Kimkim Trip Reviews

Everything went great. Sofitel hotel was very nice.

A great experience with my guide Efe and driver Musa.
I liked how flexible they were—we sometimes switched the order of our stops so we could avoid rain/tour buses, etc and also added stops when time became available. All being previously discussed, of course.
Thank you to both Efe and Musa!

Hotel Review

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel

Nevsehir

The perfect location to see the hot air balloons early in the morning. I ran out in a coat and my pajamas so I could take pictures!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location to see hot air balloons

Staff

Everyone was friendly and cordial

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Visit Beautiful Red Valley + Çavuşin

Cappadocia

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Discovering the Ihlara Valley and Light Hiking Along the Melendiz River

Cappadocia

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Our guide Karla was wonderful. I really appreciated how when we asked questions ahead of time she was very responsive and when I sent some flight information she noticed that I had sent the wrong date which helped me fix my reservations which somehow had gotten off. She set up a wonderful experience and given the global news that happened right before our trip (war in middle east, US joint military in Ecuador), it was wonderful she had a set up with someone to meet us at the airport everywhere and make sure everything went smoothly and that. My only complaint would be that we never new the name of the tour operators that we were going on which would have helped us plan for what to pack and what we should be taking with us on a trip. For instance, one day we had a tour that listed a hike, a museum, and something else and said there might be time we would do an additional activity. We weren't sure exactly what to pack or wear for the day so having links to what the activities were would have made things a little easier. I don't know if that is a policy so that we can't see what the prices are or not but I would have preferred to have those details. Otherwise, it was wonderful.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Near the airport with an easy shuttle. Gym, sauna, pool were great. Dinner was nice. Nothing to complain about for an airport hotel at all.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

The original part of the hotel didn't look wonderful and the pools look a little dated but they worked great and the new part where all 3 of our rooms were was beautiful and comfortable. Breakfast overlooking the water was wonderful as well. Staff was extremely friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fiesta

Puerto Ayora

Good value. There are quite a few bugs in the evening and the rooms are fairly small but breakfast was nice, staff was nice, and pool was nice (though pool furniture a little worn). Also, kind of on the edge of town so a longer walk to some things.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Go Quito Hotel

Quito

This hotel is beautiful, the breakfast is amazing, the area is beautiful. Could not recommend more!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

This was good but we didn't spend anywhere near 6 hours on activities. We did the interpretation center but it wasn't a long thing to do. The hike was great but not all that long. I don't know what La Loberia was. I think there was some talk of snorkeling but were told the visibility was poor. I think we spent a total of 3 hours on activities so while we enjoyed what we did, it was not as good as most of the rest of our activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

This was our favorite activity. It was amazing to have an island and snorkel and beach all to ourselves in our 7 person group. The guides and boat team were wonderful. The animals, views, activities were perfect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

This was beautiful. The only downside is the over 2 hours on the boat to get there and then another over 2 hours to get back. This is on top of 40 minute bus ride to get to the boat and another 40 min bus ride on teh way back so tons of time spent traveling for really 2 hours of beautiful things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Wonderful to see sharks, sea turtles swimming underneath your kayak, tons of lizards, beautiful beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The plant a tree part was hokey and not really special. Everything else was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World

Quito

This was fun though somewhat touristy. Still worthwhile to see the main points.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! (Transportation Service)

Ecuador

Appreciated meeting us at airport to make sure we got settled in.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jorge and Alejandro made our trip unforgettable. Ana Sofia and Luz Maria were very helpful and attentive. Great experience!

Our driver, Odik, was just a delight. He was always early, which meant we were never running behind schedule. He answered our questions, and provided commentary from time to time, especially when the Guide wasn't with us. He was very alert to my desire to take a photo from inside the car and would stop or slow down as traffic permitted. And speaking of traffic, it's a little crazy navigating the roads. There were a few times when I closed my eyes because I thought something bad was about to happen, but it never did.

Our guide, Badi, was likewise very engaging and informative. He provided lots of great historical and background information on the places we visited. He dealt with our on-the-fly requests to find an ATM we could use, and to buy some liquor to take home with us.

All of our outings were much better than the descriptions. We were particularly happy with the cooking classes at Rumah Desa and Paon Bali were excellent! Well-organized, efficiently delivered, and informative. The Monkey Forest was a delight as well, getting to be up close and personal with the animals.

