Kimkim Trip Reviews

It’s a pleasure for us to review our three week holiday to Vietnam through Kim Kim as we had an amazing trip and would honestly recommend this service to anyone. We flew into Saigon for a two days did a magnificent food tour with two young guides (sorry I’ve forgotten their names) on the back of motorbikes (lots of fun) and saw the Chi Chi tunnels and War museum which although confronting was also incredible to see and a must do if visiting Vietnam IMO. Loan (Ron) was our guide who then took us to The Mekong River. He was an amazing host and taught us a lot. We then went to Hoi An our favourite place on our holiday (beautiful) then Hue, Ninh Binh, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.
We loved everything about this beautiful country and can’t speak highly enough of our tour organiser Huyen who was patient, generous and incredibly professional with her dealings with us. Thankyou very very much Huyen and Kim Kim. Much appreciated!
We hope to visit again soon.
What an amazing place.
No negatives at all just positives.

João was so easy to work with. He did a great job putting together an itinerary that truly meet our needs!

We loved Arthur in Porto. Honestly I worked first with Katerina planning this. I am not sure what I said but we were not always given 4 star hotels. Some of the hotels were not up to speed. I think there are communication issues in the planning because you can never dorks to a human

Hotel Reviews

H10 Villa de la Reina

Madrid

First room really small. There was a glitch with noise so they moved us. Wow what a difference. Why couldn’t we get the larger room initially. The hotel was friendly and in a great location

Authenticity & Character

Charming

Location

Size of room

Staff

Great staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Too small

Petit Palace Puerta de Triana

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Nice

Location

Ok

Staff

Lupe was so wonderful to work with. Gave us great tecvommendations fir dinners

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

We were given a room with no elevator access

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good location

Staff

Not very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Charming Hotel

Porto

Horrible. We were relocated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Small stark ridiculous

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Didn’t stay here. I guess you thought better of it

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

This was not a private tpur. The

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Tour guide was excellent. Fun experience

Quality of Experience

The guide was incredible

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Old Madrid Walk

Madrid

Not much to this although the guide was knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Train {{start_location}} to Córdoba, Privately Guided Visit of Córdoba, Train Córdoba to {{end_location}}

Spain

As you know we were charged to store luggage. If this was the case put this in the trip pkan so we are not blindsided

Quality of Experience

Good guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Excursion to Ronda & White Villages

Seville

Quality of Experience

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Tour guide was not friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Could be more enthusiastic

Small Group Excursion to Sintra & Pena Palace

Lisbon

Fabulous tour and Jorge was incredible and wonderful and fun and this was the best of all the tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jorge was the best

Fantastic trip that included nearly all of the main Grecian highlights, travel was impeccably coordinated with luxurious Mercedes sprinter vans and clear instructions on who to meet at which locations. The tour guides were truly outstanding especially Zakia at the Athens sites, Giannis and Nektaria in Crete and Iota in Santorini. The company was flexible in shifting our plans while in country to accommodate preferences. Would absolutely travel with Kimkim again

Thank you Hakim for arranging this great trip , we loved it. Everyone we came across was very friendly and so welcoming. Hamza was outstanding, he was there at all steps and made every day memorable; he's extremely friendly and knowledgeable, had great conversations with him and enjoyed the days and his company. All the guides with no exceptions were very knowledgeable and kind . The Riads were great especially Riad Jasmin, Yakout and hotel palace Berber. we loved the food tour with Hanyn and the food class at cafe clock the chef was so pleasant, fun and made the class very memorable. Imlil trip was incredible, our guide Yassin was great. The desert trip was fascinating To end the trip the Hammam was exceptional and memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Loved everything about Dar Jasmine. The views were incredible, the room was outstanding. Breakfast was very enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Berbere Palace

Ouarzazate

Was one of the most memorable places. You're transformed into another world once enter the hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad El Yacout

Fès

The place has a great lot of history, there's something to see in every corner. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the manager and staff went above and beyond to make our stay as comfortable and pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chergui

