Kimkim Trip Reviews

Mar and Fenne did a superb job on planning our Norway trip and included an itinerary that was perfect for a shorter getaway! They worked with us closely on multiple trip versions due to a last minute switch by us having to move our trip from summer time to the fall, and we were very pleased we went in the season we did. Aside from a couple of weather glitches and the time change affecting some of our planned activities, it was an overall great trip! Thanks Mar and Fenne! We really appreciate your planning efforts and allowing us to have an unforgettable experience in Norway!

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus

Tromsø

They took us all the way to Finland to see the lights because the weather was bad, and in my opinion that was above and beyond what I was expecting!

Quality of Experience

Me and my friend both lost our dad's a few years ago so we asked my dad to come through as a red color and her dad to come through as yellow based on some of their favorite things before they passed. It was kinda a joke at dinner time before we left to see the lights, and we didn't really think they would come through as those colors...but they did, and I'm still shocked about it because apparently seeing what we did was pretty rare especially with how awful the weather had been all night.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again, they took us all the way to Finland! Haha I visited two countries for the price of one!

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Flåm

Ervin (aka Wreckless haha) was honestly one of the best tour guides I've ever had, and I do a lot of traveling. He was very down to earth, very in tune with what we wanted to do and talk about, and we both felt very confidant in his abilities and comfortable around him. Me and my friend Christy had an awesome day seeing some amazing views, hiking with him and eating some local treats ("Don't call it a KitKat") lol. Would highly recommend this local tour company, and obviously if they give you Ervin to lead you, definitely a bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The whole trip was very enjoyable. One of the issues we had was communicating with you from, and in, Portugal. Before we left London we gave you a new phone number to use to reach Jeffrey but I don't think that was noted. We provided my phone number which was confusing. Both flights to and from Portugal were on time. We did not find our transport on arrival in Porto because of the mix-up with phone numbers. But Jeffrey called your head office and we were able to sort it out.
When it came to our hotels they were fine, but we would have preferred rooms that were not almost underground at both. The room at Pestana Pousado Porto was very small but it was directly on the street so we needed to have the shutters closed at all times. We had a similar experience in Lisbon, at Hotel H10 Duque de Loule. Our room looked out on an air shaft. We were disappointed at both because we were paying premium rates.
All of our guides were excellent. The Food Tour on our first night was very good. We got an education about food and drink in Portugal. Very enjoyable, and the guide was lively and knowledgeable. Silvia in Porto showed us as much as was possible of Jewish history because there's nothing to see. But, she taught us a lot about Porto and the treatment of Jews. Jose Antunes of Lisbon Walker in Lisbon gave us a wonderful tour and education about Jewish life in Portugal. Teresa in Lisbon was a lively and interesting guide to Sintra and a local vineyard. We felt like all of our guides became a friend.
Fado & Food was enormous fun - great music, club and restaurant. They got a taxi for us at the end of the evening.
The Tile Museum, which we did by ourselves, was spectacular. It was a revelation to see so much amazing tilework.
The day we left the clocks were set back an hour. The hotel gave us good warning and our transfer to the airport was there at the correct time, 5:00am. The flight into Heathrow was fine.
One thing that would have made our trip much better was more information about getting tickets for every site we wanted to see. We were not able to see anything at the University in Coimbra, particularly the library, because we did not have tickets and could not purchase them there. In Lisbon we stood in line for well over an hour at The Monastery only to find when we got to the entrance we found out we needed tickets. The only way you could get them was online. All of this information would have been invaluable, and made our trip that much more enjoyable.

Overall, the trip was pretty fantastic though there were definitely some glitches. Meeting our driver on day 1 was a bit sketchy since we weren't informed we had to take a bus to the terminal from the ferry, and once we made contact we found out this was not our driver for the whole trip. The first night was a bit scary, due partially from Brenda wanting to find individual Riads rather than your chosen ones. Accommodations were not as we had anticipated and it was well off the beaten path. Fortunately all turned out ok, and the next morning we met Karim who was our security blanket for the rest of the trip. Karim was a great guide and driver. He was so knowledgeable about his country, geography, fauna and of course customs of the Moroccan people. His love of his country was quite evident in how he spoke. In riding with him he was very conscientious in maintaining safe speeds and did not take risks. We felt very fortunate to have been gifted him as our driver. I can't be as complementary regarding the vehicle we road in though. Though it was comfortable it had a bad exhaust system and we could continually smell exhaust for 7 days and many kilometers. It was a breathtaking tour watching the countryside with the ever changing landscape of the country. Some of the travel days were spent far too long on the road in the vehicle though.
All the guides we had were knowledge and friendly. Our favorite, another Karim, lead on us a 4 1/2 hr hike in Azrou who shared so much about trees, plants and wildlife, as well as his lunch! A very remarkable man and hiking guide!! The 2 guides in the cities, Kamal in Fez and Mohammad in Marrakech were good. Kamal had a superior knowledge of Fez Medina and we surely would have been lost without him. He led us to areas that many tourists rarely experience as in the a market that was below street level packed shoulder to shoulder with people and the 3 of us had to hold hands so as not to be separated. He also presented a restaurant for us that was superb for spread of Moroccan food. It became quite clear he was also the ambassador for the shop keepers and tourists. We felt greatly under pressure to buy many items even though I know the custom was to repay the craftsman by purchases. Mohammad in Marrakech was a friendly jolly man who we enjoyed though also acted as a go between the shopkeepers and tourists. He did an overly good job in introducing us to the foods available in Marrakech market. I appreciated his openness to sharing Muslim practices and was very accommodating in finding restaurants in line with our dietary preferences.
Overall the trip was fantastic, but there were many challenges throughout with the language barrier, getting accustomed to layout of Riads, design of Medinas and constant calculating money exchanges. The warmth and friendliness of the Moroccan people we came in contact with was very welcoming.

