Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had an amazing time in Argentina with the itinerary Juan and the team at KimKim planned! This was our first visit to Argentina so it was great to have a local customize our trip. We started in Buenos Aires and was welcomed by our wonderful driver Alberto. Alberto ended up doing all of our airport pick up and drop offs from Buenos Aires which was awesome because he’s great and it was good to have a familiar face with us each time. He also gave us some suggestions on neighborhoods and sights to visit during our drive.

Jessica was our first BA local guide and she was wonderful! We went around to different parts of the city and learned a lot about the culture, history and city life in BA. San Telmo was one of our favorite neighborhoods with the food and craft markets. We also saw a Tango show at El Querandi which was intriguing and educational.

Our next stop was Puerto Iguazu where we went to Iguazu Falls on both the Brazil and Argentina side. Both are amazing in different ways and a must see! Our guide on the Brazil was Manuel and our guide on the Argentina side was Ramon. Both were awesome in making sure we navigated the parks and customs flawlessly. Highly suggest the Gran Aventura boat ride on the Argentina side if you don’t have any health restrictions - we’re very glad we decided to add this excursion. The town of Puerto Iguazu was also very cool to experience. On one hand, there’s a touristy downtown with great bars and restaurants (recommend the Argentine Experience food and wine tasting) and on the other, you have Guarani villages that you can visit (highly recommend horseback riding with Beto and Alberto at Cabalgata ecológica del indio solitario).

We also visited Salta and Purmamarca. Salta was a bigger city with bars, restaurants and shops. One day here was enough to walk around, go on the cable car to Cerro de San Bernardo and see the sites. The next day, we were picked up by our guide Federico who was super fun and knowledgeable. He took us to San Antonio de Los Cobres (small mining town) and Salinas Grandes (salt flats). We drove along the scenic route 40 and saw a lot of locals from the mountains and farms. We saw all the Llamas, Vicuñas and Donkeys :)

To our pleasant surprise, Federico was back the next day as our guide! We saw the 7 color mountains and 14 color mountains. Federico shared a lot about the people and culture from the area and it was such a great experience to learn from him.

Our last day back at Buenos Aires was perhaps one of the best. We visited the Boedo neighborhood with Graciela and Pierre, our local guide/dinner host. It was so rewarding to meet them, their sons and their pets! They showed us how to make empanadas and we had a wonderful home cooked meal with them.

As for hotels, most were good. Our favorite hotel was Mine Boutique Hotel in Buenos Aires. This was closest to what we would expect of a 4 star boutique hotel. Awwa in BA was spacious but didn’t have much ambiance. La Reserva in Puerto Iguazu was a nice resort with a nice room and was literally in the jungle. My only reservation here is that the bathroom was not too new - it didn’t match the rest of the resort. Villa Vicuña in Salta had a very nice bathroom with an older colonial boutique room. Purmamarca had amazing views from the hotel room and a wonderful balcony. The bathroom again was not as good and there was no A/C if that’s a concern. Overall, we selected boutique hotels as our lodging option and believe that that’s what was arranged for us.

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to get to know locals and see the culture from as much of a non tourist perspective as possible. KimKim did a wonderful job with this - especially with the Graciela and Pierre.

I would definitely recommend KimKim if it is your first time to a city or country. They gave great suggestions and the logistics were seamless. Drivers were always on time, excursions were confirmed and local flights were at times that helped maximize our day. Thank you Juan and Joaquin!

We had a memorable trip to Costa Rica, and I would like to thank Kim Kim for putting the itinerary together and making all the required bookings. Olman was fantastic and super responsive to all our questions. Everyone we interacted with, including the drivers and guides, was terrific. I highly recommend Kim Kim to anyone planning a vacation.

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Rainforest Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Doka Coffee Plantations, Poás Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

San José

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything about our experience with kimkim was absolutely amazing. Our specialist Vicky was very responsive and chock-full of great ideas and recommendations for our diverse travel group, and because she knew the area so well, was able to make perfect suggestions for us. We were a little indecisive at first and she was extremely accommodating and always fast to respond and give alternatives. The trip we found ourselves on was truly a dream, each day we kept saying "this is the best day", and having had all of the reservations made for us allowed us to simply enjoy each other's company and take it all that Australia and New Zealand had to offer! Which is a LOT!!! We have already recommended kimkim to friends and will definitely use the service again. Thank you for making an intergenerational trip extremely memorable.

Hotel Reviews

The Star Grand Hotel and Residences Sydney

Pyrmont, Sydney

Impressive, perfect location and excellent customer service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Glebe Apartments

Queenstown

Absolutely loved this hotel, the kitchen was very well appointed, living area was delightful, nice balcony overlooking a central garden courtyard that was so beautiful and peaceful. We were told there would be construction and to potentially expect noise, but we didn't experience any inconvenience the entire trip, in fact it was one of the most tranquil places we stayed. The rooms were large, nice closet space, heated floors in the bathroom! It was decorated so nicely that it literally felt like a home away from home!

Authenticity & Character

Charming courtyard and warm and welcoming decor

Location

Very walkable to the city center with shopping and restaurants as well as to the ski lift.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lounging in the living room felt just like being at home!

Swiss-Belsuites Victoria Park Auckland

Auckland

Roomy, modern fantastic views in a great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to many attractions, great view of the sky tower!

Staff

We had an issue with our dryer and the person on duty helped us out immediately.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were very large with nice closets and large bathrooms.

Vision Cairns Holiday Apartments

Cairns

Odd smell upon arrival, didn't feel particularly clean, beds were TINY and there was little to NO decor at all. Only positive experience here was the person at reception - she was very kind. Also - it was nice to have a washer and a dryer.

Authenticity & Character

Extremely outdated and almost zero decor

Location

Very walkable

Staff

Front desk staff was very kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Strange odor, living room felt unclean, beds were tiny, closet was tiny, bathroom needs racks for towels

Activity Review

Sydney Bridge Climb Summit

Sydney

We felt very well taken care of and safe during the entire activity, and enjoyed every minute of it, especially the sense of accomplishment at the end!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Here is feedback on the Chile trip
1. The organization by Francisco was less than what I expected. Communication was done with him over Kimkin portal or verbally but then actions were different.
2. The hotels that were promised were changed after we paid the deposit and they were much worse than we initially were told.
3. The hotel in San Pedro de Atacama (Don Raul) was very bad – I even sent photos of the hotel. The toilet seat did not fit the toilet bowl, no closet, extremely small room with barely much room for luggage, no closet, very small shower with half the shower door so water will spill out. This was not a 3 start hotel.
4. We were told that there will be 2 cabins in Torres Del Paine in Konkashken Lodge for 2 days. Then Francisco said that there was only 1 cabin with 4 beds and everything else was booked and nothing else was available. He never told us that the 1 cabin will be with bunk beds – imagine that! 4 adults, 2 aged in mid-thirties and 2 in their sixties trying to fit in bunk beds. We discussed with the owner/manager and she said Francisco changed the reservation from 2 cabins to 1 cabin and they had rooms available (but Francisco told us that there were no rooms available when original booking was done). The situation was so bad that we could not stay a second night as we had planned and paid for. Originally when I had asked Francisco that he should reduce the amount since he had charged for 2 cabins and changed the reservation for one cabin he said that vegetarian food was expensive so he will not reduce the price. This was not true also. I should be refunded for 2 rooms for 1 night and also for the other night that we were forced to spend in totally unacceptable accommodation with bunk beds in a single cabin.
5. I did not expect this kind of service from KimKim. Extremely disappointed.

Otherwise Chile and specially Torres Del Paine overall is a wonderful place to visit.

Hotel Reviews

Konkashken Lodge

Torres del Paine

Very nice, helpful owner

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Rooms were just okay as they are older and not updated. Restaurant would not server normal course meal and had to have their expensive Christmas meal with limited option

Hotel Plaza El Bosque Ebro

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport

Santiago

Stayed for short few hours but good service and helpful people

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Don Raul

San Pedro de Atacama

Very small room with hardly room for luggage and with bathrooms in poor condition, the checkin clerk at front desk were rude (for English speaking guest). Would not recommend staying at this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

A couple of people doing the checkin were rude

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need to fix bathroom, have toilet seats that are right for the bowl, shower door needs fixing to prevent water spills

Activity Reviews

Navigation Excursion - Balmaceda & Serrano Glacier with Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Nice tour

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Don's miss it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

Best tour for Atacama desert and salt flats

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Baltinache Hidden Lagoons and Vallecito(magic bus).

Chile

NOthing very spectacular

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Panoramic Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Adeline was the absolute best. She really listened and found the best excursions and activities to accommodate our multi-generation trip. My kids had a blast with their grandparents. From the beautiful bike ride in Kyoto to the capybara cafe to amazing restaurant recommendations, we were so lucky to have her in our corner. She even proactively helped us with a couple of last minute changes once we were on the ground in Japan (while she was on her own vacation!)

Liz was wonderful to work with and collaboarate with in planning our Australia trip. The transports were flawless and tours were great! Here hotel recomendations were perfect and very centrally located for all of our activities. I will not hesitate to reach out to her again for help with another vacation.

Our trip to Costa Rica was outstanding. From our accommodations, activities, and transportation, Serendipity Adventures was the local specialist who helped plan, organize and manage our trip. They made sure everything ran smoothly (Wilman, Bryan, and Nancy).
We loved our activities of hiking Arenal volcano, seeing the waterfall, ziplining and hanging bridges, night walks, seeing the animals, a coffee/chocolate/sugar cane tour (that we added last minute--and there was a lot of help coordinating our transportation and timing), nature walks at the beach, etc. Wilman and Bryan also gave us many recommendations for restaurants and other activities when we had some free time.

Hotel Review

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

This hotel had nice views of the volcano. And we enjoyed the thermal pools. However, we did run out of hot water for showers several times (there were 3 of us in a room). It was located about 10-15 minutes from town and restaurants.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Loved that we had 2 guides for our group of 12. And they made sure that all of us saw the animals and were satisfied before moving on. It was an interesting walk on the path, spotting all kinds of interesting wildlife, including sloths (with babies), monkeys, birds, lizards, etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Cloud Forest Night Walk

Monteverde

Of all of the activities we did while in Costa Rica, this one ranked last on our list. It had just rained prior to us starting the night walk, so that may have affected the wildlife, but I was underwhelmed with what we found. Our guide was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable, so that made the walk interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waterfall & Volcano Hiking Adventure with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mariano was our guide and was very patient with our group of 12 taking photos and having fun. Seeing the volcano closer was very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex was awesome...he provided a lot of information.

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

The ziplining had spectacular views of the volcano and the lake. And you went 45+ mph on the zips...super exhilarating. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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