Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our whole trip was wonderful! Our driver, Ismail Sadiki, went above and beyond to make sure we saw all the things we wanted to, some of which were extra things not spelled out in our trip plan. Example: Based on our memories, he found the military base near Sidi Slimane where my husband lived as a young child, the neighborhood in Casa Blanca where friends lived, and the beach they went to. This was so very special for my husband. Ismail gave us clear directions for meet up places and was always on time to pick us up and drop us off . He was as interesting and knowledgeable himself as our guides were. And on our last night, my husband had a medical problem that turned out to be serious. Ismail took us to a clinic and stayed to make sure we were communicating with the medical staff. He's the best!
Our other guides were also good. Wadee in Assila gave us a good tour of the city and helped us find a book store with children's books. Our Tangier guide, Hashid, gave us a good tour there and also gave us tips for the rest of the trip. He took us through the medina and took us to a shop that found some small lamps like I wanted for me. Hamid, the man who ran our bed and breakfast in Chefchaouen was also helpful and took us to the rug shop where we bought a rug. Our Fes guide Ahmed was a fount of history and information as was our guide in Marrakech ( I can't remember his name) The man that showed us Volubilis was good also, Hashid. All the guides helped us pose at just the right places for really nice pictures. We liked the stop to see the monkeys.
We loved the stay at Saida Berber house. What an amazing young woman! Her brother guided us on a walk up to the village and back, and her mother prepared amazing food. In fact, the food everywhere was amazing!
Our cooking class in Essaouira was so much fun! Khadija, Khadija's Kuzina, was a good teacher, and her husband helped entertain us also. Khadija shared recipes, and we felt like we could go home and prepare the same meal. I bought a tagine on the trip and have cooked a dish in it since we returned home! The meal with the young family in Fes was also a very pleasant evening with delicious food. The overnight in the desert and the camel ride over the dunes was a highlight. The only problem there was that the saddle was very uncomfortable. We saw everything we wanted to, and it was wonderful that you could put together a trip for us so we could do exactly what we wanted to. The photo book that is coming was a nice surprise ! We will enjoy that very much.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

We liked the interesting layout and the view of the city

Authenticity & Character

The varied rugs and pillows in our room and on the deck

Staff

Very helpful to us in finding our way around

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Oasis d'Asilah

Asilah

Lovely room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

It was a very pretty place and room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They had breakfast ready for us earlier than their usual time, which helped us get started on a long day's drive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

I keep saying "amazing", but this camp and our tent were amazing, and again, the food was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

The tents in the dunes, beautiful lamps, and the sunrise.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Canyon Lodge Dades

Boulman Dades

The room had beautiful furnishings and decorations. I loved the lamps! The food was so good! There was a nice place to walk behind the hotel along the vegetable gardens and the river

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravane

Ouarzazate

The pool was a nice addition to the terrace.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Perle D'Eau

Essaouira

Wonderful view of the ocean from the dining terrace!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Clean and very comfortable. The breakfast buffet was nice. The staff was helpful when my husband was sick. The desk sent someone down the street to a pharmacie to ask about urgent care. They recommended the international clinic which is where we went.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was near a nice restaurant that we could walk to.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Essaouira – Oualidia – Casablanca ( 5 Hour Drive)

Morocco

We stopped on the way for wonderful oysters

Quality of Experience

Food

All the food was great. We loved the mint tea!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ismail's car was very comfortable

We used kimkim to help us organize a 2-week trip for 4 (2 couples) to Greece, and we had a fabulous time! Irene was the specialist we worked with and she put together a full plan in a very short time that included hotels, tour guides, entry tickets to museums and sites, ferry tickets, private ground transportation and driver, and experiences such as sailing, a cooking class, wine tasting, and more. We were primarily in Athens, Delphi, Galaxidi, Nafplio, and the island of Hydra, but saw many historical sites and other points of interest along the way, such as Mycenae, Epidavros, the temple of Poseidon, and the Corinth Canal.

Everything went smoothly at every step in the planning and during the trip. We were interviewed early on to establish a price range for the trip and Irene stayed within the agreed-upon range delivering on everything we requested. Communication was very good as we worked out the plans, with daily communication by email as well as phone. Once the trip was underway, kimkim provided both a WeChat group and a support number where we could quickly reach them in the event of any issues.

One of us is gluten intolerant and Irene took care to ensure that every hotel we stayed at provided gluten-free alternatives for breakfasts, the chef for the private cooking class adjusted the menu accordingly, and that the restaurants she reserved for us (which were excellent) had gluten-free options.

It cost a bit more to have someone make the plans for us, but we felt the quality of the service and the trip were well worth the additional cost, not to mention the ease of having someone who knows the country help line up all of the plans and make sure they worked together seamlessly.

We will definitely use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Miramare

Galaxidi

We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights and loved it. It is a small hotel in Galaxidi, a block from the harbor and restaurants. The staff are friendly and they serve a wonderful breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Charming, great staff, wonderful breakfast in the courtyard.

Location

Central location a block from the harbor and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Herodion Hotel

Athens

Very nice hotel in a great location at the foot of the Acropolis on a quiet street. There is a rooftop restaurant and bar with a great view of the Parthenon. The Acropolis museum is a block away as is the Plaka neighborhood. Would definitely recommend it and stay there again. Delicious and extensive breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Nicely updated. In addition to the rooftop view of the Parthenon, it has a beautiful bar and restaurant area in an atrium on the ground floor.

Location

At the foot of the Acropolis with an amazing view of the Parthenon from the rooftop restaurant and bar. One block to the Acropolis museum and the Plaka neighborhood. On a quiet street, so not a lot of noise.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hydroussa Hotel Hydra

Hydra

Beautiful old (but updated) hotel in a central but quiet location. Friendly and helpful staff. Extensive breakfast buffet with indoor and outdoor eating areas. The queen bed was 2 single beds pushed together.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful old hotel, nicely updated.

Location

Centrally located and short walk to the port and restaurant area but also away from the noise of the nightlife so it was quiet at night.

Staff

Staff was very pleasant and went out of their way to offer help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Leto Nuevo Hotel

Nafplio

Very nice, clean, and updated hotel in the old town. The old town is on a hill and the hotel is up the hill, so there are many steps to climb to get to it when on foot, but there is an area where cars are allowed a block away which makes it easier to move luggage to/from a car or taxi. Furthermore, as it is on the hill it is much quieter than other hotels in the area would be. The steps lead down to the historical area and waterfront, where there are many good restaurants. The hotel provides a very nice breakfast buffet. It also offers same-day laundry service at a reasonable price, which is very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very good location for exploring Nafplio, but steep staircases to get into the central area and back.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

The main attraction of this hotel is that it is located by the port where the ferries come through and near to the airport (to which it offers a shuttle service) o it is good for people in transit. Rooms are small, but clean and comfortable, and there is a nice breakfast buffet. Wifi was poor and intermittent, so we constantly lost connection and had to reconnect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location supports people in transit to/from ferries or the airport, it is not a destination hotel.

Staff

Front desk staff were perfunctory. Staff in the restaurant were warm and welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunch with Olive Grove View

Greece

We did not know what to expect from this activity and were pleasantly surprised. One of the owners sat with us to talk us through the history of the family olive farm. He explained to us differences in olives based on when and how they are harvested and talked about differences in olive oils. He provided samples of olives and of the oil to taste so we could appreciate the differences, along with a nice lunch that included olive preparations and wine. The lunch was in a beautiful location overlooking a valley of olive trees and, out over the water to Galaxidi. We were on a shaded veranda, which provided a nice break from the sun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Our tour guide Tina met us at our hotel and walked with us the short distance to the Acropolis. We were scheduled to be with her for 4 hours to tour the Acropolis hill and the museum, but she stayed with us for over 5 hours. Tina is very knowledgeable and gave us a detailed explanation of everything we were seeing, putting it all in a historical context. She pointed out places of interest in the city that could be seen from the Acropolis Hill and patiently fielded many questions from our group of 4. She was the best of the 4 tour guides we had during our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Tina was excellent.

Half-Day Nafplio Sailing Tour

Nafplio

This was a semi-private outing for 5 hours. The 4 of us were joined by 3 others. They picked us up at the port very near by our hotel. There was ample room on the boat. We sailed out from Nafplio around the coast to Tolo and back, stopping in several places to allow for swimming, though it was too cold for most to get in. Teodoro and Mario were wonderful crew and made us all at home. They served fruit, snacks, and lunch with wine or beer. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water. We motored for 3/4 of the trip and went on sail power for the balance. Overall it was a great way to spend a day in Nafplio. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Cooking Class in Nafplio

Nafplio

This private class was one of the highlights of our trip! Costas and his wife were welcoming and warm. We prepared 4 dishes with everyone participating and Costas provided pointers on food prep that we will continue to benefit from. One of our party is gluten-free and Costas had adjusted the menu accordingly and also provided them with gluten-free bread. Two of our party never cook or do food prep, but he made them comfortable with slicing and dicing as well as braising and making a delicate lemon sauce. They discovered how enjoyable cooking can be. The food was absolutely delicious, and possibly the best meal we had in Greece. We made stuffed zucchini with lemon sauce as an appetizer, a lamb dish (with the lamb falling-off-the-bone tender), a Greek salad, and a frozen yoghurt desert. My husband does not like lamb but loved this dish, making him re-think his approach to lamb. Costas had us prepare a special take on a Greek salad that included a cool cucumber and basil soup, and it was fabulous. We had 4 Greek wines paired with each of the four dishes, and Costas explained to us how and why each wine was appropriate for that dish.

Quality of Experience

A fabulous experience with the best meal we had in Greece!

Food

Fabulous food with a great wine pairing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Costas and his wife are warm and great teachers. He is a professional chef so he really knows what he is doing and shares tricks of the trade.

Summary with details following: I would not recommend Bruno. He can be cranky and short tempered. This was a second trip with Kimkim and they were a disappointment also. I was planning another trip with Kimkim, that I have cancelled. Thankfully, I had not paid the deposit.
Bruno was good during the planning phases with customizing our trip. The trip was a 5* trip for a group of 6 seniors (3 couples). One of the main reasons for using Kimkim was that they had someone local that we could chat with whenever we needed to. Once when I was asking Bruno questions he came back with a response "You are not my only client". I was not expecting an instant response. I don't know why he got annoyed.
He scheduled us, based on our request, to go to Vrsic pass. The roads had been closed for a while and we just happened to find out when we mentioned it to the person at the hotel desk. As my agent there, he should have known this. We could have spent a couple of hours driving there and found out, but we lucked out.
We had rented a van that turned out to be a diesel van. Not understanding the nomenclature, we ended up pumping regular gas in the van. In the US, the nozzle typically will not fit, but apparantly not in Europe. Lesson learned. It was a Sunday evening and the van started sputtering and we got an "engine failure likely" warning. Luckily, we got off the highway and managed to get to a gas station in the boonies. Bruno was very irritated and kept telling me it was my fault and wanted to make sure to tell me that I had to pay for it. I never had an expectation that he would cover it. He later told me that because of this he lost family time and wanted me to feel sorry for him. Remember, it was 6 senior citizens stranded in some unknown village not knowing the language and dealing with an irritated specialist, Bruno. We lost a day of site seeing and Bruno had to do some re-arranging of our itinerary due to this. Yes, it was not his fault for sure, but shit happens. If family time is more important, get a 9 to 5 job.
One of the hotels (Pallazo) was a disaster. We stayed there for 2 nights and we had AC and internet issues the whole time. I had to move rooms twice (3 different rooms in 2 nights) and another couple had to move once and the third couple had to put up with boiling temperatures for one night. Remember, we had requested the best hotels and this was a disaster. The total cost of the 11 day trip was over $28K and I insisted on some compensation and the best they could do was a total refund of $340 plus $100 Kimkim credit for each couple. We were paying about $2500 per day ($5000 for 2 days) and the best they could do was $340. The credit is useless, since I don't plan on using Kimkim anymore. When I told Bruno that I would follow up with Kimkim, he told me to not bother and that they could not do anything. He was right. So having Kimkim as the parent organization buys you nothing, You just pay more since they take their commission off the top and provide no value when it comes to issues like this.
Kimkim's planning online interface is nice until you need to remove people that may have dropped out. The emails continued going to the people that dropped out and the message authors were mixed up with some message. Basically it seems to have some annoying issues. The group organizer cannot add and remove people. Simple email questions in the chat window ends up going to everyone creating a lot more communications than necessary. I could not send a chat message to Bruno privately.

Better than expected.No compliance price was a little bit high, but it was still worth

Hotel Review

Marqués De Tojo Hotel

Purmamarca

What's my least favorite stop and hotel. Rather rustic and not much to do in the city

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lima: City Tour + Visit to Larco Museum 🕍

Argentina

This was okay but not my favorite

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cusco: City Tour + Nearby Archaeological Centre

Cusco

Good excursion good guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

 Visit to the sacred city of machu picchu⛰️ - private

Sacred Valley

Excellent what's excursion, good coverage good food good transport

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Cusco Airport to Sacred Valley: On the road, visit to local markets in Pisac 🧶🌼🚗 - Private

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Travel through the heights 2 days - 2nd Day Purmamarca to Salta🏜️

Argentina

A bit long but still informative. Salt mine great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Travel through the heights 2 days - 1st day Salta to Purmamarca🏜️

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was quite a long excursion, salt flats and historic pre Inka site was wonderful

Uco Valley Experience - PRIVATE

Mendoza

Excellent excursion good food nice wine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day tour to Vineyards: Wine and Olive - Private

Mendoza

Excellent excursion great food nice winery

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show and Dinner at Café De Los Angelitos

Buenos Aires

Least favorite excursion. Could have done without this

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was good but that's all

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No guide

Transport

Tigre Delta Excursion - Private

Buenos Aires

Very pleased with this excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

"Asado Experience"

Buenos Aires

Very nice and authentic

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day City Tour - Private service with English speaking guide

