Kimkim Trip Reviews

A Feast for all the Senses
Our Morocco Immersion and Adventure Tour was indeed a feast for all the senses.
Thanks to Abdourachman Idrissi, Sharon and Maryem and Hisham and Mustafa,our driver.
A feast of Touch - from the hammam in Fez, the camel ride and the feel of the rugs in Toudhra.
A feast of sights - from the vistas on top of the Atlas Mountains, from the Ksar at Ait Benhaddou, the sea of Date Palms, the olive groves and most specially the amazing sunset at the Saharan Desert.
A feast of smell - from the spices at the souk, to the roses at Valley of the Roses, and the seafood at the market in Essaouira.
A feast of tastes - the home cooked meal at the Idrissi home and the food we helped cook at Khadija’s Kuzina were the best.
A feast of sounds - from the drums and Rababs in the restaurant in Fez and the night music at the camp in the desert, the ululation of the women at the Hamamatsu and at the Argan cooperative and the muezzins’ call to prayer.
We are left with an abundance of wonderful memories to last our lifetime. Again Shukran to Morocco Immersion and Adventure

Everything was perfect. Your choice of hotels were perfectly located in the center of the activities that we wanted to see and do. Your choice of restaurants were great.
Thank you for all your support.

Jessica was amazing. She managed to understand and follow up with all my requests. This was my first solo trip and I felt safe. I had wonderful guides. Mr Taylor Woo and William were amazing. Had a great vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Lotte City Hotel Jeju

Jeju

I wanted to share some feedback about my hotel experience, as it was unfortunately the only downside of my time in Korea. The hotel lacked room service and didn’t have an onsite restaurant, so I was left with only the convenience store onsite for meals—which wasn’t ideal, especially with the heavy rain preventing me from going out. The TV was outdated (not a smart TV, NO netflix or other apps), with only CNN available for English-speaking guests, and the staff’s limited English fluency made it difficult to get assistance. Additionally, there was a strong, overpowering smell of wood in both the hallways and the rooms, making the environment uncomfortable. I seriously considered changing hotels due to these issues.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They took my shower cap and didn't replace it. NO hand soap. Only 2 large and medium towels. NO small, face towel.

Grand Josun Busan

Loved the location, the staff, the room and the food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soi Hanock Stay

Gyeongju

Very nice host and very clean! So relaxing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

There is no on-site staff. The owner of the house is pretty accessible.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Westin Josun Seoul

This hotel is great and has an amazing location. I had 2 situations. 1) there was construction and they had to relocate me to another room. 2) In The second room the A/C was not properly working so they had to move me again. Although I had to change rooms three times, the staff was very helpful and acted quickly. They tried to make me feel comfortable and well cared for.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sightsee in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace&Bukchon Hanok Village&N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Mr. Woo was a great guide

Hwadam Botanic Garden&Gwangmyeong Cave tour

Seoul

This was a group tour. They just drop you there and you walk and practically self-guide. If you want to do the Monorail you have to purchase ahead of time since it gets sold out quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petite France and Nami Island Tour (join in )

Seoul

Self guided. They just provide transportation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Support in-country, and especially with language barriers, was really helpful and important. Itineraries include pretty touristy stuff, but also things you don't want to miss! Kate was very kind and responsive - added a special touch when I had my birthday in Japan! Second time using KimKim and it is very useful.

We booked the Andante hotel, Paella Cooking Class, and the Tapas Tour. The hotel was alright, it's not the cleanest, but it serves its purpose and a bonus to convenient location. The Tapas Tour and the Paella Cooking Class were one of the highlights, wine was definitely not scarce with either of these. We also got the Welcome Pick Up where a taxi cab immediately pick you up from the airport and to your hotel and vice versa, this was an absolute game changer for us.

Hotel Review

Andante Hotel

Barcelona

Great view and location. The infinity pool is picture worthy.... Could be cleaner though.

Authenticity & Character

It's pretty and modern and of course the infinity pool

Location

Near a convenient store and a few restaurants

Staff

They can be stingy with the cups of ice and housekeeping is a hit or miss

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stains in bedding sheets and towels can be seen even after being changed. The tiles of the pool looks neglected. We also might have had bed bugs.