One tiny downside...it would have been helpful to have a level-of-effort rating on some of the walks. I was able to do pretty much everything, but my traveling companion had to forgo some of the walks, or sections of walks, because they were just a little too strenuous.

In the end, though, I will be happy to recommend Kimkim and our consultant, Marc Urban to anyone who asks!

Hotel Review

Tejaprana Resort & Spa

Bali

We felt like we sat down in the lap of luxury when we arrived at Tejaprana. Once you turn off the very busy street, you descend (literally) into an island paradise of quiet and green and luxury. Frankly, we were happy to spend all of our free time at the resort, partly because we'd been traveling for a long time, and partly because it's just so damn nice. Similarly, Aruna Restaurant is excellent! We ate our way through most of the Balinese offerings they had on the menu, sometimes more than once. Staff is very friendly and welcoming, from the top management to the people cleaning the resort.

Authenticity & Character

I can't speak to the authenticity of the establishment, since I've had little exposure to the culture. But the character was very much in line with what I expected.

Location

It was relatively central to all that we wanted to see. It took us a while to understand that you can't move very fast in Bali, particularly in congested areas. But all was great.

Staff

From top to bottom the staff was excellent! Pandi, the restaurant manager, was particularly helpful and welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

When your hotel is in the middle of nature, as is Tejaprana, you can't expect it to look 100% pristine at all times. So there were times that there were leaves and other natural debris scattered about. But it wasn't in the least offensive. Cleanliness was top-notch.

Activity Reviews

Visit a local market & enjoy a cooking class

Indonesia

The market walk was interesting, because it gave us such a good glimpse into daily life. The cooking class was exceptional, start to finish!.

Quality of Experience

well-run and delightful from start to finish!

Food

OMIGOD! SO GOOD!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was really great! It seemed like they very much enjoy what they do!

Transport

Cultural Immersion and traditions at Rumah Desa

Indonesia

It was absolutely fascinating to step into the world of a Balinese family, if only for part of a day. Our guide (I wish I could remember his name, but he was 6'5" tall, so very distinctive among Balinese men) did a great job introducing us to religious traditions and other aspects of daily life. I enjoyed learning about their 18-character alphabet, and getting a memento of my name written in Balinese. It was also interesting to see the amount of labor that goes in to producing coconut oil, coconut milk, and grated coconut.

Quality of Experience

Nope. Start to finish, it was excellent.

Food

The meal we helped to prepare was excellent!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I've talked about our driver elsewhere. The staff was uniformly warm and welcoming.

Transport

Discussed elsewhere.

Our honeymoon was absolutely incredible, and we’re so grateful to KimKim for planning such a seamless and memorable trip. From the moment we arrived to the time we returned home, everything went so smoothly. All the logistics, transfers, and activities were perfectly arranged, which allowed us to truly relax and enjoy the experience without worrying about any details.

We especially appreciated how well the planning team listened to what we wanted out of the trip. They really understood the kind of experiences we were hoping for and built an itinerary that felt perfect for us. It felt very personalized rather than a generic travel plan, and that made the whole trip even more special.

One of the absolute highlights of our trip was Chiang Mai. We completely fell in love with it. The city has such a beautiful balance of culture, nature, and peaceful energy. Exploring the temples, markets, and surrounding countryside was unforgettable, and the atmosphere there felt both vibrant and relaxing at the same time. Our guide in Chang Mai, Bammie, was amazing. It felt like touring with a friend.

Visiting Elephant Nature Park was also a truly life-changing experience. Being able to see these beautiful animals in an ethical sanctuary and learn their stories was incredibly moving. It was one of those moments we’ll never forget, and it was easily one of the most meaningful experiences of the entire trip.

Another thing that made the trip so special was the people. Everyone we met was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and kind. The warmth and hospitality we experienced everywhere we went made the entire journey feel even more meaningful.

Overall, it was the perfect honeymoon—relaxing, exciting, and filled with unforgettable moments. We’re so grateful to KimKim for listening to what we wanted and putting together such an amazing trip for us. It’s a honeymoon we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Hotel Reviews

My Beach Resort

This hotel is in a more secluded and quiet part of Phuket, which is exactly what my husband and I wanted. The hotel was kind enough to upgrade our room and we had a beautiful ocean view balcony room. The hotel was extremely clean, breakfast was great, and is in walking distance to some other restaurants and spas. We really enjoyed staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

U Chiang Mai Hotel

Chiang Mai

The location alone is worth the stay. In walking distance to so many restaurants, smoothie bars, souvenir shops, and spas. The hotel has so much character. The room was spacious, clean, and staff were very friendly and accommodating. The only negative was that the AC was putting off a foul odor. We informed staff who tried to fix the issue but I think it wasn’t fixable with us staying in the room. Thankfully, it was cool enough most of the stay that we didn’t need to run the AC.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mode Sathorn Hotel Bangkok

Bangkok

This hotel is very well located. It’s near public transport which made it easy for my husband and I to get around when we arrived the day before the tour started. The staff was extremely kind and accommodating, the included breakfast was delicious, and there is a coffee shop on the lower level. I will say that the pictures are very dated. The hotel is much more worn than the pictures show, the carpet in the room had staining, but it was overall clean enough. The mattress was extremely hard, and my husband had a hard time sleeping. We only stayed in Bangkok for 2 nights and used that as an opportunity to save money on the hotel, so most of the “negatives” were to be expected with a more budget hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Updated pictures, clean carpets, update some of the worn down parts of the hotel

Activity Reviews

Chiang Mai from a Different Perspective by Bike

Chiang Mai

This was such a cool and unique way to tour Chang Mai and all of the various. Our guide made sure we were safe the entire time, helmets were included.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Monk Blessing at Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

This is such a beautiful temple. It was an amazing experience and we got to see some really cool rituals as it was New Year’s Eve. Can’t recommend enough. As usual, our guide made everything even better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Nature Walk and Culture

Chiang Mai

One of our favorite activities. We had our local KimKim guide, as well as a local villager helping us throughout the nature walk. It was so cool to see this side of Thailand, with many amazing waterfalls, and end with a tour of the coffee farm. It wasn’t a difficult hike, and they have walking sticks available for use.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

This was such a cool experience. We were able to see Bangkok at night and enjoy some amazing Michelin star rated food. Our Bangkok guide ensured we were safe, and even gave us hand sanitizer, etc throughout the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Nature Park Half Day Visit (Joining Excursion)

Chiang Mai

One of the best experiences on our whole trip. This was a must do for my husband and I, and we wanted to make sure we chose an ethical sanctuary that did not promote abuse of the animals. I can’t recommend Elephant Nature Park enough. Although there is no touching or bathing of the elephants, we were able to walk with the group all over the grounds and observe the elephants enjoying their daily life from a safe distance. It was so fun to see each elephants distinct personality. The included lunch was amazing as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

This was a very cool experience at first, but once you get to the floating market part of the tour, it’s extremely busy. We got into a boat traffic jam several times. Overall, it’s basically a tourist trap, but still a cool experience nonetheless. As usual, our guide in Bangkok was amazing and even bought us coconut ice cream to try while we were on the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thoughtful itinerary that made the best use of our limited time and kept in mind our location and budget. Kate was easy to work with and responsive. All of our experiences were well paced throughout the week.

Activity Reviews

Cotswolds Tour (From London)

London

We had a great time once we got on the bus. We had left our flat in Elephant & Castle at 7:30 that morning but missed our tube exit and had to backtrack via Black cab, which made us late. We contacted the number on our ticket, who expressed concern that the bus might not wait for us. Our tickets said to be there at 8:15 with an 8:30 departure, but, despite our best efforts, we arrived at 8:38. The man at the counter (also the person I talked with on the phone) was super rude and chastising about our tardiness. We felt horrible, but he made us feel 100 times worse. Liam, our driver, and the other passengers were very understanding. After that, Liam had a wonderful day planned for us where we had time to go about the towns and see historical sites as well as shop and eat. It was a great introduction to the area, and we can't wait to go back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

customer service of ticket staff

Transport

Great driver and very knowledgeable.

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

You could spend several days here, but we knew to go straight to the Crown Jewels as that tends to get the busiest the quickest. After that the Beefeater tour is a great way to get some history highlights and learn about the grounds and the people who protect them. The café has wonderfully fresh and delicious food and is a great place to break up the day of looking at all of the buildings and exhibits.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Perfect first stop for our first day in London after an overnight flight. It allowed us to get a lay of the land from the backseat of a comfortable cab with a very knowledgeable driver, John. He was prompt in our pickup (even early) and did the best he could, even though it was raining. We got out of the vehicle to look and touch the old Roman wall which was a neat moment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stephen Hoang Long and the team at Realistic Asia planned our 13 day vacation to Vietnam and Thailand. We have travelled a lot, but have never been to Asia before, so we were excited but nervous. Long took our preferences for accommodations and activities and came up with an incredible vacation plan. We were busy every day doing interesting and unique things. Each of our hotels were top notch. All of the logistics and experiences were well planned and went flawlessly. Long checked in with us during every transfer and activity to make sure we were picked up and that everything was going smoothly. He was always available for any question we had and it was very reassuring knowing that we could reach out at any time on our trip. He even came to meet us at our hotel and introduce himself and brought us a welcome gift! When we come back to Asia for our next vacation, we will definitely contact him again! Thank you Long, for giving us a once in a lifetime vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Montien Riverside Hotel

Beautiful views of the river!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ao Nang Villa Resort

Krabi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Saga Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Eco Garden

Beautiful location and gorgeous rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragon Legend Cruise

Hon Gai

The rooms were large and very beautiful! Amazing experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bespoke Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

The location was centrally located and the staff were the friendliest and most helpful!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cycling in Cam Thanh & Thanh Dong Organic Farm Visit

Vietnam

Our local guide was so friendly and informative, we learned so much about Vietnamese culture!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pu Luong Iconic Rice Terrace & Local Brocade (Excursions) Updated

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pu Luong Explore Village Life Water Wheels & Rafting (Excursions) Updated

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

So unique and educational! Beautiful scenery!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

We got the local flavor by visiting 6 or 7 different restaurants! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was amazing over all, my favorite places were The Blarney Castle and the Cliffs of Moir, but my favorite of the whole trip was the Seaweed baths. In Scotland the Edinburgh Castle was great along with other attractions. Food and hotels were fantastic.

We enjoyed our trip a lot. Our guide Alejandro was great. The only negative parts of the trip were the flights from Quito to the Galapagos were not a direct flight. It would have been better to use a different airline if needed to not have the 5 hour layover on the way. The other thing would have been to not have the long ride to go and see crater lake on the last day. That would have been an interesting day trip all by itself, but should never be added onto a another stop.
Otherwise thank you for a great trip.

Hotel Reviews

La Isla Hotel

Puerto Ayora

This was our favorite hotel on our trip. We could see the sunsets from the hotel. Everything was clean and well run. It was very close to the the waterfront and we could walk to the piers for trips and easily walk to the shops and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Margarit Boutique Hotel

Mindo

This was a great comfortable hotel in Mindo. The food was wonderful. The view from the dining area allowed for watching birds and even bats at night. There was easy access into town to shop and eat. It was a delight to stay there.

Activity Review

Adventure at Tambo Cóndor: Birdwatching, Hiking & Nature Exploration

Ecuador

This was the best day for birdwatching to see the Condors. the Carunculated Caracaras, Andean gulls, and a variety of the other birds. The variety of higher altitude hummingbirds was impressive. Also enjoyed seeing the fox and deer.

We truly felt this vacation was unlike most we had taken. We found the planned itinerary to be perfect for us. Our goals were to see the country in a non rushed fashion in a two week period. We found the guides to be timely, have a wealth of knowledge and interested in their country. Our accommodations were mostly very good . We most enjoyed the dinner with a family in Hue guided by Charlie and the Vespa tour in Ho Chi Minh City. Although I can’t say enough about Trinh and Arthur and Qui (our other guides).
Dao Long was very helpful with all the preparations and guidance during the trip.
We had never been on a trip such as this since I usually plan everything myself but felt in Vietnam assistance was necessary. We like to travel without a group and that goal was met.
I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone and hope to use kimkim in the future

Activity Reviews

Ho Chi Minh Departure Transfer

Vietnam

Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Half Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Didn’t really enjoy the was museum. Felt it was interesting but a bit one sided. The market was not enjoyable at all and could have skipped it

Evening Street Food Tour With Vespa Wanderers

Ho Chi Minh City

Mesmerizing. Saigon at night with all the bustle from the city and lights was amazing

