Kimkim Trip Reviews

Rachel was a delight to work with in planning our trip. She listened to what we wanted to do and made it happen along with offering suggestions that were some of the highlights of our travels. We had a wonderful time in Ireland because of the careful planning that took the stress out of any details. Our trip plan not only included some great places to stay and wonderful experiences, it also included directions with time of travel.

Hotel Reviews

Titanic Hotel

A great stay at this historic hotel. It is even included as part of a tour from the Titanic museum across the street. Hallways were rather dark giving off the vibe of a dark ship. Room was beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lough Eske Castle Hotel

Loved our stay in the castle. The staff were attentive and unpretentious. Our room was well appointed and comfortable. The grounds were very beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monks Ballyvaughan

County Clare

Oh my, what a beautiful setting. Hotel was a great place to stay. Recommend the restaurant too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilder Townhouse

Dublin

Great boutique hotel out of the hustle and bustle of Dublin but also within walking distance of all the attractions. Lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Connemara Sheepdog Demonstration

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kylemore Abbey

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Cliffs of Moher Cruise from Doolin ( 50 min)

Doolin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trinity Trails & Book of Kells Guided Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dublin Food and Drink tour

Dublin

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We enjoyed our time in Paris, Lyon, and southern France, however we had a few issues with our trip planning. Our "food tours" were definitely not what we considered to be a food tour. In our Lyon experience, we had 3 sad pieces of sausage and 1 small piece of cheese after a 3 hour historical tour. That was it. We were starving and had to purchase several other snacks along the way on our own. The food tour in Marseille was just sweets and no actual savory dishes representative of the area (which is what we typically associate with a food tour. Also, our bike tour in Aix-en-Provence was not properly booked, the guide was unaware that we were coming and but thankfully he was able to add us on to another group later that morning. It was not a private bike tour as we had originally booked.

The highlight of the trip was our 2 days of wine tasting with Eric in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape/ Gigondas and Bandol/Cassis areas.

Before the trip we had emphasized to our trip planner that we wanted to focus on a culinary/wine tour of France. We were disappointed in the culinary planning part of the trip for sure!

Activity Reviews

Full-day Private Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

France

Our guide Eric was great, the wine was amazing. Eric went out of his way to show us great views in Calanque National Park as well

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chateauneuf du Pape & Gigondas Wine Tour

France

Our guide Eric was great, the wine was amazing. Beautiful area

E-Bike Tour Along Cezanne's Route

Aix-en-Provence

Vincent was great! the e-bike tour was very enjoyable

Private Lyon Gourmet Tour

Lyon

Really liked the kimkim platform and ease of connecting with the travel specialists. Even when the original travel specialist assigned went on vacation, they transitioned me smoothing to another specialist, Paula! Paula was very knowledgeable about our Australia destination and provided interesting experience recommendations that we would not have found on our own! She also provided great advice on what we should see (and what we could skip) based on vacation profile. We traveled with a family of 4 with 2 young adults and she found a good balance of activity for all of us.
When there were the inevitable travel scheduling problems, Paula and the kimkim associated booking agents immediately refunded us for the excursions were not able to attend.

I think overall we had a very good trip, my family loved Greece. The tour guides we had in Athens, in Naxos and in Santorini were great!
My only call out was our hotel in Naxos which was not really up to our expectations and usual standards. I would have liked to book the hotels myself.

This was our first trip with KimKim — who was recommended to us by friends who recently had a great experience — and we’d have to say it was a pretty flawless ride. Completely easy and enjoyable start to finish, and ultimately unforgettable.

We are a family of four (including two college-age sons) and none of us had ever been to Japan. KimKim connected us with a regional specialist (Jasmine Z) who took time to get to know us a bit online and figure out what we liked / didn’t like, what specific anchor places/events would need to be worked in, and what our budget would be. After that we were working with a Tokyo-based travel company, Hiroshi T., and his colleague Emi M., (Oshinobi Travel) who could not have been more pleasant, efficient, and accommodating. We did essentially 5 cities/hotels in 14 days, including Tokyo on the entry and exit, plus about three day-long excursions. All main island (Honshu) this time. Our itinerary was documented day by day on a shared Google doc, and tweaked a bit through Q&A up to about a month ahead of departure. Pre-trip, KimKim hosted a phone call with Hiroshi at a mutually convenient time to walk through the whole itinerary and answer questions. Result: Amazing trip.

Hiroshi’s hotel choices were all Japanese-owned hotels, superbly located, and nicely varied, all very high quality and all with epic breakfasts, which made getting out of bed an event to look forward to. Hiroshi made a point of meeting us in person and spending essentially half of his day making sure we were able to find and attend a particular site that was difficult for non-Japanese visitors to negotiate. In every city, transfers/drivers as needed were available and on-time. They lined up superb guides in (Ms. Kyoko in Tokyo, and Mr. Shohei in Kyoto, and Ms. Miyuki in Kawaguchiko); we felt that the guides not only provided key history and cultural insights, but gave us a leg up on a hundred different travel basics & hacks, which gave us the confidence to make our way around on the days (most of them) when we didn’t have a guide. Our time was dramatically more efficient given the foundation they gave us. Hiroshi provided train tickets and explicit use instructions in a nicely organized portfolio, so it was easy to track chronologically through our itinerary, and saved us tons of time figuring out the amazing but rather complex transportation systems. As English (and non-Japanese) speakers, we appreciated their command of both languages. We’ll also note that communication was super easy — they were seemingly available all the time (including weekends) when needed, via WhatsApp, and copious itinerary, contact, and basic travel information was shared through Google docs. That info, coupled with our own use of Apple Maps (for transit and walking navigation) and Google Translate (totally useful in the clutch more than a few times) made for a surprisingly smooth journey through even the largest city on the planet.

Kudos and thanks to the KimKim team and Oshinobi (Hiroshi and Emi) for getting it right at every turn and for helping our family make some great memories.

Melanie did a fantastic job crafting an itinerary that was tailored for what we wanted - Her recommendations for. tours and the scheduling obtaining of tickets made the trip so enjoyable as all we had to do was sit back and enjoy - all the paperwork was done. We wanted to experience many of the outdoor sites and thoroughly enjoyed bike with Flying Wheels. We also enjoy the train up to the Jungfraujoch: - Top of Europe - it was such an amazing adventure ! Melanie clearly knows the secret gems of Switzerland and listened to what we were looking for - The hotel choices were perfect - especially the one in Grindelwald - where we had a balcony and woke up each morning to the Swiss Alps, Glacier and a village that looked like something out of Heidi! They Swiss Caves were incredible - and so interesting to learn about - All the transportation was flawless -

Melanie did an absolute outstanding job - listening and working with us to ensure we had the best vacation ever -which we did! If we needed /wanted to change something due to weather - she was right on it re working so we didnt miss a thing!

Hotel Review

Hotel Kirchbühl Superior

Grindelwald

This hotel is the perfect location - situation in the village - easily walkable to town - the balcony and view cannot be beat

Authenticity & Character

the staff all is dressed is authentic attire -

Location

ability to walk to town

Staff

very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kayak tour on Lake Brienz

Interlaken

It was so easy to get to and such a fun way to view the Lake and town

Thanks Alfonso and team for booking exactly what we needed for this brief stay. Appreciated having a local agent to confirm our daily details and assist..

Activity Reviews

Private Visit to Madrid’s Local Markets & Tasting

Madrid

Great tour guide - but the tour was different than described. While we did eat well, we didn't learn to make the tortilla as described. More of a history tour with some food stops than markets visit / tasting. But our tour guide was wonderful so we enjoyed nonetheless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kept us in the shade during most of our walking! He really knew Madrid.

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

Good overview of the city to figure out where we wanted to spend more time. Guide was knowledgable and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago set up a great trip that catered to exactly what my family was looking for. The best part was having a local agent while we were on the trip. He checked on us regularly and provided invaluable local beach expertise and and last minute dinner reservations. We were so thrilled to avoid the crazy crowded beaches and head to what felt like locals only spots. His support definitely enhanced our trip. We had a wonderful time!

I recently enjoyed an unforgettable 10-day journey through Morocco with my daughter, made possible by the exceptional team at KimKim. We had an ambitious itinerary that most agencies dismissed as unrealistic, but KimKim rose to the challenge. While upfront about the long travel days, they delivered a well-paced and exciting plan that included every destination we hoped to visit.
Our trip began in Casablanca and took us through Rabat, the charming Blue City of Chefchaouen, and the historic heart of Fez, where we explored the medina and took part in a memorable cooking class. From there, we ventured into the Sahara for a magical desert experience—complete with a sunset camel ride, ATV adventure, and an unforgettable night under the stars at Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp. Our desert guide, Ali, was both knowledgeable and fun, making the experience even more special.
Next, we relaxed at the beautiful Ksar El Kabbaba in Skoura, where the hotel’s spa offered a perfect retreat. We ended our journey in Marrakesh, where a local guide enriched our exploration of the medina, hammams, and souks.
Visits to carpet vendors, tanneries, and ceramic workshops gave us a deeper appreciation for Moroccan craftsmanship and a few beautiful souvenirs.
Throughout it all, our driver Tayeb was outstanding—safe, insightful, and always helpful. His excellent English and thoughtful guidance elevated every leg of our journey. He consistently went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, informed, and enjoying ourselves. We feel that we must return to Morocco just to visit with Tayeb!
This trip not only revealed the beauty and culture of Morocco but also gave me treasured time with my daughter. Every detail was expertly managed, allowing us to truly be present. KimKim’s communication was also excellent—they responded quickly and thoroughly to every question and request. I highly recommend them for a personalized, immersive travel experience.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

A beautiful courtyard, lovely rooms, accommodating staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar El Kabbaba

Skoura

Absolutely outstanding hotel Lovely courtyard, great breakfasts A wonderful oasis after the Sahara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp

Merzouga

Who can beat luxury tents in the Sahara?

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karawan Riad

Fès

Very accommodating staff, lovely breakfast, great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Authentic Moroccan hotel. Lots of stairs to climb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lots of stairs

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Casablanca Hotel

Casablanca

Beautiful rooms, lovely restaurant, excellent food, gorgeous courtyard

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

ATV Ride in the Dunes of Merzouga

Merzouga

This is one of the highlights of our trip! Such fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My daughter and I just returned from a trip to Belgium and the Netherlands. Two glorious weeks, during which there were absolutely no issues, problems, or disappointments.

Bas, our specialist in the Netherlands, created a perfect itinerary for us. The hotels were wonderful, the activities enjoyable, and well-timed. Bas was available to us by text and phone, and all the guides he suggested were wonderful.

Traveling in a foreign country can be very stressful, and if things go wrong, what can you do but muscle through it. This trip was incredibly well-planned, and everyone was kind and accommodating, making it a breeze.

We told everyone who asked that KimKim is a great company to work with. We will use them again on our next adventure.

Thank you to Bas and all the wonderful humans who helped us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

Our stay at the Hotel des Arts in Amsterdam was mostly wonderful. The room was great, but the hotel lacked an elevator, making it challenging for me, and my daughter had to help with the bags. Accessibility was tricky with the tiny stairways. Otherwise, everything else at the hotel was fantastic.

Ghent River Hotel

Ghent

This was a beautiful hotel with comfortable beds, a huge bathtub, and a river view. The room was very large, with a great mini bar, and very kind hotel employees. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

The Rijksmuseum, the boat tour, and the Van Gogh Museum in the same day were fantastic experiences, each with a great guide bringing their own personality to the tours. However, it made for a very long and tiring day. I would have appreciated spreading the activities out over two days instead.

Our overall experience with the Rutopia (travel planners) and the KimKim tool was very positive. In the end, the 12 days we spent in Mexico were incredible, and the support we received from the Rutopia team while in-country was excellent.

The experiences we selected with the help of our specialist, Diego, provided more authentic and educational activities than we would have chosen on our own. And when we needed to add activities at the last minute, our support specialist, Luz, was quick to help us make the necessary adjustments. Each day was organized for us, with maps, meeting points, and WhatsApp phone numbers, which made it so easy for our family of 6 to be in the right place at the right time.

7 Cenotes, 4 Mayan ruins, countless monkey sightings, 4 distinct towns on the Peninsula, and over 1200 miles driven with very few challenges-all due to the work of the Rutopia team...thank you!

We had a fantastic time! The sites/adventures Marjia coordinated for us to see were perfect, starting with the pick up at the airport after a long flight and taken to the hotel. Jo was such a fun, personable and knowledgeable guide for our private walking tour. Best start to the vacation! The car rental drop off at the hotel for our plitvice day and then truffle hunting made that so easy. Thanks to Marjia for getting tickets and having Daniela waiting for us. Plitvice was so beautiful and truffle hunting and sampling with Daniela an unexpected highlight!!!
Dino with Absolute charter was so good!! He called ahead for times/ticket info to Blue caves then restaurant and lunch later in the day. Snorkeling in a quiet bay he suggested was so fun. Split was beautiful , castle tour was great and so fun to wander through. Dinko was a wealth of knowledge as he drove us through crazy, winding mountain roads to Dubrovnik, with a short stop at salt mines. Interesting! Hotel on the mountain side and view of the sea were breathtaking. Guided tour of Old Town with Jelena was a blast! Marjia, thank you for setting this up, checking in on us during our stay and getting us to/from everywhere! We will definitely use KimKim travel again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel More

Dubrovnik

Breathtaking!!!

Authenticity & Character

Everything was 5 star! Cave bar and pools, so nice!

Location

A 10 minute uber ride into city which was great so a bit secluded and away from the busy/crazy of a fun city

Staff

Everyone so helpful and very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best

Hotel Corner

Split

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but just average, totally fine but not amazing

Heritage Hotel Imperial - Liburnia

Beautiful! Grand old hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria

Zagreb

Everyone was friendly and helpful. Easy walking distance to town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scheduled Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jelena was fun and full of knowledge!

Private full day speedboat tour – Blue Cave, Stiniva Bay, Hvar…

Split

Best time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dino was so good! Helped with blue caves tour tickets, arranging lunch and finding a quiet bay to snorkel in

Transport

Split Walking Tour with a visit to Diocletian's Palace

Split

A bit hard to find correct entrance because castle is so big but the guide called us and waited while we found our way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private guided walking tour of Zagreb

Zagreb

Jo was friendly, funny and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jo was great!

There were a few guides throughout the process. Justine, Margaux, Valentine, Mathilde, Lucie, and maybe others. Valentine provided excellent service and was the main specialist for the trip itself while in France. Lucie and others were able to step in when Valentine was not available. Overall, I was pleased with the services provided even though the trip itself did not exactly live up to the expectations.

Hotel Reviews

Roi de Sicile Rivoli

Paris

No AC the first night. We had to leave the windows open which invited a near plague of flying insects. This ruined the entire Paris experience for me unfortunately

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit sketchy in terms of the location to be honest. But, relatively closeby to the Chapelle, Notre Dame, etc.

Staff

We expected a call from the hotel general manager given the horrible first night which we never received!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Saleya Boutique Hôtel

Nice

Did not love the location. Very busy street corner, so the room itself was quite noisy even late at night. But the room itself was nicely decorated. Appreciated the modern aesthetic. Kitchen was a bit on the small side but did love the fact it came equipped with a washer/ dryer which came in handy for long travel.

Authenticity & Character

On the flip side, you are in the heart of the old city, so that adds to the "authenticity and character"

Location

Just too noisy. Nothing really can be done about this

Staff

quite helpful during check-in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de Sèze

Bordeaux

The rooms were great. Love the very high ceilings which made the rooms feel more spacious than their small size. We loved the breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Make sure you include the breakfast, it is that good

Location

This is a great location if you want to be in the heart of Bordeaux

Staff

Quite pleasant, and even wrote down recommendations for souvenir shops nearby

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

24/7 assistance in case of emergency

France

The Paris experience was not great. We were not satisfied at all with compensation for the first night ruined by no air-conditioning and flying insects. Only $250.00 USD refund was promised (yet to receive). This does not even equate to one night's stay at the Hotel Roi de Sicile.

Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

Not sure what Skei the Line meant because there was still a line. Other than that, a good tour

Quality of Experience

Not clear direction on meeting point and transfer of vouchers for this one. We had to figure out on our own.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Have to get there on your own. Not too difficult, but allow enough time for it.

French Dessert Cooking Class

Paris

Chef Dominique was great. We had a bit of trouble finding the place and so we were late. But overall, a good experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim did not provide transportation to and from the location, so be prepared to figure it out on your own. Not too difficult, but take the bus instead of the Metro

Versailles Half-day Small group Tour

Paris

Too short! So much to see. The Palace is amazing and our tour guide was exceptional. I would have loved to spend more time in the gardens. We have to return.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was patient, very knowledgeable

Transport

Monaco Day Trip via Èze & La Turbie

France

We did not see any value in going to the perfume factory which diminished the time we could have spent in seeing the rest of Eze and La Turbie. Monaco too, we felt that we needed more time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bordeaux Gourmet Tour

Bordeaux

Our guide was the best. She was extremely knowledgeable. Unfortunately, everything felt a bit rushed because this tour was planned by KimKim to occur right as we got into Bordeaux. This meant we had to rush to get to the hotel from the train station, then find our way to the meeting point. We were all exhausted from the strenuous train ride--so this was the only negative. I wish it was planned a bit better so that we could really enjoy it more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was the best.

Transport

Bay of Arcachon Day Trip

Bordeaux

The dunes portion of the trip was awesome. We really enjoyed this. Everything else seemed rushed, especially the walking tour. We would have loved a bit more time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

With the help of our amazing trip planner Adam and our booking agent Summer, my husband and I had our dream trip to Spain a little over a week ago. Adam made the planning experience as easy as possible. He was as excited to plan our trip as we were and made sure to tailor the trip to our needs. We are foodies and enjoyed learning about the the culture and history through the regional foods as we traveled through Barcelona where we took a wonderful cooking class with Juan at Barcelona Cooking after visiting the famous Boqueria Market to do our shopping for Paella. Then it was off to Girona where we fell in love with the old and new parts of the town. Here we met Marc from Girona Food Tours for a private walking tour learning about the unique history of the Catalan language and cuisine. We stayed in one of the most beautiful hotels we had ever stayed in, the Palau Fugit. In Madrid we shopped till we dropped and come home with espadrilles. This is also where we spent some time with Enrique for a private walking tour of authentic food spots filled with stories that has us feeling like locals. Finally landing in Seville, hotel Gravina 51 welcomed us warmly with a beautiful note and something fizzy to enjoy our first night. We ate, we drank, we met beautiful friendly people along the way and our hope is to return again soon. Thank you KimKim for helping make our first trip to Spain a memorable experience for all the right reasons.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Gravina 51

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room Mate Alba

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palau Fugit

Girona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Madison Hotel

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Alcázar Palaces & Gardens Experience

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Tapas Walk with a Local

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Visit to Madrid’s Local Markets & Tasting

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food & Market Tour

Girona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Beach Day in Barcelona

Barcelona

The beach was a 15 minute walk from the hotel, great shopping at small boutiques on the way back.

Quality of Experience

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Such a great experience with Juan! The cooking class is a must!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing adventure we had in Vietnam. Huyen planned and organised a truly memorable family holiday. We learnt so much about Vietnam's culture and history. Our tour took us from the north to the south over 16 days. We did a wonderful cruise and kayaking in Halong bay , overnight train which was so fun, rode bikes through local villages , climbed Laying Dragon mountain, span in the fishing coconut boats, made silk lanterns and did a fantastic night food tour on scooters through the streets of Saigon plus lots of different boat trips and so much more!!!!!
The entire trip was superbly organised by Huyen then we were handed over to Doris who could be contacted once in Vietnam , she always replied promptly if needed. We had very knowledgeable guides and safe drivers in each area, Quyet in the north, Mr An in the central region ( Mr An even organised a birthday cake for me) and Richard in Saigon. We would not have been able to achieved so many sights without them. Every time we left an attraction our driver would meet us with an air conditioned van and cold bottles of water.
We also added 3 extra days at a beach resort so we could have some chilled time , this was lovely especially trying out lots of massages at the spa.
A totally wonderful experience from booking to home, we would definitely be booking again with Kimkim and would not hesitate to recommend to our friends and family.

Hotel Reviews

Sanouva Saigon

Great location for exploring. Very friendly. Rooms a bit on the smaller size but we were in the heart of the city and they had everything that we needed in the room. Had a great small brewery bar and Mexican near by and hotel opposite had a wonderful rooftop bar for cocktails in the evening.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palm Garden Resort Hoi An

Gorgeous hotel on the beach. Felt like heaven after backpacking. Food at the beach restaurant was wonderful. Breakfast had a massive selection of foods on offer. Spa was wonderful, treated myself to daily treatments as very good value.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Tight on the beach but also only a short Grab taxi ride back into Hoi An.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Big rooms , adjoining with our teenagers.

Silkotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Fabulous large room , adjoining with our teenagers. Great location for walking into old town and to the river. Nice swimming pool area. Lovely breakfast and great menu at the bar. Very reasonable for food and drinks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfy room and beds. Beautiful room.

Rosaleen Boutique Hotel

Hue

Really big rooms and comfy beds. Good location. Very helpful staff. Lovely breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

New Livitrans Train

What a fabulous way to travel with my family, Hanoi to Hue. Our guide took us to the carriage and the next guide met us as we got off. Really clean cabin with snacks and drinks. Very comfy little beds with pillow and duvet. Clean toilet and sink for teeth brushing. Guard knocked on our door before arriving in station to make sure we were aware we needed to get off at the right place.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swan Cruise

Fabulous trip. Staff were all really fun and attentive. Food really good although the lunch as we came back into harbour not so good but we had not long had a big breakfast on board so didn’t matter. Had an adjoining room with our kids. Very good size rooms. Kayaking tour around Halong Bay was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Lion Kings Hotel & Resort

Very friendly, quiet hotel. Didn’t eat in hotel as it was quiet but a very cheap Grab taxi to the centre for food.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful garden area.

Location

Weather was bit wet to walk but easy to get a grab taxi

Staff

So friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Perfect location in the heart of old town. Great breakfast and evening meals. All had lovely massages when we arrived to help with the air travel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Really comfy beds

Activity Reviews

Saigon By Night Food Tour - Experience Vietnam on Two Wheels (Small Group tour)

Ho Chi Minh City

Fabulous evening food tour on scooters . Wonderful food and drinks Riding on the back on the scooters through Saigon was really fun, we were all grinning firm ear to ear. Felt very safe. Make sure you go with an empty tummy as a lot of yummy food to be had on the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An - Cam Thanh Coconut Village - Tra Que Village

Hoi An

Really loved the bike ride to the farm for a delicious local lunch. Coconut boats were a real highlight.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh

Loved climbing up the 500 steps at Laying dragon mountain, walking through the beautiful Lotus flowers and the rowing boat trip up the river.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible time in Costa Rica!! All the accommodations and adventures were exactly what we were looking for, and we had a perfect balance of luxury and adventure that was still affordable. It made for a perfect honeymoon! We loved our guides, especially Andres in the Cloud Forest- he was so knowledgeable and so much fun! It really felt like he wanted to get to know us, and it was clear how much he loved nature and how he wanted to share his knowledge with us.

Hotel Reviews

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

This hotel is beautiful- it has a great view of the volcano, but it was so overcast that we only really saw it on our first day. The pool is super nice, but the one with the swim up bar is heated to the point where it feels like a hot tub- way too hot for a hot Costa Rican day! There is a second pool right next to it that is nice and cool, but I'd definitely prefer for the cooler pool to be the one with the swim up bar! The other drawback of the hotel is that it's really spread out- that gives lots of privacy, but we had to take a 5 minute walk up a super steep hill to get to our room from the main area where the restaurant and lobby were. Finally, the restaurant was nice and very fancy, but I actually had an allergic reaction from eating the quesadilla there- the shrimp is cooked in a cashew sauce and there was no note of that on the menu. So be careful if you have food allergies! Overall the room was super nice and private, and there were gorgeous views. The property itself is like a mile down a private road, which can be nice but it did make it completely impossible to walk anywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Vibes were great!

Location

Nice views, but very removed from town.

Staff

I had an allergic reaction to the food, as the shrimp in my quesadilla was cooked in a cashew sauce and it wasnt noted on the menu. We had to go back to our room urgently to get my medication, and they brought the food- and the bill- to our room. You would think that the least they could do was comp the meal that almost caused me to go into anaphylactic shock!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

This hotel is an absolute must- by the time we were leaving, we knew that we would be back again one day. It is a crazy drive up the mountain to the very top- I'd recommend getting a transfer if you don't feel super comfortable driving. Some of the roads are completely washed out and super steep and bumpy- the drivers know what they're doing though! This hotel was absolutely gorgeous, but nothing compares to the view and vibes in the restaurant. We went during the rainy season, and our first night at the hotel there was this incredible rolling thunder, a steady rain, and misty clouds just rolling into the open air restaurant- it's cooler up in the mountains so it wasn't hot at all. We sat outside, completely protected from the rain, and played cards and had drinks for hours. Not only are the vibes incredible, but it was some of the best food we had. Everything we tried on the menu was absolutely delicious. We only stayed there for two nights, but we would have been happy there for a week at least. There is so much to see in the cloud forest, and the towns nearby have even more great restaurants. This was the highlight of our trip for sure.

Authenticity & Character

The restaurant, with the fire, open air, and rolling mists was just absolutely breathtaking.

Location

In the middle of the cloud forest- how could you go wrong?!

Staff

Everyone there was so kind! We chatted with our waiter all night long, and everyone was so patient with my Spanish- I speak pretty well but not perfectly, and can get nervous about it- but everyone was so impressed and kind!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms seemed to be brand new- everything was perfectly clean, safe, and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui River (Class III-IV)

Costa Rica

This was so much fun! I was worried that the rapids would be too difficult, but we had 4 relatively fit people in our raft and we all did a pretty good job of handling it well, we also had a great guide! Nobody fell out, and we stopped halfway through and had some delicious fresh fruit and switched who was in the front. The front was definitely more difficult but it was super fun the whole time! Be prepared- it is an hour drive from La Fortuna, which we weren't prepared for. It goes by quick and is definitely worth it, but a change of dry clothes is key! You will get 100% soaked on the river, so I wore a bathing suit under athletic wear that didn't get too heavy when it got wet.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

This was the best excursion of our trip! Andres was an incredible guide, and we had a great time. We took our time walking through the jungle, and he pointed out everything he saw- coati, snakes, frogs, certain types of plants, monkeys, etc. We saw so much, and we never would have been able to see half of it without our guide! The cloud forest is absolutely breathtaking. It was the excursion that I was least excited about going into the trip, and it ended up being my favorite one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Iceland due to all of the planning from Gummi. He was GREAT to work with! The hotels were fantastic, and his driving routes were very easy to follow. We would highly recommend Gummi to anyone!

Hotel Reviews

Center Hotel Arnarhvoll

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Húsafell

Húsafell, Borgarbyggð

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Búðir

Búðir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Varmaland

Borgarnes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sigló Hótel by Keahotels

Siglufjörður

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Laxá

Myvatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon Hotel

Hofn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Magma Hotel

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Holt—The Art Hotel

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From my first interaction with Ravi Tickoo through every subsequent interaction - whether virtual or in-person - with him, his administrative colleague, Aditya, or Adarsh, who met us upon arrival at Delhi, was top notch! Equally superb were our guides - Mr. Dharmender (Delhi), Mr. Ronit Sharma (Agra), and Mr. Sanjay Safaya (Jaipur). Each was engaging, informative, considerate of our requests; wonderful gentlemen! Each site visit was delightful and educational - thanks to their expertise and generous engagement with us!

Mr. Brijesh, our driver for the week, was no less than spectacular. The very epitome of thoughtful, considerate, cautious, concerned for our comfort. Mr. Brijesh spoke to us only occasionally; however, when he did, he was very engaging, interesting, informative. We were fast to appreciate his professionalism and commitment to excellence in his responsibilities.

Hotel Reviews

ITC Rajputana

Jaipur

ITC Rajputana in Jaipur exceeded our expectations. The quality of the accommodations was first-rate, with excellent services that made our stay memorable. Everything from the room to the hospitality was top-notch.

ITC Mughal

Agra

ITC Mughal in Agra was a highlight of our trip. The service was impeccable, and the accommodations were nothing short of excellent. We truly enjoyed our stay, with comfortable rooms and excellent service throughout.

The Lalit Hotel, New Delhi

Delhi

Our stay at The Lalit Hotel in New Delhi was excellent. The accommodations were super, starting with our arrival. The security was great, and the staff was very helpful, right from the bellmen who assisted with our luggage to the inviting lobby and comfortable rooms. The food served was good, and overall, everything met our expectations. It was a very comfortable stay.

Activity Reviews

Spiritual Walk in Jaipur

Jaipur

Mr. Sanjay Safaya, too, was at our hotel to greet us when we arrived a bit later than scheduled at Jaipur. Soon thereafter, we were off to see the magnificence of The Pink City into the early evening during pretty intense heat and heavy rainfall. Well after nightfall and likely navigating some flooded roads, he returned to his home, a considerable distance away, on his scooter. Right back at it the next day, we took in the magnificent history of the city and surrounding area.

Taj Mahal Sunrise Visit

Agra

We were at the Taj Mahal at sunrise and returned to see its magnificence from across the river, late in the very hot afternoon. Two days of wonderful history, religion, culture and more!

Agra beyond Taj: Leave for a Mughal Heritage walk

Agra

In Agra, Ronit Sharma met us on arrival at the hotel, gave us time to settle in and we were off and running for two long and fabulous days of sights and learning.

New Delhi Sightseeing

India

The New Delhi Sightseeing was equally superb. Like the Old Delhi tour, our experience was enriched by our fabulous guide, Mr. Dharmender, who was full of knowledge and so professional. He made the experience memorable and personable. Again, our driver, Mr. Bajesh, got us there efficiently and safely, adding to the pleasure of the tour. An excellent activity that we thoroughly enjoyed. We felt like parting from friends at the end.

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

The Old Delhi Sightseeing tour was magnificent. We had an extraordinary experience, largely thanks to our driver, Mr. Bajesh, and our guide, Mr. Dharmender. Mr. Bajesh was incredibly considerate, always on time, and ensured we arrived at each destination safely. Mr. Dharmender, our guide, was absolutely wonderful. He was professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. It felt like we left with a friend at the end of the tour. It was a brilliantly organized and executed sightseeing tour.

This trip experience was one of the best handled we have ever had. Linda was very helpful and listened to what we thought we wanted to do and then discussed it with us. Ariel was also a great help. I was very surprised that Ariel actually showed up at the hotel our first morning to make sure everything was OK. Our guide, Sebastian Carrera was easily one of the best guides we have ever had on any of our trips outside of the US. He was like traveling with a member of our family who just happened to be VERY knowledgable about Ecuador and seemed to know everyone we came across. He did a wonderful job coming up with an itinerary on the fly because the E20 was closed due to landslides which meant we had to go the long way down near Archidona. On the way back to Quito we stopped in a few different places. Sebastian also assisted us with getting all our electronic paperwork submitted properly for getting to the Galapagos. One really nice thing to note was when we were dropped off at the airport to fly out to the Galapagos we recieved white glove service where we were escorted over to bag inspection while our guide went with our passports and got our boarding passes and bag tags. they then walked us over to the bag drop and then over to security. It made the whole process stress free and seamless. When we got out to Galapagos we were met by Daniella who again was wonderful. Marcello, our driver was great also. after leaving the airport, we drove out on Santa Cruz and hiked around for a bit observing the giant tortoises. We also made it to the Charles Darwin research center and Daniela was very knowedgable about everything. The following day we walked down to the bus stop and took a bus back to the port to take a boat out to Isla Bartolome. One thing to note here is that the itinerary listed the trip out to Isla Bartolome was on a "modern yacht". The boat we were on was a 68 foot sailboat. While this was not an issue for us because the crew was great, the food was great, the whole experience was great, some others might take issue as i am not sure if I would classify it as a modern yacht. Its more of a "classic sail boat" which we enjoyed fully. The trip out to Bartolome was fun and out guide on the boat was Candi. She guided us around the island all the way up to the top. Bartolome is a little bit of a hike. Getting off the zodiac, we had to step over a sea lion on the steps while the Blue Footed Boobies watched us. There are alot of stairs so if you have difficulty walking this is something you may want to consider before going. After spending some time on Bartolome we went Isla Santiago and snorkeled for a bit after seeing penguins, sea lions and sea turtles. The snorkeling was like swiming in a fish tank, there was fish, the occasional penguin, and other wildlife everywhere. The following day Daniela met us at our hotel and we went out to Tortuga Bay for the day. on the walk out we saw sea lions and the swimming iguanas. The bay is very peaceful. there werent alot of people there and we easily found a spot under a tree in the sand. Our trip back to the airport was handled by Marcello. He picked us up at our hotel and was with us all the way out to the airport to fly home. Again, it was white glove service all the way. he handled out bags from the hotel all the way to taking them off the bus at the airport. This was the first time we used KimKim and based on this experience, it wont be the last. KimKim will easily be our first choice moving forward when looking at countries we are traveling to where having a currated, guided experience is desired.

Hotel Reviews

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

The location of this property is perfect. its about a block away from the main street where all the shops and resaurants are. The staff here were always super friendly and ready to assist if needed. when you are registering for travel out to the Galapagos the hotel in the list is actually in the drop down list as "Galapagos House" and not Acacia Galapagos Boutique Hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

its a block off the main street which is very close to the nightlife but far enough away that you dont hear anything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

If youre looking for a place to stay in the Amazon where you are immersed in the environment, this is your place. The staff were all very friendly and the meals were amazing. We were in family unit 2 overlooking the pool. The room was spacious and clean. The grounds are well kept and theres a creek on the property which kept my son busy when we got back on site after our excursions. Be sure to say hello to Ramona if you go (the resident spider monkey)

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was built to blend into the jungle.

Location

The location is far away from anything, at least it seems that way.

Staff

Santi was always there in the dining area if we needed anything. I dont remember the two ladies in the kitchen but they were great also. Santi and the kitchen staff made us a birthday cake to celebrate a birthday in our group complete with a palm crown and headbands for the rest of us. Santi also went out and found some grubs and grilled them up for us! The staff are all wonderful at Kuyana Lodge

Cleanliness & Comfort

Patio Andaluz

Quito

When traveling to other countries I like to immerse myself and not be in a chain hotel. This hotel is absolutely wonderful. Its based around an old colonial home and has TONS of character. The staff are all extreemely friendly and always willing to assist if you need it. I arrived late at night and technically the restaurant was closed but the staff offered that we could sit in the bar area and there were some things that they could make us if we were hungry. This was totally unexpected and appreciated. The breakfasts were also great and there was always more than enough. T

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is technically a historic colonial home. The restaurant is technically in one of the courtyards. The hotel itself is beautiful, its not your typical hotel like a holiday inn.

Location

his hotel is about 1 1/2 blocks away from the main plaza in Quito and only a few more block away from San Francisco square. The Basílica del Voto Nacional is a little bit further but technically walkable also.

Staff

Everyone at the property were always ready to assist if we needed any help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands

Daniela was our guide for this and was amazing. She picked us up at our hotel and we walked out to Tortuga Bay. you have to go out through the preserve along a path (a few miles to the actual bay). As you come out of the preserve you arrive at a beach with white sand, black volcanic rocks and bright blue water. There is no swimming allowed at this beach so you turn right and walk down the beach. after a while you cut through another tree line and it opens up into a calm serene bay. There are plenty of places for shade under the trees at the edge of the beach to lay down under.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

We chose to go to Isla Bartolome. We were advised that this island has less wildlife typically but the landscape is more inspiring because of pinnacle rock. We were fortunate enough to be greeted by a sea lion which we had to step over to get on to the island as well as blue footed boobies on the cliff. The rest of the island is a little bit of a hike along a wooden pathway with numerous steps up to the top of the island.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon Safari

Ecuador

Sebastian got us to Ahuana la Punta where we boarded a river boat and went down river to AmaZOOnico and had a guided tour all throughout the property. After that we got back in the boat and went to Wankuriska Ayllu Canelos and spent some time with a Quechua family and learned about making ChiCha as well as pulling fibers out of plants to make string and rope. We then ventured to another location where there was a pond with cayman. After that we went to Cesars home (our boat captain) and we were taught how to use a blowgun and alsowere walked through the whole cacao/chocolate process. we even roasted our own beans, shelled them and ground them. We then made our own chocolate sauce for a fondue. Everyone we came across on this adventure were warm and welcoming.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Quito - Rainforest Lodge in Archidona

Ecuador

Sebastian made the best of the situation as the E20 was closed due to landslides. we had to take the long way to the lodge. we stopped at a lot of places along the way to sightsee and do some fun activities like Casa de Arbol, a few waterfalls, and Devils Cauldron.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Sebastian was absolutely wonderful. He was very knowledgable and seemed to know everyone! He was able to get us into some things that were seemingly closed after having a chat with folks at some of the sites we went to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the "Middle of the World"

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rinolda was AMAZING! I took my 17 y/o niece on a 9 day adventure through Iceland. I shared my goals with Rinolda- I wanted to see as much as we could without overwhelming a teenager with too rigourous a schedule. She nailed it. And on extremely short notice! Everything was so well organized. I especially appreciated the drive plan she provided for each day. We knew exactly where were were going, how long each stretch was and she even had suggestions for stops along the way with interesting things to see and places to stop for snacks and meals. I can not say enough about how wonderful it was to have such a well planned and organized trip.

Each day felt like a new adventure and we LOVED taking in all the beautiful scenery! Highlights for us were the Arnarstapi-Hellnar Coastal Walk- the views were breathtaking! Truly spectacular. And the small hidden gem resturant at the end of the trail tucked in the hillside over a secluded beach topped off an already awe inspiring day. The fish soup was *chefs kiss*.

The Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour was spectacular. This blew my mind. Gorgeous, informative, the company had incredible guides and the views, including seeing the seals and being up close and immersed in the beauty of the Lagoon is definitely an experience that should not be missed.

I honestly can not say enough about the quality of the trip, the details, the planning and all of the suggestions. So happy we found KimKim and especially, Rinolda.