Kimkim Trip Reviews

My daughter and three year old granddaughter arrived in France on 9/5/24 and were picked up and brought to our Hotel in Paris. We stayed at the Grand Hotel DeTurin, triple room with breakfast included. The staff were very kind and spoke English which was very helpful. We arrived quite early and changed into new outfits and checked our bags so we could go out and about in the City. It was nice not having to drive, we took taxi’s and UBER’s to get around. We started at the foot of the Eiffel Tower at Port De La Bourdonnais to take a pontoon down the Seine River on the Bateaux Parisiens. The one hour cruise took us past the mini Statue of Liberty, Notre Dame and many other sites on the River . Notre Dame was spectacular, you can see the scaffolding where they are repairing it after the devastating fire. It was a little rainy but we had our rain gear. We then strolled the area near the Eiffel Tower and had lunch in a lovely Cafe’. The chocolate with crème fouettés (whipped cream) was to die for! I felt like I was in a movie.
We visited shops and made our way back to the Eiffel Tower for a private night tour. Ayla woke up a half hour before the tour and had chips and a drink to hold her until dinner. We took the lift to the second story and could see all of the city quarters, the Special Olympics was still going on and we could see the stadium. Our guide gave us the history of the city and the building of the Eiffel tower. Then up to the top on a second lift. I would not recommend a private tour guide for the Eiffel Tower. She was one and half hours late to meet us and that interfered with feeding my granddaughter, you can only go so long without feeding a three year old. The guide seemed annoyed when I rushed the tour so we could go eat. If she arrived on time that evening may have been different.
Took some great photo’s of the Tower at night. Taxi to our hotel and off to bed. magnifique journée.
The
Great night sleep, the Hotel was fine, breakfast was average. We took a taxi to get our car rental to drive to Saint Malo, Long ride, 4 hours, my daughter did the driving in France.... Thankfully they drive on the same side as we do! We stopped in the small town of Combray half way through our ride for lunch; Sadly they were not very welcoming, the restaurant we had planned told us “take away” when we asked if they spoke English! So we left and found a little pizza shop. Pizza shop was welcoming, we ordered pizza from the pictures on the menu…. big mistake the one that looked like a white pizza was in fact all cheese but it had goat cheese and not ricotta as expected. My daughter hates goat cheese so we immediately found the word in French for goat cheese so we don’t make that mistake again! Du fromage de chèvre.
Back on the road for 2 more hours and we arrived at our Hotel Les Charmottes in St. Malo, lovely property right on the ocean. No lift to the second floor made it difficult with our luggage but once we up there the room was great . We settled into our room then went for dinner at the Hotel’s restaurant which was right on the board walk with the ocean view. I enjoyed the meal very much…spectaculaire. . We all showered and went off to bed.
I woke early and went to breakfast, beautiful view of the ocean with my coffee and croissant, great breakfast. The girls sleep in until 10am, the little one had her breakfast in the room, something new…banana and peanut butter! LOL! We then packed up the stroller and headed down the board walk to the center of town, St. Vincent Gate, about 2.5 miles. The weather was perfect and we stopped for for my daughter to have breakfast. The little one and I sang and danced on our journey. Beautiful Villa’s , Cafe’s and Hotels along the boardwalk. When we arrived to La porte Saint-Vincent (Saint-Vincent gate) there were beautiful gardens and a Carousal. We had a ride before entering the interior of the old town. Inside has been renovated with up scale shopping and all sorts of food and sweets. We walked and window shopped until lunch. Sunny and beautiful, great strolling. Inside the walls of the old town is the CATHÉDRALE SAINT VINCENT; it is known for their stain glass windows and since it was so sunny the interior was magnificent. The main theme was “The Blessed Mother and Child” it brought both my daughter and I a feeling of great peace and joy. The little one lit candles at each Blessed Mother statue. We sat and took in the beauty and thanked God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Wonderful end to our visit to the old town. We did take one additional ride on the Carousel before our walk home. The dark clouds were approaching from behind us but we made it back with just a few sprinkles. McDonald’s for dinner because it was raining and the easiest option and they had a drive thru ….the little one was very happy with our choice! On our ride back there was a double rainbow and the sun setting behind a building that was awesome. We ate in the room and relaxed until bed time.
Breakfast then we drove to Dinan pouring rain! we hoped to have lunch but all cafe’s close from 2pm and reopen at 7pm… heading back to Malo and going to the Aquarium. Then McDonalds for Ayla and a nice Cafe for Bailey and I to have lunch. Not bad that we have gotten to day 21 and only had to cancel our plans due to rain once. We found that on Sunday’s most places are closed so no Aquarium, we found a bakery on our ride back to the hotel and had decadent pastries and a latte’. Yum…. We all took a nap and went to dinner. We depart St. Malo and head towards Normandy tomorrow.
St. Malo to St. Michel, Sadly another rainy windy day here in France. We packed up after breakfast and are heading to La Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, hoping the rain will have stopped by the time we arrive! Forty minute ride and it is a steady drizzle, 30 minute walk out to the best viewing area. We decided not to go out to the Abbey due to weather and the little princess napping.
Back on the highway to head to Bayeux another 50 minutes to our hotel. Ahhh! Low tire pressure comes on in the car, oh no! Thankful it is not a flat, time to find a Petrol Station!!!
We fill the tires and figure out how to reset the pressure and back on the road. Lovely ride into Bayeux, gateway to the D-day beaches. We are doing a private tour tomorrow of Normandy and the beaches….so excited, I have been waiting for this experience since we got to France. 🇺🇸
Unpacked and settled into the room at Hotel Le Bayeux. The staff were friendly and accommodating; the little one loved the room it had bunk beds. She picked the top bunk of course and invited me to stay in the bottom!
Still raining so we are rested while we wait to go to dinner at 7pm. Most shops and restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday’s here, plan ahead and make your dinner reservations the day before you arrive. The rain has stopped and we see some blue sky, right on time to walk to dinner.
Breakfast was average at Hotel Le Bayeux. The CATHÉDRALE DE BAYEUX is one block from our hotel. The cathedral - which was consecrated in 1077 by Bishop Odo de Conteville, the half-brother of William the Conqueror - was the original showcase for the Bayeux Tapestry. Revealing the Romanesque and Gothic splendour of the church, which includes access to the Treasury and Chapter Room. We plan to visit tomorrow morning after breakfast.
Breakfast and off to the CATHÉDRALE DE BAYEUX, beautiful architecture and Chapel’s throughout. I did my morning prayer and meditation in the Cathedral, so peaceful, great start to my day. I then visited a few shops and went back to the hotel to go to lunch with the girls. We tried a Galettes, which is buck wheat crepe. We chose the ham, cheese and eggs. Très délicieux!
Back to the Hotel to get ready for our tour of Normandy and the D-Day Beaches. No sun and very windy so we layer and wear our rain gear! Our guide John, who was so great, met us at the Hotel….we started our tour at Pointe Du Hoc-Pointe du Hoc was a strategic site in the German fortifications on the Normandy coast that was attacked by Colonel Rudder's 2º Ranger Battalion on the morning of 6 June 1944. The site stands 98 feet above the sea with remnants of the German artillery battery. It is a seven mile span between Omaha and Utah beach, this was the mid point between the two. Fascinating to see the holes in the landscape from the American bombing.
Then off to Omaha Beach! The sea side has been rebuilt with summer homes. Prior to D-Day the Germans destroyed all but one home below the 60-80 foot natural barge of the land scape. The one house that remained was for the German Officers to sleep. The American Soldiers were being fired on from above once they entered the beach, the amphibious tanks that were deployed to protect them prior to hitting the beach all sank due to the 6 feet swells. They were made to sustain 1 foot or maximum 2 foot waves, they all sank. It took most of the morning to identify a plan to get the soldiers off the beach. Very sad to think about how afraid they must have been with no cover from the German’s. Now stands the Monument for Freedom, Fraternity and Hope. Our final stop was Normandy, for 12 years our soldiers were buried at La Cambre, In 1956 all American bodies were moved to Normandy. La Cambre is now the burial site of the 21,300 German Soldiers who died during the D-Day invasion.
The Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach, 9387 soldiers who fell during the Normandy campaign rest in peace here. The Chapel Memorial and wall of the Missing honor their memory. (4 woman are buried here, three died when their jeep went off the road while delivering mail to the soldiers and one was an American Red Cross Worker one of three "girls" who were assigned to a Clubmobile that provided coffee, freshly made doughnuts, chewing gum, cigarettes, magazines, newspapers, and records to GIs while they were in the field. But perhaps more importantly, the girls' primary responsibilities were to bolster the spirits and the morale of the battle weary soldiers by chatting with them. For as Elizabeth wrote to her parents, "If you only knew what combat does to these boys--not in the physical sense, although that's bad enough--but mentally.") She died in a Plane Crash going from La Havre to Paris.
Quite an emotional day but well worth the visit. 🇺🇸🙏🏻
Touring the Tapestry, Street Markets and Bayeux D-Day Museum.
Sun was shining that morning, breakfast in the room. Visiting two museums in Bayeux today. LA TAPISSERIE OF BAYEUX -THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY OR THE STORY OF A CONQUEST
is a masterpiece of 11th century Romanesque art, which was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother, to embellish his newly-built cathedral in Bayeux in 1077. The Tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy. The story told by the Bayeux Tapestry begins in 1064, when Edward the Confessor, King of England, instructs his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson to travel to Normandy in order to offer his cousin William the succession to the English throne. Although the end of the embroidery is missing, the story ends with the Anglo-Saxons fleeing at the end of the Battle of Hastings in October 1066…. Interesting but not a favorite!
We then strolled the open Markets and bought fresh kiwi and supplies for the little one’s PBJ’s…. Lunch in a Cafe’ and back to the Hotel for rest time. later in the afternoon we went to the Museum of the battle of Normandy, this was a great visit that explained the entire invasion and ended with a 20 minute video of the entire Battle of Normandy. Bayeux was never bombed so their town remains as it was back in 1944. They were very grateful to the British and American troops for their freedom from the Germans. Highly recommend Bayeux.
Left Bayeux headed back to Paris.
Up early to head back to Paris. 8am…Car is packed we depart onto the street and the Car dies, battery alert message! Ahhhh! The entire car shuts down! Thankfully we were right across the street from the Hotel. We got in touch with our KimKim representative and he contacts the car rental for road side assistance….40 minutes until they arrive. The Hotel clerk was kind enough to type up a sign to put in the vehicle window and we went back in for breakfast while waiting. Got a new vehicle for our ride back to Paris but sadly we did not make our reservation at the Louvre! sorry Mona Lisa !!
Did not arrive in Paris until 6:30pm, checked back into Grand Hotel DeTyrin and ventured off to dinner. Long Day!
Off to The Palace of Versailles then back to the City.
Up early for our visit to the Palace of Versailles, about 40 minutes outside of Paris. 8:15 am departure! The Palace was extraordinary and the Gardens magnificent, we had 2 hours to tour and could have spent the entire day. The Palace: Soon after taking the throne in July 1830, King Louis-Philippe I decided to restore the Palace of Versailles, transforming it into a museum of French history known as the "Historic Galleries of Versailles".
He called on architect Frédéric Nepeu to convert the apartments on the upper floors of the South Wing into a vast gallery chronicling the main military battles that shaped the history of France.
Drawing inspiration from the Grande Galerie of the Louvre Museum designed by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine under the imperial regime, the Gallery of Battles features a metallic framework concealed by wood panelling and stucco, with glass ceilings providing natural light. The battles, ranging from Tolbiac in 496 to Wagram in 1809, are depicted in thirty-three monumental paintings, while eighty busts celebrate heroic officers killed in combat over the centuries.
Works began in 1833 and was completed shortly before the inauguration of the museum, dedicated "to all the glories of France", on 10 June 1837.
The Musical Gardens: Has 600 water features, 55 pools & fountains with a team of 13 fountain engineers. The Groves: 15 groves open, 77 acres of formal French gardens in an 850 acre park. 700 topiaries and 300,000 flowers planted each year, 155 statues and 235 vases. Magnificent art and gardens.
Back to Paris to go to a fabulous Cafe’ Carette known for its fresh berries and Crème fouettée (whipped cream) as well as their hot chocolate. That gave us the energy we needed to head to the Louvre, we could not get tickets but walked the grounds on the beautiful sunny day.
We then visited the Officine Universelle Buly founded in 1803 by Jean Vincent Buly and it is still open today. They are known for brushes and combs made especially for curly hair, and we all have natural curly hair. My daughter wantef to get one engraved with her name to remember her trip to Paris. There was a que to get in to the store, once we got in we found they did not have the comb or brush she wanted! ☹️ She purchased a lip balm case with her initials.
Back to the hotel, ordering Japanese take out so we could eat in the room.

The little one’s day - Disney in Paris! The Tinker Bell brigade.
First time in Disney we arrived at 11am and departed at 8:30pm, long but wonderful day with our little Tinker Bell 🧚
Her favorite ride: Walt Disney Studios Park - Worlds of Pixar “Cars Quatre Roues Rallye” like a teacup ride but with “Cars” it spun great and Ayla loved it
Favorite moment: Toy Story Playland where she met Woody: Woody was so impressed with her that he brought her over to meet Jesse! Jesse and Woody thought she was the real Tinker Bell 🧚 Highly recommend if traveling with children.
We departed early the next morning 9/15/24 for Sicily.
Trip of a lifetime being able to have 3 generations travel together…from 63 to 3.
Thank you to the KimKim Team, your hotel selections and destination suggestions were fabulous.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel de Turin

Paris

Staff were great, a little far from where all the sites we visited were. Room was tight with two queen beds and our luggage. Neighborhood was great to stroll around. Breakfast was not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from most visited attractions.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but a little tight walking around in the room.

Hôtel Les Charmettes

Saint-Malo

Great location and views.

Authenticity & Character

The views were great and the room was very comfortable. No lift to the second floor but once we got all our luggage up the stairs it was great.

Location

Right on the boardwalk.

Staff

Breakfast staff were fabulous, dinner staff not so friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

Great size room and we were on the ground level. The staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Cute pictures of American Soldiers on the windows.

Location

Righ near the Cathedral and center of town.

Staff

So helpful and friendly. Best staff of all the hotels we were in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and plenty of room.

Activity Reviews

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

Enjoyed the Eiffel Tower but the tour guide was 1.5 hours late.

Quality of Experience

Great experience, seeing sites I have only seen on TV.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was late.

Transport

From Bayeux to Normandy D-Day U.S Sector & Omaha Beach (Private/4Hours)

Bayeux

This had always been on my bucket list. Unforgettable and John our tour guide was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Very touching.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was amazing, knowledgeable and spoke perfect English.

Transport

On time and drove safely.

Commented Cruise on the Seine River (Group Boat/1Hour)

Paris

Perfect Amount of time, one hour, and saw fabulous sites from the river. Head phones to describe all the sites as you passed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We are not young couple, that decided to visit Galapagos islands and Ecuador for our annual vacation.
I want to thank our local specialist, Isabel, for the perfect organization of this vacation. The positive experience started from a mutual planning of the trip, half a year before the vacation: Isabel was sensitive to every word and wish and we changed and adjusted the plan a number of times, until we were absolutely pleased.
In our case, I preferred to book the hotels and flights by myself, however, most of the hotels were selected according to Isabel's recommendation and they answered our expectation and even, in two locations (in Isabella Island and in Quito), exceeded them.
The trip was organized in a way that we were followed by a guide or a driver most of the time. So, we could feel relaxed and enjoy the scheduled activities. Everything worked according to the plan, on time and without unpleasant surprises. It happened that by mistake, we took a wrong car to the airport and had to pay for it. Although it was our mistake, the agency returned us the price of this trip that was pre-paid.
The ongoing communication with Isabel continued by WhatsApp during the entire trip, which was very comfortable. However, the internet in Galapagos is poor in some places and not always the connection was possible.
The English of local guides in Galapagos was not always clear, sometimes it required effort to understand, but they were patient, and we normally repeated the question and understood the answer.
In Galapagos we selected the option to stay in hotels rather than at yacht, and it was a good choice for us, because we were free to go around the island anytime and performed snorkeling, kayaking and hiking to the extend we wanted. The only detail that was not properly addressed was the size of the wet suit for my husband: he is unusually big person, so, in one place we could not get a suit for him. I would recommend addressing this information in advance.
In continental Ecuador we were accompanied by a local guide, Rodrigo, who took us to Banos, Cotopaxi and Quito. Rodrigo was a very informal, calm and knowledgeable guide, and we learned a lot about the country, its history and nature, both are fields of our interest. The country is amazing and rich in resources and nature!
Although, we encountered, unexpectedly, the electricity shutdowns in the continental Ecuador (I hope, temporary), the vacation could not be better!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Baños

Baños

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to Guayaquil Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We visited there at the end of the long day and were tired. The guide was hard to understand and sometimes we gave up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

The trip was amazing and interesting, all the explanations were clear. We went to Bartolome Island; the landscape is breathtaking. Recommended!

Quality of Experience

Food

Unbelievable, but the food prepared on the ship was tasteful and of good quality!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide (Martin) was very good, we had amazing discussion.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Kayaking-the waves because higher during kayaking and at the end we were a bit nervous, but the guide was very professional , so we did it! My husband did not snorkel that time, because there was no XXXL wetsuit to rent in this company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

For snorkeling the guide trained us in detail, because we had no experience, and then hold my hand most of the time to cause me to feel secure. It was very helpful, because next day I was able to snorkel much better.

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Waw! the sharks were my highlights! :) And they had XXXL wetsuit, so we both could snorkel. At the end the photos of the underwater animals and fish were available, made by the guide-the places we sow by our eyes.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was simple.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was perfect, he took care of everything and everyone.

Transport

Biking to Pailón del Diablo

Baños

Waw again! So beautiful views of Ands! The guide for the biking (Roberto) was energetic and enthusiastic. Our main guide, Rodrigo, followed us with the car, which contributed to the secure biking, since part of the road passes on the side of the local highway. We also visited with Rodrigo the Casa del Arbol, the swings, which was amazing experience. For the launch Rodrigo took us to the restaurant of the artist, the food was good and also the place is very interesting, with paintings and a studio and the green was everywhere!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Galapagos Islands

We hiked around the lake with birds and received explanations about the volcano and the park. There is a small visiting center before approaching the hiking routes. The volcano resembled Fugi in Japan :) The route is situated at about 4000m, we tolerated the altitude rather well, however, we had to move slowly to breath normally.

Quality of Experience

Food

After the hiking in the park, on our way to Quito, the guide, Rodrigo, brought us to the restaurant located in the former Markise palace, the portions were very-very good!!! Unfortunately, I do not remember the name :(

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband requested to drive, so he did it in the park, which was also interesting experience. To drive you need an international license.

Quito City Tour

Galapagos Islands

Quito guided tour and artisan market. The city tour included churches, general explanations, city viewpoint on the hill, vising of artisan chocolate shop (recommended!) and - at the end, the market where we purchased souvenirs and presents for the family. Rodrigo, the guide, accompanied us in every activity, so the shopping was easy and pleasant. Before the market, we visited, per our request a leather shop in the historical part of Quito and bought bags of beautiful local design. In order to maximize the potential of this tour (we had only half a day in Quito before the flight), Rodrigo brought a driver, so we were free to go with him by foot and by car, as needed, without interrupting the tour for parking and waiting for pickup.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When my partner and I decided we wanted to explore Vietnam but didn’t know where to start, we sent a message to KimKim - we are so glad we did.
After a short quiz and a few clarifying messages back and forth, Huyen perfectly comprised an intinerary that was exactly what we were looking for. She was also highly responsive and very kind.
Travelling, transfers, and all transportation was so simple, and each guide met us at the station with a sign of our names and took us to our accomodation!
Each of our guides was deeply knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend time with. Trung managed to fit Hanoi into one day, and we still felt like we saw so much of the city and everything that was previously recommended to us. He was also fun to talk with and knew so much about Hanoi and Vietnam.
Ly in Sapa took us on the most amazing hikes through the hill villages (Ma Tra & Ta Phin, then Lao Chai and Ta Van). Ly seemed to know everybody and everything in the area - so we not only learned so much about the land and distinct culture of each tribe, but we were put at ease being in an environment so different from our American city life. We had a great balance of popular attractions (Fansipan, etc.) and off-the-beaten path adventures - very hard to do but Huyen and Ly nailed it.
Our final guide Brian met us in Hanoi after the sleeper train from Sapa (actually a fun experience, + managed to get some sleep)! Brian managed to make a 3 hour car ride fun and interesting, as he knew so much about Vietnam and was so hospitable. The 2-day cruise in Ha Long Bay was the perfect way to end our trip with some relaxation.
Huyen stayed incredibly responsive throughout the whole trip and even checked in with us via Whatsapp in each city to make sure we were okay. We felt we had the perfect trip - great accomodations, intineraries, enough free time… KimKim really was the right call for us.
If you’re thinking of exploring Vietnam but aren’t sure what to do or where to start, I recommend at least messaging a specialist to see what they come up with for you - it can’t hurt!!

Overall our group of six enjoyed the trip and KimKim made it a lot easier to get around by providing transfers for us. Unfortunately, we hit several snags that took away from the enjoyment of the trip. Twice the transfer did not show up or didn't indicate they were there for our party. Kimkim got it straightened out but that was a rough start at the airport. Several times we didn't get the room we thought we were getting (twins instead of kings, etc.) and at one time in Cusco we were dropped off at the bottom of a set of stairs (with all our luggage) to get to our hotel because the driver said he couldn't go down our street. At the end of the trip we were asked to pay for our rooms because there was confusion about payment from KimKim.

I would like to say that Kimkim was very helpful in connecting us with a pharmacy when my husband forgot his insulin in the Amazon.

Activity Reviews

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero - Maras - Lunch at MV

Peru

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

difficult to enjoy due to the extreme heat and humidity.

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

PeruRail Titicaca Train: A Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno

Peru

Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island

Puno

Sangita was unbelievably brilliant from start to finish, from the first moment we enquired about going to EBC she responded immediately with advice and guidance on how to make our trek personalised for our family. She met us in Kathmandu at the start and at the end of the trek. Mitra our guide met us at the airport in Kathmandu and was the nicest, most knowledgeable and polite person. He knows the mountains and has family and so many friends in the Khumbu region so when we needed to change or alter our journey it was no problem. When trekking to EBC with altitude and weather as major factors you need a local guide that has the experience and can call on their contacts at a moments notice, for example the weather in Lukla has been terrible for the last week with no flights going in or out. We paid extra for a helicopter to take us in and out, many people have been stuck there for quite a while, having already paid for a helicopter to take us back to Kathmandu the weather came in , which meant the helicopter couldn’t land at Lukla so Mitra organised for us to walk an hour and a half down the valley to get the helicopter, this was a last minute decision but he had friends who we paid to carry our bags. A western guide had to send her group out in shifts on various helicopters and she ended up on our flight having no other way to get back. Mitra was utterly brilliant and we can’t recommend Sangita and Mitra enough.

Hotel Review

Barahi Kathmandu

Absolutely brilliant hotel and such a great way to start and finish our trek.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 minutes walk from the shops to buy any extras you need.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Drive to Ramechhap. Fly to Lukla. Trek from Lukla to Phakding (2,610 m/3-4 hrs)

Phakding

Thank goodness we didn’t get to do this. We paid for a helicopter to take us direct from Kathmandu to Lukla. People we spoke to who did this journey said it was awful.

Fly from Lukla to Ramechhap(about 20 min). Drive to Kathmandu.

Kathmandu

Don’t do this pre book a helicopter as the weather is so unpredictable that you may be stuck in Lukla for days. Budget the price of a helicopter into your trek. The people we spoke to who had done this journey said the road trip was awful.

Our three weeks in Japan were fantastic. Our local guide Shona suggested locations and activities that we would have had difficulty finding on our own but that made the trip very memorable. The accommodations she found for us, particularly the Ryokan in Kawaji Onsen, were among the best hotels we have ever stayed at and were staffed by some of the nicest people we've ever met. We felt very pampered.
Shona was always available and prompt in responding to our inquiries and issues even with the substantial time difference between us. She would also send us our itinerary for the day on our trip itself which made things very easy.
The guides she booked for us were very friendly and shared a lot of interesting cultural knowledge about Japan with us. One of our drivers was kind enough to suggest alternative activities on a day when the weather was not cooperating with what was initially planned.
There were a couple of instances where we had a guide booked for us that felt somewhat unnecessary - like days where we went hiking and probably would have preferred to have just had a driver instead. This is also on us in that we could have communicated this preference to her a bit better.
On the whole, Shona was a great planner for our trip to Japan and we would recommend her and KimKim to other travelers in the future!

Tina was exceptional! Everything for our trip was so well organized, curated, and high end as expected. We had amazing excursions we would have never thought to book ourselves and boutique beautiful resorts. We could not be happier with the service and every part of our vacation. We are forever thankful to Tina and the KimKim team!!

Hotel Reviews

The Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

TreeHouse Villas Villas Koh Yao Noi Luxury Beach Resort

Thailand

Beautiful, private, luxury resort perfect for couples wanting romance! Loved this part of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Naka Phuket

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a bit out of town, but that is why it is private.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elephant Hills Camp

Khao Sok

Amazing experience! Perfect blend of excursions and luxury camping with relaxation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Bangkok City Tour

Bangkok

Ton our tour guide really took care of us and made this a special experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 1

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Romantic BBQ at the Beach!

Ko Yao Noi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 2

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 3

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A group of 6 friends just completed an unforgettable two weeks of immersion in Morocco. Starting with the planning stage with Sharon and Maryem, through the airport logistics, (we arrived and left at different times) , through the two weeks guided by our knowlegeable, professional and entertaining guide AbdouRahman and driven skillfully by Mustafa through the amazing Moroccan landscapes and ancient cities, our experience with Morocco Immersion Tours and Adventures more than met our high expectations.

The mix of local life — eating at the markets (buying meat at the butchers, taking them to the grill or Berber pizza “kitchen”) — and high end beautiful luxury hotels in Fez and Marrakesh and our luxurious desert camp gave us a glimpse into the span of real life in current Morocco that is unlikely to be found in other tours. We were very appreciative of our day in Sharon’s and Abdou’s home in the Valley of Roses, especially the opportunity to meet their family and neighbors.

We were very lucky to have AbdouRahman as our tour manager and guide. His deep knowledge and love of Moroccan history and culture and his running commentary and answers to our questions were invaluable. He was also great with coming up with Plan Bs when current events required some adjustments to our itinerary.

In addition, we appreciated the knowledge and experience of the local guides especially in Rabat and Fes. They were also deeply knowledgeable and enthusiastic interpreters of the historical and cutural contexts of the sites we visited. And a special mention goes to Hussein and Khadija for the wonderful day we enjoyed in their home, learning about their lives, while we participated in a hands on cooking class, making two tagines, breads and salads.

In sum, our eye opening and enjoyable experience with Morocco Immersion was superb. From planning to execution, they were, professional, flexible, responsive, and informative . Choukran!!

We were blown away by this trip, the country itself, but mostly by the amazing people you connected with: our driver/tour expert Nourredine, our guides Mustafa and Ishmael, our cooking class leader Bouchra and the reservation help provided by Sara via WhatsApp. They were all generous, kind, interested, well-educated experts who truly seemed to have our family's needs and interests at heart. So fantastic!

Hotel Reviews

Dar Victoria

Fez

Incredible original atmosphere, great location, clean rooms and fantastically friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Was down a secret alley, in a non-touristy zone, but we all felt safe and welcome

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plumbing in bathrooms was a bit rickety

Meteorites Boulaajoul

Zaida

This was a surreal and dramatic overnight stop on the way to the desert: we met other travellers en route to the Sahara, or some returning. And the staff (Omar!) was funny and warm and welcoming. We liked how quiet it was, the pool, and the feeling on being on the edge of a rugged landscape. Not fancy, but clean and quiet, like a motel. Our kids loved it too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the edge of some very rugged land, in view of the Atlas mtns

Staff

Omar and the other assistants were funny, jokey with our kids, and put us all at ease. Also very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds, huge king

Riad Madu Luxury Camp

Merzouga

An incredible oasis on the edge of the sand dunes. We should have stayed more than one night! Could have stayed 3.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Lyon-Mogador

Essaouira

A classy and quiet spot with a great rooftop view and gorgeous beachy design rooms,

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful classy beach vibe and decor, cusions, wood, excellent cotton sheets and blankets.

Location

Staff

Queit and frienfly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nasreen

Marrakech

Unhelpful staff, chauvinistic toward women, and unavailable to help us when we needed them.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Condescending attitude, unhelpful with basic requests, no owner or Manager in sight

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom fan wouldn't turn off, hot water tap fell off, room was tiny, pool on rooftop in disrepair

La Perle du Dadès

Boumalne

This had a lovely pool and a warm friendly feel from the owners and staff, but the rooms were cluttered and didn't feel 100% clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms had too many knick knacks in them, a challenge when unpacking.

Activity Reviews

Leather Slipper Workshop

Marrakesh

Was a great father-son workshop. However I'm glad my other kid (10) didn't attend as it was quite technical! But our teenager and his dad loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Morocco

Excellent history from our guide, however our kids got hot and tired halfway in, and there was no shade on site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch with a local family

Morocco

Really lovely to see and experience a real home, with a local person. It gave us a chance to ask questions, and our boys learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Was good, tho would have been Amazing if our kids had met/eaten with kids, or the family was a similar make up to ours

Transport

Wine Tasting in Meknes

Morocco

Was not really a favorite for us. We learned a bit, but will save wine tastings for other countries where it is a focal point.

Quality of Experience

Also, we didn't know in advance what was included, and they brought us LOTS of cheese and wine, which we didn't eat or drink or need.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide at the winery, very knowledgable

Transport

Nourredinne was so great getting us on time to ALL our scheduled activities.

Sand Boarding

Morocco

Was just kind of tacked on to the ATV riding. Felt like an afterthought. No instruction, which is fine. We could have all used boards (4) rather than just having one. Would skip this next time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in the Sahara

Morocco

Loved this but we wanted to ride more. The guide seemed to think we only wanted photos of ourselves on the horses, when really we all wanted to gallop and go riding a bit more freely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erg Chebbi Dunes to Boumalne Dades

Morocco

We liked stopping at the rosewater factory, but noticed the prices were very high, aimed at tourists and cost more than at home!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour

Marrakesh

Loved this tour at night with Ishmael!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ismael was generous, warm, shared his story, and connected well with our sons. We loved spending time with him and would do this again!

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Excellent tour w Mustafa!

Quality of Experience

Food

I don't think we ate on the tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Morocco

By far a highlight of our family trip!

Quality of Experience

Location and going to the souk first, to get the ingredients. Plus the dance party we had with the staff, on the spur of the moment!

Food

The tea ceremony, learning how to do the cooking without needing to prep the vegetables!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bouchra was amazing, as were the rest of the people at the Riad

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

So cool, the best

Quality of Experience

Food

n/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Awesome! Such a vibrant city

Quality of Experience

Was excellent however our Riad Nasreen was sub-par in terms of rooms and staff.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nourredinne and Ishmael knew the city well, and were great at getting us around it! They shared their knowledge, and kept us safe from the motorbikes!

Transport

Kitesurfing Lesson in Essaouira

Essaouira

Was a great location, but we would have liked to know that kitesurfing lesson #1 doesn't include any time in the water actually kitesurfing. So that would have been helpful. However we had a fun day at the beach, and our kids surfed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super nice, professional crew at Kitesurfing company

Transport

All the guides were very good. I enjoyed Xi’an and Shanghai more than Beijing were we spent too much time in traffic. The cars and drivers were good.
The cruise was enjoyable because of the scenery and the friendly crew but the food was mediocre and the cabin too small

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

Old hotel n need of renovations. Marginal air conditioning. Old furniture in need of replacement. Shoddy workmanship. Breakfast was ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Clean hotel. Professional staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Katarina

Tiny room . The smallest closet I ever saw. No drawers to store anything. The food is buffet style and is served tepid. Overall the food was mediocre. Upon embarking we had to buy the dinner because it was not included. Big mistake! It was horrendous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise On The Bund

The air conditioning doesn’t always work. Very small closet. Nice big bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was not friendly but they did their job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning!!!

Activity Reviews

A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

Interesting site

Quality of Experience

Food

Loud and busy restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Better car than the old VW provided

Hutongs Exploration: Pedicab Ride and Local Family Visit

Beijing

Nothing special. We didn’t visit any family

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

The Great Wall is a must see. It is impressive but it’s a long drive from Beijing. The wall is very crowded. The tomb excursion is not worth the time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

The show was good. The dinner and service were poor

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day with Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

Very interesting site with some remarkable historical pieces

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 4

Chongqing

A waste of time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Very nice excursion thanks to our excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Picturesque Summer Palace

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Tang Dynasty Show (1hour)

Xi'an

A good show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina cruise Day 1

Chongqing

The embarkation process was chaotic. The dinner that we had to buy on board was the terrible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Eat on shore

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 2

Chongqing

A pleasant excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town City Tour

Shanghai

A very nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 3

Chongqing

Very nice excursion on small boats

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Vietnam! Doris was very helpful in organizing our iternerary and communication from beginning to end was excellent. Hotels were fantastic and tour guides very knowledgeable. So many beautiful moments. We enjoyed it all!! Thank you!

Activity Review

Hanoi - Halong Bay - Overnight on Paradise Elegance Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Each of our guides were warm and welcoming. They were very knowledgable about the history and the current status of their respective cities. Drivers and guides coordinated the transportation aspects very well which provided smooth and relaxing transitions for us.
Restaurant choices were excellent, including the breakfast buffets at each of our hotels.
The Yangtze River cruise was unbelievable. Not only is the scenery outstandingly beautiful, but the staff was congenial and provided a couple of delightful entertainment shows with song and dance.
Our stay in Shanghai was especially enjoyable at Sunrise on the Bund hotel, and our guide JayJay made our time together very special in spite of rain from a typhoon that passed through.

Vicky , you arranged our Australia and New Zealand trip very well. Hotel stays were very good except Fable where the service was moderate. Tours were very well organized, pickups were efficient and good and friendly.Ayer’s rock was amazing. Except the evening arranged dinner was so so for us vegetarians and atmosphere was full of bugs at night which the organizers could have controlled better. Cairns is beautiful. Seeing Great Barrier Reef was wonderful. On the whole an amazing trip and experience. Thank you Vicky.

Hotel Reviews

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

Sydney

Old charm. Very centrally located. Good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fable Auckland

Auckland

Many staff spoke English poorly and communication was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poor cleaning. Bathroom sink poorly designed.

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Langham

Southbank

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St. Moritz

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Field of Light Dinner | Indulge in a feast for the soul

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Food

Better vegetarian options.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the mysteries of the outback sky

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Ocean Road Full Day Private Experience

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Sound – Coach Cruise Fly

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waiheke Island - Exclusive Tours - STANDARD DAY (Private Tour)

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Debra was excellent.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Freedom - Cruise to Outer Edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef (Departs from Cairns)

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Private Melbourne City Highlights

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TSS Earnslaw and BBQ Buffet Lunch in Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sunrise (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta Half Day Trip

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Daintree Wanderer Tour

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Full-Day Rotorua Tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Sights 4 hours - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was top shelf. From the airport to the hotel(s) and all the excursions and private tours, everything was awesome! Everyone work together to provide us with a great experience!

Hotel Review

Agali Houses

Firostefani 00

Beautiful views from our balcony. Excellent breakfast as well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

This is a must when in Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Australia was fabulous. Asko was easily reachable when we had questions. First, all the hotels we stayed in were great and in excellent locations making it easy for us to get around. The excursions were well thought out. We got premium seats for the Penguin Parade, that was unexpected. The Great Ocean Road was stunning. Our guides for the Penguin Parade and Great Ocean Road were professional, polite and funny. Hobart was lovely. Uluru was next and beautiful. The sunset dinner, show and sunrise at Ayer's Rock. I can't say enough. Barrier Reef was next. We spent a relaxing day at Moore's Reef. For those that didn't go in the water there was the glass bottom boat and the submarine. Our last days were spent in Sydney. The Dream World Tour was exceptional. We learned a lot, we wanted to leave with more information about the First Nation than when we came. Our trip Wildlife, Waterfall and Wine tour was a nice change. Our driver, "the other Steve", made that tour enjoyable and he provided a lot of information. Then we had a free day in Sydney to shop and relax. It couldn't have been better. Thank you for an unforgettable journey!

We had an amazing trip and Hakim did an excellent job. As this was our first experience with KimKim, we were nervous whether the arrangements would work out as promised. But everything was great, and I'm glad we relied on Hakim's excellent reviews and expertise.

Since I had very little time to plan and book a trip to Switzerland , I decided to give kimkim a try. In 7 weeks, Mathilde put together a suggested itinerary, worked with me on zoom calls to add and subtract destination cities, and purchased/booked travel passes and hotels.

While I might have done a few things differently (like staying in Wengen rather than Grindlewald), all in all I think it was money well spent with kimkim. The directions for each stop were thorough and clear and the online vouchers and schedules were easy to access.

If I find myself in a similar situation with short lead time, and no knowledge of the destination country, I would use kimkim again.

Helena and KimKim were amazing in helping us plan our first two week trip to Spain. The trip was wonderful and went seamlessly without a single hiccup. Helena gave us everything we asked for and more and was able to foresee details we would not have thought of. She found the perfect hotels, tours, activities and transportation for us and planned it in a way that flowed so well. She also provided multiple suggestions on the best things to do, places to eat etc. in our downtime. Our tour guides were well informed and friendly and made sure we got the most of the experience. They knew how to avoid the crowds without missing out on anything. We learned so much of the history and culture of Spain and saw beautiful scenery, cathedrals, palaces, fortresses, old towns, city streets and more. Our drivers were also friendly and fun to talk to. We loved the trip app that KimKim provided, giving us a very detailed outline of every day that Helena had organized - hotels, drivers and their contact number, tours and guides, train rides and tickets etc. Additionally it included information about each city and site, where to go, what to see and where to eat. We found it to be invaluable. Everywhere we went we were expected and welcomed warmly. We are very grateful for Helena and KimKim and will definitely use again and recommend to others.

Hotel Reviews

Urban

Madrid

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was great! We enjoyed our stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Colón Gran Meliá

Seville

We really enjoyed this hotel! The staff were friendly, it was a great location and the food was good. It was a pretty hotel and we enjoyed our stay here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Meliá Granada

Granada

We loved our stay at the Melia. The rooftop had an amazing view of the city, our room was nice and the food was good! The staff were friendly and very helpful with every detail of our stay. The location was great too and we had no problem walking everywhere we needed to go.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only YOU Hotel Malaga

Málaga

We loved the Only You hotel. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, the location was amazing, the views from the room and the top of the hotel (where we ate breakfast) were beautiful. We really enjoyed staying at the Only You in Malaga.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

We loved this tour! It was our first night in Madrid and the perfect introduction. Our guide was fun and very informative, the food and drinks were really good and we had a great group and met some cool people. We really loved this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Wow! So many beautiful sights, cultural and history in Madrid. Our guide, Javi was great! He was very informative and friendly and took us to some neat places and a few out of the way shops in Old Town that we loved. We really enjoyed this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Wow! Toledo is such an amazing place full of history and cultural and very unique as well. We loved our guide Sonia. She taught us so much about Toledo and the history, art, architecture and so much more there. She knew. how to take the side roads to avoid the busy and more crowded areas and got us right up front for prime views of everything. She knew so much about every aspect of the city and all of its history. She was fun and went out of her way to give us additional suggestions of places to eat and see and even got us a taxi back to the train station. Toledo is a place where I wish we'd been able to stay longer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

We loved our private tour of Seville with Lita! Wow, what a beautiful city with so much to see and so much history. Lita was so informative and we had a great tour with her. We learned so much about Seville and saw so many beautiful sights, history and buildings. It was a wonderful tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

We really loved this tour of the Olive Oil Estate. Alberto our driver to the estate was a lot of fun and taught us a lot as well. Sarah, who led our private tour of the estate was great! We learned so much that we didn't know about the types of olives and the process of making olive oil both in the present and the past. A bonus was the carriage collection that the owner had - it was amazing to see and we got to pet the horses. We also enjoyed the tasting at the end. Sarah made the tour a fun experience and we really enjoyed it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Seville to Córdoba, Guided Visit of Córdoba, Train Córdoba to Seville

Seville

Wow! Cordoba is such a neat city with so much to see! We had a great tour with Jose who was so informative! We loved the old Roman bridge and of course the Mezquita, the enormous mosque-cathedral. That was pretty amazing and there was so much in there to take in! It is such an interesting history. We had an excellent lunch while there and some free time to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

What a great Flamenco show in Granada! We even enjoyed the walk up the hill to the Sacromonte area where the Flamenco show was held in the cave. It was a lot of fun and the performers were so talented from the dancers to the singers to the guitar player. We had a great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Wow! The Alhambra and gardens are amazing! There was so much to see and it was beautiful! Christina was a great guide and very informative and made the tour fun. The views were incredible as well as the beautiful gardens and of course the palaces. The old fortress and the old roman aqueduct and ruins were very cool. There is a museum onsite that had some very neat artifacts. There were so many different parts to this tour and each part was spectacular! We really enjoyed this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Ronda

Spain

We enjoyed the views of the countryside on this private drive with Rafael who was very nice to Rhonda and when we got there, WOW! What an amazing place! The views and cliff are just incredible and the town of Rhonda was fun too. We had an excellent lunch at a cafe in the city and enjoyed walking around. But really it's all about the views. Wow!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Málaga

Spain

Malaga is another beautiful city in Spain and we had a great private tour with Nahuel. He was a great guide and very informative! We enjoyed this tour and learning the history of Malaga. The Roman Theater was very cool and we learned how the Cathedral of Malaga was unfinished but they are working on finishing it now. It was also at the time of Picasso's birthday which is the same day as mine and so we learned more about his history with Malaga. Nahuel also gave us some great suggestions for places to go eat and to see while we were there. This was a great tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self Guided Day Trip to Marbella

Spain

We enjoyed the beautiful drive to Marbella with Angel who was informative and so friendly. Marbella old town was beautiful and really neat! We had a delicious lunch there and enjoyed looking at the pretty flower lined streets and visiting the shops. Overall we had a fun trip to Marbella.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning a trip to a distant destination is never easy, but the experience and guidance we received for Japan was perfect. Our guides Johnny & Lia had great knowledge and showed their love for the visitor experience in their home country. Travel within Japan was expertly handled, hotels were perfect and sites visited gave us a glimpse into the culture of the country.

Our trip went very well overall. The guides and tours were very good, especially the Day Trip to Sintra with Nuno and the substitute Food Tour with Daniella. The hotels worked out nicely and were in perfect locations. And the train transfers went smoothly. I really enjoyed having everything available in the Trip Plan app, and the recommendations on sites and restaurants were helpful.

Only three things didn't work out, none of which were due to the agency. And they were very responsive in each case.

Our driver left the Lisbon airport before we arrived--but we had been delayed an hour and half getting through passport control. The agency offered to reimburse our cab ride. Also, our first tour (Food Tour) canceled at the last minute but the agency found another (and likely much nicer) tour with Daniella. And lastly, our Walking Tour of Lisbon wasn't able to go because the guide had just slipped and injured herself, all understandable and the agency issued a refund.

Hotel Reviews

Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel

Lisboa

Excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Adaptive use of an old building

Location

Easy to get most everywhere

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could use some sprucing up (stains, etc.)

Mercure Porto Centro Santa Catarina

PORTO

Excellent location

Authenticity & Character

Typical for brand hotel

Location

Easy to get everywhere

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well kept

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Amazing time with Nuno. Very helpful and informative with a personal touch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Culinary Food Experience

Lisbon

Excellent tour and narrative with Daniella. Food was great and the history really added to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport