Kimkim Trip Reviews

From the moment I decided to use kimkim for a trip to South Korea for myself and a son who graduated, it was the best decision made!

Jessica Wang worked with me over the many months before our travel date. She provided recommendations and insights on hotels and cultural experiences, while kindly changing the itinerary based on additional requests we had.

It was a seamless experience from the planning stages to our time in Korea. There was even a room issue with our hotel on Jeju Island and she reached out to hotel staff and got us upgraded to a better room.

What I loved about Jessica while we were in Korea, were her daily check-ins and reminders. She worked hard and professionally to make sure our experience was exceptional—and it truly was! I'll actually miss our communications.

I'd like to mention our private tour guide Mr. Micky Park when we were in Seoul. He was funny, informative, patient, on time, and surprised us with our lunch menu both days we were with him. He also got us to our destinations safely and he takes the best pictures ever! I highly recommend visiting the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea.

A shout out to Kayla Kim for our large group tour to Gyeongiu Palaces during our time in Busan. She had high energy and wonderful suggestions for lunch and souvenir shopping. She took photos of our entire group and individually. I was amazed at how well she managed a group of 39 people.

Lastly, our small group tour guide Henry, in Jeju. This was a special moment of our trip because we were his only clients on the 2nd day with him. He tailored the trip per my request to see some sites from a Kdrama that was filmed on Jeju Island. He discovered new areas he hadn't been to on the Island and loved it. They weren't huge touristy areas, so it was more peaceful and seemingly breathtaking. We also met a local Jeju native, who mentioned eating at a local village restaurant that ended up being fabulous. Henry said the cooking was authentic and reminded him of his mother's cooking. We got to share a special bond with Henry we will never forget.

All three guides checked in with us a day or two before our tour took place, to include pickup location and drop-off, along with the itinerary.

South Korea is a wonderful country to visit, from tasty cuisine and hospitality to advanced technology and cultural experiences. We knew basic phrases in Korean and got around just fine, since there are Korean-English signs in most of the big cities. Many Koreans speak English (although, they don't want to admit it). Both my son and I loved it there so much we could live there.

I will definitely use kimkim for another trip to Japan. Hopefully, Jessica Wang will still be there!

Hotel Reviews

Lotte City Hotel Jeju

Jeju

The hotel could benefit from updating their rooms. The first night we were there, we were placed on the 8th floor. There was a stong mildew smell and the insulation isn't the best, so you can easily hear your neighbors. We reached out to Jessica and she contacted the hotel staff. They kindly upgraded us to a 17th floor room that was slightly larger, cleaner and odor free. We were extremely grateful! If you stay at this hotel, it appears the higher floors are cleaner and better maintained. We also had a window we could crank open for ventilation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's centrally located in Jeju city, but not accessible to sites outside the city, so you will need to plan in advance for taking a bus, taxi, or tour.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The pillows are uncomfortable and mushy. You might want to consider bringing your own or buying one when your there. The hotel has a beautiful rooftop garden and seating area. The pool is not included in the reservation. You will need to purchase a daily pass if you want to use it, which is 12,000 KRW per day.

NINE TREE BY PARNAS SEOUL MYEONDONG 2

Seoul

This was a budget friendly, 4-star hotel, yet surprisingly nice! The location was central and close to subway stations. The staff were warm, inviting and professional. From the time we checked in, the front desk staff, house cleaning and restaurant staff maintained a welcoming and friendly attitude. The breakfast was good. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Modern amenities

Location

Quiet (good insulation) close to subways, shopping, and centrally located in Seoul.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They have 6 different types of pillows to chose from at check-in.

Paradise Hotel Busan

Busan

Location, location, location! I really feel this was the best located hotel in Busan. It is right on the beach in Haeundae. It's a little pricy, but worth every penny spent! The staff are so kind, and they really want to make sure you have a wonderful stay. We especially loved the bell boys. I left my phone in a lobby bathroom and realized it 40 mins later, so I ran back to the hotel and there was a staff member in the lobby waiting with my phone! I thank the guest who kindly turned it into the front desk.

Authenticity & Character

A bit dated but the location and comfort made up for that.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were comfortable and we had a private balcony.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Korean DMZ Tour

Seoul

Everyone should add this to their itinerary when visiting Seoul. It is unforgettable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeju Island UNESCO Day Tour (East Course)

Jeju Island

This was our favorite day on Jeju Island. We were the only tourists booked this day for the small group tour, so our guide, Henry, was able to tailor the experience (per my request) to visit sites from a Kdrama that was filmed in Jeju. Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak was a nice hike and vantage point of Jeju. If your lucky, you might see Hayneos (women see divers), which we did this day. Loved the foot bath at the end of our day. Henry made this day a truly unforgettable experience. Even he, loved it because it wasn't his usual itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Food

We got to experience authentic Jeju cuisine at a local village. So amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henry is the best! He is authentic, so cool and chill.

Transport

Gyeongju The Old Capital of Korea One Day Tour

Busan

Although it was a large group tour, the tour guides managed it well. It starts and ends later, but there is a surprise that is worth the later hours!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Large tour bus.

Jeju Island UNESCO Day Tour (South Course)

Jeju Island

Small group tour. We loved climbing the stairs up Eoseungsaengak Trail, visiting a Buddhist temple, waterfalls, then ending the day at a green tea farm. We packed a lot, but it was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henry is very warm, kind and patient.

Transport

Full Day Seoul City Tour with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village

Seoul

The palace is majestic. We learned there are centuries of drama surrounding it. Our tour guide also told us some funny stories. Side note: If you get there at the right time, there is a changing of the guard ceremony.

Quality of Experience

Would recommend moving through the palace quickly and heading to the gardens if your short on time or have an itinerary.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr. Park is the best! He also has funny stories and takes wonderful pictures.

Transport

Robi went the extra mile! Thanks for an amazing trip Robi!

I recently had an extremely disappointing experience with KimKim Traveler, which failed to meet even the most basic expectations for a private guided tour service. Here's a detailed account of the issues I faced:
1. Lack of Private Tour Service: I specifically requested a private tour, expecting personalized pick-up and drop-off at my hotel by the guide. However, this was far from what I received. Instead of the promised door-to-door service, I had to arrange and pay for my own transportation to and from various meeting points. This was not only inconvenient but also contrary to what was advertised and agreed upon, leading to additional unexpected expenses.
2. Poor Itinerary Choices: One of the most disappointing aspects of the tour was the poorly chosen itinerary. Despite the plethora of well-known and significant places of interest in the region, the tour predominantly included visits to wineries, olive farms and yachts. While these might appeal to some, they were not what I was seeking in areas renowned for their beautiful scenery. Missing out on key historical and cultural sites left a significant gap in the travel experience I had hoped for.
3. Excessive Free and Easy Days: The balance between guided tours and free days was heavily skewed in favor of the latter. There were far too many "free and easy" days, with minimal guidance or planned activities. Out of 8 days of tour, 5 days were “free and easy” or “explore on your leisure”. This resulted in a lot of wasted time as I had to figure out my own plans without the local knowledge or recommendations that a guide would typically provide. It felt like I paid for a guided tour but ended up having to navigate and plan as if I were traveling independently.
4. Lack of guides for the trip: Except for the visit to Dubrovnik where a guide was provided for the walk in the old town, the information of all other trips were provided by the driver during the journey.
5. Lack of Personal Touch: The entire tour schedule was emailed before the start of the trip. We were expected to navigate the email (without any provided instructions) to find the pickup or meeting times for the next day's activities.
Overall, my experience with KimKim Traveler was far from satisfactory. The lack of personalized service, the disappointing itinerary, and the excessive free days and the absence of guides, all contributed to a feeling of frustration and regret. For a tour company that promises tailored and comprehensive travel experiences, KimKim Traveler fell woefully short. I would not recommend their services to anyone seeking a well-organized and enjoyable trip.

With a deep interest in medieval French art and architecture, I've been carrying a list of sites that I meant to visit "someday" around in my head for more than 40 years. The problem has always been that many of these sites — like St-Martin-du-Canigou, St-Guilhem-le-Désert and Conques — are fairly remote and pretty far off the usual tourist track for Americans. I had no idea how to visit them until I contacted Joël Massé of Trip My France through kimkim. Unlike some other travel agents I spoke to, Joël understood my goals immediately and was fully committed to helping me achieve them. He created a customized itinerary that added many highlights I hadn't been aware of. He selected memorable hotels in each location, all perfectly suited to my tastes, and hired outstanding tour guides to make each site come alive. Best of all, he made everything easy. The entire trip came off flawlessly — and on the few occasions when minor problems did arise, Joël and his colleagues were immediately available to help resolve them. Joël exceeded my expectations in every way, and I couldn't recommend him more highly. For me, he turned "someday" into today.

Spent 14 days in Morocco. We had a good time over all. There were a few spots that were not quite what I expected but overall it was a great trip.

Our fav were the desert and Marrakesh but we also liked Chefchaouen and Essaouira and Rose Valley area.

Finally, Samir was a great driver and he was able to get us everywhere we need to go including places we booked ourselves. He always greet us with a smile even when we run late. He is a super good and safe driver and we really enjoyed his service.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

The food here is amazing. We ate here twice! In terms of the rooms it really depends on which room you got assigned to. The first room we were assigned to was super small and not sound proof, but the second room was super big and nice and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

The hotel went above and beyond to make our experience great. They even organized a sand bread making experience for us and that was unforgettable. The room is exactly as pictured. You get toilet with flush and shower right in your desert tent. Note: There is no air con in this camp so it’s probably not the best spot for summer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Desert Adventures around Merzouga

Merzouga

It was interesting but I wish our guide can speak better English. But perhaps given how remote this area is that is to be expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wish he can speak better English.

Transport

Discovering the Splendors of Meknes, Morocco's Versailles

Meknes

Everything was closed in the city except for the mausoleum and the souk. The guide tried his best but there was just not much there. I wish Kim Kim warned me about it ahead of time.

Quality of Experience

The historical sites need to finish renovation

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Fez to Merzouga Desert

Morocco

I enjoyed this drive we saw three seasons in one day so it was fun! Also we saw monkeys. The drive is super long though so be forewarned.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Dades Valley via Todra Gorges

Morocco

The drive was a bit boring but the small fossil museum has some very excellent specimens of trilobites and crinoids that you can walk up very close to. The water wells were also interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-guide

Morocco

I enjoyed the free time given to us to walk around the by the water but honestly Casablanca is a bit lacking as a city and our driver didn’t know much about the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I wish the driver had more info on Casablanca. But he is not from this city so he knows very little about it.

Transport

Full-day guided tour in Fes

Fes

We don’t like Fes, it’s the only city we felt unsafe in. Someone tried to scam us to led us somewhere weird and someone else chased us and a couple other people with a dog. If you have to skip a city skip this one. The tour guide himself was fine. He brought us to various places and often times he just leave us at each location to explore on our own. I love pottery but the coop we went to made mediocre work. I have seen much better artisans else where. Transportation wise, the driver leaves you at the edge of old city and you have to make the rest of the way yourself which wasn’t that pleasant to be honest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike through Berber Villages

Morocco

The hike was fun! We liked walking around the slot canyons. The guide was a good hiking guide. He knows how to hike safely and brought us up and down the slopes. The lunch with the family was nice too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

Wish we can have more time at Rabat. The drive itself was a bit boring. Driver doesn’t know much about Rabat. We made a couple stops and was just told to get off and look by ourself. But Chefchoen was a really cute and nice town! We really enjoyed our visit there. We enjoyed walking around there it was safe and super pretty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

I love this spot. Way less busy than historical sites in Rome. The tour guide we had was very good. The lunch spot was decent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Attend the Festival "Moussem" of Roses in Qelaat Mgouna

Morocco

This is one of those experience that wasn’t exactly fun per se but it was interesting enough because it was such a local experience (1% tourist and 99% local). There were so many people we couldn’t get a good spot for the parade so we just watched from afar. The parade was simple and short but it’s fun looking at the crowd and it was cool to see so many women and children out and about. We also went to a rose product store that is much loved by the locals - the price was definitely local price because all the locals were doing shopping sprees there for rose products. I also got to join a line dance with some local dancers so that was cool too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Marrakech via Roses Valley, Ouarzazate & Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Our guide stopped at many nice photo spots! This is closer to where our guide is from so he knows all the secret photo spots. We also bought some cool minerals from a road side shop. Note: The description mentioned visiting the movie studio but we were told by the driver we don’t have time to do that and I only got to see that studio’s gate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Le Jardin Secret Gardens Tour

Marrakesh

The building was nice. We enjoyed the short tour. Overall pretty little garden.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour of Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

I am glad we got a guide because otherwise I would have thought one of the movie prop was a historical gate. The guide brought us to one of the few houses still being inhabited. We got to look inside and that was interesting. Overall Ait Benhaddou is super busy so expect it to be overrun by tourists when you go. It is the way it is.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

I really enjoyed the city. It has such a nice energy. To be honest by the time we got to Marrakesh we have already walked through many souks so some of the stuff we saw was a bit repetitive. However, the energy was different. Our guide was fine over all but he make up some facts for some questions we asked. I wish he would just tell us he doesn’t know.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked the whole way so really there’s no transportation needed for this

Three Hour Cooking Workshop at La Maison Arabe

Marrakesh

Okay this is hands down the best equipped cooking class we ever did. Everyone gets their own station and it was super organized! Nothing but love for this experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Enchanting Essaouira

Morocco

Honestly, kind of a boring ride

Guided Tour of Volubilis Roman ruins

Volubilis

The guide we got for this place was SO good. We only spent an hour with him but I learned so much. Some people may ask why you want to visit a Roman ruin when you can just go to Italy, but if you enjoy history I think it’s worth coming here as it’s the southern reach of the Roman Empire and it’s a bit different than what you see in Rome yet familiar at the same time. In Italy the nice ruins are all quite busy and you can’t get close to things. Here it was so quiet and peaceful and you can walk anywhere you want.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buggy Adventure in the Desert

Merzouga

We had fun zooming in the desert. We didn’t see many people on the dunes so we felt like we were alone in the wild instead of being in a tourist trap. The guide was nice and took a few cool videos for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam & Spa Experience Marrakech

Morocco

The spa we ended up going to was not the same spa that the organizer said we would be going to. I was a little disappointed because of that and kind of wished I booked my own spa experience. However, the service and experience was good over all. It just wasn’t the spa I wanted to go to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

I liked the building but the tour was a bit lacking. Large group tour + not that much info given.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Felt like I was on a tourist conveyor belt. The guide was rushing through the tour didn’t say anything particularly interesting about the building aside from what I can find out myself online.

Transport

Horseback Riding on the Beach of Essaouira

Essaouira

I have ridden horses all over the world but this is the first time I felt really bad for the horses and a bit unsafe riding. 1. The horses don’t get breaks between rides so they are super tired and irritable. 2. One of the horses we rode on was sick and sneezing the whole time. 3. Because the horses are tired and irritable one of them was constantly aggravating other horses. One of our horses almost went into a fight and the horse it almost fought with then went ahead and fought another horse and the two bucked off their riders 4. Usually you are supposed to take off saddle after a ride but of course since there’s no breaks for the poor horses the saddles stay on

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They don’t speak English. Also the horses are mistreated.

Transport

Guided Tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

The old man that guided us around was nice and pointed out some super cool things in the little city that we wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t. We didn’t eat with him and we didn’t need transport so I am not rating food and transport. We enjoyed this leisurely tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awakening the Sahara: A Camel Trek into the Sunrise

Merzouga

By far the better camel ride between the two we took. When you riding into camp around sunset, everyone else is riding in so it’s super busy. But for sunrise no one else is round so you really get to experience the peacefulness of the desert.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a local family

Morocco

We ended up visiting a family in Marrakech outskirts instead of Fez because the Fez family cancelled on us last minute. The family we visited was super nice. We had cookies in their backyard and they showed us how they cooked the food and we had dinner at the living rooms. The food was super home made and tasty. I wish I get to hang out more with the ladies of the house more but they mostly stayed in the kitchen only and didn’t eat with us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

We had a lot of tasty stops. Come hungry. We didn’t each lunch that day and we were still not hungry enough for this tour! We were so full by the end of the experience we had to take the cookies to go.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was a bit Leary at first as it was out of my hands . I usually have control to do all my trips. But I was greatly surprised!!! The hotels the times of train and planes were all wonderful. They did a great wonderful job. The excursions etc etc were all detailed to the very best. It’s nice to know that I found a great company to take over on the bigger trips and I know and will be at peace that they will get it done to the very best of my dream trips. They were always there on contact when needed. So happy to have found such a detailed company. Thanks again and I look forward to having you do my next trip again.

Majid provided detailed planning focusing on our group's interests, and he is excellent at pre-trip communication. The lodgings he chose for us were spectacular, one-of-a-kind experiences. He provided us with an expert driver, Mustafa, and van dedicated to our group for the entire trip. The guides he chose for us were friendly and knowledgeable: Moushine who accompanied us for the entire trip; Hakim in Fes; Madi in Meknes; Hamid in Marrakesh; and Youness in Essouaria. I learned so much about Morocco. I highly recommend Majid and his team for travel to Morocco.

The whole trip was exceptional from the beginning to end!
Paula really took the time to understand how we wanted to spend our two weeks in Australia and she nailed it.
We started in Melbourne and had a fantastic guide (Bronson) who took us down the Great Ocean Road. He provided a lot of historical information and was super fun and easy going too!
We then went to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary the next day which was equally wonderful. We saw so many amazing animals and the guide, Steffi was extremely knowledgeable and kind. I will post some of the amazing pics!
We then headed to Uluru which was my favorite part of the whole trip. I could not get enough of the endless gorgeous night sky with the stars that went on forever. I will post those pics too.
The Field of Lights was well worth it so I highly recommend doing that. The tour the next morning was phenomenal. I was in Uluru for my birthday and I couldn’t have asked for a better memory. You have to take the time to visit this special place in the Outback.
The next day we were off to Cairns. This was another incredibly beautiful destination where we were able to enjoy a great amount of time in the water. Paula set us up to go snorkeling and diving for the day and it was a lot of fun. Make sure you pack some motion, sickness meds because the water is pretty rough. The day after the great barrier reef, we went to the Daintree rainforest, which was also pretty spectacular. We took a tour and our guide was a sweet older man by the name of Daniel and it was a very long day. There was a lot of sleeping on the van and the day was rainy so it wasn’t my favorite of the trip after we headed to Sydney, which was my second favorite destination. In Sydney, we did a wine tour one day where we hit three different wineries, which were wonderful and then the next day we did a blue Mountain tour, which was pretty spectacular. Our guide for the Blue Mountain tour was named Matthew and he was exceptional. He knew the history so well and was able to convey so much information in that short period of time . I highly recommend the Blue Mountain tour when in Sydney. The next favorite part of the trip for me was the Sydney Harbor cruise. We had no idea what to expect and it truly exceeded our expectations. The views were absolutely stunning and the restaurant we went to for dinner was incredible. The boat crew was wonderful and we were served champagne and wine and hors d’oeuvres. That were truly spectacular, the views of the opera house and the Sydney Harbour Bridge were absolutely breathtaking especially at night with all the lovely lights. It is a must do activity in Sydney. The restaurants in Sydney were also quite extraordinary. We had some of the best food that we’ve ever had in the world in Sydney. we went to an Italian restaurant named Alfredo’s and had one of the best Italian meals of our lives and we had gone to Italy two years ago and had pretty spectacular food there. The other restaurant that we really enjoyed was Mu Mu 4 You. This was a combination of Malaysian Singaporean in Indonesian St., Food and simply delicious. And then on our last night, we went to a restaurant called Boop and Tone, which was also spectacular.
We could not have had a better trip and are so grateful to Paula and Kim Kim for making all the arrangements.

Did a solo 1 week trip to Bosnia, accompanied by a guide. My guide Samer was a wonderful resource. He communicated promptly during our planning of the trip, and offered very useful suggestions in helping me put together a 1 week itinerary that included all of my interests. Samer also drove and accompanied me on the trip, and was an informative, pleasant, and professional companion throughout. Best of all his passion for Bosnia was contagious and peaked my interest for a future more lengthy trip. I should mention that Samer's speciality is guiding hikes in the mountain, and as this is also a passion of mine we were well matched.

We had an amazing and magical vacation to Australia. Since it was our first time visiting, we really wanted to optimize our time there. Paula was so helpful and made our trip so amazing. Some highlights included the Great Ocean Road trip out of Melbourne where our guide Bronson was so fun and engaging. Loved visiting the Healsville sanctuary where we were able to feed the loveliest kangaroo named Flo- our guide Stephie was so passionate about the animals. Cairns was such a fun beach town and we had an amazing time snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t skip Uluru at sunrise and sunset- the Field of Lights were amazing and we were able to see the most gorgeous night sky. Sydney has some of the best food and night life. We loved taking the ferry to Manly Beach. The private dinner cruise around the Sydney Harbour may have been my favorite experience.

Everyone's nightmare - loosing your phone in a foreign country 12 hours before departure! Upon arriving back at our hotel on the last night, one traveler realized he had lost his phone. We'd been on two boats and a taxi! We immediately messaged KimKim and they began contacting the cruise and transfer company. Then using Find My Phone, the location was determined and KimKim contacted the transfer driver. Without KimKim, this would have been a lost phone and a frantic traveler!

We had the most amazing time in the Greek Islands of Naxos, Milos and Santorini! Naxos was our favorite because it is not very touristy and the staff at Villa Marandi. Villa Marandi is a little gem about 10 minutes outside of Chora (Naxos Town) and requires cabs or a car for each trip. I would recommend renting a car for ultimate freedom to explore beaches and villages. We were able to rent a minivan - we were a party of 6 - for $75 Euro a day. Cabs cost us $80+ tip for each round trip into town because we needed 2 cars.

The staff at Villa Marandi treated you like family every time you returned. They were super responsive to every request, and the food and drinks were top notch! The resort is located on the beach and has a beautiful pool. I would definitely recommend staying at Villa Marandi and renting a car.

We did a Cultural & Food Tour with Labrena (Ray of Sunshine in Greek) and she lived up to her name! She was the perfect ambassador to Naxos! We took a sail with Naxos Sailing with Captain Ana and Firstmate Harris. They were excellent.

In Milos, we ventured out on sea kayaks on a windy chilly day. The crew had sea skirts for us which enclosed our torsos and legs in the kayak, keeping us dry and warm. The sites were beautiful and the water refreshing!

In Santorini, we took a sunset cruise on a private boat where the crew took great care of us! We saw stunning sites, swam, had an amazing dinner, and saw a lovely sunset.

In Athens, we toured the Acropolis with Effie who was an amazingly knowledgable guide not just about the ancient sites but Athens and Greek life in general. We truly enjoyed our time with her.

Hotel Reviews

Miland Suites Milos

Milos

This is a stunning hotel but it does not have a bar or restaurant. Since it is also very remote - on a hillside near nothing - you cannot walk to a market, restaurant or bar. Taxi's to town vary in price. To go to Platka, it is $50+ tip! If you are staying here, you should rent a car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not far from town, but isolated.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lilium Santorini Hotel

Santorini

The view is unmatched! Lounge chairs facing the crater. The staff is excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Right in the heart of Old Town Athens!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Marandi Luxury Suites Naxos

Naxos

You must stay here! You will be treated like family by the entire staff. We seriously did not want to leave. Located on a private beach, this is a true gem.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view and resort are amazing! The only downside is that you need a car to go anywhere.

Staff

I would give them 10 stars! 5 is not enough

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-day Private Catamaran Cruise around Naxos Island

Naxos

Ana and Harris were great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Town Private Cultural Food Tour

Naxos

Labrena was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Santorini

The tour guide did not have a plan and did not seem informed. Luckily, Art Space Winery was AMAZING!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

George was not prepared nor knowledgable

Transport

Private Milos Kayaking Tour

Milos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael Was fantastic, he responded immediately to all our questions, concerns and unexpected issues. I highly recommend kimkim

This is my first time using KimKim and they were amazing! Anna began planning our trip (then went on maternity leave) so Christina took over. Even on a weekend there was an on-call person Mathia that responded to our questions in a timely fashion. AND not just questions about what they had planned for us, other questions regarding our trip..."How much to do think it would cost to take a taxi from A to B? Should I tip and how much?" You never felt alone and it was awesome to have a resource at your fingertips that lived and knew the country you were visiting. I would highly recommend them if you want your trip customized and at a reasonable cost. 6/5 STARS!

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Wonderful hotel and excellent staff. The breakfast was amazing! It is very central to everything and close to the main train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and as comfortable as it could be. I only say that as we arrived during a heat wave and they (and most hotels in Europe ) didn't have air-conditioning. They did supply a fan to our room., but with upcoming global warming they may wish to consider it, but I'm sure this happens only 3-4 days of the year and I just happen to hit the 'heat wave' they were having.

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

This is THE PLACE to stay in Flam. It was amazing and so beautifully decorated. Their breakfast buffet was absolutely amazing! I'm sure their dinner buffet (675K is about $67US p/p or $100CAN) which is a stiff price to pay if you're not that hungry, but I will say we could see lobster and a plethora of other seafood as a choice among many other food stations at the buffet, so I'm sure it was amazing. All of Flam seems to 'roll up their sidewalks" at 6pm, so I wish the hotel could have offered a less expensive meal option. (Perhaps they did and I just didn't know about it). It is definitely and nicest and best place to stay in Flam and I would do it again, no problem.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was just perfect!

Sogn Hotel

Vadheim

This hotel is a bit scary (for us older folks) as it appears at first glance there is graffiti everywhere! There were pictures in the lobby and each door had graffiti art done by a well known Oslo artist. Upon entering the room it was clean and nicely maintained with THE MOST amazing view looking down a fjord. Since we arrived around dinner time and everything was closed they did offer us dinner, which was pizza or pizza. Very nicely made. Included breakfast was yogourt + cereal but we were offered bacon and eggs which we did not realize was not part of the 'included breakfast'. (our mistake). I was looking for fresh fruit with breakfast and there was none, as was explained to me that there are supply chain issues being in Vadheim (aka, the middle of nowhere). It's owned by a lovely couple who are in the midst of trying to upgrade the hotel (new carpeting was coming and they were planning a complete re-do in the coming years). The bus depot is also right outside their front door, so that couldn't have been easier to continue our trip.

Authenticity & Character

The character came from the graffiti

Location

It's central, near the bus and their is a grocery store a 1/2 block away.

Staff

Lovely couple, Ruth and Mark

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless as was the bathroom. I did have to request a hairdryer which Ruth brought to me.

Activity Reviews

Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

This was ok, but it took 1.5 hrs. It was 0 .5hr to get there and 0.5hr to get back to you only get to spend 0.5hrs there. Buses are clean and comfortable. The bus driver simply drove and did not include any commentary along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Give a commentary as you're driving...

Transport

The buses were clean and comfortable

Fjord Safari Taste

Norway

This would be top of my list to do in Flam! You got right down into the fjord and up close and personal with the waterfalls. It was just awesome. They fit you out with proper gear, including googles. The guide was so entertaining and informative too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful in getting the gear on and the tour guide was very informative and funny

Transport

It got you up close and personal with the fjord and waterfalls.

This was our first time using kimkim and did so based on the reviews we read. We could not have been more pleased. Every planned experience went like clockwork and the hotel choices were perfect for us. Anu’s perception of us was on point with the selected excursions. The highlight was the RIB Fjord Safari. The reason to go to Norway. Also really enjoyed the Cultural and Food Tour in Bergen. Mary Anne was great. The Vigeland Garden in Oslo cannot be missed. Balestrand was our favorite overall destination, so charming and picturesque with a fabulous hotel and delicious ciders. Thank you all for your help and we are already thinking of next year.

Hotel Reviews

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

We really enjoyed our stay at the Kviknes Hotel. The room was large and comfortable with a killer view and the old part of the hotel is beautiful. We described it as old world meets Viking. The breakfast was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Small rooms but comfortable. Good location

Authenticity & Character

Lotion in bathroom. Better view.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Like going back in time. Great location and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home Hotel Havnekontoret

Bergen

Beautiful hotel and perfect location. Staff were the best and the food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Food was very good and sights amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stegastein Viewpoint by Bus

Norway

View is everything. Very touristy but good bus ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Flåm

Overall our favorite on the trip. Exciting, beautiful, comfortable and professionally done. Could not have been better. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Fjærland

Norway

Enjoyed the experience. Glacier museum is well done and informative. Thought we would be closer to the glacier itself but not possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

View is incredible and ride very smooth. As must for Bergen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

Our second favorite experience on the trip. Our guide Mary Anne was ideal. The food we had was delicious and quite filling and the tour around town was perfect. Highly recommend this excursion.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 1: Thursday, May 16, 2024 Florence Hotel Berchielli
Arrival in Florence, Duomo Florence and Tour – Lucia was delightful and gave us a very in depth tour of the Duomo, its Baptistry, and Museum. As our first guide of the trip she provided a great introduction to Florence and the intersection of the history or the church and city. We ended up not climbing to the dome, because it started to rain when we were waiting in line for them to start entry, and I think because we were exhausted by that time.
Hotel Berchielli – We loved this hotel. It was so wonderful to open the windows and just watch the activity on the street and river below. The room was comfortable and beautifully decorated. Breakfast each morning had attentive wait staff and a great variety.
Day 2: Friday, May 17, 2024 Florence Hotel Berchielli
Florence small group guided walk including Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery – Sabilla was our guide for all but the Uffizi Gallery. She was so knowledgeable about every aspect of Florence as well as the art we saw. It was very helpful to have the earbuds that enabled us to hear her from a distance.
Day 3: Saturday, May 18, 2024 Florence to Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Time at your leisure in Greve in Chianti., and Montefioralle. As it turned out we spent very little time in Greve and Montefioralle. Stefano our wonderful driver, seemed to know these would be short stops, so took us to Castellina which we enjoyed quite a bit. A nice place to stop and have a drink and bite to eat, shop and great views.
Wine tasting with light lunch and winery visit Poggio Amorelli – While we didn’t enjoy the wine, we absolutely loved our guide there and the delicious lunch. And of course, the view.
Hotel Santa Caterina. While the room itself was very basic there were pluses to this hotel. The staff and owner were very nice. They made dinner reservations for us every night. Roberto was always there ready to make us drinks as we sat around with other guests.
There was quite a bit of road noise all day and night. The contrast was the pastoral view sitting in the back garden of the hotel. I realize this is a small hotel, but the breakfast choices were small. Best was its proximity to the walled city.
Day 4: Sunday, May 19, 2024 Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Siena guided tour, Siena Cathedral entrance ticket. We spent the beginning of our day just relaxing in the hotel garden. Our tour with Roberta started promptly at 14:00. We really enjoyed this tour too! We loved learning everything about the 17 neighborhoods and the race. After our tour of the Duomo we did walk up to the dome and tower. Even for someone who has issues with heights, this was very easy.
Day 5: Monday, May 20, 2024 Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Wine Day – Tenuta Vallocaia – We loved our afternoon at this winery. The winery was beautiful, the lunch was very creative and delicious. They provided a custom wine tasting. After each wine they would adjust the next provided based on our tastes. We do have a case being sent to us…
Ciacci Piccolomini – This was a smaller winery. The tasting was fine. The views were beautiful.
Pienza - Our driver Carlo, who we also loved, added a stop in Pienza. This too was a nice addition. Lovely shops and views.
Day 6: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Siena to Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Lucca guided walk (private guide). We met our guide Lucia at the welcome center who took us on a detailed tour of Lucca, it history and walls. It was also interesting to learn about her family, spread between Italy and the US and the cross culture experiences she has had.
She also pointed us to an excellent pastry shop!
Cinque Terre time at your leisure. We learned right away about the hills of Cinque Terre, needing to bring our luggage a few blocks from above Monterosso to our hotel. Thankfully, Carlo and the hotel desk person helped us. We spent the remainder of the day relaxing in the tiered garden above the hotel. Just a gorgeous view surrounded by lemon, lime and olive trees.
The hotel Amici – The room was small as we expected, but very efficiently designed so it worked well. While our immediate view wasn’t of the water, walking around the corner of our patio provided a beautiful water view. The staff was very helpful especially Nadia, the desk person I mentioned. The breakfast was the best, offering a great variety.
Day 7: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Cinque Terre Card, Cinque Terre visit - private guide. – Julia our guide met us at the hotel then walked us to the train. We visited Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza.
Day 8: Thursday, May 23, 2024 Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Cinque Terre - Free day. Because the trains were so crowded we decided to stay in Monterosso. We walked a trail that started up the street from our hotel and ran into a beautiful winery and vineyard, Buranco. We came back at noon for a wine tasting. While we didn’t enjoy their wine, the people were lovely as was the view.
Our favorite restaurant – probably of the whole trip was L’Osteria in Monterosso. We went there two times.
Day 9: Friday, May 24, 2024 Cinque Terre to Florence Palazzo Alfieri
Stefano was great, going to the trouble to fill out paperwork so that he could pick us up in town. The ride was beautiful back to Florence.
As I told you before, the Palazzo Alfieri was very nice. Since it was Friday, Florence was more crowded than our first two days. So, we mostly stayed near the hotel which was close walking distance to Pitti Palace.
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens guided visit. I cannot remember the name of our guide, but she was also very knowledgeable about the history and art within the Palace.
Day 10: Saturday May 25, 2024 Depart Florence Florence to Florence Airport (FLR)
Our driver for the airport ride was very prompt. At 5:30AM we had no problem getting through the city.

Summary: This trip absolutely met all the expectations that I had. Andrea's attentiveness to all the details in planning and willingness to make changes before and during our trip was the reason it was such a wonderful experience.
Thanks for everything…
Sue English-Kovar

This was our 2nd international trip with Kimkim. The first was in Greece- exceptional communication & tours were exactly as described. We had a couple of things that concerned us this time. First- our first tour - we (& another couple at a different resort) were told by Rosie that the transportation to the tour was a 40min drive. It was 3hours each way! Due to another stop for another party- 6 hours on a bus-longer than the tour. Also- ended up with car sickness.
Second: we knew the surfing needed to be booked on & paid on site. We were told to book dives onsite with due to levels & sites- BUT we were led to believe it 2dives 2 days were paid for in our price. This was even listed under “The included” section in our itinerary. We were approached to pay upon check-out. Ruth then stated she explained we had to book onsite to the owner & said she told us more than once- Not the case- we did not know it wasn’t paid for. Super disappointed & pretty sure with the amount of money we have spent on this trip - I would not recommend Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, an IHG Hotel

Natadola, Fiji

Authenticity & Character

Too American like

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Malolo Island Resort

Nadi Airport

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Taveuni

Waiyevo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Transportation guide was a bit uncomfortable- personal truck that was very dirty & smelled very bad-just needs to be cleaned -

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were super hard

Activity Reviews

Jewel of Fiji Tour

Fiji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Was told 40 min drive was 3 hours each way

Welcome to Fiji !

Fiji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cave Tour

Fiji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Taveuni

Taveuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Taveuni

Taveuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro put together a spectacular trip for us, based upon what we were interested in exploring. The drivers, especially Andre and Ricardo were a wealth of knowledge and so kind, flexible and helpful. The guides in Lisbon, Porto and Évora were very knowledgeable and kept us moving. They all knew our interests and dietary restrictions based upon notes provided from Pedro. Andre took us to Sintra, and then Obidos and Nazaré on the way to Porto. He was so much fun! He also returned us to Lisbon from Lagos and were now friends for life. Ricardo took us from Porto with a stop in Belmonte and the cork factory in Evora, a long but enjoyable day. We walked over 5 miles each day, so we covered a lot of ground! A highlight was the hike with Nuno in Serra Do Estrela, just stunning! In Lagos the boat ride to the Benagil caves should not be missed. All the hotels selected by Pedro were perfectly located and had great service. Pedro kept in touch very frequently and also worked with us to change some pick up times when we wanted to modify our schedule. All told, it was a spectacular trip and worry-free because Pedro was always available to us and made sure we were happy.

Our family (me, my husband, and our two sons aged 21 and 27) travelled to Athens, Rome, and Sorrento May 22 through 30. 2024. This was a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip for all of us. Both of the boys have always been very interested in ancient history, so that informed our choices on this trip.

Everything in Athens was perfect! Hotel staff was friendly and helpful. The guides we got were very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The sights were amazing, obviously. Food was good! Shopping was fun! Locals were lovely! Weather was gorgeous! Really, I couldn’t ask for any improvement. If I could find a Diet Pepsi in the city, I think I could move here.

We were rather disappointed with our time in Rome, although some of it was beyond anyone's control. On our first day there we had a tour scheduled for ‘Ancient Basilicas and the Catacombs.’ We were instructed to meet the tour guide in front of a hotel a ten-minute walk away. As we loitered around the front of the hotel for 15 minutes, (since we were told to arrive early), we spoke to one man who said he had the tour of the catacombs, but it started at 2:30, not 2:00 like we thought. So, we waited and wandered around some more. Finally figured out that was not our tour and found the correct guide. We were also told it was not a private tour, which is why we had to meet someplace that wasn’t our hotel, but we were the only people on the tour. The tour guide was lovely and interesting. The next day was a free day. It also happened to be the day of a cycling ‘tour of Italy’ event. Streets closed, crowds, grumpy taxi drivers. The third day we had a tour scheduled for the Colosseum, Palatine hill and the Forum. Got to the meeting place 15-20 minutes early and tried to figure out where we were supposed to be. There were tour guides there, but none of the names of the tour companies matched anything I had. The original tour guide didn’t show up. Finally figured it out and got underway. This tour was really not very pleasant. Maybe because she was late or was called in at the last moment, she moved like she was in a race. Barely time to take any pictures. Often she was so far away that the audio cut out on the headsets. “You see my scarf? Andiamo!!” Her commentary sounded like memorized bullet points from an index card. And then we got to the Colosseum. I could not believe the crowd. Impossible to see anything, impossible to hear the guide, really miserable. Looking back at my conversations with Emi, this is really where I would have hoped for a little more local insight. Maybe we shouldn’t have done the traditional tour of the Colosseum. Maybe we could have just done the floor tour. I would have appreciated her input here instead of just saying “you have to buy tickets for the floor tour yourself.” Pretty disappointed in the three days we spent here.

The next morning we were on the train to Naples. No problems on the trip and the driver met us even though we were about 45 minutes late. The hotel in Sorrento was amazing. I have never stayed in a hotel that nice and I’m sure I never will again. The tour guide for Pompeii was excellent. I wish we could have spent more time there – visited the museum and the gift shop. The boys went to Herculaneum the next day while my husband and I walked around Sorrento. (There was some confusion as the number of people on the tour was never changed from 4 to 2, as requested.) Again, the boys said the guide was excellent. Then back to Naples the next morning for our flight.

Overall it was a great trip. We saw so many amazing things and met some wonderful people. Since we are not big travelers and we are unlikely to ever do a trip like this again, I felt the pressure was on me to plan and execute a trip as close to perfect as possible. And it was, mostly. Just wish the days in Rome had worked out better.

We had an amazing Costa Rica adventure! Our KimKim specialist, Gustavo, listened to our (very long!) dream list of activities and patiently worked with me over several weeks to fine tune and work out the details. Each activity was perfect - from the arranged transportation, length of excursion, tour guide (each of them were AMAZING), and what we saw or experienced - and I would not have changed a single thing. We will definitely be working with KimKim again!

We loved our May 2024 trip to Ital. The KimKim team did a great job curating our travel and everything was seamless. The app was easy to use and our tours and accommodations were excellent. Fantastico!!!

Hotel Reviews

Passpartout Boutique Palace

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Secret Garden

Florence

The owners were so lovely and accomdating. It was a very unique place to stay and close to everything in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carnival Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Horti 14 Borgo Trastevere Hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Walking Tour: Historic Center Highlights

Rome

Our tour guide was lovely and so much fun to be with!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Wine Windows Tour

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murano Island Excursion

Venice

Very fun and informative tour guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Typical Dining Experience in a Local Home with Aperitivo

Rome

Excellent hosts. Food was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Private Tour

Rome

Excellent guide. Very informative!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport