Kimkim Trip Reviews

Very detailed, tons of auxiliary restaurants, attractions, and points of interest suggested. Constant communication and help during the trip.

Vy and Monika were amazing to work with. My group had a wonderful time and I really appreciate all of the time spent helping plan the itinerary, transportation, accommodations, etc. I will be using Kimkim again and again!

When we started planning our trip, we knew we wanted to visit two countries: France and Switzerland. Navigating between the two was too overwhelming to plan. There were four of us, including 4 kids, and everyone had different ideas about what they wanted to see. The tours and experiences we had through KimKim really took our trip to another level. Our rep, Mathilde, was so patient and kind. It was a fantastic experience!

We had the best trip and are so grateful to Vicky for helping us plan our itinerary! From the start, Vicky was very communicative and responsive to our questions and concerns. She provided great advice along the way, especially as we decided between excursions and activities to add to our trip.

We really enjoyed the excursions Vicky chose. There was a focus on choosing day trips with smaller groups of people, which meant we had a more personalized experience on our journeys. All of the trips chosen for us were led by amazing guides who ensured we had great experiences.

All of our travel information was shared ahead of time and we had no problems at all in any airport or with any of our tour companies. Our only regret is not having more time to explore!

We would definitely recommend using KimKim to plan your vacation!

Hotel Review

Laneways by Ovolo

Melbourne

This hotel was great- it was a perfect landing pad for us. We were out and about most of the time, but we had a lot of space to ourselves and found ourselves right in the middle of a lot of great restaurants, coffee shops, and points of interest. The staff was so lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's central to so many great restaurants and destinations. Extremely easy to maneuver the city by foot.

Staff

Chris welcomed us in after our 14-hour flight and helped us check in early so we could settle in. When she found out it was our honeymoon trip, we came back to the room to a complimentary bottle of champagne and some candies! Everybody was so lovely and we really appreciated how much they cared for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Great Ocean Road Scenic Tour

Melbourne

We really appreciated the small group size for this trip. We felt our guide was really knowledgeable about the area and we were given a good amount of time to visit each location. Along the way, we saw kangaroos from afar and also spotted some koalas in various areas! It was really exciting to see and a really nice day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a great memorable trip to Italy. Fabio managed our booking and helped organize the trip. He was available throughout the trip and kept us updated. Thank you Fabio! The guides were prompt and knowledgeable. The transportation from Rome to Napoli to Sorrento was seamless. The food tour with Mauricio was perfect. Cooking with Anna in Sorrento was a great experience. Looking forward to try the home made pasta with lemon sauce at home. The hotels especially Lorelei in Sorrento was amazing. Great views of sunrise and sunset everyday! We look forward to visit again!

From the start Hanna did an amazing job listening to the specific things we wanted from our trip to Iceland and delivering a variety of amazing activities that hit everything on our bucket list. During the planning Hanna had a quick response time and offered lots of options to choose from. Everything was a breeze - from picking up the rental car, to navigating the driving, to finding places to eat. Each days plan had easy to follow. All of our accommodations were clean and comfortable with helpful staff and plentiful breakfast spreads.
Our flight was delayed on the way there causing us to miss our booking at the Blue Lagoon. I was able to let Hanna know via email but figured that we would just have to lose our money. We were completely surprised to find out that Hanna was able to rebook us. I really appreciate her efforts to make sure we didn't miss out.
I think it's important to note that as a Mom traveling with her daughter, I felt safe the entire time. Not only does KimKim provide a local contact and numbers in case of an emergency, but all of the places and hotels that Hanna booked for us were in easy to get to locations with friendly staff and were within walking distance of local spots.

Activity Reviews

Horse Riding

Iceland

Eldhestar is definitely a busy place. But I have to say they are very organized and everyone gets where they need to be. It was raining on the day we went but they provide you will full rain gear and boots which was great. We didn't have to worry about our stuff getting dirty or wet. The team pairs you with a horse based on your experience. The main guide was stern but I think you have to be to keep a group of mostly novice riders safe. Mid way through the ride the guides check on how everyone is doing and offer riding tips which was nice. We did the very basic Siggi tour which was great for the first time being on a horse in a very long time. Basic doesn't mean boring- right away we rode the horses through a small river which was very exciting! At the end I definitely wanted to go riding again- which to me is a sign of a good experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stern, but attentive which is exactly what you what in a horse riding guide. We also had a very nice woman from Sweden who was the guide at the back of the group. Mid way she rode up next to everyone and checked on each person individually to make sure they were comfortable and having a good time.

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

LOVED this experience! The ride out to the cape is very dramatic over the black sand in an open air tractor. Our guide Matthias was excellent providing interesting history of the area and about the wildlife. We still laugh about his safety tip he shared (which he attributes to his brother) - "if you face plant your face should still land on the cliff, if not your too close" ; ) Excellent advice! You could tell that he cared about his family's connection to the cape.

Quality of Experience

The drive out and walk up the black sand of the cape is unforgettable. The puffins are amazing to see that close up and you get two different views from the front and back of the cape.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide! Very knowledgeable and funny. Kept our interest the whole time.

Transport

The drive out and back from the cape is very dramatic. Our guide was very thoughtful and took care not to go too fast.

Our trip was beyond amazing! Adam was so helpful in listening to our ideas and things we wanted to do while in Iceland and made it all happen! We don’t always feel the need to do all the most popular places and wanted some “off the beaten path” ideas. Adam provided a great mix of both! We loved our journey and stay to and on the Westman Islands! We did alittle hiking, learned about the island, saw puffins, the Belugas (Little White and Little Grey!), and had amazing dinner. Our Zodiak excursion got us “up close & personal” with the icebergs, glacier, and a lazy harbor seal! :).
We also loved our journey to Katla Ice cave, glacier, black desert sands and met an Arctic fox named Frosty! We even happened to run into one of our Katla guide a cpl days later in a different town. Our horseback riding tour within the Golden Circle was also memorable! It was just us. So personal; just us and our guide. They have such a wonderful place with beautiful horses and scenery! All our guides on our excursions were so friendly and provided wonderful experiences! I cannot say enough good things about this trip! Each day was planned but provided many other options along with accurate and specific driving directions for each stop and links with the optional stops as well. Took off so much of the stress of trying to figure distances and time needed for the days’ travels. I would highly recommend Adam and KimKim and would use them again to other places that would require help in the planning. Thanks again Adam and KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hamar

Borgarnes

Great place! Close to town! They had an big event there when we checked in and ended up upgrading our room to an separate individual suite!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Vestmannaeyjar

Vestmannaeyjar

This was probably the most quiet hotel we have ever stayed at!! Super close to everything and amazing restaurant Gött Super Quiet!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything!! And unbelievably quiet!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was so hot 🥵 and yes we had the heat turned off

Stracta Apartments Orustustaðir

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Very nice clean, and quiet place. Pretty far off the main road. Could use an upgrade to some of the furniture. Didn’t trust the bench to even hold our suitcase. Had all the amenities to cook and fix our own meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very far off the main road

Hotel Örk

Hveragerði

This was a very nice hotel and restaurant. It is a Grest Location!! Amd a very nice town. It is centrally located and not too far of a drive for most all major attractions. It is close to Reykjavik; within the Golden Circle, and not too long of a drive to the glaciers, volcano, and waterfalls.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hvammsvik Hot Springs

Iceland

Super nice “Off the Beaten Path” hot spring! Short drive from Reykjavik. Close to other amazing places waterfalls and hot springs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour

Iceland

The boat ride was amazing! Up close and personal with the icebergs, glacier and a lazy harbor seal! They were up front about the wind and assured our safety. Our guide Teddy was fun friendly and experienced

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave Tour

Iceland

This was an amazing tour and Martin ( our guide) was fantastic. The area in and around the glacier and ice cave were spectacular! He even brought a some Brennivin chilled with glacier ice with his to share a toast on this magnificent site!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Martin was awesome!

Transport

Horse riding tour

Iceland

Our young lady as our guide was so kind, fun, and thoughtful! We had great conversations ; she showed us such beautiful scenery; and her amazing horses!! This tour ended up being only my husband and I and our guide. She was flexible and gave us options on our ride and pace

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So kind and friendly

Transport

The horses were AMAZING!! Beautiful!!

We had a wonderful, stress free trip to Portugal thanks to the KimKim team and Marisa and her team from Across Portugal! It was a birthday trip for 3 of us who have been friends for 35 years. All the details had been worked out, all we needed to do was to get our flight to Lisbon.
Marisa was in communication with us long before our trip with details and a potential itinerary. We had mentioned we would like 4 star hotels, a cooking class at a farm with beautiful ocean views, a walking tour with tastings of Lisbon, with guide Anna who was so knowledgeable about the history of Lisbon/ Portugal, plus she was fun to be with! (We had our own private tour).
She arranged all of that! Our hotels were beautiful! Especially the Vilagale, Lagos and the Miragem in Cascais was simply breathtaking. All our hotels were within walking distance of local restaurants and shopping. She even arranged a boat ride for us in the grottos with breathtaking views of the rock formations. All of our transfers were arranged, including a pick up from the airport. All our drivers were excellent, especially Carlos, whom we had twice.
We were able to communicate through What’s App anytime and always got a quick response.
We would definitely use KimKim again and give everyone 5 stars! Thank you for providing us with a memorable Portuguese vacation!
We chose KimKim because we wanted to do our own thing without going with a tour group. It worked out perfect for us!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Anna was the perfect tour guide! She was very knowledgeable about the history and we walked all over Lisbon. We ended with some wine tasting and local tastes of the area. Thank you Anna! It was fun meeting you!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All excellent- especially Carlos!

Transport

The black metris vans were especially comfortable to travel in!

Explore Belém on a Scenic 2-Hour Tuk Tuk Tour

Lisbon

This was a very fun way to travel to Belém and see all the beautiful sights! A bit bumpy at times with the streets but still fun! Loved the warm custard!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Sintra is a town not to be missed! Our driver was very good and made sure we saw everything!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Blue Fleet took us on our boat ride to see the grottos. It lasted about an hour and the views were amazing! The water color and rock formations were unbelievably stunning! Marta was our captain and did a wonderful job!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

We had a wonderful experience with the Fado music/dinner. 2 different singers, but the same 2 guitar players. They were excellent! The meal was good, but I have had better beef. I think the fish is the food to order on the menu there. The wine and entertainment made up for it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Embark on a Flavorful Cooking Class with a Meal at the Farm

Portugal

Loved this class! It was a bit of a drive from Lagos, but again with our excellent driver, it was not a problem. The host was very nice and took us on a tour of her farm/gardens. Then we went to the separate kitchen and had a cooking lesson where we could prepare our meal. After that, we went to a covered patio and had a fantastic meal that we prepared! The view was amazing! Great to meet other people from Ireland and other parts of the. US.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very easy planning and booking process on kimkim... Everything happens through messaging which provides history but also an opportunity to respond whenever we have time. Planning recap and comments are useful features in the planning stages. I will use this service again!

Wow. Just Wow!
Four of us made a last minute decision to go to Kenya to revisit some places my husband and family remember as children and to create new memories now as adults and to bring their spouses to share those experiences with. Within a very short timeline Joseph at KimKim created an itinerary and plan that was nothing short of perfect. Joseph delivered this itinerary in a very short time span.

Joseph was incredibly responsive and no questions were left unanswered with great attention to detail. Throughout our trip he was quick to respond and ensured all was going
As planned. No stones were left unturned.

Our group of four were paired up with our driver and guide Eric. Eric was truly exceptional. He helped to find all the places my husband and brother-in-law wanted to visit with ease and coordinated admittance with grace and ease. Eric was patient, kind and thoughtful as the brother visited and reminisced at places of their childhood. He enjoyed looking at the pictures of their childhood and listening to the stories of their life in Kenya in the late 1960’s.

Eric introduced us to Kenyan Life as he drove us around the countryside. He was our drive during our game drives and we could not have asked for better. He wanted to ensure we saw everything there was to see. He spoke with staff at parks and with rangers to enhance our experience. No one could ask for more than he provided to us.

Some of the roads were encountered along the way were pretty rough. It was a bit disconcerting at times when the bottom of the vehicle scraped along. Eric took this all in stride. A vehicle with higher clearance would be ideal for these types of situations.

The attention paid to each and every aspect of this trip was really beyond compare.
Each hotel/accommodation was unique and varied. All were fantastic. Joseph provided us with some many new experiences and honored the old. Not a detail was missed from flights, hotels and lunch reservations.

Joseph, Eric and the team at KimKim made the whole African experience of old and new memories so incredibly special and for that we are truly grateful.

We had a wonderful trip to Spain. Our travel agent, Dalia, did an amazing job planning a wonderful family vacation for us! All of the tours she arranged for us were wonderful, the tour guides were wonderful, she made everything so easy! Highly recommend!

Activity Reviews

Montserrat private half-day trip

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights

Barcelona

Sagrada Familia was breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla Tapas & Flamenco: A tale of Triana

Seville

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ronda & White Villages Day Trip

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla Guided Tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to the Pantanal in Brazil and to Iguazu Falls is Brazil and Argentina was amazing. Our drivers were punctual and helpful at every step of the way. We were able to see two jaguars on the Cuiaba river in the Fontanelle. Iguazu Falls is incredible, and our guide Junior was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, including accompanying us to into the airport to make sure everything was all set for our return home.

We began planning our trip about a year ago. It was a large group of 20 family members, with many logistical challenges. Marion and Celina did a wonderful job securing our guide, Keith, and driver Rickie. They certainly went above and beyond our expectations. Our photographers, Karen and Mark, also exceeded our expectations with a wonderful professional photo shoot at Castle Cawdor. The pictures were beautiful. I had a very specific itinerary in mind when I contacted KimKim and I know that they worked very hard on our behalf. The trip went along seamlessly, was all we had hoped for and more. It was a wonderful experience for us all! Well done!

Activity Reviews

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

The Beastie Boats - Inverness

Inverness

This was great fun for a family outing. Our family enjoyed the guides comments as well as a fast ride on Loch Ness.

Quality of Experience

Our entire trip was delightful and I believe gave us all a taste of Scotland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Keith, was just a great person to travel with. He did well anticipating our needs, was informative, and flexible.

Transport

We loved our driver Rickie. He gave us a comfortable ride, and we felt safe on those narrow winding roads.

Private visit of Mary King's Close

Edinburgh

A great tour to give you an understanding of historical Edinburgh.

Visit to Urquhart Castle

Scotland

This is a beautiful place, but the castle staff are cautious regarding over crowding, so were not able to go into the castle as planned. We did go to a viewing area and were able to get some great photos of the exterior from across the water.

Exceptional Visit and Tasting at Blair Athol Distillery

Pitlochry

This was an enjoyable experience for all and a great way to learn about Scottish Whisky.

"A la carte" activities at Rothiemurchus estate

Aviemore

Unfortunately, on this day it was pouring rain and cold. But we had an amazing time regardless. Our two guides made it a fun experience for the entire family

Dinner Reservation on Skye

Scotland

Eat Walk Glasgow

Glasgow

This was a great way to see Glasgow, learn about the city, and taste amazing local foods.

One way to Mallaig on the Jacobite Train (of Harry Potter fame)

Scotland

Our family enjoyed the train trip, a relaxing way to travel and see the Scottish countryside.

Hill Trips Cairngorm Reindeer Herd

Scotland

This activity exceeded our expectation. There is a hilly walk to the reindeer which is very scenic in itself. The Reindeer were so beautiful to see up close. We learned about the herd from our guide and were allowed to feed them. The scenery on the hill was beautiful as well.

Isle of Skye Whisky immersion at Torabhaig

Scotland

A great way to learn about Scottish Whisky.

Private guided tour with driver/guide in Skye

Scotland

Our guide gave us a wonderful day on the Isle of Skye considering, it was cold, windy, and rainy, and we were traveling on a tour bus that could not access all the areas.

Our time in Japan exceeded all expectations and earns five stars across the board. KimKim travel took care of our adult group of 10 start to finish, and I would definitely use their services again. KimKim handled our travel and activity reservations as well as accommodations with professionalism and style. I cannot say enough good things about our local specialist, Angel, and our over-all experience. Each of our accommodations were clean and comfortable with excellent service, and the local restaurant suggestions were ideal. Yumiko escorted us on a busy day visiting the Imperial Palace East Gardens and Nakamise-dori. Angel and Yumiko organized a traditional Kimono Tea Ceremony which everyone enjoyed. We loved exploring the Mt. Fuji region with Yumi and were grateful for a break in the clouds and a miraculous view of the summit. Yasuko spent three days with our group immersed in the commerce and culture of Osaka and Kyoto. Highlights were the Nara Tour, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Bamboo Grove, Monkey Park Tour, and Foodie Night Tour. She added so much to our experiences! The Shinkansen bullet train was the perfect way to cross the country, allowing us to visit Hiroshima and Memorial Peace Park for an impactful memory to end our trip to Japan. All of our guides were extremely knowledgeable and energetic about their subjects, and it was evident how passionate they and the people of Japan are about their heritage and country. Thank you for a wonderful time!

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima

Hiroshima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Imperial Palace East Gardens and Senso-ji Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Samurai Museum with Experience + Kimono Tea Ceremony at Tokyo Maikoya

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Osaka Castle and Shinsaibashi Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Night Foodie Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was probably my best vacation. The Galapagos islands are breathtaking.

Kimkim Team took a care of all arrangements for us including accommodations, all required permissions, transportation from island to island and daily trip activities with professional guides.
Tamer stayed in contact with us every day and answer any question we had. His assistance also helped us to enjoy our entire trip.

I highly recommend Kimkim Team service to every tourist who is planning to visit unforgeable Galapagos Islands.

Best Regards,
Zuzana Janosova Den Boer
June 2024

Resort at Kanyakumari was not up to the mark.Food quality was poor .

Our guides in Bergamo, Verona/Padua, and Mantua were excellent. Our room at the Hotel Spadari (which we requested)in Milan was great as were the breakfasts and staff. We had some anxiety around making sure the train tickets were validated on the day we used them. A few questions:
1. What would have been the costs of having someone drive us to the cities vs taking trains plus the $40 round trip cab ride to the station?
2. We loved the opera in Verona and glad we asked about it. Paola didn’t suggest it. We wonder if there were other special events we should have known about.
3. The boat ride was nice but we had to ask the guide to translate. He was very accommodating and came to sit with us on the return leg. (It would have been better to have seen Palladian villas but, perhaps, that wasn’t convenient.)
4. The Indigo hotel was fine (they gave us a libretto and lent us cushions for the opera) but the breakfast was just so-so and they don’t greet at the curb to help with luggage.
5. Your write-up mentions a neighborhood in Verona with artisan workshops. No one seemed to know what it was.

We packed in a lot and enjoyed the trip. We especially enjoyed Turandot at the Arena in Verona and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. (We also went from Milan to Varenna and St. Moritz with Viator which was excellent and priced reasonably. )

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Spadari Al Duomo

Milan

Superb breakfast, friendly and helpful staff. Well located near the Duomo. 61 was a great room.

Authenticity & Character

Balconies. Decoration.

Location

Near La Scala and the Duomo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless room.

Hotel Indigo Verona - Grand Hotel Des Arts

Verona

Room a little small. Shower bath a bit hard to get into. No help with luggage at the curb. Hotel was booked by the travel agency so we didn’t get our own IHG points. In addition, we were told breakfast was included and the hotel said we had to pay $12 each for each breakfast. We had to contact Paola to straighten it out. It would have been nice if the hotel had shuttle service to the train station. Taxis are expensive.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast room was not very elegant.

Location

Pretty near the center of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day city tour of Bergamo

Italy

We enjoyed our guide and getting to know the history of Bergamo. The art in the large church was impressive.

Quality of Experience

The guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We took the train ourselves.

Verona Walking Tour

Verona

Roberta was excellent. Very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No transport.

Half day guided tour of Mantova

Italy

We enjoyed a church (where a choir was signing) and the tremendous ducal palace.

Mini-cruise on the river in Mantova

Italy

Tour was all in Italian until we asked if the guide could tell us in English. He sat with us on the return leg and explained what we were seeing in English. Mostly saw wildlife especially birds.

Quality of Experience

Guide.

Half day guided tour of Padua

Italy

Roberta was excellent again. Loved the Scrovegni Chapel and the traditional elegant coffee shop/cafe.

Quality of Experience

Our guide, Roberta, even in the rain.

It was our first time using Kim Kim and we were pleasantly surprised. Anna-Maria was extremely responsive and answered all our q’s- big and small, and was there to respond throughout our entire trip. We traveled with our 4 yr old and 7 yr old and were hesitant on a lot of activities but Anna-Maria helped assuage our concerns and was extremely thoughtful when planning all our activities.

Excellent vacation for the family. Connie made sure we had an action packed vacation while still being able to delve into the beauty of Australia and New Zealand. Our teenage kids were ready for some high level and daring escapades and Connie DELIVERED. Our son was able to be SCUBA certified at Bondi beach (which is a lot rougher than it sounds). We thoroughly enjoyed our experience climbing the Harbour Bridge in Sydney. River Rafting up in Fort Douglas was fantastic along with the nature hike - very informative. And of course the Great Barrier Reef - a world of it's own. That was a highlight! The crocodile farm, we had no idea what to expect, it completely delivered. Who in there right mind plays food games with crocodiles? Loved it! And The Reef House, SUPERB. We can't say enough about that place, service, ambience, everything was excellent. And then off to South Island New Zealand where Bungee Jumping at AJ Hackett's Nevis took place and took our breaths away. OMG! Then zip-lining at crazy heights with crazy drops, so fun. Then up to Auckland for skydiving, we just insisted on hurling our bodies through the air. We figured our kids must be trying to kill us, but we survived and able to enjoy Aukland and the Tasman Sea. We ended with a relaxing 2 days in Fiji where Connie organized a renewal of our vows for our 20th wedding anniversary. It was beautiful! Our kids were so happy to be apart of it. The resort, Intercontinental is perfection. Everything there was truly great. Connie planned everything perfectly. She knew the areas so well. She made all of our accommodations which were perfectly located and all very nice, we loved every place we stayed. The best was having a couple of places to do laundry, it was unexpected and made for a great surprise and so easy to do. All our transfers to and from the airports were easy. This was the first vacation that we truly just had to show up and enjoy. She thought of everything!! All the tours we did were great, they all had little surprises for us; whether it was sparkling wine at the vista point in the Blue Mountains, or Tea and cookies after a hike through the rainforest, all had something memorable and a little extra time to talk with the tour leaders. All of them were fantastic. Our Zipline leaders were hysterically funny. Our Skydiving partners were fantastic, all so kind and thoughtful. The team on the boat for the barrier reef were so nice and helpful. They really made us get all we could out of the time we had out there. We can't thank Connie enough. Our vacation was a trip of a lifetime and our 20th anniversary will definitely be one to remember!

Hotel Reviews

Harbour Rocks Hotel

The Rocks, Sydney NSW

Excellent location; fantastic breakfast, great service!!!

Authenticity & Character

As soon as you walk in it was this warm feeling with a library in front, it's a modern feel but you immediately feel more than happy to sit down and chill.

Location

Close to everything. You can walk to Harbour Bridge, Waterfront and Opera House etc. It's perfectly located!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and comfortable.

The Reef House Adults Retreat

Palm Cove

I wrote a longer review earlier - this place is amazing. I will travel here again, from the US at some point. It is worth it!

Authenticity & Character

It's unique and you definitely can unwind here and want to. You feel like you are at your favorite Aunt's house who just so happens to have a wine sommelier and 2 pools and master chef - ha!

Location

Staff

THEY ARE AMAZING - you will be spoiled.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So comfortable, the whole place is accessible and you want to enjoy all the niches.

QT

Queenstown

So chic! great views!!! You can't beat it.

Authenticity & Character

the vibe is very cool, it's apres skiing meets LA Diva.. odd, but totally works

Location

A few blocks from the hub of the city, but completely walkable and a beautiful walk by the lake it is.

Staff

Everyone was very efficient and nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean - very very clean. loved it!

Nesuto Stadium Auckland

Auckland

Perfect for a family on vacation - has laundry in the room. fantastic!!

Location

Location is a few blocks from the "center" everything is walkable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean, had all things you needed to wash a load of laundry (so I didn't have to run out and search for detergent). This place came at the perfect time.

InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, an IHG Hotel

Natadola, Fiji

Gorgeous resort, the beach is something else. The grounds are beautiful, staff are all so nice, the food is excellent. They know how to make sure you enjoy your time in their 'house'. Fantastic place. Had our 20th Anniversary and did vow renewal, they did a fantastic job, I was expecting something very simple, they had a ton of flowers and displays there and helpers etc. It was awesome! And all so so kind. Fijians are amazing people.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Ok, it's an hour from the airport. But the beach and beauty is worth it!!!!

Staff

Everyone, and I mean every single encounter was a fresh and genuine smile. They are so so nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect!

Activity Reviews

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef

New Zealand

A world of it is own. Whether you snorkel or scuba dive it, you will find yourself mesmerized at all the wildlife in one coral of the vast reef. It's spectacular.

Quality of Experience

The fish, turtles etc. it's just so much to see. It's beautiful

Food

The chocolate muffins, those were so good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They are all comedians! All have great personalities and want you to have a great time.

Transport

Comfortable and timely

Full Day Mossman Gorge Adventure Day

New Zealand

Rafting along the gorge was so much fun. The tour guide was fantastic. Learned more about snakes, and now I'm a little scared of them ;) Place is really unique, the rainforest it really pretty and interesting how it all lives together. Enjoyed the hike and lunch was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hartley's Crocodile Farm

New Zealand

Crazy Crocodile people - they play food games with crocodiles, this is nuts and they sign up for this job. Loved it! Got to see koalas, pet the, see wombats, cassowary, pet kangaroos and wallabies and even feed them. This was a very unexpected enjoyable tour. Breakfast was HUGE. Gift shop has some really unique things that are worth buying. Totally worth going!!

Quality of Experience

Crocodiles are scary! Kangaroos are soft and so cute

Guides, Drivers and Staff

comfortable and easy

Transport

Auckland Best of Both World: Bush and Beach - Full day

Auckland

Great to learn about Auckland city in that a.m. and then able to have excellent meat pies for lunch before we headed out to the beach. Great city sites, vista points and orienting oneself in Auckland and learning a bit about Auckland. The beach was fantastic, so pretty with it's black beach. The hike through the forest was interesting to learn about the different flora that's both invasive and native to the area.

Quality of Experience

Yeah for the rain coats - no rain, but perfect for the wind!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were great, had so much information to share and able to convey their love of nature in a fun and interesting way.

Transport

comfortable!

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

Beautiful Mountains and vistas. Nice little hike through the area and stop along the way. It was a little cooler than expected, but worth hiking through. You could see the damage of the fire from a few years prior, there was much growth so it all looked lush. The only thing that was weird or at least visibly odd, there's no wild life, none. You may see a bird or two on the edges, but that's it. Even the forest has grown back and looks "normal" the wildlife is nowhere to be found, it's an odd thing.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had the picnic sandwich - it was DELICIOUS!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was fantastic!! Lots of information about the fire and how it impacted the area and Sydney over all.

Transport

Very comfortable

SUMMARY:
One word: απίστευτος... or in english, INCREDIBLE! But even that one word doesn't do justice to the kind of trip we had in Greece and the amazing team at Be a Greek. We arrived in Athens for a couple of days to see the local sights, ferried to Mykonos for 3 more days and enjoyed some local farm-to-table and beach time, and then ferried to Santorini for 4 days for an opulent and relaxing close, before flying back to Athens for our flight home the next day.

PRE-TRIP PLANNING:
I don't know where to start with this review, so it's probably best where our trip started, when I first reached out to kimkim. The service looked straight forward enough to request an itinerary for our Greece trip, and immediately put me in touch with Effie from Be a Greek - local Greece travel experts. She titled our trip “Dream Vacation in Greece” and catered to every request - what our dates were, the type of vacation, budget, what's most important for the trip, where do you want to spend more/less money, more/less time, etc. Within only a day or two, Effie turned around a full 10-day itinerary that we iterated on a couple of minor tweaks, but within only a few days, our entire trip was finalized! And then we waited to see how it turned out...SO MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED!

ARRIVAL IN ATHENS:
From the moment we landed in Athens till the day we left home, we were met with white-glove service from start to finish. Effie had someone waiting at the airport holding a sign with my name to pick us up and take us to our hotel (Altar Suites Athens). The check-in process was seamless as they were waiting for us as well - our room was amazing with an incredible view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon . We had time that evening to roam around Monastiraki and enjoy dinner also with a view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The next morning Effie had arranged a Private Walking Tour of Athens including the Acropolis - once again, a driver was waiting for us outside our hotel to take us to the meeting point for our tour guide. Our tour guide was Natasha and my goodness Natasha was so well informed and shared really interesting stories about the rich history of Athens and also about the cultural ongoings of recent history. We had great conversations throughout the day. Natasha also took us out for a break and stopped by a local restaurant and offered us refreshments :). Thank you Natasha for an incredible tour - you made our day in Athens so memorable!

OFF TO MYKONOS:
The next day Effie once again arranged for a driver to take us to the seaport for our super ferry to Mykonos. Before I go on, I'll mention it now, but every form of transport, hotel, tour, was all arranged by Effie and her team from the moment we landed. I'll share a little more about the communication later :). The ferry was a little more than 3 hrs, and due to the slightly inclement weather (higher winds than usual), the ride made us a little nauseous, but we managed. As we arrived at port, once again rinse and repeat - driver, hotel (The George Hotel), simple check-in! Effie arranged a Farm and Wine Tour the next day at a local Mykonos farm where we got to experience a true “farm-to-table” meal with wine and met their farm animals! BTW, we didn’t have to figure out transport to/from, since that was also arranged :). Now here is a quick communication example of where Effie and the team at Be a Greek stood out - we decided on-the-fly to go out to a different hotel bar for some cocktails - we simply messaged Effie and team and they quickly responded on options on where to go and arranged with the driver for the change in plans, and not only that, but to be available when we are ready to go back to our hotel later that evening. The seamlessness and ease of making a quick change in plans in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language - it really felt as if we’re at home and messaging our friends with a new plan to meet up! After all that we spent the night back at The George in preparation for our ferry to Santorini the next day.

OFF TO SANTORINI:
Driver, ferry, arrival to port, driver, arrival to hotel – I can’t express how much this made our trip that much easier not having to navigate the local taxis or other transport options. As we arrived at our hotel in Santorini (Andronis Concept Wellness Resort) - I’m going to put this out there right now - the best hotel experience I’ve ever had! I am a Lifetime Platinum member at a leading hotel chain and have been traveling for my career for almost 20 years, and the Andronis Concept is by far the best! We had mentioned to Effie that we wanted to spend the most time in Santorini and also be able to enjoy the hotel as a relaxing end to our vacation - and Effie went beyond expectations - this hotel had a massive infinity pool, a heated pool under a cave, and our room had its own private heated infinity pool for ourselves with a postcard view of the caldera! I could not have imagined a better stay and relaxing end to our trip. This by far was the best part of our trip - each morning waking up to a billion dollar view and each night watching the glorious Santorini sunset from the privacy of our balcony and pool. We did go out and enjoy two excursions - one being the hike from Fira to Oia which we did one morning - (quick fact - there are a couple other Andronis properties in Oia, so we were able to take advantage of our included breakfast in those sister properties when we reached Oia which was nice). The other excursion arranged by Effie was the Sunset Dinner Cruise - this was a nice, easy and enjoyable (also a must-do) experience when visiting Santorini! Incredible view and the Aegean Sea is just so clear and magnificent! Our saddest day was when we were leaving Santorini - not only because the hotel was amazing, but we knew it was time to head back home as well.

LAST NIGHT IN ATHENS:
We received a pleasant surprise as we arrived back in Athens - Effie, our Be a Greek contact and master trip coordinator met us at the Arrival terminal in Athens herself! She had booked us a night at the Sofitel immediately across from the airport and walked us over to the hotel to settle us to check-in. We had a great final dinner at Jenny’s Rooftop at the Sofitel before another nice breakfast and walked over back to the terminal for our flight home.

COMMUNICATION:
Effie and her team created a WhatsApp Chat Group for our trip beginning the morning of our trip. We had constant communication with Effie and the entire Be a Greek team that became our 24x7 support throughout the trip. They used it to message us each evening of the plans for the following day, any e-tickets/boarding passes for transportation (ferries/flights), and timings for when our drivers would be at a pickup spot. From start to finish, the Be a Greek team was along with us and at no point did we feel lost, or unaware of plans, or even quick modifications to plans. It was also very helpful when our ferry to Mykonos was delayed - without asking, we got a message in the chat letting us know about the delay even before passengers were made aware at the port! Whether it was for any on the fly recommendations, or suggestions on things to do on our “free” days, Effie and the team at Be a Greek were always available and truly exemplified the meaning of white glove service.

IN CLOSING:
The experience we had on this trip from the initial planning on KimKim to getting in touch with Effie from Be a Greek to the actual execution of the trip, we could not have asked for a more memorable vacation. We’ve looked back in fondness on our trip each day since returning on how amazing each day turned out and how we wouldn’t change anything! We personally want to thank Effie and the entire Be a Greek team for all that they did and truly making our vacation a Dream Vacation! If you can’t tell by now, for those looking for a hassle-free, worry-free, all-inclusive planned vacation where all you need to do is enjoy, I could not ask for a better team than Kimkim and Be a Greek! We will absolutely use them for our next vacation! Effie - You were amazing and thanks again for going completely out of your way, and over and beyond our expectations to meet us before we left Athens. THANK YOU!!