Kimkim Trip Reviews

We three couples from India had a great time in South Africa and Victoria falls thanks to KimKim and Steph our trip planner..This is our third trip with Kim Kim.Perfectly planned and coordinated by Steph,who needs a special mention.She was very patient and catered to all my wishes and suggestions.Especially celebrating my wife s birthday in Kruger shalati train on the bridge.A memorable celebration.Mark our guide in Capetown was exceptional and took proper care of us,very punctual and friendly.In Victoria falls we had little problem in coordinating with the guides and pick ups.Kruger Shalati was again an awsome experience
Now the negatives in our trip though very few need to mention it here,
1)The sunset cruise we were given in all the itineraries was Sunset cruise luxury signature deck experience by Pure Africa,but we were taken to a small cheap boat with basic drinks and hot sun with no shade and hard wooden benches to sit..After a very hot day we were just looking to relax and unwind on the luxury cruise with artisanal premium drinks and canapes and watch the famous African sunset.A very bad experience.Especially with the signature deck cruise sailing next to us all the while.Stephs explanation that small boats reach better places wasnt very convincing.Didnt know why KimKim has compromised on this.This happened for the first time in my three trips.
2)They were few mix ups in flight bookings that made our hearts to beat lil faster with stress in the airport ,but were immediately resolved by Steph.Thanks once again Steph.
3)We were told we will be given visa on arrival for Zambia.The Bushtracks driver who took us to devils pool,stopped at Zambia immigration ,went inside and came back saying sorry you cant go to Zambia today as Indians need prior visa to enter.Then again he goes in and comes back saying if you pay a little extra(bribe) they will give you visa in 10 mins otherwise it will take one day as the visa has to come from Lusaka.So we had no option to shell out that extra bribe along with 50usd visa fee(which also am not sure that it ll be so much for a day tripper)Just informing you this so that this will not be repeated with your future clients.
Apart from these incidents,the trip had gone well with amazing experiences like Penguins,Devils pool,shark cage experience,shalati stay n safari,thanks once again Steph and Kimkim from six of us for curating an amazing trip

Hotel Review

Kruger Shalati Train on the bridge

Kruger National Park, Skukuza

A great stay on the train on the bridge.enjoyed every moment of our stay.An experience of a lifetime ,courteous staff,knowledgeble safari guides,ours was Elvis ,with lot of patience showed us the Big five.The views from the room of the sabie river and the game that come to drink water too good!The pool with an infinity view and bar was a high light

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Elvis the safari guide,Remember the guy in the restaurant need special mention.And also all the singers and dancers at the evng dinner who wished my wife on her birthday

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed and the pool

Activity Reviews

Full Day Boutique Winelands Tour

South Africa

We missed the tour and participated in Capetown marathon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day touring Boulders Beach and Kirstenbosch Gardens

Cape Town

Mark was an amazing guide and took us for local sight seeing to areas like Bo-kaap and other areas of caoetown which was not there in the itinerary.African penguins are cute at Boulders then went to Kirstenbosch gardens which was also lovely

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guide cum driver Mark

Table Mountain Tour

Cape Town

Sadly missed the cable car tour because oh high winds,but Mark our guide made it up by taking us on a city tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an incredible trip! The team at kimkim made our trip to Spain a complete success! Our local specialist in Spain that coordinated the entire trip was Alfonso. Alfonso made sure that we made the most efficient use of our time and he arranged guides, transportation, and got us access into sites that were impossible for other tourists to get in to. The team of guides in each city (Barcelona, Madrid, and Granada) were of the highest caliber and were truly, educated, historians. In 14 days, we visited more churches, museums, and attractions than any other trip we've made throughout Europe. The trip is geared to your own capability of what you want to do and how many things that you physically can do. Alfonso figures that out in early communication with you and plans the PERFECT agenda along with the most comfortable hotels that are of the highest quality and situated in the most strategic parts of the city. This will be one of our most memorable trips in our lifetimes. My wife and I give 5 stars to kimkim and Alfonso. Also we give a huge thanks to the other team members that made sure everything went well: Uhaina (everywhere), Leon (Madrid), Miriam (Granada), Jose (TukTuk Madrid), Eirini (Barcelona)

My wife and I are retired teachers, we love to travel and experience new adventures. Two years ago we spent three weeks driving around Ireland. We didn't do a lot of planning and sort of played everything by ear as we went along. we had a great trip. That trip empowered us to try and do the same thing in France. Neither I or my wife had ever been to France. As I started to research things to do and places to go on the web I came across Kim Kim. I was curious to what it was about. So I clicked on it and started going through the process (which was really easy). I figured if they asked for my credit card I would click off the site. To my amazement they didn't ask for money. The next day I received a 21 day itinerary that included so much, I was astonished. The instructions said to set up a phone interview with the local specialist Mathilde (who is amazing). We did we altered and tweaked the itinerary to the way we wanted it and viola' we had a three week trip planned. We asked if they could rent us a car. They did. We asked to change dates, bookings, tours. Whatever we asked Mathilde accommodated us. We traveled around 1,500 miles and eight different cities. During a travel day Mathilde called me and said that we would be really close to where Kim Kim is located and would we like to get together for coffee. We agreed to meet and for an hour had a wonderful conversation with a really lovely young lady. We experienced Paris (all the highlights), The Alps, The Riviera, Medieval mountain towns, Normandy (D-Day tour was exceptional). The itinerary included 3 bike tours, 3 walking tours, 2 private tours, tickets to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Mount Blanc, Chenonceau Castle, Palace of Versailles, Dinner cruise on the Siene, Mont St. Michel, D-Day tour, Monet's Gardens and so much more. All of our hotels booked. Things that I would have never thought of Mathilde and Kim Kim did. And all this at a price that we could afford. We are preparing to go to Italy for three weeks next year, I will definitely be calling Kim Kim and Mathilde . Thank you for a great experience that my wife and I will never forget.

Activity Reviews

Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey - Entrance tickets

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Luberon E-Bike Adventure

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Omaha & Utah Beach War History Day Trip

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Excursion by E-Bike with Food Tasting

Lyon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Chamonix

Chamonix

Quality of Experience

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Versailles Bike & Palace Day Trip

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skip-the-Line Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The entire trip was really great! Catherine, Juan, Esteban, and the whole team were available anytime we had a question and regularly checked up on us. Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and Tikal were all very different, so depending on what you’re looking for all are worth a visit.

Pedro was fantastic. He picked us up at the airport and was our guide on two other days. Very personable, knowledgeable and always willing to try and satisfy our groups special requests. Also, Tommy was very friendly and informative during our trip to the Douro Valley. His knowledge of the various types of port and other wines was exceptional. Also, Maria made our trip through the gardens at Monserrate palace very special. Like I mentioned about Pedro above, Maria was very friendly, knowledgeable and always took the needs and safety of our group into account during the tour. In general, all of our guides arrived at the meeting places timely, were knowledgeable and friendly.

Basat at museum was amazing , started us planning next year in Turkey from Troy down coastline.
Erat in cappadoncia was excellent; so knowledgeable and adjusted tour to our every need.
The last hotel in Istanbul was not up to standard, service was sub par and any questions asked we got different answers from each staff.
Their first response was no to most everything.
Check in was unnecessarily long , crowded and we were told to sit , and then forgotten while they checked in a group that arrived after us
The wine tasting was also a disappointment, we did not have sunset due to windy conditions but then we did it in a lobby with no view no explanation of the wines, the woman conducting the tasting poured and disappeared.
Only 2 wines poured . For this we could have ordered at our hotel with a spectacular view and had a bartender explain the wine

The safari tour was excellent. The guide was excellent and interacted well with the group. His knowledge and expertise was exceptional. Accommodations and food provided along the trip were exceptional as well. This was a memorable trip that may result in further trips to other places that kimkim has to offer

Hotel Reviews

Riad Madu Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Very clean. Excellent food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tin Joseph

Ouarzazate

Food and accommodations were excellent. Owner was present and very personable with all.

Location

Staff

Interaction with us travelers

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Excellent experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experienced drivers

Ouarzazate to Erg Chebbi

Morocco

First time in Morocco. The trip was memorable. Met interested people along the various stops.

Quality of Experience

Guides knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The person in charge of us is Katie. From the veru beginning till the end of the trip, she has been more than kindly, helpful, and personable. She provided detailed information regarding transportation, accommodation and activities. Hence, we did not get confused and lost at all.