Buenos Aires

Excellent guide very flexible

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My daughter and three year old granddaughter arrived in France on 9/5/24 and were picked up and brought to our Hotel in Paris. We stayed at the Grand Hotel DeTurin, triple room with breakfast included. The staff were very kind and spoke English which was very helpful. We arrived quite early and changed into new outfits and checked our bags so we could go out and about in the City. It was nice not having to drive, we took taxi’s and UBER’s to get around. We started at the foot of the Eiffel Tower at Port De La Bourdonnais to take a pontoon down the Seine River on the Bateaux Parisiens. The one hour cruise took us past the mini Statue of Liberty, Notre Dame and many other sites on the River . Notre Dame was spectacular, you can see the scaffolding where they are repairing it after the devastating fire. It was a little rainy but we had our rain gear. We then strolled the area near the Eiffel Tower and had lunch in a lovely Cafe’. The chocolate with crème fouettés (whipped cream) was to die for! I felt like I was in a movie.
We visited shops and made our way back to the Eiffel Tower for a private night tour. Ayla woke up a half hour before the tour and had chips and a drink to hold her until dinner. We took the lift to the second story and could see all of the city quarters, the Special Olympics was still going on and we could see the stadium. Our guide gave us the history of the city and the building of the Eiffel tower. Then up to the top on a second lift. I would not recommend a private tour guide for the Eiffel Tower. She was one and half hours late to meet us and that interfered with feeding my granddaughter, you can only go so long without feeding a three year old. The guide seemed annoyed when I rushed the tour so we could go eat. If she arrived on time that evening may have been different.
Took some great photo’s of the Tower at night. Taxi to our hotel and off to bed. magnifique journée.
The
Great night sleep, the Hotel was fine, breakfast was average. We took a taxi to get our car rental to drive to Saint Malo, Long ride, 4 hours, my daughter did the driving in France.... Thankfully they drive on the same side as we do! We stopped in the small town of Combray half way through our ride for lunch; Sadly they were not very welcoming, the restaurant we had planned told us “take away” when we asked if they spoke English! So we left and found a little pizza shop. Pizza shop was welcoming, we ordered pizza from the pictures on the menu…. big mistake the one that looked like a white pizza was in fact all cheese but it had goat cheese and not ricotta as expected. My daughter hates goat cheese so we immediately found the word in French for goat cheese so we don’t make that mistake again! Du fromage de chèvre.
Back on the road for 2 more hours and we arrived at our Hotel Les Charmottes in St. Malo, lovely property right on the ocean. No lift to the second floor made it difficult with our luggage but once we up there the room was great . We settled into our room then went for dinner at the Hotel’s restaurant which was right on the board walk with the ocean view. I enjoyed the meal very much…spectaculaire. . We all showered and went off to bed.
I woke early and went to breakfast, beautiful view of the ocean with my coffee and croissant, great breakfast. The girls sleep in until 10am, the little one had her breakfast in the room, something new…banana and peanut butter! LOL! We then packed up the stroller and headed down the board walk to the center of town, St. Vincent Gate, about 2.5 miles. The weather was perfect and we stopped for for my daughter to have breakfast. The little one and I sang and danced on our journey. Beautiful Villa’s , Cafe’s and Hotels along the boardwalk. When we arrived to La porte Saint-Vincent (Saint-Vincent gate) there were beautiful gardens and a Carousal. We had a ride before entering the interior of the old town. Inside has been renovated with up scale shopping and all sorts of food and sweets. We walked and window shopped until lunch. Sunny and beautiful, great strolling. Inside the walls of the old town is the CATHÉDRALE SAINT VINCENT; it is known for their stain glass windows and since it was so sunny the interior was magnificent. The main theme was “The Blessed Mother and Child” it brought both my daughter and I a feeling of great peace and joy. The little one lit candles at each Blessed Mother statue. We sat and took in the beauty and thanked God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Wonderful end to our visit to the old town. We did take one additional ride on the Carousel before our walk home. The dark clouds were approaching from behind us but we made it back with just a few sprinkles. McDonald’s for dinner because it was raining and the easiest option and they had a drive thru ….the little one was very happy with our choice! On our ride back there was a double rainbow and the sun setting behind a building that was awesome. We ate in the room and relaxed until bed time.
Breakfast then we drove to Dinan pouring rain! we hoped to have lunch but all cafe’s close from 2pm and reopen at 7pm… heading back to Malo and going to the Aquarium. Then McDonalds for Ayla and a nice Cafe for Bailey and I to have lunch. Not bad that we have gotten to day 21 and only had to cancel our plans due to rain once. We found that on Sunday’s most places are closed so no Aquarium, we found a bakery on our ride back to the hotel and had decadent pastries and a latte’. Yum…. We all took a nap and went to dinner. We depart St. Malo and head towards Normandy tomorrow.
St. Malo to St. Michel, Sadly another rainy windy day here in France. We packed up after breakfast and are heading to La Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, hoping the rain will have stopped by the time we arrive! Forty minute ride and it is a steady drizzle, 30 minute walk out to the best viewing area. We decided not to go out to the Abbey due to weather and the little princess napping.
Back on the highway to head to Bayeux another 50 minutes to our hotel. Ahhh! Low tire pressure comes on in the car, oh no! Thankful it is not a flat, time to find a Petrol Station!!!
We fill the tires and figure out how to reset the pressure and back on the road. Lovely ride into Bayeux, gateway to the D-day beaches. We are doing a private tour tomorrow of Normandy and the beaches….so excited, I have been waiting for this experience since we got to France. 🇺🇸
Unpacked and settled into the room at Hotel Le Bayeux. The staff were friendly and accommodating; the little one loved the room it had bunk beds. She picked the top bunk of course and invited me to stay in the bottom!
Still raining so we are rested while we wait to go to dinner at 7pm. Most shops and restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday’s here, plan ahead and make your dinner reservations the day before you arrive. The rain has stopped and we see some blue sky, right on time to walk to dinner.
Breakfast was average at Hotel Le Bayeux. The CATHÉDRALE DE BAYEUX is one block from our hotel. The cathedral - which was consecrated in 1077 by Bishop Odo de Conteville, the half-brother of William the Conqueror - was the original showcase for the Bayeux Tapestry. Revealing the Romanesque and Gothic splendour of the church, which includes access to the Treasury and Chapter Room. We plan to visit tomorrow morning after breakfast.
Breakfast and off to the CATHÉDRALE DE BAYEUX, beautiful architecture and Chapel’s throughout. I did my morning prayer and meditation in the Cathedral, so peaceful, great start to my day. I then visited a few shops and went back to the hotel to go to lunch with the girls. We tried a Galettes, which is buck wheat crepe. We chose the ham, cheese and eggs. Très délicieux!
Back to the Hotel to get ready for our tour of Normandy and the D-Day Beaches. No sun and very windy so we layer and wear our rain gear! Our guide John, who was so great, met us at the Hotel….we started our tour at Pointe Du Hoc-Pointe du Hoc was a strategic site in the German fortifications on the Normandy coast that was attacked by Colonel Rudder's 2º Ranger Battalion on the morning of 6 June 1944. The site stands 98 feet above the sea with remnants of the German artillery battery. It is a seven mile span between Omaha and Utah beach, this was the mid point between the two. Fascinating to see the holes in the landscape from the American bombing.
Then off to Omaha Beach! The sea side has been rebuilt with summer homes. Prior to D-Day the Germans destroyed all but one home below the 60-80 foot natural barge of the land scape. The one house that remained was for the German Officers to sleep. The American Soldiers were being fired on from above once they entered the beach, the amphibious tanks that were deployed to protect them prior to hitting the beach all sank due to the 6 feet swells. They were made to sustain 1 foot or maximum 2 foot waves, they all sank. It took most of the morning to identify a plan to get the soldiers off the beach. Very sad to think about how afraid they must have been with no cover from the German’s. Now stands the Monument for Freedom, Fraternity and Hope. Our final stop was Normandy, for 12 years our soldiers were buried at La Cambre, In 1956 all American bodies were moved to Normandy. La Cambre is now the burial site of the 21,300 German Soldiers who died during the D-Day invasion.
The Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach, 9387 soldiers who fell during the Normandy campaign rest in peace here. The Chapel Memorial and wall of the Missing honor their memory. (4 woman are buried here, three died when their jeep went off the road while delivering mail to the soldiers and one was an American Red Cross Worker one of three "girls" who were assigned to a Clubmobile that provided coffee, freshly made doughnuts, chewing gum, cigarettes, magazines, newspapers, and records to GIs while they were in the field. But perhaps more importantly, the girls' primary responsibilities were to bolster the spirits and the morale of the battle weary soldiers by chatting with them. For as Elizabeth wrote to her parents, "If you only knew what combat does to these boys--not in the physical sense, although that's bad enough--but mentally.") She died in a Plane Crash going from La Havre to Paris.
Quite an emotional day but well worth the visit. 🇺🇸🙏🏻
Touring the Tapestry, Street Markets and Bayeux D-Day Museum.
Sun was shining that morning, breakfast in the room. Visiting two museums in Bayeux today. LA TAPISSERIE OF BAYEUX -THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY OR THE STORY OF A CONQUEST
is a masterpiece of 11th century Romanesque art, which was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother, to embellish his newly-built cathedral in Bayeux in 1077. The Tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy. The story told by the Bayeux Tapestry begins in 1064, when Edward the Confessor, King of England, instructs his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson to travel to Normandy in order to offer his cousin William the succession to the English throne. Although the end of the embroidery is missing, the story ends with the Anglo-Saxons fleeing at the end of the Battle of Hastings in October 1066…. Interesting but not a favorite!
We then strolled the open Markets and bought fresh kiwi and supplies for the little one’s PBJ’s…. Lunch in a Cafe’ and back to the Hotel for rest time. later in the afternoon we went to the Museum of the battle of Normandy, this was a great visit that explained the entire invasion and ended with a 20 minute video of the entire Battle of Normandy. Bayeux was never bombed so their town remains as it was back in 1944. They were very grateful to the British and American troops for their freedom from the Germans. Highly recommend Bayeux.
Left Bayeux headed back to Paris.
Up early to head back to Paris. 8am…Car is packed we depart onto the street and the Car dies, battery alert message! Ahhhh! The entire car shuts down! Thankfully we were right across the street from the Hotel. We got in touch with our KimKim representative and he contacts the car rental for road side assistance….40 minutes until they arrive. The Hotel clerk was kind enough to type up a sign to put in the vehicle window and we went back in for breakfast while waiting. Got a new vehicle for our ride back to Paris but sadly we did not make our reservation at the Louvre! sorry Mona Lisa !!
Did not arrive in Paris until 6:30pm, checked back into Grand Hotel DeTyrin and ventured off to dinner. Long Day!
Off to The Palace of Versailles then back to the City.
Up early for our visit to the Palace of Versailles, about 40 minutes outside of Paris. 8:15 am departure! The Palace was extraordinary and the Gardens magnificent, we had 2 hours to tour and could have spent the entire day. The Palace: Soon after taking the throne in July 1830, King Louis-Philippe I decided to restore the Palace of Versailles, transforming it into a museum of French history known as the "Historic Galleries of Versailles".
He called on architect Frédéric Nepeu to convert the apartments on the upper floors of the South Wing into a vast gallery chronicling the main military battles that shaped the history of France.
Drawing inspiration from the Grande Galerie of the Louvre Museum designed by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine under the imperial regime, the Gallery of Battles features a metallic framework concealed by wood panelling and stucco, with glass ceilings providing natural light. The battles, ranging from Tolbiac in 496 to Wagram in 1809, are depicted in thirty-three monumental paintings, while eighty busts celebrate heroic officers killed in combat over the centuries.
Works began in 1833 and was completed shortly before the inauguration of the museum, dedicated "to all the glories of France", on 10 June 1837.
The Musical Gardens: Has 600 water features, 55 pools & fountains with a team of 13 fountain engineers. The Groves: 15 groves open, 77 acres of formal French gardens in an 850 acre park. 700 topiaries and 300,000 flowers planted each year, 155 statues and 235 vases. Magnificent art and gardens.
Back to Paris to go to a fabulous Cafe’ Carette known for its fresh berries and Crème fouettée (whipped cream) as well as their hot chocolate. That gave us the energy we needed to head to the Louvre, we could not get tickets but walked the grounds on the beautiful sunny day.
We then visited the Officine Universelle Buly founded in 1803 by Jean Vincent Buly and it is still open today. They are known for brushes and combs made especially for curly hair, and we all have natural curly hair. My daughter wantef to get one engraved with her name to remember her trip to Paris. There was a que to get in to the store, once we got in we found they did not have the comb or brush she wanted! ☹️ She purchased a lip balm case with her initials.
Back to the hotel, ordering Japanese take out so we could eat in the room.

