Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our guides in Melbourne were excellent - Walter with Around and About, Josh with Oceania Tours Melbourne & especially Shelley Cohney, who did the Jewish Melbourne tour. Let me also add that Vicky didn't have an existing vendor for a Jewish Melbourne tour, but she happened to stumble upon the most knowledgable tour guide about Jewish life and history in Australia. On two occasions we asked Vicky to swap out or cancel scheduled tours on just over 24 hour notice and she managed to get us full refunds, which we really appreciated. The only negative thing I can say is that I wish Vicky had given us more of a heads up about what the Edge experience at the Melbourne Skydeck was, as had we known, we would have told her NOT to book that for us. Without Vicky, our trip would't have been anywhere near as amazing as it ended up being, and I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone booking a trip to Australia!

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Melbourne Hotel

Melbourne

Hotel was great. Having the living room area was a nice plus. My only complaint was that there was no way to attach a Fire TV stick to the TV in the bedroom as there was no way to access the back of the TV given the way the TV was mounted to the wall. The kids really liked the pool and pickleball court.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

I saw a mouse in the lobby (and discretely pointed it out the to the staff).

Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour

Pyrmont

Lobby was great - kids loved the foosball table. Pool was also great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Cairns International

Cairns

The kids really liked the pool. We loved that breakfast was included, and it was excellent (the kids really liked the juicer). Balconies in the rooms were a plus.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to all of our activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Bridge Climb Summit

Sydney

This was the kids favorite activity of the entire trip and it was one of the main reasons for the timing of the trip - I did the Bridgeclimb in 2004 and so I wanted to wait until my son was old enough and tall enough to go back and do it with my kids.

Quality of Experience

It is an amzaing unique activity that you can't do anywhere else in the world!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of the staff was great!

Cairns Lagoon

Cairns

It was fun to see this great public space, and a good thing to do on Christmas, since so many things were closed.

Quality of Experience

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway with Down Under tours

Australia

We definitely preferred the skyrail to the train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I didn't love the railroad but the rest of the transportation was great.

Sunlover Reef Cruises Cairns Great Barrier Reef Experience (departs Cairns)

Australia

Great experience, although similar to what I was expecting given that I had visited the great barrier reef 20 years ago.

Quality of Experience

All the reef stuff was great, but the food could have been better.

Food

Food could have been better, would like to see a few more options, although I realize they have limited space and it is hard to get thing out there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The third floor of the boat was very hot.

Daintree, Mossman Gorge & Wildlife Tour

Australia

The kids loved the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat.

Quality of Experience

The kids loved getting to interact with the Australian animals!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide/driver was very knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest and its conservation.

Transport

Vehicle was clean and comfortable.

Jewish Melbourne

Melbourne

I have to give very high marks both to Vicky for not only arranging this tour in the first place (she told me she hadn't previously booked a Jewish Melbourne tour and didn't have a go to vendor, and she managed to find the most knowledgeable possible guide with respect to Jewish Melbourne and Australian Jewish history in general) and to our tour guide Shelley Cohney, who was absolutely fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shelley seemingly knows everyone in the Melbourne Jewish Community and tailored the experience to our needs and preferences. She even kept the tour going for an extra hour to ensure we had time for everything she thought we should see.

Transport

Her car was great - no complaints.

Phillip Island & Moonlit Sanctuary

Australia

The kids loved Moonlit Sanctuary - especially the opportunity to feed the kangaroos and wallabies. I note that our tour guide was nice enough to give a cup of kangaroo/wallaby food to the two families on the trip that had kids (including ours), which was a nice touch (it seems as though whatever membership his tour company has for the sanctuary includes 2 cups of food per visit). Our tour guide Josh, was great.

Quality of Experience

Everything was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josh did a great job.

Transport

Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Bus Tour, Plus Otway Zipline Experience

Melbourne

We were lucky to be the only ones on the tour that day. I know it wasn't set up as a private tour, but that was an added bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walter was great!

Transport

He had wifi on his vehicle, which was awesome.

GOOD MACRO-PLANNING, BUT NOT A HIGH-TOUCH PREMIUM EXPERIENCE. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Our recent experience with Kimkim for a 12-day trip to New Zealand was a mixed bag. The macro-level planning was well done, but the on-the-ground support and communication left a lot to be desired. While some aspects of the trip were commendable, the lack of communication, flexibility, and local expertise lead us to not recommend Kimkim - the value addition just does not justify the mark-up and the positioning as a true full-service travel experience provider.

