Kimkim Trip Reviews

I have been very fortunate to have taken my grandchildren on 3 amazing trips through the help of KimKim and their amazing travel specialists. This trip we were just on was to Istanbul and Cappadocia. Both places we stayed in were beautiful and our accommodations were excellent thanks to Burcu, my travel specialist. She also made sure we ate well in wonderful restaurants. We couldn't ask for a better and most knowledgeable tour guide, Cengiz in Istanbul, showing us the Blue Mosque, The Topkapi Palace, the Bazaar, taking us on a Food Tour and explaining the history of each place we visited, making the trip even more enjoyable. The Turkish Bath was the hit of our tour in Istanbul as the girls absolutely loved it. We flew into Cappadocia to do the Air Balloon which was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. This did not matter as their tour in the Underground City and the Perfume making made up for it. Not only that but our accommodations in the Kayakapi Premium Cave Hotel was incredible and the sun came out for the kids to enjoy the pool and a swim before flying back to Istanbul. This trip was absolutely wonderful thanks to Burcu, our drivers, and our tour guides. I only wish we were their a few more days to enjoy this beautiful city!

The KimKim team was amazing to work with from planning to in country support. They guided us to great hotels, excursions and transportation while helping us stay within the budget we had set. I highly recommend KimKim for planning your dream vacation!

Audrey helped us plan the perfect vacation to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. My entire life I have wanted to visit the Camargue to experience the horses, bulls, and salt marshes. This trip did not disappoint. From the moment we stepped off the plain our agent Audrey planned a vacation / adventure perfectly balanced with self-guided excursions and pre-arranged activities. Our stay in Arles at the Maison Douce Arles was a quiet oasis located in the center of the city, within easy walking of Roman monuments and great restaurants. Our hosts at Maison Douce Arles had an incredible varied breakfast and gave good tips for our time in Arles including making reservations at the Mesa, an excellent relatively new restaurant with a daily changing menu.

We stayed at Mas de Peint in the Camargue for five nights. The staff at this country house were always available. The house grounds are set within a working ranch and farm with great walks past horse and bull pastures, along rice fields, apple orchards and all the way to the Rhône. We were often up early and needed to leave before the scheduled breakfast time and the kitchen staff accommodated our schedules by opening breakfast early and offering to prepare picnic lunches. The evening dinner by Chef Dan Rodrigues truly did reflect the country and I am sure the kitchen and chef will soon have their star.

The itinerary Audrey prepared was the perfect local experience. From activities like Kayaking with Manu on the Rhône, horse riding in Domaine de Pallisade, Les Carrières des Lumières, Parc Ornithologique and touring the olive estate Moulin de Castlelas we were amazed at each stop. We also attended the Course Camurgaise and cheered on the home team, Manade de Jacques Bon.

We could not have planned this trip without Audrey. It was an incredible celebration of the local Camargais culture and we thoroughly loved every second.

Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

La Bastide Bourrelly

Cabriès

Do not miss the incredible dinner at this starred restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very conveniently located close to the airport in a charming village of Provence.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Mas de Peint, Manade Jacques Bon

Arles

We stayed at Mas de Peint in the Camargue for five nights. The staff at this country house were always available. The house grounds are set within a working ranch and farm with great walks past horse and bull pastures, along rice fields, apple orchards and all the way to the Rhône. We were often up early and needed to leave before the scheduled breakfast time and the kitchen staff accommodated our schedules by opening breakfast early and offering to prepare picnic lunches. The evening dinner by Chef Dan Rodrigues truly did reflect the country and I am sure the kitchen and chef will soon have their star.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Douce Arles

Arles

Our stay in Arles at the Maison Douce Arles was a quiet oasis located in the center of the city, within easy walking of Roman monuments and great restaurants. Our hosts at Maison Douce Arles had an incredible varied breakfast and gave good tips for our time in Arles including making reservations at the Mesa, an excellent relatively new restaurant with a daily changing menu.

Authenticity & Character

The hosts were incredible, the rooms beautiful.

Location

It was perfectly located in its own quiet oasis in the city center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Kayak Tour in the Camargue

France

Kayaking with Manu is incredible experience. He guided through a windy excursion the Rhône and while tailoring the adventure to our skill levels. He was a great guide and instructor and gave us inside view of the Rhône an estuaries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Horseback Ride

France

I highly recommend this outfitter for horse riding in the Camargue. The guide Amelie is extremely knowledgeable and personable and led us on an incredible adventure through the Camargue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 7 days in Madrid and we could have stayed another 7 days. Julie and her team curated an incredible experience for my family. From the beginning, Julie listened and asked lots of questions about what we wanted from our trip. She then put together a detailed itinerary that hit all of our wants. From our perfectly situated hotel, to off the beaten path walking tours, amazing day trips, all while still getting in all the “must do” sights, Julie made our trip unforgettable. The best part was we were not over scheduled. We were able to enjoy time on our own to explore the city. We meet so many wonderful people on our tours and all of the tour operators were top notch. We are so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Julie and her team at KimKim. We can’t wait to book our next trip. Hasta luego.

Hotel Review

Hotel Regina

Madrid

Perfect location. Staff was amazing. Hotel is so clean. We loved our room, nice sitting area to spread out and relax after walking all day. Hotel has a nice rooftop lounge that is a little oasis. No bar, just shaded lounges and conversation areas and a water feature to just get a little peace and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Very clean, modern design,

Location

City center near Puerta del Sol. Walking distance to all Madrid sites.

Staff

Staff were nice, helpful and patient with our Spanish.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean. It was impressive how clean it was.

Activity Reviews

Royal Palace Visit

Madrid

Great tour of this incredible palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Toledo Cathedral Visit, History Walk and Self-Guided Experience by Train

Madrid

We took the high speed rail to Toledo. This is a must do. Don’t skip this tour. We learned so much. I would have liked more time on our own to explore the city itself after the guided tour finished. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paella Cooking Class with Market Visit

Madrid

This was one of the best cooking classes we have ever taken. Loved this class! Chef was enthusiastic and so funny. Tour of the local markets was fantastic. Highly recommend this class.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

We made sangria, gazpacho and paella

Food

We made sangria, gazpacho and paella

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco & Tapas Night

Madrid

A must do in Madrid. Dancers are amazing.

Quality of Experience

Private Chueca Neighborhood Walk

Madrid

Our tour guide JC gave us a real locals tour of this interesting area of Madrid.

Quality of Experience

Great tour. Local guide was so engaging. Took us through some hidden gems of the neighborhood and gave a great history lesson on the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Madrid Wineries

Madrid

Wow! What a great way to learn about the history of wine making in Spain, met incredible people and drink some fantastic wine.

Quality of Experience

Loved to tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great tor guide

Transport

Easy bus ride to the bodegas. We visited three. One was in a 15th century converted monastery.

Evening Tapas, Taverns & History Walk

Madrid

Our tour guide Samantha was fantastic. We stopped at 4 incredibly unique tapas restaurants. Our tour group was great we continued the party after the tour and hit a few more bars.

Quality of Experience

Great way to learn about tapas and the culinary culture of Spain

Food

All the tapas were delicious. So many great stops on this tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour was amazing.

Prado Museum & Cultural Walk with Lunch at Botín

Madrid

Tour was good. Lots of information in a short amount of time. We went back on our own to explore more of the museum. The tour gives you about 90 minutes. No photos allowed in The Prado. Botin,is a must do. Pictures don’t do it justice, wine cellar alone is a marvel.

Quality of Experience

Tour was good. It hits the highlights, but it is short.

Food

Botin food was delicious. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide was great. She definitely keeps you on task.

Self-Guided El Centro Walk

Madrid

Great way to introduce yourself to the city. We grabbed coffee and walked to Plaza Mayor and just wondered around. So much to see in the area around the plaza.

Quality of Experience

Loved just walking around with no real goal, just exploring to area.

Our trip was really awesome! We had a great variety of cities and remote areas. We enjoyed all of our tours. Uluru and Kangaroo Island were our favorite places, as we felt that those places really depicted Australia for us.

Hotel Review

Longitude 131˚

Yulara

This lodge was absolutely awesome! We were so spoiled and pampered. The guides were so passionate about Uluru and the culture. We saw and learned so much that it made us feel like we understood a little bit about the history of Australia.

Authenticity & Character

The luxury tents were very comfortable, but still fit into landscape.

Location

Perfect location for seeing the most important places in the area. Also close to the airport.

Staff

They were all very friendly, polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect!

Activity Review

2 Days / 2 Nights Kangaroo Island in Style

Australia

Our guides were so passionate about their island! They both grew up on Kangaroo Island and knew a lot of insider information that we would never have found out alone. They took us to lots of places where koalas, wallabies and kangaroos lived in their natural habitat. We also heard lots of interesting stories about the island.

Quality of Experience

The variety of animals in their natural habitat was amazing.

Food

We had wonderful picnics in the bush

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very passionate about their Island

Transport

Small group in a small transporter.

We truly enjoyed the locations we visited with our favorite location being Provence. The choice of hotels was wonderful as they were all very quaint and memorable boutique places. The guides were very good with our favorites being Ocean and Coco.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel d’Europe

Avignon

This hotel has an amazing location right in the old town so it’s easy walking to the city. It’s very quiet and the staff were friendly and helpful. We had dinner in the gastronomic restaurant and it was very good and since it was a very small room it was more quiet and romantic and the food was very good.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has the old world quaint boutique hotel.

Location

The location is right in the old city and so it’s an easy walk into the town.

Staff

They were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Pigonnet

Aix-en-Provence

The hotel itself is beautiful and the grounds are lovely and they have the most amazing garden. Our room, however, was strange. We were supposed to have a garden view suite but they gave us a weird 2 bedroom room that had to bedrooms, one that was always very cold, and three bathroom rooms. It would have been nicer to have had a sitting area instead of two bedrooms since it was only the two of us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is beautiful and very close to the town. The garden is lovely.

Staff

The staff were helpful but didn’t seem overly friendly but could have been that we didn’t get there until late in the evening.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean but one of the bedrooms was very cold no matter how much we turned up the heat. We had to just keep that door closed so it wouldn’t cool down the rest of the rooms.

La Pérouse 4*

Nice

This was a unique hotel. Upon check in there was an issue with our original room so they put us in the best suite with the most amazing balcony/patio with an almost 360 view of the ocean and the city of Nice. The location is quiet and perfectly situated and the staff are very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

This is an old hotel that has such a unique character that we truly enjoyed and would certainly stay there again.

Location

It’s quiet and has the most amazing view of the ocean.

Staff

The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Wine Tour in the Hilltops of Nice

Nice

We enjoyed this wine tour but what added to it was that our driver/guide was so fun and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ocean was a great guide/driver. She added a stop in the village of St. Paul de Vence and also stopped at a winery that we we really wanted to visit.

Transport

Ocean was our driver and guide and did a great job.

Gourmet Stroll in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was a nice tour to get a taste of the specialties in the Aix with the stories behind them. Coco was knowledgeable, personable and accommodating. This day was market day so we were able to experience which was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coco was a great guide. She’s very personable and knowledgeable.

Transport

It was a walking tour so transport was walking, which we enjoyed.

Private City Walk Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was a great overview of the city and a very pleasant tour.

Quality of Experience

I recommend this tour as it gives a nice overview of Aix.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Erin was a wonderful guide. She is very pleasant and is originally from the U.S. so we got a different perspective of the area. She is extremely pleasant and knowledgeable.

Transport

It was a walking tour so no need for transport

Private Roman Highlights: Nîmes, Orange & Pont du Gard

Avignon

This was a nice tour of Avignon and Pont du Gard. Pont du Gard is a must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jeremy was a great guide. He was knowledgeable and easy to understand and very personable.

Transport

Our guide was our driver which is what we prefer

Full Day Exploration of St Remy and Arles

Avignon

We enjoyed our day with the guide exploring Arles, Saint Remy and Orange.

Quality of Experience

The tour allowed us to get a good overview of Arles, Saint Remy and Orange.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matilda was an excellent guide. We wanted to see a town that was not on the original itinerary and she accommodated that and she was knowledgeable and very sweet.

Transport

Booked a trip last minute (2 weeks prior) and Sangita helped to arrange for everything within 2-3 days. Apart from that, she also managed to use her local connections to get me paragliding and silver making workshop at short notice whilst I was on the trip.

I had the opportunity to visit multiple cities (Kathmandu/Patan - cities, nagarkot/chisapani - mountain trek overnight stops and multiple other small villages)

The guides for my mountain trek (Bhim) and city tours (Rajiv) were also amazing. In particular, Rajiv was incredibly knowledgeable and managed to answer a lot of my random questions!!

To be very honest, I was really apprehensive about booking with them at first, especially since nepal isn't a common travel destination. However, by the end of my short 9 days trip, I was left wanting more.

In short, if you're thinking about visiting Nepal, dont hesitate!! Highly recommended country and book with this company :)

My first time to Korea was an absolute treat. After spit balling all my requests, Christine created the dream itinerary. All my tour guides were knowledgeable, warm, friendly, inviting, and personable (shout out to Lisa, Jade & Jimmie). I felt so spoiled in our private escorts! 5 stars all around. Thank you again!

Our trip was magnificent! Our guides, Rony Nikolai Henry Wilbur Franco were informative, fun and made our adventure the trip of a lifetime !

We just returned from Thailand and it was absolutely amazing. From the start of the planning of the trip to the day we returned. Elena my trip advisor had everything planned perfectly from the private car pick ups to the sight seeing tours, cultural experiences, and island jumping to Phuket. I actually broke my foot in the airportdeplaning the airline that took us to Phuket and although I didn't get to attend everything Elena had planned for us in the itinerary I still enjoyed the ambiance, environment and atmosphere. Our tour guide Pom was fantastic, I love his people personality. He was very informative, taking us to some great temples and eatery places. This was definitely one of my favorite trips thanks to Elena and pom.

A very well executed trip and we returned home ready to plan another international trip. Both guides in Rome from LivTours were Great and would highly recommend them to our friends. Colosseum, a lady..Solevia(?) and Giovani for the Vatican. Same with St. Marks & Doges Palace, Pizza class, Amalfi Coast with Vinny from New Jersey. In Naples & Veiled Chryst was a terrific local professor, she was great too. A hiccup for Pompeii with finding our now larger group ended up with another terrific guide in Thomas, Tom or Tomas so this also worked out although waiting for all the others in that group took an hour. Our Trekking in the Chianti Hills was an ‘experience’ and I should have asked more questions…we were not prepared for a 10 mile up/down hike so we called it early and were picked up after 6.4 miles. Dealing with trains was easy after the first one. Hotels were good, only hotel with a washer/dryer for laundry was our first stop…Numo. Not a big deal but we had read that some of our hotels had “laundry” but it ended up as a service only, to send clothes out to have laundered. So we did clothes in the sink and hung up to dry the rest of the trip to stay fresh. We searched & found several restaurants that did not have a ‘Carnival barker’ outside trying to bring you in. And we found good food and deserts. We did 15K - 25K steps each day and lug our two carry on suitcases over the streets and through neighborhoods so we got immersed in each city from the get-go.

This is the first time I have had a travel company book a trip for me. It was so worth it! Liam from Highpoint Travel put together an amazing itinerary for us. He was always available for hiccups. Every hotel and tour booking was spot on! He booked us in a variety of hotels at great locations. There were some tours I would like to especially highlight. The Hebridean Farm Hike with Karen Elwis was especially memorable. Karen was absolutely charming, informative and fun. She even pulled my leg out of a mud sink hole and cleaned my shoe:) She has to be a definite booking for anyone travelling to the Isle of Mull. Additionally, Steve with Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris in Aviemore was amazing. We covered so much in our four-hour safari. Steve, too, was informative and fun. Booking with Steve is a must for the Cairngorms National Forest. Our Edinburg tour guide Garreth was wonderful. He took us off the beaten path and it was so fascinating. Also, our Stirling Castle tour guide Bruce gets two thumbs up. Really enjoyed our tour with both of them. And our Glencoe tour guide Hannah was very sweet and patient with my level of hiking. And loved her dog Inka.

Hotel Reviews

Douglas Hotel

Brodick

Loved this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Isle of Mull Hotel and Spa

Isle of Mull

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Courtyard by Marriott SEC

Glasgow

The hotel was in a great location. Very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Absolutely loved David Rose. He checked us in and was incredibly helpful. I can't say enough about Aeden Doig in the bar/restaurant. He was such a joy. Fun and engaging. Took good care of us. As did Anja. She was an absolutely charming and a wonderful server!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oban Bay Hotel

Oban

Great hotel. We were there for such a brief time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The reception staff and the bar staff were wonderful. Loved them.

Cleanliness & Comfort

RiverBeds - Luxury Wee Lodges with Hot Tubs

Ballachulish

Loved this hotel. The experience was so much fun!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Loved the staff. So friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bracken Hide Hotel

Portree

Fun hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cairngorms Guest House

Aviemore

Bed was small for us, but other than that it was a lovely hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Our dinner server was great. I didn't get her name though:(

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tigerlily

Edinburgh

Fun hotel. Location was great. Loved the girl who checked us in and the breakfast servers. So cheerful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Grand, York

North Yorkshire

Loved, loved, loved The Grand York. It truly was grand. We loved our server at dinner, Jack. He was so personal and took great care of us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jack in the restaurant was wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Belgrave Hotel

London

Loved the location. The bed was a bit small, but other than that, it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free time in Camden Town!

London

Didn't know what to expect. My husband wanted to go to Camden Town because of it's history with the Swinging '60s. It was a wonderfully crazy experience!

Guided Hebridean Farm Hike

Scotland

The whole experience was wonderful. Karen Elwis was so charming and informative. We had such a good time. What she and her husband are doing to preserve their Hebridean Farm is stellar. This experience is a must for any future travelers. Hard for me to put into words how special this was!

Quality of Experience

The whole experience was special. I can't even find the words that would describe it. Magical.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wish I could give Karen a ten!!!!

My husband and I enjoyed our trip. Valentina was easy to work with and was always quick to respond to questions. The hotel in Maranola was great. Excellent location, comfortable room with a great view, good breakfast and excellent staff. Our guide the first day was excellent. She walked us around some of the villages and was so helpful teaching us how to use the train and get to the trail near our hotel. It was a great introduction to Cinque Terre. Perfect way to start. We loved the pesto making class with Micky and her father in law. What a fun experience and a beautiful setting. Our local contact always checked in and always kept us updated with our itinerary. The transportation from Florence and to Bolzano was great and both were on time. The hotel in Bolzano was amazing. Thanks to all involved for a great experience.

Kimkim needs to do a better job vetting local specialists. We dealt with 3 different specialists at Shanti Travel since first planning our trip. The high turnover should have been a red flag. We spoke about our concerns to someone from Kimkim before our final payment was due. All of the specialists were pleasant to deal with and were responsive, but only had months to a few years of experience.
The most egregious error had to do with an internal flight that Shanti (Kimkim) booked for us at the very start of our trip. The 6 am flight had been cancelled months before and was never rebooked by the agent. If we weren’t staying at the airport hotel and checked the flight status at the airport counter the night before, we would have shown up in the morning and had no flight ( and would have missed the early morning flight on a different airline which we wound up taking). They did not apologize or take ownership of the mistake.
The best part of our trip we arranged on our own, a 12 day snorkel liveaboard cruise in Raja Ampat on Wisesa.
That said, we enjoyed our itinerary to Borneo, Yogyakarta, East Java (Bromo, Tumpak Sewu), Bali and Gili Air. On previous trips with Kimkim to India and Cambodia, we had guides and drivers. On this trip to Indonesia, we had drivers, some of whom spoke limited English, and then guides which we would meet at some of the stops hired on the spot.
We were very pleased with Kimkim in the past and have recommended them to several friends. Now, I’m not sure that we would use them again.

Hotel Reviews

Slow Private Pool Villa

Gili Air

Having a villa with our pool was great. We would be delivered breakfast each morning to enjoy at a table next to our pool. The location was good, a short walk to the west facing beaches. There were many restaurants and bars along the beach to watch the sunset and have dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

If there is a hotel as nice as this, but closer to the beach, it might be preferable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arkamara Dijiwa Ubud

Bali

The hotel is in a beautiful peaceful location, a short drive away from the center of Ubud. The room was very nicely decorated. The pool was beautiful. Breakfasts and dinner at the hotel were excellent, with a Balinese dancer at dinner. We enjoyed the spa very much.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Peaceful location near rice fields away from the traffic in central Ubud

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tugu Malang

Malang

This was one of my favorite hotels and I had to request it myself. The agent had originally recommended a place closer to Tumpak Sewu which was more rustic. Since we were staying at Lava View Lodge (very rustic) the night before, we opted for more luxury, but a longer drive. Tugu Malang was beautiful, like a museum. There was a tea house with excellent complimentary afternoon tea. À la carte breakfasts were amazing. The staff couldn’t be better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A quieter area in Malang to walk around a bit. Close drive to Colorful Village. 2 hour drive to Tumpak Sewu, but definitely worth the drive. Much closer to Surabaya airport

Staff

Some of the best service I’ve ever had at a hotel

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava View Lodge Hotel

The only plus to this hotel is the proximity to Bromo. For sunrise, we needed to leave at 2 am instead of 12:30 am. We had the best room (suite) and the bathroom was like what you would picture at a train station. The bed was comfortable enough but I couldn’t sleep at all because of people talking all night in a seating area outside our room, as well as the lights outside our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

YOGYAKARTA

Beautiful hotel, excellent breakfast. Staying in the section near the pool may have been nicer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Service was excellent and instantaneous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rimba Lodge

We spent almost all of our time, including meals, on the houseboat, the service and food which was very good. The boat wasn’t the most comfortable though. Instead of staying at Rimba Lodge, which was very rustic, I would recommend staying on a luxury deluxe houseboat and sleeping on the boat.

Authenticity & Character

I

Location

On the river, in the National Park, but sleeping on a luxury boat with AC would be more comfortable.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jakarta Airport Hotel

Jakarta

Our flight arrived early and Kimkim should have booked the room for the night before so that we could check in early morning. Instead, we had to pay at the front desk. The room rate was very inexpensive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gili Islands Snorkeling

Indonesia

We had arranged on our own snorkeling in Raja Ampat immediately preceding this trip with Kimkim. Nothing can compare to that. For this snorkel trip, we had a private boat and got to see the underwater statue near Gili T and some pretty coral and fish at Gili Meno. There were too many other people at these sites for it to be very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Canoe & Trekking at Bratan Lake

Indonesia

This was a great day, heading north from Ubud to a much quieter region. Probably what Bali was like 25 years ago. With a guide, we paddled an outrigger canoe (he did most of the work) on Beraton Lake. We got very close to the Ulun Danu Temple, built on the lake. On the other side of the lake, the guide led us on a hike through the jungle, pointing out various edible, medicinal plants and spices. We then had a picnic near a waterfall. We didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to spend walking around the rice terraces which were nearby.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Taman Beji Griya - Purification Ritual

Indonesia

This is a unique experience and fun. With a guide, we visit a temple under a waterfall and make offerings along the way. We were barefoot, wearing only a sarong with a swimsuit under. Also this day, we visited Sangeh monkey forest and went to a dance performance at Ubud Palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Tumpak Sewu

Indonesia

Very beautiful waterfall. The panoramic viewpoint was great and there were many people with drones. I went with the guide down the more than 400 steps to the bottom. Some were a little slippery, but there was a railing the whole way. The guide took photos and videos on his phone and then sent it to me via Airdrop at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Trek to Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo, East Java

We were lucky that most of the clouds cleared as we got close to sunrise. About 5 cones are visible with Bromo constantly sending up smoke. The largest peak, Meru, has small eruptions about every 15 minutes. There are 3 viewpoints and the traffic to get there for sunrise is horrendous. We stayed at the closest hotel (which I wouldn’t recommend) and left the hotel at 2 am. Many jeeps were already there, parked on both sides of this narrow road near the viewpoints. We parked a bit further down the road to be able to make a quicker exit after sunrise. This meant we hiked up the road to the highest viewpoint, breathing all the exhaust from jeeps blocking the road. Once there, we waited in the cold for 2 hours until sunrise. Bring a down jacket, hat and gloves. After sunrise, it took more than an hour waiting in traffic. Some jeeps are just parked in the center of the road, preventing passage. From here, we drove through the sea of sand and climbed the steps to the rim of Bromo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Madakaripura Waterfalls

Indonesia

The waterfall is beautiful and one of the highest in Indonesia. It doesn’t get the same crowds as Tumpak Sewu yet. The problem was that the road leading up to it was washed out and we had to take a motorbike taxi through the forest, crossing a stream over a rickety bamboo bridge. The river was brown which occurs from run off after the rainy season. The guide was very helpful in assisting us to the waterfall navigating rocks while crossing the river 3-4 times. They provide a helmet to wear and a poncho and sturdy waterproof sandals are needed. I’m not sure I would do this again (mainly because of the motorbike ride).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was concerned about our safety and took good pictures for us.

Visit Borobudur Temple, Pawon Temple, Mendut Temple, and Yogyakarta Market

Yogyakarta

Another place on our bucket list. It’s the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Photos don’t do it justice. It’s not allowed to have private guides We were placed in a group of about 10 people with an English speaking guide who was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class in Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta

We did this in the late afternoon so did not go to the market with the guide to get the ingredients. Instead, this served as our dinner. We cooked some typical Indonesian dishes, including Gado-gado (tempeh and vegetables), shrimp with spices cooked in banana leaf and rice. Our guide, Yasmin, was great and we enjoyed conversation with her about life in Indonesia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Prambanan Temple and see Ramayana Show

Yogyakarta

A Hindu temple from the 8th century almost as impressive as Angkor Wat. Our guide was excellent, explaining the exquisite carvings in the stone. One section depicted the Ramayana story, which helped us to understand the dance performance that evening. The performance is typically done in an outdoor venue with the illuminated temple as a backdrop if the weather cooperates. Our driver took us to a nearby restaurant for dinner before the performance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Silver Class in Kota Gede

Yogyakarta

This was fun. The jewelry is filigree, using silver wire to make earrings and a pendant. It was a private session and we had a lot of help. You need good eyes. We didn’t have the time to complete the pieces, but they finished them for us and delivered the pieces to our hotel.

Borneo: Rimba Lodge – Pondok Tanggui – Camp Leakey – Rimba Lodge

Pangkalan Bun

We had more than 2 days going up and down the Sekonyer river, which was very peaceful with many birds. We stopped at the 3 orangutan feeding stations where rangers put out food at specified times during the day. We had to cross over about 3-4 boats to get to the docks. There were quite a lot of people at each of the stations, but we were fortunate to see the alpha male, females and juveniles at each stop. At several times, we were able to see orangutans in the wild as we were cruising the river, as well as many Proboscis monkeys. Our guide, Saiful, was one of the best on our entire trip, explaining and spotting wildlife. The food was very good and Saiful gave us information about each of the dishes and snacks we were served.

Quality of Experience

Food

The quantity, variety and tastiness of the food served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks was excellent. The cook did not speak English, but our guide explained all of the dishes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Saiful was an excellent guide.

Transport

We just returned from an incredible 7-day journey through Japan, and we are still floating! From the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the tranquil hot springs of Hakone and the historic charm of Kyoto, every detail of this trip was flawlessly executed thanks to Bella.

A massive shoutout to our incredible team who made the logistics effortless. Right from the start, we were picked up at the airport by a very capable driver named Song, who also safely and smoothly drove us out to Hakone later in the week. Navigating the country was a breeze thanks to our spectacular guide, Roy. We cannot say enough good things about him! He helped us master the Tokyo rail system and expertly guided us through our stay in Hakone. We affectionately referred to him as our Japanese Dad. If given the opportunity, request Roy to be your guide.

In Tokyo, we stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel, which was incredibly comfortable and so convenient for exploring the city. Tokyo was a whirlwind of amazing sights, perfectly balancing futuristic fun with deep history. Some of our highlights included, flying through the streets doing Akihabara Go-Karting, immersing ourselves in the stunning digital art at teamLab Borderless, and experiencing the organized chaos of Shibuya Crossing.
We slowed things down with beautiful tours of the Imperial Gardens and Meiji Shrine, and ate our way through the spectacular Tsukiji Food Market.

We then traveled to the countryside (Hakone) with our guide, Roy and driver, Song. Hakone was arguably the highlight of the entire trip, largely because we stayed at the stunning Ten-Yu hotel. It featured amazing hot spring onsens, which quickly became our absolute favorite part of the trip. We cycled along Lake Yamanaka with a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji framing the background—a picture-postcard moment we will never forget. We traveled by cable car and gondola up to the Owakudani valley to see the steaming volcanic vents. While there, we tried the famous black eggs boiled in the hot springs, which are said to add seven years to your life!

We then traveled to Kyoto by bullet train. We wrapped up our week staying at the Celestial Hotel Gion in Kyoto. It was in a fantastic location right in the heart of the historic Geisha district, and it even featured its own onsen for us to enjoy. We got dressed up in traditional Kimonos and attended a beautiful, serene traditional tea ceremony. On our last day, our wonderful guide Ursula took us to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the monkey park, wrapping it all up with a food tour through Nishiki Market. Ursula was fantastic—incredibly flexible and more than willing to adjust our schedule on the fly to make sure we got the most out of our day.

This trip was the perfect blend of fast-paced city life, deep relaxation, and rich cultural immersion. The warmth of the people, the expertise of our drivers and guides, and the sheer beauty of Japan made this a vacation we will cherish forever. Thank you to Bella for all her help in planning it.

Hotel Reviews

The Celestine Hotel Gion

Kyoto

Location, location, location. This hotel was in the Geisha district and surrounded by shrines and temples. You could also walk to the more modern areas of Kyoto within 5 minutes. The rooms are very well designed with probably the best water pressure in the showers that I have ever experienced. The onsen is also very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

Loved this hotel. The Onsens were spectacular! The views from the 6th floor onsen were breathtaking. The breakfast buffet had a wide variety of food.

Authenticity & Character

Probably the most authentic hotel of our stay. Each room had "bath clothes" or Yukatas for you to wear around while during your stay. We were even encouraged to wear them to dinner (which we did).

Location

Not really a hotel in which you can walk to many places. But the hotel had all the amenities you could ask for. They had 3 restaurants on site.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

Convenient to the rail system and had a 7 Eleven in the lobby. The breakfast buffet had an amazing variety of Western and Japanese food. The rooms were large and quiet. I would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

More modern. Not much Japanese character.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Cultural & Active Full-Day Tour (with Guide, by Public Transport)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hakone Adventure: Exploring Mt. Owakudani and Majestic Landscapes in Public Transportation

Hakone

Traveling by cable car and gondola up a volcano was so cool! We even added 7 years to our life by eating the black eggs cooked in the natural hot springs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo to Mt. Fuji (Lake Yamanaka Biking) & Hakone Relaxing Day Trip

Japan

Had amazing views of Mt Fuji while cycling around Lake Yamanake. Roy led us around the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Highlights Full-Day Tour (with Guide, by Public Transportation)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Cultural Experience at Kinkaku-ji & Kimono Tea Ceremony, and Gion（Private Guide &Public Transportation）

Kyoto

A must do.

🚗Tokyo Cultural & Culinary Adventure: Markets, Shrines, Sky-Views （Guide, Public Transportation）

Tokyo

I would skip the Imperial Gardens and just do the Meiji Shrine. Our guide, Roy, knew all the best spots in the Tsukiji food market. We got some of the most delicious fatty tuna thanks to Roy's knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roy was the best!

Transport

The trip was amazing, we saw all the things we wanted to and everything was so well planned out for us. We loved the Ring of Kerry drive most, do not miss Valentina Island and the Kerry Cliffs.. wow! The one thing we might have changed was staying in Killarney for 3 nights instead of 2, you can spend a whole day just in the national park, so much to see!

Coraima planned an amazing honeymoon trip for us in Portugal. Our guides Frederico and Alex gave us all the beauty of Sintra and ended each day with great local authentic restaurant recommendations. Sintra Marmòis Camelia is beautiful hotel that also gave us access to free live music and wine tastings at their sister hotel within walking distance.
Our time at Casa de São Domingos in Regua was wonderful. This is a beautiful place with breathtaking views everywhere you look. Vasco gave us a great tour of his family winery Quinta Barqueiros. It felt more like we were hanging out with a friend in their home who was explaining their passion and career to us than paying an overtired guide just trying to get through the day.
Lagos is beautiful and we will hopefully be able to spend more time in Algarve in the future. MN56 has it all and is right in the heart of all the action. We questioned whether we should do both the kayak and boat tour on back to back days. Do them both! Our walking food tour with Sophia was potentially the highlight of the trip. She was friendly, funny, and showed us some of the best food we have ever had.
Our cooking class with Chef Angela at Cooking Lisbon which included a trip to the market together was an unforgettable experience. I only wish we had more time to spend in Lisbon. If you’re visiting Portugal you MUST go see Fado. We had a delicious dinner accompanied by live Fado at a rustic family run restaurant called Senhora do Fado.
My wife and I are very busy and planning a trip like this isn’t something that falls in our wheelhouse. Coraima and KimKim made it so easy to take this trip. Our hotels, transfers, and daily activities were all planned and everything happened seamlessly every step of the way. The KimKim app gave us our itinerary at our fingertips and made contacting any guides, drivers, hotels, etc. foolproof.

I absolutely 10/10 recommend Coraima and KimKim for planning any travel/vacations and can guarantee we will be repeat customers.

Philip was an amazing tour guide. He took us to Sintra and Cascais and was fabulous in imparting his knowledge on history and culture. He made the trip richer with his insights. We looooooved the wine tour in the Algarve. Our hotels were great and the entire trip went off absolutely seamlessly. Our trip planners and guides communicated impeccably. Everything ran like clockwork. We loved Lisbon and Lagos. The food was fantastic and we were able to work some of it off climbing many hills!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

Hotel was well located near the Avenida da Liberdade and the Principe Real neighborhoods. The hotel is beautiful and historic. We had to leave too early for the breakfast but they have an afternoon happy hour and the staff is lovely. We were upgraded to a spacious junior suite.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The MN56 Hotel

Lagos

Hotel is located right in the middle of the historic part of town. It was a great location for exploring the city, accessing the marina on foot and accessing the Ponta da Piedade with a short walk. The pool was nice to have and there is a nice area to sit outside of your room. Room had ample space.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado

Lisbon

We loved the location of this hotel. The staff were extremely accommodating and left us a lovely gift every day. The only downside is that there is no common space to sit outside of your room. The breakfast was perfect and the room was small but comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Benagil Cave Visit by RIB

Lagos (Algarve)

The cave was slightly disappointing. It's small and crowded with other boats inside. It was also a 30 minute speedboat ride down the coast each way and it was chilly on the ride. We enjoyed seeing other towns on the return trip as the boat went a little closer to the shore. Pretty coastal views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ponta da Piedade by Boat Excursion

Lagos (Algarve)

This was a nice morning boat trip. The guides were great and it's a lovely cruise at a relaxed pace and the views are gorgeous. Learned a lot about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where the Sea Meets the Vines - Winery Hopping

Lagos (Algarve)

This was our favorite day. We went to a small winery in an old convent. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and drove us around the property and amongst the vines to see the grapes and learn about the topography. We went to the production facility and learned about how the wine is made. The tasting room was beautiful and they had great wines and a lovely cheese plate for us. We then went to a second and larger winery with a gorgeous patio where we did the tasting outside. We tasted a number of wines and had tapas with it. The scenery is beautiful and we loved learning about wines we were unfamiliar with.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

🥾 Self-Guided Coastal Hike: Lagos Old Town to Ponta da Piedade

Lagos (Algarve)

Cannot say enough good things about this hike. We LOVED it. We had a lovely lunch at O Camilo - make a reservation as it was crowded and there was a long wait! The path has gorgeous views. It's also great for running and we went another night for a spectacular sunset, which was a very popular time there. The stairs to Praia de Camilo were unfortunately closed, and we read that's the best place to walk down to a beach. There is another set of stairs further down the path but they do not lead to a beach. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

This was a great food tour. It was less walking than I had expected and didn't include any hills! The tour description said we would have 16 tastes, but we had 12. The tour also lasted 30 minutes longer than noted, but this wasn't a problem for us. Our guide was great and we saw some new areas of the city on the walk. They also accommodated non meat-eaters and non-alcohol drinkers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Palaces to the Edge of Europe – Sintra & Cabo da Roca

Lisbon

This was a great day. Unfortunately, we were not aware of how windy and chilly Sintra can be in May. We were freezing cold at Pena Palace, all of which is either outdoors or in the open. It was very different weather in Sintra than Lisbon. The town of Sintra is adorable and our tour guide, Philip, treated us to amazing pastries. We really enjoyed Quinta da Regaleira. It was warmer there and a beautiful day to walk around. We stopped at Cabo da Roca to take a quick picture, but didn't stay long as it was extremely windy. We had a nice afternoon in Cascais.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking with Active India Holidays was the best decision I could have made for this trip to India. Everything was so well handled from the airport pick-up and drop-offs to the hotel check-ins. We stayed in 5 different cities, and in each we had beautiful and comfortable hotels, amazing tour guides, and excellent drivers. Our favorite driver throughout the whole trip was Mr. Brijesh- he was with us for 3 of the 5 cities, and he made the journey smoother. He drove very safely, was always punctual, and always polite. He also had everything we needed in his trunk, such as cold water and umbrellas for the hot days. Mr. Ganesh, our airport representative, was amazing. He took his time to explain everything to us, made us feel welcome in India, and was very helpful during our first city transfer. We really liked all of our tour guides: They were all very punctual, helpful, informative, and polite. All of our guides were so kind to take many of our photos. Mr. Dharmender in Delhi was so patient with us- keeping up with our pace, answering all of our questions, and even thought of giving us quick history lessons in the shaded areas. He took us to a place where we got gorgeous and reasonably priced indian wear. Mr. Mohan in Varanasi was very amenable - we had to rearrange our tours due to a medical issue, and Mr. Mohan was very nice to work with us, but also made sure we still could visit everywhere we had planned to. In Agra, Mr. Ronit was very thoughtful when it came to visiting the Taj Mahal and making sure we were aware of the tourist traps. He took lovely pictures and had all the perfect angles. He also made sure that nobody was directly in our photos. Mr. Surya from Jaipur was ultimately one of our favorites. He made my mother's birthday so special by thinking of the perfect location for her to be surprised with her birthday cakes and allowed her to have beautiful pics. While we are on the topic of my mother's birthday, we want to give Active India Holiday a very special thank you for making her day so exceptional and memorable. Mr. Suyra was a great conversationalist and made our time in Jaipur very pleasant. Additionally, he made us aware of tourist traps and took us to affordable places to buy anything we needed. Mr. Suraj in Mumbai was very helpful and flexible with us. He allowed us to do as much as we could before leaving for the airport. Furthermore, he took some amazing videos( with our permission, of course) and made some wonderful videos for us.
Overall, this trip was unforgettable, and it was all thanks to this company.

Activity Review

Taj Mahal Sunrise Visit

Agra

A Must! Not only is the weather cool at sunrise, but there aren't so many people there. It allows for great pictures and lets you take your time to marvel at this phenomenal, gorgeous building.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angel was absolutely wonderful to work with while planning my trip to Japan. Traveling through several cities can be overwhelming, but she made the entire process seamless from start to finish.

Having every detail organized and a clear plan in place allowed me to relax and truly enjoy the experience. With accommodations, transportation, and tours were carefully coordinated, and everything went smoothly throughout the trip.

What I appreciated most was that Angel checked in along the way and reminders of the next days activities. She was always available if I had any questions.

I highly recommend Kim Kim to anyone planning a trip, especially a more complex itinerary. Kim kim took the stress out of travel planning and helped make my Japan adventure an unforgettable experience

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Tokyo Hotel

Tokyo

Great location and shuttle service to Shinjuku. Rooms were spacious and clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

property is beautiful, peaceful and surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. The onsen facilities were a highlight of my stay. The staff was AMAZING !!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma

Kyoto

Clean and comfortable hotel. Rooms were great size and laundry on site and location was great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport

Tokyo

clean and quite and close to Hotel

Authenticity & Character

clean

Location

Haneda airport location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kamakura Historical Walking Tour with the Great Buddha

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Onsen, Ryokan, and Mt. Fuji Experience in Hakone

Hakone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nara Half Day Trip Walking Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto Arashiyama Rickshaw Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with traditional Sho-jin lunch

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geisha (Maiko) Tea Ceremony & Show

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Glimpse into Shinto Religion: Fushimi Inari Taisha Visit

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport