Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall, this was a wonderful vacation and please don’t take the superlatives in the following description lightly as they are all well deserved. To begin, the quality of the exhibits at the Altamira Museum was very high; the recreated cave itself, however, was a disappointment compared to other caves we’ve visited. We did, however, appreciate the authenticity of our experiences at the La Moneda Cave and the El Castillo Cave. Our guide in Santander, Daniel, was excellent and despite the poor weather made our time there very enjoyable. We were particularly impressed by the Centro Botin (designed by Renzo Piano) and the Paseo de Pereda. The history and insights provided by our guide, Nicolas, in the fishing village of Santona made that visit special as well. The tour of the Conservas Emilia anchovy & tuna processing plant gave us a unique window into the local economy and we enjoyed the tasting afterwards. Of course, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was fantastic and Sokorri was an excellent guide to both the museum and the city. The next day another lovely and well-informed guide, Susana, showed us the Itsas Museum of cultural and maritime history. She also went with us to the Casa de Juntas and Peace Museum in Guernica - which is a “Can’t Miss” experience. Our next knowledgeable guide, Alfonso, led us on a tour of San Sebastian’s Old Town and supplemented the visual interest with his deep understanding of local history. Both the San Telmo Museum and the Aquarium are also well worth a visit. Our final days were spent in French Basque Country and Etienne was, again, a most knowledgeable and considerate guide. We particularly enjoyed the time spent with him in Sare. In sum, while all of the places visited were memorable, the guides elevated the quality of the experience with their knowledge and congenial personalities. They were the embodied expression of the place and the culture which we appreciated very much. In addition, all the drivers were excellent and we felt very safe.

Activity Reviews

Private Museum & CityVisits

Bilbao

Private San Sebastián History & Culture Walk

San Sebastián

We enjoyed our time with Alfonso very much. It was lovely to meet him after working together to plan the trip.

Discovering Bizcay

Bilbao

Guided Bilbao Walk

Bilbao

San Telmo Museum & Aquarium

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

There was something new and special to enjoy every day. We learned so much and each place was unique - never a dull moment.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All the drivers were excellent, the cars were very comfortable and the guides were so nice and very well informed.

Transport

Comfortable cars, water provided, everyone was on time and made traveling very easy.

Private French Basque Day trip

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Beautiful countryside and Etienne was an excellent guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Etienne was very flexible and accommodated requests. He also took us to an excellent restaurant for lunch which we enjoyed very much.

Transport

Comfortable car with water and knowledgeable driver.

Visit Santander

Santillana del Mar

Daniel saved the day with his guided tour since the weather was quite bad. Despite the rain and the wind, we enjoyed walking around with him and learning about the city. Pilar was a pillar of strength since she had to drive through the hard rain yet she did a great job and we felt comfortable with her at the wheel.

To begin I would like to thank Faisal for an amazing journey across Morocco. From the time he picked us up in Casablanca he has treated us like family. It has been an amazing 15-day journey across Morocco. The history, the sites, and people that I have met have created everlasting memories. Thanks to KimKims and Original Travel Company and Said for putting this trip together. Much ❤️

Our trip to Morocco was phenomenal! Kimkim planned our flawless, well organized 10 day adventure. All of the guides, sites, Riads, and Kasbah’ss were beautiful and well coordinated. Our guide, Abdelhadi was fabulous. He was personable, thoughtful, knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with. He made our trip memorable. From start to finish he provided us with important facts about Morocco. He truly wanted us to know everything about his beautiful country. Anyone who is lucky enough to get Abdelhadi as their guide is very fortunate. We would give him 10 stars on a 5 star rating.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Ifraine and Azrou - Camel Trek to Desert Camp

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rabat to Fes via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driving Tour of Casablanca

Casablanca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful and memorable trip to France thanks to the Kim Kim staff. We appreciated all our tour guides along our route in Paris, Amboise, Aix, and Cassis. Standout drivers were Phillip and stand out tour guides were Henri and Greg. We loved it all and would do it again.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Palm - Astotel

Paris

Of all the hotels, this hotel had a wonderful selection of breakfast items, had drinks and snacks available all day, ability to do custom orders, and the top tasting yogurt of them all. The bed was comfortable and we were in a lively part of the city with access to almost everything. The hotel was pretty basic, but staff were great.

Authenticity & Character

It was a more modern style with emphasis on unique newness and simplicity.

Authenticity & Character

It was a more modern style with emphasis on unique newness and simplicity.

Location

I loved the location. We walked to the Sacre Cour and I took several runs around the area and down to the Seine for amazing sights.

Location

Staff

Wonderful staff. They were almost always available.

Staff

Wonderful staff. They were almost always available.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable. Room was a tad bit small.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable. Room was a tad bit small.

La Maison Rabelais

Amboise

This was obviously a very nice hotel. The staff were especially nice and accommodating. The breakfast was pretty decent but was billed separately. The yogurt was OK, not as good as the Paris hotel. I’m not sure if one could order a cooked to order item, but I didn’t pursue it. The general fruit selection were very good as was bread and bakery items were especially good here.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice plush hotel. The room was vast compared to our prior hotel and we felt like royalty.

Location

The hotel was in an great location in Amboise. We were within close walking distance to all the attractions.

Staff

Great staff! Friendly and cheerful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent cleanliness and comfort.

Boutique Hotel Cezanne

Aix-en-Provence

This hotel was very nice and comfortable. The view out of our window was very nice with a view of a tall plane tree and a courtyard. The staff were very helpful and accommodating, helping to store our luggage until check-in and keeping our wine chilled. The breakfasts were very nice and staff checked on each table to take custom coffee orders. They might have been able to make custom breakfast orders, but I didn’t ask. The variety is fruits, bakery items and other oatmeal & muesli items was a step beyond other breakfasts. Unfortunately the yogurts offered were just a basic well known brand we have in the US and not that special or unique.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel had very appealing character and style.

Location

We loved our location. We were close to the market and all the nice restaurants, shops, and main attractions. I enjoyed a very nice run around the area.

Staff

The staff were quite friendly and helpful. They called us to let us know our driver had arrived.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was a bit smaller than our previous room, but was quite comfortable. This is a very nice hotel and deserves its 4 star rating. The only issue was the bathroom door would not close all the way and had to stay partly open.

Hôtel de la Plage Mahogany

Cassis

This was a very nice hotel and had a ‘beachy’ feel. The staff were friendly and helpful. They stowed our luggage until we could check in and even let us check in early. We didn’t get to experience breakfast due to an early departure.

Authenticity & Character

The character of the hotel was simple and not super updated or stylish, but was very comfortable and had a perfect view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Location

Amazing location! right next to best beach in the area! We were within walking distance to the town center and boat docks.

Staff

Very friendly, but had had a minimal interaction with the staff. They did provide coffee all day long.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very quiet and comfortable room. It was a smaller area but had a very nice seating area on the balcony overlooking the sea.

Activity Review

Musée de l'Orangerie: Entrance tickets & Audioguides

Paris

One of my favorite all time museums. I enjoyed all the detailed narration of all the paintings and availability in English. I could visit there each time I go to Paris.

Quality of Experience

I just enjoyed seeing Monet’s Picasso’s and the other artists’ paintings. I also enjoyed seeing a video of Monet painting while in his advanced years.

Our trip included time in Oslo, Bergen, and Tromso... our group of 10 had an amazing time in Norway!

Oslo:
~ Karl Johan Hotel was a great location with very comfortable rooms and a high-quality breakfast provided.
~ Taste of Oslo Street Food Walk (provided by Shaf and the team at Oslo Way) was great... a little history, a little food, a beer, and some exercise! Highly recommend this tour as a way to see some of Oslo on foot with local insight and conversation. Harald's Waffles were a treat!
~ Oslofjord dinner cruise provided an excellent meal and opportunity for conversation with our group, but not much in terms of a guided tour of what we were seeing outside (at night).

Bergen:
~ the Norway in a Nutshell experience from Oslo to Bergen by train and ferry was one of the highlights of our whole trip. It is one full day of travel, but there is so much to see and do along the way. Highly recommend this!
~ Det Hanseatiske was our hotel... a quirky and unique hotel right in the middle of everything... comfortable rooms, good breakfast, and easy walk to everything.
~ Floibanen funicular... a must do! Very good cocktail bar and restaurant at the top... I recommend reservations for dinner and a happy hour prior to dinner following your travel to the top and short hikes around the area.
~ Food and Culture walk was great (provided by Bergen Base Camp). Lots of history, we had very good samples of food and a beer at one stop, but the focus for this walk was more about the history of the town ... and it was very well done!
~ fjord Cruise to Rosendal: our trip to Rosendal was on a day with bad weather and in October... most of Rosendal was closed in town, but the hike up to the waterfall was worth doing. I think this day could have been better spent doing something else, mostly because of the time of year we went.
~ we went fishing with the team at Bergen fishing and had a great day on the water and eating our fresh catch with their team afterwards. High-quality people and a great thing to do in Bergen!
~ Bergen is an amazing town; we found so much to do just by walking around and stumbling on to things. Great restaurants and pubs, lots of history and shopping along the way. The people were amazing.

Tromso:
~ even in October, this town has a very fun vibe.
~ amazing bakeries and coffee shops
~ we had a great evening with the Northern Lights Husky Experience; and the Northern Lights did not disappoint!
~ we did the City and Polar History walk with the team at Arctic Guides... the museums were very interesting and the history provided by our guide as we walked was very well done.
~ the Northern Lights dinner cruise was a little disappointing only because we had such a high-quality meal on our Oslo dinner cruise that this one did not compare. The fact that the Northern Lights were not visible on this day, the boat was late (whale watching early in the day was late getting back) added to some level of disappointment.

Along the way, we needed to make adjustments to compensate for weather and changes in travel plans, but the KimKim team was right there with us the whole team and made everything work out just fine!

We had a great experience working with Alex to make this trip happen. We visited Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand over 18 days - our first trip to SE Asia. Alex booked guides, drivers and activities for us in each location along with hotels and airport transfers and plane tickets to cities along the way. We loved all of it. Our fave country- which surprised us- was Cambodia. The Royal Crown Hotel in Siem Riep was also our favorite hotel. And we had the best guide there, too. We enjoyed touring Ankar Wat but the smaller temples were the best. Loved the Apsara dance show, too, the first night we arrived. We loved seeing Hanoi - the cooking class, city tour, a walk around the lake and the water puppet show. Our favorite part of Ho Chi Minh City was our day spending time on the Mekong River delta. And of course Thailand was awesome, too - loved the city tour and food tour - another exceptional guide -- by tuk-tuk. And of course, the temples and elephants in Chiang Mai. Oh, and another fun cooking class! The trip was well-paced-- we had three nights in each city and even had time for an overnight on a very nice boat on Ha Long Bay. Everything went smoothly and we were met by the kindest, most gracious people everywhere we went. We had enough down time throughout- it was quite hot and humid and sometimes ya just need a couple hours in a cool hotel room at the end of the day! We also took in a couple of spa treatments and went off on our own in Bangkok- found the subway efficientand easy to use. Alex checked in every day to let us know specific details and pickup times and was to able to change a hotel reservation at the end of the trip when we asked. 10/10! Our 4th trip using KimKim.

Hotel Review

Royal Crown Hotel & Spa

We stayed 3 nights and really enjoyed the hotel. We rarely order room service when we travel but arrived late afternoon and just wanted to chill for a bit - had spring rolls which hit the spot! We liked the spa and pool - very clean--also had a drink at the rooftop bar one night. Well-located in town. We had a bigger than average room with powerful air conditioning!! Nice breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Friendly staff. Hotel was upscale without being pretentious.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Cooking Class

Hanoi

It rained that morning but we still rode bikes out to the herb-growing area. Fun, intimate experience - great food!

Quality of Experience

Food

We tried different things in each city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Culture & Walking Tour with Water Puppet Show

Hanoi

Walking tour - take time to visit the Temple of Literature. Water Puppet show aws not to miss.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed all of our private tour guides:
Mydie in Dublin - she had a deep knowledge of Irish history and we had an informative two hour plus walk through Dublin. Chris in Edinburgh - he too was very informed on Scottish history and the city of Edinburgh. Our two hour plus walk through Edinburgh was fantastic.
Stuart for our day in St. Andrews - the day was fantastic and a bucket list item for us. Stuart was full of Scottish history as well - and was able to get us around St. Andrews to our desired stops with ease.
Our nine-day, eight night trip was everything we had hoped for and more. Aleksandra of Kimkim put together a great itinerary, working with us to ensure we'd see what we wanted plus added some great recommendations. All worked out well.

Hotel Reviews

Moxy Dublin City

Dublin

Convenient location; tiny rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Glasshouse, Autograph Collection

Edinburgh

A fantastic hotel. Convenient to everything. The rooms are large. The Snug Bar is a fantastic place to hang at the end of the evening.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands

Edinburgh

This is a good trip if you are interested in seeing the Scottish highlands. The boat tour on Loch Ness is only 45 minutes and perhaps not worth doing. We instead ate lunch in the village and walked around - enjoying seeing boats go through the locks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was knowledgeable and kept the group on time. He talked the entire twelve hour trip - it was a bit much.

Transport

We really enjoyed Uni, our guide for the food tour. He spoke fluent English and was very personable. Cannon was very responsive and helpful. The employees at the Ryokan Gyokutei were wonderful the entire stay, serving us dinner even though we were late because of traffic. We loved the facility. Unfortunately alot of our drivers didn't speak English so it was difficult to communicate with them. The drop off at airport on the last day was disappointing. We were very confused about where to meet our driver at the train station. He seemed to be rushed and dropped us off far from the doors of the airport. We would have liked more guidance on how much time to allot to each activity so that we wouldn't fall behind on our itinerary.

Thanks to KimKim and our amazing trip coordinator, João, for planning the perfect itinerary for our 10-day trip to Portugal. João was consistently accessible, super flexible with last-minute changes, and paired us with incredible guides—Francisco, Pedro, and Manuel. I highly recommend João to anyone visiting Portugal.

Obrigado!

We loved our trip to Japan with Kimkim. Bella was wonderful - very detailed oriented, always available when we needed her both prior and during the trip and very thoughtful and generous. We also thought the guides, Peter and Hiroshi were wonderful and great photographers too! Thank you so much for making our trip so memorable and we love the video present at the end of the trip, a wonderful memory! Thank you Bella for all your hard work and professionalism. We will definitely book another trip with you.

Hotel Reviews

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oni No Sumika

Shuzenji Onsen

Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Ginza

Tokyo

Activity Review

Arashiyama Hidden Gems, Autumn Garden & Traditional Ikebana Experience （Private Guide &Public Transportation）

Kyoto

Kathrin’s patience snd expert knowledge of New Zealand were amazing. She was very responsive throughout planning and even while we were on our tour. If we have a chance to use her again we would love to.

The Cruise to Maori Rock Carvings on Lake Taupo was a memorable experience- being on a dual boat was much better than the folks we saw on the motorized cruises.

Waimangu Valley Nature Walk and Lake Cruise was exactly what we needed. Super good exercise for 90 minutes and a very informative boat cruise (great skipper- wish I recalled his name).

Kathrin’s booking us on the Second Breakfast Hobbiton tour was such a great idea of her. Way better than the regular tour.

When one of our tours canceled because of weather Kathrin was working on a replacement even before we knew it was canceled.

Can’t say enough about KimKim and Kathrin!

Highly recommended.!😊

Overall trip was amazing! Loved the mix of history and market shopping. Celine Mancuso was the best guide. She is a true scholar and historian. Wish we could have extended her to the Avignon portion of the trip. Faure Brigitte was very accommodating and pleasant but did not have the depth of knowledge expected from a guide. She was more of a driver. The driver from Provence to Avignon did not speak English. This was a problem. The driver from Avignon to Aix was great! We did not get a chance to spend time with Chloe the guide in Aix. There was a mix-up as to whether we'd tour Gorde on the previous day or on the way to Aix. Alexia did not check with us to find out so we left Hotel Cambis much too early to arrive in Aix at 11 without being able to check in. Having nothing to do, we toured Aix by ourselves which was a long walk from the hotel and back. By check in time at 3, we were exhausted and wanted to enjoy the hotel. That was when the tour with Chloe was scheduled to start. That was very bad planning/timing. Alexia stated that break was time scheduled for lunch before the tour. We did not need 4 hours for lunch with nothing to do but a self guided tour. Should have checked out of Hotel Cambis much later. The Pigonnet hotel was nice but it was not 5-star service or food. It was too far from the city center to walk to the market on Tuesday so I missed that one. Nice grounds but not worth the price due to poor service, poor food and location. Domaine de Manville was awesome and Hotel Cambis was average but a good location. The breakfast buffet was terrible. Ran out of food and poor choice of food. The staff was great and recommended fantastic places for dinner. Your dinner list in Avignon is outdated with those restaurants closed altogether or closed the days we were there. Overall itinerary was awesome except for the last day.

Hotel Reviews

Domaine de Manville

Les Baux-de-Provence

The staff was great. Able to get a ride into town to eat dinner. The Michelin Star restaurant was outstanding! Breakfast was amazing. Property was beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Furnishings

Location

Beautiful property and pool

Staff

Bell Service (Gerald) was great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

All clean but elevator did smell like fish the whole time we were there.

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Rooms were great and management staff was amazing but breakfast buffet was terrible. Not a lot of choice, inconsistent, ran out of mocha, eggs, bananas. Employees were chatting in the kitchen and slow to refill the buffet. Front desk was able to get us incredible dinner reservations each night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Pigonnet

Aix-en-Provence

Hotel grounds are amazing but the bellman was not real helpful. No chance of checking in early. Wait staff was slow (someone delivered hot food on trays and left it sitting for a few minutes waiting on another server instead of serving right away which happened to multiple tables). French fries were cold and soggy and ham sandwich was dry and flavorless. Breakfast buffet was good. Room was big and nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too far from the city center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Roman Sites and Medieval Heritage in Le Pont du Gard, Uzès and Nîmes

France

Visit Les Baux de Provence & Saint Rémy de Provence

France

Day Excursion to the Luberon villages of Bonnieux, Ménerbes and Lourmarin

France

Pretty countryside but too far to drive it all in one day.

Roman Splendors of Orange & Vaison-la-Romaine

France

Excursion to Gordes and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

France

Self-guided exploration of Avignon

France

We visited the Pope's Palace but it was incredibly hot inside.

Private Walking tour of Aix-en-Provence

France

Did not go on this tour as it was scheduled at check-in time which would have given us no time to enjoy the hotel. Should have been scheduled between 1-3.

Free time in Les Baux de Provence and visit of the castle

Les Baux de Provence

Caroline our specialist was always knowledgeable, available, helpful and kind. I was unable to make the trip because my cat became quite ill a couple of days before our departure. Caroline helped my husband have an enjoyable trip on his own and we appreciate her. I learned a lot even though I couldn’t travel. I can now use What’s App and Google Translate and Instagram. Thank you Caroline!

Thanks to Maryem and kimkim for exceptional planning for our trip around Morocco. All of our guides were excellent in showing us around the Medinas and telling us about some of the history of Morocco. We enjoyed the varied terrain from the mountains, the desert, and the coastal areas. Our driver, Mohamed was exceptional, very friendly, and professional at all times.

Hotel Reviews

RIAD VILLA AMOOD

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

This is a fabulous hotel with friendly and helpful staff. The hotel is very beautiful with nice dining options.

Authenticity & Character

Decor is very beautifully Moroccan

Location

Staff

Helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Nice authentic decor

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

This upscale tent camping was quite nice and very spacious. This was camping in style!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Sultan

Chefcheouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

By

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Spa Le Doge

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boumalne Dades to Merzouga Sunset 4x4 to your camp via Tinerhir & Rissani

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Hi

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the Desert Region

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel ride to camp was great fun

Explore Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Particularly enjoyed climbing up to the Spanish Mosque at sunset where the view of the city after dark was amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Fabulous fun riding camel to camp with view of the sand dunes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Majo was so amazing, patient and helpful with our trip. It was an incredible trip !

Hotel Review

El Barranco

Santa Cruz

Incredible hotel and staff. Best location. We almost chose a more expensive hotel, but when we got to the area we realized we made the better choice. 10 out of 10. Walkable to shops, the main pier for water taxis, restaurants. Honestly you could eat and drink at the hotel because the food was incredible. Gorgeous view and pool!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central to EVERYTHING

Staff

Garamija makes the best drinks and brings the fun

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free day to explore

Isla Santa Cruz

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Bay Tour & Afternoon at leisure in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel Experince in Punta Cormorant / Champions Islet - Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Ericka was such a wonderful guide!! She made this whole day even more special!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Cruz Highlands & Artisan Experience with Coocking Class

Puerto Ayora

The chef was wonderful! The food was so good, and more than we could possibly eat. There were turtles all over the area. We got fresh food from the farm before we made our food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trapiche & Garrapatero Relax Tour with Kayak

Ecuador

The owner of trapiche and his son made the day! They were so fun, and welcoming. A true highlight

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yacht Cruise to North Seymour Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delicious Dinner by the Sea

Ecuador

Beyond food and drinks being some of the best I've had...we saw four baby sharks, sting rays, turtles all from our table. A true highlight

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fabulous trip. Many happy memories. Booking with Kimkim was really easy and Maryem was extremely helpful to accommodate all our needs. Mohamed was fantastic and always on time. I will use Kimkim for future travels. Thank you so much.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

I love the hotel, tastefully decorated with traditional items. Very original.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and in between the Medina

Location

Very accessible to everything

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean everywhere.

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Amazing experience in the camp. Getting there by camels was a fabulous experience. Food was delicious and the sunrise as well as the sunset from the camp are simply spectacular. Beds very comfortable.

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

RIAD VILLA AMOOD

Merzouga

Beautiful building

Riad Sultan

Chefcheouen

Beautiful place and conveniently located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

Hôtel & Spa Le Doge

Casablanca

A fabulous hotel. People very friendly. Very clean and rooms are nicely decorated. Food delicious

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes & Volubilis

Morocco

Marrakech to Boumalne Dades via Ouarzazate

Morocco

Boumalne Dades to Merzouga Sunset 4x4 to your camp via Tinerhir & Rissani

Morocco

Tour of the Desert Region

Merzouga

Fes walking guided tour : No drive

Fes

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our tour guide was fabulous and his English was perfect.

Explore Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Loved this beautiful blue city. An amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

This was our first “vacation” trip to Japan and we wanted to blend a traditional travel trip with a cruise that also covered Japan. Angel was able to make this happen very well, adding some hiking elements that were perhaps not on your typical US travelers wish list.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Great location to many sites, restaurants, and the subway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

It appears to be a nice hotel. Unfortunately the arrival time ( 5 pm ) and an early morning departure time ( 7 am) didn’t allow us to enjoy the facility. I think the travel TO the hotel was way too long ( not the hotel’s fault but a travel planning fault )

Authenticity & Character

full traditional experience

Location

Train station error. The trip plan did not specify that the local station was 30 minutes from the station we needed to be at for our travel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taoya Kisoji

Tsumago

Following the experience in Hakone, this hotel seems large and not comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a Disney land hotel

Location

Probably our worst KimKim moment when after a tough hike we realized the hotel was 2 miles away from the end of the hike with no easy way to get to the hotel. We ended up with a taxi, but were very frustrated

Staff

Really didn’t see much of the staff. Cafeteria style dining was just too much

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kiso Mikawaya

Kiso-Fukushima

While the property doesn’t look very good, the river front option for the room and dining area was great

Authenticity & Character

Again the look of the hotel is not appealing to the eye

Location

convenient to the hike

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BYAKU Narai

Narai

My wife and I are “split” on this hotel. It’s nicely restored in a beautiful town along the trail. But the windowless room was a real problem for me.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful restored property

Location

Right on the trail.

Staff

nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Window less room was a problem

Onyado Nono Matsumoto Natural Hot Spring

Nice blend of modern and traditional Japanese hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa-Eki Nishiguchi

Kanazawa

Really liked this hotel - near good shopping and the train station

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable from the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Ekimae

Kyoto

Nice location near the train station, which is amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Driver was on time. But the activities were boring. The restaurant recommended by the guide was very overpriced ( our most expensive meal on a 40 day trip )

Quality of Experience

Not much to see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, I felt the driver was only focused on the dining experience. And we kindly paid for his lunch at an expensive tourist trap

Transport

He was on time,, and had a nice van

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

Our guide, Ayumi, was excellent! She helped us navigate the practicalities of the Japanese train system and Tokyo subway (use of the Suica Card)…as well as provided an overall overview of Japanese history, culture and religion. In addition, she made wonderful recommendations for dining and activities for us for the remaining days in which we were on our own. Her English was also excellent. She refused accepting a tip from us saying it was not the Japanese custom.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good to experience subway in Tokyo. (Angel, you might disclose up front that Tokyo uses subway extensively …and that while crowding is common, the trains run on time AND are easy to navigate since they have English)

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

This was a highlight of our trip: it felt authentic and gracious, showcasing an important Japanese custom without cheapening the experience. This Tea Ceremony experience is a MUST!

Quality of Experience

5:00 PM time was perfect! Need to disclose that one should arrive at 30 minutes before to ensure enough time to change clothes and take pictures.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Need to disclose that the location of the ceremony required a cab drive since it was somewhat removed from our hotel (though we walked back using Google Maps)

Kanazawa Full Day Walking Tour

Kanazawa

Great mix of sites and places, Nice use of bus and taxi to help out

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Saya was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed spending the day with her.

Transport

Full Day Gokayama and Shirakawago Tour from Kanazawa

Japan

There was still more to do in Kanazawa versus going by car to Gokayama. And both sites we visited seemed to be the same

Quality of Experience

Boring

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was nice but seemed to be in a hurry

Transport

Didn’t like being in a taxi versus a car

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

Japan

Yuki was an exceptional guide and with so much to see in Kyoto was able to give us a quality experience. Many sites in Kyoto were very crowded, however

Quality of Experience

good pace. Detailed explanations of Japanese culture

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good use of public transporation

Transport

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

The second day in Kyoto was a good shift from the first. Nice to see the landscape around the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day with Osaka Castle

Japan

Our driver/guide was on time and very knowledgeable. He spoke very good English, too

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I appreciate that we made sure we were at the cruise port before departing

Transport

Lenny and the entire team made this trip a memorable experience.

We really appreciated all the planning and details that wen into our trip to Peru. The trip was amazing and the team we interacted with was great! Enfrain was a great guide throughout Cusco and the surrounding areas. Sergio was amazing at Machu Picchu. We really did enjoy everything that got booked and all the hotels we stayed at. Thanks for all the help to make sure we made the most amazing memories!

Hotel Reviews

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The best staff we came across on our trip. Really stood out with trying to make sure we enjoyed our stay and were taken care of.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shared Half-Day Lima City Tour & San Francisco Catacombs

Lima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Half-Day Cusco Walking Tour: Sacsayhuamán, Qoricancha & San Pedro Market

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour to Awanakancha, Pisac Sites & Market: Hacienda Lunch

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu exploration with a private guide

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sergio was an amazing guide!

Transport

Private Llama trek, Ancestral Weaving & Salt Flats of Maras

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Full Immersion Cooking class

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On the whole we had a wonderful trip to Greece. The scenery, history, food, and wine were just amazing.
I think that our highlights were the Acropolis and its museum, the temple of Poseidon, and Meteora. We also enjoyed Dion as well as the kings' tombs in Vergina.
Our accommodations were well chosen and we felt comfortable in all of them.
We did have a snafu when our walking evening tour in Athens was cancelled at the last minute, and Kimkim was very proactive in ensuring that we received our refund.
Our guide, in Meteora, Chris, was really outstanding and was very patient in pushing us to our limits - in a good way.
The only downside was that, since we did a great deal of driving, we would have liked to have a bit more guidance about routes, not just having to rely on GPS.
I would certainly strongly consider using them to help us plan a trip in the future.

Hotel Reviews

The Foundry Suites

Athens

The staff was really friendly and helpful, the location was great, and the room was lovely. I would go back if I were going back to Athens.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dellas Boutique Hotel

Meteora, Kalambaka

If only for the view out our window - and on the balcony, this hotel was really over the top. The room was very nice, and the breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Hotel

Thessaloniki

One of our goals in Thessaloniki was to find a nice place to celebrate my husband's birthday. The restaurant (Mamalouka) that was recommended by the hotel was a perfect fit. In addition, since the city has a lot of 1 way streets, it was a little complicated to get to the entrance to the hotel. The staff was quite helpful, including coming with me in the car to the parking. Breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athenian Riviera Hotel & Suites

Vouliagmeni

We were happy to be upgraded to a king room with a balcony. It was easy to walk to shopping and restaurants/tavernas. There was street parking right beside the hotel. My only complaint was that the hotel felt a little more impersonal than the other places we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Acropolis Visit

Athens

It was a do not miss, although, as a high light, was also quite crowded. We also went to the Acropolis museum which was a really nice complement to the temple.

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Local Markets Visit

Athens

Self-guided Exploration of Meteora's Monasteries

Meteora

Visiting the monasteries was so interesting. We had done our homework ahead of time and were able to visit several of the more highly recommended sites.

Sunset Hermit Caves Hike

Meteora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self Guided Visit to the Archeological Site of Delphi

Delphi

Visiting Delphi and the oracle was really nice. We also went to the museum which was very informative. It was well laid and enjoyable to visit

Quality of Experience