The Positives: Macro Planning and Wine Tastings

Kimkim delivered on several key aspects of the trip, including:

- Accommodation Choices: The hotels were well-selected, and room arrangements were thoughtfully organized to accommodate our group of seven. This is a complex task, and they executed it well. Same for the car rentals.

- Wine Tasting Experiences: The wine-tasting tours were excellent, particularly the private tasting at Cloudy Bay in Marlborough and the private wine trip to Hawkes Bay with Edward.

- Big Picture Planning: The overall itinerary covered many major highlights of New Zealand. We covered a lot of ground in the South as well as the North Island.

Unfortunately, these successes were overshadowed by significant failures in execution.

The Negatives: Communication, Support, and Flexibility

Complete Lack of Communication During the Trip
Not once during the 12-day trip did we receive a single email, call, or message from Kimkim to check on how things were going. Even after the trip, the first communication we got was to ask us for this review! This lack of communication and periodic check-ins was deeply disappointing. Paula, our agent, simply disappeared once the trip began. This is not what we would expect from a full-service travel provider.
There was no day-to-day advice or recommendations for activities like restaurant bookings, particularly for problematic dates such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when reservations for a group of seven are challenging. We had to scramble to arrange dining options ourselves, which added unnecessary stress.

Limited Pre-Trip Communication
Important pre-trip details were missing, such as a comprehensive summary of the itinerary, flight and visa information, and other essentials. We almost got stranded at the airport because Paula did not remind us to get the New Zealand E-visa. I know this was buried in the communication before the trip, but with US passports, we are not used to getting visas for friendly countries like NZ. We had to apply for the visas at the airport, and the airline refused to let us board until we got the visas. We had to plead and grovel to get on the plane!!

Emails lacked clear subject lines, making it difficult to locate important information. A more professional and organized communication approach would have been much more helpful.

Poor Flexibility and Rigid Alternatives
When we canceled a day-long cruise because we didn’t want to spend two full days on boats (which should not have been organized in the first place, given we had told Paula that two kids had motion sickness issues), we were offered another rigid, unsuitable alternative: an 8-hour tour to an Alpaca farm. This suggestion failed to account for the fact that we had rental cars and could have used that day for a more flexible, self-guided itinerary. We felt that there was a lack of creative, personalized alternatives when changes were requested.

No Local Expertise or On-the-Ground Support
Our trip planner was based in the U.S., not in New Zealand, leading to a significant disconnect. There was no local contact who could provide timely advice or support. When we had the airport fiasco, Paula was in bed as it was midnight in the US. This is unacceptable. We were told to deal with the "local person" Sherry Li, who does not work for kimkim. It seems that Kimkim relies on outsourcing to third-party operators, which added confusion as we never knew who to call for specific issues, and left us feeling stranded when problems arose.

Excessive Markup Without Justifiable Value
Kimkim acts more like a middleman, outsourcing tasks rather than providing direct, hands-on service.
For the premium price we paid (including what appears to be a 50% markup), we expected seamless service and personalized support. Instead, we received vague guidance, poor communication, and a frustrating lack of accountability.

Summary
While Kimkim excelled in planning the macro-level logistics of our trip—such as hotels and wine tastings—their lack of communication, inflexibility, and absence of local expertise made the experience less enjoyable than it could have been. The complete absence of follow-up during the trip, no day-to-day advice or support, and reliance on third-party operators detracted from what should have been a smooth and enjoyable experience. For the price we paid, Kimkim should have provided comprehensive support, timely communication, and a personalized touch. Instead, they acted as a middleman, adding complexity rather than simplifying our journey. Given these issues, we cannot recommend Kimkim and will not use their services again.

Hotel Review

Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart

Auckland

Excellent penthouse 3-bedroom apartment. Great amenities and good location. Ultra modern design. The breakfast can be avoided - lots of local places near the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern and clean.

Location

Close to harbor and local restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice kitchen, appliances, bathrooms

Activity Reviews

Half Day Private Luxury Wine Tour

Blenheim

Cloudy Bay is a must-visit for wine lovers. And our private tasting at the "Shack" was outstanding!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host was amazing! Ask for Swafka

Transport

We drove ourselves!!

