Kimkim Trip Reviews

Madagascar is a fascinating country, filled with many "natural world" things to explore from lemurs and chameleons to hiking beautiful forests. It also has a rich cultural heritage which we were able to explore as well.
Our guide, Charlie was one of the best we have encountered on our many Kimkim trips. He drove us many miles on difficult roads safely, he is very knowledgeable about his country and culture and has many contacts throughout the country. He was eager to please us , and he did!
Esther put together a trip that highlighted all we wanted to see and do. We are thankful for her help. As an extra bonus we were actually able to meet her in person as she was traveling in Madagascar the same time we were!

Activity Reviews

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

Andasibe

Roger was an excellent guide in this park. We saw lots of lemurs! It's a busy /popular park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roger the guide

Transport

Arrival in Antananarivo & Transfer to your accommodation

Antananarivo

Charlie was there waiting despite our flight being delayed 2 hours!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeab put together a great plan for my trip, and always responded quickly if I had a question. I would absolutely reccomend her to any other travelers.

We had an amazing trip to Portugal. We don't usually do trips like this (booked by a travel agent with guided excursions), but Helena found great local guides who were very knowledgeable, and willing to take us off the beaten path. In many cases, it felt like going on a day trip with an old friend. The drivers who transported us to and from the airport and between cities were also great - punctual, very friendly, and helpful. And the hotels were amazing - very nice and in great locations! It was such a relief to have all of these details planned for us, plus helpful tips provided to us for restaurants, sights, and travelling in Portugal in general. There were a couple of hiccups with the bookings but the folks at Kim Kim were very responsive when we contacted them and it didn't adversely impact our overall experience. It is hard to pick a favourite day, but we'd have to pick our trip to Sintra - our guide recognized we were stronger hikers who liked to get away from the crowds, so he took us to the coast down some more technical hiking trails to a (relatively) quiet beach where we had a picnic and watched the sunset. Absolutely stunning!

Hotel Reviews

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

Beautiful hotel in an amazing location in Lisbon. We were upgraded to an incredible suite with a sitting area where we could enjoy a nice glass of wine and some pastries - so lovely! Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Évora

Great location, staff were very friendly and helpful, great bar/lounge for an after-dinner night cap. The balcony with the room and the hotel pool were a nice touch. We didn't make an appointment but there is a spa where you could book a massage or treatment if you'd like.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mondego

Coimbra

Great location, staff were very friendly and helpful, room had a small balcony which was really nice to have for a sit outside to watch the city go by. Has a rooftop bar which is amazing for a night cap.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

Great location, very friendly and helpful staff, clean and modern

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

The fado singers were absolutely incredible! We had an amazing table, right up front, where we could fully appreciate the musicians and singers. The talent of these artists cannot be understated. The restaurant service was very prompt and friendly, the food was decent, and they were able to accommodate my gluten allergy (celiac).

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Cooking Class with Market Visit

Lisbon

Artur was SO lovely, it was like cooking lunch with an old friend. We visited the market and shopped for fresh ingredients, learning some tips on how to find and store the ingredients properly. We walked back to Artur's house where he has a well-appointed and cozy kitchen and learned some of his techniques, and how to get the best flavour out of fresh, simple dishes. We enjoyed a lunch of roasted tomatoes, sea bass, asparagus, pinto beans, mushrooms, suckling pig ribs, roasted almonds, mango, and queso fresco (and of course vino verdhe!) This was a highlight of our trip for sure!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were told that pickup would be at our hotel, but it turned out transportation had not been booked. We were able to take a taxi to the market but this did result in us being late to meet Artur. Overall, our experience was still amazing and we were grateful that we could still proceed with the cooking class and market visit!

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

This was our favourite day of the trip! We hiked lots, and our guide Felis knew how to get us off the beaten path. We had a wonderful, quiet lunch spot on the trails with a stunning view of the palace. We explored the Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and the Quinta da Regaleira (including the caves/tunnels). We were able to add on another hike at the end of the day, a trip to the coast to go to Praia da Ursa to drink wine, eat cheese and watch the sunset on the beach. I can't think of a more perfect way to end the day!

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Tomar

Portugal

Pedro, our driver, was very friendly and a great companion for the drive. He did not rush us at all as we visited the Convento de Cristo, Castelo de Tomar, and the Castelo de Almourol. We were able to find a lovely little cafe in Tomar for lunch - Insensato cafe and livraria - that made us the perfect lunch and had gluten-free options (I am a celiac).

Quality of Experience

While the convent and the castles were very beautiful and the history very interesting, it did make for a long day and in hindsight it might have been better to have less time in the convent and castles and more time in Evora.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was very friendly, did not rush us at all, and was a pleasure to go on a long drive with!

Transport

Adventure through the Schist Villages of Lousã (with walking)

Portugal

This is a beautiful region and I highly recommend visiting. Sergio, our guide, was very knowledgeable and friendly, and took us on some great trails and to two beautiful Schist Villages. He was able to find a restaurant in Lousa that could accommodate my gluten allergy (celiac) and offer traditional regional dishes (chanfana and wild boar). It was really fun exploring the mountains in the area in his jeep, and meeting some of the locals who still live in the villages.

Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

Our guide, Emanuel, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. He knew a lot about the local flora and fauna, and the history of the area we were in. Despite him believing the water was too cold, he was happy to let me go for a swim in some waterfalls :). We had a great visit in a local village and enjoyed some drinks at a small pub to cap off the day.

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

We saw two great wineries, learned about the history and process of port and wine-making in the area, and had a lovely boat ride on the Duoro. The visit to the first winery also included an olive oil tasting and they had gluten-free bread available for me (I have celiac disease). Our lunch stop was a small unassuming place that made amazing food. Our guide, Pedro, took great care of us and was very patient as we stopped to pet all of the friendly dogs we met :)

We had a wonderful 2 week trip to Vietnam. The KimKim team/Kelly were so easy to work with so there was minimal preparation need to plan the trip…we really just packed and got on a plan! Vietnam was a great country to travel with kids, as it always felt safe, had lots of activities and action to keep them engaged and the people in Vietnam were really nice to the kids. Food was a highlight-really great restaurants were organized and the food tour in Ho Chi Min (Street Food Man tour with Tanya) was, as my kids said ‘10 out of 5 stars’! We loved Hoi Ann and were glad we spent extra time there. Although our beach day rained it was still great to have a day to relax by the ocean and pool mid way. Our only disappointments were 1. Ha Long Bay is way too busy and kayaking in bay of litter was not what we expected-was definitely worth the extra day to get out to the less busy went out to the less busy and more pristine areas. we would not recommend Ha Long Bay unless it is 3 day 2 night and you can get out of actual Ha Long Bay area . 2. A lot of places/activities have lost their authenticity with tourism increasing so much again post covid (good for the country obviously), but does make you feel a bit like a heard of sheep checking off a to do list of tourist activities. Would definitely skip Ba Na (even though that is where the golden bridge is it was way too busy and all fake). Would definitely try to get off the beaten path more if we went back to Vietnam.

Hotel Reviews

Harmony Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Our stay in Ho Chi Minh City at the Harmony Hotel & Spa was excellent. We loved the location and found the hotel amenities and service to be top-notch. It perfectly suited our needs and was one of the highlights of our accommodations.

Lasenta Boutique Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

We really liked our stay at Lasenta Boutique Hotel Hoi An. It was comfortable and slightly outside the main city, which we enjoyed for a quieter environment. It took about a 25-minute walk to reach the heart of Hoi An, which might not be ideal for everyone, but we were okay with it.

L Heritage Diamond

Hanoi

The location of L Heritage Diamond was great, being in the old city. However, the hotel itself wasn't up to the standard of the other hotels we stayed at. It lacked a pool, and the dining room was quite basic, offering a rather uninspiring environment. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with the hotel, but it didn't compare to the quality of the others on our trip.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mekong Delta Tour (My Tho)

Ho Chi Minh City

We had a fantastic time on the Private Street Food Evening Walking Tour in Ho Chi Minh City. It was one of the best parts of our trip and offered amazing insights and flavors!

Half day Thanh Ha Pottery Village Tour

Hoi An

The tour of Thanh Ha Pottery Village was underwhelming. It was scheduled for four hours, but we only spent a few minutes at a pottery wheel. The experience seemed more like a brief stop rather than an in-depth activity.

Private Lantern Making Experience in Hoi An

Hoi An

The lantern making experience felt rushed and not as immersive as we had hoped. The process was more like putting fabric over a frame and gluing it, with little hands-on time for us, especially for the kids, which left them a bit disappointed.

Half Day Cooking Class(join in)

Hoi An

The cooking class in Hoi An was fantastic! It was a private, making it special and immersive. Our kids had a great time, enjoying the hands-on activity.