Activity Reviews

Multi-Course Cooking Class with Wine Pairing

Barcelona

Very friendly staff with a hipster atmosphere to the place. We paired up and made a unique paella dish per group that we then got to sample each dish made.

Quality of Experience

We learned so much history about Spain as we cook up our Paellas.

Food

The Paella of course! The bread they give you during the cooking session was good too.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They are nice and engaging. You won't feel like a complete stranger.

Gothic Quarter Tapas Walk

Barcelona

We happen to be in a small group so we were able to get to know the other guests more. We walked to multiple restaurants and tried a variety of dishes - think of it like bar hopping if you will. As we walked to each place, we gain insight of the city and the origin of each tapas dish.

Quality of Experience

Super casual and you'll be well fed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marta from KimKim put together a perfect itinerary for our first trip to Spain and Portugal with two other couples. The itinerary was thoughtfully crafted, covering a blend of cultural, historical, and gastronomical experiences that brought out the true essence of each city. From the grand architecture of the Alhambra to the seaside charm of Lagos and Porto, every moment was enriched by the friendliness, knowledge and local expertise of our exceptional guides and the comfort provided by our dedicated drivers.

Hotels were perfectly selected for their comfort, location, and hospitality, making each stay a delight. I particularly liked that each boutique hotel had its own charm and reflected the local architecture - plus, every one was centrally located so we could easily walk to restaurants or catch a short Uber ride to an activity. And I can't say enough about the delicious food in both countries. The recommendations provided by Marta/KimKim were great and we especially appreciated the quick response when we didn't have any plans and I texted in the app "can you recommend 1-2 local seafood restaurants near our hotel" and got an instant response - even after normal business hours!

The activities, from the (super fun) cooking class at The Cooking Clubhouse and a Fado dinner to the scenic wine-tasting experience and lunch in the Douro Valley, were well-organized and immersive. Highlights like the Flamenco show in Seville and a visit to a hammam in Seville brought unique local color to our journey, making the trip unforgettable. The only disappointment was that our boat excursion to Benagil Caves was canceled due to weather (but that was unavoidable as we were in Spain the days there were terrible flash floods in Spain causing tragic fatalities in the north).

Overall, this itinerary was flawless in its execution. The attention to detail and seamless coordination ensured that we could simply enjoy each day without a worry. This is our second trip with KimKim and they've done a spectacular job each time customizing each tour to our interests, preferences and budget.

We had a wonderful time on our trip to Italy. Melanie did a great job planning a “Comfortable Trip” for my mom. My mom can walk but not long distances so we needed an electric wheelchair for this trip. Melanie was able to find one for us to rent and had it waiting for us at the hotel. After talking w/ friends from the USA and reading reviews online, I was led to believe that Italy was not a wheelchair friendly place and we were going to have difficulty using it. Fortunately that was not the case. Yes, there were some narrow streets and steep hills but we were able to work around the obstacles and my mom did not have to miss out on any of our Italy experiences. Very happy that Melanie listened to our requests and planned the trip accordingly. She was also very accessible on what’s app during the trip and checked in with us regularly. Highly recommend her company. The only negative was that I had to postpone the trip a year and the price ended up increasing by about $1k a person. Not sure if that was because of inflation or because there was originally going to be 5 of us and it only ended up being 4.

Activity Reviews

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour and Village of Siena

Italy

Food and wine were great - the gnocchi was AMAZING! Family was very friendly. The only negative is that if u place an order it takes about 30 days to receive it which is fine because they tell you that upfront. However, I live in Atlanta and was having the wine shipped to San Diego for a party that I am attending Nov 9. The some said that he would ship the Monday after our tour. Unfortunately, totally dropped the ball on this and as of Nov 4th the order still hasn’t shipped. Had I know. That they weren’t going to follow through, then I would have just had it sent to Atlanta. I spent a lot of money on wine, olive oil, and vinegar that I won’t be able to enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Wish a tour of the vineyard was part of the experience. Maybe it wasn’t because the grapes had already been picked for the season??