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise (ex Queenstown)

Queenstown (NZ)

Beautiful views. Excellent natural beauty. A bit long (4 steps - bus, boat, bus, boat!) and the actual cruise is only 3 hours out of a 12 hour trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too long!

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

Excellent views! Must do in Queenstown to see the whole town from the top of the hill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No guide used.

Transport

Could not get Uber to work!

Our recent trip to Morocco, planned by Original Travel, was nothing short of extraordinary. From the meticulously crafted itinerary to the exceptional team, every detail was thoughtfully arranged to ensure a memorable experience.

A special thanks to Said and the entire Original Travel team for designing such a comprehensive itinerary that allowed us to immerse ourselves in Morocco's rich culture and history.

Our driver, Abdeljalil Saadan, was outstanding. Not only did he ensure our safety and comfort throughout the journey, but he also enriched our travels with fun stories and insights about the regions we explored. He also taught us some Arabic.

We were fortunate to have knowledgeable guides in each city:

- Omar in Chefchaouen - thanks for amazing views around the town
- Sharif in Fez - we would have never discovered all these secret passages in the market
- Younes in Tangier - thank you for the awesome tour and cookies

Each guide enhanced our understanding of these cities' unique histories and cultures, making our visits truly enlightening.

The accommodations at the ryads arranged by Original Travel were exceptional, offering comfort and a genuine Moroccan ambiance. The highlight was a special New Year's Eve celebration, which was a delightful and memorable experience.

We wholeheartedly recommend Original Travel to anyone seeking an authentic and well-organized Moroccan adventure. Their attention to detail and commitment to client satisfaction are truly amazing.

Thank you!

Loved the tour guide in Cartagena
Strongly recommend to do the walking tour at 5 pm as we did

Thanks Margarita for helping us organize a wonderful vacay

We had great guides in Chiang Mai. The hotel accommodations were beautiful and suited us well. The meals were fantastic and the transportation was on time and helpful. Overall a great experience!

The service that KimKim provided for us in the DR was great. They even helped us with a midnight airport pick-up even though we had not planned that ahead of time. Their drivers and guides are top-notch -if you get Jackson, you'll be really lucky!

Activity Reviews

Baiguate Waterfall

Jarabacoa

On this da we visited the coffee farm and really enjoyed the experience.

Discover Manabao

Jarabacoa

Fabulous hike through the forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide spoke no English but he was great none the less.

Day Trip Constanza

the Dominican Republic

Learned a lot about the area - Francis is a good guide.

Food

The original restaurant selected was too crowded, so we ended up at another one that had limited selection.

Transport

Tila was a very safe driver.

Day Trip to Bayahibe from Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo

It was a nice visit to a beach area - unfortunately, the coral is not that pretty.

Quality of Experience

Food

Great choice of restaurant on the water.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Three eyes National Park

Santo Domingo

Great visit with Jackson to Tres Ojos. It's a lovely park.

Quality of Experience

The area was very pretty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jackson is a great guide.

Transport

It was safe.

Guided Tour of Zona Colonial

Santo Domingo

Our KimKim guide connected us with a City Tour guide named Tony and it was not a great experience. We mentioned that we were not too interested in visiting the main cathedral, but we went anyway. We went to a tourist trap of a store and lunch was where all the other tourists ate. Overall it was a disappointing expereince.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tony from the city tour agency was very low energy and didn't listen to us.

Transport

It was safe.

I went with three others on an 8 day cruise on the ship Archipel 1 over Christmas with the naturalist Christian. The boat was well-appointed, the food was excellent and the others cruising with us were all very pleasant. Angel did an outstanding job of remembering everyone's food likes and dislikes and kept bringing us our favorite foods. Carlos kept the cabins immaculately clean and the beds made well.
We snorkeled and hiked with Christian, who was very well-informed about the geology of the islands as well as the biology. Besides this type of trip, Christian runs diving excursions too.
The trip covered Genovesa in the north, Batholome and Santiago in the central along with Santa Cruz, Floreana and Espanola and finally San Cristobal in the East. If I'm ever fortunate enough to return, I'd very much like to see the western islands too.
The birds were fascinating, but I would have liked to do even more snorkeling than I did, so my suggestion to others is that they emphasize the snorkeling and come equipped with the ability to take underwater pictures and movies.
Nick was always punctual with replies and was outstanding to deal with. There were no hitches with the plans.
We stayed at the Wyndham Quito Hotel near the airport, and it's a very nice hotel with modern comfortable rooms and an excellent and delicious free breakfast buffet and a similarly excellent dinner buffet.

