Kimkim Trip Reviews

There was an issue in the itinerary, which I figured out 5 days before the trip, that required Kelly to reschedule the Bangkok portion. She immediately responded to my message and reworked that portion of the trip; handling an issue promptly is so important. In spite of that last minute needed itinerary change, we loved every activity that Kelly planned and had an absolutely amazing time.

Each guide was amazing. Nam, Kate, and Feng were immensely knowledgeable, caring, fun, organized, and kind. They were able to answer literally anything we asked and constantly made sure we had plenty of water and were well cared for. Jon and his family at the Raunkaew-Yanon Family Home for the cooking class and culture experience welcomed us into their home and taught us so much. It was a beyond incredible experience. Chi Chi at the Elephant Nature Park was knowledgeable, fun, and a sweetheart. Lily who only transported us from and to the Bangkok airport on our last night and day was caring and sweet.

The activities and guides exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Kelly for putting together the itinerary and setting up all of the activities and guides. The guides from the company in Southeast Asia were outstanding A++.

Hotel Reviews

Lancaster Bangkok Hotel

Bankok

Absolutely exquisite hotel. The rooms are lovely. The pool is beautiful. The restaurant menu is so good. The morning buffet breakfast was incredible. The gym had everything and there is a beautiful sauna and stream room. Only issue is the location is not great so we did not go outside the hotel when we works get back after our activities. But the hotel was so amazing that this was fine with us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort

Chiang Mai

Hotel was incredible. Room beautiful. Massages were outstanding. We did that twice. Breakfast buffet was amazing. Pool was gorgeous and pool bar was great. Restaurant for dinner and the buffet breakfast was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

FCC Angkor by Avani

Siem Reap

Hotel was certainly 5-star for Cambodia, but more like 4-star for more developed countries. Food was good, but not amazing…same each day. Room was small for a 5-star hotel. The lobby and restaurant bar were outage so there was no inside seating to get away from the heat. Pools were small, but warm water, such was nice. There was a singer or dance group each evening which was nice. Located on the river, which was also nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

These two activities were so unusual and fun. The railway market was a blast. The floating market was such an unexpected treat. We had fun buying different things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Historical Ayutthaya Tour from Bangkok

Thailand

We loved each temple and site we visited. Nam was so knowledgeable and took such great care of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew Tour

Bangkok

The Grand Palace was beautiful and exquisite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight Stay at Elephant Nature Park (day 1) (Join-in Basis)

Chiang Mai

Elephant Nature Park is so special. Their treatment of the elephants is purely ethical. We learned so much. Overnight experience is a big recommend. Food is same each day and cafeteria quality only. I had a health emergency after dinner after all staff were gone. There was no mention in the introduction of what to do in an emergency. There should be accessible staff on site 24/7 who have first aid training and supplies. I got dizzy and my speech was slurred. It took 30 minutes for us to talk to an RN in the United States. Likely my blood pressure dropped from the heat. I could have been given electrolytes and some basic care. Chi Chi was an amazing guide!!

Quality of Experience

Lack of staff 24/7 is huge safety issue

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were amazing; however lack of staff 24/7 is an issue.

Transport

Overnight at Elephant Nature Park (day 2) (Join-in Basis)

Chiang Mai

Chi Chi was so great. We loved our experience with the elephants. Per Day 1 review, huge issue that there is not available staff and first aid 24/7.

Quality of Experience

Same comments about lack of 25/7 staff on site and first aid

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Chiang Mai City Tour with Monk Chat

Chiang Mai

Kate is awesome! Knowledgeable and caring. We really enjoyed each site visited. Rickshaw was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Buatong Waterfall

Chiang Mai

So fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

This was such a beautiful surprise. SO much more than coming. Learn about Lanna history and customs. Walk through property to see the exotic trees and learn. Meet generations from the family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

Feng is so incredible. He shared not only any Cambodian history and Buddhism but shared his personal moving story. We loved our time with him. He took such good care of us. The sites were gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm

Siem Reap

Beautiful sites!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tonle Sap Lake Tour

Siem Reap

Very moving experience as the people living here have such awful living conditions and extreme poverty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was a blast; my partner and I had a great time. Flam was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. The Viking Village was a blast and very educational.

If we could have changed something, it would have been to fly out of Bergen instead of taking an 8-hour train ride the day before when we had to take a 12-hour plane flight. If we visit again, we would love to cruise to all the sites instead of using so much land transportation. While it was beautiful to travel by train and bus, it took up a lot of time.

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

The rooms were great and the staff was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

The staff...

Location

Super close to all kinds of shopping.

Staff

Super kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Great location, so beautiful. The front desk staff was excellent, and we had a great time at the onsite Pub.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Gourgous...

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely loved the room, it was nice a cozy.

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Really disappointed in this hotel. The rooms are cold and stale. The area of town it is in, is not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The best part of the stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Fjord Sauna experience

Norway

The sauna was beautiful and the water was cold. It was a total blast!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was excellent.

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Staff was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

Very interesting and fun. Our guide was outstanding. We lucked out with some great weather.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best guide ever!

Transport

My wife already wrote a comprehensive review, including the hotels.
Several weeks before our trip, we reached out to Samir and asked what if there is an escalation to conflict. Samir assured us that Jordan, historically, was not affected.

Unfortunately, my worst fear regarding the trip came to pass. We were asleep when Iran bombed the zionist entity. I do not recall Samir reaching out to us to see if we were OK, how we were feeling/doing. That is a big disappointment.

Even while doing the survey, the first hotel was not updated in the survey to the one we actually stayed at. I have no idea why the change was made and wonder if the Strand would have been better than the Sulaf Luxury hotel.

I loved the overall atmosphere of being in Jordan. As Kathy said, we bear some burden of blame because we did not check the hotels thoroughly enough, however the accommodations overall were a big disappointment. To the point where I question whether or not I would book with Kimkim again.

Our trip was perfect, everything was designed so we just has to worry about enjoying our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Very nice hotel. Both times we stayed there was no electricity and that meant no internet, no hot water and no food. Besides from that, very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful cozy hotel. Very friendly staff. Breakfast is continental but good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackout curtains since there is a lot of light coming in from the street

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Great hotel and has a pool which made it so much better

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Ecuador

Our host Astrid was very nice and helpful. She was patient with us and answered all our questions. Lunch in the highlands was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Learned lots of stuff, very interesting and Astrid our guide was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

We went to Barrolomé. We had a stop first with a little walk, it was at noon and there is no shade. The guide was making stops along the way to explain things but climbing steps at noon with no shade was terrible. Would be better if they explained on the boat so we could do the walk without stopping. The snorkeling part was amazing, wish we could have had more time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Bigger portions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best tour we had on our trip. The views are amazing, nice guide he even took photos and gave them to us. Captain even let me drive the boat for a while.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Nice activity. The guide was not very helpful though, wouldnt explain much and seemed king of mad. Beatifil views though and the penguins were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim offers us great ideas and even helped us out in the middle of our trip. They kept an eye on us the entire time. and addressed any concerns we had. KimKim works with some great and knowledgeable vendors to help make the best of our experiences and excursions.

Not enough can be said about Liz, our travel planner. At the very beginning of planning, we had been in touch with a few other travel companies. After talking with Liz a couple of times, there was no other companies involved. We could tell she IS the expert we were going to use. She took her time, because we had never been to Australia before and wanted a good "taste" of what Australia has to offer. Australia has a lot to offer, and Liz helped us narrow down where and what we could do in 16 days.
During our travels, if we had a question, she was there to answer it or find out what could be done to correct it. Most travel agents wouldn't be there throughout a vacation to make sure we were having the experience we expected. Liz was always quick to follow up with us. We appreciate all she did throughout the entire process of planning and then executing.
Need a travel company? Use KimKim.
Neen a travel specialist? Liz is the right person and expert.

Thank you, Gordon Cable
April 3-20, 2024. Australia Trip. Sydney, Ayers Rock, and Port Douglas areas.

Hotel Reviews

Parkroyal Darling Harbour

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location, just off Darling Harbour. Wonderful staff. Not too far from the Opera House and The Rocks.

Staff

Extremely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Port Douglas Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Located just across from the beach and a short walk to the city center. Nice pool and good breakfast. Just wish the bar area was open later.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice staff and pool area.

Location

Located across from 4 Mile Beach and walking distance into the city center.

Staff

Good, caring people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Always short on towels. Bar closed after lunch. Bed was comfortable and had a kitchen area, which was nice to have,

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

We were only there for an overnight stay. Nice facility and friendly staff. The Room were very nice and clean. Has a pool, but we didn't have time to use it. Others in the pool were enjoying it.

Authenticity & Character

The place had an Aboriginals feel to it.

Location

Close to Ayers rock

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, Updated and had all the amenities we needed.

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

Driver was friendly and knew the areas we went past or stopped at. a good taste of Sydney and provided ideas ot things to do or place to go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was wonderful. Wish I could remember his name. Sorry...

Transport

Comfortable bus. Loved to small group.

A Night at Field of Light

Uluru

We had a beautiful clear night to see all of the stars. The sky just lit up. The bugs in April are quite annoying until the sun goes down. Buy a head netting to keep them off of your face. Once the sun goes down, they all disappear. Beautiful vies of Ayers Rock

Quality of Experience

The lights are spectacular. We had never seen anything like that before. The food was really good with a nice variety. Very enjoyable evening. The rest rooms need something!!

Food

good variety for everyone.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the gentleman who gave pointed out the stars and constellations was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. The dinner staff was great,

Transport

Just a short drive from the hotels

Morning Camel to Sunrise

Australia

What a great time riding the camels. We had the early morning ride, watching the sunrise and seeing Ayers Rock. We beat the bugs for most of the trip. Again, We suggest netting to cover your head.

Quality of Experience

We had more fun than expected. We had no idea what to expect. Just to ride a camel? Who doesn't want to do that!

Food

Just a Good cup of coffee and bread when you're finished with the ride. Enough for us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were very helpful and easy to talk with. Funny stories along the way. You have to do this if you're out there.

Transport

Easy pick up at the hotel and short ride to the camels

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Had our share of rain, but that's nature. Nice area. Couldn't figure out what restaurants were going to be open because they would be open one day and closed the next. Beautiful drive from the Cairnes airport to Port Douglas along the water.

Transport

We secured our own transportation from the airport.

Hartleys Crocodile Adventures Admission and Breakfast with Koalas

Port Douglas

So much to do. A lot of Crocs. Eating and getting up-close with the Koala bear was interesting. Many different animals and reptiles to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers were on time and very friendly.

Transport

Full-Day Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour

Port Douglas

Had to cancel, dues to the weather. This was a bucket list for us. Was not the company's fault. Blame nature. I hate to give it a rating, but the system would let me move forward with the reviews.

Full-Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail - Gold Class

Australia

Due to weather, the rail was cancelled. The sky rail was great and the views were spectacular. The waterfall was roaring, due to all the rain that had come down the previous days.

Quality of Experience

4 stars only due to the rail not running.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

It's called Blue Mountains for a reason. The beautiful blue tones the area gives off.

Quality of Experience

The hike is beautiful, but not for out of shape people. The trails need to be marked better and the maps updated to show ALL paths and roads.

Food

had a sandwich. Could have used a couple of napkins.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Chris was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to talk with. Use a small group tour if you go.

Transport

We had an amazing trip! The resorts were terrific. All the activities were fun and exciting and everything went seamlessly. We especially loved the white water rafting in La Fortuna. Kimkim delivered on another amazing and memorable family trip for us!

Hotel Reviews

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River, Class II-III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sukia - Night Tour

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall wonderful trip.
Main issue is dealing with train stations in Spain. Not intuitive.
But we figured it out and enjoyed our time immensely.

Mieke did a wonderful job creating an itinerary for our family! She was very responsive before and then during our trip, especially when rain interfered with our bike trip to Keukenhof. We loved staying in Haarlem and the Hotel Malts was wonderful. All in all, a fabulous vacation!

Hotel Review

Hotel Malts

Haarlem

Hotel Malts is a lovely hotel in the center of Haarlem, which is a charming bike and pedestrian friendly city. Henk and Annemarie are wonderful hosts. The highlight of our stay was the delicious daily breakfast: croissants, cheeses, hard and soft boiled eggs, yogurt, cappuccino, and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Amsterdam - Jordaan Dutch Food Tour

The Netherlands

We started with apple pie in a traditional brown cafe and went on to have Indonesian food, stroopwafels, etc. Spending time with a local (Ferry!) was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall we had a delightful time in Jordan. We saw all the sights we wanted to given the time we had. It was a busy 5 days. Majed, our driver, was fantastic. He gave us good advice, helped us with some of the locals who did not have good english. He got us guides at a few of the stops we made and was also a resource for our questions. We had decision making power to an extent and made some choices in the moment to make sure we got to see everything we wanted to. He was personable and a safe driver. (The Turkish coffee was a bonus!)
Somehow, through some of our fault and a miscommunication through our initial phone call with the representative I think in the US, we did not have the accommodations at the caliber we are used to. The hotel in Amman was ok, our room was clean but the hallway had room service dishes in it for over 24 hours. Breakfast was ok but the coffee was terrible and we were charged for the cappucinos we ordered instead.
The hotel in Petra was barely a 3 star, and old and dated. We were on a non smoking floor but the room had been smoked in and the air conditioning was barely adequate.
The Wadi Rum accommodations were not good at all. We stayed in the Captain's camp which looks really good on the website. The first bubble tent we were given had a dirty bathroom, it had not been cleaned since the last guest. The front desk man barely spoke english so Majed explained for us. We were moved to another tent, and it was slightly better, but the tea cups in the room had been used and had not been replaced. We were the only non Arabic guests in the camp.
After dinner which was really good, we went back to our tent and the music was quite loud from the main area. The next morning, there was no hot water. I understand if the water is heated throughout the day but no one told us. We would have showered in the evening when the water was hot if we had known.
Our final accommodation at the dead sea, the Holiday Inn Resort was lovely. We had excellent service everywhere in the hotel. The dinner and breakfast buffets were fantastic and all dishes had an ingredient list which was great! They even had gluten free bread in the morning for me as I am intolerant.
We have used Kim Kim in the past and even the 3.5 star accommodations on that trip were excellent. I think in future we would consider using them again however, be much more discerning with the hotels and ensure 4 star at minimum.

Hotel Reviews

Strand Hotel

Amman

This hotel was not part of our program. We cannot comment on it.

Petra Palace

Wadi Musa, Petra

The sign outside the hotel says 3 stars from Jordan. Our room was clean, which is the most important part. But the hotel smelled like cigarette smoke almost everywhere. It is very dated and could use renovations.

Authenticity & Character

Renovate the hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean, but everything from the lobby onward smelled too much of smoke.

Captain Camp - Rum Valley

Disi

Room was not clean - the bathroom even still had shaving whiskers on the sink. We were moved to another room, but in this one the coffee/tea cups were dirty. There was no cold water in the evening and no hot water in the morning for showering. This was a camp where we were the only non-Arabic people. Supper was great, but knowing that culturally many many people smoke is important to know because we had people all around us smoking. Supper was BBQ done underground and we saw the meat and rice being taken out. That was amazing! The camp lights prevented us from seeing many stars.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean the bathrooms and do not leave dirty cups in guest rooms.

Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort

Sweimah

Clean. Amazing staff. Buffet restaurant had a huge selection, including gluten free.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Our greeter was efficient but did not explain much or engage in conversation. D

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

Jarash was our favourite! The Roman Ruins are so well preserved (keeping in mind they are 2000 years old) and even have the largest fountain besides the Trevi fountain!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Our guide Mohammed was super helpful and took lots of pictures for/of us. His English was excellent and he had lots of knowledge to share. And he bought us coffee. And made very good suggestions for gifts to buy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

Be prepared to get sand between your toes!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

You are on a bench in the back of a truck, it is windy and sandy. But the things we saw and the sunset made the ride worth it.

Bethany ( Baptism site)

Jordan

This was something we wanted to do and added it to the trip. You have to go in a group and ride a bus into the site and then there is about an hour (broken up) of walking. It was 30 degrees and sunny so make sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the site where John did his baptisms and where Jesus was baptized was a moving experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very accommodating for us.

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

Unfortunately the church in Madaba is undergoing repairs. But the mosaic was really cool!

Quality of Experience

Food

There was no food provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra By Candle Light

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is the first time we booked a vacation via KimKim and we mainly did it, for peace of mind when traveling with small kids. It was also our first trip to Morocco and we were all very excited about the fact that we were planning to visit more than one city, knowing everything was taken care of.

We had the same guide/driver, Hisham, throughout the trip and he made sure we were comfortable throughout the entire journey, as we went to Fes, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.

There were many highlights, however I would very much like to name a few..
1. I loved the Riads in Fes and Marrakech... especially Riad Farouzi with its wonderful staff
2. The local guides in Fes and Casablanca... both very knowledgeable and interesting
3. The old Roman city in Volubilis, so very much different to rest of the Morocco we saw
4. But most of all I would like to highlight the fact that we were traveling during the last few days of the holy month Ramandan and the Eid al-Fitr and still we got the best tourguides that we could have asked for

Hotel Reviews

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

Everything about this Riad is great. Especially the kind staff, the amazing food, the mood, beautiful room and location near the medina. We were very happy whit the choice of accommodation.

Authenticity & Character

Charming and beautiful

Location

Near the Medina

Staff

Loved the staff and their happy spirits. Especially with our youngest son

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable rooms

Riad La Croix Berbère Luxe

Marrakech

Very nice Riad, with kind staff, however a bit noisy

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful rooms and charming interior

Location

Fairly close to the medina but inconvenient with parking and luggage

Staff

The staff was very helpful and tentative

Cleanliness & Comfort

I liked the roof top for breakfast the experience

Atlas Sky Airport

Nouaseur

Close to the airport, super friendly portier. However it was very noisy and the shower didn't work.

Authenticity & Character

The showe did not work and we were missing a few things like towels, toilet paper etc. and we had to remind the reception several times to get it.

Location

Very convenient for the last night, close to the airport

Staff

Very kind staff and helpful with the luggage.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Noisy

Hotel des Oudaias

Rabat

It was a good location, but the rooms were dirty and the beds uncomfortable

Authenticity & Character

Not charming and a bit more French style than Moroccan.

Location

Fairly close to the shore and nice restaurants

Staff

Not much contact so not many commends about the staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The veds very very hard and uncomfortable and the rooms were quit dirty. We only had a single night at the hotel and hence we did not mind that much. However I would not be able to spend a week in the rooms

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

We loved our local guide in Fes, who were our favorite. He knew a lot about the history and we learned about the history, the monarchy, politics, architecture and culture of Morocco. Especially the Jewish Quarter was very exicting. He was very kind to the kids and patient.

Quality of Experience

The information level and knowledge was very high. I also liked the personal stories and opinions.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very kind and family friendly local guide. He were great at talking to the kids and engaging them

Transport

It was a long walk, but we had our driver waiting for us to take us home

Fes to Rabat via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Volubilis was very exciting. We love history and this was just down our alley

Quality of Experience

The ruins were amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kind local guide, but not very knowledgable. I knew more about the flowers than the ruins

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

The guidede tour was very nice. I liked the red thread through out all of the Imperial Cities with the walls surrounding the medinas, the Jewish quarter, the king palaces etc. With the help from our guide I found some lovely carpets and we were invited to see places that we otherwise would not have found ourselves. Compared to Fes, we found Marrakech a bit overcrowded and touristic. However it was Eid and happy days.

Quality of Experience

The guide and the feeling of life in the medina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I liked walking around with our tourguide. In Fes and Casablanca we met with local guides and I appreciated some time in Marrakesh with our guide and drivers for the tour.

Transport

A bit of walking but very interesting. The motorbikes in the medina however made it difficult to walk around with the kids

Free Morning in Marrakech

Marrakesh

It was very lovely to have some time for ourselves, enjoying the city and plan the day in our own speed. I had under estimated the program with three minors and they were very tired by the end of our vacation. So for my next trip I would arrange more days like these and then skip some cities. However I regret nothing about our plan.

Quality of Experience

Nice and quit morning.

Food

We found some lovely restaurants and cafes

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had good time to just enjoy an icecream and lunch on a rooftop restaurant

Transport

No need for transport. Just walking around Marrakesh

Driving Tour of Casablanca

Casablanca

I love Casablanca and our local guide who took the time even though it was eid. He was very passionated and tought us much about Morocco, the culture and history.

Quality of Experience

It was nice to see the old town and the amazing architecture in the city

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very pleasant experience with the guide, who was also good with our youngest son

Transport

I liked that we were driving from place to place. It was a nice mix of walking and driving

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

We were so tired and ready to relax when reached Rabat, but I am so happy that our guide insisted on showing us the Hassan Mosque and Mohammed V Mausoleum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not too much walking

Had an amazing although short trip to Rio. Alberto was a fantastic knowledgable guide and I truly appreciated his fluent English. Also thanks to Sara for preparing a detailed plan to see all the major sights and some of the more unique ones. I truly enjoyed this trip.

We had a great trip to Vietnam and Cambodia
Trang made great efforts to adapt the trip to our needs with multiple changes before we decided on the final trip
We first explored Hanoi and surroundings with our guide Ky : Hanoi city, biking and hiking in the rice fields around Puo Luong, and Ha Long bay. Ky is a really enthusiastic and dynamic guide 😉, Be sure to ask him if you can to hike and explore the north of Vietnam
Then we flew to Siem Reap and discovered the wonderful temples of Angkor, and an elephant retreat , with guide Bun. Bun did a wonderful job at introducing the Cambodian culture, which is very different from Vietnam, he is very knowledgeable and his English is excellent which made communication very easy.
And finally, we flew back to Vietnam, to Hoi An.
We discovered this wonderful little city with our guide Hân: The ancient town, the many lanterns , the rice fields and the coconut plantations. Both his English and French are excellent and he was also very helpful during these few days, a lovely person.
With our 12 day trip, we only discovered a tiny portion of these wonderful countries that offer many more possibilities for exploring their fascinating cultures
Transportation with our own dedicated minivan and driver was always at a very high-level
Hotels were exactly what we asked for
Thumbs up 👍🏻 for the organization, highly recommended

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Halong Bay is certainly worth exploring as a natural wonder, but the massive amount of tourists makes this a little bit of a lesser experience for us. I would advise exploring the alternatives around it as you will probably encounter less tourist

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Pu Luong - Hanoi

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Still a lesser known region, so you get to see some magnificent rice fields with almost no tourists. This is a certainly an interesting place when the rice fields up north are not yet planted like in these months of April and May

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap – Phnom Kulen – Elephant Forest

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap - Angkor tour

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phare Circus Show

Siem Reap

We had a great trip to Lisbon and Porto. Pedro was great at helping us plan and available for questions in advance of the trip. 5 star private group experience. We left time to explore on our own as well,

Overall we had a fantastic holiday to Thailand, apart from the last few days in Phuket. The guide that we had in Bangkok (Watson) was great and really knowledgeable. Arti in Chiang Mai was our favorite guide, she had fantastic English and really good knowledge and stories of all the places we visited.
The hotel in Chiang Mai was great location, nice pool and the rooms were all good, however the breakfast was really poor quality and very limited would not recommend that to people on this basis.
Ko Samui was nice and hotel was fine as we were only there a couple of nights and all the activities worked well, sadly the sea around the hotel wasn't ideal as it was really murky and no wildlife visible we only saw tropical fish and corals on our boat trip. If we had stayed longer we would probably have wanted to stay in a different place.
Phuket sadly was really disappointing we thought that we were staying in Phuket old town as the description of the hotel and what we would be able to see and do made out that we were close, however on arrival we were on the other side of the peninsula to Phuket town in Patong and was really not a nice area, the beach was really busy and not very clean, it was overly touristy and full of bars, and the red light district which wasn't ideal with a family.

Activity Review

A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

Catherina is amazing. From the preliminary agenda until we were on the plane she was on top of everything. When changes were required she made them, was solicitous of our comfort and in every way fabulous. JJ and Renee were equally impressive and did everything to make our trip enjoyable. Renee returned the room key that I forgot in Belize, JJ helped me through a bit of stomach upset. All of the birding guides were extremely knowledgeable. I would recommend that folks our age split birding and ruin watching into two days. It was 104 degrees the day we did it and we cooked. The reef in Belize is still beautiful, but showing signs of bleaching, more's the pity. All in all, it was one of our best trips. Kudos to Columbus travel.

Hotel Reviews

Mystic River Resort

San Ignacio

Sited in the jungle with balconies looking down on the river, Mystic River Resort is beautiful. For bird watchers like ourselves, there are over 250 species of birds on the property. The first morning a summer tanager dropped down to the railing when I walked out to claim her share of the banana bread (which hotel staff had brought to our door along with delicious coffee). The rooms are large and comfortable with both a fan and a fireplace. (A little too warm while we were there for the latter.) A very nice outdoor dining room with both hummingbird and platform feeders providing great interest especially in the morning. The staff are pleasant and solicitous of your well being. A thoroughly pleasant stay.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely cabins, decor throughout well done and consistent.

Location

Sited in untouched jungle, birds, birds, birds!

Staff

Way above average in friendliness and helpfulness.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable/

Hotel Atitlán

Panajachel

Very different from Mystic River. Sculptured gardens and lots of flowers. Beautiful! Many birds, but not as many as Mystic River. Very comfortable room. Lovely restaurant with excellent choices and food.

Authenticity & Character

Very well done with a great deal of period pieces

Location

Right on Lake Atitlan with boat travel to various cool experiences.

Staff

Very helpful and efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Like most Latin hotel very clean, good shower, very comfortable

Azure Del Mar

Placencia

Again a huge switch, since this hotel is literally on the beach. What appears to be a very simplistic hotel turns out to be a very cozy stay with the wind off the Gulf blowing through the room day and night. There was no need of fan or air conditioning although a conditioner was provided. Palapa style office, dining room and cabins. Very intriguing! Thoroughly enjoyed our stay there

Authenticity & Character

Palapa says it all.

Location

Right on the beach, what more could you ask?

Staff

Extraordinarily helpful, efficient and thoughtful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean throughout. Very comfortable the way the cabins are sited!

Activity Review

Welcome to Guatemala

Belize

Went off without a hitch. We were met by JJ as we came out of baggage claim, the car was loaded and we were on our way.

Quality of Experience

JJ is friendly, helpful, personable and efficient.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

Transport

Nice wheels.

Andrea and Guilia were outstanding both in planning and providing support during the trip. They very quickly understood what kind of vacation we wanted and worked closely with us to create it. They had immediate solutions for the few minor problems that arose while we were in Sicily.
Every activity and every guide they booked for us was terrific. Special kudos to Lilly in Taromina and Chiara in Palermo, whose knowledge of and pride in their history and culture made every minute special for us.
We have travelled quite a bit and used various resources to plan our trips in the past. We were extremely pleased with Andrea and Guilia who consistently went above and beyond our expectations.
Thank you for a fabulous trip!

Our driver, Reda, did a fantastic job navigating and preparing us each day. He was great with conversation and with listening to what we wanted. We would recommend him to anyone.

The KimKim team put together a great custom itinerary for us. They adapted to our time table and the things we wanted to see and put together a good balance given we had limited time.

Our last day wrapped up with Oussama taking us to the airport and explaining many of the sites and history along the way.

Tiago and his team were excellent guides and advisors about the best things to do in and around Lisbon. We recommend this team highly and will certainly make use of them on our next trip to Portugal. We loved the insider views of the Alfama district and the Fado evening was especially fantastic. We also appreciated the restaurant recommendations and amazing parking skills. Thanks everyone!

Hotel Review

Dom Carlos Liberty

Very comfortable, great staff and good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

A remarkable evening with a very authentic feel. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Nothing--all part of the experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Restaurant staff were great. We didn't have a guide and took a taxi to the restaurant.

Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk (morning)

Lisbon

This was a FANTASTIC food tour--possibly the best ever! It was great to visit a less touristy area and nibble the day away.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Very crowded. Had to leave to meet our guide before we got inside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mohamed was patient as I was full of questions regarding Ramadan and the changes during that time. He had excellent recommendations, put my mind at ease about safety and transportation. I had an idea of many sites I wanted to see and he incorporated it in his recommended itinerary with ease. Great hotels and tours, I will definitely use Kim Kim again. If ever in Morocco, Mohamed will be the first person I contact.

Amanda played a pivotal role in making our trek through the Annapurna region unforgettable. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for trekking in Nepal were evident from the start. She provided invaluable insights and recommendations, ensuring our trip was tailored to our interests and fitness levels. Amanda's professionalism and responsiveness made the planning process seamless and stress-free. Her coordination with the local team was impeccable, allowing us to focus solely on enjoying the trek.

Special shoutout to our trekking guide and porter, Chhepal and Furi, who were truly outstanding. Their expertise and knowledge of the terrain enhanced our trekking experience immensely. They were attentive, supportive, and always made us feel safe during the trail. Also, the accommodations provided along the trek were fantastic. The lodges were comfortable, clean, and offered breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes.

We're immensely grateful for Amanda and the team for an exceptional service and support. Thank you for an amazing adventure—we can't wait to plan another trek with you soon!