Kimkim Trip Reviews

When my friends and I started planning the trip to Japan, it wasn´t clear exactly where to begin. Fortunately for us, we discovered Kimkim, and shortly after completing the preferences survey, Shona got back to us with an itinerary proposal in no time. Since then, she has remained actively engaged with us through the rest of the planning, the trip, and up to the end.

In the planning phase, Kimkim´s itinerary chat allowed everyone on both sides of the chat to make and take into consideration others´ suggestions and recommendations. Shona let us know the requirements, addressed our concerns, and kept us up to date on bookings and reservations at every step, and we worked together to plan the best trip based on our budget. Thanks to this coordination, the itinerary was complete a long time before the trip. This breathing room ahead of the trip allowed for last-minute adjustments, which Shona actively managed for us.

During the trip, Shona and her team at Odynovo did not waver. From the moment we left for our trip up to when we returned, her team of coordinators, guides, and drivers was in constant communication with us. They made sure everything went smoothly, checking in to make sure we were where we planned to be and when we planned to be there; despite the language barrier.

The trip flowed seamlessly, a testament to their thoughtful planning. It was evenly paced, neither rushed nor laggy, considering the many activities we did and places we got to visit in a few days. The order of activities was well put together too. In every new place we visited, the guided days came first, followed by the self-guided days. Our tour guides were engaging and enthusiastic, intuitively showing us around, thereby boosting our morale to manoeuvre on our own and explore freely.

Leading up to the end of the trip, we only wished we had planned for more time. Shona and her team set a benchmark, a high bar, to which all trips to come, to Japan and other places around the world, will be compared. Japan is an interesting place, with a lot to offer in many aspects, and this trip, great as it was, was only an introduction, a momentous one. We look forward to returning sometime in the future, and we hope it will be just as amazing, if not more.

So, if you´re planning to visit Japan, and Shona is your agent, you´re in good hands. Actively participate in planning, remain engaged, and keep an open mind. Thanks, Kimkim, Odynovo, and thank you, Shona!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Monterey Le Frere Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views from the higher floors.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

You can walk around the local area and discover a lot with little effort.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

It´s close to great local places to explore for a tourist.

Staff

Welcoming and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall, well-maintained.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove and Tenryuji Temple Tour

Kyoto

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Authentic Sake Tour in Fushimi: Sake Tastings & Explore Historic Breweries

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samurai Sword Experience for Adults in Kyoto

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We returned last week from a 7 day self-drive tour in Iceland. We connected with our Icelandic travel planner Gudmundur Oli, better known as Gummi, through Kimkim. Planning our customized tour with Gummi was easy through online chat, Zoom calls and phone calls. We were a group of 6, ages 10 to 71 and Gummi helped us plan a trip with something for everyone.

Our trip was fabulous! From the Blue Lagoon, to the stunning waterfalls, to the thrilling Zodiac boat ride on Glacier Lake, and the ice caves, and the black sand beaches, to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and the puffins!!

The landscape of Iceland is a study in contrasts. One day you feel like you could be on the moon and the next like you might be in the Rockies in Colorado. It's stunning. I loved the contrast between the vast open spaces and rocky landscape and the warm and cozy indoor spaces like our accommodations and restaurants. There's a very Zen feeling to it all.

If I had to mention one negative it would be the cost...of everything. Lunch for 2, no drinks will cost you 75 bucks. Even souvenirs are outrageous. I thought Bermuda was expensive, but Iceland has them beat.

Thanks Gummi, it was great! We felt like we had a friend in Iceland and knew you were just a phone call away.

Hotel Review

Frost & Fire Boutique Hotel

Hveragerdi

Loved this property! It was our favorite. The location is so unique and interesting along the river with views from our room.. The hot tubs and heated pool were great, even on a cold and rainy day. The staff is great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The river view and quiet area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Fabulous! The lake was full of ice floes and seeing the glacier up close was very exciting.

Trip Planning
Provide a detailed itinerary. The itinerary on the kimkim site was quite high level, without any details. It was only after booking that we got more specific travel details from the local specialist, Giovanna, via the messaging section of the kimkim site. Giovanna was very responsive, checking in periodically with us before and during the trip.

