Kimkim Trip Reviews

If you are looking for a stress-free and reasonably-priced itinerary to Costa Rica, look no further than Kim Kim. From the very beginning of planning and customizing the itinerary, Olman was immediately responsive to my questions and concerns. The planning was transparent with information about hotels and activities. We felt confident going into the trip. We were then handed off to Graciela who was our contact in-country. The great communication continued. Our private driver Leo was the star of our trip, though. So gracious, so patient, such a wonderful lovely man who went out of his way to make our trip special by taking us to great restaurants and working in new things we wanted to do.

Prior to signing up with Kim Kim, I checked out several other tours that frequently come up on Google. We started in San Jose, stayed a few days in La Fortuna, moved onto Monteverde, and ended in Samara. So many logistics that these trips can get very expensive quickly. But, we found Kim Kim to be both accommodating and reasonably priced. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Reviews

Leyenda Boutique Hotel and Spa

Hojancha Guanacaste

Very nice hotel outside the touristy areas of Samara. There was a beautiful courtyard area, with a beautiful pool and playground for young children. The rooms were spacious with a mini-fridge and large clean bathroom. There are two restaurants advertised at the hotel - This is critical because there are no restaurants within walking distance to the hotel. The lobby hotel was very good - very responsive and yummy dishes. The second restaurant - Hachidori - was marketed as an "asiatic" restaurant with sushi, ramen, and pad thai on the menu. Our experience was astoundingly bad (thus the three stars) - we waited 2 hours for our food, the food was barely edible, and we even didn't get our entire meals. It took us an hour to figure out that the food was being cooked at the lobby restaurant and walked over to Hachidori. Clearly the cooks didn't know how to cook this cuisine and there was no expediting to this restaurant. This experience, while isolated, defined our experience at this hotel.

Hotel Cipreses

Monteverde

Family run hotel which had a very nice personal homey feeling. The rooms did not have air conditioning. The December temperature was in the high 60s and low 70s so we didn't need cooling, but it was rainy and humid. I would refer to this hotel as a "budget" level hotel.

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

This was a perfect hotel for an 11-party group. The breakfast buffet included an omelet station which was really nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui River (Class II -III)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great adventure! We went at the end of the rainy season and the water was high! We've been on several white water rafting trips and this one was the most thrilling! Our guide, Carl, was super professional and calm. He gave great instructions and literally navigated us through rough waters. My only negative was that it was a gigantic group with numerous rafts going at the same time. But, when one raft flipped over, I appreciated how the other guides stopped and helped.

Arenal Volcano Canyoning Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Absolutely the best activity we did in Costa Rica - The perfect blend of water, rappelling, and zip lining. Guides were very professional and we felt safe the entire time. Our family does a lot of adventure activities on vacation, and we have experienced nothing like this before. Lunch was great too! Just do it. You won't regret it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

What a great nature walk at the volcano. Our guide, Franklin, was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and plant life. We learned a lot about each plant and their medicinal properties. Unfortunately, it was rainy and foggy that day and we couldn't see the volcano.

We thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Japan and would recommend it to everyone. Some of the timing could have been changed: for instance we spent a night in Sapporo that would have been better spent in Niseko. I think Alissa would benefit from taking a trip to Hokkaido herself.
Allan Tan, our guide in Tokyo was the highlight of our trip. He was not only very knowledgeable and helpful, but incredibly charming and enthusiastic.
Slash, our guide in Osaka and Kyoto, was also very knowledgeable and helpful. He helped us find and reserve some excellent restaurants.
The transportation everywhere was excellent. All our drivers were prompt and efficient.
We thought Kim-Kim did a fine job with reservations and we felt we got our money’s worth. Great trip.

Pedro was extremely responsive to us while planning the trip, and we were so impressed by the reminders he sent while we were on the trip. Everything was flawless. One of my sons got sick while on the trip and Pedro as well as our driver showed great concern for his well-being, offering to help in any way needed. Everything for the trip was put togehter so thoughtfully. We loved every aspect of it. We are recommending Kim Kim and Across Portugal to friends who want to vacation in Portugal. They could not do better!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Liberdade

Lisbon

Our rooms were extremely comfortable; the sheets were the softest I have ever felt. The lobby is very tasteful and modern. The restaurant was excellent. We really enjoyed th indoor pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Convento De Belmonte

Belmonte

We stayed in the suite, which has so much beauty and character. The view is stunning. We highly recommend the restaurant which made the whole experience truly special.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of the mountains and Belmonte is a charming medieval town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

We shared a fabulous duplex with our two young-adult sons. It was perfect for us, with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and kitchen/living room. All the furniture was modern but mixed with original granite - very beautiful! The breakfast was also excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We walked everywhere we wanted to go; it was near everything, including the bridge to Gaia.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

The palace is very well maintained with original furnishings. The views are pretty. It was very crowded, however, which detracted from the experience. The better part of this day trip for us was visiting Cabo da Roca and the seaside town of Cascais, where we ate at an excellent seafood restaurant. This part of the trip had amazing views of the ocean and cliffs - very impressive natural beauty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos is local to the area and he took us to the most beautiful spots. He was extremely attentive to us. Just perfect!

Transport

Beautiful drive along the ocean on the way back to Lisbon.

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Portugal

This is a small space so everyone has an intimate experience with the performers, who were excellent. We did not expect much from the food, but it was very good. This is the best way to experience fado.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

About: Belmonte

Belmonte

This is a particularly wonderful place for those interested in the history of Jews in Portugal, but it's wonderful for everyone. The town is beautiful. We ate a great restaurant full of locals right in the center of town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's a scenic drive from Belmonte to Lisbon.

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Bernardo was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and well spoken. He knew we were interested in Jewish history so he made it a point to show us some of that particular history. For us, the trip could have focused less on shopping, but still an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim and our local specialist, Olman, made planning and traveling for our Costa Rican vacation easy and stress free. The hotels and excursions that Olman recommended were perfect and appropriate for the needs of our family of four (which included two teenagers). I will definitely use Kimkim again for any future international trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Charming hotel located right next to shops and food.

Authenticity & Character

Complementary drinks provided in fridge, great pool and hot tub as well as a fire pit for roasting marshmallows

Location

Great location!

Staff

Staff were very nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well maintained

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

The private beach was amazing and the staff were wonderful and helpful. I will stay here again on my next trip to Costa Rica!

Authenticity & Character

We had easy access to the beach and ocean and also to the rainforests

Location

Beach was right next to National Park and full of services. Our kids took surf lessons from Waterdogs. I enjoyed a massage on the beach. My daughter and I got our hair braided on the beach and there was even a vendor selling coconut water in a coconut! The hotel and beach had monkeys and a sloth in the trees!

Staff

Staff could not have been more kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Service staff cleaned the rooms daily and replaced beach towels each time

Activity Reviews

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Our favorite experience of the trip. Suspension bridges were thrilling and we saw a tarantula in the rainforest. The ziplining was exhilarating. The staff were supportive and provided for our safety. Ziplining into the cloud forest was such a thrill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

My husband and I visited this 20 years ago on our honeymoon and it was just as we remembered it but better!

Quality of Experience

Food

Drinks were delicious and decorative. We enjoyed the buffet dinner and it had a wide array of choices.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our second trip planned with Kimkim, and it went equally as well! Anders took our requests and opinions and created the perfect 8-day trip to Oslo and Tromso. It was the perfect time of year to visit the Christmas villages in Oslo and to see the amazing winter landscape in Tromso. We were fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights too! The highlight of our trip and our top recommendation was the husky sledding experience. This visit highlighted the unique and nature-driven adoration that Norwegians live by. The dogs were incredible to meet and play with. We would certainly recommend visiting this country during the winter time to anyone looking for a winter adventure!