Jesse did a fabulous job organizing our trip. She always seemed to me one step ahead of me with drivers and guides. We were so thankful we used KimKim to help us plan and schedule everything for our family to have stress-free trip in a country where we barely spoke the language. All the hotels, activities and guides she picked were just right for our family (parents plus 2 teenagers).

Hotel Reviews

Appelgren House Hotel Boutique

PUERTO NATALES

The owners were very nice and helpful. Always asking if we needed anything. We stayed in a multi-room suite with a kitchen so it was nice for all 4 of us to be together. Only negative was that it was further out of town, but the view was great! And it was only 5000 pesos to take a taxi to town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Everyone was very helpful and the hotel was in a great location-easy walking distance to town right on the water. Only negative was that the rooms were hot. No A/C and you had to shut the window at night to block the light.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

We were actually only in the hotel for 4 hours because our rescheduled flight was very late, but they were nice when we arrived at 2am local time and kind to store our bags the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Bidasoa was in a great safe location. Hotel was very clean and nice. Breakfast was fabulous. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They let us sit in the lobby and store our stuff for hours when our flight got cancelled.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

It was fun to see the glacier but it is a LONG day on a boat. The lunch at the ranch took 2.5 hours and the food was only okay. By the time we got there we were very hungry and just wanted to be served immediately rather than everything slowly served. Also, it was weird that some people got a cheese board snack on the boat and we didn't-I guess their hotel sent the snack.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Abi was a great guide. We enjoyed both shorter hikes we did in the park.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Base Torres Hike

Chile

This is a hard hike. Guests need to be aware that this hike is 13+ miles and very challenging both directions. We would have preferred a private hike for our family so we didn't have to wait for the whole group at each stop. I didn't realize that was an option.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Hernan spoke great English and clearly knew a lot about the area. It was a really interesting trip. We would have liked to explore on foot a little more if possible. There was a lot of riding in the van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver seemed very sleepy on the way home.

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

Felipe was a great guide. Told us a lot about the city and kept it interesting which is saying something since we had just arrived that morning and hadn't slept on our flight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex went above and beyond every step of the way! His local guides were also fantastic!! They were knowledgeable, flexible and great with kids (we were travelling with a 7 and 10 year old). Giannina came with us to Antigua and Lago Atitlan and she was so fantastic. She understood we needed extra breaks on long drives with the kids, she made sure the local guides tailored their cultural tours to the kids and was patient, reliable and fun. We all loved the ziplining, hiking the volcano, and spending. Christmas in Antigua. What a beautiful place!!

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Bitlmore Plaza

Belize City

Service was poor and they are building a conference centre beside the hotel and there was rock blasting happening all day. It was tough to enjoy your room or the pool. Hotel was busy and when we arrived (along with about 20 United airline pilots and flight attendants) rooms were not ready and they sent us to two different rooms that had not been cleaned ( this was around 4pm). We waited about 90 minutes to get into a room, which turned out to be last room right beside the construction. It was fine for sleeping. There was a strong musty/ mouldy smell as well. We were glad we were only there one night.

Authenticity & Character

Looked like any other best western

Location

Nothing really around it. Nice that it was close to the airport

Staff

The staff were doing their best to manage a tough situation

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

This was like being in a large hotel in any large international city. It was clean and amenities were great. We waited about an hour to check in. Breakfast was good, but we ended up having to pay for the kids as for some reason they were not included. They were not originally on the reservation either which delayed check in a bit.

