Kimkim Trip Reviews

KimKim and Amanda were wonderful to work with while planning our Nepal trip. We felt we were guided well, hitting the areas that interested us most. Pratiskshya was our local guide and went above and beyond to make sure all five of us had our best experiences. Our drivers and everyone we encountered through KimKim were the Best! This was a remarkable, unforgettable adventure! Thank you, KimKim!

really had great communication. quick and excellent responses to questions and communications.

Hotel Reviews

ONOMO Hotel Casablanca Airport

Nouaceur

ok for an airport hotel A/C didn’t work because they said it had not been turned over for the season. was a bit stuffy but ok

Authenticity & Character

bland airport hotel

Location

close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A/C

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

great place. fun way to understand what a Riad is. funky rooms. ours had an upstairs loft like bedroom with kind of scary but fun steps our friends room had an upstairs bedroom with a glass floor. they slept downstairs!

Authenticity & Character

roof top was really pretty. too cold to use pool which would be nice in hot weather

Location

i’m

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

great bathrooms

Riad Ghita

Fes

our room was like a morgue. the HVAC control didn’t work and was cold and damp. bathroom was live a cave. bed was pretty and comfortable. decor was very nice food was great. breakfasts were really nice different kinds of eggs served in a tangine

Authenticity & Character

Location

right in the medina

Staff

they tried to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

have working HVAC.

Kasbah Mohayut

Merzouga

other than the beds being like boards great place beautiful courtyard with pool, nice terrace with beer!! overlooking the dunes pretty dining area with food that was a bit funky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

right on the edge of the dunes

Staff

very nice. hauled our luggage

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds were truly bad.

Riad Madu Luxury Camp

Merzouga

really fun place. camel ride out there was cool, yurt like room was very nice. great shower and bathroom area. nice porch to sit and look at the dunes. night stars were amazing

Authenticity & Character

staff were authentically fun and classic moroccan guys.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

for a desert camp great. wonderful to be all solar with no generator noise

Caravane

Ouarzazate

really beautiful place. owner was on premises and attentive to details. beautifully and tastefully decorated rooms and public areas. great food and wine!! gorgeous rooftop deck

Authenticity & Character

Location

15 min back track to Atlas studios

Staff

clean kitchen. i stuck my head in there really good different food

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Resort, Taghazout Bay Surf Village

Taghazout

nice bungalows. didnt have a great view. our was of the laundry. nice clean room with great beds. nice to be in one place for 3 nights

Authenticity & Character

a resort hotel was a nice break. pretty pool

Location

right on the beach. beach bar, food and service was great

Staff

breakfast buffet was great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kniza

Marrakech

our favorite place. just wonderful. great way to end the trip. gorgeous place with spectacular fountains, tile, little sitting areas And rooftop restaurant with great food and lovely seating. nice cocktails , beautiful room and furnishings. owner came buy and chatted with us, son is a wonderful photographer I bought a print from I love, so cool to me steps off the chaotic streets of the market and into sanctuary of peace. will go back there

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Morocco

We’ve seen lots of Roman ruins, it was great to see how far and wide the Roman empire has spread

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Meknes

Meknes

could have skipped this. seemed like a time filler. not that interesting and guide was ok. spent some time at a restaurant waiting for him.

Quality of Experience

better guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV / Dune Buggy Adventure in the Sahara Desert

Morocco

we have a side by side and this was really fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

he let us have fun!

Transport

Casablanca Airport, Hassan II Mosque, and Rabat

Morocco

awesome to start Casablanca with the mosque. spectacular building great guide that explained Islam very well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mohammed was a great guy. good man with a great heart. pleasant to spend time together

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

same as above. spectacular building

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Rabat to Fes via Meknes

Morocco

cool drive. began to understand the diversity of Morocco. really different than what I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mohammed kept our van spotless

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

wild and cool place. didn’t disappoint. unbelievable cool. dye vats remarkable to see. guide was a linguist and fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Kamal really knew his stuff and showed us some fascinating stuff.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Morocco

long day of driving. pleasant views of countryside

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sahara to Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge

Morocco

too much driving. missed the gorge. not enough time allocated

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga Oasis and Family Lunch

Morocco

really spectacular to see the dunes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride over Marrakech

