Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our guide made the trip. Extremely knowledgeable, friendly, courteous, safe driver, good sense of humour. We had the best time.

Kimkim Travel / Odynovo Tours was an excellent company to work with and Christine Liu, my travel specialist, was very friendly, professional and helpful throughout all stages of my trip, from planning through return. She helped schedule changes and provided great tips as well. All the guides and drivers were very trustworthy, kind and professional. April Lee guided me in Seoul and was friendly and made great suggestions, including trying on Hanok style clothing at the Palace, which was fun and memorable. Joe guided me through Jeonju and Gyeongju and had a wealth of information about history and many facets of the areas we traveled in, he was a very friendly and trustworthy and professional guide. Ryan Lee guided me through Busan and showed me many areas of that great city, providing information only someone from the area would know; he was also friendly, professional and trustworthy. The drivers, Mr. Yoon, Mr. Shin and Mr. Kang were also excellent and professional and friendly. The trip was very enjoyable and I highly recommend kimkim travel / Odynovo Tours if you want to go to South Korea & Asia. One of my favorite excursions was to Yongin Dae Geum Park to see where some historical K dramas were filmed, and the guide, Anna Kim was also very friendly and helpful. How many ways can I say great and thank you!

Hotel Review

Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Seoul

Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong is centrally located and has very friendly and professional staff, with excellent food and a very pleasant atmosphere. I highly recommend it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Half Day Yongin Dae Jang Geum Park ( join in )

Seoul

This is a beautiful location and it's fun to personally visit a historical set where many K dramas are filmed. The guide, Anna Kim, was very friendly and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The booking process was very easy. The pricing was a bit opaque, but in the end I feel it was a good value. Their planning made the trip very enjoyable. We had three guides ; Shira (Tokyo), Hal ) Kyoto and Mieko(Hiroshima) all were very good and extremely professional.

We were a group of 4 friends and booked our recent trip to Morocco via Kimkim. Our local tour operator was Original Travels. The trip was very well organized. We spent 8 days in Morocco and it was truly a memorable experience.

We worked with Ali of Original Travels to plan our trip. He was knowledgeable, willing to work with our preferences, and accommodated late requests for itinerary changes. We were very happy with our interaction with Ali prior to our landing in Morocco. Once on the ground, we had a wonderful driver Karim from Original Travels who drove us across the country. He was cheerful, and really dedicated to ensuring that we enjoyed our trip and his knowledge of the local history and culture made our days really pleasant . He coordinated with the local guides at all the places we visited. Though he had to leave a couple of days early due to a personal emergency, he made sure we had another great driver, Mayssar, to work with us for the last couple of days. A big thank you to the Original Travels team, especially Ali and Karim, for making our trip worry and stress free.

We enjoyed walking through the medinas and spending time in the beautiful countryside including the desert and the mountains. Morocco is a place of incredible natural beauty, a wonderful mix of the old and new cities and culture, and warm, hospitable people.

This was a wonderful trip, however in my own personal opinion there was not enough information on getting around Kyoto Station. Considering that it was all our first times navigating Kyoto Station, my family and I found it very confusing and overstimulating. But in a way, it did prepared us for our next trip to Japan. The trips itself were fantastic, I’d highly recommend walking tours to those wanting to discover more of a certain area. Nevertheless, Leny was a wonderful itinerary planner, very patient and meticulous. Highly recommend her for those wanting to explore Japan.

We were extremely pleased with Paula and Kim Kim. The hotels and tours she set for us were first class. The drivers that took us to and from each airport were excellent, on time, and had nice, roomy vehicles.

I would encourage others to consider Kim Kim if they are looking for a detailed trip abroad. They supplied all the information we needed to make our trip hitch free.

Paula was always prompt in responding to the many questions we asked when planning a trip nearly a month long.

Thank you, Paula!

