not go to breakfast because of the rain and steps. while the hotel was beautiful and the staff wonderful, this was a bad choice for our circumstances, and could have had disastrous consequences for our friend. there is nothing on the website to alert to the steps. a heads up for other travelers is indicated.

-the same situation with steps occurred at masseria montenapoleone, on a smaller scale. again, it was fortunate that because so few people were there, management was able to reassign him to a room that was less of a challenge.

-the donna camilla was stunning. we arrived quite late after our flight from brindisi and did not see any restaurants nearby so we were quite happy it had a restaurant, a good one. however, as you know, because of our early departure, we couldn't eat at the hotel in the morning. in retrospect, we would have preferred a credit on the room since the breakfast the hotel provided was sparse and more snack-like than anything.

-because we arrived late to the donna camilla and went immediately to dinner, it wasn't until afterwards that we discovered the room our friend received had only a tub -no shower- a serious oversight and miscommunication with the hotel.

that our friend was not accommodated in several circumstances, as requested from the outset, is the only negative in what was otherwise a wonderful trip.

anita, it was a pleasure working with you…you were accommodating, quick to reply and thoughtful in your suggestions. Your colleagues we interacted with via the app were quite helpful as well. if you would like to discuss any of my comments, please feel free to contact me.

We visited Patagonia in Chile and Argentina. Undoubtedly, Patagonia is the most spectacular environment I have ever visited. Biodiversity is still noticeable in that part of the world and I hope it will be forever preserved that way. The Andean Condor, Uppland geese, culpeos and guanacos are still common sight. I wish I had seen the timid armadillo!

It was suggested by Lorena that we rented a car to travel within North Patagonia and then Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine. The roads from Balmaceda Airport to Puerto Guadal and around Torres del Paine were unpaved or filled with craters in the paved roads, which made the driving conditions dangerous and so it became necessary to drive between 20 - 60 km/h. Nevertheless, the scenery in those areas were breathtaking! Also, petrol stations are hard to come by and we needed to make that planning ourselves. We were not given this information beforehand. A bus trip from Puerto Natales to El Calafate was added to our itinerary and it was not the 4 h stated on our itinerary, but 6 h. It was the most uncomfortable part of the trip, as we were crammed in like sardines.

In the plus side, all hotels suggested were excellent. My top picks were Lago Grey Hotel and Mirador Puerto Guadal, plus the food at the Yegua Loca restaurant. The best boat trip was to Spegazzini glacier.

Lorena was always very prompt at helping us when needed, even when we were still in Santiago. We felt safe under her care and she sorted issues very quickly. On the improvement side, the itineraries could have been checked a few hours in advance to avoid some of the issues.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

Good location and good facilities. A hotel working towards environmental sustainability.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Incredible location! We could still see the glacier from our room. We saw so many wild animals, like the caracara, culpeo zorro and Magellanic woodpecker. It is a walking distance to easy walks in the forest through Rio Pingo and Grey Glacier. Restaurant staff were very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mirador del Guadal

Puerto Guadal

Stephan was an amazing host, always checking in with us to provide us with local tips on what to do or just have a friendly chat. The local chef was excellent and we enjoyed the quality of the breakfast and dinners. The best of all was the superb view from the cabin and the amazing nature surrounding us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Spectacular nature

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Brazil Side - Foz do Iguaçu

Argentina

We only spent two hours on the Park and we were hoping for at least 4 h. We felt rushed again and could not enjoy the beautiful sight standing before us for long enough. We stayed in the Argentinian side so had to travel to the Brazilian side and be subjected to passport control, but we stayed inside the van and the guide handled everything. We also stayed in the van to enter the park as opposed to take their double decker bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Iguazú Falls (Argentine Side) & Great Adventure

Argentina

The trails were great but we were rushed throghout the whole experience. It was very busy with lots of tourists queuing everywhere. We also did the Great Adventure in the boat where we soaked from being underneath some of the falls! We loved that part of the day. Beautiful place and it would be great to do it without a guide rushing through, so that we can enjoy the natural surroundings. The guide should have also spoken in Spanish to the group member who did not speak English but he ignored her most of the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour Through The Glaciers

El Calafate

This is a must tour! We loved it! The catamaran was really modern. We loved the iceberg sculptures. It is a real shame that these beautiful glaciers are disappearing as a result of anthropogenic climate change.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour from El Calafate to El Chaltén

El Calafate

The guide was wonderful! She had great knowledge of the area and very happy to answer extra questions in English. Before we reached El Chalten, we stopped at the Hotel Las Leonas for a coffee, photo, souvenir opportunity and/or toilet break. And she stopped for two other photo opportunities on the way. There was only one hike going up but not for that long. The second walk was at ground level towards the waterfall.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Blue Safari

El Calafate

When we reached the National Park, we could view the glacier from the wooden platforms from the yellow and blue trails. This was also during the time allocated for lunch break. After that, we took the boat to enjoy a walk closer to the glacier where we could touch it and even ‘drink’ a piece of ice from it. It is a real shame that these beautiful glaciers are disappearing as a result of anthropogenic climate change.

Quality of Experience

Food

The sandwich was too dry.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Photo Safari in Patagonia

Punta Arenas

The guide was exceptional! She knew so much about the birds in the area. We observed several species and watched several condors fly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

The guide was excellent at covering the information in both Spanish and English. It was good to see the park rangers on watch on the island to protest the welfare of the animals. We saw other bird species, like the Upland Geese and Seagull. The trip to the Marta island was shorter than to observe the penguins, because we needed to stay on the boat not to upset the sea lions, which was sensible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marble Caves Boat Tour

Chile

The marble caves are really worthwhile a visit! The guide gave some good basic scientific background as to how they were formed and those not listening could still take some amazing photos of the beautiful geological formations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was knowledgeable and had good sense of humour. Staff back in the office were a bit rude.

Transport

Our trip was spectacular, but what made it especially so, were the fine people we had the pleasure of being with in Morocco. So it will be them that I speak about.

Our right hand man, Soufian was an exceptional driver, tour guide, problem solver, and friend. He was personable, attentive, knowledgeable, and always punctual. When unexpected issues arose in our travel plans (beyond his control), he handled them with grace and efficiency. On the rare occasions when someone else had to take over driving, we found ourselves missing Soufian’s lighthearted and playful banter. By the middle of our week-long trip, he felt more like a member of the family than a hired guide. The Moroccan people, in general, impressed us with their genuine warmth, friendliness, and quick smiles, but Soufian truly embodied these qualities in the best way possible. Our time with him felt far too short, and we’ll cherish the memories we created together.

Additionally Sharif was an outstanding tour guide, and our visit to Fez was truly enhanced by his expertise and thoughtful approach. From the outset, he impressed us with his extensive knowledge and passion for the city’s history and culture. When he outlined the detailed itinerary for our four-hour tour, I expressed concerns about whether it might be too challenging for my 83-year-old mother, who has mobility issues. The itinerary included significant walking, particularly through the bustling Medina. However, Sharif immediately adapted to our needs with remarkable patience and understanding.

Throughout the tour, he was incredibly attentive to my mother, always ensuring she felt comfortable and supported. He found creative ways to navigate the sometimes-difficult terrain of the Medina, and his kindness and care did not go unnoticed. His background as a university-trained linguist shone through, making the experience enjoyable and accessible even for us, as English-only speakers. He communicated complex historical and cultural details with clarity, making the tour both educational and engaging.

The tour itself was exceptionally well-organized, taking us to a variety of fascinating sites while offering deep insights into the vibrant history and traditions of Fez. Sharif’s ability to balance an ambitious schedule with a personalized touch truly stood out. Thanks to him, we were able to complete the entire tour without feeling rushed or overwhelmed, despite the physical challenges.

I wholeheartedly recommend Sharif to anyone visiting Fez. His professionalism, expertise, and genuine care for his guests make him a truly exceptional guide. I am confident that you, too, will have an unforgettable experience in his capable hands.

Thanks so much to both of these men.

Sara did an amazing job planning my 30th birthday trip!!! From the beginning to the end she was with my mom and I every step of the way!! I appreciate you curating this trip exactly how we wanted it to be!! My favorite part I would say was the cooking class and going to see Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain that was an amazing experience! Shout out to Hyza from Cooking in Rio you were great!! I also really enjoyed the samba experience, next time I will have to come back for some samba classes!! Shout out to all the drivers/ service workers/ maids/ cleaners!! Special shout out to Ismael and Jonathan from the Windsor hotel and Isabella and Kaüo from Pousada do Ouro!!! You guys were awesome and I thank you for all the birthday love. Everyone was so so helpful and kind I appreciate everyone.

Thank you for a memorable 30th birthday!!! I will definitely be back to Rio for Carnival!! My mom and I really enjoyed the trip!!

All the best,
- Jonette

Hotel Reviews

Windsor California Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Good hotel!! Ismael and Jonathan were great!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central on the beach!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada do Ouro

Paraty

Beautiful colonial hotel!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Recipe Brazilian Cooking Class in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Hyza was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio in a Day: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Selarón Steps and More*

Rio de Janeiro

Must see!!! Get there early!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Behind the scenes of the carnival

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio: Little Africa Unveiled: Vibrant Afro-Brazilian Heritage

Rio de Janeiro

Was okay wish I learned a little more but was interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All you can eat dinner in the best meat and fish churrascaria in Rio

Rio de Janeiro

Wow!!!!! AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING buffet style authentic Brazilian experience what more can I say all you can eat!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The whole trip was great! Every hotel was beautiful and welcoming. Our guide Joao was knowledgeable and fun to be with. He adjusted our excursions as needed for weather and went out of his way to show us around and accommodate our interests. He made Portugal special for us.