Cycling in Cam Thanh & Thanh Dong Organic Farm Visit

Vietnam

Fun ride and loved the market

Authentic Home Dining - Enjoy a traditional Hue dinner

Hue

Wonderful expert and great way to learn the culture

Imperial City Tour of Hue Half-Day Exploration

Hue

Excellent guide

Lan Ha Bay - Halong Bay - Disembark the cruise (Nostalgia cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Hanoi – Tuan Chau Island – Halong Bay – Lan Ha Bay (Nostalgia cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Beautiful area and enjoyed the hike through the caves. I was glad it was just one night

Exploring Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Mua Cave

Vietnam

Very pretty and interesting

Hanoi City in A Day

Hanoi

Great guiding. I just found Hanoi not as enjoyable as the rest of the tour

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was great. So many nice tours, everything went as planned. We had a wonderful time.

Hotel Reviews

Évora Olive Hotel

Évora

Room was the nicest of our trip. Only annoying thing was not being able to check in until 4 pm the day we arrived.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editory Garden Porto Hotel

Porto

Room was small but otherwise no problems

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MeraPrime Gold Design Hotel

Lisbon

Great location, clean room. Staff was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Culinary Highlights of Porto: Food Delights & Bolhão Market

Porto

It would be nice if the tour was adaptable to the weather, surely more tasting experiences could be done inside. The day of our tour it was freezing and rainy and we were outside for the majority of it. It also wasn’t a lot of food and my husband was still hungry at the end. Additionally, we didn’t drink alcohol and it would have been nice if the guide didn’t announce it to the group in an embarrassing way at every single stop.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Go West to Belém by Tuk-Tuk

Lisbon

The guide was very nice. However, the tuk tuk itself was loud and uncomfortable. It was hard to see out of the roof covering and we whizzed past so many sites without really taking them in. It probably would have been nice for people accustomed to tuk tuk rides, but for us it was a bit overwhelming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guide Walk of Portugal’s Ancient Megaliths

Évora

Our guide was very nice and seemed knowledgeable. The prehistoric sites themselves probably weren’t worth staying an extra day for, most of the tour was driving or walking to the different sites. Maybe if this tour was combined with something else to make it more satisfying?

Quality of Experience

Only saw three different sites over several hours

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very nice

Transport

Our driver was great

Peneda-Gerês National Park Experience: Easy Hike & Cultural Experience

Porto

We loved this. Guide was great, the lunch was so much more food than we were expecting, and delicious. Saw some cool views of the park. Overall a very nice day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Such a wonderful lunch!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hands-On Cooking at a Traditional Alentejo Farm

Évora

We had a great time and made a bunch of delicious food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

* printed copy of the itinerary very useful

* transportation company Taksi Hirsikangas was excellent, punctual, drivers are courteous and had good vehicle.

* Accommodation

1) Artic light hotel, even though they are 5*, the breakfast buffet was abundant , the room was shabby and not clean, only because when I was looking for my socks and realized underneath the bed was full of dirt.
Also, there is no English Channel TV?
2) Elite Hotel Frost, clean and nice
3) Arctic Skylight Lodge, simple like camp, not much amenities
4) Break Sonos Hotel Levi, very nice

* Activities

1) Ice fishing and sauna, had to wait inside the room 45mins before it started to get warm, not so professional
2) Ice floating, waiting for the bus more than an hour each way, the guide’s instructions were clear not to kick water by foot, unfortunately, there were several youngsters who didn’t understand the English instructions, so many kids kicking, the water penetrated to my neck, I got very cold and yelled for help, it was not a good experience.
3) Article snow hotel, presentation was good, too much time to visit each room, ice dinners also too long
4) Northern lights tour, the van was so cold and uncomfortable, the guide spoke to the passengers next to hee with loud voices, not to mention we did not see the northern light, the whole experience was disappointed
5) Sami culture, they were more than 30 minutes late, they picked us up , dropped off in their office, then they were going to pick up another 11 travelers, end up 3+hours late. By the time when we were back to hotel was 8 pm, glad nothing was planned thereafter
6) artic glass cabin was very nice, but we didn’t enjoy enough of the cabin, when we arrived at 1.30 pm putting on winter clothing it was the time to meet the Janka , we have to put on our heavy clothes then wait for pick up, by the time when we started the snowmobile it was almost 4, after that sauna and then dinner, we had to snowmobile back to the office, by the time we arrived at the lodge almost 12am, had no time to enjoy the cabin …not organized at all
7)snow shoeing was ok

I do appreciate all the confirmation for hotels and activities, just the operators of some activities were not so professional.

Mohamed was wonderful with all our questions and patience. Guides were nice and knowledgeable as well.Loved the hotels and restaurants. We would like to travel with Kimkim again.
BEST WISHES FOR ALL OF YOUR KIMKIM TEAM.

Hotel Reviews

La Perle du Dadès

Boumalne

Location

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

ATV / Dune Buggy Adventure in the Sahara Desert

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga Oasis and Family Lunch

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From Fes to Merzouga via the Atlas Mountains (Ifrane, Azrou and Zaida)

Morocco

En Route stop at Volubilis

Morocco

Things that were amazing:
Hotels and flights were awesome. We appreciate the bump from economy on the flights and the hotels were very good.
The intimate tours of 8 or less on the tours are invaluable. Well done. The Golden Sands stay was exceptionally pleasant. A must for Cairns guests.
We found that 2 days in Ayers Rock (Uluru) would be sufficient. A must see, but with a trade off. The flies can be rather annoying and you can see the majority of what needs to be experienced in 2 days.
The Cableway and Train Ride are a must in Cairns.
Things that were not amazing:
Transfers/Transportation were not to our liking. Honestly as easy and wonderful that Uber/Lift are, I wouldn't put the time in to arrange them. (Unless you have guests unfamiliar or unwilling).
Sheila and I REALLY appreciate your business model and couldn't be happier with the experience.
Feel free to use this correspondence for reviews or advertising.
Ps my Facebook page is attached. You can view my posts and see all of our wonderful memories and adventures.
https://www.facebook.com/share/14fd5ksTU5i/

Hotel Reviews

Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort

Yorkeys Knob

Best stay in Australia. Steps from the beach and the most amazing restaurant on site. Carl and Mandy were very nice and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Great location

Location

Awesome

Staff

A+

Cleanliness & Comfort

A+

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

One of the nicer places in the resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Excellent

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mrs Banks Boutique Hotel

Paddington

Very nice place in Paddington area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wetlands, Waterfalls & Cableway Day Trip

Australia

Must do

Sydney Icons & Hideaways Lunch Cruise

Sydney

Very well done 👏

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sydney Opera House Visit

Sydney

Kimkim Travel Planning Service arranged our personalized trip with a local travel group called Rutopia. This well curated trip of Puebla and Mexico City for 7 days is titled "Flavors, Art & Heritage: A Mother-Daughter Journey Through Mexico." And we did just that! It was seamless with well communicated daily agenda that had fun, educational experiences and extraordinarily delicious tastings included. Just let them know what you want to see, do and experience and they deliver them very nicely! We highly recommend them!

Ana Sofia faced-time with us to get a sense of what type of experience we wanted, give us a chance to convey our goals. Of course, throughout the time of planning, we came up with more requests and ideas, and so did Ana, who made the necessary adjustments. Ana was very responsive to our needs. And so were Luz and Maria who were the local agents. The drivers and tour guides made us feel very safe and cared for. We sensed their pride for their culture which made it more enjoyable for us.

Highlights: A. Museum of Anthropology, Museo Soumaya, Frida Kahlo's Red House, Anahuacalli Museum, Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera's Houses and Work studios. Puebla City/Cholula is a must for its charm and slow pace. The beautiful cathedrals, hearing the histories, their differences in beauty.
B. Street Food Tour in Puebla - It's the only way to taste and experience what the locals do, so fun and delicious!
C. The Milli Restaurant, Corn Kitchen in Cholula - excellent food, demonstration with audience participation in this nationally award-winning cooperative of farmers promoting ancient, original corn.
D. Wonderful Tastings menu and experience of a Milpa Dinner at Tezontle restaurant in the Casa de la Luz Hotel.
E. The hotels that were centrally located, catering to our needs of having a pool for relaxation between the activity-filled days.
F. Sonora Grill Reforma - One of the recommendations when we were on our own. Just the type of break we needed . It had a lively atmosphere and very delicious steaks!!
G. The door to door private ride service and tours: Worry free car rides and tours that started from our hotel.