The first day of the Rio tour was quite interesting, particularly visiting the artistic Santa Teresa neighborhood. After visiting Sugarloaf Mountain on the second day, the tour consisted mostly of driving quickly through various neighborhoods.

I would suggest that kimkim offer a list of some suggested activities for the “free days” in Rio, such as attending the Carnival Experience, recommending museums, etc..

Flight Scheduling
For the Rio-Brasilia-Manaus journey, schedule flights earlier in the day, with ample connection time in Brasilia. Our evening GIS-BSB flight was somewhat delayed, so the 45-minute connection time was inadequate. We literally ran to the departure gate for Gol Airlines’ BSB-MAO flight, which was marked as “closed,” but the gate agent was able to quickly onboard us, and the baggage crew managed to get our luggage loaded, as well. The BSB-MAO flight landed at 10:55pm, so we didn’t arrive at our hotel until almost midnight. With a 6:30am shuttle-bus pick up the next morning, we barely got any sleep before the arduous journey to the Amazon Tupana Lodge.

Travel to Amazon
Inform travelers about the extent and methods of transportation to the Amazon Tupana Lodge. We would likely have chosen a different itinerary had we known that we would be packed into a shuttle bus for an hour, ride on an aluminum boat for 45 minutes, ride on an even smaller shuttle bus for a couple of hours, and then board another aluminum boat for 30 minutes – all while having to carry our luggage between the four travel segments.

Inform travelers who choose to go to the Amazon to pack a smaller bag for that segment and store their larger luggage at their Rio hotel.

Hotel in Rio de Janeiro
While the Windsor Excelsior has an excellent location on Copacabana Beach and the staff is quite professional and welcoming, the rooms are outdated and not well-maintained, with chips and wear-marks on the floor and the furniture. The thermostats did not work, so one’s choice was very, very cold or no air conditioning at all. The sheets on the beds really didn’t fit the mattress, and the blanket was so small that it was difficult for two people to share. The bathroom was tiny. We had to call maintenance to repair a flickering light in the room we had at the end of the trip. The walls were so thin that we could hear conversation from the room next to us. Internet coverage was spotty and quite slow. On our check-out date (August 10), the hotel had a plumbing problem so that the water pressure was very low, and we didn’t have hot water at all, which was a problem since we wanted to shower before our evening flight from Rio to Miami.

In short, the Windsor Excelsior was not even a 3-star hotel, in my book.

Amazon Tupana Lodge
The Tupana Lodge was very rudimentary, with the wood cabins having gaps in the floor, tiny bathrooms with no hot water, and only a single fan to combat the high heat and humidity. There was no “check-in” process so we were left unaware of how things worked, what services or activities were available to us or the timing of meals. The common room was closed and locked during portions of the day, so if someone (like me) opted not to go on an excursion, there was not any access to drinking water since the dispenser was inside. Additionally, internet access was turned on and off intermittently.

The staff was working on some handrails on the main outdoor walkway, but the one to our room was completely missing, which was dangerous, particularly when we were returning to our cabin after dark and there was a meter to a meter-and-a-half drop from the walkway to the ground. The hand-towel rack was falling off the bathroom wall, making it completely unusable, with shower shelf fasteners pulling out of the walls and quicky heading towards the same fate as the towel rack.

The lodge does not accept cash, and their credit card reader had difficulty connecting to their very spotty internet.

We gave the room key to the front desk at “check-out”, but they called our driver to the Manaus airport to ask if we had taken it.

Tupana Lodge Excursions
Schedules were not announced by guides. The “motorized canoe” described in the kimkim material was actually an aluminum fishing boat.

We were not informed that the evening hike into the forest was going to take 5 hours (including dinner). I abandoned the hike after 25 minutes and returned to the lodge, but the lobby was locked, so I had to search for a staff member to let me into our cabin.

We didn't learn that the Wednesday morning boat trip included fishing until we got on the boat, and we both hate fishing. We made the best of it by just reading books on our phones. When no one caught any fish, the guide was trying to find some facts to tell us about the Amazon River, pointing out the "great insight" (sarcasm intended) that water in the sun was warmer than water in the shade.

Communication from Leonardo, the Amazon guide, was lacking. Often, there was often no information provided on what we would be doing the next day, with only his comment that "I'll tell you at breakfast." When I asked what an afternoon activity was going to be, he answered that we were rowing canoes. I explained that I have a shoulder problem, and he dismissed my concern. I asked what we were going to see, and his response was "trees." Again, I opted out of the excursion. During excursions, Leonardo was often conversing with a local guide or boat operator without explaining what he was doing or trying to achieve. We guests often felt like an afterthought.

The 5:30 am boat trip was re-scheduled for our last day, when we had a long travel day ahead of us. My husband, Brad, did the tour, but I again opted out. Brad reported that there were no animal sightings and that the excursion was a waste of time. He also noted that there were only a few people on the excursion, indicating a lack of interest or poor planning in the types of activities offered by the Tupana Lodge.

The excursions were uninspired and repetitive, so I ended up skipping most of them. Consequently, for me, four days at the Tupana Lodge was way too long.

The lodge portion of the trip was a waste of time for me. Frankly, I hated being there.

Transportation
On a positive note, all the car services were on time and reliable.

Overall
Based on the low quality of this trip, we are unlikely to use kimkim’s services again.

Hotel Reviews

Amazon Tupana Lodge

Manaus

The Tupana Lodge was very rudimentary, with the wood cabins having gaps in the floor, tiny bathrooms with no hot water, and only a single fan to combat the high heat and humidity. There was no “check-in” process so we were left unaware of how things worked, what services or activities were available to us or the timing of meals. The common room was closed and locked during portions of the day, so if someone (like me) opted not to go on an excursion, there was not any access to drinking water since the dispenser was inside. Additionally, internet access was turned on and off intermittently. The staff was working on some handrails on the main outdoor walkway, but the one to our room was completely missing, which was dangerous, particularly when we were returning to our cabin after dark and there was a meter to a meter-and-a-half drop from the walkway to the ground. The hand-towel rack was falling off the bathroom wall, making it completely unusable, with shower shelf fasteners pulling out of the walls and quicky heading towards the same fate as the towel rack.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intercity Manaus

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Excelsior Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

While the Windsor Excelsior has an excellent location on Copacabana Beach and the staff is quite professional and welcoming, the rooms are outdated and not well-maintained, with chips and wear-marks on the floor and the furniture. The thermostats did not work, so one’s choice was very, very cold or no air conditioning at all. The sheets on the beds really didn’t fit the mattress, and the blanket was so small that it was difficult for two people to share. The bathroom was tiny. We had to call maintenance to repair a flickering light in the room we had at the end of the trip. The walls were so thin that we could hear conversation from the room next to us. Internet coverage was spotty and quite slow. On our check-out date (August 10), the hotel had a plumbing problem so that the water pressure was very low, and we didn’t have hot water at all, which was a problem since we wanted to shower before our evening flight from Rio to Miami.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Last Day Jungle

The Amazon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon Jungle day 3

The Amazon

We had already decided that we were not going to camp overnight, but we were not informed that the hike into the jungle would take 5 hours, including dinner. I abandoned the hike after 25 minutes and went back to the lodge.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon Jungle day 2

The Amazon

We didn't learn that the Wednesday morning boat trip included fishing until we got on the boat, and we both hate fishing. We made the best of it by just reading books on our phones. When no one caught any fish, the guide was trying to find some facts to tell us about the Amazon River, pointing out the "great insight" (sarcasm intended) that water in the sun was warmer than water in the shade.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had driven the golden circle in 2023. This time we wanted to see the North. The Kim Kim team did a superb job on planning the routing, suggesting stops along the way, sourcing great accommodation, and even suggesting some restaurants. They made it easy, with clear maps, descriptions of points of interest, confirmed arrangements along the way, and clearly a thorough understanding of what would interest us. I don't think we could have made these kinds of choices on our own, since we don't have the experience of Iceland and it is a very long way between towns. There was a huge advantage for us to have a rental car so that we could stop where we wanted, spend extra time at places of interest, or skip something where we didn't have the time to stay. The highlight was seeing the full solar eclipse at the Western most tip of Europe. When we return (and we will), we will be contacting Kim Kim again for the planning.

All the guides, drivers, hotel staff, etc were very friendly, caring and tended to all our requests and needs.

Hotel Reviews

Buri Rasa Samui Village

Samui

The beach was great! Extensive food options and staff ready to greet and assist with needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Chai The Colonial Hotel & Spa

Chiang Mai

Breakfast was extensive and staff always ready assist with anything needed

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riva Vista Riverfront Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai

Close to temples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Once Bangkok

Bangkok

Great breakfast and able to get it “to go”!

Authenticity & Character

Rooftop

Location

The view of the river

Staff

Breakfast staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Nature Walk and Culture

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lanna Lifestyle & Cooking Experience with A Local Family with dinner

Chiang Mai

This was some fun and the family was just delightful. That two sons are very funny and personable. We got lots of great information and had lots of fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Monk Blessing at Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vivid Arts of Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Joining)

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Premium Koh Tao & Koh Nangyuan Snorkeling by Joining Speedboat (Tue/Thu/Sun)

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Culture and Art

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Scenery of Golden Triangle Region

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to The Glorious Days of Ayutthaya Kingdom

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was planned flawlessly by Leslie at KimKim! Can’t say enough how incredible the trip was and how every place, guide, and tour were wonderful - - - even in 100 degree heat!

Venice:
Our guide Sara was so warm, informative and loved her City. We learned so much about the history, saw the basilica, and went on a gondola ride. So lovely. Our hotel was fabulous and we made friends with the staff.

Florence:
Our guide Marco was charming and knowledgeable. We did some wine tasting, visited sites and were again spoiled at our hotel.

Rome:
Once again our guide and hotel were memorable. Our guide did her best to help us be more comfortable in the extreme heat, while we learned about our host city. We visited the Collisium and the Vatican; both left us speechless in their beauty.

Amalfi Coast:
We had a full day boat ride. The Captain and Marta were the perfect hosts who love their professions! We were shown the Blue Grotto, Mt Vesuvius, Capri, and the Sorrento coastline. We swam in the sapphire blue water, had a delicious Italian lunch and learned about the locations history. Our hotel was on the water and we got to relax a couple days and even got to see the Solar Eclipse!

I’m really not able to do the trip enough justice. Every guide, tour, ride, etc. was on time and high quality. Each hotel had a great location and was 4 - 5 stars. The memories my kids, grandkids and friend made together will last a lifetime. Can’t thank Leslie enough for her careful planning, availability, and kindness.

Review of Road Trip In France
What a great service! Marianna, our local specialist, was wonderful to work with. She was very responsive and had some good insights. Now for some specifics:
Picking up the rental car was seamless. With everything prepared and paid for it took just a few minutes to do the paperwork and drive away. As with every other driving excursion, a quick click on the embedded link brought up a saved Google map with a detailed route right to the exact next location.
Deauville was a good stop for us. It was a short drive after leaving our cruise ship to this wonderful seaside resort that had obviously been visited by many film stars and other well-known people. The Hotel Barriere Le Normandy deserved the 5-star rating – great facilities, great service, wonderful charm.
Another click on an embedded link, and we were off for the drive to Mont-Saint-Michel. This was one of the highlights of the trip. What an inspiring feat to build such a grand abbey on an isolated small island so many centuries ago.
Next stop was Amboise in the Loire valley region. The Hotel Le Clos d’Amboise was a charming converted chateau with a courtyard and inground swimming pool. The reception staff was extremely gracious and helpful. The breakfast included was okay. However, we would not recommend the restaurant for dinner. The servings were small, the service was slow, and the price was way too expensive for what was received.
A major highlight of the trip was the visit to the Clos Luc Castle, the final home of Leonardo da Vinci. It was fascinating to see his drawings and the replicas of machines based on his ideas. What a visionary individual he was!
Now came the only hiccup in the entire experience. Before we took the 30-minute trip to turn in the rental car we called the transfer company that was to give us a ride back to our hotel. The company had the return transfer scheduled for the following day and could not get us a driver for the current day. The hotel staff lined us up with a different transfer. We paid for the transfer, but Kimkim graciously refunded us the charge. Specific instructions on how to return the car to the underground parking garage would have been very helpful as the Avis representative was not in his office and did not speak very good English as he tried to transmit instructions as we circled the train station a few times.
All in all, working with Kimkim exceeded our expectations. We have already recommended them to others and will not hesitate to do so in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Nice converted old chateau. The reception staff was very good and helpful. The restaurant was OK for breakfast but would not recommend it for dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Mont Saint Michel

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

Typical U.S. style basic modern hotel. We wanted to make sure we had A/C, though it was not necessarily needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy

Deauville1

Great old 5-star hotel in a wonderful seaside resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very short walk to the beach.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private transfer in town

France

Transfer was scheduled on the wrong day.

Visit the châteaux Chenonceau on your own (timed tickets provided)

France

Quality of Experience

All guides and drivers were great as we have become to expect from Kimkim.

Hotel Review

Electra Palace Athens

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free Afternoon in Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Y

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Highlights Private Guided Driving Tour with Jewish Heritage

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Athens Food Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Archaeological Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides God bless and George were fantastic. Request them!! George maneuvered well in heavy traffic in and out if Nairobi and always provided fantastic views of the wildlife. We had bird enthusiasts in our group and Godbless was very knowledgeable. He also gave us excellent views of the animals. He had an engaging personality and it was obvious he had good relationship with other guides.
Joseph did an excellent job of curating a customized experience for our group of six.
He was responsive to our questions.
It was an experience of a lifetime.

All connections were smooth. A no hassle experience where we could still do things independently.
I thought the hiking around Pyha was exceptional. It is nice there was plenty of independent time in location ( except bear watching cabin) to be able to walk about.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ski-Inn Kultakero Hotel

Pyhätunturi

Loved this place off season , after the big concert crowd had left. Was so nice to have our own sauna and hot tub. Such a nice spacious room for two people with kitchen facilities. The walking and hikes nearby were great. Unfortunately, our two outings with the same guide we didn’t get a chance to see much wildlife, but the weather was an issue and we enjoyed visiting with him.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bear Watching Cabin

Kuusamo

It was a long time to be cooped up. I would have had second thoughts , if I knew it was 14 hours in a stuffy cabin with no chance to take a walk to get fresh air. It n the other hand it makes a memorable visit and a great story to see bears by the Russian border. I didn’t realize they bait the bears directly in front of the cabin. Something about this struck me as wrong , but my wife liked it more than I did.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Long drive to get to this cabin.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Can walk anywhere from here

Staff

Attentive and accommodating staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sauna in excellent shape

Overnight Train

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Haven

Helsinki

Liked the buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Midnight Sun Photography Tour

Rovaniemi

Ryan was a very patient and enthusiastic guy that made for a memorable evening.

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turku City Walking Tour

Turku

Informative guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Canoe Trip in Lapland

Rovaniemi

Beautiful spot , very private. Good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki Sauna Tour

Helsinki

Was a fun trip. Bike riding was no problem , felt safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Supportive and informative. Excellent English.

Transport

Overnight Bear Watching Experience

Kuusamo

Long time at a stuffy cabin. An interesting experience to see bears that close to the Russian border. I didn’t realize they baited the bears to come to the right in front of the cabin.

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clearer communication

Transport

Good drivers on a long drive.

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

It was fine , seemed a bit touristy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fishing Experience

Finland

Didn’t have much time to get the line in the water, but still a nice spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour

Pyhä

Rainy day and didn’t see much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Reliable for a rainy day

Transport

River Cruise on an Eco Rubber Boat

Rovaniemi

Our guide was informative and personable. He gave us a choice of rubber or rustic wooden boat. I chose the wooden, but there was a problem with a bit of a leaking. The bailing made for a memorable journey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guide should have probably checked boat leak before guests.

Short Arctic Wilderness Hike (Summer/Autumn)

Rovaniemi

Nice hike , young French guide didn’t add much info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Never felt like Ryan was rushing through things.

Transport

Picnic Cruise Along the Aura River

Turku

Boat operator did not arrive.

Transport

Back up plan for boat operator.

Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea

Helsinki

Our guide Alex was excellent with good sized group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste of Helsinki & Tour of Suomenlinna

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a marvelous trip to Finland. Emerson established our itinerary, and every phase of the trip played out exactly as planned. For example, every driver we expected for a transport showed up early. I never felt worried that we would be stuck somewhere and have to figure out an alternative plan; things occurred as stated in the itinerary.
I loved the app too - it kept all of the important information, directions and tickets together in one source. I will definitely use KimKim again for international travel.
Emerson was available during the trip via the app or email, just in case we had questions or concerns. It was reassuring to know that we could consult with our travel specialist at any time. He was pretty quick to get back to us when we did contact him.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

This is an amazing hotel! The room was incredibly spacious, and staff was friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was incredibly eclectic! We loved it!

