Kimkim Trip Reviews

Eric was an amazing source of information and guidance for our Winter Iceland Trip (for our family of 8)! I had done a lot of research on specific areas we wanted to visit, and he provided excellent details in creating a realistically-paced vacation, as well as specific details for greater understanding and additional highlights to visit. Eric was responsive and thorough in his explanations, as well as professional and patient with our itinerary questions and changes.

Specifics:
Car Rental - No problems at all... only a pesky spot that the windshield wiper didn't quite wipe away in the driver's view.

Day 1: We stopped to see some Icelandic friends at their home and visited with them awhile. The stops along the Golden Circle were beautiful... Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. What we should have, but didn't expect was all of the tour buses and group tours! We didn't have time for Fridheimar Tomato Farm or Kerid Crater, as our daylight was running out and we had dinner reservations. Our dinner at Ingolfsskali Viking Restaurant was absolutely delicious (for everyone)! We stayed at our friend's parents' cottage this night.

Day 2: Seljalandsfoss & Gljufrabui were amazing, although we couldn't see anything but pure whiteness when we pulled into the parking lot! The weather quickly cleared, and we were able to experience both waterfalls... my two sons even meandered back into the canyon to get closer to Gljufrabui, at the expense of one wet foot. Skogafoss & Reynisfara were amazing as well. We did witness a risky tourist challenging the sneaker waves too much and got completely knocked down & soaked by them! We had to call it a day after this because of weather/visibility. We went grocery shopping and cooked dinner at Eaglerock Guesthouse this night (and the next)... as well as breakfast. Very nice accommodations.

Day 3: Our Crystal Blue Ice Cave tour was awesome, and our tour guide (Johann from Troll Expeditions) had a super fun personality! Jokulsarlon & Diamond Beach were both truly beautiful! We even saw a seal playing close-up in the lagoon, and we saw the Northern Lights back at our rental this night right before bed!

Day 4: We HIGHLY recommend ice climbing with Tindaborg (referred by our Icelandic friends). Iris & Arni are expertly trained glacier mountain and climbing guides. They are involved in the national training of mountain guides, rescues, and glacier mountaineering. What's best are their friendly, patient, informative, adventurous, and truly pleasant personalities! We had complete confidence in our safety and guidance with them, and our whole family was able to experience something we never could have done on our own! We had a good meal at Smidjan Brugghus, and Vik Apartments provided a perfect stay for us.

Day 5: We really enjoyed hiking around Dyrholaey and into Loftsalahellir cave... spent more time there than we'd planned, but it was worth it! We drove to our friends' home in the Reykjavik area this night (New Year's Eve), and they had a delicious dinner catered in for us. They drove us out to one of the local bonfires, then back to their home for the traditional Áramótaskaupið TV show with English subtitles (and their helpful explanations of some jokes), then back outside for amazing fireworks all around!

Day 6: New Year's Day we went to Christ the King Catholic Church for Mass, shared coffee & pastries with some of the parishioners, then toured around some of the famous spots in Reykjavik. Some shops and quite a few restaurants were closed for the holiday, but we still got to visit a few. We had quick sandwiches for lunch and were throughly relaxed in the Seven Rituals of Sky Lagoon... Wow, what an experience! We even got to see the Northern Lights again from the warm waters of Sky Lagoon itself & outside as we were leaving. We returned to our friends' home for dinner and games that night.

Day 7: Our drive towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula included the beauty of Hraunfossar & Barnafoss, but we didn't get to see much else because of the weather. The Gerduberg basalt cliffs were almost completely buried in snow (we could only see the very top of them), and we bypassed the other stops as well. Our family was hungry, and there were very limited options this time of year. We checked into Midhraun Resort (great accommodation), relaxed a bit, and waited for Langaholt Restaurant to open their buffet dinner (which was delicious)!