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Christchurch Airport

Christchurch

Just steps away from the airport. Very nice breakfast buffet. Rooms were clean, comfortable, and roomy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oval Hotel at Adelaide Oval

North Adelaide

Thos hotel is over the top! It is connected to the sports stadium which is unique. The rooms are almost futuristic with lighting and amenities. Great location in downtown.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hermitage Hotel

Mount Cook Village

Nice views of the mountains from most rooms. Nice buffet for meals and an ala carte Cafe as well. Since the hotel is in the natio al park there are no other restaurant options other than those at the hotel. Staff was exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laneways by Ovolo

Melbourne

Old building remodeled into a nice boutique hotel. Rooms were very nice. Bedroom was smallish but there was a nice sitting room as well. Very close to restaurants and the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Not too many hotels to choose from, but this one is nice. A little older, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the nicely appointed rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M Social

Auckland

Very nice hotel right on the wharf. Close to many restaurants and shopping. Rooms were immaculate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Rees Hotel

Queenstown

Hotel is built on a hill. Very awkward routes to get to rooms including two elevator rides and a walk though the parking garage. There is a shuttle to town that is very responsive to requests, but personally I would have preferred staying closer to town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Robe House

Robe, SA

Older hotel. Absolutely no human interaction as keys were left in the doors with a sign directing us to our rooms. Breakfast was just ingredients left in refrigerator for us to make our own breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

What staff?

Cleanliness & Comfort

Drift House

Port Fairy

What a find. One of our favorite stays on our trip. Staff was super friendly. Rooms are unique and very well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Port Fairy is a cute small town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Very nice small hotel close to town. The breakfast was great and the staff super friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town. Short walks to restaurants and shops.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

Outstanding breakfast! Nice, clean rooms near downtown Sydney.

Authenticity & Character

Nice boutique style hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day City to Country Experience - Mornington Peninsula

Melbourne

Raphael was our favorite guide of our entire month long trip! He was fun, knowledgeable, and willing to modify our time to suit our interests!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Camel to Sunset

Australia

You gotta do this! So unique with great guides!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover - Sydney and Bondi Beach (24 Hour Ticket)

Australia

One of the slowest running hop on hop offs I've ever experienced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we have not used a travel agent/agency to plan a trip in the past and our experience with Valentine did not disappoint! Valentine did a fantastic job planning our trip - taking into account our preferences for hotels, tours, food, etc... she was easily able to pivot when we made some changes in our desired itinerary. Valentine has great attention to detail and the logistics were seamless. we had 1-2 questions while we were actually on the trip and got quick responses to our questions.

we spent 3 nights in Berlin and LOVED our private tours Caieren and Paul (one about WWII, other about Cold War). both guides were engaging and make our experience personal, we even stopped for coffee. The bunker story museum was also great. the DDR museum was a good experience. even though we had scheduled tours, we had enough downtime planned in that we were able to explore the city - we enjoyed the Disgusting Foods Musuem!

we spent 2 nights in Nuremberg - private Nazi grounds tour with guide, again, was great. we took a day trip to Rothenberg with a private guide, enjoyed the city and the tour - had a GREAT Italian meal. there is a LEGO store in the town that serves THE BEST coffee - tell Christian we sent you. again, we had some downtime, we rented Vag-Rad bikes and biked to Imperial Castle in Nuremberg

loved that our guides met us at the hotel, made it very easy.

we spent 2 nights in Munich - we did a group tour - did not love the group tour (25 people), we had been spoiled with the private tours. from Munich, we took group day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. OMG!! you must hike to Mary's Bridge for the view of the castle - hike is steep but, short and totally doable - don't take the horses or bus straight to the castle, you will miss Mary's Bridge. the company that organized the tour was good, professional and kept things running smoothly. bus was comfortable.

cannot wait to use Valentine again! highly recommend. easy planning and great trip!

Hotel Reviews

AdvaStay by King's

Munich

nice, clean hotel, a little small for a family of 3 but okay b/c we did not spend time in the room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

it was self check in - needed to walk across the street to see staff but, that was easy

Cleanliness & Comfort

Melter Hotel & Apartments

Nuremberg

loved the layout for our 3 person family. kitchen was nice, if we had been there longer, would have used it

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Hotel & Residenz Berlin Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin

great location, delish breakfast, loved the sauna. helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Royal Castle and Oberammergau Day Trip

Munich

a must see!

Transport

Third Reich Tour - Munich’s cruel history

Munich

group tour was too big. 25 people!

Private Rothenburg Day Tour from Nuremberg

Nuremberg

kevin was so knowledgeable and nice. took us to a great Italian restaurant. he is not bashful about expressing his political views, this was okay w us but, may not be okay for all travelers

Former Nazi Rally Ground Tour

Nuremberg

Dimitri was really good! he was not quite as engaging w my son as the other guides in berlin but, that is really minor

Private Berlin Wall Tour: The Cold War and Behind the Wall

Berlin

paul was awesome, loved that he picked us up at hotel.

Private Sites and history Berlin World War II Tour

Berlin

tour guide Cairen was THE BEST ever.