Activity Reviews

Reindeer Feeding & Sámi Culture Experience

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus with Photographer & Campfire Dinner

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Sauna Experience - Arctic Plunge (1 hour)

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kvaløya Husky Sledding Excursion

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, we had a fantastic trip. Kelli was very attentive and responsive to our questions and in helping us plan this trip.
Overall, the individual guides that we had in the different cities were quite good. The biggest issue with the guides is that their English was often very difficult to understand. I don't know if Kim Kim is able to choose specific guides but in the past we have had guides in other countries who we could understand much more easily.
On a positive note, all the accommodations we stayed in were extremely nice. Kim Kim, arranged for people to meet us at the airport and at the boat after a two day trip down the Mekong River, which was very helpful.
We did a cooking activity in both Chiang Mai and in Laos, which Kelli arranged and both were wonderful. We also loved the rice farming center in Luang Prabang. We visited many temples in both countries, which were extremely beautiful. All the guides seemed knowledgeable. They took us for lunches which were included in many of the day trips, and the food was generally excellent. At the end of our trip, we wanted to go birding and Kelly connected us with a guide who was reasonably knowledgeable about birds, and sent us to an area which attracts many bird watchers. In addition, he found local guides that accompanied us on the birdwatching trips, and we saw many species of birds and were even lucky enough to catch a wonderful sighting of a gibbon family on the last day.
The reason for four rather than five stars is somewhat complicated. I think that the biggest problem was that it seemed that Kelli had not experienced some of the activities which were arranged . For example, we had a bicycle trip planned in Luang Prahbang but part of it would have taken place on a very busy road and part of it would've taken place on an extremely hilly Road, probably beyond our physical capability. so we skipped it but had already paid. We substituted this with one of our favorite experiences which we found on our own -- learning about silk weaving which is a local craft. Also, some of the activities in Thailand were extremely touristy like the market train, which we would've preferred to skip. and and Visiting the "Karen tribe" in Chiang Rai; it seemed like the the women were on display and afterwards we read controversial discussions "on line " about the way these women are treated in Thailand.
This was our third time using Kim Kim travel and I'm not sure if I will use them again. The main reason is their lack of transparency about costs and the mixed experience I've had with finding someone who really understands the kind of activities we really want. Additionally, KimKim is really a "middle man" and hired another tour operator, which we could have done directly and paid for one less layer.

We worked more closely Fenne! Fenne was great and super helpful. I have feedback about the excursions that were chosen.

Hotel Reviews

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

Seemed great we only there for a few hours!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tromsø Lapland overnight in Lavvu

Ramfjordbotn

Loved sleeping out in the tent but no one told us when breakfast was so we missed it! I wouldn’t do this again or recommend the experience. Too touristy and not well managed.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Great location! Bus terminal was close by and you could walk everywhere!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Royal Garden

Trondheim,

Great location and delicious breakfast buffet!!!

Location

Easy walk from our bus stop and to city center!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

We loved the location and the dining room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved being on the water with a balcony!!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Awesome location and delicious breakfast. So easy to get to the train station and walking to other areas.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, great lobby area and helpful staff!

Location

Easy access to the train station!!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Reindeer Sledding & Sámi Overnight Experience

Tromsø

I’d skip this! Too crowded and the overnight was ok, but the beds and sleeping bags seemed dirty and wet! Staff didn’t tell us when breakfast was so we missed it! There is no sink to wash your hands or brush your teeth. I wouldn’t not so this activity. We arrived very late back to Tromso and not as advertised on their site. The pictures are far nicer then the actual experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snowmobile Excursion

Tromsø

Awesome! We had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice Gallery Experience

Tromsø

Terrible! Skip it! Small, unfriendly staff and so so so cheesy!

Quality of Experience

Kvaløya Husky Sledding Excursion

Tromsø

Really fun and something not to miss in Tromso!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus

Tromsø

We had the only clear night of the week and it was AMAZING!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjellheisen Cable Car Ticket

Tromsø

Terrible! Way too crowded and packed with rude people, not the fault of the activity likely the time of our visit. We wish we had saved the money and time.

Quality of Experience

Winter Kayak Nidelven With Instructor

Trondheim

This was amazing!!! It was just the three of us and a guide and one of our favorite activities!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took the bus and walked - super easy!

Winter Fjord RIB Safari & Hot Drink in Undredal

Flåm

This was awesome!! We loved this trip and the boat and learning about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pop

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Experience (tickets included)

Bergen

It was so rainy we saw nothing!

Quality of Experience

Our trip was truly wonderful - This was our 1st time visiting Costa Rica and we felt welcomed and well taken care of throughout our time there.
Planning and booking: My experience working with Yuliana was great. Her model of asking for our input and then providing suggestions and guidance was super helpful. We planned a 9-10 day tour (flying in and out of Liberia), and our group of 8 included family members in their 80's, 70's, 50's, and a 20 year old. We wanted to get a sense of different parts of the country so we visited Arenal, Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo, San Jose, and Monte Verde. Yuliana helped plan accordingly and found both accommodations and activities to meet a wide range of interests and abilities. Yuliana was patient and very flexible as we made adjustments and tweaked travel plans. She went above and beyond our expectations with some last minute add-ons that really made our experience memorable. She responded quickly and answered our questions and addressed our concerns. We had a detailed itinerary in hand with activities, travel, and lodging clearly laid out in advance of the trip for everyone to review. The itinerary included confirmation numbers for lodging and activities and phone contact numbers. (I would encourage anyone traveling to Costa Rica who has a similar itinerary to print a hard copy to take with you as part of the wonder of our trip was being in remote natural areas where there is not always internet or cell service).
Trip Itself: Once we arrived in Costa Rica Yuliana had arranged for our transport and drivers through a company called Amazilia Travel. I cannot say enough good things about this company. Graciela was out point of contact in the office with Amazilia Travel and was excellent. She was available when needed, answered questions quickly, and anticipated our needs during the trip. During our trip we had 2 drivers, Leo and Adrien. They were fantastic. I recommend both without hesitation. Not only are they talented drivers, they have vast knowledge of the country and areas in which we traveled and were happy to engage in conversation and answer questions. While most of the trip went very smoothly we did run into a few minor issues. That said, both Leo and Adrien went out of their way to resolve the issues quickly making extra calls and inquires as needed.
Overall a fantastic experience.

Hotel Reviews

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

This lodge is absolutely beautiful. The grounds are picturesque and the birds that we saw (toucans, toucanets, motmots, bluegrey tanagers) were fantastic. Staff was fantastic, food was delicious. We were truly welcomed and made to feel at home and cared for.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, quaint, relaxing and comfortable. Excellent restaurant.

Location

We loved the location. We were not, however close to town. This made for a wonderful feeling of being out in the wild and for seeing birds and creatures right on the grounds. However, if you don't have a vehicle or a private driver, it could be difficult to get back and forth to town.

Staff

Some of the more friendly, courteous, professional, and helpful people we had the pleasure of meeting on our trip.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auténtico Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel location is good. That said it is not close to downtown and it is not on any public transit routes, so unless your group has a private driver, be ready for a lengthy walk (took us 40 minutes to walk to Central Market) or to pay for an uber or taxis.

Staff

Staff were friendly and professional, very welcoming and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort

South Puerto Viejo

The combination of location (in the jungle, but right across the street from the beach) and the beauty of the grounds itself make it a wonderful place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved the location! That said, if you want to be within easy walking distance of town, this hotel is a bit far out.

Staff

Staff was helpful, polite, and professional. They spoke bot English and Spanish which was helpful for our group most of whom have very limited Spanish.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pachira Lodge

Tortuguero

The lodge is designed in a way that you feel you are in the jungle. We saw both Howlers and Spider monkeys up close on the lodge grounds. Additionally we saw sloths, Jesus Christ Lizard, Toucans, Bare Throated Tiger Herons, and leaf cutter ants without leaving the lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff here went out of their way to take care of us. Very friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Keep in mind the lodge is in the middle of a jungle, so if you don't want to hear the sounds of monkeys and other creatures at night, this is not the place for you - that said our rooms were clean and spacious, and the beds were comfortable. The rooms do not have A/C, but at least in December when we were there, the evenings cooled off nicely and the ceiling fans kept us comfortable.

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

The character of this hotel with the view of Arenal, the lush grounds filled with tropical plants and the hots springs gives the whole lodge/hotel a feeling of natural beauty and awe. We saw birds on the hotel grounds that we didn't see anywhere else during our trip.

Location

The view of Arenal from this hotel is spectacular.