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Workshop & Local Food

Morocco

The chef at Clock Cafe made this cooking class sooo fun and memorable, loved him. We learned a lot about traditional Moroccan cooking. Greatly enjoyed and recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Midelt & Erfoud

Morocco

it was memorable and great experience, felt like Lawrence of arabia movie, our guides were very nice

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Taliouine to Stop by the Saffron's Farms (Depends on Season) and Ait Beenhaddou

Morocco

Although it was not the season for Saffron picking, the lady at the farm was extremely knowledgeable, provided a great deal of information about saffron farming. Best to go in November if you want to see the flowers.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

Greatly enjoyed the food tour. Tried a variety of food items and experienced day-to-day Moroccan food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Guided Tour in Chefchaouen

Morocco

our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

our guide was great , loved the market tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Meknes & the Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Fes

a must stop for roman ruins lovers

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Ouarzazate via Tinerhir & Dades Valley

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Enjoyed the day with Hanyn, he takes his time explaining everything and providing historical backgrounds. He's very friendly and pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Hike in Imlil Village, Return to Marrakech

Morocco

Had an incredible time in Imlil. The views were breathtaking, and the hike was very relaxing and enjoyable. Yassin, our guide was extremely friendly and provide a ton of information about the area and day-to-day living in the village. Lunch was very tasty, one of the best meals we've had; it was made from the heart.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

That was a very memorable experience, highly recommend it. It was very relaxing and interesting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gummi was friendly, thorough and knowledgeable lending a hand when necessary and taking care of business in a professional manner. He and his wife Yara are a fantastic team! We would not hesitate to recommend them to our friends.

My trip to Cartagena was absolutely incredible all due to the careful planning of Margarita and her team! From the early stages of planning, I was unsure if it was safe for a solo traveler, but I didn't want to give up the dream to go. Margarita was incredibly attentive and patient with me through all of my concerns and reservations. She is truly the reason I was comfortable enough to experience such a beautiful, hospitable city.

Liz was also a local guide, who would constantly check in with me and greeted me on my first day at the hotel. She is fantastic.
The hotel selected was absolutely beautiful- highly recommend. Participating in a cooking class and salsa dance class, helped me immerse in the culture.

My flight was cancelled while I waited at the airport. Liz and Margarita both made themselves available to arrange additional car services and book hotel reservations for the extra nights I had to spend in Cartagena. They were both readily available to help me and ease all of the stress I had from a flight cancelation.

I cannot express my gratitude enough for Margarita and Liz making my trip so wonderful! If you are even slightly thinking of going to Colombia, you should do it! I loved my adventure and the warmth of the people there.

Hotel Review

OSH Hotel Getsemaní

Beautiful, clean, friendly staff and amazing amentities

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful rooms and the pool is also incredible. This hotel has a rooftop bar with a beautiful view of the city

Location

This hotel is located in a safe neighborhood with several bars and restaurants. Very walkable to the old city.

Staff

They greeted me everyday, introduced themselves, always cheerful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cartagena's Dance Rhythms Unleashed: Master Salsa and Mor

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Cooking Class

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beaches and Coral Reefs of the Rosario Islands (Shared Boat)

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lorena arranged our entire trip , she did a fantastic job , we four friends was traveling all our travel hotel local guide was superb
As we were traveling to a new country we didn’t know any one there still Kim Kim made us feel that we have close people near us

Thank you Kim Kim for an excellent trip

Dimitrios was excellent to work with. Our trip was wonderful. Hotel staff, drivers and guides were courteous, prompt and welcoming.

Our KimKim local specialist, Gummi , put together a wonderful tour for us, that was comfortably paced. The hotels and restaurants were all enjoyable. I particularly liked the food at Hotel Kria in Vik and the Hotel Budir on the peninsula near Reykjavik.

Alphonso was responsive and informed and easy to work with. While in Spain, we had confidence that he or someone in the shop would respond in a timely way to our many questions. We had a great trip, which he helped us plan, including many different regions and experiences. We relied a great deal on his judgment and were amazed at how great the guides were. It took a lot of pressure off our backs.

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk

Spain

Juan was terrific, one of the great guides in our history of guides. Smart and funny.

Quality of Experience

Private Wonders of Girona Walk

Girona

Sasha was very knowledgeable, and we learned a lot. We were especially interested in the Jewish history, and she did not disappoint.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not relevant (can't get rid of the star!!!!)

Cantabrian Sea Sunset Cruise

San Sebastián

The sunset cruise was fantastic. The captain and his wife made everyone feel welcome and cared for, and it was beautiful and even exciting, bouncing on the waves. Definitely would recommend it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guggenheim private visit

Bilbao

Susanna is an excellent guide. Totally open to questions, very generous with her time and expertise. She's wonderful, pure and simple!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bilbao walking tour

Bilbao

An interesting, walkable city even without the Guggenheim.

In almost all ways working with Emily was an extremely positive experience: she is knowledgeable, responsive, and very gracious. All the aspects of planning the itinerary were handled thoughtfully and in a timely fashion. There were two hiccups that kept me from giving five stars both for the experience and Emily herself: the tour and hotel bookings were handled by another specialist, who put them in her (or possibly a third sub-contractor's) name, so we didn't receive important communication from the hotel (like the number of the apartment) and the tours didn't have our names when we arrived to register. Everyone was extremely responsive and resolved the issues quickly, but they shouldn't have happened in the first place. Second--and this relates to the KimKim experience--there's no transparency around the charges. I don't know what the upcharges were on your end--but once we found out the price of the individual tours and the cost of the hotel (by looking online) we realized that they are probably significant. I realize we are paying for the service--but I want to know what % of my costs were service charges. If it was any more than 20%, then I will look elsewhere before booking with KimKim again.

Anu was very patient answering all my questions with details and planned our trip in a considerate manner. We had a lot of fun and exp experienced almost all activities that the tourist resort can offer.

Hotel Review

Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport Terminal

Bergen

Very clean and looks brand new. Very welcoming too. Small breakfast was offered from 4:00 am and the big one starts at 6:00 am. Very thoughtful for early flight guests.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and welcoming. The design is unique and stylish.

Location

Walking distance to the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yes.

Activity Review

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Flåm

The guide Rose is very kind, thoughtful, experienced, and professional.

Quality of Experience

Rose is very experienced and made the entire trip very fun and she managed the time perfectly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rose is full of vitality too.

Transport

Rose planned the trip well so that we had fun and were also able to get back on time.

We had an amazing trip to Portugal. Giorgia, Karin, and Carmen were wonderful with helping to create the perfect trip. Communication was great and the trip went exactly as planned and exceeded expectations. We would definitely recommend using kimkim to anyone looking to take a trip.

Hotel Reviews

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

K

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Be Poet Baixa Hotel

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Caves

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro and his Team of Across Portugal were fantastic people to work with. I was impressed with the professionalism, responsiveness and attention to detail. Pedro was in constant communication with us to make sure every single detail was perfect. The transportation services were excellent. Hotels were extraordinary, It was a five star experience, and a very comprehensive and well planned trip.

Thank you Pedro for an amazing trip! Pedro and his team of Across Portugal are the best, I highly recommended them!

Overall a great experience. Trip was very thoughtfully planned out, and Majid was very accommodating and available. Special mention to our wonderful driver Moha, who went above and beyond in every sense. He was always punctual and well informed on the day’s activities. He made suggestions on revisions or alternatives (all of which were highly valuable) that him and Majid worked out with little involvement from us, and he was kind enough to welcome us into his home.
Would highly recommend for a once in a lifetime trip!

Activity Review

Hammam Spa & Massage in Marrakech 3 PM Session

Marrakesh

An absolute must!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot say enough about the level of service, patience, detail and organization that Sandy, our contact at KimKim and Odynovo, provided. I changed my mind and plans so many times in the planning process and she always responded with cheer and a desire to help me achieve our goals. We had an extremely seamless vacation experience in Japan, and I credit this to her and her team's incredible organizational skills. We never had an issue checking into a hotel, meeting a guide, with a reservation or anything. I didn't realize until we got there how much arranging they had done in terms of reserving a time for us to canoe; meet our guides; planning out trains; etc. Sandy checked in on us many times during our stay in Japan and always wanted to make sure we were having the best experience. I am so pleased we worked with them. Some of our desires may have been difficult to achieve since we were travelling in a less touristed region but they made it happen. There are too many great details of our trip to list all, but I will add some highlights and then a few things that we (or mostly I) would do slightly differently next time. I do want to go back soon and I would definitely use KimKim and Odynovo again.
Highlights- our guides Kohmin, Tomoko and Chie were all so interesting and knowledgeable, and gave us so much insight into local culture and history. Chie in particular is a riot and very personable. We really enjoyed the tuna auction and fish market in Shiogama; those were very different and uncrowded experiences I can't imagine that most tourists get to experience. Matsushima was beautiful and we loved going to the little tea house with Kohmin and Tomoko. With Chie, we explored Yamadera, which is a beautiful mountaintop shrine where we climbed up for gorgeous views and we had a fun local lunch with her and took local trains. One of our most memorable stays that Odynovo booked for us was in the ryokan in Tendo; what a beautiful, soothing and fancy cultural experience with gorgeously served meals I will never forget. I would have liked a little more time in this area. Kakunodate was also very memorable; we loved the samurai district tours with Koh and he also took us to a nearby waterfall. We went back ourselves the next day before leaving for Tokyo and were going to go on a hike up the hill for a view of the town but there were bears in the area! Instead we walked around this lovely town more, had coffee in a little and interesting local place and lunch in the hotel. It would be amazing at cherry blossom time, I'm sure and is quite famous for that. I had found a farm stay called Midori No Kaze but couldn't get in touch with them; Sandy did and booked that for us. It isn't for everyone - very rustic and basic, just 2 roooms in a couple's house, but we really enjoyed being outside the town and walking around their rice fields. They are incredibly hospitable. From the reviews online I had thought we could participate in some farm activities; though that didn't happen, we still had a great time just staying over there. Kazuko, the owner, is Internet savvy and books guests from all over who want something a little different. We really liked her and she even was happy to speak very simple slow Japanese with me so that I could practice! Our other favorite activity which Odynovo booked for us was canoeing in a group in the submerged forest in Lake Ishikawa, an opportunity that only comes along a couple of months a year in the spring when the snows from Mt. Ide melt. A very unique opportunity and fun to be the only foreigners in the group at a beautiful spot. The guides always called ahead to let various activities and hotels know we were coming and make us feel welcome.
The only things I would have done differently are more my responsibility. For example, I would have liked more time to just wander by ourselves through some of the towns. Ginbekei Gorge was a disappointment and I should have read more about it before hand- I was mixing it up in my head with another gorge in the area. At Ginbekei, I thought we could hike and walk around a lot but there are no trails. The "flying dango" were fun to see but I could have skipped this place altogether if I had known more about it, and would have preferred doing something else outdoors in a more expansive natural area. I think that KimKim may want to let people know if a particular activity is not necessarily the best use of their time, but of course again this is something that I should have been aware of myself. The only other thing I would have done differently is upgrade my hotel in Tokyo to one with a slightly bigger room since we were there 5 days. The Knot staff is absolutely lovely, and breakfasts were delicious, and it is opposite a really nice park, so it was fine. The staff also helped me arrange a reservation at a local jazz club one night. However, while Japanese hotel rooms can be small, I know, the KNot's are REALLY small with no place to put our clothes during a longer stay. Also, had I researched it a bit more, while it is good to be near the station, but Shinjuku is really crowded and huge and a little exhausting, so next time I would maybe stay in a slightly quieter area such as Asakusa, or rent an Air BnB if I'm going to be somewhere for more than a few nights.
In Tokyo, Odynovo arranged a fabulous tea ceremony demonstration for us with Mariko, and we were the only people besides one other Japanese woman and we had the BEST time. Thank you! So interesting to learn about. It is right next to the Kabuki Theater so we bought tickets to a performance there ourselves. On our own, we took the bus to Lake Kawaguchi one day to see views of Mt. Fuji and walk around, and that was also a great experience and awe-inspiring. W

I'd also like to be able to speak on the phone with the agency more at the beginning of the planning stage next time although email/ KimKim platforms works very well. Sandy is incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and diplomatic and I really credit her with making our trip such an easy and memorable one!!! She is amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East

Sendai

Great location, nice staff, amazing breakfast selections (Japanese and western). We enjoyed being above the lively and convenient station in Sendai. The room was very tiny, which is not unusual for hotels in Japanese cities though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tsunagi Onsen Hotel Shion

We really enjoyed it but it's a little different. Feels kind of like a Japanese version of a Catskills hotel. There is a large banquet room for meals (food is great!). People go around the whole hotel in their yukatas. Mostly older people or families with young children. We were the only foreigners at the time which was enjoyable for us! Staff is very nice. There are some stores in the lobby and there was a dance show after dinner that we enjoyed. Beautiful view of the lake. We loved the futons and our tatami room which was really comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very pretty view of the lake. Hotel is outside Morioka. We didn't find Morioka all that interesting since it is after cherry blossom season.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuna Auction & Fish Market Breakfast in Shiogama

Sendai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Encounter Splendid Nature: Matsushima Bay Cruise and Zuiganji Temple

Japan

Beautiful views of the bay and islands. Our guides were great in figuring out the best place to take the boat from and also took us to a lovely tea house in Matsushima.

Visit Yamadera, a Historic Mountain Temple

Yamagata

One of the highlights of our trip. It is a moderate climb up the mountain on steps and you get incredible views. Our intrepid and fun guide, Chie, also told us many great anecdotes and information about what we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took local trains. We had our luggage with us, and while I was at first dismayed I had not arranged for luggage transport or been advised to do so earlier, Chie helped us figure out where to store our luggage in the train stations and it was very easy. I was glad we just had carry on size bags too. Not a problem.

Lake Shirakawa

Zao Onsen

Beautiful lake area! I would have liked to spend time hiking in this area but I didn't fully research it before going. The views from the lake of the Mt. Iwate are stunning and we had so much fun canoeing with a group in the submerged forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Hiraizumi: Chusonji Temple, Motsuji Temple, and Genbikei Gorge

Hiraizumi

Gorge was disappointing - no place to really hike or do much - it's pretty but limited - see main review. I could have spent this time elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A little far for what we ended up doing there. The town seems kind of sad as well.

Delve into Samurai Culture in Kakunodate: Samurai Quarter and Sake Brewery Visit

Kakunodate machi

We loved Kakunodate - a lovely small town and it was great to just stroll the streets and learn about the bygone culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Learn about Miso and Soy Sauce Making: Ando Jozo Brewery Honten

Kakunodate machi

We ended up skipping these as we had already been to a whisky and sake factory and I thought this would be too much of the same. In general next time I would incorporate more free time to just walk around interesting towns or spend more time in nature walking or hiking. (Only gave the one star since we didn't do this)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just gave those

Tea Ceremony in Tokyo

Tokyo

A wonderful and interesting activity! Very intimate and enjoyable and Odynovo gave us great directions to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We got there easily by public transportation.

Pedro was super knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive. An absolute pleasure to work with.

Very smooth trip to Lisbon!

We had a great time in Portugal- we only stayed in Lisbon, but had a wonderful day trip to Sintra as well. Pedro had everything organized for us so the trip was a breeze!

All of our guides were excellent. The experience felt like a land cruise. I never felt lost or uncomfortable. People were available to welcome us at each stop and bring us to our next location. Irving met us in Cusco. He gave us many good insights regarding what we could expect. He brought us to local restaurants and an animal sanctuary. Javier was our guide in Machu Picchu. He was extremely knowledgeable of the history and patient with my walking speed. He also helped us a great deal to get fantastic photos. Felix brought us through Puno. He also helped us navigate local customs. I learned so much about Peru. The views were breathtaking. I loved all of the trains. It was a wonderful way to experience the Andes. The food and service were also very good. We enjoyed the hotel accommodations. Next time, we will spend additional days in Cusco and Machu Picchu to truly take advantage of everything there is to learn. I wish I had planned more time. I will have to come back.