Kimkim Trip Reviews

Working with Angel via kimkim was fantastic! She was very patient with my many questions, requests, and concerns. She was very responsive as well. She planned a fantastic, kid-friendly trip to Japan. I wouldn't have changed anything! I would definitely use kimkim again, and I would recommend Angel if planning a trip to Japan!

Activity Reviews

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Yoshiko was a fantastic tour guide! She was very patient with us and with the kids, despite our slow moving pace. She was kind, knowledgeable, and explained everything so well!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kanazawa Full Day Walking Tour

Kanazawa

Our full day tour with Ai from Kanazawa Tours was fantastic! She is very knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture of Kanazawa. The entire tour was interesting and educational, and she explained everything so it was easy for the kids to understand. Speaking of the kids, she interacted with them so well! It's clear that she loves children and went out of her way to make sure they were having a good time. I would absolutely recommend requesting Ai for this tour, especially if traveling with children!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I liked the preplanning and the zoom call before departure.
Car rental- there is no longer a shuttle to Blue Car Rental. We were told the airport management discontinued all shuttles to car rentals in January. Blue Car also has no signs in airport to follow while other car rentals do. Thank you for telling us to be sure to get WiFi before we left- we did have to ask to receive.
Reykjavík Marina- Berjaya Hotel- the staff was wonderful and very helpful to give guidance and to assist with city parking.
Northern Lights- the tour was not what we expected but we feel very lucky that we saw a spectacular display! The guide shared very little information about the lights, constellations or how to take a good pictures. The concept is great but was not the best experience.
Dog sledding and Sky Lagoon- fabulous!
We were upgraded for Sky Lagoon and suggest for others in the future. It was nice to have a private changing area.
Hot springs- it does not compare to the Sky Lagoon spa experience.
Loved the cliff walk and black beaches!
We were sorry whale watching was cancelled but certainly understood and you were very quick to offer alternatives and refund our money.
Geothermal Bread experience- It was touristy.
National Park- crazy windy weather. Sorry we did not get to explore more.
Super jeep experience- fantastic! Carlos was terrific, very knowledgeable and even added a cave to the day. Highly recommend!
Hotel Budir, Hotel Rangá and Panorama Glass Lodge- all great!
Hotel Ranga- Their evening observatory cabin with telescopes was a fun experience and guide very knowledgeable.
The Glass Lodge- a unique experience!
Vic- a long ride and not sure worth the travel. The weather was rainy so perhaps would have found more charming on a sunny day!
We had multiple days of snowy weather, white outs, rain, road closures- you did warn us and had us prepared- thank you! But I don’t think you can stress enough.
Your general suggestions on tipping, currency, what to pack, etc- very helpful and accurate.
KimKim and Noga did an excellent job, and it was an amazing trip. Thank you so much! I will recommend you to others.

Hotel Reviews

Panorama Glass Lodge West Iceland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very unique location

Hotel Rangá

Hella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My favorite hotel for our trip

Hótel Búðir

Búðir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms very quaint

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

Enjoyed the restaurant and many other options near by.

Authenticity & Character

The staff

Location

Great location

Staff

Informative and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Easily accessible free parking

Activity Reviews

Whale Watching Ólafsvík

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Unfortunately cancelled due to high winds, and our schedule did not allow us to rebook. We were sorry to miss.

Djúpalónssandur Black Sand Beach

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This beach was more black rock vs sand. It was great to compare to other beaches. Easy walk to overlook. Two trails to beach doable.

Cliff Walk from Arnarstapi to Hellnar

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

A beautiful walking trail and easy to navigate. It was a favorite!

Búðir Church

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

The church was locked so could not see the inside. There is a wonderful cemetery to see and a great view of the coast.

Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs

Iceland

Very snowy day- unable to really experience. The short trails were covered by snow.

Hvammsvík Hot Springs Experience

Iceland

Raw outdoor experience!

Sky Lagoon Experience - Saman

Reykjavík

Northern Lights & Stargazing

Reykjavík

We were very lucky and saw a spectacular display!

Explore Reykjavík

Reykjavík

We accomplished on our own- a great walking city!

Icelandic Dog Sledding

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoyed the question and answer time in zoom - very informative.

Blue car rental no longer has shuttle service. It is a short walk and not a problem but you may want to change instructions on how to pick up your car. The airport discontinued all rental car shuttles is my understanding.

Hotels - I liked them all - in great locations, clean and very nice people. My favorite was Angel Rangá but they were all nice and The Glass house was a wonderful experience but one night is plenty for travelers not carrying food, etc.

Activities - Our evening to see the Northern Lights (I think the guides’s name was Ines) was successful . We definitely saw a beautiful display! The guide was not great. We basically drove out of town and stopped at the side of a road and got out and looked up w our phones. There was no instruction or hot chocolate and pastries. We just stood in the road. I thought the guide was a bit rude. A few times we had to move away from oncoming cars. But we did see the northern lights.

The dogsledding day was fun! Very nice and informative people.

I loved the SkyLagoin experience - they upgraded our passes so we had private dressing rooms . Just a really nice experience.

I loved walking the the Cliffs - gorgeous! I was a bit concerned as I do not like heights but the path is plenty far from the edge and it was a great hike.

I could pass on the geothermal bakery but that is probably just a personal choice. The people did a great job and it was nice gathering to eat the bread at the end.

The jeep day (Rangár Ding) was the overall best experience for me. Riding to remote places with Carlos giving information while driving in creeks over sand bars and lava rocks and just getting to see the gorgeous views without a lot of people was great. Lunch was good, and Carlos did an exceptional job.

Our trip ended with a canceled flight due to bad weather. We ended up staying in the Exeter hotel which is also a very nice place if you want another hotel to add to your list.

We had several days of really bad weather where driving was a challenge for us southern folks! You did a good job preparing us but you can not stress it enough. We hated missing the whale watching and really did not get to see much of the National Park due to the weather.

The overall experience was definitely 5⭐️ Your instructions were clear and accurate, you always answered our texts quickly and were helpful. The choices you guided Becky and Rosie through were great. It was a lovely week -

Hotel Review

Hotel Rangá

Hella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Geysir Geothermal Area

Golden Circle

Quality of Experience

Kirkjufellsfoss

Kirkjufellsfoss

Quality of Experience

Explore Vík

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Thórsmörk Super Jeep Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geothermal Bakery Experience

Golden Circle

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Djúpalónssandur Black Sand Beach

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Quality of Experience

Cliff Walk from Arnarstapi to Hellnar

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Quality of Experience

Búðir Church

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Quality of Experience

Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Hvammsvík Hot Springs Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Sky Lagoon Experience - Saman

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Northern Lights & Stargazing

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Icelandic Dog Sledding

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Japan included four cities and 7 people arriving from different parts of the world. There were a lot of moving parts, and Shona was tasked with all of the transfers which was a monumental task on its own. The drivers all communicated with us and arrived on time so there was no stress. We were able to get in touch with Shona every day that we needed to.

We developed a nice mix of planned tours and time on our own. The tour guides were excellent and prompt. We did some touristy things like the Sumo wrestling club and the Cup of Noodles museum, but they were more fun than expected.

Very pleased overall. Two points of feedback: during the planning stages, it would be helpful if the travel agent was clear about how much time it would take to get from one location to another. We had one day planned on our own with a driver that was too rushed due to the distance from our hotel, the later pick up time, and operating hours of the spots we were visiting. The second issue was that the Kim Kim website wasn't updated with our final itinerary, so when we went into it we would see older itineraries and it all got very confusing. Part of the issue is that until you are actually in the country, it is hard to understand what you don't understand about the requirements of the day.

Hotel Review

Hotel Grand Phenix Okushiga

Nagano

Highly recommend this hotel. It is at the end of the bus line, so it is about a hour to take the bus back to things like Shibu Onsen or the snow monkeys. However, it is slopeside for the skiing. Ski rentals were in-house. If you are looking for a vibrant apres-ski scene, this is not it, but for a family gathering it was perfect. There was a full lap pool that I had all to myself. On an upper floor there are the public baths that overlook the slopes. There was a lounge with a real fire for post-skiing drinks or for lunch. They offered an in-room massage therapist who accommodated our schedule. The two restaurants were amazing. Our large group got a private room in the Japanese restaurant. The Italian restaurant had a fixed meal menu that changed each night. We had two pescatarians that they accommodated on the spot, and then remembered who they were the next time we ate there. All the food was exceptionally delicious. Service was flawless. After checkout when we drove away, the front desk person ran outside, bowed, and waved us off!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Osaka Discovery with Cup Noodles Museum

Osaka

Cup of Noodles Museum is mostly for children, but the inventor was a rock star in Japan and the history was very interesting. Glad we did it.

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

Guide was prompt, knowlegeable and friendly. Would not want to miss the golden pavillion, for sure. The tea ceremony was about an hour and very informative relative to the culture.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple in Nagano

Nagano

We visited these sites with a private driver and no guide. There is nothing wrong with doing it this way, but the issue we had was that from our hotel, it was over an hour to the temple and we didn't leave until 11:00AM. So we were rushed the whole time. The town around the temple is nice to explore but we barely had an hour. The walk into where the snow monkeys are is over 30 minutes and the park closes at 4pm.

Tokyo: Sumo Show Experience with Chicken Hot Pot and a Photo

Tokyo

We had some sceptics on the trip, but this turned out to be a lot of fun, plus we learned about the sport. It is a tourist experience, and the food was meh, but the host and the wrestlers were such fun. Glad we included it on the trip.

Our guide Mohammed was amazing as well as our guide thru the monkey finger hike

This was our fifth trip trip booked through Kimkim, and once again, it did not disappoint! Kimkim has done a fabulous job coordinating trips around the world with well-qualified local tour companies. For Norway, we worked with NORD DMC. Jacob, Ethel, Riccardo and the whole team were fantastic in planning out a tailored itinerary that met our travel needs and interests. They also made themselves readily available when we had questions along the way, ensuring that our trip to Norway was a memorable one and went as smoothly as possible.

Our trip entailed seven nights in the northern region of Norway. The first night was spent in Bodo where we went on a late night small-group tour in a van up into the mountains to see the Northern Lights which were magical (as it was our first time seeing them). The next three nights were spent in Svolvaer in the center of the Lofoten Islands. What a beautiful place! We did another small-group van tour through the snow covered islands, taking many pictures along the way. The highlight was stopping in Reine which was picturesque! We definitely recommend lunch at Anita'sd Seafood. Best fish soup ever! Svolvaer where we stayed was also a very walkable charming town. Our two go-to restaurants were Nordis and Bacalao. Great selections of quality food! Afterwards, a couple of Norwegian beers at the Telegrafen Pub were enjoyable while we chatted with locals and tourists. During the day, we did a couple of easy hikes outside of town, taking in the beautiful countryside, and ending the day doing the floating sauna and jumping into the harbor to cool off! The final day in Svolvaer was spent in a zodiak-style boat jetting around the fjords and enjoying the sights while the captain threw fish to the eagles that flew aroud us! A great experience!

We then flew to Alta where we spent the next three nights. We stayed in a cabin at the Flatmoen Natur Lodge where we had a glass ceiling to watch the Northern Lights from our bed! We visited the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel (great for taking photos at, but too cold to sleep there -- glad we were at Flatmoen!). In addition to a side excursion one day to go cross-country skiing (which was a lot of fun!), the highlights in Alta were doing an evening dog-sledding excursion from the Trasti & Trine lodge (where we had delicious elk stew for dinner) and then a reindeer sledding excursion and Sami experience at the Sami Siida Restaurant where we enjoyed the local delicious salmon!

All along the way, the NORD DMC team were readily available to address all our logistical questions (it took some coordination to make sure we made the flight connections with the small planes between cities). As with our prior trips through Kimkim, my wife and I were very comfortable that we were always in good hands!

Norway is a beautiful country for both its scenery and its people! We really enjoyed experiencing it and the many outdoor adventures in the wintertime. My wife and I both agreed that we will be back another time during the summer to experience it once again in warmer weather!

We have nothing but good things to say about our experience with Kimkim Travel and our trip to Japan. From the moment we started planning the trip with Bella, we were treated very well. Bella arranged everything and even helped with some super last minute changes.

We arrived in Tokyo and were greeted by Mr Tang who loaded us up and got us to our hotel. He was great and helped us feel at ease right away.

We then were met by Mr Hiroyuki Kinoshita (Roy) at our hotel to start our adventure. Mr Roy treated us like family. He made sure we understood the culture and history behind each place we visited. We loved our time at the fish market and the different shrines. Mr Roy was amazing! Mr Roy accompanied us, along with Mr Tang, to Hinote to see Mt Fuji and experience some of the ropeways (gondola). We had an incredible time experience Japanese culture and food. We dressed up in Kimonos and ate traditional meals.

Next was our bullet train right to Kyoto. Wow! 500 km in 2 hours! Made it to our hotel and had a great night's rest. Next, Mr Eiichi Shirakawa met us in the morning and showed us around Kyoto. Over the next three days, he guided us to see Shrines, Temples, Osaka, modern buildings, castles, and all around amazing sites of the area. Mr H was very knowledgeable and did his research of the various places we visited. He took us around like a pro.

Our time overall was great and we felt like we got to see and experience Japan with the 10 days we had. All of our accommodations were top notch. The hotel staff was great.

Hotel Reviews

Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Kiyomizu Gojo

kyoto

Staff was incredible. Got several recommendations for local foods and even got help ordering in one night. Breakfast was great and amenities were great. Two connecting rooms made it great for our family of four.

Location

Staff

Very helpful. Helped with local food and delivery.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

Traditional experience was great! Dressing up in Kimonos for dinner and breakfast is a must. Onsen was great.

Authenticity & Character

karaksa hotel TOKYO STATION

Two connected rooms was great for our family of four. Staff was very nice. Breakfast was great! Clean!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Osaka Exploration from Kyoto : Castle, Cuisine, and Sky-high Views (full day tour by public transport) without meals

Kyoto

Mr H did an amazing job getting us around the castle and the sky skraper. He even took some extra time to experience some detours along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from Tokyo to Hakone via Mt. Fuji

Japan

Mr Tang was a great driver. Mr Roy was a great guide. We had a comfortable ride to Hakone with several stops on the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tokyo Tour by Public Transport：Tsukiji Outer Market, Sumo Show , Akihabara & Concert!

Tokyo

Mr Roy was an incredible guide. The sumo show was fun. Akihabara was intense. The concert was an added bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Paths of Arashiyama: River Journey, Moss Temples & Bamboo Whispers（Private Guide, Public Transportation）

Kyoto

Fun river adventure. The possibility of getting wet is there. The bamboo forest is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour by public transport in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nikishi Market , Samurai and Ninja Museum and Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

Mr H navigated us to each location with expertise. The experiences were a must for our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great! Mr H all the way!

Transport

We worked with Angel for 12 months. She knocked it out of the park. It was the perfect trip from start to finish. She answered all our questions that came up through out the entire process. She was so thorough and very prompt to respond. All tour experiences were 10/10. They were exactly what my husband and I asked to experience. We only wished we had spent one less day in Kyoto and one more day exploring Miyajima Island. Other than that we have zero complaints. Angel took the time to hear our wish list, find the perfect accommodations, and make traveling between cities and tours seamless!! Thank you Angel and team. It was the trip of a lifetime for us!

Our guides in each of the locations were friendly, knowledgeable and communicated well. The van drivers were all very good at navigating the tricky traffic. We have traveled in East Asia, Europe, North, Central and South America and this is the first time we have used a travel service like Kim Kim. Kim Kim handled all of the logistics of hotels, traveling from sight to sight and city to city, very well. It was low stress compared to handling all of it by ourselves.
We had one person in our group with mobility issues and all of our guides did a good helping this individual and keeping us on point with our tour.

Bangkok - Hotel - Very nice with a great location close to the river and sights.
Guide and driver - Mr Oakky was pleasant, spoke good English and unassuming.
Methavalia Sorndaeng restaurant was a very nice surprise.
Best stop - Wat Arun or Grand Royal Palace.

Siem Reap - Hotel - Metta- Nice Hotel with a quick TukTuk ride into the city.
Guide -Peuro, Driver-Tom Both did great.
Favorite stop. Loved them all. Ta Prohm Temple was amazing and Angkor Wat did not disappoint.

Ho Chi Minh
Hotel- Eden Star -
Guide - Happiness - Took extra steps and friendliest guide. He took pictures and short video clips and sent us video of the highlights with music. Added extras of the engraved straw on the Lan Thanh Cruise and engraved chop sticks at Xom Nho were appreciated.

Dong Hoi to Hoi An
Various Hotels
Guide - An, Driver Mr E
An did a great job for us going through the paradise cave and the DMZ.

Hanoi
Hotel -Delicacy - Least impressive but a good location.
Hotel - Paradise Grand Cruise - Best accommodations.

Guide - Huy(Wee) Did. Great job the first allowing us to see the Hanoi Hilton and the railroad market which were not included in our tour. Very friendly and spoke great English. He had a family emergency which he had to attend to. Our Driver Hung did above what was expected taking us to our cruise and back without a guide.

Hotel Reviews

Peony Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thanh Lich Royal Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoi An Delicacy Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

In two rooms in this hotel. Room 803 smelled musty and had some water damage on the outside wall. Good Air conditioner. The second room 502 the safe was not working. Friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Water damage and musty smell in room 803 and safe did not work in 502.

Sun Spa Resort

dong hoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Enjoy the beach. Only place with a beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Star Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Metta Residence & Spa

Krung Siem Reap Siem Reap

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outside of the city but an easy TukTuk ride into the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Centre Point Hotel Silom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi city sightseeing

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hoi An - Da Nang Airport - Fly to Hanoi

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wee and Hung were great this day

Transport

Hoi An Free Day

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Hoi An - Cam Thanh Coconut Village - Hoian Ancient Town

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue, Visit Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc - Hoi An

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Ok

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hue: Thuy Bieu Ecovillage, Cooking Class & Imperial Citadel

Hue

Dong Hoi - Hien Luong Bridge - Quang Tri Citadel - Hue

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh - Fly to Dong Hoi - Phong Nha Cave - Paradise Cave

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta, Explore Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Hanoi - Halong Bay, Overnight on Cruise

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap - Fly to Ho Chi Minh - Ho Chi Minh half-day city tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Happiness was great

Transport

Siem Reap: Angkor Thom - Ta Prohm - Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap: Banteay Srei - Pre Rup - Tonle Sap Lake

Siem Reap

Banteay Srei - Pre Rup was amazing. Since it was not the raining season, Tonle Sap Lake was low and we couldn't appreciate the area as much as expected. The stilted houses were interesting but didn't see wildlife or the floating village.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok - Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok - Railway market - Floating market

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

The pancakes and spring rolls were good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok City tour (B)

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi

Vietnam

We would like 2 nights here

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoyed the trip overall. Hind sight I think we would have liked to plan more physical activity and walking around. We spent entirely too much time driving from place to place. Mustapha was an amazing driver and we thoroughly enjoyed his company. We learned more about Morocco from him than all the other tour guides combined. I didn't really like the walking tour of Merrekach I don't think you really need a guide there. Ossama was a good dude and we enjoyed hanging out with him but I don't think you really need a guide there. Fez you certainly do and that was really worth while but not there.

Hotel Reviews

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

best food we had the entire trip we enjoyed staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

didn't really find it that useful. the city is easily navigated without a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

I didn't particularly care much for the whole camel ride experience. it wasn't very pleasant for me personally. the guide was a nice kid and the camp site was cool but I didn't think it was some life changing experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

honestly don't know how you could explore Fez without a guide kinda mandatory

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

beautiful mosque was cool to see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time traveling through Romania. Florin was always very responsive while planning the trip. He created a wonderful itinerary and then was also our guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and very accommodating. Everything went as expected and I feel like we made a new friend.

Our specialist was Ruth Grau. She did a very good job in suggesting locations and activities for our trip. Ruth was very communicative in the beginning until she became ill. At some point about two weeks before the trip she did not respond to our inquiries for several days. We then received an email, saying that she was very ill and it will take a few days until she’ll get back with us. We were a little stressed that we won’t be able to be booked in hotels because of the high demand during the high season. Why were our inquiries not delegated to someone else at this point?
We also asked several time for the breakdown of the costs of hotels and activities. We were told by Ruth that Kimkim does not provide this information. Why doesn’t Kimkim provide this information? It would be very useful in making decisions.
During the process of making changes to our itinerary one night lodging was left out at Te Anau. We contacted Tayla and she made other arrangements at a much reduced quality for what we paid at the Distinction Luxmore Hotel. We greatly appreciated Tayla’s prompt response and her covering the cost of that night’s lodging.

We enjoyed all the planned activities very much. Most of the accommodations were good.

Hotel Reviews

Sudima Auckland City

Auckland

Heritage Dunedin Leisure Lodge

Dunedin

Distinction Luxmore Hotel

Te Anau

Mercure Queenstown Resort

Queenstown

Heart Hotel Fox Glacier

Fox Glacier

BreakFree on Cashel

Christchurch

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Access to bed on both sides. Bed was against one wall and could only accessed from one side.

Ibis Budget Auckland Airport

Auckland Airport

Activity Reviews

Auckland Shuttle Transfer Hotel to International Airport

New Zealand

Auckland Shuttle Transfer Domestic Airport to Hotel

New Zealand

Full Day Hike (self guided) and Guided Kayak

New Zealand

Wildlife Cruise

Dunedin

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruises

New Zealand

Full Day Milford Track Giant Gate Guided Walk

New Zealand

Te Anau Glowworm Caves - ex Te Anau

New Zealand

Welcome to Te Anau

Te Anau

Half Day Wilderness Safari - Jetboat

Queenstown (NZ)

Boutique Wine Tour - Half Day

Queenstown (NZ)

Franz Joseph 4 hour Kayak and Walk

New Zealand

I wish that I could give more than 5 stars for Giulia and her team. I received more than I paid for due to Giulia's constant messages on ideas that she had and places to go. She always had an insight to where we were and was very involved before and during the trip. When I was lost on a custom or courtesy, she gently and easily readdressed it all without me having to wait a long time.
I highly recommend anyone use this team and I will be referring friends and family to Giulia as it comes up. Thank you for helping make my wife's birthday trip an unforgettable experience.

Jay and Lys

Activity Reviews

Winery visit with wine tasting and cooking class

Italy

Our day started and ended with a great driver, Stefano, who was knowledgable about the area and had a clean and beautiful van to take us around. Seriously, great driver. He was technically supposed to have dropped us off but just HAD to take us to a very romantic must see spot before we left, Piazzale Michelangelo. This was NOT on the itinerary and he made it happen. The winery was incredible and the staff were amazing. We ended up ordering a bunch of stuff, since we liked it so much!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Our guide was kind and cared about what we wanted to see, skipping things that she knew we didn't want to do, which gave us more time to see and do the things we really wanted to. As a lover of history, she was able to give us the down and dirty of everything Rome, since she is a born and raised Roman. She was amazing. I highly recommend Maria, our guide as the go to professional for anyone visiting Rome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olman at KimKim did an excellent job in planning our family spring break to Costa Rica. When we were landing extra early and due to preferences, he reversed the itinerary happily and with no issues. Selvatura Park with hanging bridges, zip line and the tarzan swing was a blast. Such a great choice for us! Two day white water rafting with an overnight on the river side was amazing! We did so much to mention but had a wonderful trip and it was so well planned by Olman at KimKim. I have tried to plan my own vacation and uncertainty and procrastination led me to not
completing. Will use KimKim for all our future trips! Already thinking about Portugal for Spring Break 2027. Definitely leaving to the experts to plan all my future travel!

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Garden Inn, La Sabana

San José

Nice hotel but only gave us two bath towels when booked for three people. Could not get anyone to answer the phone for an extra towel. Gym was really good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pacuare River Lodge

Bajo Tigre

Loved the complete disconnection. This is camping … no electricity, no wifi and no hot water which was all good but wish we knew this in advance to set our expectations. Best sleep listening to the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Excellent gym - comfortable beds / room and the breakfast was amazing. Very large hotel campus on steep mountain so you cannot get around unless you order a shuttle. It is open air - open windows as it’s very cool in Monteverde. Due to that you do hear other guests as they walk in the hall … Really enjoyed but it was a bit too big of a hotel campus for me.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were really nice and spacious bathrooms.

Activity Reviews

Day 1 Rafting Trip on Rio Pacuare - Pacuare River Lodge

Costa Rica

Amazing experience and our guides were amazing cooks…. best food we ate during our vacation

Quality of Experience

Food

Best food we had during our week trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mathilde planned a wonderful trip for our family. The variety of tours was perfect. We especially liked our food tour in Munich as it wasn’t just focused on Bavarian food, but also other international flavors which have been adopted into the culture.

The hotels were in perfect locations for walking to all the important sites.

There really isn’t anything she could have done to improve our experience. Thank you.

I do have one suggestion for KimKim though. I would wait a few days after our trip to ask for a review, as sending the email while still on vacation spoils the last day. We are not done yet. Thank you.

Best,
Christina

Activity Reviews

More Than Viktualienmarkt Food Tour

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Premium Tour

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Myths & Legends Munich walking tour

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Apple Strudel & Cookies cooking class incl. Lunch

Salzburg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salzburg Introduction

Salzburg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nuremberg Medieval Old Town Walking Tour

Nuremberg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver Mohammed was excellent. Also our guide Kamal in Fes, Ibrahim in our ATV tour and shahid in Marrakesh were very good also. Most memorable event was spending night in desert.

Hotel Reviews

2Ciels Boutique Hotel

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Perle du Dadès

Boumalne

Location

No

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

The hotel is excellent. Specially the bed and the furniture take you back to old times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boumalne Dades to Marrakech, via Ouarzazate and Ait BenHaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erg Chebbi Dunes to Boumalne Dades

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SUV excursion in the Sahara

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV / Dune Buggy Adventure in the Sahara Desert

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga Oasis and Family Lunch

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Fes to Merzouga via the Atlas Mountains (Ifrane, Azrou and Zaida)

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

En Route stop at Volubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Transport

Our trip was fantastic with exceptional hotels and terror guides. Lucy was always available to answer our questions and solve any issues we had although to be fair everything was fairly seemless. I would recommend KimKim without reservation. Thank you Lucy.

Everything was very smooth, including transfers. Two suggestions. First, rather than travelling two consecutive days to the National Park from Puerto Natales, we would have enjoyed staying in the Park one night to eliminate the travel back to town and then back to the Park. The road was very rough and tiring. I would suggest at least offering the option although I realize places to stay are limited and more costly.

Second, one of the days, the trip to Cape Froward was canceled due to weather conditions. Alex rebooked us on two substitute excursions very quickly, which we appreciated. I was concerned about the hike on the Cape Froward booking and expressed my concerns to Alex on two occasions. He assured me it was an easy walk. I spoke to several folks who did the hike and it involved fording streams and at some points using ropes to pull oneself up the mountain. I am 71 years old and I am not sure that I would have described what was a 4 hour round trip to be an easy walk. So I just recommend know your clientele because what might be an easy walk for some folks may not be for others.

Thanks.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Costanera

Puerto Natales

Very clean and well appointed hotel. Great views and good location. Good breakfast and staff very accomodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ilaia

Punta Arenas

Very welcoming and accommodating staff, a good location, and although the bedrooms were small, there were several cozy places to sit including a third floor room with great views. Also, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean, toilet located very close to shower, which made taking a shower interesting.

Activity Reviews

Trekking to Cape Froward

Punta Arenas

N/A Cancelled ... instead we were booked on a dophin viewing trip and a hike. Both were cut short due to weather. The guide on the hike was not English speaking but Nico did his best to translate. The Guide (I think Caesar) was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

a surprise treat at end of hike

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were very nice and enthusiastic

Transport

Boat Trip to Glacier Grey

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

great info on boat

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Our itinerary indicated lunch was include, but the guide said KimKim did not pay for????

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

road was incredibly rough

Explore Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Was not as informative as I expected

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Transport

Our guides (Sebastian & Edwin) were absolute ROCKSTARS! We are so grateful for the time that they spent with us. Tamer, once again, helped to create and organize another spectacular experience in Ecuador & The Galápagos Islands. Thank you!

This was a great trip which we had planned for ages as a bucket list item. We wanted to concentrate on birds and the trip that KimKim planned (Yuliana) met all our wishlist items. We were happy to let Yuliana plan the route and do all the heavy lifting on the hotel bookings, car rental and many guided walks. We added a couple of our own once we knew a bit more about where we were and had familiarised ourselves with the various areas we travelled to.
We covered a lot of ground in 17 days and experienced a variety of climates, scenery and birdlife. It was great - Costa Rica is an easy country to get around, the people are friendly and the birds of course are amazing.
One thing to note is that hotel rooms do not have kettles (some had a coffee machine, others had nothing at all) so a travelling kettle is a good idea. Best guides: Christian at La Selva; Kendall at Curi Cancha and Dylan at Manual Antonio. Their knowledge is amazing. We loved it all.

Hotel Reviews

Dreams Lodge Monteverde

Santa Elena

It's a basic B&B

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had cold water shower

The Falls at Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

We enjoyed staying here the room was lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very nice staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heliconias Nature Inn

Peñas Blancas

Sorry but this was not our favourite. Room was dark, few powerpoints, no bedside lights, WC horrible. There were nicer rooms but ours was not one. Restaurant overpriced and bad food. Also it's too far from La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auténtico Hotel

San José

Good for first night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Natural Caño Negro Lodge

we really enjoyed this hotel, lovely surroundings, friendly staff, good restaurant and bar, nice big room and shower in a natural and exotic setting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Have to drive along a bumpy dirt road to get here

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

This was not a 'birdwatching' tour but was OK. Our fellow guests were a strange lot and not very friendly. But we did see a quetzal so that was cool. It was quite crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Early Birdwatching Tour at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

One of the best trips - Kendall was amazing. Took us outside the reserve to see toucanets - brilliant. Lots of people but we saw lots of things thanks to him. He would have liked to start earlier and I think it would be good if he could have contacted us directly.

Quality of Experience

Kendall

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Nature Walk at Danaus Ecological Park

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was OK , butterfly enclosure a highlight. Not many birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos friendly and helpful

Birdwatching at Arenal Mundo Aventura Natural Park

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was good after a rather scary drive to the park in the dark. Ronald very knowledgeable and pleasant. Nice selection of birds and good breakfast afterwards - appreciated after missing breakfast at the hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Bird Watching Tour

Caño Negro

This was good and we saw loads. Minor problem was others on the boat had no binoculars so it slowed everything down. 2 good guides and nice lunch afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Birdwatching Tour at Boca Tapada

Boca Tapada

Good guide for early morning walk after downpour Christian 2. Best part about BT was the feeders which brought loads of birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Birdwatching Tour at La Selva Biological Station

Sarapiquí

Our first bird tour, very good. Loads of birds. Christian very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Night Walk at Tirimbina Rainforest Center

Sarapiquí

The link sent us to the wrong place; we eventually got there but it was pouring with rain. The bridge was very scary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She knew her stuff