Authenticity & Character

Really nicely decorated for christmas

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Porta del Lago

Panajachel

This hotel was great. It was quite cool and rainy when we were there and we were not feeling great, so we did not get to enjoy this hotel as much as the others.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the water and all the action

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Porta Hotel Antigua

Antigua Guatemala

This was my favourite hotel of the three. Staff was welcoming and front desk staff all spoke English. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Grounds were beautiful and the kids loved the playground and the parrots. The breakfast was also excellent. We had one bad experience in the restaurant on the first night we arrived. A large tour group came in (from old town tours), and they got served right away and we got forgotten for about an hour and a half. I think the guide was quite aggressive with the staff as we just got forgotten. Otherwise the service was great and it was a very positive experience.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful old building, amazing Christmas decorations, outdoor restaurant

Location

Very central and beautiful location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We did see two cockroaches in the bathroom

Casona De La Isla

Flores

We were only here one night. Hotel was clean and breakfast was great. There was no safe in the room. That would have been nice to have.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was busy and crowded- long lines to check in and long wait for breakfast. Likely because of Christmas season.

Location

Central. Close to lots of restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

We all loved this trip. We went to Santiago and San Juan. Paul was not feeling well this day. Kids really loved stopping to see the bees at the honey exhibit and learning how chocolate is made. I really loved wandering around the market in Santiago. It would have been great if we could have had lunch at the hotel before leaving. I got sick from eating lunch at one of the little restaurants in Santiago.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Drive to Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

We did this on Christmas Day and there was no traffic! Drive was great. It would have been good if there a place to stop for the kids to run around a bit on the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zipline Tour at Santo Domingo del Cerro

Antigua

The whole family loved this!

Quality of Experience

Staff were really great with kids- really made experience great for everyone

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Walking Tour

Guatemala

Dart was engaging and interesting! Loved the old churches and the ruins. She understood the kids attention span and made sure to have a well timed ice cream break. This tour was cut short in order to bump up the time of ziplining. We did this so the kids could have a few hours of just hanging out by the pool and text before dinner. We were trying to stay up to midnight on Christmas Eve to see the fireworks!

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

This was a great trip! It was a tough hike for the kids, but they made it! And Giannina was very patient with us. The best part was going out onto the lava field at the top and roasting marshmallows. It would have been great to now how long the drive was going to be to and from the volcano!

Quality of Experience

Guides were fantastic and experience was very unique!

Food

Giannina made us lunch, but kids would not eat the sandwiches because there was tomato, mayonnaise and lettuce on the sandwiches. Would have been great if she asked us what the kids would eat:)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Tikal itself was amazing!! Guide was good, but did not seem to have a good sense of when we were losing the kids attention. He was speaking to Paul and I which was interesting for us/ but he lost the kids and then they would start to complain. The kids did love the ruins and the birds we saw, but I don’t think they took in much of the history part. The day was too long for the kids, because we went from Flores to Tikal, back to Flores, flew to Guatemala City and then drove to Antigua. With the traffic, that was about 10 hours of travelling, plus Tikal! There was also no time built in for lunch. We ended us having a donut at the airport in Flores for lunch, which meant that the kids were cranky and not feeling great on the long drive from Guatemala City to Antigua (with traffic about 2.5 hours). They were so tired when we arrived they did not want to eat dinner, and when we got to the restaurant at the hotel we had a very long wait. With kids that age I think it would have been better to maybe stay right in Tikal, or to stay two nights in Flores so that it would not have been as rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you for planning an amazing trip for us. Every detail was well thought off and all our guides were fantastic. Special thanks to Andrez
in Bogota, he went above and beyond with showing us bogota and the surroundings.

Our trip to Costa Rica was perfectly planned, around what we initially wanted to do. Every tour operator was waiting for us to go, and we never had to lift a finger or think of what to do next, no hiccups or problems, just pure efficiency. Thank you to Serendipity who were the local agents , especially to Wilman who was great in communication over WhatsApp and kept checking in every few days or whenever we’d check into a new place.

Everything was great - thank you!

This was a dream-come-true. Very impressed with the talented, well-informed guides(Mrs. Walaa Farah, Mohab Ahmed, Mohammed) who accompanied us every day and brought history to life. The Nile river cruise was very, very relaxing. Thank you Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Royal elite Nile cruise

Aswan

Loved the associated who decorated our room with charming towel characters every day. Food was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Great Pyramid INN

Giza

Loved the warmth of every receptionist and associates. Breakfast was great with a lot of variety.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wish the hotel was closer to some shopping.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour to Egyptian Museum, Citadel, and Coptic Cairo

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Alexandria

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk / Check out

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Abu Simbel Temple

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edfu, and Kom OmboTemples

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luxor West Bank

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Check-in on Board/Visit East bank

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide was excellent. Impressed that any guide at different places were aware of our whole plan and was able to assist even remotely.

Transport

Tour to National Museum, Moez St. and Khan El-Khalili

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Tour to El Fayoum

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to Pyramids, Memphis, and Sakkara with riding a camel

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Our guide, Mrs. Wallah Farah was excellent.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most memorable family trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara. Leny listened to everything we wanted and seamless curated the best guides, travel accommodation and suggestions for shooing, restaurants, cultural experiences and excursions. Would definitely use Kim Kim again.

A whirlwind five day trip to Turkey made possible by the organisational efforts of Berat and company. All activities and transfers went smoothly and the accomodation was of a high standard. The highlight was the Hot AirBalloons over Cappadocia, a magical experience and a definite bucket list tick. Shout out to our guides, Hatice in Cappadocia and Volkan in Istanbul, for the depth of their knowledge and patience in guiding us through the wonderful sights. We really wish we had more days to explore this beautiful country and are grateful for an introduction, hopefully we can see more in the future. Tesekkur 🙏

Lena and Q were our 2 Guides. Lena in Bangkok and Q in Chiang Mai. Both spoke excellent English and were very knowledgeable of the Temples and history of Thailand.

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach

Phuket

This hotel is right on the sand/ocean. Our room had unobstructed ocean/beach views with surrounding bay views. There is a rooftop deck with a bar, happy hour food, a pool table and some games. The restaurant breakfast was excellent with many choices of food with everything I tried being very tasty.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was built with quality materials and was kept up nicely. The pool is shoulder deep at its deepest and has a kid wading pool area and stone finishes.

Location

For the Kamala Beach area this hotel, in my opinion, is located as perfect as it gets. The hotel is located at the North end of the beach with no other hotels to one side. The hotel is located right on the sand with swimming in the waste to shoulder deep water directly out front. The sand is fine without larger rocks (further down the beach there were some larger more coarse sand areas. The hotel is walking distance to the Kamala Beach town or an easy taxi ride into town. Many of the rooms are not on the water and do not have ocean views and are built further back from the beach but within an easy walk.

Staff

Had a little problem when we first arrived with our second room (our adult kids shared a room) and hoped it would be closer to our room. The receptionist was not very helpful but as it turns out there were no other rooms near us available.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was always clean, and the bed made when we returned. Towels were always replaced by the time we returned from our travels.

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

The hotel is hidden behind an unassuming large wall with a door at the entrance but once you enter there were wood finishes, a large, raised courtyard with water features on the ground level and ponds surround the platform. The pool was nice but shallow and the bar/restaurant were next to the pool. The staff was always very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were oversized with a king bed and a very large couch, chair and table. The bathroom had an oversized tub and the shower was large enough for 3 people.

Location

The location is near the airport and was within walking distance to the Saturday Night Market and the Sunday Market which were both fun to shop and walk around. Temples were close and easily accessible but the Elephant sanctuaries were around an hour and a half away.

Staff

The staff was very helpful when asked for walking directions, restaurants or different food choices.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was always clean, the beds were comfortable and when we returned at the end of the day the bed was made, and the towels were replaced.

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Nice hotel, good quality of finishes. The gym was a little small and the pool was mostly in the shade in December but the people were nice and helpful with anything we needed. The included breakfast had plenty of options and the food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was finished with nice stone finishes and custom woodwork throughout.

Location

Reasonably close to the temples we went to see which was helpful due to the Bangkok traffic.

Staff

The staff spoke fluent English and were always very helpful whenever we had a problem to solve.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was very clean and kept up, the beds and towels were always clean and replaced when we returned.

Activity Review

Phi Phi island, Bamboo Island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speedboat

Phuket

This was a little too touristy with the first stop at an island that you have to pay to use a chair and the bathroom. The snorkeling was only a small portion of the tour, should have been longer. Everywhere we went there were hundreds of tourists and boats, this was a very commercialized tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi! Unfortunately It was so disappointing in many ways.
Lack of communication!
The overall experience did not justify the high price we paid for the higher package that we paid more compared to the regular level.
Every day seemed to bring new surprises—none of them pleasant.

-Mistakes on name of a hotel in our finalized itinerary, we went there and we didn’t have hotel reservation. Then we found out we were booked at a very simple and small hotel that our rooms were full of flies and small cockroaches. This wasnt even normal! Luxury???
My son scared and didn’t sleep at his room.

-For transportation
We were provided with an old Toyota for transportation, despite booking a higher-priced package that promised more premium services. The car did not match the level of comfort or quality we expected.

-One of the biggest disappointments was the “African food cooking class” we had requested. Instead of a proper class, we were taken to an introduction to Islam, which consisted of a prerecorded video and a presentation about the life of a Muslim from birth to death. While educational, this was not what we had asked for.After this, we were taken to a dirty, cramped room with around 27-28 people. The sink was filthy, and the hygiene standards were unacceptable. The instructor announced we would be learning to cook chicken masala—an Indian dish—not an African one. Having taken many cooking classes during my travels, I expected to learn a traditional local dish from a knowledgeable local cook, in a clean and organized setting. We couldn’t bring ourselves to stay due to the poor conditions, and other groups left as well. This was a highly disappointing and unhygienic experience.

I request a refund from Kim Kim for:

• The cooking class, which was not what we were promised.
• The difference in cost between the standard package and the 2nd level package we paid for, as the trip did not meet luxury standards in any way.

I cannot recommend Kim Kim to friends or family based on this experience. I hope the company takes steps to address these issues and improve their services.

Regards
Fargol Givehki
.

Our driver Abdel was incredible! Perfect English, and an incredibly safe driver, we enjoyed our time with him!

Highlights:
Casablanca Mosque - Hassan II
Rabat - Wish we had a full day here to explore
Chefchaouen- The blue city was gorgeous, wish we had more than 24 hours here to explore. We stayed at the Lina Ryad and Spa; the inside pool was incredible! Such a gorgeous place to stay. Be sure to call ahead if you are interested in receiving a spa treatment.
Fez - Riad Farouzi Fez was the most beautiful riad and telework I have ever seen! We especially loved Badar who works at the hotel! KimKim should hire him ASAP! Our tour guide Sayed was so knowledgeable and relatable, the tour would’ve been overwhelming without him.
Merida Sahara - AMAZING! We rode camels into the camp and took a 4x4 on the way out. Such a gorgeous Riad that looked like an anthroplogie catalog - Riad Madu Premium Camp is highly recommended! Again, wish we stayed another day.
Valley of the Roses (Boumalne Dades) - Relaxing and enjoyed time meeting with the locals. An authentic experience. Michelle and Hussein’s Kazbah Tiziri is so beautiful, I want to come back in the summer or spring to use the pool and eat and read in the garden. My family and I learned so much from Michelle, she is an incredible woman, host, and cook!
Marrakech- The most modern feel of all the cities. Our tour guide Amnay was amazing, and a local musician! He showed us exactly what we were interested in, and was so helpful and patient while we shopped. He is a great asset to kimkim! Riad Diamond of Marrakech was gorgeous. As beautiful tile work as Fes and Chefchaouen, and the perfect location to walk to the sites, restaurants, and bars of Marrakech.

My family and I loved our tailored trip to Morocco. We will pursue future trips utilizing this site!

There were a few hiccups (not KimKim's fault), and it was great that KimKim was so responsive and able to help us with rebooking/refunds where required

Activity Review

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus with Photographer & Campfire Dinner

Tromsø

We got a perfectly clear night, and a bright aurora! Mickey was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

It was a very good backpacking meal, but still a backpacking meal. Personally I thought it was great but I can see some people not enjoying it

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enthusiasm!

Transport

Comfortable

For our first time visiting a country in South America, we decided to get advice and the service from Kimkim and Michael at Chaska Tours. We were impressed by the level of attention and knowledge provided. We particularly enjoyed visiting Medellin, Guatape as well as La Piedra del Peñol with Antonio. Thank you for your support. We will for sure recommend your service to our friends and family in the future.

Fabulous trip through Morocco with Hamza as our main guide and driver and specialist guides at the various cities. The communication from Kimkim was excellent through the booking process and right up to arrival in Morocco where we were met by Hamza.
Special call out to Mohamed in Chefchouen and Miriam in Fez for excellent local guiding.