Day 8: We did a lot of imaging what beautiful Snæfellsnes would be like in the summer this day, as it we got pretty harsh weather most of the time we visited. We stopped at Budir church, Arnarstapi, and Londrangar. We spent a lot of time hiking around the amazing Djupalonssandur beach, which we thought was more enjoyable and preferable to the crowds of Reynisfara! Some of us took turns lifting the stones and staying clear of the sneaker waves. We had a very delicious lunch at Matarlist in the visitor center, but wow, it was pricey! We stopped by the Murals of Hellissandur, and half of our family walked the steps up to Saxholl Crater but found its top view a little disappointing. Unfortunately, Kirkjufell was only barely visible at its base because of the weather, but we were able to see Kirkjufellsfoss and play in the snow (snowball fight & built a snowman). We had planned to go to Stykkisholmur for a highly-rated restaurant dinner option, but were pretty worn out from the weather (and had spent so much at lunch) that we opted to stop at a grocery store and fix a simple dinner back at Midhraun.

Day 9: Breakfast at Midhraun both mornings was great, and staff was very friendly. We saw more Northern Lights this morning before heading out! We were mesmerized by the drive between Borgarnes and Hvammsvik with its incredible scenery... blue, clear skies and breathtaking views of the water and snow-covered mountains! Hvammsvik Hot Springs was throughly enjoyable, and most of us even went into the ocean in between the hot spring pools. We stopped in a shop near Reykjavik for some souvenirs, said goodbye to our Icelandic host friends, and made it to the airport on schedule.

We found the Icelandic people to be very friendly, the tour bus groups to be a bit annoying, and the trip as a whole to be outstanding!! We would love to return and experience it again one summer, but we also really appreciated and enjoyed the amazing beauty of this winter wonderland!

Thank you, Eric, for all your help and expert guidance!
Sincerely,
The Williams Family from Florida

Activity Reviews

Hvammsvik Hot Springs (& Nature Reserve)

Iceland

Such a great and relaxing experience! We enjoyed the views from these hot springs even better than Sky Lagoon, and it was much less crowded as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Truly relaxing and luxurious experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Amazing sights and creation! Johann from Troll Expeditions had a great personality and helped make this experience super fun! The crowds were the only thing detracting from this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We thoroughly enjoyed our mother/daughter trip to North and Central Vietnam in December. Huyen was great to work with – accommodating and flexible. She provided many options, listened to our requests, and tailored our trip to suit our needs. We were able to enjoy a few days on our own exploring the cities and finding activities like temple of literature, water puppet show, tailored clothes, Hoi An at night among others to do.
Highlights of our custom itinerary included Hanoi Street food tour, a day trip to Ninh Binh, an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay (kayaking and incredible views), cooking class, basket boat, ba na hills, etc. Our tour guides, Long (Hanoi) and Han (Hoi An) were fantastic – very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable of their cities and cultures. They gave us recommendations for the best pho, bahn mi, cafes and restaurants for an incredible dining experience. Activities like spa and lantern making were perfectly suggested for a rainy day in Hoi An. The drivers were always on time. Having KimKim take care of all the hotel reservations, airport/road transfers, some meals, domestic flights, etc. made our trip so much more enjoyable and stress free. Highly recommend that to anyone planning a vacation to a foreign country or want a worry-free experience.
There were some miscommunications about dietary restrictions which led to our guides believing we required vegetarian meals which wasn’t true. We wish we had been able to try more of the local cuisine rather than catering to something we didn’t want.
Our thanks to KimKim for so many memorable moments. We enjoyed it all!
Cecilia B.

Driver Hicham was really great. Was a pleasure.

Didn't really want to do the cooking school but it was also really good, espeically the lady who ran the class, Souad.

Would have been useful to know that the Riad for New Year's Eve was dry, hence no NY Champagne available. Not personally that concerned but imagine if we were French and were denied a glass of wine at New Year ;)

You were right that 2 hours is sufficient in Chefchaouen!

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Nice place, nodern, clean, good coffee.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms have just a little bit too much/too large furniture in them!

Riad El Yacout

Fès

Beautiful central courtyard. Rooms a little bit tired but huge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The main guy worked so hard to keep everyone happy I was concerned the owner of the hotel was keeping his children hostage or something.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's beautiful and spacious but maybe needs a spruce up in the rooms. Doesn't have an alcohol licence!

Desert Luxury Camp Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

Great location and view. Electric blankets were a perfect addition. In room heater wasn't especially effective. Food was only okay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's a tent - albeit a luxury one - probably as good as it could be!

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

Beautiful hotel and rooms. Food was only okay, though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Guided Tour in Chefchaouen

Morocco

Hakim was correct, two hours here is sufficient. It's very pretty but pretty quiet. Guide was good.

Quality of Experience

Guide was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good, driver was great.

Transport

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Pretty decent tour. Got dropped off by the guide for shopping at the local tourist places... The guide himself was a pretty interesting fellow, liked him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good. Driver was great.

Transport

Guided Walk in Skoura Oasis

Morocco

Doesn't really need a guide. Also, the guide was okay, but largely just pointed at things and described what they were. E.g. "camel"! Slightly strangely, two random people got added to our tour. Didn't particularly mind but it was a little odd.

Quality of Experience

There's not much to see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide average, driver great.

Transport

Hicham was still great.

Merzouga to Fes via Rissani, Midelt, & the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

It's a very long way. We were exhausted and we weren't the ones driving. Felt pretty sorry for Hicham.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hicham did all the driving. He's a trooper!

Transport

See above.

Cooking Workshop & Local Food

Morocco

I didn't really want to do this but we enjoyed it a lot. Mostly because of the personality of the teacher, Souad. Without her, it would probably have been pretty average.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Souad has a really engaging personality. She was really fun and made the experience what it was.

Transport

Hike in Ourika Valley

Morocco

Guide was very helpful for the walk. I would pribably skip the town if I were to do this again, though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good, driver great.

Transport

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good. Driver, Hicham, excellent.

Transport

We had an exceptional experience with this company. Our travel planning consultant, Matilde, was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and reponsive. Our itinerary was exactly what we wanted for our time in France and was HIGHLY personlized. The arrangement of transfers was wonderful and seemless. Even "special" requests were easily attained. Unfortunately I experienced a medical situation on our trip and our travel consultant and the emergency contact for Kimkim were helpful, kind and responsive. I will definintely use this agency again and highly recommend for an exceptional travel experience!!

Moonika was very detailed and communicative. She reached out to us before the trip to confirm all the tour activities. She also reached out to us throughout the trip to ensure everything went as planned. I really enjoy the vendors where she booked for our husky and reindeer sled rides. I could tell they actually do care about the animals, and not just a business. Even when the train was delayed, she made sure we were updated and received any possible refunds. Overall, I had an amazing time in Finland.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic City Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Hotel Haven

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Winter Husky Tour

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korouoma Canyon & Frozen Waterfalls Adventure

Finland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (2h)

Helsinki

The tour guide is awesome with such great details and information. She really understands Helsinki and really she made me wished that I would have more time exploring the city with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Positives - good set of activities, although I wish we had done the volcano hike instead of the nature walk in arenal as we had already done the nature hike in monterverde. Doing it twice made no sense. Other than that rest of the activities were fun.

Negatives - where I stay matters a LOT. 2/4 hotels were disappointing in a 10 day stay. That is about 5 days in total of not having good lodging which was a real turn off. No running water at times and on top of that hotel tried to swindle us for a mandatory new years meal at an outrageous cost. Sales should have checked into all this and been upfront with us but Greg in service came to our rescue and got us out of the meal. Thank you for that. I would have hoped that kimkim would have partially reimbursed us for the hotel stay in arenal as it was lousy but they did not offer to do so. They did promise to reimburse us for the cost of the new year meal which was a relief. Again, we should have not been charged for it. 1500 or so for three nights at a below mediocre hotel just doesn’t feel right. When you are paying a hefty amount for a vacation you want the best. You don’t want to be blind sided. And I wouldn't say it was the best. Greg did come to our rescue and did his absolute best. Thank god for that else this would have sucked.

Hotel Reviews

Ficus Sunset Suites

Monteverde

Very outdated, had a weird smell, cleanliness clearly not up to par but location wise convenient to town. Definitely could be updated as from the outside it has a very welcoming presence.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Floor had hair and next day even never bothered to clean the floor. I still was kind enough to leave a tip.

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Lovely hotel with very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Sketchy area but great hotel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mountain Paradise

Fortuna

This isn’t a 4 star hotel, not even 3. Water in both the bathrooms would suddenly stop running. At some point in the night the water just shut down for a couple of hours which was awful. Found worms in the bathrooms. Bugs bit us. We left as soon as our excursions were over. Couldn’t wait get out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Loved the meal and the waterfall. Nature hike was a repeat and way too long. Could have done the volcano hike and cooking class at the farm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Not so great buffet. Allow people to get their own meals and not include in price of outing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine with W Circuit on day 1 was a good introduction to the sights of Patagonia, however the mini bus was poor with cramped seating on rough roads.
Boat tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers was a highlight as the fiords were spectacular, however the boat had poor worn seats and was best viewed from the upper deck. Also ranch lunch was poor as meat full of crissle and salad only lettuce.
Full day tour of Torres del Paine Park partly doubled up on the first day trekking, however while overcast and raining on first day the Full Day vehicle tour was better with clear skies and superior comfortable vehicle from Patagonia Planet which is highly recommended.
Last day trekking and Condor watching was the highlight as the guide Patagonia Adventure Jorge was brilliant and spoke fluent English. He went out of his way to find condors and we were treated to clear skies and a condor aerial display.
Hotel accommodation at Puerto Natalie's Hotel Vendaval offered small modern rooms which were ok however very noisy as sound travels through the floor and walls.

Hotel Review

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Small modern rooms which were ok however no sound proofing and very noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Distinctive red multi storey building and modern by Puerto Natalie's standard.

Location

The hotel is located between the waterfront and the town square and good facilities nearby.

Staff

No problem with English communication

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good modern facilities and large king bed.

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

Great scenery on the fiords.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch at the ranch poor.

Trekking and Condor Watching

Puerto Natales

Beautiful scenery and expert guide.

Quality of Experience

The guide was excellent at finding resting condors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great information, very personable and fluent English.

Transport

Private car for 4 people.

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

Good driver and guide and comfortable vehicle.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch provided at the Rio Pingo restaurant was expensive and terrible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Good tour guide, however poor mini bus.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food served at the Rio Pingo restaurant is expensive and terrible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Morocco, planned with Megan from kimkim. She took into account our accommodation needs, and preferences for proximity to the medinas. She even accommodated a last minute change as we arrived a day earlier, and booked the accommodation, car and driver for that day too. It was a truly unforgettable experience in a wonderful country with friendly and beautiful people.

Our driver, Ahmad picked us up from the airport in Casablanca and drove us to Rabat, which was our first stop. He was very friendly, spoke great English, and was a calm and patient driver which was much appreciated. Could not have asked for a better driver.

Rabat was a great start as it’s clean, and the Medina is manageable on your own. The kasbah is beautiful too and easy to explore.

Next was Chef Chaouen where we explored the blue city with a guide Hazim. He was friendly and welcoming, and knowledgeable too.

We stopped in the Agafay desert, which was a unique experience, for a night, and carried onto Marrakech, where we had a guide Ezam for the food tour and also through the very large Medina. He was great and took into account our vegetarian needs.

Last stop was Casablanca. Overall a very well planned trip, with great service. Thank you!

The planning process with Coraima was quite seamless. We had a great trip overall with great local guides for the different types of experiences we were interested in. The highlight was our tour of San Sebastian with Martin -- he was a true local who showed us the ins and outs and we had the best time. The foodie tour was also a very unique experience that is perfect for foodies and a more slower and laid back pace.

Hi. This is Rupal. I was on the other trip with Kinnari Patel. Our guides were Keshav (Delhi) Ronik (Agra) and Love (Jaipur).

Overall, trip was great. Our guides were amazing and extremely knowledgeable!

Our only porblem was in Delhi. We didn't realize that certain sites were not initially included in our tour package such as Quitab Minar, Lotus Temple, Gandhi House. Instead we were scheduled to go to a Gurdwara and Mosques. Those were not a priority. This trip was for our Dad who had not seen India's sites and monuments which my sister had mentioned. You should have automatically included the QM, Lotus Temple, and Gandhi House as well as a Swamiramayan temple since those are the biggies! So we were disappointed.

Ranjeet our driver is the best. He made us feel safe and and he was very efficient and friendly!

Everyone we worked with and who guided us was amazing. Romina and Siego were great and our drivers fantastic! No complaints at all

Activity Reviews

Half-Day City Tour to Soccer Stadiums

Buenos Aires

Diego was informative and interesting and we loved our stadium tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Buenos Aires City Tour

Buenos Aires

Romina was so informative, flexible and great to spend the day with!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great experience working with Kimkim and our guide Vicky. She was very helpful in providing us prompt responses and suggestions when we asked questions and helped plan our trip to our needs and specifications. Highly recommend them for custom trip planning and saving time researching new areas. Vicky was very knowledgeable and provided guidance based on her own experience as well as reading about or calling places.

Hotel Reviews

Mantra on Little Bourke

The room we stayed was a 2 BR which was not needed for our family as our little ones are comfortable to co sleep so we only mainly used one of them. The hotel was very conveniently located near China town and had great choices for food and shopping at walking distance. The parking was very tight so mid size cars would need caution to park in and out. We did not use the free breakfast option since there were a lot of new places we wanted to try, the spread seemed like a standard continental breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants and shopping

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apollo Bay Motel and Apartments, BW Signature Collection

Apollo Bay

We only stayed for a few hours overnight and didn't spend enough time. The apt/hotel seemed reasonably well equipped with everything like a kitchenette and separate living space and bedrooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reef View Hotel

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland

Nice hotel with beach access and views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

This was a great tour but the weather was too foggy to see much of the place. The driver James had forgotten the car seat but was kind to make quick arrangements for it. He described the area well and gave input on general places to visit as well. James knew the area well and took us to good restaurants and stop points that were not crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puffing Billy & Healesville Sanctuary & Chocolaterie

Melbourne

The train experience was good. There was some confusion about the starting time of our tour but it was sorted out and we went on the right one. There was no space for our baby's stroller which was a surprise and they hadn't mentioned beforehand that it wasn't allowed. We managed with putting it in front near drivers seat. There wasn't enough time at the Healesville Sanctuary to see the full park. This trip would be better if the guides suggested to have lunch before Healesville or if it was provided like a box lunch. The lines at the lunch places were long and there was no time for both lunch and seeing the places. The chocolaterie could've been lesser time. The driver didn't explain much in the drive and there were several wildlife on the drive which would've been nice to have some explanation for new tourists

Private Heli - Discover the Whitsundays Heart Reef & Whitehaven Beach Stopover

Hamilton Island

Expensive but great experience flying over the GBR. It would be nice to have an hour at least on Whitehaven Beach since 30 minutes seemed too short

Great Barrier Reef Full Day Adventure

Hamilton Island

The guided snorkeling we did was very good and the guides were great. Wish there was more time on the pontoon for activities.

Kateryna provided me with stress-saving advice and assistance from the very outset. I had a very short time to organise a wonderful family trip for a large family with diverse ages. Kate absolutely nailed it!! From the luxury accommodation to the memory-creating activities like horse-riding in the highlands, our trip contained something for all of us and it was truly incredible.

Hotel Review

Cromlix

Dunblane

This was my pick from the trip. From the moment we walked through their doors, their hospitality was unmatched. They looked after us like we were part of their family. It was the best meal we ate for our entire trip too! We simply could not fault this place.

Authenticity & Character

Just the most beautiful renovated mansion you have ever seen. No detail has been ignored. The artwork was stunning.

Location

The location was a little out of town but still close to a village and not far from some wonderful attractions.

Staff

The best we encountered and everyone we encountered was super friendly. The staff at Cromlix were next level - just so well trained and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Every room was immaculate and the entire place was beautifully maintained.

Activity Reviews

Highland Trekking and Trail Riding

Scotland

This was an epic adventure. Getting to the location was not super easy but it was worth the snowy drive in on narrow country roads! The ride through the highlands was something we will never forget.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was incredibly knowledgeable about the land and environment upon which we were riding.

Edinburgh Secret Walking Food Tour

Edinburgh

We had a wonderful guide - Nichola who was such a passionate Scot with so much knowledge about the food and Edinburgh in general.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver and trip manager, Khalid, was awesome. He provided superior service for 10 days and always had a smile. We enjoyed all of our guides but our favorites were Mohammed at Ait Ben-Haddou and Jamal in Fes.

Disclosure: My wife did most of the planning interactions with the KimKim team. The bottom line for me is that KimKim put together an itinerary for our Costa Rica trip with minimal guidance in a short amount of time that met our schedule requirements and resulted in a very memorable and enjoyable family experience. They were responsive before and during our travel with very short response times. Every item on our itinerary was described accurately, and most importantly, went off on time with no unpleasant surprises.

We had much less time available to plan this trip compared to other vacations we have taken in the recent past, and KimKim was able to provide a reliable solution for us this time. I would consider them again for planning trips to unfamiliar places, or if we are unable to spend enough time planning our own adventures.

Activity Reviews

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our family can rarely agree on anything, but we all agreed that this was our favorite adventure in Costa Rica. Even though it never stopped raining, we all enjoyed the excitement and scenery of the river environment. Our guide kept us safe but made sure we got an exciting ride. One of our children was having a panic attack as we were getting geared up, but was smiling by the time we cleared the first rapids.

Quality of Experience

The scenery was amazing and we got to see a lot of wildlife on the river. We don’t have any previous rafting experience, but we found it to be very exciting.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide did a really good job of communicating with us so we knew what to do and when to do it, which was important to us as novice white water rafters. He really kept us together and functioning well in somewhat challenging conditions. He made us feel safe while providing an exciting experience for our family, which included my 86-year old dad.

Transport

Warm, clean bus was a great place to store gear safely while on the river

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

I really didn’t know if I would like zip lining because I do not love heights, but this was truly a special experience. Not surprisingly, we went on a very rainy day, but the first zip lines at the top of the mountain felt like flying into nothingness…we went right through the clouds. Lower on the mountain, one of the last zip lines passes through a tunnel of rain forest trees. We felt safe throughout our experience.

Quality of Experience

Tamarindo Mangrove & Estuary Boat Tour

Costa Rica

This was our first time seeing a mangrove habitat, so we did not really know what to expect. We saw a wide range of wildlife: fish, birds, crocodiles, and monkeys. One thing that made it a truly unique experience is that it rained harder than I have ever seen the sky rain. I did not know that rain could look, sound, and feel like that until this tour.

Quality of Experience

We were lucky to see and hear the howler monkeys in the forest. Our guide also provided a fresh pineapple snack, which was nice.

Tamarindo Turtle Nesting Tour (Seasonal)

Costa Rica

The first thing to know is that there really are no guarantees that you are going to see a turtle on this experience. We sat on the beach in the dark at our first site while our guide searched up and down the beach for nesting turtles. Some member of our group seemed unhappy about this part of the trip, but we didn’t mind (probably because it did not rain on us). We had to relocate quickly to a second site that required an 800 meter hike down a muddy road to a remote beach because our guide had heard about a nesting turtles from another guide. However, our effort and patience were rewarded when we got to see one large turtle in the act of concealing her nest, which we were truly lucky to witness.

Quality of Experience

Just know that you might not get to see a turtle at all. We got lucky. We enjoyed passing time on the beach at night in the dark, but not everyone did.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides worked so hard to find a nesting turtles for us to see, and to help our group quickly and safely relocate to a different beach in the dark. They were in constant communication with other guides. Our guide also helped secure a ride back to the bus for my senior dad who had trouble walking in the dark on the rough road.

Transport

Lucky 13 Sunset Cruise

Costa Rica

The crew took care of everything. They made sure we were safe and comfortable throughout, and fed us really well. Cocktails on the boat at sunset was also really nice. The snorkeling was not great because of the murky water, but our guide still managed to find wildlife to show us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Before this trip to Costa Rica, I had never experienced tropical rain forest first hand, so I was lucky to experience it throughout our vacation. However, walking through the forest at night is truly a special experience. We were fortunate to see both two and three-toed sloths as well as a variety of frogs, insects, and birds.

Quality of Experience

We got lucky: we saw plenty of sloths, but there are no guarantees

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were so friendly, and helped us capture amazing wildlife photographs. They had amazing eyes and spotted tiny animals in the dark.

Transport

Lake Bass Fishing in Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

I had a fun day on Lake Arenal with my guide, Salomon. He taught me about different techniques to target two species of fish - machaca and rainbow bass - along the shores of the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salomon introduced me to a bait casting lures on and below the surface and had me casting in tight quarters with accuracy by the end of the morning.

Transport

The boat was comfortable and able to put me in position to target fish close to trees, downed branches, weeds, etc.

Kayaking on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Viktor was an extremely knowledgeable guide for our kayak tour educating us about the plants and animals (big and small) found along the shores of Lake Arenal. Water Sports Arenal ran a tight ship and really made the entire process smooth and efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

EGYPT Trip
Our cordinator was Mohamed. He helped us create and modify the trip itinerary.
Our trip to Egypt was 8 days. Spent 3 days in Cairo, 1 day in Alexandria and 3 days on the Aswan - Luxor cruise.
Our guides were great. Very informed and took us around without any delays and all the sites visited as per schedule.

The service was punctual and we were well informed f the timings and contact person. Vehicles used for our tours were up to great standard.

Overall very enjoyable trip.
Thanks Sun Pyramids Tours!

We visited 4 different cities in Australia and NZ in 2 weeks, and Liz could not have planned a more perfect itinerary for our family of 5. She immediately understood our family's needs and priorities and suggested activities that were interesting and age appropriate for all. Highlights included a bike tour across Sydney, hiking the Blue Mountains, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, jetboating in Queenstown and seeing Hobbiton in Auckland. Each tour and transport operator was very professional and of high quality. Liz answered our (many) questions throughout the process with ultra fast response time and went over and beyond our expectations. Liz sent us all the information in a concise and clear format, so it was very easy to keep track of what we needed (itinerary, pickup times, packing info, visas etc). During our trip we even made a last minute request to add a sold-out tour during peak holiday time, and she was able to make it happen!

Hotel Reviews

Nesuto Stadium Auckland

Auckland

Great location, clean rooms. We had 3 tiny bedrooms (door couldn't close) and 1 bathroom and kitchen, and the living room was huge. Right next to harbor and town area, and many restaurants right downstairs or a few min walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swiss-Belsuites Pounamu

Queenstown

Very comfortable hotel with a gorgeous view. Easy walk into town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

heated beds, good laundry machines

Villa San Michele

Port Douglas

Location is perfect - right in the heart of town so everything (including beach) is a 0-5 min walk. Rooms are quite tight and one room had a bit of stench. Bathrooms looked renovated and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The York, by Swiss-Belhotel

Sydney

Great location, spacious rooms, but very basic/dated interior.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Hobbiton Tour - Return to Auckland

Auckland

Hobbiton is so beautiful and you don't even need to be a LOTR fan to enjoy. The village is very well created and the new Hobbit houses are adorable (my 9 yo wanted to move in there!) Tour is well organized and staff is very enthusiastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Wilderness Safari - Jetboat

Queenstown (NZ)

My kids were wild for this one! Super fun and adventurous. Well organized, proper equipment, and professional staff.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Best of Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Loved the views, walks, wine tasting, seeing the town, getting some free time to shop. Our guide Beth was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hartley's Crocodile Farm with Koala Breakfast

Port Douglas

Loved this more than I thought we would. Each group gets a few minutes with the koala away from the others, so it feels private. Guides are knowledgable and friendly. The crocodile demonstrations were incredible and you see so much wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kuranda Railway, Skyrail & Palm Cove Adventure

Port Douglas

Train ride was ok but gondola was lovely. Spent a lot of time assembling with group and guide, getting in and out of the van and listening to him talk so we barely got 10 min to explore the village.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide talked way too much, was late, wasted a lot of our time so we barely had time to explore the village.

Transport

too many pickups, it took way too long

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Very professional transport guide. Van was amazing with reclining seats.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour

Port Douglas

Excellent staff, well equipped, lunch was surprisingly good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Half Day Sydney Classic Tour (Bike)

Sydney

Guide (Andre) was very knowledgable and ensured nobody got left behind in our group of 13.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Kids loved the animal conservatory and being able to pet and feed to koalas and wallabys.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our interaction with Olman from the very beginning has been great. He was very helpful in helping us put together the trip and his suggestions were also great. He made sure we were able to fit in all the things we wanted to see and do. The communication was also awesome and we received timely information and updates as our dates came closer.
From the time we landed - to the moment they saw us off , everything worked like clockwork and all the people and guides we met were amazing.
We had a great time and would recommend you all to everyone we know.
Thanks so much for making our trip so good.

Our recent trip to New Zealand, planned by Michelle from KimKim, was an incredible journey filled with stunning landscapes, unique experiences, and some memorable accommodations. While most of the trip met and/or exceeded our expectations, there were a few areas for improvement. Here's a detailed review:

Christchurch – The Mayfair Hotel
The Mayfair Hotel was a perfect start to our adventure. The modern and stylish rooms were a delight, and the on-site restaurant stood out with its creative breakfast menu and delicious smoothies. Its central location made it easy to explore Christchurch, and we truly appreciated the thoughtfulness behind this choice of accommodation.

Matai Peak
Staying at Matai Peak was an absolute highlight. Perched on a remote summit, this quirky and rugged accommodation offered spectacular views of the mountains and the sea. The outdoor bathroom with its breathtaking views was unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Our host was wonderful, providing thoughtful provisions that made our stay comfortable and enjoyable. Matai Peak was truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds were stunning, and hiking through the area was an adventure we’ll never forget. That said, the hike we undertook was much longer than we expected, and we felt rushed to reach the pickup point on time. We would have appreciated more detailed information about the hike’s length and difficulty. In hindsight, an overnight stay along the track would have allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the beauty of the Sounds and return to Picton more comfortably.

Wellington
We absolutely loved Wellington and wished we had spent more time there! The vibrant city offered a wonderful mix of culture, food, and scenic views. In retrospect, we would have preferred to allocate more time here, or enjoy an overnight on Lake Taupo instead of spending two nights in Rotorua, which, while interesting, didn’t leave as strong an impression on us.

Rotorua and Hobbiton
Rotorua was enjoyable, but the highlight in this region was undoubtedly Hobbiton. The tour through the movie set was magical and a must-visit for any fan of The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. It’s beautifully maintained, and the experience truly brought the fantasy world to life - and we had not even seen the movies (but will do so now).

Castaways Resort
Unfortunately, the last accommodation of our trip at Castaways Resort was disappointing. While the property was very clean and overlooked a beach and the ocean, neither was truly accessible. Additionally, there was little to do in the area, making it an underwhelming end to an otherwise spectacular trip. We wouldn’t recommend ending a trip here. Staying in downtown Auckland would have been a far better choice, offering more activities, dining, and a livelier atmosphere to wrap up the adventure on a high note.

Final Thoughts
Overall, this trip was an extraordinary experience, with many standout moments like Matai Peak, Marlborough Sounds, and Wellington. While there were some missteps in the itinerary, such as the super long drive from Wellington to Rotorua and the accommodation at Castaways Resort or the rushed hike in the Marlborough Sounds, the majority of the trip was well-planned and thoughtfully tailored to our preferences.

We had a great time with our driver Rashid from the time he picked us up at the airport to the time he dropped us off, as he was always there for us.

We enjoyed the personal attention that he gave us. He was flexible, accommodating to our needs, and also guided us when needed.

Our guide, Miriam in Fez did an amazing job with her all day tour with us.

The glamping stay we had in the Sahara desert was definitely a highlight.

Hotel Reviews

Kech Boutique Hotel & Spa

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Medina & Spa

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Dades

Boumalen Dades

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Fes to Marrakech via Meknes and Volubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Family's Guided tour of Fez

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer From Merzouga to Fez

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV Ride in the Dunes of Merzouga

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morocco Last Nomads Experience: Tea, Tales & Desert Adventures

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Dades to Merzouga via Todra Gorges & Erfoud

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Marrakech to Boumalne Dades: Through Atlas Mountains, Aït Benhaddou & Rose Valley

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport