Kimkim Trip Reviews

Thanks for all your help with this trip. Apart from a few hiccups all went as planned and we loved Greece.

Hotel Review

Paros Agnanti Resort & Spa

Paros

Beautiful food, service and surrounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town but away from the bustle

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset & Wine Tasting Experience

Santorini

Lovely experience and evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Acropolis Beat-the-Crowds Discovery Walk

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip to South Africa was my first time using KimKim. I wasn't quite sure how to even start with a 2-week safari trip and since a family member recommended them, I decided to give it a try. From the very beginning when Anna-marie answered my request it was simple and reassuring. After we had our first call, she grasped exactly what our family group of eight was looking for. The recommendations were spot on and now that the trip is over not one thing disappointed. Anna-marie was always available and ready to help both before the trip and throughout our two weeks of travel. Top notch travel agent!!!!!
First off, every driver was on time and waiting for us with a smile and more than willing to help and educate us about the area, no matter how long or short the transport was. We never experienced any issues at all. Even the weather cooperated 100%!

Capetown - The rooms and staff at Blackheath Lodge were outstanding. Riano greeted us and made sure we were taken care of all three days and nights. The welcome cocktail and anniversary bubbles were a great surprise after the long travel. The hotel was close enough for us to walk down to the waterfront the next morning after a great breakfast. The first day was on our own to catch up from the day of travel and that worked great. That night Anna-marie made us reservations for dinner at Kloof Street House. Highly recommend this. The dinner and atmosphere were wonderful!
The next day we were greeted by Radheeka, our A+ guide with Earthstompers, for the next two days. She entertained us and safely drove us around the Cape, to the penguins, lunch at Crofter's Kitchen and to and through the wine farms in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Both days exceeded our expectations and were a great quick lesson about southern South Africa.

Franschhoek - We spent two nights at La Fontaine Boutique Hotel. Again, the hotel and staff were excellent. Our free day was a Saturday so after breakfast (where Anna-marie joined us, which was so great to meet her) we decided to venture out to the town's market. We managed to spend hours there and then relaxed before dining at Reuben's, another restaurant Anna-marie recommended. And again, very good. We loved having time in the wine country.

Walkers Plains Camp - Anna-marie really talked this place up. Honestly, we didn't really know what to expect but it was outstanding! All eight of us wished we would have spent another day. We ended up with two nights and four game drives. Our guide Roan and his tracker, Walter, were with us all four drives and we had the time of our lives. Searching out the animals was so fun and finding them was like WOW! Watching the lions, the elephants, the giraffes, the hippos, the leopards, the hyenas, and then all the birds and impalas in their habitat, while being educated at the same time in a private quiet setting was amazing! After the ~4 hours we came back to outstanding meals in a beautiful setting. Perfect!

Panorama Route Scenic Tour to Tanamera Lodge - Themba drove us through the beautiful mountains of South Africa from our safari to our hotel before flying out to Victoria Falls. Again, Anna-marie highly recommended we do the day long drive and we were amazed at the scenic viewpoints and the stops along the way. Again, she was right. Themba was a great driver and provided an entertaining educational "lecture" thru out the drive. We learned alot about the native South African history as well as the importance of the area we were touring. Themba arrived at our hotel just in time for the sunset. We knew we wanted to see the sunset at Tanamera and again WOW! The view was spectacular!! The hotel was very unique and we loved it. The dinner was delicious and the hot water bottles in the beds were perfect for the chilly night. It was fun spending the night in the trees and admiring the night sky.

Victoria Falls - This is something we said we needed to do if we were this close. The Falls were absolutely beautiful and powerful and the walking path around the falls was amazing. Hundreds of pictures! The sunset cruise on the Zambezi Vista was one of our highlights. More animals but the sunset was huge! As someone who loves sunsets this was one of a kind. The drinks and food were very good and our captain, (? we forgot his name) and bartender, Freeman, took excellent care of us. It was sponsored by the hotel, so transportation was provided. I would say if there was anything that was a little disappointing during our trip it was Insinka Lodge. The hotel wants to be a high-end hotel but they definitely cut corners. Most of the staff, especially front of house, were not as helpful or friendly as the other places (except Trudy in the restaurant). I had read reviews about checking your bar bills and that was very good advice. Nothing bad happened but I would probably look for some other place next time. The side trips were good. We were glad we did the Dusty Road Township, especially because our Victoria Falls driver Tuffy (A+) was from the township and provided us with a narrated tour which was very interesting. Tuffy also took us the Botswana for the Chobe day trip with Bushtracks which was again something we were not sure of but turned out to be one of our favorite days. It was a great final day.
As a family, we have done some great overseas vacations, and this one is rated our number 1! We were treated like royalty from the moment KimKim connected us with Anna-marie. Many thanks to her for all her hard work and to all the fabulous people she lined up and we were fortunate to meet along the way! She made our 50th wedding anniversary very memorable!!!

Hotel Reviews

Insika Lodge

Victoria Falls

The hotel was nice. The staff, especially the front of house, was not very accommodating or willing to offer assistance. Never really got that friendly feeling or that they were glad we were there. The one exception was the sunset cruise staff on the boat. They were very friendly and wanted to make sure everyone had a great night. And we did. We had read reviews that suggested you make sure to check your bar bills and that proved to be good advice. When we checked in, our four rooms were located across the resort from each other even though our reservations were mad months in advance. That was disappointing and could not be changed. One of the rooms had the wrong name on it and the wrong name was still on the emails received after checking out. They want to appear as if they are a higher end resort, but they definitely cut corners that make a difference.

Authenticity & Character

The layout and landscape.

Location

The shuttle rides seemed short and close to what we needed.

Staff

Just not very friendly or helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tanamera

Hazyview

Unique smaller hotel that is tucked away and very private. You feel like you are living in the trees and the views are spectacular. The owner and her staff were outstanding. The food was excellent! The rooms were very unique and fun to be in. Make sure you are there for the sunsets! Quiet and relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Walkers Plains Camp

South Africa

Very nice, small private lodge great to experience a safari. The guides and staff were wonderful. The food was very good and the rooms were very clean and comfortable. We truly enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Fontaine Boutique Hotel

Franschhoek

Great, friendly and comfortable hotel. Location was perfect. Rooms were lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackheath Lodge

Cape Town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Reuben's restaurant

Franschhoek

Loved the food and very close to the hotel.

Quality of Experience

Full Day Panorama Route Scenic Tour

Hazyview

Had no idea the landscape of South Africa had such variety. The mountains were absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Van was very comfortable for the six hour drive.

Dusty Road Township Lunch/Dinner Experience **highly recommended by our team

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuffy was excellent driver. Very familiar with the neighborhood.

Arrive at Walkers Plains Camp in Kruger & First Game Drive

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roan and Walter were great

Transport

Sunset cruise Zambezi Vista

Victoria Falls

Beautiful night on the river. Relaxing, the food and drink were very good. Staff excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giovanni and Freeman took great care to make sure we had a great night

Transport

Full-Day Wine Tour

South Africa

Wine farms were all different and fun to visit. The wines were good and the hosts were knowledgeable. Countryside was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Radeeka was great

Transport

Lunch at Crofter's Kitchen

South Africa

We all enjoyed the food and experience. The amount of time devoted to tasting and educating us to the plants and flowers in her organic garden was a little long. The food we were served by Nicki and her staff was delicious. Also, we appreciated what we learned about Capetown and the neighborhood she resided in. Her house was gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Another Day at Walkers Plains Camp with 2 game drives

South Africa

Final Morning Game Drive

South Africa

Chobe Day Trip

Victoria Falls

Adding this additional safari adventure to the trip was great. Both the land and river tours were good and the lunch at the golf resort was very good. The connection between our two guides, Tuffy and Mateo, made the transition from Zimbabwe to Botswana very simple. Mateo was an excellent safari guide. Very knowledgeable and fun to be with. We had quite a show watching the elephants swim across the river!

Quality of Experience

Food

Buffet at golf resort very nice addition

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuffy and Mateo very good

Transport

Bushtracks was very good

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides (Tomoe in Tokyo and Mitch in Kyoto) were super knowledgeable and went out of their way to make sure our family was happy.

It was a great trip overall. Everything went smoothly. We had open days scheduled where we were able to add things on our own too. It was our first trip to Portugal. The place is amazing. The people were very kind. Even found great food as we are vegans and sometimes not so easy to find a lot of options.

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Right at the center of the city, but not at the very busy center. Could walk from here, but we ended up taking Bolt to most places since we were tired from walking in the heat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sapientia Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

If you're visiting Coimbra, this is a good hotel to be at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

Loved the character of this hotel. Lots of places to walk to from here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olissippo Oriente

Lisbon

Next to a train station and shopping mall. We needed an adaptor so we were able to walk to the mall and purchase that.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

About: Lisboa Oriente

Lisbon

Took the train to Porto and then back. It was quite convenient. The station is good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Sintra on a Group Tour with Pena Palace Tickets and a Scenic Stop at Cabo da Roca

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Engage in the Art of Tiles by joining a Workshop in Porto

Porto

Enjoyed painting tiles, and a quiet focused time doing it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Art of Pastel de Nata on a A Hands-On Culinary Group Experience

Portugal

I was disappointed that vegan nata was just the same but without the eggs. I was hoping they were going to add a substitute. I had made this clear with Diana multiple times, and had even talked about removing this item. But I was encouraged to keep it. Also all 4 in the family did not need to do this because everyone ends up getting the nata and that's too many.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Coimbra on an Exclusive Guided Walking Tour

Coimbra

Guide was great, but Coimbra was hot so we were only thinking when are we going to get into the shade. But learned a lot of the history behind the castle and university and the library.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Relaxation and Discovery: A Perfect Day of Leisure in Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unraveling the Timeless Charms of Braga and Guimarães with a Private Driver

Porto

Braga was beautiful. Guimarez was more of a castle thing but doing both in one day got us exhausted. Braga was the first stop and we enjoyed it a lot more. I think their walking strip of the historic town was nicer than in Guimares.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Our guide was knowledgeable and explained very well the sites and other interesting things about the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My daughter and I took a 2 week trip to Japan. We started in Tokyo. It was helpful to have a driver take us from the airport to our hotel after the long flight and not having to try to navigate by ourselves to the hotel. In Tokyo, our first day was with Motoki Watanabe, who guided us to the Tsukiji Outer Fish Market, Meiji Jingu Shrine, and Sensoji Temple among other sights and provided some information about what we were seeing. He also was flexible to alter plans as needed. One thing I found useful was navigating Tokyo subway system with his help so we could manage it the next few days. The next couple days were spent at Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. Both were nice parks but if I had to pick one, it would be Disney Sea as it's totally different from other Disneyland parks. The final day in Tokyo we went to to the Ghibli Museum and explored Tokyo by ourselves.

Leaving Tokyo, we took the bullet train to Kyoto. In Kyoto, we were guided by Yoshiko Yoshida to the Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour with a Boat Ride. She shared information about the area and since we had a little extra time, we went to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The next day we were guided by Asuka Koyanagi and saw more of Kyoto going to Kinkaku-ji Temple, Nijo Castle and Fushimi-Inari Taisha. Only the last day in Kyoto navigating by ourselves, we did Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya. The Tea Ceremony was enjoyable since you learned about the ceremony while dressed in Kimonos.

From Kyoto to Osaka, we were driven by a driver and had Yukari Onishi for our guide. We stopped in Nara and visited the Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. We also fed the bowing deer. In Osaka, we went to the Aquarium, which my daughter found really cool since we saw a couple whale sharks. We also did a Sushi class, which was enjoyable even though my daughter really doesn't like fish.

Overall, the experience was a good one and would look to do again. All the guides spoke good English, willing to change things up if needed, and provided information about the areas that we visited. Most texted us the day before about the pickup for the tours. The hotels were all nice and provided breakfast in the mornings. Having the Kimkim app download on a phone is helpful so you can get any updates to the itinerary.

Adam was outstanding! He shared local and personal insights about everything wee saw. He also kept us moving along without bring obnoxious about it. Also, he asked us regularly what we wanted to see and in many cases gave us options to consider.

Anna-marie, her team, and the responsible tourism organizations and representatives she connected us with gave us the Cape Town experience we were dreaming about - we are so grateful! We hoped to explore the authentic natural beauty of the Cape Town area, its creative chefs and vintners, and we wanted to learn more about the complexities of the peoples and places across the metropolitan area. Anna-marie and team delivered genuine, heartfelt conversations and rich experiences. Without hesitation, I strongly recommend Anna-marie as an excellent, kind and ethical guide to all Cape Town and the surrounding area has to offer!

Hotel Review

Sea Star Rocks

Cape Town

The staff at Sea Star Rocks were so friendly and welcoming, and the rooms have an astounding view! A beautiful, restorative place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within 20 minutes drive of most Cape Town spots, and ideally located for day trips to the Cape Peninsula or the Winelands....and yet also removed enough to feel like it's a special, quiet cove experience!

Staff

The Sea Star Rocks Team were so warm and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bo-Kaap Walking Tour

Cape Town

We learned so much about the history, pride and complexities of the Bo-Kaap neighborhood from our guide and community activist, Zaki. Highly recommend, and going with a local member of the community is absolutely essential.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Wine Tour

South Africa

Our guide storm took us on a wonderful day of exploration of the food and wine in the Stellenbosch region! We enjoyed all the winetastings, and absolutely fell in love with Oldenburg Vineywards and our amazing level 2 sommolier, "P." Storm sensed our love of storytelling and connection of wine-to-place, and made an excellent "match" in choosing Oldenburg as our starting point for the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Community Development Projects (highly recommended)

Cape Town

Everyone who visits Cape Town should be taking the time to visit the townships and the various community partnerships and projects showcased by Uthando - https://www.uthandosa.org/. We learned so much, and were so inspired by how people in these communities are creating their own visions for the future and taking action to bring these dreams to life. In the socio-economic complexities of the Soth African cultural landscape, Uthando provided us with a genuine and empowering way to learning from and support these community champions. We left inspired by what community champions are working towards!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Crofter's Kitchen

South Africa

Nicky is so passionate about the land and plants of the Cape Peninsula, it infuses every bit of the delicious dishes we experienced! I will always treasure the walk around her garden with her, trying seeds, flowers and leaves and discussed their flavours and attributes. A very special meal with an incredible chef!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

The Fynboss ecosystem and the Boulders Beach penguins are an absolutely unique and special part of South Africa! Our guide Storm was incredible knowledgeable and committed to the ongoing sustainability and vitality of the floral and fauna...he was really inspiring! A wonderful day trip from Cape Town...well worth the wander!

Quality of Experience

Food

We particularly loved the coffee shop that offered a "drive-thru" for horses and their riders. Riders got free coffee!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ask for Storm - he has an academic and personal interest in the region and a heart of gold!

Transport

We took a 30-day trip to Italy in May. Starting in Venice and ending in Catania. From the initial planning - more than 6 months in advance I knew we were in good hands with Marina. For one week, my husband and son traveled with us, but the remainder of the trip it was just me and our 3 girls. It was important to me that things were as seamless/safe as possible and I hoped to not stress about our exchanges/transfers/reservations. It was worth every penny having Marina and her team take care of us. I never felt alone - we had a couple hiccups and I just reached out to the team and they helped us or handled things for us.

We wanted the trip to focus on history and special outings for us and not just seeing crowded tourist sights. Marina really listened to what we wanted and suggested several things I would never have known about. The hotels were all lovely - amazing locations and exceeded our expectations. The app and daily notes and recommendations came in handy too.

There were several times the travel team arranged for little extras for our family - like a delicious birthday cake delivered to our hotel for our daughter’s 21st birthday.

Truly an experience we will remember forever.

Our favorites:
Capri and our private guide was worth the splurge!!
My favorite - the hotel in Agrigento and the location and apartment in Florence and the team being available to help when fun travel things come up - like train strikes.
Husband - wind surfing on Lake Garda and Venice
18 year old daughter - visiting churches in Venice
13 year old daughter- the food. All of the food and wind surfing
21 year old daughter - hiking around Lake Garda and the Agrigento hotel
23 years old son - Lake Garda and wandering around Venice

Thank you so much for all the attention and planning that went into our trip

Hotel Reviews

Habitat Boutique Hotel

Catania

Despite the construction on the street in front of the hotel - this hotel exceeded all of our expectations. The staff was wonderful and had the best recommendations. We loved our rooms too.

Authenticity & Character

Very unique hotel. Loved

Location

Great location for walking and felt so safe walking around late. We had a lot of fun in this area.

Staff

Everyone. Sooooo helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So comfortable. We were at the end of a 30 day trip and felt at home

Hotel baglio della Luna

Valle dei Templi, Agrigento

The best stay of our trip. It felt like we were in our own little luxury villa. The staff went above and beyond. Dinner outdoors over looking the Valley of the Temples - we ate here every night. So special. At this point in our trip we needed to rest and recharge - it was perfect. Excellent recommendations from the staff. Only a small number of rooms so it felt like it was just the 4 sometimes

Authenticity & Character

The gardens - beautiful. So many places to sit, read, have a glass of wine

Location

This location - a little bit of heaven

Staff

Charming. Helpful. Kind. Everyone - from breakfast and check in to drinks in the bar and the staff who kept our rooms tidy

Cleanliness & Comfort

Attention to details - just lovely.

Hotel Politeama

Palermo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Thankful for Valet!

Staff

Helpful and calming. I was a bit anxious from driving - but they were very welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small rooms, but comfortable!

Palazzo Caracciolo Napoli - MGallery

Naples

Just a lovely and beautiful hotel. Wonderful staff. Very helpful and great with recommendations - we chose to walk from the train station and that was not a wise decision. (Our travel agent suggested a private transfer - and we should have listened).

Authenticity & Character

It feels very special. Unique. The rooms were large and very nice.

Authenticity & Character

It feels very special. Unique. The rooms were large and very nice.

Location

You just have to be more aware of your surroundings and not go exploring in part of the area across from the hotel. Once the hotel gave us suggestions - we were fine!! And the taxi service they suggested was perfect

Location

You just have to be more aware of your surroundings and not go exploring in part of the area across from the hotel. Once the hotel gave us suggestions - we were fine!! And the taxi service they suggested was perfect

Staff

Very nice - great recommendations

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfortable. Rooms were quiet. So nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfortable. Rooms were quiet. So nice.

Hotel della Torre Argentina

Rome

The rooms and breakfast were lovely. The location was great for all we wanted to do.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The location was great - the bus stops right in front of the doors and that makes it difficult to get in and out sometimes.

Staff

The front desk staff were not as warm as all of the other places we stayed. The breakfast staff was lovely.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice rooms - we enjoyed and slept well

Del Guanto Apartment by Mamo Florence

Florence

We loved this apartment. The location was perfect for all the things we wanted to do and see. The rooftop patio was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

The couch seemed to be missing pillows.

Hotel Lago di Garda Torbole

Torbole sul Garda

Hotel location is amazing. Breakfast delicious. The rooms needed refreshing - linens thin and the sheets had holes. Walls needed painting. Mold in shower - the hotel did fix this as soon as our travel agent let them know.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms felt very basic and cheap.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms felt very basic and cheap.

Location

Gorgeous. Gorgeous location.

Location

Gorgeous. Gorgeous location.

Staff

We let the front desk know we had a package coming and it was important - they refused delivery of it. It had $37 due upon receipt - we were not aware at the time. The hotel did not contact us while we were out on a hike. We had to get a private car to go pick up the package. We missed one of our planned activities and had to pay $150 for the private car. It was more the time we lost as a family together that bothered us. And that the hotel didn’t try to fix it. It was only $37 - we had 3 rooms for 4 nights. They were nice - just wish they had contacted us or paid for the package - which they had our credit card information- they could have handled it differently

Staff

We let the front desk know we had a package coming and it was important - they refused delivery of it. It had $37 due upon receipt - we were not aware at the time. The hotel did not contact us while we were out on a hike. We had to get a private car to go pick up the package. We missed one of our planned activities and had to pay $150 for the private car. It was more the time we lost as a family together that bothered us. And that the hotel didn’t try to fix it. It was only $37 - we had 3 rooms for 4 nights. They were nice - just wish they had contacted us or paid for the package - which they had our credit card information- they could have handled it differently

Cleanliness & Comfort

There was mold in our shower - the hotel did paint over it as soon as notified. The sheets were very thin and had multiple holes in them. The walls throughout the lodging part of the hotel were scratched and needed repair. It was clean - just seemed that no upkeep was happening once you got upstairs to the rooms.

Cleanliness & Comfort

There was mold in our shower - the hotel did paint over it as soon as notified. The sheets were very thin and had multiple holes in them. The walls throughout the lodging part of the hotel were scratched and needed repair. It was clean - just seemed that no upkeep was happening once you got upstairs to the rooms.

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

The staff was so lovely. The rooms were beautiful. We loved the location - not in the busy area and gave us a chance to wander. Breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

So cute. Unique.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Mt Etna: Volcano Hike & Lava Cave

Catania

Salvatore was an amazing tour guide! We had an excellent day. Mt Etna was wonderful. The wine tasting was ok.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salvatore - so kind, interacted with everyone. Excellent information

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salvatore - so kind, interacted with everyone. Excellent information

Transport

Transport

The Pearl of the Mediterranean: A Day on Capri Island & Anacapri

Italy

Our guide, Lucia, was the best. The day started out with a major glitch, but Lucia calmed us all down and set the perfect tone for the day. It was the best having our own guide - it was special. She asked us what was our goal - I said to see Capri but not with all the crowds - she delivered ! We felt like we hit everything. The cloud covered mountain top and chair lift was soooo cool. Her food recommendations were perfect We loved the knowledge and the history she shared with us. Perfect day. So nice to have the whole day handled - no checking ferry schedules/buying tickets/choosing where to eat. Wonderful

Quality of Experience

100% worth every penny. Lucia made it special. So nice to have everything taken care of

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was prompt - so nice to have it all arranged.

Transport

A Day Among Roman Castles & Medieval Hilltop Villages

Rome

Very cool to get out of the hustle and bustle of Rome. LOVED the wine tasting - we were the only ones there and the staff was incredible. We met the owners at the winery. The papal palace and grounds were very cool to see and the little town outside was lovely. We stopped for lunch on the way back to Rome. Great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We would have loved to hear a bit more about the history of things while he was driving but it was still great.

Transport

Discover the Vatican: From the Museums to the Sistine Chapel

Italy

This felt very rushed. And not a lot of information. She was very nice. It felt more like she was helping us short cut getting through. Unfortunately, we were there on a very busy day - not the guides fault.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice.

We loved our trip. We can't wait to go back to Iceland.

Thank you Luka for the most amazing Iceland experience. Your kind and reassuring words throughout the trip helped us through the difficult days. Your local operators Offbeat, especially Preeti was exceptional with getting our passports back without having to backtrack. I am so sad to be leaving today. My visual memories will last in my mind forever! Thank you so so much! Hope to meet you someday to give you a hug in person!

Luka worked with us for many months to understand our travel styles, restrictions and needs and she made us the dream holiday of a lifetime. We had some issues along the way but Luka and the ground travel agent partner (iceland offbeat) helped us to resolve the problems and for that we are very appreciative.

We would like to highlight a few issues, which you may want to take note of. The car rental that we got had a screen and no GPS and the Garmin was very old fashioned and complicated to use. It took us sometime to understand that you needed a wire connection from your phone to the screen and much tweaking before they were paired to work. We hope you can ask the car company to explain this to customers and provide them with wires so that they can start their journey smoothly. They should also inform the renter about the fact that if they hit an animal on the road, no insurance will cover that. We ended up with a very big bill which has yet to be resolved. They took 500,000 ISK for the car repair but until now, we have not received the quotation for the repairs to the car. A local we met there said there is no way the cost of repair is 500K! So I think it is helpful for the traveller to know these things in advance.

Aside from that, the hotel choices, the routing, the tours booked for us, everything was very good and we are already feeling we need to go back and see the things we missed! We will be checking in with Luka again then! Thank you Kim Kim, Luca and Preeti for an amazing trip!

Because of our issues with the GPS, we missed a few of the beautiful places we were supposed to visit which is dissapointing.

Hotel Review

Hotel Holt—The Art Hotel

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flightseeing Tour from Skaftafell

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning my trip to Georgia with the help of Keti was very smooth and I appreciated her prompt responsiveness. Our guide Reti was courteous and very knowledgeable; we really enjoyed spending the day with him. However, I thought the visit of the David Gareja monastery as well as the visit of the Sinanghali town were underwhelming. Nevertheless the nature on the way to David Gareja was stunning and if you want to see beautiful landscapes that's a great road to take.

Adam did a fantastic job for us !

We had a wonderful trip to Scotland and really enjoyed our experience with Kimkim. Kate was kind, responsive and helpful throughout both the planning and the trip itself. Whenever we had a question or needed something changed, she was quick to help.

Ness Walk in Inverness was one of our favourite stays and a great recommendation and I wished we spent more time there! We also had an amazing private tour with Sandy, who was very knowledgeable and made the experience so enjoyable. Our journey to Skye with Anca was another highlight, she shared so much with us along the way and made the drive itself part of the experience.

We also really appreciated Kate’s flexibility when we decided last minute to spend our final night in Edinburgh instead of Glencoe. She helped rearrange our transportation and organised a driver for us, which made the change much easier.

Our only disappointment was Glencoe House. We had specifically asked for a castle experience and were happy to pay more for it, but our reservation was in one of the separate lodges rather than the main house. This was mentioned in the itinerary, so I also take responsibility for not looking more closely, but I do wish the difference had been highlighted more clearly given what we had originally asked for. Kate did try to help once we raised our concerns, which we appreciated.

Overall, we had a beautiful and memorable trip, with so many highlights including the Highlands, Skye, the castles and seeing the Jacobite steam train crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct which as harry potter fans was the best thing in our trip! And Ian our driver was so understanding and helped us in arranging the viewing at the right time so we dont miss the jacobite train
.
We really appreciated all of Kate’s support and efforts throughout our journey she’s amazing ♡

Hotel Reviews

Glencoe House

Ballachulish

I’m giving it 3 stars because, although the lodge itself was clean, comfortable and well equipped with food, it wasn’t quite the experience we had hoped for. We wanted to end our trip relaxing in the main house, but our reservation was in the lodge instead. The hotel also doesn’t have a restaurant or lounge that lodge guests can use for tea or relaxing, as the main house is made up of private suites. So even though we were staying on the property, we didn’t really get to experience the house itself. If you’re looking for more of a castle-style experience, I’d recommend booking one of the suites in the main house. We had booked for two nights but ended up staying for only one.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monkstadt 1745 - Luxury Lodge

Linicro, Isle of Skye

We stayed one night here in the lodge as we had requested twin beds, and the sea view was beautiful, especially at sunset. We also enjoyed having tea at the hotel, it was so cozy we loved it! It was lovely to connect the stories we heard throughout the trip with the history of the hotel. So interesting and one of our favorite stays

Authenticity & Character

The history

Location

We loved the sea view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ness Walk

Inverness

The best hotel we stayed at during our trip! The service was amazing, and every member of staff was incredibly helpful and welcoming. We also loved the beautiful river views from the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bonham

Edinburgh

Amazing hotel the staff are so friendly and its located near deans village. We had an issue in the room which we highlighted to the front desk and they quickly resolved it and changed our room.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel has amazing history

Location

Its a walking distance from Edinburgh castle and so close to deans village

Staff

The staff were so understanding and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Inverness Walking Tour

Scotland

This was our favorite tour with the amazing Sandy. Sandy was an amazing tour guide in Inverness! We really enjoyed our time with him and learned so much throughout the tour. He was very knowledgeable, easy to talk to and made the experience really enjoyable for us. We really appreciated the time we spent with him and would definitely recommend him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alnwick Castle Tour – The Real Hogwarts from Harry Potter

Edinburgh

As Harry Potter fans, we were so happy to visit Alnwick Castle and see the filming locations! Our trip started from Edinburgh, and our driver was informative, friendly and had a great sense of humour. He shared lots of interesting information about the places we passed on the way to the castle and back. We really enjoyed our time there, although it became very windy later in the day so we couldn’t enjoy the archery. Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, there are different shows and activities to enjoy, and the castle itself has so much history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dunrobin Castle

Inverness

I absolutely loved Dunrobin Castle. The castle itself was beautiful and full of character, and I really enjoyed exploring the interiors and learning more about its history. Unfortunately, it was raining during our visit so we didn’t get to properly explore the gardens, but the castle was still one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Finland was the trip of a lifetime! Highlights were hikes in the forest with a break to eat Finnish sausages grilled over an open flame, riding a bike in Helsinki to a public sauna and experiencing the hot sauna, followed by a dip in the cold ocean water, canoeing in a beautiful lake, visiting a Medieval castle, eating salmon soup, drinking coffee, learning about Finnish history, and more. Our guides were knowledgable, punctual and friendly. The pace and variety of activities were perfectly orchestrated.

Anders put together a wonderful trip that included Denmark, Sweden and Norway!
We had a lot of questions about lodging, tours, transportation, and the most spectacular things to visit.
Anders answered every one of them.
Transportation in Scandinavia is clean, on-time, and reliable.
We loved the combination of old historic architecture and new innovative architecture.
The highlights were the fjord cruises, Flam, Alesund and Oslo.
But truly, everything was great.
Everything and everyone is green and earth-friendly. The water in Scandinavia is great!

We feel like we saw all of the must-see places and we look forward to visiting again!
Thanks Anders!

Hotel Reviews

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

wonderful view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

great location wonderful room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Axel Guldsmeden

Copenhagen

wonderful breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

wonderful meals

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Njardarheimr Viking Village Day Trip with Nærøyfjord Cruise & Bus Transfer

Norway

tour guide was authentic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucie made planning this trip so easy! She was very good at getting back to me promptly with a proposed trip and then was great to deal with when making modifications to it to create the perfect plan. She did a wonderful job organizing all the car, hotels, and excursions and made it very easy for us and had a lot of great suggestions. When we had an issue or two on the trip (eg one hotel wanted to charge me again for the room), she was very helpful and got them resolved. We had an amazing time and I'll definitely look to use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Residence Inn Frankfurt City Center by Marriott

Frankfurt

Very large updated room that was easy for parking and getting down to the waterfront and other areas for walking and dining.

Authenticity & Character

modern room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Schwarzwaldhotel Gengenbach

Gegenbach

The hotel was fine, but it was more like a destination resort where companies go to have big meetings and not near much. The room was a bit dated and had a funny smell.

Authenticity & Character

The spa entry was nice, but the inside of the hotel was ordinary and even a bit dated.

Location

Nothing much near it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel BurgGartenpalais

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

This was a neat old building in a quiet part of town that was still easily accessible to the main sites. Driving to it though was quite a challenge through the many small pedestrian streets!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

a bit dated, but that kind of added to the authenticity.

Hotel Domizil Erfurt

Erfurt

This place was really neat! I was our own little apartment with a balcony right on the main street. We loved it! Getting in though was a bit complicated because no one was at the desk when we arrived at 6:30pm even though it was supposed to be staffed until 7pm. But once I figured out how to contact someone, the key was available in a lock box.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Had almost no staff interaction.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilde Aparthotels Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin

Beautiful room!

Authenticity & Character

More a modern hotel.

Location

Could walk to many sites.

Staff

Very friendly, but the entrance was a little hard to find and there is no proper reception area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I couldn't figure out the room cooling system - involved having to have switches in the right place and multiple remote controls. The accessible shower was weird too and my kids got water everywhere that I cleaned up each time.

Activity Reviews

Frankfurt Panorama Cruise (1h)

Frankfurt

It was a nice cruise to hear about the city. We liked where is launched from also that had a lot of restaurants and vendors.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rothenburg walking tour

Germany

We really enjoyed learning about the town during the walk. The guide was very friendly and knowledgable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Erfurt Private Walking tour

Erfurt

Great walking tour to learn about the city and also about life in East Germany from a lovely lady who lived through it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Cold War and behind the Wall

Berlin

Unfortunately, we couldn't find parking or the tour and missed it! That was a real disappointment. I tried calling the tour company phone number given, but n o one picked up.

We had the best trip with Gummi! He made it so special and was great, kind, full of Icelandic knowledge and reliable. He also planned really exciting excursions tailored for our group! The bus we had was perfect for us and we got to see and do many of the major sight-seeing must-dos in Iceland. We could not have done this trip without his expert help and hospitality. So, so grateful.

Activity Review

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

This was AMAZING!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I literally googled travel agency and found KimKim, read the reviews and gave it a shot. Pretty risky but worth the gamble. Erika was knowledgeable and accessible. She listened to what we wanted from our vacation and delivered an itinerary that matched our needs. Each stop along the way was planned out perfectly. All travel accommodations between islands and for our excursions were seamless. We enjoyed the local tour guides that we were set up with and just had the most memorable time. Everything was planned in the app and just made it easy for us to relax and enjoy. I never leave reviews. If you’re on the fence about booking your trip with KimKim just do it.

We've taken several trips with KimKim and this one had more hiccups. Dislikes:
1. Zehra's company subcontracted the work to another company and that caused too many issues. That was also not disclosed to us. That ended up being a big deal, contributing to my low star ranking
2. Guidance and the FAQs in our travel packet were all about Turkey, but our trip was to Georgia so that was a huge miss. I wanted the same guidance but for the location we were visiting...
3. The hotel in Kutaisi was TERRIBLE. there was mold in the showers, the food was sub par. Our entire group could not wait to check out of that dump.
4. While we enjoy full, busy days, it was often too rushed - too hard to get to things on time and we didn't have any space to linger longer when we wanted to.
5. No beach club was booked for us despite the back and forth with Zehra. This could have been a miscommunication but we really thought we'd asked her to book the beach club for us. This was in Batumi
6. Two of the hotels didn't have the correct bed set up for some of our party which was VERY explicitly discussed up front. While it was resolved, it was incredibly unfortunate that we had any issues at all. This was unacceptable and honestly I still don't understand how/why it happened.

Likes:
Overall, we had a great trip and I think KimKim did a much better job resolving the issues with our travelers. Unlike our Sicily trip which I'm still mad about the lack of resolution for one of our travelers.

Overall, I used to be very high on using and recommending KimKim. Now, i'm on the fence.

My dad worked with Katie to plan this trip, and it turned out great! I really appreciated the balance between guided/scheduled events and free time. It gave us the freedom to explore while also participating in some extremely interesting tours. At one point, we had a small issue with our tour guide not showing up. Mathia at KimKim, however, was able to rebook us for a tour for later in the day. It is really nice to know that KimKim has someone available if anything goes wrong! This trip was also a great balance between city and nature. Bergen and Balestrand were the perfect places to stay. I would definitely recommend this trip!