Food

Gnocchi and tomato’s were so yummy!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rey friendly but son didn’t follow through on shipping my order in a timely manner

Transport

The driver was very friendly

Pizza Cooking Class in Sorrento

Sorrento

So much fun. The chef was so funny. We really had a great time and the pizza was yummy. We met another group from the US on this experience. When we left, someone from the group forgot something at the restaurant and the chef chased us down on his motorcycle to return it to him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Capri and the Amalfi coast boat tour with the Blu Grotto

Italy

Really fun day. The driver was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Loved Pompeii. Our guide was very knowledgeable and it was very interesting hearing the history of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrew was very knowledgeable and nice. He made the tour interesting. Only thing is that he often walked far ahead of us and was on his phone a lot. There was one time when he took my mom by elevator and we took the stairs and met him. He said do t worry, I will stay with her. When we met up with them he was walking far ahead of her.

Transport

Driver was nice but not a very good driver. His van was a lot older than the other vans we had taken. He drove fast and passed other cars in traffic. This was the only day that my niece got car sick during any of our tours.

We wanted to visit Japan, but not as part of a large group. We chose Kimkim to help us plan our trip and provide support if we needed it. The whole experience from planning, through to the trip itself, was excellent. We chose our own schedule based on the existing Kimkim packages. Our contact, Angel, arranged travel and hotels for us and advised on how sensible our chosen schedule was, suggesting changes where necessary. The hotels chosen were all lovely and the travel arrangements ran very smoothly.
Angel was always very responsive and quick to answer our questions and offer help during our trip. Nothing was too much trouble. Our four guides Kumi, Yumi, Junko and Yoshi were all great – informative, friendly and really good company.
We had hopes of what the holiday would be like before we went and it was every bit as good as we dreamt it would be. Thank you, Angel, for a memorable trip and for all your help!

Kristy planned an excellent itinerary which was beautifully executed with seamless airport transfers, professional and enthusiastic guides especially Valerio, beautiful accommodations, fascinating tours and adventures and delicious food. Our expectations were exceeded and are very delighted with the KimKim experience and service.

Kristy and the Peru team are amazing and we look forward to our next trip.

Cheryl and Dave

Mar and Fenne did a superb job on planning our Norway trip and included an itinerary that was perfect for a shorter getaway! They worked with us closely on multiple trip versions due to a last minute switch by us having to move our trip from summer time to the fall, and we were very pleased we went in the season we did. Aside from a couple of weather glitches and the time change affecting some of our planned activities, it was an overall great trip! Thanks Mar and Fenne! We really appreciate your planning efforts and allowing us to have an unforgettable experience in Norway!

Activity Reviews

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Flåm

Ervin (aka Wreckless haha) was honestly one of the best tour guides I've ever had, and I do a lot of traveling. He was very down to earth, very in tune with what we wanted to do and talk about, and we both felt very confidant in his abilities and comfortable around him. Me and my friend Christy had an awesome day seeing some amazing views, hiking with him and eating some local treats ("Don't call it a KitKat") lol. Would highly recommend this local tour company, and obviously if they give you Ervin to lead you, definitely a bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus

Tromsø

They took us all the way to Finland to see the lights because the weather was bad, and in my opinion that was above and beyond what I was expecting!

Quality of Experience

Me and my friend both lost our dad's a few years ago so we asked my dad to come through as a red color and her dad to come through as yellow based on some of their favorite things before they passed. It was kinda a joke at dinner time before we left to see the lights, and we didn't really think they would come through as those colors...but they did, and I'm still shocked about it because apparently seeing what we did was pretty rare especially with how awful the weather had been all night.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again, they took us all the way to Finland! Haha I visited two countries for the price of one!