The little one’s day - Disney in Paris! The Tinker Bell brigade.
First time in Disney we arrived at 11am and departed at 8:30pm, long but wonderful day with our little Tinker Bell 🧚
Her favorite ride: Walt Disney Studios Park - Worlds of Pixar “Cars Quatre Roues Rallye” like a teacup ride but with “Cars” it spun great and Ayla loved it
Favorite moment: Toy Story Playland where she met Woody: Woody was so impressed with her that he brought her over to meet Jesse! Jesse and Woody thought she was the real Tinker Bell 🧚 Highly recommend if traveling with children.
We departed early the next morning 9/15/24 for Sicily.
Trip of a lifetime being able to have 3 generations travel together…from 63 to 3.
Thank you to the KimKim Team, your hotel selections and destination suggestions were fabulous.

Hotel Reviews

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

Great size room and we were on the ground level. The staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Cute pictures of American Soldiers on the windows.

Location

Righ near the Cathedral and center of town.

Staff

So helpful and friendly. Best staff of all the hotels we were in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and plenty of room.

Hôtel Les Charmettes

Saint-Malo

Great location and views.

Authenticity & Character

The views were great and the room was very comfortable. No lift to the second floor but once we got all our luggage up the stairs it was great.

Location

Right on the boardwalk.

Staff

Breakfast staff were fabulous, dinner staff not so friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel de Turin

Paris

Staff were great, a little far from where all the sites we visited were. Room was tight with two queen beds and our luggage. Neighborhood was great to stroll around. Breakfast was not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from most visited attractions.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but a little tight walking around in the room.

Activity Reviews

From Bayeux to Normandy D-Day U.S Sector & Omaha Beach (Private/4Hours)

Bayeux

This had always been on my bucket list. Unforgettable and John our tour guide was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Very touching.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was amazing, knowledgeable and spoke perfect English.

Transport

On time and drove safely.

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

Enjoyed the Eiffel Tower but the tour guide was 1.5 hours late.

Quality of Experience

Great experience, seeing sites I have only seen on TV.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was late.

Transport

Commented Cruise on the Seine River (Group Boat/1Hour)

Paris

Perfect Amount of time, one hour, and saw fabulous sites from the river. Head phones to describe all the sites as you passed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We are not young couple, that decided to visit Galapagos islands and Ecuador for our annual vacation.
I want to thank our local specialist, Isabel, for the perfect organization of this vacation. The positive experience started from a mutual planning of the trip, half a year before the vacation: Isabel was sensitive to every word and wish and we changed and adjusted the plan a number of times, until we were absolutely pleased.
In our case, I preferred to book the hotels and flights by myself, however, most of the hotels were selected according to Isabel's recommendation and they answered our expectation and even, in two locations (in Isabella Island and in Quito), exceeded them.
The trip was organized in a way that we were followed by a guide or a driver most of the time. So, we could feel relaxed and enjoy the scheduled activities. Everything worked according to the plan, on time and without unpleasant surprises. It happened that by mistake, we took a wrong car to the airport and had to pay for it. Although it was our mistake, the agency returned us the price of this trip that was pre-paid.
The ongoing communication with Isabel continued by WhatsApp during the entire trip, which was very comfortable. However, the internet in Galapagos is poor in some places and not always the connection was possible.
The English of local guides in Galapagos was not always clear, sometimes it required effort to understand, but they were patient, and we normally repeated the question and understood the answer.
In Galapagos we selected the option to stay in hotels rather than at yacht, and it was a good choice for us, because we were free to go around the island anytime and performed snorkeling, kayaking and hiking to the extend we wanted. The only detail that was not properly addressed was the size of the wet suit for my husband: he is unusually big person, so, in one place we could not get a suit for him. I would recommend addressing this information in advance.
In continental Ecuador we were accompanied by a local guide, Rodrigo, who took us to Banos, Cotopaxi and Quito. Rodrigo was a very informal, calm and knowledgeable guide, and we learned a lot about the country, its history and nature, both are fields of our interest. The country is amazing and rich in resources and nature!
Although, we encountered, unexpectedly, the electricity shutdowns in the continental Ecuador (I hope, temporary), the vacation could not be better!

Hotel Reviews

Isla de Baños Hosteria y Spa

Baños

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Quito guided tour and artisan market. The city tour included churches, general explanations, city viewpoint on the hill, vising of artisan chocolate shop (recommended!) and - at the end, the market where we purchased souvenirs and presents for the family. Rodrigo, the guide, accompanied us in every activity, so the shopping was easy and pleasant. Before the market, we visited, per our request a leather shop in the historical part of Quito and bought bags of beautiful local design. In order to maximize the potential of this tour (we had only half a day in Quito before the flight), Rodrigo brought a driver, so we were free to go with him by foot and by car, as needed, without interrupting the tour for parking and waiting for pickup.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

We hiked around the lake with birds and received explanations about the volcano and the park. There is a small visiting center before approaching the hiking routes. The volcano resembled Fugi in Japan :) The route is situated at about 4000m, we tolerated the altitude rather well, however, we had to move slowly to breath normally.

Quality of Experience

Food

After the hiking in the park, on our way to Quito, the guide, Rodrigo, brought us to the restaurant located in the former Markise palace, the portions were very-very good!!! Unfortunately, I do not remember the name :(

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband requested to drive, so he did it in the park, which was also interesting experience. To drive you need an international license.