Yassine helped us design our Moroccan itinerary and he was fabulous. Together we crafted a journey that was full of activities, visually fabulous, and educational through the many threads of Moroccan history.
Hicham our driver was considerate and careful throughout our journey. We had a brand new SUV that was well appointed and comfortable for our trip. Lots of amazing memories and photos.

Our trip to Nepal and Bhutan was incredible, a once-in-a-lifetime. We planned and coordinated with Ngima Dorji Sherpa, who made sure all interests were met and exceeded our expectations. Before our arrival, he took the time to communicate with us directly by phone to assure us that the civil unrest posed no threat to our safety. Our guide, Ahn, took us through the Annapura Trek, making us comfortable along the way. Ngima arranged our tour in Bhutan and ensured our interests and expectations were conveyed to the tour group in Bhutan.

We would highly recommend Ngima for your travels in the Himalayas. We are hoping to return in two years and trek a portion of Mt. Everest base camp trail.

Melanie did a great job of listening to what we wanted and providing it. It was our first time to Italy so wanted a mix of "the things you have to see" and time to really appreciate the country and culture. It was perfect for our needs.

We ended up really appreciating the slower pace of Salerno. Still beautiful with lots of amenities, but not as touristy as other things.

Our guides were all great. We learned a lot in every place we went - history, architecture, cultural significance. All amazing.

Agota was incredible in keeping us informed and shifting things as needed. I'm pretty sure this is a 24 hour job.

Thank you!

Activity Reviews

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

Sara was an excellent guide and was really good at ensuring we were at the Forum early (which wasn't quite as busy) and the Colisseum afterward. She was also really good at checking in with us regarding taking photos, resting, getting drinks, and keeping us on time. It's all amazing but more than you can see in the tour. We are putting the Forum back on our list for the next visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very short walk from the hotel.

Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Visit

Rome

Due to some changes, we did the Basilica on our own and then the Vatican and Sistine Chapel with a guide. Roberta was knowledgable and really enthusiastic about everything. She was really good at explaining what we were going to see before we saw it and helping us understand historical themes. Basilica was amazing. We went to a small mass during our visit. The art is incredible. Just an amazing building.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a driver over and uber on the way back.

Food & Wine Sunset Walk in Trastevere

Rome

I loved that we ate things that were not the normal things you have everywhere. My favorite was the cheese, meat, bruschetta at the first restaurant. All of the food was excellent and Marta was great at explaining everything and ensuring we were all organized and enjoying ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marta's explanations and keeping us together.

Transport

Walked over. Easy taxi back.

Florence cooking class and market tour

Florence

Giulia was our instructor and was so good at giving us information about buying the ingredients, the cooking techniques, etc. We also loved the family we shared the experience with. So much fun. One of my favorite things.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel

Semi private Chianti and San Gimignano tour

Florence

Claudius was our driver and was so fun and engaging. I loved that he pointed out things on the drive. The tour guides at each location were informative and we appreciated learning more about Chianti Classico wine. San Gimignano was incredible and we liked the loose schedule - we could walk around at our leisure.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Our guide was educated in historical architecture and gave us such a good understanding of the place and importance of the different areas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy train trip

Our trip to Quito, Galápagos and the Ecuadorian jungle was largely amazing. We have used KimKim once before and will use again in future trip planning. Anthony did an excellent job in helping to plan our trip and was very patient as we worked out the details. Although nothing interfered with our trip experience overall-there were two occasions when Anthony was difficult to reach-one actually had to do with just a quick clarification on transportation. We figured out the time inconsistency ourselves going with the earlier time but Anthony did not respond for over 24 hours. The other issue was something that Anthony wanted to do for us because of an issue with a hotel room . Anthony wanted to treat us to dinner and arranged transportation. Unfortunately when we got to the restaurant they knew nothing about our arrival. After trying to reach Anthony and not hearing back, we tried two other phone numbers we were given by transportation guides on the island. The numbers were clearly not workable as those answering the calls had no idea what was going on and were not bilingual. We then called the operations center where they were very helpful. Apparently our reservation was for the following night but they worked it out with the restaurant. We ended up having a nice dinner and an enjoyable walk back to the hotel. With all this feedback, I don’t want to leave a negative impression. The Ecuadorian jungle was absolutely incredible and I would recommend it to anyone. Sasha itself was an excellent immersive experience and the way it is run is exceptional. The staff there love what they do and it clearly shows in their customer service. Galápagos of course is also exceptional and is clean, safe and beautiful. Our hotels in Quito, Sasha Lodge, Ikala and Iguana crossing were also great with really good food as well. Transportation was also great from place-to-place and always timely.