Drive to Da Nang with Visit to the Golden Bridge

Vietnam

The drive to Da Nang and visit to the Golden Bridge was not enjoyable for us. It was extremely crowded, which made the experience less pleasant. It should be noted that the area features an artificial French village, which didn’t match our expectations.

Our driver Alex, from Serendipity was fantastic. His knowledge of culture, the land, and food was vast. His personality was an ease and delight to be around.
Our hotel in Arenal/La Fortuna, Hotel Arenal Kioro was gorgeous. The view from your bed is a beautiful volcano.
The food and hospitality, exceptional.
Our excursions from Serendipity were so much fun with truly knowledgeable guides. Zip lining, national park tours, a nite walk, visiting waterfalls, kayaking through the Mangroves, a boat ride crossing a lake, who could ask for more.
The weather was rainy but the people who we encountered were all sunny and bright. I can't forget to mention the animals we were able to get up close and personal with. ( sloths, white faced monkeys, spider monkeys, Howler monkeys, tucans, other birds( we saw a rare sighting of the Resplendant Quetzal, thanks to our guide Andy ), snakes, and so many more.
We visited Arenal/La fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. I believe we encompassed all the fun and beautiful zones in Costa Rica, thanks to Kim Kim's recommendations.
Thank you Kim Kim and Serendipity for a lifetime of beautiful memories.

Hotel Review

Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa

Fortuna

Beautiful Hotel. From your bed you have a view of the volcano. Hospitality and food are exceptional. Outdoor natural hot spring, not as hot as I thought they would be but still beautiful and relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Each room has a view of the volcano

Staff

So nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

housekeeping did an amazing job

Activity Reviews

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

our guide Andy was so knowledgeable !!! From animals to plants, what an experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

We had so much fun learning about coffee and chocolate. Your guide takes you from picking a cocoa bean, roasting, grinding, adding vanilla and cane sugar, to eating. Coffee tour very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guides made the experience fun and exciting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Attn: Ashley
Hi Ashley: We just got back a few days ago from our continued trip from Thailand. Our visit to Bangkok and Phukett were wonderful. Our guide Chai was a very nice man along with his driver. We have a few suggestions to make but overall it was a good trip.
1. Chai was very kind and informative but we have had other tour guides on previous trips that were a little more informed, maybe more in depth. Also his english was a bit limited so at times hard to understand.
2. Due to the traffic in Bangkok it does take a long time to arrive at tour sights. I feel this should be taken more into consideration when planning tours. For example we went to the temple (Friday ) and then came back to our hotel only to find out we had to go back in the same direction later that day to experience Chinatown. It took us 2 hours to get to Chinatown and then 1 hour there and 1 1/2 hours back. Also our "foodie tour" of Chinatown was nothing. Chai just walked with us and didn't seem to have a plan. Plus we paid for all our food which was to be included in the tour price. It was a frustrating day and tour.

Our expenses that we thought were included were Chinatown at $30.00 for food and the taxi we took from Phuket to our hotel was $30.00

The other issue I'm having is that The NaNirand Romantic Hotel has charged my credit card for $700.00 for a no show reservation. I had made my own reservation #BB24060316213178 for the hotel but cancelled by email on August 14th, 2024 when we decided to use your services. I think they are confused with your reservation for us which I hope you cancelled when we had to make the change to Phuket. Please take care of this situation as soon as possible.

Thank you again for your assistance.
Kim Kurzeka

We travelled Oct. 27 to Nov. 3rd - Tangier to Marrakech. Majid was our planner, he was very accommodating even when we switched up Casablanca for Rabat - which was a mistake, even though our driver called ahead to the Riad to make sure we had separate beds, what we were given was far from comfortable - instead of separating the double bed, they just made up the small sofa to a bed - it was very uncomfortable for an adult to sleep on. Our guide/driver Mouad picked us up in Tangier. We could not have had a better match for our personality. Mouad was thoughtful, kind and funny, and listened to “what WE wanted to do” , even after our tour ended, he made sure we were safe and not to hesitate to reach him if we needed anything - which was a huge plus for two senior females in Marrakech! Our only regret was not having KimKim arrange for our 3 days to Merzouga desert - the company we hired was horrible - the driver had zero interest in what we wanted or did he care.

Hotel Review

Riad Dar Dar

Rabat

We specifically asked for 2 beds, what we got was a double bed and the sofa. Clearly the double bed could have been separated but they were too lazy and opted to put sheets on the sofa - it was very uncomfortable, good thing it was only one night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

This was our most favourite thing. The family was lovely, we openly talked about EVERYTHING….living in Morocco, children, healthcare etc….

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the most amazing driveraa

Transport

Adam was incredibly helpful and the trip he planned was fantastic. We had some slight changes due to weather-no ones fault. However, Adam was always very quick to reply and provide us with an amazing plan B. He had fantastic communication and set up everything in a way that was convenient, streamlined, and easy to follow. Even in the initial planning stage, he worked very closely with us to provide the best trip possible, providing plenty of opportunities and great advice that was so incredibly helpful. Would love to work with Adam again!

As the other person in this trip I figured I should chime in as well. Adam was fantastic! We committed the cardinal sin of travel and didn’t research very much. It didn’t matter because Adam did that for us. He was on top of everything. Very easy to get a hold of and even helped while we were in our trip and had to make last minute changes due to weather. Adam was great. I’d work with him again! Thanks Adam!

Andrea’s at the cloud forest was fantastic as was Gabriel at le selva I enjoyed the rides and service from Sebastian and getting information about Ecuador

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Very clean and great service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Very peaceful place

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving - Day Trip from Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Great bike ride and am viewing of birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a great trip Linda did a great job planning everything! The drivers were wonderful loved the Carrera family they were always on time picking us up and dropping us off. They went above and beyond teaching us about Ecuador and what we needed to know. Guides were also amazing Andreas in cloud forest, Gabriel in ran forest were both my favorites! I can not express my gratitude enough we will definitely use KimKim again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Hotel was nice breakfast was good! It was not as nice as the other hotels and was noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Nice rooms in the cloud forest staff was very accommodating food was great also!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Loved this hotel located in downtown Quito. Liked that every room we stayed in was decorated differently

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Rooms were nice! Food was very good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Amazon rainforest

Staff

Always had a clean room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Great hotel Douglas made us feel right at home! He made great scrambled eggs too,🤣

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from downtown!

Staff

Douglas

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

It was a good long hike the guide was very enthusiastic the crater and lava flows were great to see very interesting! This was another place were it was rushed right after this we were picked up to go back to Santa Cruz we were so dirty and dusty we just wanted to take a shower but I am glad we did the hike even if it meant we had to be really grimy for a couple hours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best snorkeling ever! Sea turtles,sea horses, sharks, mana rays it was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Loved the kayaking again saw some amazing things penguins watch blue footed boobies dive, sea lions pelicans guide was really good I don’t remember her name but she was good 👍

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit to another uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Bartolome hike was beautiful at the top definitely worth doing! Snorkeling was amazing there also visibility was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The research center was ok we did learn about all the turtles and George! I thought there would be more about Charles Darwin also would have liked to be able to change it was chilly in Quito so I wore jeans and a light sweater by the time we got to the research center it was pretty warm!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was ok

Transport

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

Galapagos Islands

Loved the land turtles and lava tunnels!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Never saw anything like the clay lick before! Also, loved the indigenous community it was very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Saw a lot of birds it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Loved learning about this reserve would visit again. The hike and guide were ok lunch was very good lots of hummingbird loved there organic garden

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

I did have a good time riding bikes in cloud forest but felt it wasn’t the best place to ride! It was all up hill for a little while but Andreas was right there with the truck to help the down hill was a little scary but had fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andreas was great!

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Hike to the waterfall for a swim at piripie lodge was great along with the tour of the grounds learned about different fruits etc Also hike to waterfall in Mashpi was wonderful also if you like to hike along the way Andreas should us different birds frogs and plants loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

These birds are very beautiful and we were delighted we got to see a few and video them

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Night Walk in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Gabrielle was great we saw a lot of different things at night

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to see an hear different things at night in the rain forest

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We could not have been happier with our experience with Responsible Treks, Chhewang and Gyaljan. Our initial planning for our trip was all through communications with Chhewang who listened to our requests and desires and put together an itinerary that truly exceeded our expectations. All communications were very timely. We wanted a combination of city life in Kathmandu, trekking in the Annapurna area and safari in Chitwan. All the elements were fantastic. Our city and trekking guide, Gyaljan, was both very knowledgeable as well as fun to be with. He made sure all of our accommodations and needs were met and was able to make adjustments as needed. We felt like we were in great hands. He was able to make the extra effort to make sure we maximized our experience. All the accommodations were top notch, though more rugged during our trek which was expected. We highly recommend Responsible Treks, Chhewang and our guide Gyaljan.

Highlights:
* Day 1 -Our Hotel and view from our room in Dubrovnik was amazing! The many options for meals (which were delicious) and the beautiful views from those areas were great! The beautiful pools, and the safe places to jump into the Adriatic and swim was really exciting!
* Day 2 - Our friendly local guide, Alberto, was SO knowledgeable about the history and people of Old Town through the centuries. He shared great tips for our own self-touring that afternoon. An extra highlight was that we were able to meet
Marija, in person that a.m. as she was there with another group and made a point of finding us to meet in person. That was a fun surprise.
* Day 3 - Marija planned our seamless arrival of our rental car and we were on our way to Split. Our local tour guide, Ivana, met us at our boutique hotel and it was a convenient walk to Diocietian's Palace. Ivana, who grew up in Split, was a great guide and pointed out the amazing features of the Palace, as well as sharing her experiences as a young girl growing up during the 5 year war.
* Day 4 - We had a beautiful drive to Krka National Park. The waterfalls there were spectacular and this day was a highlight of our trip! On to Zadar where we checked in to the Hotel Bastion, with views of the harbor nearby and easy
walk to experience the Roman and Venetian ruins on the Old Town peninsula. Lots of restaurants to choose from as well!
*Day 5 - Drove to the most famous National Park in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes where Marija had already provided tickets for
us to tour the area. Again, the waterfalls were stunning, and were so worth the walk, in spite of the cloudy day! Then on to
the capitol, Zagreb. We had another seamless transfer to our hotel after dropping off our rental car. Our driver was a great young man who shared his perspective about the 5 yr. war (at my urging). He had been a "celebration baby." His
father had survived the war, married his mother and he was born. He shared that every year they go back to the city in Eastern Croatia, where his father had fought alongside other Croatians to remember those who were lost, such a poignant story.
*Day 6 - Met up with our local guide, Josie, at our hotel and got a great tour of the center of Zagreb. Josie is a vibrant and energetic young woman who loves her city and was so excited to show the many highlights and learn from her about Zagreb's history..... from the City Square, to the famous Cathedral of Zagreb, St. Marks Church, the Dolac Market (amazing daily fresh produce, meat markets, bakeries, wine/olive oil specialties galore!), and riding the Funicular Railway from the upper town back down to the lower town. It was a FUN last day and we topped it off with having an authentic Croatian dinner where the locals go to have a great meal (one of Josie's favorites that she recommended to us). We were not disappointed!!! The BEST local food and great people!
*Day 7 - Marija arranged for our on-time driver to pick us up at 4:30 a.m. for a short, relaxing drive to the Zagreb Airport.
We had plenty of time to relax, buy a few more souvenirs and talk about what an AMAZING trip we'd had.
THANK YOU MARIJA!!!

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria

Zagreb

The Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria in Zagreb was nice and located conveniently near a major square.

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

The Bastion Heritage Hotel in Zadar was absolutely beautiful. It was conveniently located just a five-minute walk from the stunning Roman ruins. The hotel offered a great breakfast, and despite some rain, the view of the inner bay with yachts was spectacular.

Hotel Luxe

Split

The Hotel Luxe in Split was in a great location for exploring the city, only about a ten-minute walk to major attractions. The hotel itself was lovely with a wonderful breakfast. The only downside was the parking situation, as it was very challenging to navigate the narrow one-way road to the hotel's parking area.

Royal Neptun Hotel

Dubrovnik

The Royal Neptun Hotel in Dubrovnik was absolutely amazing! Located at the north end of the city, it offered stunning views, especially at night with all the beautiful lights. It was a wonderful start to our vacation.

Activity Reviews

Private guided walking tour of Zagreb

Zagreb

The Private guided walking tour of Zagreb was fantastic, led by a passionate and knowledgeable local guide. I loved learning about the city and visiting so many great places. Being shown where the locals eat was a wonderful touch, and the dinner was delicious.

Private Guided Walking Tour of Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik

The Private Guided Walking Tour of Dubrovnik Old Town was fantastic. Our tour guide, Alberto, was incredibly knowledgeable and seemed to know many of the locals. His stories and insights into the area's history made the tour so interesting and memorable.

The people and trips were simply amazing! We highly recommend food tours to get to know the cities and regions.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel del Mare

Sorrento

We weren't pleased with the view of our first room. It looked at a side of another building and there was a dead bird outside. I mentioned it to the front desk assistant. They worked hard to fix our concern by moving us to another room the next day. I can't thank them enough! Very friendly and helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location! We were able to walk to the water and to the downtown.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Florida Residence

Positano

Wow! No words can describe the view! The staff were beyond amazing. So friendly and helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I can't say enough about how friendly and caring the staff treated us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bigallo Florence

Florence

The room was very, very small. The staff were okay, but not warm and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Firenze

Venice

The staff were very polite and full of recommendations. They made us feel right at home.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Capri Cruise

Italy

This trip was canceled due to weather.

Tuscany Highlights: Siena, San Gimignano & Pisa with lunch & wine tasting

Florence

Fantastic guide and the towns were full of history! We particularly enjoyed the food and wine tastings!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tasting & dinner in Chianti vineyard

Italy

This was our most memorable activity on our trip! Food and wine were incredible. We met so many new friends!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Bacari Food Tour

Venice

The guide was fantastic and authentic! Excellent way to meet people and become familiar with your surroundings!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the beginning of planning, Long was incredibly responsive and helpful to pull the trip together. He listened carefully to what we wanted to accomplish on this trip and made very appropriate recommendations. His hotel picks were incredible for the local flavor, location and amenities.

While on the trip when we had any questions, he was immediately responsive. There was a concern with the room we were given on the Hua Long Bay Cruise and Long was responsive and resolved it perfectly.

I would plan another trip with Long and would recommend him to anyone I know that is traveling to Viet Nam or other areas where Long could assist.

Our trip was fun, although we found communication with Kelly to be challenging.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Indigo Phuket Patong

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

too far to planned excursions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Night Food tour with Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

This was not a "food tour"....we simply stopped at one restaurant. Would have liked exposure to more.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My experience with you guys was just perfect, especially working with Amanda on the planning, the small details, and her attentiveness to everything I was asking for.
This was my first ever trip to Nepal and my first such a long trek. Everything worked as planned, from the pre-arrival instructions till the final advises and support from the team on the ground - especially the guide (Nuris) and the porter that were assigned to us.
as mentioned to Amanda in our debrief once we were back to Kathmandu - the trek hiking days are well planned including all the accommodations and I will not suggest changing them.
The combination of the Tsum Valley with its unique Tibetan cultural impact, and the Manaslu Circuit on the top of it is just perfect.
It is indeed one of the best trekking experience I've done in my life.
Thank you all for that.

Our trip to Cartagena and Santa Marta/Tayrona was amazing. The combination of history, culture, and nature was a perfect balance. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable, and the activities were perfectly tailored to meet our family's needs. Margoth was very helpful and quick to respond with proposals to make the trip personalized. I would highly recommend her.

We booked our trip as a Group of 12 and had an amazing time!!! Thank you!

France was stunning! The Eiffel Tower at night is an absolute must! Going to Normandy and having a private tour with John to take us back into such a historic day was unreal! Bayeux was such a cute little town with everything nearby! Saint Malo and the boardwalk to get to the center was stunning! We had so much fun walking around! There was the most stunning church inside Saint malo with all amazing statues of the virgin mother and the most beautiful stain glass windows you will ever see!

Hotel Reviews

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

Perfect location! The staff was SO helpful we had our rental car die and the man at the front desk helped with speaking French where I couldn’t! Our room was huge! So much room for our luggage and bunk beds which my daughter loved!! Right around the corner from all restaurants and there was even a market open one of the days that was awesome!

Authenticity & Character

It wasn’t wicked fancy but the staff made it feel very welcoming

Location

Close to everything we needed!

Staff

10/10 staff!!! So helpful! Spoke great English and weren’t rude!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds weren’t the most comfortable or the pillows!

Hôtel Les Charmettes

Saint-Malo

Stunning view!!!! The back of the hotel was on the boardwalk and it was so peaceful! Only negative was no lift so we had to carry all our bags up multiple stairs!!! Location was stunning though and worth it!

Authenticity & Character

The room had a giant window to open and listen to the ocean with the perfect breeze!

Location

We walked into the center of Saint malo and it took roughly 15min!

Staff

So nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was good and bathroom clean!

Grand Hotel de Turin

Paris

Paris is a very very large city with all different little nooks! We were about 20min Uber ride from the Eiffel Tower! The room was nothing special but it worked for sleeping! The girls working at the front desk were soooo nice! Helped recommend food nearby for us to go eat! The only thing I thought was weird is we stayed there two separate times on the trip and the second time we went to leave the room for the day and they asked us for the key until we got back even though all our things were in the room! I didn’t like this, nothing happened but it was not mentioned and only one man working there ever gave us this issue!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Would have liked to be a little closer to the Eiffel Tower!

Staff

The girls at the front were great!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms are nothing special but no issues with the beds! Room rather small but was what we needed for the time!

Activity Reviews

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

Bayeux

MUST DO! If history is even remotely interesting to you this is an absolute! One of the best days in my entire trip! John our guide was unbelievable! So knowledgeable and took us to the places that he knew the big tour buses wouldn’t be starting at to get us some quiet time! Gave us so much information and it was just truly chilling being there and reminiscing on history!

Quality of Experience

Unreal! Definitely do the private tour with John! Totally worth being private to have this experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cannot say enough amazing things about John! Answered all our questions and really brought us back in time with things we would have never known!

Transport

John picked us right up at the hotel and even had a car seat for my daughter! Great driver and made the day amazing! Also on the way back he drove us down an area to show us great food! So nice and highly highly recommend!

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

An evening Eiffel Tower tour is a MUST! I just wouldn’t use a private tour like we did! Just go and buy the tickets and do it yourself! Seeing the tower at night is a must and having the experience of going all the way up was incredible! Our guide was an hour and a half late and it just seemed very unorganized! She was so nice but didn’t seem worth the wait!

Quality of Experience

Going up for the tour was unreal! Self-guided would have been better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was traveling with a 3 year old and the guide was 1 1/2 late and then very unorganized. Felt like just a friend was with us because she was so nice but not very informative especially for the wait!

Transport

The Eiffel Tower elevator is very crammed so travel light! But the experience was so cool!

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

Paris

Wicked cool! Very relaxing! A nice way to see the most without being overwhelmed!

Quality of Experience

We had been traveling for awhile now so I nice boat tour was perfect!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Weren’t very helpful! Barely saw staff!

Transport

It was raining so we kept going in and out of the boat but it was nice to have the option! Very relaxed! Learned a lot!

Definitely Tayeb was a great guide and driver, always caring every detail of our schedule and needs. Exactly what we were looking for, with great recommendations and knowledge. He has been very kind the whole time. We've enjoyed a lot visiting Tanger, Merzouga and Marrakech...the riads were great at Fes, Tanger and Marrakesh.
Our guide Sherif at Fes was very caring too in the Medina, being so clear and with the knowledge for every spot visited.
For me, visiting Mosquee Hassan II at Casablanca was incredible, as well as Tanger, Rabat was surprisingly impressive, the desert left me without words... Abdellah was always helping to make the last time adjustments and solving which made out trip unforgettable and highly recommended

Hotel Reviews

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

The most incredible spot to stay at Marrakesh... Breakfast was incredible

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

A great location, very comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

It was a great option to stay 2 nights here... They were solving this last time change and helping with everything.

Authenticity & Character

So comfortable

Location

Staff

Mustafa is so kind! The pastelitos for breakfast were great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

One of my favorites riads... The 5 houses are amazing... So comfortable and staff were so kind

Authenticity & Character

Incredibile

Location

Staff

So caring

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

The place is spectacular an the room was great... So many stairs but is part of it

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful

Location

You have to walk a lot to arrive to the riad in the middle of the medina, with all the luggage make it impossible to do it by your own

Staff

They were too busy to mind

Cleanliness & Comfort

It could be better

Riad Mokhtar Tanger

Tangier

Very comfortable beds, nice rooms... Great location... All good

Authenticity & Character

So cool the decorations

Location

In front of the medina

Staff

Kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spectacular

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

Good enough to rest and continue your day outdoors

Authenticity & Character

.

Location

Staff

Good enough

Cleanliness & Comfort

Towels were a little old

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Fez to Merzouga Desert

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Quality of Experience

Unbelievable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tayeb and Sherif... 100% recommended

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide: The Economic Heart of Morocco

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Great spot, so impressed about the magnificent structure and culture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tayeb is excellent driver and guide

Transport