Marrakesh

must do. we’ve done balloon rides in egypt and turkey and this was great

Quality of Experience

i

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

great experience. would have liked to have had a longer camel ride!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour

Marrakesh

could have skipped this. was ok but we understood Moroccan food by then.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

nuts cool place. sensory overload. i took off alone to do some great photography. lots of fun. market was wild. saw a cobra, a monkey stole my earring, more than expected !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Atlas Mountains Hike

Morocco

long drive for a relatively short hike but great. crowded. cool to get up in the mountains. would have preferred a longer more remote hike

Quality of Experience

really fun stream side lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mohammed negotiated a scary road really well

We have just returned from our once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Japan. Travelling with two young children is not meant to be a relaxing adventure but Eleanor’s pre trip planning has taken the stress out. We were able to focus on soaking up the atmosphere (cherry blossom season-yay!), the culture, meet amazing local people, drown in the incredible food and feel comfortable knowing the rest is taken care of. Eleanor was very receptive to our needs travelling with a baby and a 4 year old. Our accommodation needs and transfer assistance between hotel/ train stations/ airport were spot on. She was available every step of the way.
We have fallen in love with Japan and we will definitely be back.

Awesome time thanks to Mint and Kimkim, the guides and tours were all amazing. Will definitely look forward to booking again!

Hotel Reviews

Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Centara Grand Beach Resort

Krabi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner Cruise on Chao Phraya River

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hong Island trip by Speed Boat!

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok by local transfers and temple visit

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

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

Exploring the Ancient Ayutthaya

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

5 Islands Sunset Cruise with Kayaking and Swimming in Bio-luminescence!

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I needed to book a last minute trip to Japan for my wife and myself and contacted KimKim after reading good reviews. Their specialist, Sandy, came up with a great itinerary that only needed a few modifications to fit our travel style. Despite it being the height of cherry blossom week, she was able to get us excellent hotels in great locations and set up several private tours with excellent private guides in Tokyo and Kyoto. She also arranged all of our transportation between cities and between airports and hotel. Everything went exceptionally smoothly and the drivers and guides were all excellent at communicating with us before each leg of the trip. Overall, it was an excellent experience and I would definitely use KimKim again. Their attention to detail was outstanding.

We just got back from a two-week trip through Spain and Italy, and overall, it was an amazing experience. A few highlights that really stood out:

Barcelona was a great place to start—La Sagrada Familia absolutely lives up to the hype, and having a private tour made it even more meaningful. Park Güell was beautiful but very crowded, so just something to keep in mind.

Rome was, of course, incredible. The Colosseum and Roman Forum tour was intense in the best way—so much history packed into one day.

Tuscany was probably the highlight. Driving through the countryside, stopping in small towns like Civita di Bagnoregio, truffle hunting in the woods (which was way more fun than expected), and doing a hands-on pasta cooking class—it all felt very immersive and special. Pienza was quiet and peaceful a much different lifestyle than we are used to

The only minor downside was Florence—it was beautiful, but it felt a bit rushed compared to everywhere else. We would've loved an extra day there just to really soak it in.

Having the team was always available if we had questions or needed help during the trip, which gave us peace of mind and made everything go that much smoother. All in all, this trip was well-organized with a great mix of sightseeing, local culture, and downtime.

Activity Reviews

Truffle Hunting Experience in the Woods of Tuscany

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit: Arena Access, Gladiators Gate & Ancient City

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our trip to Japan! It was very well organized and everything went very smoothly. Angel responded right away and was very quick to make adjustments if we needed.

The tour guide Taku was amazing, very friendly and informative and funny. We had a great time touring Kyoto with him. The only thing was it was very busy hitting 4 destinations in one day. We would have preferred to have more time to explore and only do 3 destinations.

The tour in Hiroshima was also good but we noticed that we could have taken a 30 min ferry directly from our hotel to the island, but instead we were scheduled for 1.5 hrs of public transportation (streetcar/bus). We ended up buying the ferry ticket ourselves but it didnt make sense why that wasnt offered initially.

The accommodations were all lovely. Great food options and comfortable. It would have been nice if the last hotel let us pay a day rate to keep the room for the day since our driver was picking us up at 6pm and even with late check out we couldn't stay past 12, so when we were tired of exploring Tokyo we had no where to rest while we waited for the driver.

The only excursion I wouldn't recommend was the tea ceremony. It wasn't great, we would have preferred to do the Geisha show in Kyoto that runs in April. It looked much better but there were no tickets available when we looked while we were there.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Nihonbashi Premier / Tokyo

tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

They had a cute little robot walking around the reception that made everyone smile.

Location

Right near the train station making it easy to hop around everywhere, but also central enough to walk places if you want.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima

Hiroshima

Beautiful view and easy access to the Ferry which comes right to the dock, but not a great location for seeing anything in Hiroshima or getting to restaurants or shops.

Authenticity & Character

The reception was nice but the rooms were dated.

Location

Scenic but not very accessible to restaurants or shops.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very stuffy, we always felt like we wanted to open a window but none of the windows open. Was a little better after we got the AC running.

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

The staff were nice and the Kimonos were beautiful. We did enjoy the tea ceremony but the location wasnt great. The "garden" was a teeny little walkway around the building where you could take pictures. It felt very cramped with no room to walk around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Our guide was wonderful, he had binders with pictures to help him explain the history and he constantly kept us engaged even while waiting for transportation. It was a very busy day trying to hit 4 destinations. We would have preferred to only do 3 and have a little more time to walk around and explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Had we known a little more about the area, we would have spent less time at Bomb Dome and more time on the island. The museum at the Dome is very informative but it was very busy and hot/stuffy walking around making it hard to see things. The island was beautiful and once we made it there later in the afternoon, we wished we had gotten to spend more time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful visit to Spain with thanks to our travel planner Alfonso through Kim Kim. Alfonso worked with us to develop an itinerary based on our desires to see new places in Madrid and Andalucia - we visited Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba, Ronda, and Granada. Alfonso organized great guides in each location for part of a day and we had ample free time to explore on our own, as well. We've normally done most trip research and planning on our own using a guide book for sights. Alfonso did all the leg work this time, finding really well-situated hotels and superb guides who were knowledgeable and enjoyable to spend time with. I learned a ton and got so much more out of places like the Alhambra and Miskita in Cordoba, and the Plaza de Toros (without having to witness a bullfight) in Ronda!

Along the way, there were a few situations where we had questions, and either Alfonso or Uhaina responded so fully and quickly. Working with Alfonso and Kim Kim really added to the total experience - we had a wonderful trip.

Hanna was wonderful and the planning process was very easy. We had no hiccups along the way, everything was seamless with all of our accommodations and tours. Thor was our guide for the Crystal Blue Ice Cave tour and he was fantastic! Definitely recommend Skalholt Cottages, beautiful quiet location and wonderful space for a family of 4. Plan for time in Vik after the Lava Show (also highly recommend for the kids) - black crust pizza nearby and the team at Smidjan brewery were so friendly with great desserts for the kids too. If you're planning to head to Keflavik early to stay the night before a flight don't rush to get there - there isn't much to do especially for young travelers.

Hotel Reviews

Grey Apartments

Reykjavik

Great location, comfortable enough accommodations with kitchen conveniences. Parking was tricky - be prepared especially if you're arriving late and plan ahead for the nearest garage as you cannot count on street parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

More pillows

Skalholt Cottages

Selfoss

My favorite hotel on our trip - plenty of kitchen space (we cooked an entire dinner!) along with outdoor grill. Spacious bedrooms and plenty of room to stretch out in the living area as well as sit comfortably at the dinner table. Hot tub was a wonderful added bonus. The hosts were incredibly friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Castle Inn Apartments - Downtown Keflavik

Keflavik

There is an upper and lower level, we were on the lower level which felt like walking into a basement with windows right at street level. The toilet ran the entire time we were there which was quite noisy. The kitchen area is a bit cramped, we ate out but our family of 4 could not have sat comfortably around the table. The living room and bedrooms were very spacious however. Street parking was no problem and it was an easy drive to the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to airport, but very little walking distance around for things to do.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stracta Apartments Orustustaðir

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Definitely not worth the ~10 minutes off the main road to get to. We felt like we wasted an entire hour of driving and gas back and forth over 2 nights. There were permanent lights on around the perimeter of the building making it very bright at night, so didn't even have the benefit of darkness for Northern Light hunting. Paper thin walls and very small bathroom - no way for more than 1 person to be in at a time.

Authenticity & Character

It was "modern" and "pretty" but I would not say that gives it authenticity or character

Location

Too far off main road

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very new so felt clean and the beds/linens were comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Incredible experience - Thor was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Icelandic Lava Show

Iceland

Definitely a must - especially if traveling with kids. Highlight of the entire week for both my 8 and 12 year old sons.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

Fun experience to see how the bread bakes underground. The guide allowed my sons to both help bury the next loaf, and they enjoyed that interactive portion. The view on the lake is beautiful. Plenty of portions of both the bread and fish.

Northern Lights Hunt Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

We did not see the lights, which we understood going into it but was still disappointing. Our guide (could not pronounce his Icelandic name but translates to reindeer so he said call him "Buck") tried many different locations including turning around at one point when a tip came to head in a different direction. He was very knowledgeable in teaching about the methods behind the "hunt". He was able to capture faint lights above us on a photo, which made it not feel like a total loss. The Jeep-side hot chocolate and cookies were a nice touch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

logistics were seamless - drivers were always there, guides were on time.
we especially loved katerina (percy jackson tour) and george (river gorge hike in crete). veerna and kosta (crete cooking experience were amazing and great w kids).
local expert (lea) was always available and responded super fast. we got notified of a cancellation bc of weather and she started a refund within hours. we asked to make a weather related change and she made it happen, also within hours.
hotels and service at hotels (laundry, restaurant recommendations) were amazing and exactly as promised.
guides were knowledgeable, flexible to the needs of 2 elementary school aged kids.
activities were super entertaining and enjoyable. we will use kim kim again for sure! amazing service for busy parents looking to have an active vacation.

Hotel Reviews

xenodocheio Milos

Athens

comfortable rooms, delicious breakfast, concierges were amazing w restaurant recommendations and reservations. great walkable location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Delfino

Chania, Crete

charming and beautiful building, amazing and knowledgeable staff, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Percy Jackson-Inspired Hero’s Adventure in Athens

Athens

guide was knowledgeable, flexible (it was our first day and our kids were jet lagged), friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis & Highlights Walk with Food Tastings

Athens

super knowledgeable guide, great access to crowded sites

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cretan Village Cooking Experience

Chania

friendly staff, great w kids (even though they were the only ones), delicious food, seamless logistics

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kourtaliotiko Gorge Hidden Waterfall & River Trek

Chania

george was amazing. super flexible, great w our kids, knowledgeable and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Stargazing in the Heart of Athens

Athens

didn't get to go bc of weather. they canceled promptly and offered to do the non-astronomy part of the tour but we were tired after the acropolis. next time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Fishing Adventure with Experienced Fishermen

Chania

beautiful day, great boat, we got lovely weather. kids all caught a bunch of little fish

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I contacted kimkim to help craft a custom itinerary with a guide spend almost a week hiking in the Ecuadorian Andes. The kimkim staff was professional and responsive. Most importantly, they contracted an independent local guide who spoke excellent english and specialized in hiking trips.

During the trip we had to adjust the itinerary based on road conditions after a very strong storm closed the road to one of our our planned overnight stay locations. Alternative accommodations were made seamlessly, and it was great to see that the kimkim folks and our local guide were on the same page and kept us in the loop.

My one change would probably be to find a location closer to Chimborazo outside of Riobamba instead of staying in town. The town is not terribly clean and fairly noisy. While our time there was completely fine, l would suggest this improvement for the next group interested in doing a trip similar to ours.

Lastly, I can't say enough good things about our local guide Milton. He really made our trip special and we will treasure our time together for a long time.

Hotel Reviews

Mansion Santa Isabella

Riobamba

While the Andalusian style is nice, the staff was only moderately helpful and the room overlooking the street was very noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The weekend staff was not terribly friendly or helpful. It didn't seem like they enjoyed their job very much.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Santa Lucia House - Forum

Cuenca

Wonderful staff, great location, and a lovely interior. Our room was situated at the front of the hotel, so we heard som street noise, but the large sitting room just outside our room more than made up for it. Breakfast was good. We really appreciated they adjusted their breakfast schedule to accommodate us leaving early in AM on two different occasions.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely traditional Andalusian style.

Location

Less than 5 minutes to the town center.

Staff

Everyone we met was friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

We totally lucked out to see the mountain. Great hikes to the Rifugio and around the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used a local driver for the last part of the drive.

Explore the Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

The hike around the crater is terrific. There is some steep vertical in the first quarter of the hike going counterclockwise, so be ready for that.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Milton recommended going counterclockwise, which was totally the right call.

Transport

We made a decision the night before to stay in Chugchilan instead of Isnilivi. Not only were we closer to the lake the next day, but we luckily avoided a major landslide that would have kept us from getting to Quilatoa at all.

Cuenca City Tour

Ecuador

Cuenca is a special town. We were fortunate that our guide Milton was from there, so we totally benefitted from having a local experience.

Quality of Experience

Meeting our guides family.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Milton's family was awesome.

Transport

Cajas National Park

Ecuador

Who knew Scotland was in Ecuador. This is a very special place to hike.

Quality of Experience

We lucked out on the weather. Go early!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was an overall enjoyable experience. Angel was very attntive druing the trip and making sure we got to where we needed. We appreciate the attention which made the trip more relaxing. We also liked the vast majority of the hotels that we were in with a single notable exception. Our lodging on the second night in Tanahara was extremely difficult to check in with their totally inadequate remote check-in process. if we did not encounter a Japanese lady staying at the same place that night who spent close to half an hour on the phone with the vendor to get us into our room, I have no idea what would have happened. The dinner they supplied unfortunately was woefully inadequate and some of the described facilities, such as a sauna was simply not available.
We enjoyed the guides that waere booked, they were knowledgible, very pleasant and accomodating.
The trekking we did was great, the information provided by Angel was very useful. There was suficient flexibility that we were able to do our own thing when desired.
There were a few notable glitches that I believe could have been avoided. There was a mix up on the time of our cooking class in Kyoto. The substitute Angel was able to comeup with was not quite a cooking class, but it was an enjoyable evening nonetheless. We thought Angle should have known that the Alpine route would not be open when we were there before we started our trip and we could have made some changes in our itinerary during the final planning stages. We were unable to get on the boat cruise on the Kumano Kodo following the intructions provided by Angel. Several of the travellers we met had made bookings weeks ago and we thought perhaps that could have been done for us. It was not a huge problem but it meant we had to do some last minute plan changes.
We understand that no trip planning is ever perfect and we are used to making last minute adjustments during our travels. However, similiar trips planned along the same manner did go a little smoother than this one.
Finally, we are generally satisfied and would consider using your services again.

Highly recommend KimKim services for travel planning. We spent 10 active days in Costa Rica that were planned by Olman as a family of 7 that included 3 children. Every part of the trip went smoothly with the transportation arriving on time, activities were spaced to avoid rushing, there was time to add our own activities as we wanted.
Questions during the trip were answered to provide any clarity needed for currency, customs, tipping and travel arrangements.
The combination of group tour activities and private guided tours was excellent. They provided a basis for us to explore on our own with the knowledge gained from the tours.

I will be using KimKim again for an upcoming tour in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Pradera del Arenal

Fortuna

Hotel La Pradera del Arenal was fantastic. The accommodations were just what I expected for the price, and having activities like the ATV event right at the hotel was very convenient. The ease of access to activities really enhanced our stay.

Tropical Gardens Suites and Apartments

Playas del Coco

The last place we stayed, Tropical Gardens Suites and Apartments, was not what I expected. It seemed a bit rundown, almost like a timeshare trying to rehabilitate itself and only halfway through that process. I would not recommend it unless visitors have low expectations.

Activity Reviews

Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hike to La Fortuna Waterfall was amazing, especially having a private guide who was exceptional. It felt personalized and I would highly recommend the guide we had to anyone visiting La Fortuna.

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

The Arenal 1968 hike followed by the visit to the Ecotermales Hot Springs was a highlight. The Hot Springs were nice, and dinner there was excellent. It was a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

The Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft was great. Despite being part of a larger group, we were in our own raft with a guide, which made it a personal and enjoyable experience.

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

The Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience was fantastic. The whole day was well-paced and enjoyable, allowing us to fully experience without feeling rushed.

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The Selvatura Park Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining was incredible. It was well organized, not scary, and probably the number one activity for the group. The focus on safety was clear, which made it all the more enjoyable.

Catamaran Sailing Excursion & Snorkeling

Costa Rica

The Catamaran Sailing Excursion was very well organized. The open bar and fresh squeezed lemonade were delightful surprises. While the snorkeling wasn't as expected due to water conditions, the overall experience was enjoyable and lasted longer than anticipated.

We had a truly amazing family trip to Vietnam, and with Hien's help, everything was organized smoothly. It's no small feat, because we are ambitious travelers who like to see and do as much as we can. Our Ha Long Bay two-night cruise was definitely worthwhile - it's nice to get a bit further out where there are fewer boats. We also really enjoyed having time to wander around Hoi An on our own, though our guide was ready with lots of tips for the best shops and snacks. Transportation was seamless and flexible. Our guide, KC, in Hanoi was great with the kids - our youngest was sad to leave him behind as we continued on. The only thing I would suggest is making sure you specify if you're not the type of family that likes big family-style meals - we had some great meals, but they were a tough sell for our picky children!

We had a wonderful visit to Costa Rica and enjoyed every minute of our time!
Thanks for coordinating everything and having everything planned made it so much easy to explore and enjoy the nature and wildlife.
The tour guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. Special thanks to Alex with whom we drove couple of times. He is very kind and shared a lot of great information with us.
Wilman was also very responsive and accommodated some last minute changes.
Loved visiting the Arenal 1968 park, nature walk in Manuel Antonio national park, zip line and night excursions in the rainforest!guide took all photos for us and shared them for a memorable experience! Hotels were also wonderful with great customer service and rooms very spacious.
Overall a great experience!!

Our first trip to Japan went very smoothly and Angel was very efficient and helpful in planning the itinerary for our 1 week visit. This was the last leg of our month long Asian vacation thus the short week stay in a country that had much to offer.
The guides she set up for us in Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka were fabulous. All 3 were knowledgeable and helpful guiding us through the subways and the key sights.. We learned so much of the history and culture of the country from each of the guides and each was enjoyable company for all 3 days. Also, they were very punctual.
We did request mid range hotels however, we had to get used to the size of the rooms which by our standards were very tight. I would change this in the future and ask for 2 beds and maybe get a little more room. or get a higher end hotel, The locations of the hotels were spot on - safe neighborhoods and clean (the entire country is clean).
I would extend our time in Japan to a minimum of 10 days and in terms of time spent in each area, my suggestion is to spend 3 days in Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto and surrounding area, 2 days in Osaka; this does not include travel time to get from 1 city to another. In fact 2 weeks should be a minimum to allow for time spent in smaller villages, especially if you do not like crowds.
Overall , we had a great experience with Kim Kim and Angel and would definitely use their services again.

Activity Review

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour (join-in)

Hakone

There needs to be a better backup on rainy days - we got to go to an aquarium.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angie was very responsive to any emails and questions. Our accommodations were all excellent. Our favorite was BYAKU in Narai …. That was the highlight for sure. Our guides in Kyoto and Hiroshima were excellent as well. We could have done without our stay in IMABARI as the hiking was terrible. All along city roads !! Overall an excellent trip … we will recommend Angie to friends.

Hotel Reviews

BYAKU Narai

Narai

This was the most beautiful and amazing stay with excellent food. The highlight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hiking over the Torre pass was beautiful and it was great to end up in Narai

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shimanami PRIMEHOTEL IMABARI

Imabari

The town was very disappointing ..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Nihonbashi Premier / Tokyo

tokyo

Good location but a long way from Narita

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fukinomori

The ryocan experience was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kiso Mikawaya

Kiso-Fukushima

It was a bit tired and the food was not great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

15 min walk from the station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Great location. Can walk from the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima

Hiroshima

The ferry goes directly to the island from the hotel . Wish we knew this beforehand. We took took the ferry back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dogo Onsen Dogo Funaya

Also great location and service. Lovely garden

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Disappointing as the garden was very small and uninteresting. A Geisha concert would have been much better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Katu was an amazing guide…. Very worth while

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Our guide was lovely BUT the transportation to the island was lengthy and boring when we could have taken a ferry instead. We would have preferred a night on the island. As there was a beautiful hike to the top which we only learned when we got there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We stayed at really beautiful riads, and our driver, Mohammed Jbari ensured we had a smooth trip. He was polite, helpful and would point out interesting sights as we drove, especially on long drives.

Paula helped my husband and I plan our dream trip of five weeks in Australia and she did an amazing job. The planning process was a pleasure as Paula was very responsive and truly made the effort to understand what things were important to us. We visited Sydney, Hamilton Island, Melbourne, drove the Great Ocean Road, drove around Tasmania, and visited Perth and Ningaloo reef. This was a very ambitious itinerary but Paula organized our time in such a way that none of this felt rushed or exhausting. Paula’s choices of accommodations were excellent and all details such as flights and rental cars were booked with much thought to comfort and convenience. Everything went seamlessly, and the couple of very small glitches were handled quickly and efficiently by the local agents. We had a perfect trip!

We've settled in after our return home and wanted to thank our specialist Melanie and the team for all the work you did to make our family trip a memorable experience!

In case it's helpful to you for future trip planning, here are some notes:

We thought the Condominio Monti was in a good location and it was pretty cool to see the Colosseo right down the street. The breakfasts were a good value and the breakfast location on the rooftop terrace was especially nice with good staff.

Our golf cart tour and guide Lorenzo was terrific, thank you for searching for a golf cart tour that would allow a 6 year old. We felt safe and Lorenzo was very knowledgeable and even recommended restaurants nearby that we visited and enjoyed.

The walking street food tour was also a good experience and we're glad you recommended transportation back to the hotel-- between our son and his grandma, it would have been too much walking, We liked the places we went to and went back to one on our own.

The Vatican tour guide was informative and friendly. It was definitely crowded and louder in the Sistine Chapel than we remembered. Also, the prices to the Dome have changed, it's now 10 Euros for stairs only and 15 for elevator.

The pizza and gelato class was a favorite of everyone in our group. They were already prepared for our son's egg allergy and even though our group was messy the staff handled it with no problem.

Our transportation to/around Sorrento and back was ok, the driver was great but we would have appreciated a van where we could have all faced forward.

We liked our small hotel, La Casa dell'Orologio and would recommend it. It only has 6 rooms but they were well appointed and in a great location. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if breakfast was included but there were several options along Piazza Tasso.

The mozzarella experience was lovely and it was fun for all ages in our group. We were glad it was part of our itinerary. It was amazing that it had been in the same family for 6 generations.

We enjoyed the Ercolano tour and our guide Sasha was knowledgeable and personable. The scale of the site was better suited to our son and his grandma, too. There were portions open that my husband and I don't recall being available when we were there in 2017 so that was a nice experience for us as well.

Everyone enjoyed the Amalfi Coast, our group liked Positano the most. We found Amalfi crowded though beautiful. Ravello felt different than the other two and we toured Villa Rufolo. On the way back our driver stopped at Ceramiche Casola and I bought 2 platters personalized with our names, which felt like a special way to remember our trip, plus I spent enough that they will ship it to us.

On the way from Sorrento back to Rome we had to walk maybe 3 blocks with our luggage to bus parking since the driver was not allowed to load in Piazza Tasso, maybe because it was Monday morning. That was a bit of a haul on cobblestone sidewalks that we weren't anticipating.

We think the guides for our Colosseo tour might have been the best guides of our trip. They did a phenomenal job of incorporating history, archeology, and architecture in an interesting way. Plus King Charles and Queen Camilla were there that day and they did a great job of being flexible with the various security closures. There was a slight hiccup when we got to the meeting point outside the Colosseo, we didn't see anyone from City Walkers until about 9am and were getting nervous, but that was the only snag.

Overall we had a wonderful time. Thank you again for putting our itinerary together with your expertise and also as a mom, your perspective was quite helpful.