Hotel Reviews

Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel

Galápagos

Iguana crossing is a beautiful beach side hotel. It embodies everything exceptional about the Galápagos island. Sun, sea and of course wildlife. The staff there was very friendly and courteous and our room was very clean and overlooked the ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Every thing about this hotel from its breezeways to our room overlooking the ocean and pool captured Galápagos feel. Believe it or not the iguanas even crossed the road at the iguana crossing sign.

Location

Beach side hotel at the end of the beach strip but still very close to town and restaurants.

Staff

All staff was courteous and pleasant and never balked at holding our bags before we checked in and after we checked out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel was very clean and comfortable. The push button shower to conserve water was a challenge first time but we understood the necessity.

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

We spent the most time at this hotel and it was a great experience. It was close to shops and the amazing pier on Santa Cruz and also had a beautiful rooftop restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

The pool looked nice although we didn’t use it and the courtyard was beautiful. We also enjoyed the outdoor restaurant by the pool as well as the rooftop restaurant during our stay.

Location

Close to shops, restaurants and pier. Really appreciated the walk ability here and safety.

Staff

The people working the desk were always willing to answer any questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing stands out but do appreciate the cleanliness of the rooms.

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Really didn’t spend a lot of time there. It was clean, restaurant was good and of course very convenient to airport.

Authenticity & Character

There was nothing that really stood out either way. It was like most other airport hotels so absolutely fine.

Location

The main reason for staying there was the convenience to airport. Not really close to anything else but not really expecting it to be.

Staff

Felt welcome but not a lot of time for staff interaction

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seemed clean and comfortable- no issues

Sacha Lodge

Coca

Sasha lodge is truly incredible and we do sincerely appreciate Anthony for recommending it. From the moment you land there after a “journey” which is an adventure itself, you appreciate what it takes for Sasha to run so extraordinarily well. From the Manager, to the guides, to the Chef there is a tremendous pride as there should be. Of course, It is not the place to go if you want to do your own hiking etc. for obvious reasons but if you find their daily agenda appealing as we did then you will have a once in a lifetime experience.

Authenticity & Character

It truly has a unique character to it with no outside locks, boardwalks over the river and a pool unlike any other. Meals were also extraordinary and meal settings were incredible.

Location

I literally retired the three days before we went to Sasha. After taking a plane, boat, hike, and awesome canoe trip, I couldn’t think of anywhere else that would have immersed me so quickly into a different world.

Staff

All provided great service and our guide was outstanding. The Manager was also very visible and friendly. He obviously was very proud of a first class operation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and comfortable. Rooms also had air conditioning which I didn’t learn until later that Sasha is the only out there with AC. It was hot and largely dry so worked out very well for us.

Go Quito Hotel

Quito

Although we didn’t have a long stay here, this hotel was in a great location. It was modern and the food and view from the top floor was terrific. Hotel staff also very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Modern as appropriate to the middle of an urban area

Location

It was located in the middle of the city accessible to a lot. Commuting around Quito takes some time as traffic is an issue.

Staff

NA

Cleanliness & Comfort

NA

Activity Reviews

Transfer to the Galapagos Airport, flight back to Quito

Galapagos Islands

All transportation was efficient and organized. No issues at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Bartolome a full day yacht experience

Isla Santa Cruz

This snorkeling tour was an excellent last day activity for us. The snorkeling was great as we saw sea lions, turtles, sharks and other colorful fish and my wife was very confident in herself and our guide. There is a big stair climb but we did it with no issues.

Quality of Experience

Food

Actually had the same chef as on North Seymour yacht trip and he is extraordinary

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was extremely patient with the snorkeling so that everyone experienced to the fullest extent.

Transport

Breeding Center (Giant Tortoise) + Wetlands Isabela Island

Isla Isabela

We were excited to spend another day with the Tortoises and we were not disappointed. However, I think our guide could have shared more with us about the place and its inhabitants. It seemed like other tours were getting that experience.

Quality of Experience

Very interesting place doing good work for Tortoises and turtles.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was certainly friendly but I think he could have been a little more informative.

Transport

Hiking to the Sulfur Mines (Side of Sierra Negra Volcano)

Isla Isabela

This was an amazing hike and a truly fascinating place. Although the hike was labeled as easy to moderate the terrain was relatively easy with a major uphill climb at the end.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful and unusual landscape. Good paced hike.

Food

Loved the food at the end. I think people were confused when they received boxed food at the beginning.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tintoreras

Isla Isabela

This was one of only.two excursions that we thought could have been improved for all on board. While tintoreras is amazing we thought the snorkeling could have been improved for weaker snorkelers. While my wife and I were confident in the first snorkeling site there and saw some amazing things, there was more of an open water swim to the other site. Since the boat went over there anyway, we thought those (about a half dozen) that did not want to swim over there could have been transported over by boat there to continue their snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

Mentioned above about snorkeling opportunities for less advanced.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was good and engaging on the way out to Tintoreras. On the way back however, he totally focused on the half of our group that spoke fluent Spanish. It felt like we were now on two different trips. We did notice that the guide got of the bus at the same hotel in town as the Spanish speaking group so maybe he had been their tour guide all day. It just felt a little strange for those of us less fluent in Spanish.

Transport

Speed boat from Santa Cruz to Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

Not our favorite activity but necessary to get from one island to the next. Luggage coordination on this ride and every ride was very efficient and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Embarking on the North Seymour Yacht Adventure

Isla Santa Cruz

This was a great experience. The hiking was a great overview to Galápagos wildlife and the snorkeling that day was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Great introduction and clear water snorkeling.

Food

Food was great on the boat. Chef took a lot of pride in meal preparation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide that day was exceptional. While we have been snorkeling about a half dozen times, my wife had a more unpleasant experience in rough waters off the Florida Keys. She was a little hesitant but our guide was very patient basically towing her around until she got comfortable. This also put her at ease for our next two snorkeling days.

Transport

Santa Cruz Highlands, Lava Tunels and Charles Darwin Research Station (if times allows)

Isla Santa Cruz

We thought this was a great introduction to the Tortoises in a very relaxed environment. Lunch was also great. Cave experience was just Ok. Nothing special although we didn’t go all the way through as our guide thought it may have been wet.

Quality of Experience

Introduction to the Tortoises in this environment was a really great introduction.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was good this day but thought she could spend a little more time with us at Darwin. We basically self-toured there. Maybe that’s the way it is supposed to be.

Transport

Timely-no issues.

Transfer to the Airport for your domestic flight to the Galapagos Islands.

Quito

No issues. Easy and timely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Quito Airport to Nearby Hotel

Galapagos Islands

We had anticipated finding the hotel shuttle on our own but as an extra step, people were waiting in the terminal to take us to shuttle. This is an extra touch that KimKim does and one of the reasons why I will use them again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacha Lodge - Return to Quito

Yasuni National Park

You need to go out the same way you came in which makes you appreciate the entire experience. No issues with transportation or flights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All transportation worked hard to make sure you weren’t just dropped off but comforted getting to next destination.

Sacha Lodge Day 3

Yasuni National Park

On this day we visited an indigenous village which was very enjoyable. We sampled food and drink that they had made and learned more about their culture in a pretty isolated environment. Very positive experience for us and the group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacha Lodge Day 2

Yasuni National Park

Day 2 was somewhat similar to day one in that there was a hike and a pretty major stair climb up a Kapok tree. There was also the Chocolate experience which was also interesting as we learned more about history and ingredients. Piranha fishing also added some fun for our group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacha Lodge Day 1

Yasuni National Park

As I’ve already said the Sasha experience was excellent throughout. Day 1 was about a reasonable hike. Lots of stairs. Beautiful overlook bridges and bird watching. If cousins it was also about the beautiful jungle around you and the phenomenal meals waiting for you.

Quality of Experience

The bridges were phenomenal and the birds were beautiful although May want to bring binoculars if have them. Guide will provide scope as well.

Food

The quality and way food was served was excellent. Just thinking about how it all got there was mind-blowing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide for all three days at Sasha was the same and she was excellent.

Transport

No issues with transportation here. Mostly by canoe and it was incredible.

Discover Quito's Best-Kept Secrets: A Full-Day Tour of the Historic and the Middle of the World

Quito

Javier was a great guide for our day in Quito. The Middle of the World exhibition was a little touristy but clearly no trip to Quito Ecuador would be complete without out it. The rest of our walk was very pleasant and our guide was both friendly and knowledgeable. The Chocolate tasting is really just that. Not really much history(a few pictures) but the rest of it was really about buying something at the store. I am a chocolate lover so worked about for me.

Quality of Experience

Middle of the world is something that should be experienced as well as touring of square and churches with a very nice lunch in a pretty setting.

Food

Food was excellent throughout.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Javier was excellent…..

Transport

All transportation was timely, clean, friendly and bilingual.

The tour guides were excellent. They were sble to adjust to our needs and give us great information. We saw a great deal about the history of Korea and learned quite a bit,

Hotel Reviews

Hanok Hotel Daam Seoul

Odd concept hotel, made me think of a hostel.

Authenticity & Character

A bed in a walls, the shared room was ok but the men’s and women’s was a bed within 4 walls

Location

We were there on a Sunday night and could not find a restaurant to eat.

Staff

Very helpful to correct issues of separation of couple.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

L7 HAEUNDAE by LOTTE

Busan

Everything you come to expect from a modern hotel, the rooms were well equipped and very well set up.

Authenticity & Character

It is a modern hotel, not traditional Korean lodgings

Location

Everything was close by

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

They took care of everything, even when my son got sick.

Hwangnamgwan Hanok Guesthouse

There is not 1 thing we could point to as being wrong, it was not really to our taste.

Authenticity & Character

It was like taking an old concept and wrapping it around new construction.

Location

There were food places just nothing open in the early morning.

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Simsanjae Boutique Hanok Stay

Seoul

Very nice room. Gave us the traditional experience,

Authenticity & Character

It seemed like we were staying at someone’s house while they were away.

Location

Many places to eat and explore

Staff

No staff or contact except through Kim kim

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and good

Activity Reviews

Half Day Seoul City Tour with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village

Seoul

Mary was a delight to visit with and she went through the areas we wanted very well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Culture of Busan with Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Busan

So informative, even though we do not have the religion it was amazing to learn about it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

This was a lot of fun and we had fun shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bulguksa and Seokguram Grotto Tour

Gyeongju

The guide was excellent

Quality of Experience

K

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Gyeongju National Museum and Tumuli Park Tour with Night View

Gyeongju

We were able to see so much, our guide was wonderful,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Korean DMZ and Hongdae Shopping Street Tour

Seoul

Was an excellent TIRING time, we were given a great deal of information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just got back from our China trip and wanted to say thank you to Heidi from KimKim for putting everything together so well. Traveling across multiple cities can be complicated, but the whole itinerary flowed really smoothly and made the experience easy and enjoyable.

Each stop had something memorable. In Beijing, walking through the Forbidden City and visiting the Great Wall were real highlights — so much history, and you can really feel it when you’re there. Xi’an was another standout, especially the Terracotta Army. It’s one of those places that’s even more impressive in person than you expect.

Chengdu was a different kind of experience — visiting the pandas outside the city was a lot of fun and definitely worth it. And then Zhangjiajie… that was probably the biggest surprise for us. The scenery in the national park is just unreal. Photos don’t really do it justice.

Shanghai was a complete contrast — very modern, very energetic. The skyline and the scale of development there really stood out.

The hotel accommodations throughout the trip were great — comfortable, well-located, and made it easy to relax after long days. The logistics between cities (both trains and flights) were also very well handled. Every transfer was smooth, and what we really appreciated is that each guide stayed with us all the way through the train station or airport, right up to the security checkpoint, which made everything stress-free.

We also want to mention the guides, because they made a big difference. Candy in Beijing, Key in Xi’an, April in Chengdu, Ethan in Zhangjiajie, and Sophie in Shanghai (with help from Linda) were all excellent. Everyone was knowledgeable, helpful with translation, and always looking out for us.

On top of the planned itinerary, each guide gave great personal recommendations — places to eat and extra things to see that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Things like the Muslim Bazaar in Xi’an, the Tibetan street in Chengdu, Peking duck in Beijing, and even checking out silk-making in Shanghai added a lot to the trip.

Overall, we had a great time and really appreciated how everything was organized. Thanks again to KimKim for arranging such a memorable trip.

We were very apprehensive before we landed in Casablanca. Not knowing the language and unsure about the customs and culture. Once we started our journey, everything went very smoothly and flawlessly. Youssef was not only our driver but became more like friends. Always taking us to right place for breaks and meals on the way. He treated us on his home made sweets (made by his mother). We named them Laddu( similar to our Indian sweets). All the places of stay were carefully selected. Pace of the trip was leisurely. All the guides were very informative and friendly. Never rushing. Our meal with the local family was great experience. Very bright and young couple. Overall excellent 10 days of trip to beautiful land. Special mention should be made of hotel Dar Rihana Dades in Ait Ouffi was a beautiful small hotel tucked away in the gorge. Run by family. They were all delightful people and served the best meals that we had on this trip.
Hope to visit again.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Best hotel to stay in Marrakech near Medina

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They need to air out those tents. Had a very musty odor from being airtight.

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Euphoriad

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location with best view of town of Chefchaouen

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were excellent. Property was very clean

Activity Reviews

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Never did guided tour

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou & Marrakech

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Marrakech, the "Red City"

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class La Maison Arabe Marrakech 10 AM session.

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Spa & Massage in La Masion Arabe at 11 am.

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Volubilis

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Fes, Volubilis & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Casablanca – Rabat ( 1 Hour Drive).*Driving Times Don’t Include The Various Stops Along The Way

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning photo shooting in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a really awesome trip to Morocco…..all thanks to KimKim (especially Said) and Jamal!! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend KimKim!! Jamal, our driver was like a brother to us! We miss him already!!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Ouassaggou

Imlil

Great location. Really good dinner and breakfast. Large rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Roseville

Kalaat M'Gouna

Nice hotel, very nice staff. Our stay was brief.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

DAR AL MIRAAJ

Rabat

We moved here from another hotel in the area…and I’m so glad we did! Room was great! Plenty of hot water for shower and comfortable bed for sleeping! Our kids loved their room too! Staff was very accommodating and held our bags after checkout while we walked the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Medina & Spa

Fès

Beautiful pool area and lobby but that’s about all. AC didn’t work, bed was okay, but noisy room. Elevators bad, breakfast you paid for and was not great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk seemed overwhelmed - maybe I got them at a bad time, but not helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The White Camp Erg Chebbi & Merzouga

Merzouga

Great accommodations! I had the best 2 nights sleep of our 11 day trip to Morocco here! Food was wonderful! We could even have wine in the Sahara!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Imlil to Dades Valley via Ouarzazate

Morocco

No better driver than Jamal!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Imlil Valley Walk - Toubkal NP

Imlil

This was really fun! Another fave on our 11 day trip. Guide had a mule for our walk. Walk was pretty easy for us(we are in good shape), but we each got a ride on the mule! It was fun and made for cute pics! Lovely area and nice to stretch our legs after and before the long drives!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Imlil

Morocco

No driver better than Jamal!! We love Jamal!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Three Hour Cooking Workshop at La Maison Arabe

Marrakesh

This was really fun and our favorite meal of the 11 day trip was made by us!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Tranquil Hammam & Spa Experience

Morocco

We thought men and women were separated based on everything we had read. But my teenage daughter and I were in the same room with husband and teenage son. It was fine, but kind of strange. If we had known we were all going to be together we would have planned differently.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech

Morocco

Really amazing experience! I would highly recommend if you haven’t taken a hot air balloon ride before.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Oslo thanks to Katie's expertise. All of the activities were fun but the food tour was an especially huge hit with everyone. Our guide, Stig, was lovely and extremely knowledgeable. I doubt this will be our last kimkim trip.

Hotel Review

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

The rooms were a great size. Wonderful showers. And the staff were all very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the central train station and the port.

Staff

Everyone we met were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

A Taste of Oslo's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

It was such a treat. We were able to meet up at the hotel lobby. Walking around and not being in a rush was especially enjoyable. And the snacks were all delicious. We're still talking about the waffles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stig was a wonderful tour guide. We learned alot about Oslo and had some delicious treats. Highly recommend.

We had an absolutely wonderful trip to The Netherlands. We asked for some more remote experiences and Mieke delivered and I would say Otterlo and Texel were highlights for sure. All of the details were thought of and having our driver made transitions around the country seamless. We loved the extra attention Mieke added with Food Tours and cheese tastings. Overall we just couldn't have asked for a better vacation it checked all the boxes.

Rajat tailored my tour of Meghalaya and Assam so I was able to appreciate the natural beauty of the area, the people and culture.
My guide Kanak was very attentive and our driver Amulya was an expert navigating some rough roads.
I had such a pleasant and positive experience.
Thank you!
Carmen

It was a pleasure working with Christine Liu in planning our first-ever trip to South Korea. She listened to our interests and budget in planning our 12 days visiting Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island. Her prompt and thoughtful responses to the numerous and myriad questions we had over the few months of planning were greatly appreciated. She was ever patient with two women who peppered her with questions and requests!

Similarly our private guides in Seoul (Billy), Busan (Fred), and on Jeju (Yuna) were excellent. Of course we expected them to be knowledgeable, experienced guides as a baseline. But ALL THREE demonstrated keen interest in ensuring we enjoyed ourselves, anticipated our interests and accommodated us without disappointment. E.g. searching for the best salt bread, guiding us through markets with a "local" feel, helping us rent our hanbok, taking plenty of photos, making thoughtful suggestions on how to maximize our experiences, and more. Also a shout-out to our medical concierge (James) and translator (Clara) who were indispensable in arranging our day of K-beauty treatments. With only one-day, James helped select a very excellent medical clinic for non-invasive facial treatments and scalp treatments. BTW, all highly effective and enjoyable.

I have already recommended KimKim to friends who are interested in engaging travel planning and I will not hesitate to utilize KimKim again as well. As a retiree in my early 70's, it is comforting to know I have a trusted travel company that can help ensure a smooth, safe, and enjoyable trip when venturing into new countries - especially when a potential challenge with a foreign language is a factor.

Thank you KimKim! Thank you Christine! Thank you Billy, James, Clara, Fred, and Yuna! I will never forget my experiences in South Korea; in large part and thanks to your guidance!

We had an amazing trip planned and carried out by Kimkim to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Our stay included three nights each in Valladolid and Tulum. Our activities included seeing various Mayan ruins (Ek Balam, Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum), a boat ride seeing crocodiles and flamingos (our captan Luis was the only one who went far enough out to see the flamingos while we were there, and then we had a delicious lunch at his house prepared by his wife, Malchita, got to play Uno with their grandson Matias), snorkling with turtles, swimming in 4 different cenotes, cooking lessons on traditional Mayan foods. The hotels we stayed in were local, we enjoyed avoiding the big name companies and got to experience more true Mexico than a room that could be anywhere in the world. The ease of the trip was a blessing, from the planning to the execution. We were met at the airport and then each morning by our driver for the day, who took us to each of our destinations, waited for us, and took us to our next and then back to our hotel. Our amazing drivers included Jesus, Carlo, Francisco, Ivan #1, Ivan #2. I got an update each evening with the next day's plans and identifiation of the driver which made it very straight forward. I would highly recommend Kimkim to anyone travelling and looking for local experiences and low stress vacations.

Hotel Reviews

Piedra Escondida

Tulum, Quintana Roo

Beautiful location with friendly, helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

Great room, friendly people, excellent food. Flavor of Mexico.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cenotes of Chemuyil

Mexico

This was by far our family's favorite activity. We were picked up by one of the founding members, Ivan, of the Cenotes of Chemuyil restoration project. We enjoyed hearing about their effort at cleaning up and protecting their community and space of their childhood memories. The bike ride was easy and pleasant, getting to see some of the town along the way. The variety of the cenotes, from cave-like to open, was cool. The water refreshing, the guides friendly. The food at the end of the day was the cherry on top. I would highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the archaeological site of Tulum

Mexico

Beautiful. Our guide was acceptable. I think the 4th ruin was a little too much for us. Kids loved seeing some of the animals before we entered the park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was the only activity where we had trouble meeting up with our guide. Our driver, Ivan, was very helpful and made calls to get us in the right place.

Transport

Snorkeling and Sightseeing with Turtles in Akumal

Mexico

It was really amazing to see the turtles. Unfortunately, the seaweed came in a couple days before we got there, so visibility and enjoyment were not as good as they could have been.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cobá!

Mexico

Our guide, Sebastian, was friendly and very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Lol Ha cenote in Yaxunah

Mexico

This was our first cenote experience and we really enjoyed it. Fun to explore, cool off, experience something new.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Cochinita Pib with locals at Yaxunáh

Mexico

The food that was cooked was amazing. The experience was brief but enjoyable. The kids enjoyed the "hands on" aspect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World

Mexico

Amazing experience. Enjoyed the knowledge of our guide, Ricardo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carlo was an amazing driver and guide. He taught us about the Mayan culture, including helping us learn some basic words.

A pink-ish day at Río Lagartos & Las Coloradas

Mexico

Our captain Luis (Baba) was amazing, took us further out than any of the other boats in order to find the flamingos, then went back to his house for an amazing lunch prepared by his wife Malchita.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour to the AS of Ek Balam

Valladolid

Baltazar was an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jesus was amazing