The whole trip was very enjoyable. One of the issues we had was communicating with you from, and in, Portugal. Before we left London we gave you a new phone number to use to reach Jeffrey but I don't think that was noted. We provided my phone number which was confusing. Both flights to and from Portugal were on time. We did not find our transport on arrival in Porto because of the mix-up with phone numbers. But Jeffrey called your head office and we were able to sort it out.
When it came to our hotels they were fine, but we would have preferred rooms that were not almost underground at both. The room at Pestana Pousado Porto was very small but it was directly on the street so we needed to have the shutters closed at all times. We had a similar experience in Lisbon, at Hotel H10 Duque de Loule. Our room looked out on an air shaft. We were disappointed at both because we were paying premium rates.
All of our guides were excellent. The Food Tour on our first night was very good. We got an education about food and drink in Portugal. Very enjoyable, and the guide was lively and knowledgeable. Silvia in Porto showed us as much as was possible of Jewish history because there's nothing to see. But, she taught us a lot about Porto and the treatment of Jews. Jose Antunes of Lisbon Walker in Lisbon gave us a wonderful tour and education about Jewish life in Portugal. Teresa in Lisbon was a lively and interesting guide to Sintra and a local vineyard. We felt like all of our guides became a friend.
Fado & Food was enormous fun - great music, club and restaurant. They got a taxi for us at the end of the evening.
The Tile Museum, which we did by ourselves, was spectacular. It was a revelation to see so much amazing tilework.
The day we left the clocks were set back an hour. The hotel gave us good warning and our transfer to the airport was there at the correct time, 5:00am. The flight into Heathrow was fine.
One thing that would have made our trip much better was more information about getting tickets for every site we wanted to see. We were not able to see anything at the University in Coimbra, particularly the library, because we did not have tickets and could not purchase them there. In Lisbon we stood in line for well over an hour at The Monastery only to find when we got to the entrance we found out we needed tickets. The only way you could get them was online. All of this information would have been invaluable, and made our trip that much more enjoyable.

Overall, the trip was pretty fantastic though there were definitely some glitches. Meeting our driver on day 1 was a bit sketchy since we weren't informed we had to take a bus to the terminal from the ferry, and once we made contact we found out this was not our driver for the whole trip. The first night was a bit scary, due partially from Brenda wanting to find individual Riads rather than your chosen ones. Accommodations were not as we had anticipated and it was well off the beaten path. Fortunately all turned out ok, and the next morning we met Karim who was our security blanket for the rest of the trip. Karim was a great guide and driver. He was so knowledgeable about his country, geography, fauna and of course customs of the Moroccan people. His love of his country was quite evident in how he spoke. In riding with him he was very conscientious in maintaining safe speeds and did not take risks. We felt very fortunate to have been gifted him as our driver. I can't be as complementary regarding the vehicle we road in though. Though it was comfortable it had a bad exhaust system and we could continually smell exhaust for 7 days and many kilometers. It was a breathtaking tour watching the countryside with the ever changing landscape of the country. Some of the travel days were spent far too long on the road in the vehicle though.
All the guides we had were knowledge and friendly. Our favorite, another Karim, lead on us a 4 1/2 hr hike in Azrou who shared so much about trees, plants and wildlife, as well as his lunch! A very remarkable man and hiking guide!! The 2 guides in the cities, Kamal in Fez and Mohammad in Marrakech were good. Kamal had a superior knowledge of Fez Medina and we surely would have been lost without him. He led us to areas that many tourists rarely experience as in the a market that was below street level packed shoulder to shoulder with people and the 3 of us had to hold hands so as not to be separated. He also presented a restaurant for us that was superb for spread of Moroccan food. It became quite clear he was also the ambassador for the shop keepers and tourists. We felt greatly under pressure to buy many items even though I know the custom was to repay the craftsman by purchases. Mohammad in Marrakech was a friendly jolly man who we enjoyed though also acted as a go between the shopkeepers and tourists. He did an overly good job in introducing us to the foods available in Marrakech market. I appreciated his openness to sharing Muslim practices and was very accommodating in finding restaurants in line with our dietary preferences.
Overall the trip was fantastic, but there were many challenges throughout with the language barrier, getting accustomed to layout of Riads, design of Medinas and constant calculating money exchanges. The warmth and friendliness of the Moroccan people we came in contact with was very welcoming.

Activity Review

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

this was an experience of a lifetime! Really enjoyed the camel ride and the seeing the beauty of the dunes and desert which was breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are a group of 6 friends who have just concluded an 8-day trip to celebrate our 50th birthdays! Hakim Alibouche prepared a wonderful trip for us and we are so happy with how smooth the whole trip went. All the accommodations set up for us were superb and felt luxurious, especially Dar Jasmine, Riad, Norma, and Riad La Cle D’or.

The highlight of our trip was our overnight stay at Madu Luxury Desert Camp where we were able to see the sunset and sunrise. The camp was well-equipped and the staff took care of us very well.

We were also very lucky to have Hakim Hamzawi as our driver and guide for the whole week! Hakim took care of us, made sure we are comfortable and safe, and is very knowledgeable about the area. He communicated with our local guides and accommodations so that porters are present when we arrive to help us navigate the alleyways and to make sure we find our way to the riad. His friendliness and fun personality added to the fun of our whole trip and we appreciate him so much. We will very much request his service again if we come back with our families.

Overall the service was great and we made so many precious memories from this adventure. I would highly recommend Kimkim to friends and family who would prefer a hassle-free planning and customized trip. It made a difference to have this platform do all the research, planning, booking, coordinating and organizing with local specialists especially with a group like ours.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad la Clé d'Or

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GuestHouse Bagdad Café

Ait Ben Haddou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

We were disappointed with our experience in Les Bains de L’alhambra. It seemed like there was too much booking for the size of the place to have an intimate and relaxing experience. From the moment we arrived through the whole process, the staff was disorganized and rushing back and forth between rooms. It was like a factory assembly line with clients seated and waiting for their turn for the next step of the process. We received wet towels and complained about it. They gave us new ones after much buzzing around by the staff trying to figure out what the deal was. Our massage room had 3 tables but the room is small so moving around between them with 3 clients and 3 massage therapists is very tight. As a result, I had a cut on my thigh from a sharp metal edge sticking out one of the massage tables as I was trying to move to my assigned table. Overall it was not relaxing and quite disappointing to be a first hammam experience. We thought it would feel luxurious but it’s the complete opposite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Hakim Hamzawi is the best!

Transport

Nice comfortable van provided for us.

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

This walking food tour was our last activity of the whole trip and felt anti-climatic because at that point, we have already tasted many of the food through our week of traveling around Morocco. Our local guide is very knowledgeable and the tour is informative, however, this tour would be great at the start of the trip as an introduction to Morocco and not at the end. We didn’t finish the whole tour because it dragged on and we were too full from trying different street food and physically tired (it’s past 8:30 pm) that we declined the dinner part which would have been a good ending of the day.

Quality of Experience

Exploring the madness and chaos of Jemaa el fna with a guide is exciting and made it more manageable!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and driver made us feel safe and taken cared of all the time.

Transport

Our tour director, Ha, was excellent at creating a tour that met our interests perfectly. The Vespa food tour at night in Hanoi was unforgettable! The trips outside Hanoi included hiking, cycling and kayaking making this an active vacation, which was very important for us. And our guide, Huy was superb in every way: knowledgable, informative, punctual and super friendly and upbeat. We recommend this team without any reservations!

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Vespa by night food tour (N)

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi to Mai Chau & Activities

Mai Chau

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ninh Binh - Biking trip to Tho Ha village, Nho Quan

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuc Phuong National Park

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first trip to Portugal, so we wanted to book with a local. Overall, we were very happy with our specialist Bea who was super friendly and helpful. She booked us an amazing trip with some fantastic highlights, with only a few disappointments. First to give a shout-out to the driver she arranged for us to pick us up from the airport in Lisbon and take us to and from Lagos. His name was Nuno and he was the best! We really enjoyed talking with him and though he wasn’t a tour guide per we, he explained so many neat things! He showed us the cork trees, for example, even stopping so we could see them up close! We felt like VIPs riding in his nice van and he was always dressed to the T. The best surprise was when we got back to Lisbon, he arranged for us to skip the line for pastries at Pasteis de Belem because he stopped the van, ran in and grabbed ours hot and fresh! Such a treat! Our few days in Lagos was nice, but we both agreed we wouldn’t return. The four wheel drive tour was in an old beat up Toyota driven by a fellow who was mainly interested in stopping along the way for smoke breaks. We did enjoy our city guides of Lisbon, both tour guides we had were great! We learned so much. Another amazing day was the trip to Sinatra to tour the palaces. Our guide was another wonderful guide Nuno who also was the photographer who took all of the postcards sold in the palace! He gave us a set of them too! He took us on a secret hike to get a magnificent view of the palace! Such a cool experience! Finally, we flew to Sau Miguel in the Azores for a magnificent week. It truly is one of the most beautiful islands I have ever seen! We enjoyed hiking the Sete Cidades, driving to Furnas to visit the natural Hot Springs, visiting the Gorreana Tea factory, and mostly just grabbing some bread and cheese and hitting the road for the next most scenic picnic spot! Our hotel, Hotel Marina Atlantico, was a big disappointment. It was quite dated, and the staff was very rude to us on several occasions. Our key didn’t work on more than one occasion, and we would have to go back downstairs to get a new one. We were told upon check in that there was no parking available except in the second garage over, so we had to walk out of the parking garage to the street to get back to the hotel. This was unacceptable arrangement and we found out later there were plenty of parking spots! Regardless, we enjoyed the island but would not stay there ever again. Thanks to Bea for this truly memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Vivenda Miranda

Lagos

Nice room, beautiful grounds and views! Sunsets were amazing. The breakfast was delicious. A nice stay.

Authenticity & Character

Quaint and unique

Location

Ocean views

Staff

Very welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were a tad dated feeling, halls were dark and musty

Martinhal Lisbon Chiado

Lisbon

Personal care and detail extraordinare! The staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Rooms were above and beyond our expectations! They had every amenity you might possibly need. Especially if you’re traveling with kids, which we weren’t.

Authenticity & Character

Nice views of old Lisbon and quaint buildings.

Location

Convenient and safe

Staff

Super friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wonderful stay! Loved it!

Hotel Marina Atlântico

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Dated room, dated building, old and tired looking. Rude staff. Would have left if we could.

Authenticity & Character

Update! Remodel! Better parking!

Location

Nicer view than the waterfront area that looked old and rundown.

Staff

Retrain and rehire the rude staff members all seemed unhappy and angry! Front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Floors replaced, fix the parking

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Excursion to Benagil Caves & Carvoeiro Beach

Portugal

Change the description of this please! As a catamaran lover, we were extremely disappointed to find that our “sailing” trip was in truth, riding on a packed rubber Zodiak! Passengers were packed neck to neck straddling the center like a pony! Again, not at all what we were expecting. The cave tour itself was neat, but the rough bouncy ride there was anything but.

Quality of Experience

Actually provide a catamaran? Not a dinghy!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Narrative and friendly

Transport

The boat!

4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience

Portugal

Unfortunately this was a disappointing experience. The guide was late picking us up, and he arrived in a very old Toyota 4 x 4 that was already full of people. Two ladies were seated in the back cargo area! The driver and several other passengers were smokers who made a point to stop along the way for smoke breaks, I kid you not. All the while we are driving toward the lookout point for the sunset, it is getting later and closer to sunset. The driver ended up rushing to arrive in time before sunset! The views were beautiful though!

Quality of Experience

Different car and driver

Guides, Drivers and Staff

One who shows interest in something besides his next smoke

Transport

A newer vehicle with fewer passengers

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This personal guide tour was very enjoyable from start to finish! Our guide was so informative and interesting, and interactive that it made the tour more memorable. He told us so many interesting facts and stories (even personal ones from his family) that made our understanding of the history of Lisbon come alive. We highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

The history came alive

Guides, Drivers and Staff

His knowledge and expertise

Transport

Walking! Haha we got our steps in!

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

This was really a fun experience! Another way to learn more about the history and culture! Had to be brave to try certain things (bacalau!) but we were there for the pasteis de de Nata!

Quality of Experience

So fun to try different food and drink

Food

I mean, does anyone really like bacalau? 😅

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was a standout!

Transport

Walking! Great exercise, best way to see the city

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

This was one of our favorite days of our vacation! Our guide, Nuno, made the trip. He was a genuinely nice and kind guy who made us feel special! From stopping by a local pastry shop on the way, to taking us on a secret hike to get a fantastic view of Pena Palace, he was the best! As a photographer, he even took a number of photos of us all day that he shared. He prepared us a picnic lunch to cap off the most memorable day!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful views and day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuno is the best!

Transport

Nuno picked us up at our Lisbon hotel!

Dinner with Locals at a Local Home

Lisbon

As introverts, my husband and I were a bit apprehensive about doing this. But we are so glad we did! Thanks to Bea for the suggestion! The hosts Sofia and Carlos made us feel so welcomed in their home! They are genuinely kind and gracious hosts! Carlos cooked chorizo over a flame which was an experience in itself! Sofia is an excellent cook, and made a delicious cuttlefish stew that she and Carlos had caught themselves! The dessert was incredible too—a cap to a wonderful evening.

Quality of Experience

The hosts!

Food

All of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sofia and Carlos 👍🏻

Transport

We had to take a taxi on our own,

When we arrived in Lisbon, we went on a tour with Mariana and she was amazing and knowledgeable. She had map references for the kids and I to see/visualize and even sent us on a scavenger hunt (which I am sad to report that we were the 1% of her groups that were unable to complete the mission; we got a little lost).

On our Sintra Heritage Hike, Feliz told us remarkable stories, showed us where the Queen's throne was (the view was one of my favorites), took great pictures of/for us, and provided a wonderful picnic!

The train ride from Lisbon to Porto was easy and enjoyable and from there, we went on a food tour that also took us through the Mercado de Bolhao. Our tour guide (I forgot her name, but she was wonderful!) was prepared and considered for substitutions for the kids, such as fresh fruit juice in place of wine. In the evening, we took a private tuk tuk tour with Bonito who had a wealth of knowledge of Porto and showed us all over including the fishing village.

We went on a hiking excursion with Petito to Peneda-Geres National Park and he was patient and full of stories. The traditional lunch in the village restaurant was abundant and delicious and the kids had an exciting time seeing the cows, sheep, and dogs!

The next day, we went off to Evora with Diogo, who drove us for the 4-hour ride. He provided us with lots of information regarding landmarks and was a safe and courteous driver. Once we arrived in Evora, we met up with Joao for a tour of the city which also included one of our favorites, the Chapel of Bones. We also got to witness the freshmen initiation of the uniforms which is an annual tradition. The next day, we met up with Joao again for a delicious tasting tour of pastries, olive oil, and wine. And, of course, we ended the tour with a bifana (Portuguese pork sandwich). Joao never made us feel like we were on scheduled time and told us lots of stories and antidotes to tie everything to the richness of the culture and history of Evora.

Later in the afternoon, Paulo picked us up with a driver and took us on an Evora Cork and castle tour. We are now cork experts and I think would make Paulo proud of our knowledge of cork.

The day before we departed Portugal, Diogo picked us up again and asked if were on a schedule, which we were not. It was our only free day without any tours or schedules, and he asked if were interested in seeing a private zoo. Of course, the answer was “Yes!” so he took us to a private zoo, which sells cheese, bought us animal feed and walked us around the zoo. At no point did he ever make us feel rushed or that he was on the clock. And his stories never ceased to amaze.

A big thank you to Helena, from KimKim, on collaborating with us to plan the perfect itinerary and to leave a memorable impression of Portugal that will be remembered for years to come! I highly recommend KimKim, Helena, in addition to all our special guides, Mariana, Feliz, Petito, Diogo, Joao, and Paulo. Without them, this would not have been the same perfect experience.

Glen was amazing for our London tour. He was very knowable on all the sites. He was able to work in some stops we requested. Our accommodations at the Henri were great. Our second guide Tanya was great. We drove a lot to different sites. She was also knowledgeable of the places we visited. We didn’t like The Pig. Our room was four flights of stairs and very dark. The room was very small and also dark. We changed hotels to the Falstaff it was great. Our last 2 nights were at hotel The Star. It was very nice most of the restaurants were good. We would of liked a little time to site see shops were we stopped. As it was time change it dark at 4ish we didn’t like going out after dark. Transportation to and from the airport was fine.

We had a fantastic trip. Renata did an excellent job planning our Brazil trip which include visiting the Amazon, Iguazu Falls (both sides) and time in Rio. We loved our stay at Turtle Lodge in the Amazon and both our guides for Iguazu Falls and Rio were great. All our airport pick ups and drop offs went great as well. We hope to visit Brazil again. Thanks for a wonderful trip

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Intercity Manaus

Manaus

The front staff were great, both friendly and informative. Rooms were comfortable, but a little rough in spots, such as cabinets in bathroom coming undone or the multiple mysterious stains on white wall that look like had not been cleaned for awhile.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Closer to main square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above

Sanma Hotel Foz do Iguaçu

Foz do Iguaçu

Nice hotel. Breakfast was great. Pool fantastic. Really close to the Falls. Room a bit small for King size bed and AC blew annoyingly in our face throughout the night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Leme Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Great views of the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazon Turtle Lodge

Great place to see Amazon. Staff were great our guide was super informative.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer & immersion in the rainforest (Turtle Lodge - Day 1)

Brazil

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 2)

Brazil

Food

Good, bit repetitive at times

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike & Hike on the Brazilian Side of the Falls and visit to the Bird Park

Foz do Iguaçu

Our Guide Orico was amazing. He was informative, friendly and dedicated. Orico goes out of his way for his tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side & Gran Aventura Boat Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Day Tour of Sugarloaf Mountain (walking trail) and Christ the Redeemer Statue

Rio de Janeiro

Edwin was a great tour guide. He took us all around Rio, while giving us both a history and culture lesson of Brazil.

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 5) and Transfer to Manaus International Airport (MAO), Departure

Brazil

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 3)

Brazil

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 4 - 4NPackage)

Brazil

We had a fantastic time in Morocco, and it was made all the more enjoyable by our wonderful guide and driver Reda. He looked after my family which included my daughters ages 14 and 11 so well. A particular highlight was our stay at the Tiziri Camp in the dunes at Merzouga - we were lucky with the weather and saw sunsets and sunrises that I have not experienced anywhere else on the planet, not to mention the Milky Way at night. Quad biking was also a highlight for my daughters and Reda helped us with the booking of this - he was also brilliant with any personal issues we had (a fight with a contact lens etc!).
Our visit to the Berbour camp was incredibly eye opening, and reminded us of the importance of water to us all. Youssef was our guide for this part of the adventure and we particularly enjoyed hunting for fossils with him (I think Youssef enjoyed this too!)
All in all a wonderful trip - make sure to ask for Reda when booking!

Alex is an amazing driver! Long rides went fast due to his knowledge and experiences in life. Some other things need improvement though.

Accommodations were very good except at the Lapas Jungle Lodge. While the atmosphere was great, the rooms and meals were below average. Room had a hot water issue, hot tub was not hot and only 1 of 7 jets worked, ongoing construction, and staff morale seemed low. I would not use this hotel until the new ownership has finished refurbish.

Most excursions were awesome, but the descriptions could be better. Even their websites are pretty vague. The night walk was great but our guide was not engaging and seemed impatient. Same with the ATV guide. While nice people, it felt like they were just going through the motions.

The 2nd half of our itinerary was lacking in accurate (or at all) descriptions. We made it work, but wanted to bring it up for future guests.

Finally, Bryan's attention to detail needs improvement. He miscommunicated several times on, what I thought, were some pretty easy tasks. I'm sure it's a fast paced job, but this was the down season.

Overall we loved our trip but would not book through Serendipity again.

Hotel Reviews

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Lapas Rainforest Eco-Resort

Tárcoles

They are in the middle of new ownership and they need to finish their construction before I would recommend. The grounds are great though!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Celeste Mountain Lodge

Bijagua

This is more like a B&B, but that is what's charming about it. Very clean and well maintained. The food is great, and an excellent value! We ate all but one of our meals there.

Authenticity & Character

Very relaxing atmosphere

Location

Don't miss out on their private hiking path, it was the highlight of our trip!

Staff

The staff seemed like family and all did a wonderful job.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and orderly. Quiet and relaxing, I recommend a fan if you are not used to an open air room without A/C, we did just fine with a 10" fan on the days without a breeze. And we slept really well enjoying the night sounds.

Activity Reviews

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice float and our raft guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal ATV Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was fun and we'd do it again with a different trail(s). We could have done without the "back 40" mud drive, it was not very big and not that interesting. Once in the mountains, the views were amazing, but not much of a chance to enjoy (eg slow down, pull over, etc. It was more about the ride than the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was great, especially the young lady at reception, our guide was nice but could have been more attentive.

Transport

Driver was fun and engaging, in fact he was the one who noticed my phone/rain issue...well done!

Tapir Valley Nature Reserve Night Walk

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Fantastic experience, the nature reserve has well maintained paths and structures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed overly focused on moving rather than enjoying. Not all tourists want to run at night, in a hot climate, to maybe see an animal. Many of us just want to be out there soaking up the atmosphere. Perhaps ask your group what they value.

Transport

Serendipity manager fumbled the transport. Many thanks to our hotel hosts for finding a alternate driver quickly. But this set off a chain reaction where our tour guide seemed annoyed and in a rush.

River Tubing, Río Celeste

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Great guide, very patient and upbeat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fun guys, went out of their way to give extra time and effort. Well done, gentlemen!

Jungle Crocodile Safari

Costa Rica

We can't review because our Serendipity manager was not very attentive, he seemed disengaged and not too effective at his job.