Activity Review

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

this was an experience of a lifetime! Really enjoyed the camel ride and the seeing the beauty of the dunes and desert which was breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are a group of 6 friends who have just concluded an 8-day trip to celebrate our 50th birthdays! Hakim Alibouche prepared a wonderful trip for us and we are so happy with how smooth the whole trip went. All the accommodations set up for us were superb and felt luxurious, especially Dar Jasmine, Riad, Norma, and Riad La Cle D’or.

The highlight of our trip was our overnight stay at Madu Luxury Desert Camp where we were able to see the sunset and sunrise. The camp was well-equipped and the staff took care of us very well.

We were also very lucky to have Hakim Hamzawi as our driver and guide for the whole week! Hakim took care of us, made sure we are comfortable and safe, and is very knowledgeable about the area. He communicated with our local guides and accommodations so that porters are present when we arrive to help us navigate the alleyways and to make sure we find our way to the riad. His friendliness and fun personality added to the fun of our whole trip and we appreciate him so much. We will very much request his service again if we come back with our families.

Overall the service was great and we made so many precious memories from this adventure. I would highly recommend Kimkim to friends and family who would prefer a hassle-free planning and customized trip. It made a difference to have this platform do all the research, planning, booking, coordinating and organizing with local specialists especially with a group like ours.

Hotel Reviews

Riad la Clé d'Or

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GuestHouse Bagdad Café

Ait Ben Haddou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

This walking food tour was our last activity of the whole trip and felt anti-climatic because at that point, we have already tasted many of the food through our week of traveling around Morocco. Our local guide is very knowledgeable and the tour is informative, however, this tour would be great at the start of the trip as an introduction to Morocco and not at the end. We didn’t finish the whole tour because it dragged on and we were too full from trying different street food and physically tired (it’s past 8:30 pm) that we declined the dinner part which would have been a good ending of the day.

Quality of Experience

Exploring the madness and chaos of Jemaa el fna with a guide is exciting and made it more manageable!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and driver made us feel safe and taken cared of all the time.

Transport

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

We were disappointed with our experience in Les Bains de L’alhambra. It seemed like there was too much booking for the size of the place to have an intimate and relaxing experience. From the moment we arrived through the whole process, the staff was disorganized and rushing back and forth between rooms. It was like a factory assembly line with clients seated and waiting for their turn for the next step of the process. We received wet towels and complained about it. They gave us new ones after much buzzing around by the staff trying to figure out what the deal was. Our massage room had 3 tables but the room is small so moving around between them with 3 clients and 3 massage therapists is very tight. As a result, I had a cut on my thigh from a sharp metal edge sticking out one of the massage tables as I was trying to move to my assigned table. Overall it was not relaxing and quite disappointing to be a first hammam experience. We thought it would feel luxurious but it’s the complete opposite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Hakim Hamzawi is the best!

Transport

Nice comfortable van provided for us.

Our tour director, Ha, was excellent at creating a tour that met our interests perfectly. The Vespa food tour at night in Hanoi was unforgettable! The trips outside Hanoi included hiking, cycling and kayaking making this an active vacation, which was very important for us. And our guide, Huy was superb in every way: knowledgable, informative, punctual and super friendly and upbeat. We recommend this team without any reservations!

Activity Reviews

Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuc Phuong National Park

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ninh Binh - Biking trip to Tho Ha village, Nho Quan

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi to Mai Chau & Activities

Mai Chau

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Vespa by night food tour (N)

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first trip to Portugal, so we wanted to book with a local. Overall, we were very happy with our specialist Bea who was super friendly and helpful. She booked us an amazing trip with some fantastic highlights, with only a few disappointments. First to give a shout-out to the driver she arranged for us to pick us up from the airport in Lisbon and take us to and from Lagos. His name was Nuno and he was the best! We really enjoyed talking with him and though he wasn’t a tour guide per we, he explained so many neat things! He showed us the cork trees, for example, even stopping so we could see them up close! We felt like VIPs riding in his nice van and he was always dressed to the T. The best surprise was when we got back to Lisbon, he arranged for us to skip the line for pastries at Pasteis de Belem because he stopped the van, ran in and grabbed ours hot and fresh! Such a treat! Our few days in Lagos was nice, but we both agreed we wouldn’t return. The four wheel drive tour was in an old beat up Toyota driven by a fellow who was mainly interested in stopping along the way for smoke breaks. We did enjoy our city guides of Lisbon, both tour guides we had were great! We learned so much. Another amazing day was the trip to Sinatra to tour the palaces. Our guide was another wonderful guide Nuno who also was the photographer who took all of the postcards sold in the palace! He gave us a set of them too! He took us on a secret hike to get a magnificent view of the palace! Such a cool experience! Finally, we flew to Sau Miguel in the Azores for a magnificent week. It truly is one of the most beautiful islands I have ever seen! We enjoyed hiking the Sete Cidades, driving to Furnas to visit the natural Hot Springs, visiting the Gorreana Tea factory, and mostly just grabbing some bread and cheese and hitting the road for the next most scenic picnic spot! Our hotel, Hotel Marina Atlantico, was a big disappointment. It was quite dated, and the staff was very rude to us on several occasions. Our key didn’t work on more than one occasion, and we would have to go back downstairs to get a new one. We were told upon check in that there was no parking available except in the second garage over, so we had to walk out of the parking garage to the street to get back to the hotel. This was unacceptable arrangement and we found out later there were plenty of parking spots! Regardless, we enjoyed the island but would not stay there ever again. Thanks to Bea for this truly memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marina Atlântico

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Dated room, dated building, old and tired looking. Rude staff. Would have left if we could.

Authenticity & Character

Update! Remodel! Better parking!

Location

Nicer view than the waterfront area that looked old and rundown.

Staff

Retrain and rehire the rude staff members all seemed unhappy and angry! Front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Floors replaced, fix the parking

Martinhal Lisbon Chiado

Lisbon

Personal care and detail extraordinare! The staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Rooms were above and beyond our expectations! They had every amenity you might possibly need. Especially if you’re traveling with kids, which we weren’t.

Authenticity & Character

Nice views of old Lisbon and quaint buildings.

Location

Convenient and safe

Staff

Super friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wonderful stay! Loved it!

Vivenda Miranda

Lagos

Nice room, beautiful grounds and views! Sunsets were amazing. The breakfast was delicious. A nice stay.

Authenticity & Character

Quaint and unique

Location

Ocean views

Staff

Very welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were a tad dated feeling, halls were dark and musty

Activity Reviews

Dinner with Locals at a Local Home

Lisbon

As introverts, my husband and I were a bit apprehensive about doing this. But we are so glad we did! Thanks to Bea for the suggestion! The hosts Sofia and Carlos made us feel so welcomed in their home! They are genuinely kind and gracious hosts! Carlos cooked chorizo over a flame which was an experience in itself! Sofia is an excellent cook, and made a delicious cuttlefish stew that she and Carlos had caught themselves! The dessert was incredible too—a cap to a wonderful evening.

Quality of Experience

The hosts!

Food

All of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sofia and Carlos 👍🏻

Transport

We had to take a taxi on our own,

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

This was one of our favorite days of our vacation! Our guide, Nuno, made the trip. He was a genuinely nice and kind guy who made us feel special! From stopping by a local pastry shop on the way, to taking us on a secret hike to get a fantastic view of Pena Palace, he was the best! As a photographer, he even took a number of photos of us all day that he shared. He prepared us a picnic lunch to cap off the most memorable day!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful views and day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuno is the best!

Transport

Nuno picked us up at our Lisbon hotel!

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

This was really a fun experience! Another way to learn more about the history and culture! Had to be brave to try certain things (bacalau!) but we were there for the pasteis de de Nata!

Quality of Experience

So fun to try different food and drink

Food

I mean, does anyone really like bacalau? 😅

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was a standout!

Transport

Walking! Great exercise, best way to see the city

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This personal guide tour was very enjoyable from start to finish! Our guide was so informative and interesting, and interactive that it made the tour more memorable. He told us so many interesting facts and stories (even personal ones from his family) that made our understanding of the history of Lisbon come alive. We highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

The history came alive

Guides, Drivers and Staff

His knowledge and expertise

Transport

Walking! Haha we got our steps in!

4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience

Portugal

Unfortunately this was a disappointing experience. The guide was late picking us up, and he arrived in a very old Toyota 4 x 4 that was already full of people. Two ladies were seated in the back cargo area! The driver and several other passengers were smokers who made a point to stop along the way for smoke breaks, I kid you not. All the while we are driving toward the lookout point for the sunset, it is getting later and closer to sunset. The driver ended up rushing to arrive in time before sunset! The views were beautiful though!

Quality of Experience

Different car and driver

Guides, Drivers and Staff

One who shows interest in something besides his next smoke

Transport

A newer vehicle with fewer passengers

Catamaran Excursion to Benagil Caves & Carvoeiro Beach

Portugal

Change the description of this please! As a catamaran lover, we were extremely disappointed to find that our “sailing” trip was in truth, riding on a packed rubber Zodiak! Passengers were packed neck to neck straddling the center like a pony! Again, not at all what we were expecting. The cave tour itself was neat, but the rough bouncy ride there was anything but.

Quality of Experience

Actually provide a catamaran? Not a dinghy!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Narrative and friendly

Transport

The boat!

When we arrived in Lisbon, we went on a tour with Mariana and she was amazing and knowledgeable. She had map references for the kids and I to see/visualize and even sent us on a scavenger hunt (which I am sad to report that we were the 1% of her groups that were unable to complete the mission; we got a little lost).

On our Sintra Heritage Hike, Feliz told us remarkable stories, showed us where the Queen's throne was (the view was one of my favorites), took great pictures of/for us, and provided a wonderful picnic!

The train ride from Lisbon to Porto was easy and enjoyable and from there, we went on a food tour that also took us through the Mercado de Bolhao. Our tour guide (I forgot her name, but she was wonderful!) was prepared and considered for substitutions for the kids, such as fresh fruit juice in place of wine. In the evening, we took a private tuk tuk tour with Bonito who had a wealth of knowledge of Porto and showed us all over including the fishing village.

We went on a hiking excursion with Petito to Peneda-Geres National Park and he was patient and full of stories. The traditional lunch in the village restaurant was abundant and delicious and the kids had an exciting time seeing the cows, sheep, and dogs!

The next day, we went off to Evora with Diogo, who drove us for the 4-hour ride. He provided us with lots of information regarding landmarks and was a safe and courteous driver. Once we arrived in Evora, we met up with Joao for a tour of the city which also included one of our favorites, the Chapel of Bones. We also got to witness the freshmen initiation of the uniforms which is an annual tradition. The next day, we met up with Joao again for a delicious tasting tour of pastries, olive oil, and wine. And, of course, we ended the tour with a bifana (Portuguese pork sandwich). Joao never made us feel like we were on scheduled time and told us lots of stories and antidotes to tie everything to the richness of the culture and history of Evora.

Later in the afternoon, Paulo picked us up with a driver and took us on an Evora Cork and castle tour. We are now cork experts and I think would make Paulo proud of our knowledge of cork.

The day before we departed Portugal, Diogo picked us up again and asked if were on a schedule, which we were not. It was our only free day without any tours or schedules, and he asked if were interested in seeing a private zoo. Of course, the answer was “Yes!” so he took us to a private zoo, which sells cheese, bought us animal feed and walked us around the zoo. At no point did he ever make us feel rushed or that he was on the clock. And his stories never ceased to amaze.

A big thank you to Helena, from KimKim, on collaborating with us to plan the perfect itinerary and to leave a memorable impression of Portugal that will be remembered for years to come! I highly recommend KimKim, Helena, in addition to all our special guides, Mariana, Feliz, Petito, Diogo, Joao, and Paulo. Without them, this would not have been the same perfect experience.

Glen was amazing for our London tour. He was very knowable on all the sites. He was able to work in some stops we requested. Our accommodations at the Henri were great. Our second guide Tanya was great. We drove a lot to different sites. She was also knowledgeable of the places we visited. We didn’t like The Pig. Our room was four flights of stairs and very dark. The room was very small and also dark. We changed hotels to the Falstaff it was great. Our last 2 nights were at hotel The Star. It was very nice most of the restaurants were good. We would of liked a little time to site see shops were we stopped. As it was time change it dark at 4ish we didn’t like going out after dark. Transportation to and from the airport was fine.

We had a fantastic trip. Renata did an excellent job planning our Brazil trip which include visiting the Amazon, Iguazu Falls (both sides) and time in Rio. We loved our stay at Turtle Lodge in the Amazon and both our guides for Iguazu Falls and Rio were great. All our airport pick ups and drop offs went great as well. We hope to visit Brazil again. Thanks for a wonderful trip

Hotel Reviews

Arena Leme Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Great views of the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sanma Hotel Foz do Iguaçu

Foz do Iguaçu

Nice hotel. Breakfast was great. Pool fantastic. Really close to the Falls. Room a bit small for King size bed and AC blew annoyingly in our face throughout the night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazon Turtle Lodge

Great place to see Amazon. Staff were great our guide was super informative.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intercity Manaus

Manaus

The front staff were great, both friendly and informative. Rooms were comfortable, but a little rough in spots, such as cabinets in bathroom coming undone or the multiple mysterious stains on white wall that look like had not been cleaned for awhile.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Closer to main square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above

Activity Reviews

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 5) and Transfer to Manaus International Airport (MAO), Departure

Brazil

Day Tour of Sugarloaf Mountain (walking trail) and Christ the Redeemer Statue

Rio de Janeiro

Edwin was a great tour guide. He took us all around Rio, while giving us both a history and culture lesson of Brazil.

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side & Gran Aventura Boat Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Bike & Hike on the Brazilian Side of the Falls and visit to the Bird Park

Foz do Iguaçu

Our Guide Orico was amazing. He was informative, friendly and dedicated. Orico goes out of his way for his tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 4 - 4NPackage)

Brazil

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 3)

Brazil

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (Turtle Lodge - Day 2)

Brazil

Food

Good, bit repetitive at times

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer & immersion in the rainforest (Turtle Lodge - Day 1)

Brazil

We had a fantastic time in Morocco, and it was made all the more enjoyable by our wonderful guide and driver Reda. He looked after my family which included my daughters ages 14 and 11 so well. A particular highlight was our stay at the Tiziri Camp in the dunes at Merzouga - we were lucky with the weather and saw sunsets and sunrises that I have not experienced anywhere else on the planet, not to mention the Milky Way at night. Quad biking was also a highlight for my daughters and Reda helped us with the booking of this - he was also brilliant with any personal issues we had (a fight with a contact lens etc!).
Our visit to the Berbour camp was incredibly eye opening, and reminded us of the importance of water to us all. Youssef was our guide for this part of the adventure and we particularly enjoyed hunting for fossils with him (I think Youssef enjoyed this too!)
All in all a wonderful trip - make sure to ask for Reda when booking!

Alex is an amazing driver! Long rides went fast due to his knowledge and experiences in life. Some other things need improvement though.

Accommodations were very good except at the Lapas Jungle Lodge. While the atmosphere was great, the rooms and meals were below average. Room had a hot water issue, hot tub was not hot and only 1 of 7 jets worked, ongoing construction, and staff morale seemed low. I would not use this hotel until the new ownership has finished refurbish.

Most excursions were awesome, but the descriptions could be better. Even their websites are pretty vague. The night walk was great but our guide was not engaging and seemed impatient. Same with the ATV guide. While nice people, it felt like they were just going through the motions.

The 2nd half of our itinerary was lacking in accurate (or at all) descriptions. We made it work, but wanted to bring it up for future guests.

Finally, Bryan's attention to detail needs improvement. He miscommunicated several times on, what I thought, were some pretty easy tasks. I'm sure it's a fast paced job, but this was the down season.

Overall we loved our trip but would not book through Serendipity again.

Hotel Reviews

Celeste Mountain Lodge

Bijagua

This is more like a B&B, but that is what's charming about it. Very clean and well maintained. The food is great, and an excellent value! We ate all but one of our meals there.

Authenticity & Character

Very relaxing atmosphere

Location

Don't miss out on their private hiking path, it was the highlight of our trip!

Staff

The staff seemed like family and all did a wonderful job.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and orderly. Quiet and relaxing, I recommend a fan if you are not used to an open air room without A/C, we did just fine with a 10" fan on the days without a breeze. And we slept really well enjoying the night sounds.

Villa Lapas Rainforest Eco-Resort

Tárcoles

They are in the middle of new ownership and they need to finish their construction before I would recommend. The grounds are great though!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jungle Crocodile Safari

Costa Rica

We can't review because our Serendipity manager was not very attentive, he seemed disengaged and not too effective at his job.

River Tubing on the Río Celeste

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Great guide, very patient and upbeat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fun guys, went out of their way to give extra time and effort. Well done, gentlemen!

Tapir Valley Nature Reserve Night Walk

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Fantastic experience, the nature reserve has well maintained paths and structures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed overly focused on moving rather than enjoying. Not all tourists want to run at night, in a hot climate, to maybe see an animal. Many of us just want to be out there soaking up the atmosphere. Perhaps ask your group what they value.

Transport

Serendipity manager fumbled the transport. Many thanks to our hotel hosts for finding a alternate driver quickly. But this set off a chain reaction where our tour guide seemed annoyed and in a rush.

Arenal ATV Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was fun and we'd do it again with a different trail(s). We could have done without the "back 40" mud drive, it was not very big and not that interesting. Once in the mountains, the views were amazing, but not much of a chance to enjoy (eg slow down, pull over, etc. It was more about the ride than the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was great, especially the young lady at reception, our guide was nice but could have been more attentive.

Transport

Driver was fun and engaging, in fact he was the one who noticed my phone/rain issue...well done!

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Rafting Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice float and our raft guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dalia was extremely responsive to our requests both before and while we were traveling. On the trip we realized we had overbooked ourselves particularly in light of sleeping problems. She made adjustments to the schedule every time we asked. We appreciated her cheerfulness and overall professionalism.

Activity Reviews

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

We loved the Tuk-Tuk tour! Perhaps because we were finally off our feet. Seriously, the tuk-tuk and guide were perfect. Entertaining, efficient, and the tour was just the right length. Great combination.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Madrid Guided Tour with Royal Palace

Madrid

We only toured the palace. Guide was fine but again we were finished before she was.

Santiago de Compostela city tour

Santiago de Compostela

We skipped this tour. We only toured the church which was great for Theresa.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Santiago de Compostela with short hike on the Camino de Santiago

Spain

Theresa was enthralled with the whole experience. So this rating is for her.

Quality of Experience

The setting, the religious experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Bilbao for Guggenheim on the way to Leon

Spain

The exterior of the museum is the reason to visit. We were disappointed in the exhibits.

Day trip to visit Marqués de Riscal & self-guided walk in La Guardia

San Sebastián

Beautiful setting, interesting tour. Eating lunch here was my idea but it wasn't as special as I hoped. The lunch at the vineyard on the way to Leon was much better and felt authentic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Sebastian: Panoramic & city center tour

San Sebastián

For all of us, this was a superb location to visit. Just what we needed. The tour guide Veronica?-- was the best! Mature, knowledgeable, entertaining. Perfect fit --History teacher--for our interests.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montserrat private half-day trip

Barcelona

The location was beautiful, information interesting. Unfortunately, the guide was a distraction. She said she was a trained Opera singer and preceded to sing at inappropriate times. She also had exaggerated gestures and was a bit over the top, really. When we'd try to cut sections short, she was insistent that we had to follow her lead. Our driver on the other hand was wonderful. Excellent, safe driver.

Modernist Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

The easy entry and overall efficiencies getting to and entering the La Sagrada Familia were great. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The tour of the other Gaudi locations could have been shorter. We tried to end the tour early--we were tired-- but it didn't seem to be an option.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was AMAZING! Kristy did such a great job organizing absolutely EVERYTHING! Loved having the private drivers always on time, checking us into our flights, and boarding passes sent directly to the phone made ease of travel with carry-on only a breeze. The excursions were great and we met so many great guides from Ricardo Paez who was personable and extremely well-versed in the history, landscape, and focal points of Mendoza, to Tessa, who unfortunately was under the weather but still made the Wine Tour fun, to our lovely Iquaza Falls guide - Amanda!! She was an absolute doll. would highly recommend kimkim for anyone wanting everything planned out exactly to their taste and style of travel and will certainly use this service again. A special thanks to Kristy for being so on top of everything and readily accessible if we needed anything. She was on her A-game!!

Hakim and the rest of the local tour guides were very nice and accommodating.

Hotel Reviews

GuestHouse Bagdad Café

Ait Ben Haddou

The hotel was an oasis after a long travel. Thank you.

Authenticity & Character

The décor kept with the Moroccan theme and felt very authentic.

Location

The hotel's location was accessible and easy to get to.

Staff

Everyone was friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was clean and comfortable all throughout our stay.

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

The experience was amazing! The facilities were clean and comfortable to think that we were in the middle of the desert. We enjoyed the ambiance as well as the program after dinner. Thank you.

Authenticity & Character

The authenticity of being in the desert while being comfortable and safe.

Location

We loved the sunrise and sunset! The location provided everything we expected.

Staff

Everyone was friendly, patient, and considerate.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The facilities were clean and comfortable throughout our stay.

Riad Semlalia

Fès

The hotel's aesthetic is absolutely stunning and authentic while the service is friendly and accommodating. I loved the breakfasts served. Thank you.

Authenticity & Character

Décor is fabulous and aesthetic is culturally authentic.

Location

Accessible location with gorgeous views.

Staff

Everyone was friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness was maintained and it felt very comforting all throughout our stay.

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

The hotel was absolutely spectacular! From the view of Chefchaouen, to the amenities', as well as the service were amazing.

Authenticity & Character

The décor and ambiance was authentically fabulous and beautiful.

Location

The view of the place was top-notched.

Staff

Everyone was very accommodating and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The amenities were consistently clean and comfortable.

Riad la Clé d'Or

Marrakech

Everyone was easy to talk to and seek assistance. I love the ambiance, the aesthetic, and the location of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

The décor and ambiance felt very authentic, cultural, and comfortable.

Location

It is just a few kilometers away from everything you'd like to visit in Marrakesh.

Staff

Our needs were easily addressed and accommodated.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleanliness and comfort was maintained all throughout our stay.

Activity Reviews

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

The hammam was a bit disorganized and felt the place was not equip to handle all six of us in the group. Only 5 of us were given beds immediately after the hammam. Although this was later rectified, I was already almost dry before I was given a bed (I replaced one of my companions and did not know were she was taken after accommodating me). The massage was great. The masseuse did a good job at relaxing my muscles. Sadly, when we were about to leave, the hammam and massage place lost my companion's personal slippers. She had to borrow their lent slippers as we went back to our Riyad. Later, her personal slippers were returned but were still wet.

Aït Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi n'Tichka Pass & the High Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Fes to Merzouga (Erg Chebbi Desert) - Overnight in the Desert via Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt & Erfoud (No Camel Rides)

Morocco

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Guided tour of Meknes

Meknes

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Morocco

Transfer to Fes, Volubilis & Meknes

Morocco

Afternoon Guided Tour in Chefchaouen

Morocco

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

We enjoyed the scenery and the assistance provided by the assigned guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joel planned our trip which included Paris, St Malo, Loire Valley, Bordeau, Hossegor, and Biarritz. He arranged our hotels, rental car, hotels, and local tours. I was stressed out planning my trip until Joel came on the scene. I would highly recommend Joel & KimKim for any trip to France.

Our local specialist, Jesse, did a wonderful job throughout! She was receptive to our ideas, chose locations and excursions that matched our interests, and was flexible and patient as we worked out the details for two couples--one pair of native Chilenos and one pair of English-speaking US citizens. She was available for last minute questions late at night and early in the morning. We felt well-taken care of the whole time. In terms of our experiences, our stay at Hotel Las Torres Patagonia was a splurge but was well worth it. The location inside the park was extraordinary, the rooms and food were exceptional, and the folks who worked there could not have been more welcoming. Two excursions stand out in our minds as experiences we will never forget. The first was the boat trip to Isla Magdalena to see the penguin colony there. Jesse reserved VIP tickets for us, which gave us an opportunity for good views, a nice snack, and personalized information from Guillermo, a guide from Fiordos del Sur. Another memorable tour was the day we spent hiking from Sarmiento to Amarga Lagoon in Torres del Paine National Park. Our guide, Pedro, with Patagonia Planet was fantastic! We appreciated his ability to speak both Spanish and English, the tour van with big windows that offered all of us a great view, and his patience and knowledge in answering the million questions we asked about the flora, fauna, geological features, and cultural history of the park. This trip really was the adventure of a lifetime, and we could not be more appreciative of the services Kimkim offered!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

The hotel is certainly pricey, but its location in the park was well worth the money. We could walk out the front door and immediately start trekking. It was also a warm and welcoming place to rest after a long day of adventures! Our reservation was "half-board," and the breakfasts and dinners were exceptional. Every staff member we encountered went out of their way to be helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the park! We could hike to the base of the towers.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great showers!

Hotel Costanera

Puerto Natales

New and modern accommodations, a nice breakfast, and a friendly, helpful staff. The hotel was a little off the beaten path, but we were able to walk to the center of town, though getting an Uber was often more convenient. The location on the water was nice!

Authenticity & Character

The women who worked the front desk were welcoming and helped us to make dining reservations each evening.

Location

Not in the center of town.

Staff

The women who cooked and served breakfast could not have been friendlier.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Chile

The route was amazing and so was Pedro, our guide!

Quality of Experience

The route offered us extraordinary view of both Los Cuernos and Los Torres. Seeing guanacos and native birds was a thrill, as was seeing the cave paintings and imagining those who traveled this route before us.

Food

Box lunch was convenient and delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was SO knowledgeable and shared his knowledge generously in both English and Spanish. He was also extremely responsive to our needs and abilities.

Transport

Nice big van with big, clean windows.

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

Full disclosure: The day we took this tour could not have been wetter. It poured rain the whole time, and everyone on the boat was soaking wet before we were finished. It limited the views of this incredibly scenic place. The windows were steamed up, and most people never went out on the decks because it was raining so hard.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything. We stopped at an "estancia" for lunch. It seemed more like an event venue, a giant room filled with tables. The wait staff was insufficient for the number of people they were trying to serve. We waited forever to be served, making the lunch take hours. The food was poor. The specialty of the house--lamb--was dry and overcooked. What a disappointment! We would have preferred to have skipped this part of the experience altogether.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was little in terms of a guide. The narration came over a loud speaker, and because of the noise level of conversation on our deck, we could hardly hear what was being said.

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

This trip was disappointing. Our tour was for just the four of us, but the small SUV we rode in required that one of us sit up front with the driver, while the other three sat in the back, with someone in the middle seat. Not ideal for looking out the windows, which was a big part of this driving tour. Two of us were native Spanish speakers with good English, and two of us were native English speakers who know a little Spanish. Our guide was fluent in Spanish, but his English was definitely not fluent. The result was that he spent 90% of the time conversing with the Chileans, and much less time talking with the English speakers. It was frustrating when we had questions. That being said, we visited some beautiful parts of the park, places we never would have seen if we had been driving on our own.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had box lunches which were very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A guide for English speakers who is truly fluent in English.

Transport

A larger vehicle with bigger windows.

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Seeing penguins up close was amazing! Although all visitors to the island are required to stay on the paved path, we never felt herded or rushed. The walk was self-paced, and a number of guides were spread out during the walk to answer questions and give more information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide, Guillermo, who was assigned to the upper deck, set up a big map that helped us to visualize where we were and what made that route on the Straits of Magellan so special.

Transport

Safety was a primary concern of the staff, which we appreciated. The seating was comfortable, and the big windows allowed us to have clear views as we travelled.

We had an absolutely amazing vacation in Croatia! Our travel agent, Antonia ( and her assistant, Sara )were so helpful and truly made our travel so enjoyable and carefree! We wanted to see the highlights of Croatia and Antonia and Sara developed an itinerary where we visited 6 places in Croatia plus a day trip to Montenegro!
The "Trips Plans" app that we downloaded to our phones before we left the states was very helpful. A great way to be able to review our itinerary on a daily basis! And such an added bonus that Antonia and Sara would message us every evening to make sure we were set for the following day!!

We had a wonderful group of guides! A couple in particular that we felt went above and beyond to make our experience special were:
Ivana - our guide at Plitvice Lakes Park - she truly gave us a wonderful tour and she had so much knowledge about the park.
Grgo - we loved our day on the island of Hvar! Our guide, Grgo drove us around the island allowing us to visit many of the small villages on the island and it was a highlight to visit his family owned winery, enjoying the wine along with a home cooked lunch!
Mirna - Our tour guide in Split! She was very knowledgeable on the history of Split and the Diocletian Palace.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel More

Dubrovnik

Beautiful hotel with wonderful views from our hotel room as well as the Cave Bar! We actually enjoyed not staying in the walled city - It was only a 10 minute Uber ride from our hotel to the walled city. We went to the walled city to walk the walls as well as for dinner one evening when we were in Dubrovnik. The hotel is confusing though to navigate the floors for the hotel rooms, breakfast, etc. It took us a couple days before we understood the layout of the hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful views

Location

Very convenient and easy to get an uber ride from the hotel to Dubrovnik's walled city.

Staff

The hotel staff could have done a better job of showing us the pool, hot tub and restaurant location. It took us some time to navigate the hotel property.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel rooms were very spacious and the views from our hotel room balcony was wonderful!

Aminess Korčula Heritage Hotel

Korčula

We loved the small and quaint island of Korcula, but the Aminess Korcula Heritage Hotel is very tired and needs to be renovated! The rooms are extremely small and the bathroom shower is way too small! I would suggest guests are not booked at this hotel until the renovation can be completed!

Authenticity & Character

The hotel needs to be renovated!

Location

Location is great - perfect for walking around the quaint island!

Staff

The front desk staff were very welcoming and although the hotel is tired looking, the staff helped to make our experience at the hotel enjoyable!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel needs to be renovated- bathroom ( shower) is way too small!!

Hotel Ambasador

Split

The Hotel Ambassador was truly our favorite hotel. The service was wonderful! And the view from our hotel room was amazing!! We had a wonderful balcony looking out at the Sea where we were able to enjoy a drink with the beautiful view!! Niksa ( a server at breakfast) helped to make our mornings wonderful as we enjoyed the delicious breakfast! The special breakfast items that could be ordered ( not on the buffet) were delicious!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location to walking to the Palace, many restaurants and the nightlife in Split!!

Staff

See above on my notes about Niksa ( Breakfast server).

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our hotel room had wonderful amentities!! And the rooms were very spacious! Loved our view from our hotel room balcony!!And our king size bed looked out to the Sea!! Beautiful!!

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

A wonderful small boutique hotel with a nice view from our hotel room. The front desk lady ( I don't remember her name though) was very helpful. She provided me with a package of throat lozenges and hot tea as I was feeling the affects of our long travel day to Croatia! She went above and beyond to make us feel welcome to Zadar!

Authenticity & Character

Small Boutique with personal service!

Location

Super close to walk to the Sea Organ for the Sunset and the restaurants and historic sights in Zadar!

Staff

The front desk lady - see above!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amadria Park Hotel Capital

Zagreb

We were greeted warmly as we arrived to the hotel and this was nice as we were definitely tired from the long flights from the states. Wonderful breakfast the following morning!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only a short walk into town and the main square in Zagreb with restaurants and shops!

Staff

Ivana at the front desk greeted us with drinks and chocolates when we arrived - Nice touch!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

The cooking class and experience in Konavle at the Kameni Dvori family estate was a wonderful way to spend our last evening in Croatia!! The guides and family members (Nike and Katarina) made the experience of helping to cook our dinner so much fun ( we made homemade bread and pasta)! And we had lots of laughs with the 2 other guests that we met! We even walked through the family farm to pick vegetables and fruits for our dinner!

Quality of Experience

See Above

Food

The food was delicious and it was fun taking part in the preparation and cooking of our meal!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Kameni Dvori family members are full of so much love for the area and the farm that they live on!!

Transport

Private Day Trip to Montenegro - Perast & Kotor

Dubrovnik

Montenegro was spectacular!! We were so happy that we scheduled a day tour to see the country!! Our guide, Mirjana was wonderful. She was so very knowledgeable -we toured both Perast and Kotor! The small boat trip from Perast to see the "Our Lady of the Rocks" old church was wonderful! After touring Kotor, we had a choice to have lunch in the town of Kotor or take the cable car to the Forza restaurant at the top. We were so happy that we chose taking the cable car and we loved the beautiful views and the lunch from the top!!

Quality of Experience

See above!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Mirjana was wonderful!

Transport

Our driver, Peter did a wonderful job of driving us across the border ( we only had a 45 minute wait getting through the border crossing between Croatia and Montenegro.

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

We had a couple hour tour with a private guide (Ivana) in the walled city in Dubrovnik. It was important to have the tour to learn more about the history of the walled city. So when we returned to walk the walls, we had a better understanding of the history of the city and its amazing walls!!

Quality of Experience

After the couple hour tour of the walled city with Ivana, she walked us to the Cable Car. This was a wonderful experience - taking the cable car to see the beautiful views and enjoy a delicious dinner at the Panorama restaurant. We highly recommend making a reservation at the Panorama restaurant. The food was wonderful and the views spectacular!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Ivana was very knowledgeable and helpful!!

Transport

Our driver, Peter picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the walled city to meet our guide, Ivana.

Sea Kayak Tour on Korčula

Korčula

Super fun to be able to go Kayaking in the Sea! We enjoyed our guide, Mislav. He was full of great information and very funny!! During our kayak trip, we stopped at an old island of Vrnik ( with an old limestone quarry). Super cool to see that and learn more about the history of the area!

Quality of Experience

See above!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above about our guide, Mislav

Transport

A taxi driver picked us up at our hotel and delivered us back to our hotel after the kayaking

Private Lumbarda Wine Tour & Konoba Dinner

Korčula

We really enjoyed our morning time by ourselves on the quaint island of Korcula! In the afternoon, we met our guide, Damir at our hotel and he drove us to the Lumbarda area for a personal winery tasting at a local winery. Since we travelled in late Oct to Croatia, many of the wineries were closed for the season. We enjoyed the small winery tasting and tour but it was our understanding that we would be touring a couple wineries with a pasta dinner at one of them ( that was what was stated on our Trip App). After we visited the one winery, Damir drove us back to Korcula and we had dinner with him. We would have preferred enjoying dinner by ourselves since the 2nd winery was not an option.

Quality of Experience

Food

See above regarding the food and wineries availability

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Damir was a good guide showing us the area of Lumbarda

Transport

Hvar Day Trip from Split

Croatia

Our day on the island of Hvar was one of our favorite days! Grgo, our tour guide met us when we got off the catamaran boat ( coming from Split). We had a wonderful day as he drove us around the island visiting many of the small villages and learning about the history of the island of Hvar. We ended our day enjoying a lunch at the Matkovic Winery ( Grgo's family winery) with a homemade lunch made by his mom and enjoying the wines. We did not spend anytime in the town of Hvar. As Grgo suggested, it was more enjoyable to see the more remote areas of the island!

Quality of Experience

Food

The homemade lunch was delicious!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really enjoyed our Guide, Grgo!

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Split

Croatia

We had a morning walking tour of Split with a private guide, Mirna, She was very knowledgeable as we walked through the Diocletian Palace ( lots of great information about the history of the Palace and the Roman Emperor Diocletian) and the downtown area of Split. She was also able to give us suggestions of other areas of Split we could tour later in the afternoon ( the Marjan Park with beautiful views of Split).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gourmet Experience at Local Winery

Croatia

We loved this experience! The staff at the Ante Sladic Winery made our experience very special! We were able to meet the wine makers ( Ante and his grandfather, Yure). We even were able to take photos with both of them! Simon did a wonderful job of guiding us through the wines he was serving with the homemade lunch!

Quality of Experience

Food

The Homemade lunch served with the Ante Sladic wines was delicious!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above on the guide and wine makers from Ante Sladic Winery!

Transport

Duga was our driver from our hotel in Zadar to Krka National and then onto the Ante Sladic Winery and finally to our hotel in Split! He was a great conversationalist as we drove to the various stops for the day!

Private Walking Tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

We definitely recommend touring the Plitvice Lakes Park - absolutely beautiful!! We really enjoyed having a private guide - Ivana (our tour guide) was very knowledgeable and helped to make our experience so enjoyable. She was able to show us areas and give us information on the park that would have been difficult if we didn't have a guide!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful Park and a great way to begin our vacation in Croatia!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Allan did a great job of driving us from Zagreb to the Plitivice Park.

Ada was Amazing always helping us , Making sure every excursion we had we were reminded what we needed to take , time to be picked up! It was the best experience

Our trip was so great. Was my first time using Kim Kim and it was seamless. We had daily contact and issues resolved quickly when they did come up. Kristy was great and easy to work with as we altered things on the trip.
I would for sure use them again.

We had a great time in Morocco on our 3-week trip arranged by Original Travel through KimKim. Having our private driver, Ayoub, for the entire trip made all the difference. He was like our personal assistant. He drove us to and from restaurants and always accompanied us into our accommodations to ensure everything was in place. His knowledge of history and culture was impressive. We talked with Ayoub about education, health care, religion, the Moroccan economy and anything else that popped into our minds. Ayoub was perfect. He made the trip great!

All our accommodations, with the notable exception of the Hilton Garden Inn in Tangier, were great. Some had a spa and a Hamman. All, except in Tangier, were beautiful riads which had been restored. The Palais Sebban, where we had a roof-level room with a terrace, was wonderful. We were there for nearly a week at the start of our trip.

The Hamman experience is not to be missed. Just don’t be shy.

Lunch and dinner in the homes of local folks is a treat. The food prepared in a home is much better than the same dish served in a restaurant.

The local guides were perfect; they were knowledgeable and flexible. Two of them were particularly good. Hanan took us on the food tour in Marrakesh; she did a great job and was just fun to be around. We had some of the best food of the entire trip with Hanan. Sharif, in Fes, also did a great job. His English was particularly clear and his knowledge was unsurpassed.

We loved the desert – 30 minutes is enough on a camel, though. Visiting the nomad camp was enlightening – another example of how fortunate those of us who live comfortable lives are.

Morocco is a varied place. The difference in the terrain south and north of the Atlas Mountains is striking. How interesting to see it unfold and be described by our driver, Ayoub.

We highly recommend KimKim and their local operator, Original Travel, for a trip to Morocco. Make sure you ask for Ayoub as your driver.