Biking to Pailón del Diablo

Baños

Waw again! So beautiful views of Ands! The guide for the biking (Roberto) was energetic and enthusiastic. Our main guide, Rodrigo, followed us with the car, which contributed to the secure biking, since part of the road passes on the side of the local highway. We also visited with Rodrigo the Casa del Arbol, the swings, which was amazing experience. For the launch Rodrigo took us to the restaurant of the artist, the food was good and also the place is very interesting, with paintings and a studio and the green was everywhere!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Waw! the sharks were my highlights! :) And they had XXXL wetsuit, so we both could snorkel. At the end the photos of the underwater animals and fish were available, made by the guide-the places we sow by our eyes.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was simple.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was perfect, he took care of everything and everyone.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Kayaking-the waves because higher during kayaking and at the end we were a bit nervous, but the guide was very professional , so we did it! My husband did not snorkel that time, because there was no XXXL wetsuit to rent in this company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

For snorkeling the guide trained us in detail, because we had no experience, and then hold my hand most of the time to cause me to feel secure. It was very helpful, because next day I was able to snorkel much better.

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

The trip was amazing and interesting, all the explanations were clear. We went to Bartolome Island; the landscape is breathtaking. Recommended!

Quality of Experience

Food

Unbelievable, but the food prepared on the ship was tasteful and of good quality!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide (Martin) was very good, we had amazing discussion.

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We visited there at the end of the long day and were tired. The guide was hard to understand and sometimes we gave up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Guayaquil Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When my partner and I decided we wanted to explore Vietnam but didn’t know where to start, we sent a message to KimKim - we are so glad we did.
After a short quiz and a few clarifying messages back and forth, Huyen perfectly comprised an intinerary that was exactly what we were looking for. She was also highly responsive and very kind.
Travelling, transfers, and all transportation was so simple, and each guide met us at the station with a sign of our names and took us to our accomodation!
Each of our guides was deeply knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend time with. Trung managed to fit Hanoi into one day, and we still felt like we saw so much of the city and everything that was previously recommended to us. He was also fun to talk with and knew so much about Hanoi and Vietnam.
Ly in Sapa took us on the most amazing hikes through the hill villages (Ma Tra & Ta Phin, then Lao Chai and Ta Van). Ly seemed to know everybody and everything in the area - so we not only learned so much about the land and distinct culture of each tribe, but we were put at ease being in an environment so different from our American city life. We had a great balance of popular attractions (Fansipan, etc.) and off-the-beaten path adventures - very hard to do but Huyen and Ly nailed it.
Our final guide Brian met us in Hanoi after the sleeper train from Sapa (actually a fun experience, + managed to get some sleep)! Brian managed to make a 3 hour car ride fun and interesting, as he knew so much about Vietnam and was so hospitable. The 2-day cruise in Ha Long Bay was the perfect way to end our trip with some relaxation.
Huyen stayed incredibly responsive throughout the whole trip and even checked in with us via Whatsapp in each city to make sure we were okay. We felt we had the perfect trip - great accomodations, intineraries, enough free time… KimKim really was the right call for us.
If you’re thinking of exploring Vietnam but aren’t sure what to do or where to start, I recommend at least messaging a specialist to see what they come up with for you - it can’t hurt!!

Overall our group of six enjoyed the trip and KimKim made it a lot easier to get around by providing transfers for us. Unfortunately, we hit several snags that took away from the enjoyment of the trip. Twice the transfer did not show up or didn't indicate they were there for our party. Kimkim got it straightened out but that was a rough start at the airport. Several times we didn't get the room we thought we were getting (twins instead of kings, etc.) and at one time in Cusco we were dropped off at the bottom of a set of stairs (with all our luggage) to get to our hotel because the driver said he couldn't go down our street. At the end of the trip we were asked to pay for our rooms because there was confusion about payment from KimKim.

I would like to say that Kimkim was very helpful in connecting us with a pharmacy when my husband forgot his insulin in the Amazon.

Activity Reviews

Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island

Puno

PeruRail Titicaca Train: A Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno

Peru

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero - Maras - Moray - Lunch at MV

Peru

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

difficult to enjoy due to the extreme heat and humidity.

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Sangita was unbelievably brilliant from start to finish, from the first moment we enquired about going to EBC she responded immediately with advice and guidance on how to make our trek personalised for our family. She met us in Kathmandu at the start and at the end of the trek. Mitra our guide met us at the airport in Kathmandu and was the nicest, most knowledgeable and polite person. He knows the mountains and has family and so many friends in the Khumbu region so when we needed to change or alter our journey it was no problem. When trekking to EBC with altitude and weather as major factors you need a local guide that has the experience and can call on their contacts at a moments notice, for example the weather in Lukla has been terrible for the last week with no flights going in or out. We paid extra for a helicopter to take us in and out, many people have been stuck there for quite a while, having already paid for a helicopter to take us back to Kathmandu the weather came in , which meant the helicopter couldn’t land at Lukla so Mitra organised for us to walk an hour and a half down the valley to get the helicopter, this was a last minute decision but he had friends who we paid to carry our bags. A western guide had to send her group out in shifts on various helicopters and she ended up on our flight having no other way to get back. Mitra was utterly brilliant and we can’t recommend Sangita and Mitra enough.

Hotel Review

Barahi Kathmandu

Absolutely brilliant hotel and such a great way to start and finish our trek.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 minutes walk from the shops to buy any extras you need.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fly from Lukla to Ramechhap(about 20 min). Drive to Kathmandu.

Kathmandu

Don’t do this pre book a helicopter as the weather is so unpredictable that you may be stuck in Lukla for days. Budget the price of a helicopter into your trek. The people we spoke to who had done this journey said the road trip was awful.

Drive to Ramechhap. Fly to Lukla. Trek from Lukla to Phakding (2,610 m/3-4 hrs)

Phakding

Thank goodness we didn’t get to do this. We paid for a helicopter to take us direct from Kathmandu to Lukla. People we spoke to who did this journey said it was awful.

Our three weeks in Japan were fantastic. Our local guide Shona suggested locations and activities that we would have had difficulty finding on our own but that made the trip very memorable. The accommodations she found for us, particularly the Ryokan in Kawaji Onsen, were among the best hotels we have ever stayed at and were staffed by some of the nicest people we've ever met. We felt very pampered.
Shona was always available and prompt in responding to our inquiries and issues even with the substantial time difference between us. She would also send us our itinerary for the day on our trip itself which made things very easy.
The guides she booked for us were very friendly and shared a lot of interesting cultural knowledge about Japan with us. One of our drivers was kind enough to suggest alternative activities on a day when the weather was not cooperating with what was initially planned.
There were a couple of instances where we had a guide booked for us that felt somewhat unnecessary - like days where we went hiking and probably would have preferred to have just had a driver instead. This is also on us in that we could have communicated this preference to her a bit better.
On the whole, Shona was a great planner for our trip to Japan and we would recommend her and KimKim to other travelers in the future!

Tina was exceptional! Everything for our trip was so well organized, curated, and high end as expected. We had amazing excursions we would have never thought to book ourselves and boutique beautiful resorts. We could not be happier with the service and every part of our vacation. We are forever thankful to Tina and the KimKim team!!

Hotel Reviews

The Naka Phuket

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a bit out of town, but that is why it is private.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

TreeHouse Villas Villas Koh Yao Noi Luxury Beach Resort

Thailand

Beautiful, private, luxury resort perfect for couples wanting romance! Loved this part of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elephant Hills Camp

Khao Sok

Amazing experience! Perfect blend of excursions and luxury camping with relaxation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Romantic BBQ at the Beach!

Ko Yao Noi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 3

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 2

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 1

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Bangkok City Tour

Bangkok

Ton our tour guide really took care of us and made this a special experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A group of 6 friends just completed an unforgettable two weeks of immersion in Morocco. Starting with the planning stage with Sharon and Maryem, through the airport logistics, (we arrived and left at different times) , through the two weeks guided by our knowlegeable, professional and entertaining guide AbdouRahman and driven skillfully by Mustafa through the amazing Moroccan landscapes and ancient cities, our experience with Morocco Immersion Tours and Adventures more than met our high expectations.

The mix of local life — eating at the markets (buying meat at the butchers, taking them to the grill or Berber pizza “kitchen”) — and high end beautiful luxury hotels in Fez and Marrakesh and our luxurious desert camp gave us a glimpse into the span of real life in current Morocco that is unlikely to be found in other tours. We were very appreciative of our day in Sharon’s and Abdou’s home in the Valley of Roses, especially the opportunity to meet their family and neighbors.

We were very lucky to have AbdouRahman as our tour manager and guide. His deep knowledge and love of Moroccan history and culture and his running commentary and answers to our questions were invaluable. He was also great with coming up with Plan Bs when current events required some adjustments to our itinerary.

In addition, we appreciated the knowledge and experience of the local guides especially in Rabat and Fes. They were also deeply knowledgeable and enthusiastic interpreters of the historical and cutural contexts of the sites we visited. And a special mention goes to Hussein and Khadija for the wonderful day we enjoyed in their home, learning about their lives, while we participated in a hands on cooking class, making two tagines, breads and salads.

In sum, our eye opening and enjoyable experience with Morocco Immersion was superb. From planning to execution, they were, professional, flexible, responsive, and informative . Choukran!!

We were blown away by this trip, the country itself, but mostly by the amazing people you connected with: our driver/tour expert Nourredine, our guides Mustafa and Ishmael, our cooking class leader Bouchra and the reservation help provided by Sara via WhatsApp. They were all generous, kind, interested, well-educated experts who truly seemed to have our family's needs and interests at heart. So fantastic!

Hotel Reviews

La Perle du Dadès

Boumalne

This had a lovely pool and a warm friendly feel from the owners and staff, but the rooms were cluttered and didn't feel 100% clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms had too many knick knacks in them, a challenge when unpacking.

Riad Lyon-Mogador

Essaouira

A classy and quiet spot with a great rooftop view and gorgeous beachy design rooms,

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful classy beach vibe and decor, cusions, wood, excellent cotton sheets and blankets.

Location

Staff

Queit and frienfly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nasreen

Marrakech

Unhelpful staff, chauvinistic toward women, and unavailable to help us when we needed them.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Condescending attitude, unhelpful with basic requests, no owner or Manager in sight

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom fan wouldn't turn off, hot water tap fell off, room was tiny, pool on rooftop in disrepair

Riad Madu Luxury Camp

Merzouga

An incredible oasis on the edge of the sand dunes. We should have stayed more than one night! Could have stayed 3.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meteorites Boulaajoul

Zaida

This was a surreal and dramatic overnight stop on the way to the desert: we met other travellers en route to the Sahara, or some returning. And the staff (Omar!) was funny and warm and welcoming. We liked how quiet it was, the pool, and the feeling on being on the edge of a rugged landscape. Not fancy, but clean and quiet, like a motel. Our kids loved it too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the edge of some very rugged land, in view of the Atlas mtns

Staff

Omar and the other assistants were funny, jokey with our kids, and put us all at ease. Also very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds, huge king

Dar Victoria

Fez

Incredible original atmosphere, great location, clean rooms and fantastically friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Was down a secret alley, in a non-touristy zone, but we all felt safe and welcome

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plumbing in bathrooms was a bit rickety

Activity Reviews

Kitesurfing Lesson in Essaouira

Essaouira

Was a great location, but we would have liked to know that kitesurfing lesson #1 doesn't include any time in the water actually kitesurfing. So that would have been helpful. However we had a fun day at the beach, and our kids surfed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super nice, professional crew at Kitesurfing company

Transport

Leather Slipper Workshop

Marrakesh

Was a great father-son workshop. However I'm glad my other kid (10) didn't attend as it was quite technical! But our teenager and his dad loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Awesome! Such a vibrant city

Quality of Experience

Was excellent however our Riad Nasreen was sub-par in terms of rooms and staff.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nourredinne and Ishmael knew the city well, and were great at getting us around it! They shared their knowledge, and kept us safe from the motorbikes!

Transport

Food Tour

Marrakesh

Loved this tour at night with Ishmael!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ismael was generous, warm, shared his story, and connected well with our sons. We loved spending time with him and would do this again!

Transport

Erg Chebbi Dunes to Boumalne Dades

Morocco

We liked stopping at the rosewater factory, but noticed the prices were very high, aimed at tourists and cost more than at home!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in the Sahara

Morocco

Loved this but we wanted to ride more. The guide seemed to think we only wanted photos of ourselves on the horses, when really we all wanted to gallop and go riding a bit more freely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

So cool, the best

Quality of Experience

Food

n/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sand Boarding

Morocco

Was just kind of tacked on to the ATV riding. Felt like an afterthought. No instruction, which is fine. We could have all used boards (4) rather than just having one. Would skip this next time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting in Meknes

Morocco

Was not really a favorite for us. We learned a bit, but will save wine tastings for other countries where it is a focal point.

Quality of Experience

Also, we didn't know in advance what was included, and they brought us LOTS of cheese and wine, which we didn't eat or drink or need.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide at the winery, very knowledgable

Transport

Nourredinne was so great getting us on time to ALL our scheduled activities.

Lunch with a local family

Morocco

Really lovely to see and experience a real home, with a local person. It gave us a chance to ask questions, and our boys learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Was good, tho would have been Amazing if our kids had met/eaten with kids, or the family was a similar make up to ours

Transport

The Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Morocco

Excellent history from our guide, however our kids got hot and tired halfway in, and there was no shade on site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Morocco

By far a highlight of our family trip!

Quality of Experience

Location and going to the souk first, to get the ingredients. Plus the dance party we had with the staff, on the spur of the moment!

Food

The tea ceremony, learning how to do the cooking without needing to prep the vegetables!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bouchra was amazing, as were the rest of the people at the Riad

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Excellent tour w Mustafa!

Quality of Experience

Food

I don't think we ate on the tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the guides were very good. I enjoyed Xi’an and Shanghai more than Beijing were we spent too much time in traffic. The cars and drivers were good.
The cruise was enjoyable because of the scenery and the friendly crew but the food was mediocre and the cabin too small

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

The air conditioning doesn’t always work. Very small closet. Nice big bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was not friendly but they did their job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning!!!

Victoria Katarina

Tiny room . The smallest closet I ever saw. No drawers to store anything. The food is buffet style and is served tepid. Overall the food was mediocre. Upon embarking we had to buy the dinner because it was not included. Big mistake! It was horrendous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Clean hotel. Professional staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

Old hotel n need of renovations. Marginal air conditioning. Old furniture in need of replacement. Shoddy workmanship. Breakfast was ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town City Tour

Shanghai

A very nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 3

Chongqing

Very nice excursion on small boats

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 2

Chongqing

A pleasant excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina cruise Day 1

Chongqing

The embarkation process was chaotic. The dinner that we had to buy on board was the terrible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Eat on shore

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Tang Dynasty Show (1hour)

Xi'an

A good show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Picturesque Summer Palace

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Very nice excursion thanks to our excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 4

Chongqing

A waste of time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day with Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

Very interesting site with some remarkable historical pieces

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

The show was good. The dinner and service were poor

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

The Great Wall is a must see. It is impressive but it’s a long drive from Beijing. The wall is very crowded. The tomb excursion is not worth the time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hutongs Exploration: Pedicab Ride and Local Family Visit

Beijing

Nothing special. We didn’t visit any family

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

Interesting site

Quality of Experience

Food

Loud and busy restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Better car than the old VW provided

We had an amazing trip to Vietnam! Doris was very helpful in organizing our iternerary and communication from beginning to end was excellent. Hotels were fantastic and tour guides very knowledgeable. So many beautiful moments. We enjoyed it all!! Thank you!

Activity Review

Hanoi - Halong Bay, Overnight on Paradise Elegance Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Each of our guides were warm and welcoming. They were very knowledgable about the history and the current status of their respective cities. Drivers and guides coordinated the transportation aspects very well which provided smooth and relaxing transitions for us.
Restaurant choices were excellent, including the breakfast buffets at each of our hotels.
The Yangtze River cruise was unbelievable. Not only is the scenery outstandingly beautiful, but the staff was congenial and provided a couple of delightful entertainment shows with song and dance.
Our stay in Shanghai was especially enjoyable at Sunrise on the Bund hotel, and our guide JayJay made our time together very special in spite of rain from a typhoon that passed through.

Vicky , you arranged our Australia and New Zealand trip very well. Hotel stays were very good except Fable where the service was moderate. Tours were very well organized, pickups were efficient and good and friendly.Ayer’s rock was amazing. Except the evening arranged dinner was so so for us vegetarians and atmosphere was full of bugs at night which the organizers could have controlled better. Cairns is beautiful. Seeing Great Barrier Reef was wonderful. On the whole an amazing trip and experience. Thank you Vicky.

Hotel Reviews

Fable Auckland

Auckland

Many staff spoke English poorly and communication was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poor cleaning. Bathroom sink poorly designed.

Hotel St. Moritz

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Langham

Southbank

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

Sydney

Old charm. Very centrally located. Good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Full-Day Rotorua Tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waiheke Island - Exclusive Tours - STANDARD DAY (Private Tour)

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Debra was excellent.

TSS Earnslaw and BBQ Buffet Lunch in Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Sound – One way small bus, nature cruise & flight back

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Ocean Road Full Day Private Experience

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Private Melbourne City Highlights

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Daintree Wanderer Tour

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Freedom - Cruise to Outer Edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef (Departs from Cairns)

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the mysteries of the outback sky

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sunrise (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta Half Day Trip

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Field of Light Dinner | Indulge in a feast for the soul

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Food

Better vegetarian options.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise (premium Window Seating)

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Sights 4 hours - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was top shelf. From the airport to the hotel(s) and all the excursions and private tours, everything was awesome! Everyone work together to provide us with a great experience!

Hotel Review

Agali Houses

Firostefani 00

Beautiful views from our balcony. Excellent breakfast as well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

This is a must when in Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Australia was fabulous. Asko was easily reachable when we had questions. First, all the hotels we stayed in were great and in excellent locations making it easy for us to get around. The excursions were well thought out. We got premium seats for the Penguin Parade, that was unexpected. The Great Ocean Road was stunning. Our guides for the Penguin Parade and Great Ocean Road were professional, polite and funny. Hobart was lovely. Uluru was next and beautiful. The sunset dinner, show and sunrise at Ayer's Rock. I can't say enough. Barrier Reef was next. We spent a relaxing day at Moore's Reef. For those that didn't go in the water there was the glass bottom boat and the submarine. Our last days were spent in Sydney. The Dream World Tour was exceptional. We learned a lot, we wanted to leave with more information about the First Nation than when we came. Our trip Wildlife, Waterfall and Wine tour was a nice change. Our driver, "the other Steve", made that tour enjoyable and he provided a lot of information. Then we had a free day in Sydney to shop and relax. It couldn't have been better. Thank you for an unforgettable journey!

We had an amazing trip and Hakim did an excellent job. As this was our first experience with KimKim, we were nervous whether the arrangements would work out as promised. But everything was great, and I'm glad we relied on Hakim's excellent reviews and expertise.