Staff

Everyone was attentive and willing to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Our guide, Andrey was phenomenal. Knew so many things and was able to show us a huge variety of both animal and plant life on the way. As with other hikes, we would have missed so much if not for him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour: Cahuita National Park Excursion

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Our tour guide Carlos was excellent. Very knowledgeable and helped us see so many things we would not have if we had gone on our own. The wildlife and plant life were stunning. The only thing we were not able to do was to try snorkeling - but we knew the odds of doing that were low given the time of year of our visit (Dec).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Provided an experience were we truly felt we were out in the jungle and interactions with animals we didn't find anywhere else. We absolutely recommend a boat tour of the park. It is the only location in Costa Rica where we saw Spider, Howler and Capuchin monkeys all in the same day. It was also a great way to see both cayman and crocodiles. Our guide, Marco, and the captain of boat, Michael were both excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

We toured with Franklin, he was fantastic. Knowledgeable and entertaining, he providing facinating facts and information about the volcano and the plants and animals we encountered on the hike. We would absolutely recommend him. He also helped us spot both toucans and sloths while in transit from the park to our restuarant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway was one of those delayed-by-the-pandemic trips for us. We were childless when we first planned to go a few years ago. When we finally got around to going, we had a two-year-old and vastly different ambitions for what we might see and do while in the country. Booking through Kim Kim turned out to be a great way to square our past and present selves. With local expertise from Christina, Katie, and Tom, we still got deep into the country and saw amazing sights -- but weren't burdened by an overly ambitious itinerary that would have burned out our toddler (and us, frankly). They never pressured us to do and add more to our days, which was much appreciated.

Norway is a great place to travel with kids and our son had a great time on the trains, trams, and boats. It was so easy to get around on our own in between scheduled stops and we were never short on ideas for quick things to do, thanks to our guides. We were especially grateful for their help once we were in the country and needed to change one of our accommodations and add an unexpected outing -- and another time when we needed help reaching a taxi driver who didn't arrive to pick us up on time. They were very prompt to reply and put us totally at ease. I highly recommend this group to anyone traveling to Norway!

A well-organized compact trip to Patagonia and Santiago. Fransisco, our tour organizer's arrangements were detailed and his instructions were accurate. His and local support along the trip whenever we had hiccups was particularly impressive. Our activities were great, and the local guides were wonderful. We particularly enjoyed Nicholas for our Punta Arenas tour and Jorge for the kayak from Puerto Prat. They were both knowledgeable and their enthusiasm and love for the land was infectious.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Sheuen Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Great hotel catering exactly for adventure travel. Staff was awesome. Beds were somewhat worn, but still recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Mid hotel. Hotel rooms were small, dinner and breakfast were mediocre and payment arrangements were messed up for us. The hotel was very busy with a lot of Antarctica tourists.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Director Vitacura

Santiago, Vitacura, Región Metropolitana

Excellent location, staff and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Tour is amazing, lunch was a bit chaotic.

Full Day Valparaiso & Viña del Mar - Group Tour

Santiago

Tour guide was good, but the stops for food were poor.

Eberhard Fjord Kayak Adventure!

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Thailand and Laos! The local guides were generally attentive and informative and communication between Kelly and them was quite good. The bookings for activities and accommodations were, with one exception, very good. Logistics were handled professionally and were generally seamless .

Activity Reviews

Kaeng Krachan National Park to Bangkrang Camp Ground area - Day 3

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Saw A scopes owl and a family of gibbons!!

Quality of Experience

Kaeng Krachan National Park - the summit area of Panoen Thung- Day 2

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Great birding

Quality of Experience

Bangkok - Khokkham - Laem Pakpia - Kaeng Krachan -Day 1

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Long day; excellent birding. Knowledgeable. Guide

Half day Local Farm Visit and Kuang Si Waterfall

Luang Prabang

Half Day Lao Cooking Class

Luang Prabang

Fun, we prepared a great lunch

Full Day Wat Xieng Thong and Night Market Tour

Luang Prabang

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Attentive, knowledgeable , friendly

Take the Mekong River Cruise to Luang Prabang (Join-in)

Thailand

Relaxing and beautiful . The food was great, too

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

Lots of fun, informative and delicious

Full Day Chiang Rai Tour with White Temple & Karen Hill Tribe

Chiang Rai

I think the visit to the Karen. Village was exploitative and would not recommend it’ll

The guides from Kawen and trips in bariloche were great. 10/10 there

The planning in el calafate was not as good. The tour the first day spent way too much time on the boat and we barely got to see the glacier. And they failed to tell us that the tour the second day was at night (even though the schedule implied it would be during the day) until the day before when it was too late to make any other plans, and since it was Christmas Day there was literally nothing to do in town. This was disappointing because we asked if there were any issues with our tour being on Christmas and they said none at all.

Also the travel company failed to tell us to bring $100 bills so we could exchange money and that it was very difficult to get pesos without a $100 bill.

Overall we liked most of the activities but there could have been much better planning and communication and information sharing.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Brazo Tristeza Navigation

Bariloche

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Nativo Experience

El Calafate

Very fun and interesting

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Mayo Spirit Trek

El Calafate

The sights were cool but there was way too much time on the boat. We spent more time on the boat than off it and only got to spend 35 minutes at the glacier. There are definitely better tours of the glaciers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too much time on the boat

Full-Day Kayak & Trekking at Lake Mascardi

Bariloche

Guide was great, activity was fun. I couldn’t recommend this more

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tom has been very helpful and patient with our inquiries. The trip was tailor-made to suit our needs, and it has been a very pleasant experience. We will definitely consider KimKim for our future trips.

We recently returned from an incredible trip to Turkey, organized by Kimkim, and it’s safe to say it was a journey we will cherish forever. We traveled as a family—my parents, my sister, her husband, and myself—and explored the rich history and vibrant culture of Turkey, visiting Cappadocia, Bodrum, Pamukkale, and Istanbul.

Cappadocia: A Historical Wonderland
Our adventure began in Cappadocia, a region known for its surreal landscapes and rich history. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions, we couldn’t experience the famous hot air balloon ride, which was disappointing. However, the historical sites more than made up for it. The highlight here was a visit to the underground city, an architectural marvel. While my dad and sister, feeling a bit claustrophobic, opted to return after exploring the second floor, the rest of us continued the guided tour. The guide provided by Kimkim (Sumer) was exceptional—knowledgeable and passionate, making the experience both informative and enjoyable.

Bodrum: Relaxation and Pamukkale’s Surreal Beauty
Next, we headed to Bodrum, where we had some free time to relax and explore at our own pace. On our final day there, we embarked on a day trip to Pamukkale before flying to Istanbul. Pamukkale was mesmerizing, especially the Hierapolis ruins and the stunning white travertine terraces. Walking through the ancient city felt surreal, and once again, Kimkim’s guide impressed us with their depth of knowledge and insights.

Istanbul: The Crown Jewel of Our Trip
Our final destination, Istanbul, was undoubtedly the highlight of our journey. We spent five incredible nights exploring this vibrant city that seamlessly blends history and modernity. The energy, culture, and sheer beauty of Istanbul left us spellbound.

What truly elevated our experience, however, was our guide, Oze. His deep knowledge of the city’s history and culture brought every site to life. From the Hagia Sophia to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and a delightful food tour on Istanbul’s Asian side, Oze curated an unforgettable itinerary that captured the essence of this magnificent city. Beyond being a guide, he felt like a friend, sharing personal insights and stories that made our time even more special.

Oze also went above and beyond, recommending excellent dining spots and local hangouts, and even joining us for an evening of fun and conversation. His warmth, professionalism, and passion for Istanbul made our experience truly unique. We found ourselves wishing we had more time to soak in the magic of this city, and much of that credit goes to Oze, who made Istanbul feel like home.

A Few Challenges
While the trip was fantastic overall, one downside was the amount of walking involved, which proved challenging for my parents, who are in their 60s. A bit more consideration for mobility needs would have made the experience even better for them.

Final Thoughts
Kimkim did an excellent job organizing our trip, and the knowledgeable guides played a significant role in making it a memorable experience. Despite a few challenges, Turkey’s history, culture, and warm hospitality won us over. We hope to return someday, especially to spend more time in Istanbul!

Overall it’s a great trip experience. We appreciate Anahi for her service and help.

We had a fantastic family trip to China this December 2024 with our 2 teenage children. Kimkim and Odynovo tours in China made everything so easy for us!

Heidi was really helpful and managed to get all our ambitious itinerary to work in the rather short time we had. She was very helpful with sorting out our China visas from the UK which initially sounded rather daunting!
All the guides we had were brilliant, they all rated 5 star! We were met at every airport and train station by smiling faces even very late at night, and helped to navigate restaurant ordering, which local dishes to try, and help get us on the correct train when we moved to the next city. They were all incredibly knowledgeable and taught us so much about Chinese culture and history. Tracy in Beijing was great fun, and very kind, she made our time in Beijing so enjoyable. Candy in Xi'an made the the terracotta warriors come alive, Kevin in Chengdu was brilliant helping my daughter learn Mandarin characters, Fei in Guilin was great too.

Overall the Panda breeding centre in Chengdu was our biggest highlight, but the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Great Wall, the terracotta warriors and cycling Xi'an city walls, and the scenery around the Li river were all wonderful and unforgettable. The food was fantastic - especially we loved comparing the hotpots in Sichuan and Beijing. My children have definitely come back with a new appreciation for tea.

We will certainly use Kimkim again to organise our next big adventure.

All of the tours and guides were very good. There was a mix-up with the pick-up time for one tours, which was very frustrating and quite an inconvenience on the day of. To her credit Graciela got it sorted out for us.
The horseback riding tour to La Fortuna Falls was good, however they should allow an additional 30 minutes at the falls. We barely had any time to see the falls and swim before it was time to go. Otherwise, it was a good tour.
Also, we would suggest booking the catamaran out of Tamarindo instead of a marina one hour drive away. There were catamarans sailing right off the beach in Tamarindo. The long drive each way added an additional two hours round trip.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Gorgeous view, beautiful pool area.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

Beautiful view of the volcano. Lovely grounds. Good breakfast. Nice pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

William at the front desk was very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

The pool area was under construction, so it was not available for our enjoyment.

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Activity Reviews

Catamaran Sailing Excursion & Snorkeling

Costa Rica

The catamaran tour was excellent. Good drinks, food, music and service. The only downside was the drive (almost an hour each was from Tamarindo). Suggest booking a catamaran tour closer to Tamarindo.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide (Monica) for the hike was excellent. The hot springs were amazing.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Horseback Riding to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This tour has the potential to be excellent with a few modifications. The guides were supposed to point out sites along the ride which, they did not. One guide could not speak any English at all. Also, we did not have enough time at the Falls. The time should be extended by about 20-30 minutes. Also - very important ! - tell people to bring water shoes as it hard to walk around in the water around the falls without water shoes. On a positive note, the pineapple after the falls was a nice bonus. The guide that did speak English was very young (only 15) and was trying very hard. With some training, he could be very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was our guide's first time on her own and she did a great job. Guide and the boat driver worked very hard to spot animals.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River

Costa Rica

Amazing experience from beginning to end. Great guides, great food, great service.

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Paul from Calafate is an excellent guide. Besides his English is excellent and no communication issue, his caring and attentiveness to the group is perfect.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Poincenot

El Chalten

Location is excellent for some of us wanted to hike at Lago. Plus easy to walk to the supermarket and restaurants. We had the downstairs room and it faced the parking lot. Think it feels safer if there’s a fence built in between. We had to have the shade down and the window closed for the entire time. The breakfast was good. Staff was nice. We got to leave early like 430am and thanks for the breakfast last to take care of us before leaving. Big thanks

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Convenient

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Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Good location has good views from each room. We ate in the Resturant twice and one night was good and one night was bad, so inconsistent. Wonder if there were different chefs! The waiter/waitress in the Resturant need to have more training. Room is clean and bed is comfy. Each room has different unique design as I compared the rooms with other people in my group.

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Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sierra Nevada

El Calafate

The location of the hotel is very convenient. The room needs to be remodel or upgrade a bit. It was a warm days when we stayed in the hotel so we tried to open windows to get some fresh air. There were no screens for the window and lots of mosquitoes came in. We ended up with closing all windows and it was hard to sleep. And the breakfast did not have good selection. Very little choice. We stayed for dinner for the first night and the food was not good, needs improvement

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Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

The room view was spectacular. Room was clean and bed was comfortable. All staffs including front desk, housekeeper, bell boy and the Resturant staff were wonderful and friendly and courteous. Love the Resturant food and services. Lots of wine selection. The only complaint is no WiFi in the room and we all need to go to the lobby area to get WiFi, but then there’s an opportunity to meet and chat with other hotel guests

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Activity Reviews

Explore the La Leona Petrified Forest, Transfer to El Chalten

Argentina

We didn’t think watching the stones can be so informative and interesting. Thanks to our tour guide Paul is an experienced and excellent tour guide. He brings the tour very interesting. Kudos to him.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony

Punta Arenas

Just okay. We basically just arrived to the island and walked in the circle to look at all these penguins in the island. Not much action

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Explore the Wildlife of the Magellan Strait

Punta Arenas

Love the breakfast Resturant environment. Suggest they should reduce the limit of people in the boat. We have over 20 people in the boat and not much room to move around. 15/16 CAP based on the boat size. The boat ride was very rough that day and hardly saw any creatures. Everyone was all wet and some got seasick. Special kudos to the owner to make a stop for bathroom run. It wasn’t easy to park on shores and we were appreciated

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an absolutely fantastic experience with this trip and the tour operator, Mint. The booking platform was exceptional—intuitive, seamless, and incredibly helpful at every step. It made the entire process of booking, communicating, and checking details so easy, which really set the tone for a stress-free trip.

What I appreciated most was how they took the time to understand exactly what I wanted to do. They used that as the foundation to design an itinerary that perfectly brought my vision to life. The attention to detail and thoughtfulness in planning made the entire experience feel tailored and personal.

The detailed notes provided were incredibly helpful, making it simple to know exactly where to be and what to expect throughout the journey. I truly appreciated how organized and thoughtful everything was.

The trip itself was incredible, and all the guides and drivers were absolutely wonderful. They went above and beyond to ensure I was comfortable and well taken care of at all times. Their professionalism and friendliness really enhanced the experience.

Although I didn’t meet Mint personally, the coordination and effort behind the scenes were outstanding. If I’m ever in Southeast Asia again, I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a smooth, well-organized, and unforgettable adventure!

Hotel Reviews

Wienglakor Hotel

Very very tired hotel on the edge of a main road. Needs some TLC. Good size room.

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De Chai The Deco Hotel

Great location, massive room, great staff service, very clean and modern. Basic gym, but still usable..

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Wa Lee Phuchifa

No heater which was a shame in winter, also leaking shower. No toilet paper either.

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Nak Nakara Hotel

Chiang Rai

Brilliant location, massive room, great service and good gym & pool.

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Activity Reviews

Lampang City & Temples Trip!

Lampang

This was an experience...

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Temple and Hill tribes in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Trip was a little rushed... But fine.... could have done with more knowledge on the history of the hill tribes etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

Very skeptical about doing a cooking class, but 100% totally worth it! Brilliant teacher and small group.

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Half-Day Eco Elephant Care!

Chiang Mai

One of the best experiences of my life. Will never ever forget it.

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Welcome and Temple Treasures of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Hiking to Phu Chi Fa Mountain!

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide made the trip what it was, I will never forget him.

Transport

Visit Hot Spring, White Temple and Blue Temple!

Chiang Rai

White Temple totally worth it!.even men the artist which was extraordinary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was the best!

Transport

Explore Phimai Historical Park!

Nakhon Ratchasima

Totally worth going off the beaten track to learn about this site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Welcome to Bangkok!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

The guide was amazing, she was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the beginning to the end the planning and execution of our trip exceeded expectations. Our local specialist Renata was responsive and very helpful. Our guide, Felipe, was very thoughtful and very knowledgeable. He took care of the smallest details (booster seat for a child) and personalized the tour with our interests in mind. He was very responsive and quickly changed plans after an unexpected schedule change. Our favorite stops - Samba School, Christ the Redeemer, and the Botanical Garden. We also enjoyed Little Africa and the Selaron steps.