The guide/driver for our van trip truly was such a professional, who knew what she was doing. The night was cloudy and rainy, but she somehow led us to the places where the Northern Lights suddenly appeared. She also was extremely kindly to all of us, taking great pictures of us. And she was a very smooth driver.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Good location, convenient. Too crowded.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Very well located. Nice and clean. They pillow was too soft for us though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Very well located, nice and clean

Authenticity & Character

Staff was very kindly and helpful.

Location

Next to the train station and center city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Adventure in Tromsø

Tromsø

The guide was excellent, she knows how to find Northern Lights. Her driving skill was also great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Nice and clean. Food was good even if the fish was a bit too cold in some parts.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had a fantastic time in Chile and was given huge amounts of reassurance from having local people who I could access via Whatsapp throughout my trip. As a woman travelling on my own in South America I felt safe and organised. There were a couple of hiccups but these were resolved quickly by the team who were prompt in their responses and professional. I generally organise my own trips but I didn't have time on this occasion and I was pleasantly surprised by what I could fit in by handing the responsibility over to someone else!

Our Morocco Immersions 14 day tour of Morocco was great. Our visits were generally well planned and organized. The driver, Mustafa, was excellent. Abdu, our tour manager, did a consistently very good job guiding us, keeping us informed, and organizing our days. The local tour guides were all good to very good. Our guides in Rabat and Fez were the strongest. Some of the most enjoyable experiences were ones where we engaged with Moroccans more closely. Lunch at Volubilis was very enjoyable. Couscous at Abdu and Sharon’s home was fantastic. Our cooking lesson in Essouaria was great fun. Hussein and Khalidya were wonderful hosts at that cooking lesson. Camping in the desert was great. Finally be sure you get a Berber pizza! What’s a Berber pizza? Visit and you will see 😎

Hotel Review

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour

Morocco

Nourjaddin was an exceptionally well spoken and informed guide in Rabat. Said was a wonderful information source since he grew up in old Fes. The home hospitality offered by Abdou and Sharon was exceptionally kind and generous and offered a nice view and personal introduction into Moroccan family and relatives. (We wish for a heathy delivery for Aziza and baby!) Kazbah Tiziri and Michelle were a a unique treat. She was amazingly attentive to our food habits and a fabulous interpreter of Moroccan cuisine. She noticed we were not eating raw fruits and parboiled the grapes so we would feel comfortable eating them! Michelle was also very open to our suggestions about improvements in the rooms. We hope for her success. The introduction to ancient to modern Moroccan water management (khettaras) was important to learn for today’s climate stressed world. Moustafa was an exceptional driver; careful and experienced. He did an amazing job navigating the high Atlas mountain passes. Thank you Abdou for recommending the pigeon pastilla and for an amazing and unique birthday cake in Palais de Fes. I will never forget “Berber Pizza”. - shopping for it as well as eating it. What a fun experience. Kadijha and Husseine helped us make the finest tagines we ate over the whole trip. They represent the finest and kindest of Moroccan citizens. A wonderful finish to the trip.

trip was great
well organised
drivers and guides were all very good
especially in busan Jade he was wonderful
accomodation in seoul for first two days was awful room when we returned there we were given a much better rooom but it was dissapointing to get that first room

Overall, the service Majid provided was excellent.

1. **Communication:** 5/5 stars. Prompt and clear.
2. **Options and Service:** 5/5 stars Majid offered a few options to choose from and provided clear guidance on the best options and excursions to consider. He was not trying to sell anything but simply guiding.
3. **Value:** 4/5 stars Compared to other tour companies, I think he provides great value. It's not cheap, but certainly very reasonable.
4. **Quality:** 5/5 stars My wife and I were impressed with the quality of guides and the types of experiences we had. This isn't meant to be a luxurious tour, but it is certainly high quality. Our guide in Marrakech was almost like a history teacher, happy to share lots of information about the city, which he seemed to love. He took us on an interesting tours, food tour and history sites.
5. **Transportation:** 5/5 Our driver, Mohsen, was exceptional. Funny, polite, and responsive to our questions and needs. He went above and beyond to make us comfortable.
6. **Excursions:** 5/5 stars I can't include everything we did, but the Berber desert camp was one of a kind and not to be missed. We are certainly considering doing it again if we return.

We were very happy with the service and are planning to come back to this beautiful country with its warm hospitality and lovely people. Majid will certainly be the person to use next visit.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dar Zitoune Taroudant

Taroudant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I happened to have food poisoning ( not related to the hotel food ). The staff were amazing, they took me to the hospital at 3 am, brought meds and also medics and a doctor to my hotel room. They have gone above and beyond to assure my comfort and safety.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Berber Camp

Chegaga

This is a camp it is not supposed to be luxury but certainly authentic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Hnini

Oulad Yahia Lagraire

Authenticity & Character

This is an exceptional one of a kind place. It is a must stay if you are in the area.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Taroudant via Foum Zguid across the Anti-Atlas Mountains

Morocco

You must understand that Morocco is much bigger that what you think. In order to get from the desert to civilization it take long rides in the road.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Erg chgaga

Erg Chegaga Desert

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Spa & Massage in La Masion Arabe at 3 pm

Marrakesh

It is a must to do can’t miss this one

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

The experience was beyond exceptional. Majid choose a very good company. There other much cheaper companies but not as good.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The pilot had an international license with over 200 of flying time unlike other companies

Transport

Visit Majorelle gardens

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doris was a game changer for us! We had a limited amount of time and wanted to see several areas in Northern and Central Vietnam. It would have been impossible to plan alone. She planned everything perfectly down to every aspect and all we had to do was enjoy ourselves without any worry for coordinating, booking, searching etc. it was the best trip I’ve been on.

Moreover, she is extremely kind, proactive and giving the best service. We were even hit by a typhoon during the trip and she proactively booked us a new flight to make sure we were out in time. If it hadn’t been for her we would have been stuck for a few days.

I would highly recommend Doris to anyone traveling to this region!!!

Olman was so patient and responsive to all my questions. He listened to our requests about a specific type of itinerary and made great suggestions. The activities he suggested were perfect for my 10 year old and myself. The accommodations in both Puerto Viejo and Arenal La Fortuna were just what we wanted!

We started with a rough itinerary and Marina really helped us fine tune the details. The local guides were fantastic and provided much more context to the sights and areas than we would have gotten just from the guide books. We will definitely rely on kimkim in the future and highly recommend them.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Viento10

Córdoba

Authenticity & Character

Location

973-384-0265

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Reina Cristina

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anahita Boutique Hotel

Málaga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Montelirio

Ronda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel YIT Casa Grande

Jerez de la Frontera

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alcázar

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Adealba

Mérida

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Meninas

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Córdoba

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Excursion in the Andalusia Countryside

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Málaga

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Experience

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Mérida

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NOTE: Our rating is a 3-1/2 for the KimKim experience and working with Joe.

A beautiful island with amazing sights including verdant vistas, rolling gradation of greens, rugged and wild coastline a surprising amount of archeological history. So happy we toured around almost the whole island, starting in Dublin then south to Kilkenny and Kinsale, west to Dingle (our favorite) and up to Galway.

Many great experiences including the Ashling Hotel in Dublin (great location, helpful front desk folks and good breakfast selections), drinking Guinness and Jameson and hearing traditional music, quaint and colorful villages (Kilkenny, Cobh, Kinsale, Ennis, Dingle). Glad we made the stop at the Rock of Cashel, the Jameson Distillery tour in Midleton, the Titanic museum in Cobh and the Cliffs of Moher. Dingle Peninsula is a must-see and thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Emlagh House with delightful and helpful staff, delicious breakfasts and great location. Doyle's restaurant in Dingle is a MUST.

The most challenging part for us was notably the driving, which can only be described as harrowing and stressful. We did not get much chance to enjoy scenery enroute to the locales as one was driving and one was navigating - very narrow roads, a lot of traffic circles and plenty of traffic. We missed stopping off at many sights just because it was too
tense getting back on the road and pressure to get to the next overnight. Also we were very disappointed outside Dublin that pretty much every pub we went in in Kinsale and Galway were not what we expected in terms of warm welcomes and jovial conversations. In some we were virtually ignored while locals chatted with the bartenders and made merry. We were also disappointed with our hotel in Galway - located on the ocean, which was beautiful, but waaaaaaayyyy out at the end of town with a commercial district that was overrun with casino-type buildings, fast food restaurants and convenience stores.

Hotel Reviews

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

We did not stay at the Galmont House - we stayed at Salt Hill Hotel. Overall rating - 3 stars

Authenticity & Character

Location

situated in very commercial district, too far from town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

worst bathroom ever

Greenmount House Luxury B&B

We did not stay at the Greenmount House - We stayed at the Emlagh House which was five stars all around! Lovely, helpful staff, wonderful breakfasts, cozy accommodations, wonderful location to walk to beach or to town.

Authenticity & Character

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Location

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Staff

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Cleanliness & Comfort

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Actons Hotel

Cork

Beautiful hotel, spacious and comfy rooms, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views, easy walking to all parts of town.

Staff

Ian (front desk manager) When we arrived, after a long day of driving on the LEFT side of the road on narrow streets and much traffic, there was NO parking. The person who greeted us at the hotel basically said "too bad." Ian was extremely helpful and found a way to keep my car safe until a spot opened up, so I could get settled in. If Ian wasn't working at the front desk that day, my rating would've been poor. The person who greeted us didn't even offer to help us find parking.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Great location, great (friendly and helpful) front desk staff, great breakfast selection and wonderfully big, fluffy towels in the bath. There is a huge and beautiful park nearby, a free museum, a light rail that will take you directly to the Temple Bar area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

see above

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Jameson Distillery and Blarney Castle

Cork

Our trip to France to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary was nothing short of magical. Our expert trip planner, Josée, helped to fill each day with special experiences that created memories we will cherish forever, and we had enough free time to make discoveries and plans of our own. In every step of the planning process, Josée was responsive, resourceful, professional, and unfailingly helpful. We have recommended KimKim, and Josée in particular, to several people already and will continue to do so for years to come. We are certain to return to the company ourselves when planning future trips abroad.

Hotel Review

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes

Paris

Josée secured us accommodations in a boutique hotel where I’d stayed before, Villa des Artistes in the 6th arrondissement. She had offered other, fancier places since this was an anniversary trip, but we opted for this 3-star hotel since we planned to have many outings throughout our stay and wanted to save some money for special dinners and other activities. The hotel was just as I remembered: charming, clean, and comfortable, with a supremely helpful front-desk staff, generous continental breakfast. When we arrived in France, our friendly driver, Michael, met us at the airport and brought us to the hotel, where we were delighted to be able to check in early after our red-eye flight. We immediately went out to eat delicious crêpes at La Crêperie de Josselin on a nearby side street of Rue Montparnasse, which I believe is part of what is known as “Le Petit Bréton” of Paris.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, charming, with artistic touches and a nice outdoor courtyard. While a dresser to store clothes, and robes, a tub, and washcloths in the bathrooms would have been nice, we were not disappointed since we knew this was a 3-star hotel.

Location

An ideal location for accessing public transportation and taking walks to places such as Le Jardin du Luxembourg, with many wonderful restaurants nearby. One night when we had nothing official on our KimKim agenda, I booked dinner reservations ahead of time at La Closerie de Lilas, right up the street from our hotel. Our meal was fabulous, the service outstanding, and the nearly 4-hour, multicourse dinner we enjoyed allowed us to reflect back on our beautiful day in Chartres. Though it’s 3,500+ miles away from our home, we now think of this restaurant as “our place,” on par with the restaurant in our home state where we got engaged.

Staff

So kind and helpful, particularly with arranging cabs for us. The kitchen staff and housekeepers were also very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

1 Hour Photo Shoot

Paris

I wish I could give a whole constellations of stars to this experience, never mind 5. Before our photographer, Sabine, met us at the hotel, we stopped at a florist across the street, Bouquets Montparnasse. The shopkeeper made up a bouquet for me and a boutonniere for my husband on the spot! Then, we got dressed and our driver, Michael, picked us up with Sabine and we went off to Île de la Cité for our photo shoot and picnic. I hardly know how to express my gratitude to Sabine for her beautiful work. She was professional, patient, accommodating, generous, and above all, an artist in all she did for us that afternoon. The nearly 300 photos she took have given us a priceless record of our milestone anniversary, and they will be precious heirlooms for our family. After taking photos on two bridges, and then photographing our vow renewal, including a handfasting ritual, she took care to photograph various special details—the headpiece my late-mother-in-law made that I wore in her honor, our rings, the handfasting cord, etc.—and I think she stayed much longer than she’d planned. She left us to enjoy our picnic and then returned to bring us to our driver and to pick up the picnic items for the company that set up the meal. We are so very, very appreciative of her time and talents and hope you will convey our thanks to her. She truly went above and beyond, and we could not be happier with the photographs. And, I must also say that the picnic was a delight! In some ways it was an encore of the meal we had with Carole, but it also included a beautiful bouquet, fresh fruit, a lovely Normandy cider for my husband, and tasty desserts. As we enjoyed our meal and reflected on the vows we’d shared, we took time to call our family, and the entire experience left us feeling profoundly happy and grateful. Additional: After our driver brought us back to our hotel, we packed everything so that we would be ready to leave Paris the next day, and then we decided to take the advice of a cab driver we’d met earlier in the week and make our way to the Latin Quarter for some jazz music. I’d mentioned to him that I wanted to find a jazz club for our last night in Paris, and he immediately recommended Le Caveau de la Huchette. So, we walked there from our hotel, stood in a line that wrapped round the corner to enter, and ended up having one of the most fun nights out of our lives! The music was amazing, the energy of the crowd joyful and exuberant, and we even managed to score some seats in the packed room. We wished we could’ve stayed longer until the place shut down at 2 a.m., but we decided to head back to our hotel at midnight since we had to be up and ready to leave for the airport the next morning. Day 6 As it turned out, we had one more delight in store. We got up early enough to take our coffee and breakfast from the hotel to go, and we walked to Le Jardin du Luxembourg for a sunrise breakfast just as the park opened at 8 a.m.. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. I’d been sad at the prospect of throwing away the flowers from our vow renewal, and then I was inspired to bring them to our little breakfast picnic. As we left the park, we passed by a statue of George Sand, and we decided to leave toss the bouquets at the base, recalling her famous words, “Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé,” (“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabine! She is amazing. Full stop.

Transport

We were so grateful that our driver made this beautiful day so easy for us.

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur Walking Tour

Paris

On our last full day in Paris, we went to Montmartre, a part of the city we’d never visited. (We ended up regretting taking a cab since several Seine River crossings were closed due to a road race, but we made it just in time after a half-hour drive that should’ve taken much less time.) We are so grateful that Josée scheduled this for our final morning—the juxtaposition of this part of the city with the other areas we’d been in was just incredible. Our tour guide, Florencia, was a last-minute substitute since the person who was supposed to be our guide had to cancel due to a family emergency. Florencia was nervous since this was the first-ever tour she’d led independently, but she did a wonderful job! She was knowledgeable, passionate about history, and very warm and friendly. We had just rewatched the film Amelie on the big screen a month or so ago in our hometown, so it was a special treat to see sites from that movie, and we were delighted to be introduced to the singer Dalida and her story—we’ve been listening to her music ever since! We made all sorts of connections between the art we’d seen at Musée d’Orsay and the sites we saw in Monmartre, and it was quite special to walk up to Sacré Cœur and take in the view of the city from the hill. After climbing down the long steps from Sacré Cœur, Florencia led us to a metro stop, and we went back to our hotel to get ready for our vow renewal/photo shoot, the raison d’être of our anniversary trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

After our tour, we went window shopping at the Palais Royale before making our way to the Louvre. We asked security where to go with our “skip the line” passes and were unfortunately told that there is no such thing as “skip the line,” and that this is a marketing label with no practical impact. So, we waited in line for nearly an hour including security checks, and then found our way to the audio-guide pickup site. Unlike the audio-guide devices at Musee d’Orsay, we found the ones at the Louvre to be very difficult to use, and we ended up returning them early and just fending for ourselves. This was a fine choice! Everywhere we looked there was something wonderful to see, and we devised a thematic approach to our wanderings, deciding to look for depictions of Mary Magdalene throughout the museum since we had plans to visit La Madeleine that evening. We stayed until the museum closed, and then went back to our hotel to quickly dress up for our nighttime plans. (As an aside, we had no KimKim items on our agenda for that evening, so I had looked for events ahead of time and bought tickets to a classical music concert at La Madeleine. We took a cab to the venue, where we were astounded by the beauty of the church and excited to see more artwork, not to mention relics, of Mary Magdalene. The concert was wonderful! Les Violons de France played Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, and Schubert’s Ave Maria, accompanied by a soprano. The combination of the gorgeous music and the exquisite setting made for a night we will never forget. We walked back to our hotel even though it was a bit chilly and drizzly, stopping for a warming meal of boeuf bourguignon at a small bistro to end a long, jam-packed, beautiful day.)

Quality of Experience

Gourmet Food Tour in Central Paris - Les Halles/Montorgueil

Paris

On Saturday we started with a gourmet food tour of Paris. We skipped breakfast and met our guide at the meeting site. Carole was a delight! Passionate about slow food, cooking, and food history, she shared a tremendous amount of knowledge and the many images she had collected on her iPad enhanced the history she shared. She showed us around various kitchenware shops, specialty food stores, and brasseries as we wended our way to Rue de Nil, where she planned to make food purchases. We worked up an appetite and were fairly desperate for coffee, having misunderstood that we would not be eating throughout the tour, but purchasing items to eat all together at lunchtime. About an hour into our tour, Carole did lead us to a good coffee shop where we bought cappuccinos, and we had the best croissants we’d ever had before going to other shops, where she bought a baguette, cheeses, butter, and meats to enjoy as a lunch paired with wine. In retrospect, we wished we’d personally bought fresh fruits, mustards, cornichons/gherkins, and olives to add to the meal, but we weren’t sure if that would have been OK. Also, my husband doesn’t drink alcohol, and his drink options were limited at the restaurant where we had our meal, but these issues were only minor detractions from an otherwise wonderful experience with an expert guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carole was the epitome of Parisian style, grace, and passion for good food. We loved learning from her and just being in her presence.

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

We walked to the launching site for our dinner cruise on the Seine. This was a beautiful, romantic night, and the food and wine were delicious. We loved taking in the sites of the city all lit up, and the servers were gracious and eager to make sure we had fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was not KimKim's fault, but advice on finding our way back without getting overcharged would be a good idea for future travellers.

Orsay Museum with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

We walked to Musée d’Orsay. Neither of us had ever been there, and it is now one of our favorite places on Earth! The collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work is just astounding, and the audio guide was user-friendly and very enjoyable. We learned so much about familiar art and were thrilled to discover new artists. We could’ve spent many days there, happily exploring the galleries and marveling at the architecture itself. We will certainly return! And next time we will certainly add Musée de l'Orangerie to our agenda.

Quality of Experience

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

The next morning after a lovely breakfast in the small outside courtyard of the hotel, our guide, Agathe, met us at our hotel to take us by metro for a visit to Sainte Chapelle, La Conciergerie, and the surrounding area. She was warm, knowledgeable, and sensitive, teaching us a great deal about the sites we visited. Sainte Chapelle was breathtakingly beautiful, and we were impressed by the multimedia guides that let us see how Paris (and Île de la Cité, in particular) changed and grew over time. Agathe was careful to point out key features of the architecture, and she sought out more information when we posed questions, seeking specific bible stories in the stained-glass windows. As an aside, Agathe was also able to provide some more recent Parisian history when we encountered police blockades in several areas. She explained that this day of our visit, October 17, was the anniversary of the terrible Paris Massacre of 1961, and she provided context for us, also pointing out street art depicting the late Tunisian-French attorney and feminist heroine Gisèle Halimi, and then connecting her legacy to the bravery of Gisèle Pelicot, the survivor at the heart of the current devastating rape trial. As we walked to La Conciergerie, we stopped to buy cappuccinos at Les Deux Palais, and as we enjoyed them, Agathe oriented us to the sites we’d seen on the video in Sainte Chapelle, pointing out places on the Seine and drawing our attention to various statues. I was very glad we got to go into La Conciergerie, which had been unexpectedly closed the last time I was in Paris. Once again, we were impressed by the multimedia tools at this historic site, which let us see what the interior of the building (including the great hall and the kitchens, in addition to the holding cells) looked like centuries ago. We were also glad to see a beautiful exhibit of artwork from Benin, where we lingered a bit before heading out. Since we’d stayed a bit longer than expected at La Conciergerie, we said goodbye to Agathe and headed out on our own to the marché aux fleurs, where we made a few purchases before going to the viewing stand outside Notre Dame. It’s a shame we couldn’t go inside since construction is still underway, but we decided that’s just another reason to return to Paris again someday! Then, we made our way to Shakespeare & Co., where we happily browsed the shelves, bought a small fraction of the many books we wanted to buy due to luggage space. We walked along the Seine, stopping at a street vendor to buy an antique print, and then had an excellent lunch on the terrace of Les Antiquaires.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Agathe was a gem!

Transport

Agathe showed us the ropes of using the metro, and we ended up using it more on our own later in our trip.

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

We took a cab to the meeting site to go to La Tour Eiffel. Our guide met the small group scheduled to visit the tower, and after making our way through two rounds of security checks, we went all the way to the top! The views were spectacular, and the audio guide (while a bit hokey!) helped us orient ourselves to the city. We are grateful that Josée scheduled this as our first formal experience of the trip—it was the perfect start! We decided to walk back to our hotel so that we could explore the city on foot. This was a choice we made several times throughout our stay in Paris, carrying umbrellas with us in case of rain. On this first night, we did get caught in a cloudburst just before reaching our hotel, but we scurried into a lovely restaurant, Le Dôme, where we enjoyed a beautiful seafood platter paired with excellent wine. (As an aside, although the forecast was gloomy for the 6 days we were in France, we felt very lucky that this was the only time we got caught in the rain. Quelle bonne chance!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very clear in her instructions and guidance through security.

My sister and I had a wonderful trip to Italy! Every arrival/departure was met on time and with very attentive drivers, the cars were all beautiful and clean, and we were also treated to bottles of water and even candies with each trip.
The trains ran beautifully - on time every time!
All of our guides were knowledgeable and very professional. They were well versed in the locations and engaging in their presentations, providing much historical information and details that we would otherwise have missed. They clearly demonstrated a love of their work and their country.
All of the accommodations were lovely and the staffs were very friendly and helpful. My only suggestion would be for the Venice location - we were on the ground floor and although we were quite comfortable, there was a musty odor due to the proximity to water levels. In the future, I would request an upper floor room, even if there is a higher room rate. Venice was beautiful and we also visited Murano & Burano. Lots of walking and LOTS of steps! What a workout :)
Bologna was definitely the highlight for food! Best lasagna in the world! It was nice to be in a city that didn't feel so crowded. We even got to see the President of Italy who visited and gave a talk the day we were there.
Florence was the jewel city that I'd heard so much about - it certainly did not disappoint! So much to see and experience in such a short time! The silk factory tour was fascinating and our guide was great! We enjoyed our visit to the vineyard/farm but it would have been better had we been able to arrive earlier in the day so that we could really appreciate it. We arrived after dark so there was no opportunity to see the actual vineyards. Perhaps taking into account the season with earlier sunset times would help. I'm happy to say that the wine I ordered from them arrived yesterday, YUM!!
Milan was also a fascinating city. We attended the opera and La Scala was very beautiful. We wished that our seats had either been on the main floor or in the front row of our box. We didn't have chairs, but rather stools, and it was difficult to view the stage.
We fell in love with Stresa! The hotel and staff were wonderful! The town was everything we had hoped for in our visit to Italy. The driving experience was
Overall, our trip was wonderful and I thank Eirini for all of the planning and arrangements. She was wonderful to work with! I have already recommended kimkim to several friends and those who have asked how we were able to arrange such a great experience. I will certainly use your company for future travels. Thank you so much!!

Hotel Reviews

Art Hotel Commercianti

Bologna

Our stay at Art Hotel Commercianti in Bologna was delightful. The room was beautiful, and the staff were very friendly. Bologna offered some of the best food I've ever had. Despite being a city, it felt less crowded than others, which made the stay more enjoyable.

Ca' San Giorgio

Venice

The stay at Ca' San Giorgio in Venice was charming overall. Our room was on a lower floor, and it had a musty smell due to its proximity to the water, which was understandable given Venice's nature. Had we known, we would have requested a higher floor. Other than that, the room itself was great.

Activity Reviews

Half day tour: Isola Bella and Fishermen's Island with a tour guide

Italy

The half-day tour of Isola Bella and Fishermen's Island was lovely. The guide we had made the experience rich with history and personal interaction, making it stand out as a memorable part of the trip.

Best of Milan City Tour with Last Supper Tour & Duomo

Milan

Seeing the Last Supper in Milan was simply breathtaking. It was one of the highlights of the trip, an unforgettable experience.

Visit a Silk Factory in Florence

Florence

Visiting a silk factory in Florence was an incredibly fascinating and unique experience. It felt off the beaten path, and with just my sister and I, it provided us a personal and memorable tour.

Great vacation and Marina did a great job planning it for us. She was very receptive to requested changes and was always available to answer any questions I had. Our tour covered Lisbon, Evora, Coimbra & Porto. She gave us ideas of things to see, places to eat and general information of each city. Loved it all.