Authenticity & Character

It has its own bar and restaurant, and has a beautiful lounge area with an outdoorsy decor.

Location

This is a great location to walk to city center businesses and shops, but feels like it is on a quiet side street.

Staff

So helpful and friendly. We asked for directions to locations and businesses multiple times and always received friendly help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room had so much space I. It and that made it feel exceptionally comfortable to stay in.

Overnight Train

The sleeper cabins with private bathrooms are extremely small for two people! You barely have room to do anything in the room or the bathroom.

Authenticity & Character

Definitely not a typical space to stay in. Very unique!

Location

Very convenient to use for a long travel distance, making overnight travel attractive.

Staff

Helpful. Answered questions that we presented.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sleeper cabins for two people need to be a bit larger to allow both to be able to move around.

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

A very nice hotel in a great setting in Turku.

Authenticity & Character

It has unusual decor inside.

Location

Perfect setting in order to walk downtown, yet it feels like it’s on a quiet street.

Staff

So friendly and accommodating in every situation that arose during our stay!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was plenty big, and there was plenty of comfortable space to sit in the lobby or dining/bar areas.

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

This was a nice hotel, set in a very convenient location for walking around Helsinki. It is a smaller hotel, but the room was quite adequate.

Authenticity & Character

This was a smaller hotel, but was pretty adequate for most amenities.

Location

Close to downtown activities , businesses and parks.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was good.

Activity Reviews

Canoe Trip in Lapland

Rovaniemi

We had a great canoe experience that included our ability to look at a solar eclipse.

Quality of Experience

Excellent training by the guide before we began.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Martin gave clear directions and explained how to stay safe.

Transport

Mushroom and Berry Picking

Rovaniemi

This mostly involves picking blueberries to make juice.

Quality of Experience

It was fun and interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was nice and personable.

Transport

Finnish Legends and Stories Around the Fire

Rovaniemi

We enjoyed the campfire and whole experience.

Quality of Experience

Making pancakes was fun.

Food

The pancakes were good. We thought there might be other food provided, since it said dinner was included.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Martin told interesting stories.

Transport

Electric Fatbike Trip to the Reindeer Farm

Rovaniemi

The Fatbike made the ride so comfortable and easy. The reindeer farm experience we great.

Quality of Experience

Nice ride the farm was terrific.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was terrific. He quickly and adeptly made us lunch at the fireplace.

Transport

Ooo

Korouoma Canyon & Auttiköngäs Waterfalls Adventure

Rovaniemi

This was a fun, amazing, mostly moderate hike, and it had some nice viewpoints.

Quality of Experience

Good pacing

Food

I loved the fireplace at the shelter. It was so user-friendly and safe.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable tour guide.

Transport

Archipelago Ring Road Tour

Turku

This was a nice tour, but not quite what I thought I was getting. I thought we would get out of the vehicle more to see incredible sights. I didn’t realize that most of the time would be spent in the vehicle because it takes so long to complete the Ring Road.

Quality of Experience

Food

We only stopped to eat at once place to eat. The food was great, but we should have had a little more time to eat it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide was very nice, and shared some good information.

Transport

Car was comfortable.

Turku City Walking Tour

Turku

The guide was very knowledgeable, and gave us a nice mix of historical information as well as local cultural information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As mentioned previously, he gave a good mix of information. The only downside was that he seemed to become distracted by his personal wants when we entered the library.

Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea

Helsinki

We enjoyed a really nice hike through a forested nature area.

Quality of Experience

Very nice hike at a good pace, with free time given for exploration.

Food

The guide prepared traditional Finnish food, and the presentation was terrific!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very nice and interesting, and knowledgeable about forest plants.

Transport

She drive the van very carefully along these windy roads.

Helsinki City Walking Tour (3h)

Helsinki

Nice walk around the city with a nice guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My Uganda trip, booked through kimkim, was an incredible experience overall. The itinerary covered everything I had hoped for: gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and Queen Elizabeth National Park were all absolute highlights, each with fantastic wildlife sightings and well-timed, well-organized days.

A special mention goes to my guide and driver, Steven, who was outstanding throughout the trip. He was knowledgeable, attentive, and brought a level of care and professionalism that made a real difference, from the way he timed the trekking activities to how he handled logistics day to day. He's a big part of why this trip felt so memorable.

I also want to highlight Fred, who checked in with me by phone almost every day to make sure everything was going smoothly. That level of attentiveness gave me real peace of mind traveling alone, and it didn't go unnoticed.

One area for improvement: the overall pricing felt too high, not because anything was missing from the trip, but because it's clear a significant markup was added on top of the actual bookings. This isn't a reflection of Steven's or Fred's work, both of which were excellent; it's specifically feedback on kimkim's pricing structure. If I might book with them again, I'd go in more price-conscious, even though the on-the-ground experience was fantastic.

Activity Reviews

Kazinga Channel Water Safari

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride 4 a Woman Biking Community Tour

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Chimpanzee Trekking

Kibale National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was amazing! Chris booked eight of us according to our needs, and also provided a wonderfully eclectic experience! We chose to break up into two groups of four so we could see different places, and the timing of the split was perfect. It was wonderful to see so much of Athens, staying in three different hotels, and all were unique in their own ways. The car rentals went very smoothly too. We talked the whole trip about how wonderful Chris' arrangements were, and how much we appreciated the recommendations and free time. He was also very responsive whenever we had questions while on the trip.

My only recommendation is for the car rental: the Nissan Qashqai, while very comfortable, would not allow for turning off driver assist. This meant if I hugged the shoulder to let cars pass, the wheel would automatically and immediately move the car back into the center of the lane. It pinged whenever I drove 1kph over the speed limit. Not ideal for local driving behavior! The rental agency contact said, "this is a good car, but not a good car for Greece." The Ibiza SEAT was perfect though!

Please know the tour guides were wonderful. Irene at the Acropolis group tour and Penny at the Delphi private tour had us laughing, taught us a great deal, were very caring about the heat and shade, and thorough in where to go at the end of the tour. Experiencing two different styles of tours was also very thoughtful! Penny was delightful, and we still quote her.

Lucie was incredible! From start to finish she listened, planned, reworked and was just amazing! She included everything we wanted, selected lovely places for us to stay, made sure the trip went smoothly with a rental car, and gave helpful tips to us. When we added or subtracted things mid- planning she didn’t hesitate! She reworked our itinerary so quickly! I cannot say enough about how kind funny and professional Lucie was. We are planning our next trip in 2027 and will be asking for Lucie specifically! Thank you so much for planning our One of a Kind Grimm Faery Tale Trail Adventure! It was magical!

Adam Warszawski of Iceland Offbeat was simply amazing!!! He was kind, patient, thoughtful, funny, and told us great stories about Iceland and about his guiding experiences. He even cleared an injured duck off the roadway as we were driving. We saw so many wonderful sights, and learned so many things about the land and its history --- all because of Adam. We miss his company in the days since we've arrived home!

The entire experience was fabulous. The only reason I gave KimKim just 4 stars was because of a mix-up at the very beginning of our trip. Another guide picked us up at the airport (ahead of Adam) and was brusque about not being our guide. I had talked to Adam for months ahead of time, planning this trip, and was in communication with Adam even as we landed in Iceland. But when we descended the escalator, there was Svarnen (?) waiting with a sign in his hand that had my name on it. All was eventually sorted, but we found those first few moments odd and uncomfortable.

Fanny and Adrian did a great job. The food tour in Kinsale and the Connemara Sheepdog demonstration were fabulous and definitely the highlights.

From the initial introductory discussion with Janneke through to the end of our trip, our experience of working with Janneke was absolutely superb. She organised a 3 1/2 week family holiday in South Africa and Namibia. Her knowledge and advice from the outset was second to none and ensured that we had a very memorable holiday, staying in 10 different locations, with no 'duds'. We immediately warmed to her enthusiasm for her country, and she was always available throughout the trip to give advice. We even met up near her home on the garden route which was particularly lovely. Given our family situation we had some specific requirements, which were all clearly understood and acted on. All the local partners that she worked with were friendly and knowledgeable - they were clearly well vetted. Particular shout out to Andrew our guide in Cape Town and the wine region and to the team in Namibia.

In terms of highlights, I'd go back to every spot, but top of the list would be Franschhoek (La Cotte Farm) and Hohenstein Lodge in Damaraland, Namibia.

So thank you Janneke and to the team - we will be in touch next time we come to south africa for sure! We need to go to Babylonstoren when it's not raining!

Hotel Reviews

Agama River Camp

Stunning place

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sossus Dune Lodge

Beautiful place in the middle of nowhere with fantastic views. The stars were mindblowing. Really lovely food too. Slightly let down by one or two of the staff members giving a 'can't be bothered' impression, exacerbated by several missing things in our rooms (a missing duvet, missing towels). It was a long walk from the rooms to the reception so this stuff was annoying, but didn't overall detract from a memorable stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Incredible place in the middle of nowhere. Stunning views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Several missing things in the rooms

Swakopmund Guest House

Swakopmund

The Windhoek Luxury Suites

Windhoek

Xanatseni Private Camp

Bushbuckridge

Wow. What a place. Beautiful rooms with high ceilings and thatched roofs. Decent (perhaps not stellar) food. Super friendly and helpful staff - they were a real joy to be around. Fantastic game drives with knowledgeable guides. It was a real privilege to stay here - I would love to come back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harbour House Hotel

Hermanus

Very spacious. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lofts Boutique Hotel

Knysna

Brilliant place. Real character (the kids loved crossing a bridge over the lobby to get to their room). Stunning location.

Authenticity & Character

An old boathouse. Real character to the place

Location

Incredible views

Staff

My daughter was expecially chuffed that they found a suiteable khosa name for her.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Cotte Farm

Franschhoek

Staying at La Cotte was of the highlights of our trip. Such a beautiful, peaceful location with lovely food and lovely rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Romney Park Luxury Apartments

Cape Town

Lovely small boutique hotel/apartments. Worked well for us as was well equipped (washing machine / kitchen), large and comfortable rooms and nice views towards the sea.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Day in the Kruger Bush with Two Game Drives

South Africa

A superb few days. Big thanks to our guide, Ross, who was super knowledgeable of the area and the animals and looked after us well. A real highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Knysna Featherbed Eco Experience

South Africa

A nice trip. Quite busy on the initial part of the walk as everyone set off at the same time, but it did thin out. A nice way to explore the area, and the food at the end was super!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Franschhoek Scootours

South Africa

This was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Town to Franschhoek with Wine farm visits

South Africa

What's not to like about a wine tour in the beautiful landscape and towns of the area!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bo-Kaap Walking Tour

Cape Town

Interesting, but I wouldn't say it's a must do. Can wander around the area and get a feel in your own time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

Wonderful trip. Big thanks to our guide Andrew for creating a wonderful tour. Kayaking with the penguins was a particular highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food tour in Kinsale was great
Hotels without elevators were a surprise and should be advised about before booking.

Both Adam and Sandy were outstanding. All the hotels were amazing. Pauline with help from Gabriella could not have been better. If you had a question, they got back to you with an answer almost immediately. They were great! Thank you so much, Pauline!!!

Hotel Reviews

No11 Boutique Hotel & Brasserie

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Foyers Lodge

Inverness

I wished to stay at a hunting lodge and this place was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Charming building.

Location

Beautiful view of Loch Ness and close to Inverness.

Staff

The young woman that helped us at any time of the day was fantastic. She was so polite and pleasant. Outstanding!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Fort William

Beautiful experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Square

Stirling

My wife just loved this place. It located close to everything we wanted to do.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eskdale hotel

langholm

The staff was outstanding and the location was perfect.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walk up Calton Hill

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Langhom

Langholm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Edinburgh

AMAZING!!! Bucket list experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

Very fun, relaxing, and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

Sandy was a pleasure to learn from. Great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A special Armstrong tour

Langholm

Adam is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Hotel Review

Paros Agnanti Resort & Spa

Paros

Beautiful food, service and surrounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town but away from the bustle

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset & Wine Tasting Experience

Santorini

Lovely experience and evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Acropolis Beat-the-Crowds Discovery Walk

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff