Kimkim Trip Reviews

Unfortunately, the hotel did not have running water when we arrived and it was only fixed in the early evening. This left a bad first impression. It is a lovely hotel and the management staff provided some comped appetizers, but it was an unfortunate incident.

Delightful aviary. More than I expected.

This was a tailored tour and we appreciate very much it being able to happen - Gracias!

Lovely city, tour guide explained everything well for a multi-generational family.

good service, though the hotel could use some updating to the rooms.

I wish I could give it five stars because my guide was great. However, due to the difficult water and lack of life vests, I did not feel save on the ride to the island, I do not think the captain should have taken us out until the winds had past.

The transfer was okay, but I wish I had been told I was going on a tour of people who were on a day tour. There was insufficient information about what was different about my experience. The only reason I give it three stars is because the tour leader seemed to do his best given my unique circumstances.

Good guide and driver.

Good guide and driver.

Show is fine. Food is pretty bad.

The Emeralda Resort Tam Coc in Ninh Binh was absolutely beautiful. We only got to stay there for one night, unfortunately, but it was gorgeous with a stunning view of the lake. I wish we could've stayed longer to enjoy the surroundings better.

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa was lovely, though a bit of a walk from the city center - about 15 to 20 minutes. The hotel itself was very nice, but the distance was a bit farther from restaurants and shops than our other hotels. Still, we enjoyed our stay. A walker wouldn't be too bothered by the distance, but it's something to keep in mind.

Staying at the White Mansion Boutique Hotel in Phnom Penh was an amazing experience. The place was actually an old American consulate converted into a hotel, which gave it such a unique charm. It wasn't quite in the city center, but it was fascinating to be in a building with history.

The Athena Luxury Cruise on Ha Long Bay was a highlight of our trip. We did this cruise over New Year’s Eve, and they had planned fireworks, which was spectacular. Our room was comfortable, and the food was great, with all meals included. They offered activities like visiting a cave and kayaking, which was nice even though we chose to skip the kayaking.

Excellent location and delicious food. This was the best hotel of our trip. We're very happy we didn't stay at Hotel del Paine. The complementary drinks was a nice touch which allowed us to discover calafate sours.

The location was good although the window the first night wouldn't close so there was a good bit of road noise. The staff was not particularly helpful and the breakfast wasn't the best.

The location is great and the staff is very helpful. The room was small unlike the pictures. The rooftop pool was very small. The hotel has two entrances which was problematic when we were leaving, Transvip was waiting on the street behind the hotel instead of at the front door.

The description was for a bungalow. We had a room with a corner kitchen. There's no air conditioning so the room got very warm. Luckily there were two fans which we had to use all of the time. The last night the water went out. The next morning the want came back but the electricity went out. For the airport transfers, they really should use the guest's names to avoid the problem we had of confusing with another Cabanas.

Armando was a good guide. We were able to pick which hikes we wanted. He also let my wife use his hiking poles. Unfortunately when we were coming down from Mirador Condor, he was going down quickly.

One of the high points of our trip. Seeing the glacier and the impact of climate change was very impressive.

Freddy did an outstanding job. It was great that he met us at the hotel and we took the subway together. We tried multiple foods and then saw multiple street art around Bellavista. Freddy is very knowledgeable and friendly.

Julio Contreras was very flexible in customizing our tour so we got to see the sites we wanted to visit.

Felipe Godoy is an excellent guide. He was extremely helpful in suggesting visits for our free day. The tour did not include the cable car up to the top of Cerro San Cristobal.

These are the only moai facing the sea.

The crater is very impressive.

A good introduction into the history of Rapa Nui.

What a unique and spectacular property. Staff was incredibly accommodating.

Perfectly located and loved the amenities and staff. Only negative was no chair in the room; the only place to sit was on the bed. That said, I would not hesitate to go back.

This was truly a great day. Our guide, Wayne, was extremely accommodating and his knowledge of the area was impressive.

Don’t truly have a rating for this as weather cancelled the trip and we were told this is not an infrequent occurrence. I am sure it is an excellent experience but I would have a back up plan and it would have been nice to know in advance there was a chance of not getting to go.

Nice relaxing excursion filled with beautiful sites and great accommodations. Staff was excellent.

No better way to hot tub than the view you get at Onsen. Simply jaw dropping.

It was a place to crash for our last night before a very early departure towards home. It is very close to the airport. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the room was quite adequate for the mission. The top floor restaurant/bar had a fine view and is a great place for a beer, but the menu is depressing. Lots of fried and western type foods, nothing fresh or local to speak of. The things we ordered were safe and well prepared, but this was definitely the worst food on the trip. Perfect time for it though! We did walk the neighborhood a bit, and there didn't seem to be any other good options. This hotel absolutely served the purpose, but I would not call it a destination to seek out.

They style themselves as being quite top tier. Almost. The place looks like it's been there for quite a while and is now under newer management. Certain areas are very sharp and well tended but not the whole place. It is clean and our room was very comfortable, though it hadn't been open for quite a while and was in need of a good airing out, which we provided. All good after that. The dining was quite adequate, but not very fresh or inspired the first night. Very short on vegetables, but we asked and they improved markedly the second night. There are not a lot of options for hotels around Ba Be it seems, and this certainly met the need but somewhere a bit smaller and busier might be more fun.

This was the highlight of our trip in the North. The construction was beautiful, the room well appointed, the view over the village and rice fields from our room was exceptional. The night before we got here had been a little rough, so we really were grateful for this place. Good local fare in the dining room and Hanoi beer, which was welcome after the hiking.

This is a really fun lodge. The room was all local materials and really nicely done. They got some laundry done for us and were generally just very helpful and accomodating. You have to be very comfortable with stone stairs without any railings to navigate from Registration to your room and to dining. The place is beautiful but be ready for some stair climber action!

This is a family homestay and they did a great job providing us with simple but very excellent dinner and breakfast the next morning. Simple accommodations, but plenty of hot water, good air conditioning. The bed is extremely firm (board with a thin mat over it), so a little like sleeping on the ground, but no rocks! It gave us good access to the area.

The family bent over backwards to provide us with great locally sourced meals that were perfect. The accommodation is simple but very comfortable. It was a good location for our travel in and around Bac Ha.

The staff here is outstanding. Unfailingly courteous, very helpful and very good English at the front desk. The location is the best. Right in the midst of the bustle of Old Town Hanoi and walking distance to a bunch of interesting stops. The room was comfortable (good mattress!) and quiet. Excellent air conditioning. We really enjoyed the roof-top bar for breakfast and our night cap in the evening. This place was a lovely refuge to return to after prowling around Hanoi or returning from a few days in the countryside.

The only bicycling available was rental bikes at the Saigon Ba Be Resort which were restricted to use on their limited grounds. We didn't bother. We did, however get a bonus on the way back to Hanoi, a stop at the Hua Ma cave, which is one of the longest tourist-accessable caves I've experienced. It has a good cement stair and walkway for access and is fully lit. No headlamp required. A cave purist will be horrified at the colored lighting, but the limestone structures and the size of the rooms are definitely highlighted by it.

The peaceful boat ride to the bat cave, (Hang Puổng) is a magical experience, even on an overcast day. We got the added fun of going further downstream the opposite direction, to the primary school in a small village just northwest of the lake. Mu had arranged with the teacher for us to deliver twenty sets of crayons and coloring books to her class. Items which are outside the budget but were greatly appreciated. Do not waste time on the Fairy Pond, unless you aspire to wall up and down hill through dense smoke from the fires of the food and souvenir vendors lining the path to and from the pea green, heavily polluted pond which has no natural outflow, so can never clean itself out. The newly built quasi-Buddhist temple (Đền An Mạ) is nicely built for tourist consumption, but has no local following or historical significance. Photogenic but not a big deal if you miss it.

Google Maps showed the shortest route to Ha Giang, but it was a very minimal road. We made it, but the 15 minutes for the longer route on bigger roads could have been worth it. We had lunch with another friend of Mu at their homestay, and it was one of the best meals of the trip without doubt. The village is surrounded by small rice fields and planting was back in full swing after the Tet holiday. A good hike around and we ended up at our Ecolodge, the best overnight in this part of the trip. Took a great hike, river and waterfalls.

Bac Ha Sunday Market was mind blowing! One of the largest markets we've seen anywhere, and everything you can imagine on sale. The highlight was shopping and then cooking lunch at a local family's home with Mu. (a long time friend of her's). That was really special.

Bac Ha was a definite highlight. Great hiking, with an unplanned "happy water" stop at a local farm up in the hills outside Bac Ha. That was a hoot! We did NOT visit the Hoang A Tuong Palace, as it has been redone and not worth the admission or time. Walking around Bac Ha/Lao Cai was great.

Our longest walk of the trip (14 km) and it was lovely.

The walk around the villages was delightful. Tet in full swing and karaoke at full volume is king in every village. The water wheels were great to see from an engineering standpoint, though they were suffering from quite a bit of neglect, as they serve no purpose anymore, of course. Still, one could get the idea and admire the ingenuity of the design. The bamboo raft was most pleasant and we enjoyed it. Doesn't go very far, but it gave us a couple good photo ops.

Arriving in the middle of the night, this was a godsend and greatly appreciated. Well worth the cost.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Scenic Hotel Cotswold in Christchurch. Despite my initial expectation that it would be lackluster, it turned out to be great.

The Heartland Hotel Glacier Country in Fox Glacier was quite disappointing, but we were advised that accommodations in that area wouldn't be top-notch. It was basic at best, although the local hospitality was undeniably welcoming.

The Pear Orchard Lodge was a delightful surprise. The lodge offers a beautiful setting outside of Nelson. It featured a well-equipped common kitchen, perfect for those who enjoy cooking, and it was shared only between a few rooms. Additionally, having access to a washing machine for a small fee was incredibly helpful during our travels.

The Full-Day Jet-Boat Adventure and Funyak River Safari in Queenstown was enjoyable, but I felt the description didn't match the experience. While the initial jet-boat ride was exciting, the later sections with kayaking were slower, as the guides needed to accommodate everyone. Next time, I'd probably just opt for the shorter, more thrilling jet-boat trip.

The Half Day Mt Tarawera Crater Walk Experience was quite intense, perhaps not suitable for the faint-hearted. Some aspects were slightly oversold, like the description implying a four-wheel-drive adventure when it was just a regular van. Overall, it was a good, challenging experience.

The Hobbiton Shared Tour was a highlight of our trip. While we're not the biggest Lord of the Rings fans, the tour was exceptionally well-done, offering fascinating insights into the making of the films. It's very well organized and worth the visit.

Stylish, friendly staff, good food, efficient and clean Pillows a bit hard for my comfort but not a big deal

This was our favorite hotel of our whole trip. It was beautiful, clean, and great service. Great views. Nice pool. Delicious breakfasts.

We loved this trip. It was such a unique way to see the city and see parts we never would have seen otherwise.

What a wonderful location. The views over the lagoon are superb. We thoroughly recommend the early morning boat birding tour with Leonard, whose knowledge cannot be bettered. We also enjoyed several birding walks both around the lodge, on the shoreline and in the pine forest, all wonderful. A night walk was also a great experience. Food was traditional and delicious (though too much salt - for our taste and health, is added to many dishes - our only recommendation, especially as there are salt and pepper pots on every table should one prefer). Every member of staff was kind and helpful and we felt looked after the whole time we were there (5 nights). Day trip to Laminai was great day trip. Thoroughly recommend and came away having seen over 100 species of different birds!

Loved the location. Easy to walk along safe beach, great for swimming and photographing brown pelicans and frigate birds. Breakfasts fine, overlooking beach. Evening meals expensive, but there are lots of other places to explore including an Italian restaurant (La Tratoria) nearby for reasonable delicious meals. Staff very kind and so helpful. Room very quiet and comfortable with lovely hot shower.

Lovely location, within walking distance of Cahel Pech ruins. Lovely breakfasts/evening meals, overlooking the canopy, great pool to cool off in at the end of a day. Saw a kinkajou, aguti and ferruginous pygmy owl in the grounds. Staff very kind and helpful. Restaurant overlooking views of San Ignacio.

This trip would be better if we had left at 6am, rather than 8am. By the time we arrived at the reserve, the day was already very warm, and we missed any early birds and wildlife. However the walk in the jungle was beautiful

30 mile boat trip to Laminai, on a speed boat. Would have preferred the boat to have travelled more slowly, but appreciate that there would not have been enough time, as the boat trip was already an hour long. Felt the speeding boats on the river did little to enhance any animals in the water or on the surrounding trees on the banks of the river.

Cannot recommend this experience highly enough. Make sure you go on the 6 am boat tour to maximise the best light and the most birds. 3 hrs in boat before breakfast. Leonard was our guide, and he is truly outstanding in both knowledge and looking after his guests.

Unexpected and amazing experience floating down a river through ancient cave system. Thoroughly recommend

Having visited Mayan ruins at Tikal, Cahel Pech and Laminai our visit to Xunantunich was by far the best. The drive there was over a hand cranked car ferry, which was fun. Our guide used to work as an archaeologist on this site, so was extremely knowledgeable and had both the official story and his own ideas - so wonderful. The ruins are inspiring with views over into Guatamala. We got there quite early, so had the site largely to ourselves.

This was the best butterfly farm we have every visited. Our guide was knowledgeable and kind. We were shown all the stages from how the eggs are collected, the growing on of the pupae and watched butterflies emerging. There was also an opportunity to walk in the forested grounds and sit and watch hummingbirds feeding.

Just a beautiful location! We had a private villa overlooking the river. Great views for sure! Bring binoculars. The food is great and there was plenty of it! The team members at the hotel go so far out of their way to be sure your stay is great and comfortable. The only hitch was the spotty wifi.

The perfect spot in Pokhara! After our trek this was a welcoming place. The bed was super comfortable, the shower was perfect and good wifi. Breakfast was great and the staff was amazingly nice and friendly. Location allowed us to find restaurants, shops, massages, and great views.

This hotel is visually beautiful! Amazing gardens and flowers. The staff is great and the location worked well for us. They hosted 2 weddings while we were there and it was so beautiful to see the traditional dress and ceremony from our window! The rooms are slightly dated, and the wifi was a little spotty. We also decided to go out for breakfast after having it at the hotel once, not because the hotel’s wasn’t good, but it was average.

The park is beautiful and we saw many animals and birds. Hopefully, we’ll see a tiger next time

This was a great stop on our tour! This resort is right near the park and offered beautiful views and food. Our villa looked over the river and provided perfect access to see birds and wildlife. Bring your binoculars! The canoe ride and the opportunity to watch local artisans do traditional dance was were both highlights.

Wake up to the sun rising over the Himalayan mountains…priceless. The views are stunning. The trek down took more out of us than the trek up. The way down is mostly a stoned lined path and stone steps. This was a long but beautiful day!

The rhododendron forest, wow! Coming from North America we didn’t even know these trees existed. Bright red flowers and other amazing flowers and vegetation! Pema was so great about pictures and explanations. So great! Also hiked past a small mountain school for orphan children. A nice pit stop to see how well they were being treated and taught.

Loved this stop on the tour! The hike was on stone lined or cement trails and steps. It is a lot, but so beautiful!

Pokhara is beautiful. We chose to forego the lake and just walk around the town.

Kathmandu is a must see city! So much history and culture. This tour allowed us to get up close to the largest stupa in the world and the crematory was an experience we'll never forget. The views from the high temples and the monkeys also are a must see.

Excellent location. Room was clean and the bed/pillows were comfortable. Staff was supportive.

Went on short hike. Nacho provided a great deal of information about the trees, lagoon, tree plantings and many other very special bits of information.

Not sure how to rate this activity since we didn’t get to do the trek. However we did stop to see condors and an eagle during our transition through the park.

Sights were simply amazing, spectacular, jaw-dropping. This tour met every expectation.

Horseback riding while herding sheep was a highlight of our Patagonia experience.

Well, this hotel did not provide a public bath Its bathroom within the guest room was a miniature version of a public set up with the bench bucket and shower area. A nice spot with great food and a comfortable room made our stay great.

Centrally location to shopping and cultural sites, this hotel even had its own shrine right next door. The best and accommodating staff, clean rooms and great food options at breakfast and dinner!!

Such an amazing hotel, from the time you enter and leave your shoes in the front lockers to the invigorating hot springs in the crisp air, this hotel was a favorite on our trip. Dormy does such a great job providing little extras for their guests.. yakult drinks in the morning, popsicles and ramen late at night.. a breakfast buffet that has so many fresh and hot options. This was a super spot and convenient to transportation throughout the town!

This hotel is close to Subway entrance only a couple stops away for most of the places in Tokyo we wanted to visit . it was clean and the staff was so friendly. they had one of the best breakfasts on our trip. We were both well fed and well rested. I loved that they had laundry services that we were able to use!

Our trip to Nara with our guide was a surreal experience. She truly felt like part of the family by the end of it. Her kindness, consideration, and deep appreciation for the culture made the trip memorable. The rich culture and history of the area were beautifully presented.

The Kanazawa Highlights tour of the Kenroken Gardens, castles, and samurai secrets was truly amazing. Our guide Tomoko added a personal touch with her deep knowledge and long experience, making the tour feel more intimate and engaging. The cultural and historical aspects were humbling and enlightening. Overall, it was a remarkable experience.