You may skip the boat ride of the canals of Xochimilco. A one-time experience is more than enough. We happen to have asked for it and didn't know aside from the write-ups. Although, it was nice to drive through the very long garden/flower market. Unless you want to have an hour-long party drinking, eating, singing with a Mariachi band while riding the vey colorful boats, it's not our groove. We found it too commercialized and the river jam packed with boats and cacophony of different Mariachi bands singing side by side. One boat even had music playing loudly amongst the other live bands. I could imagine how it must have been a long time ago when the boats were decorated with fresh flowers and steered along the shallow river by the boatman using his long pole.

Suggested improvement: Having the drivers (and their cars) and tour guides refrain from wearing strong scents. I happen to be very sensitive to it and Luz listened to my needs and responded quite well by making the necessary adjustments, after a couple of tries. The driver replacement did not wear perfume but his car, although it was very clean, was heavily scented. The issue was eventually resolved.

We had a great time in Costa Rica. The zip lining/hanging bridges and the white water rafting were amazing activities. If you go, expect long drives to go anywhere on hard gravel roads, that part wasn't fun.

I am so glad we used kimkim to plan the Vietnam portion of our vacation. Every place we stayed at was wonderful, each tour guide was helpful, informative and attentive. Lucy, our trip planner did such a great job making adjustments for us as we went along and keeping us informed of our daily activities. I highly recommend kimkim to anyone wanting help in planning their vacation. I will certainly use them again.

Cannon provided exceptional service before and during our vacation in Japan. As first-time visitors we were a little anxious, but we worked with Cannon to build an itinerary that was perfect for us. His tips and ongoing support were invaluable, and he always responded to our questions quickly and thoroughly. Thanks to Cannon, our first visit to Asia was wonderful with minimal stress. Our experience with kimkim, and Cannon particularly, exceeded our expectations, and we would definitely use kimkim again and recommend our friends do so as well!

On behalf of our travel group, I would like to share the following review and feedback.

We have participated in many tour groups and have traveled to numerous countries and famous destinations around the world. However, our trip to Patagonia still left an especially deep impression on us. We hiked to the famous Mount Fitz Roy and were able to photograph the magnificent three dramatic granite towers of Torres del Paine. We also had the opportunity to experience the world-famous Perito Moreno Glacier up close, and on Easter Island we took photos with the 15 iconic giant stone statues, the Moai — almost as if we had become the “16th Moai” ourselves.

This is truly a journey that we will often look back on and proudly share with our friends in the years to come.

While we sincerely appreciate KimKim for organizing such a memorable trip for us, we would also like to offer several constructive suggestions that may help further improve the quality of service.

1. Communication and professionalism between the agent and travelers could be strengthened.
Before the trip, one of our group members became ill and could not participate, so we requested to replace that person with another traveler. However, because the KimKim agent was not sufficiently familia r with the relevant policies and the communication was not fully clear or transparent, the process was repeatedly delayed. This ultimately resulted in an unpleasant experience and left us with a rather negative impression. Handling such matters more promptly and professionally would greatly improve the customer experience.

2. Accommodation arrangements should better reflect the travelers’ clearly stated preferences.
During our planning discussions, we repeatedly emphasized that we hoped to stay in good-quality hotels. However, on Easter Island we were assigned accommodation in a very remote location, which made transportation inconvenient. Furthermore, on the first evening there was no hot water available for showers, which caused considerable dissatisfaction among several members of our group. For such an important destination, the quality of accommodation has a significant impact on the overall travel experience.

3. Greater transparency regarding trip costs would be helpful.
Our itinerary included two days of touring on Easter Island. However, upon arrival we were asked to stand in line and pay an additional $100 per person for the national park entry tickets. In our view, this fee should either be included in the overall travel package or at least clearly communicated in advance in the itinerary. Otherwise, it can easily lead to confusion and dissatisfaction among travelers.

4. Closely follow and communicate entrance requirements and policy changes.
When boarding our flight to Easter Island, we were stopped at the checkpoint and asked to show the hotel reservations for each traveler on the island. This situation nearly disrupted our trip. We repeatedly tried to explain the situation to the boarding agents and were eventually allowed to proceed. However, the experience was very stressful and disturbing at that moment. Ensuring that travelers are clearly informed in advance about such requirements would help prevent unnecessary confusion and anxiety.

Once again, we would like to thank KimKim for providing us with such a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. We sincerely hope that KimKim will continue to improve communication efficiency, service details, and information transparency in order to provide even higher-quality travel experiences for future clients