Kimkim Trip Reviews

Janelle was truly outstanding, helping us to put together a trip to Northern Spain with a lot of moving pieces. None of the 5 us had been to that part of the world before, and she made it easy to hit a lot of wonderful highlights. The guides selected were excellent, and each of the hotels and restaurants the team reserved for us was GREAT.

Both our tour guides, Yumi and Yuki, were fantastic. Yumi in particular went above and beyond and really tailored our tours to our interests, she even helped us reserve a taxi when we got to Hakone. Overall we had a wonderful time!

Activity Reviews

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

Japan

Yuki was a fantastic tour guide, we learned a lot and loved our tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oshino Hakkai

Japan

Due to the heat, our tour guide Yumi suggested some different locations that fit with our interests. We had a lot of fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Akihabara district

Tokyo

Yumi was an awesome tour guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Did 8 day London to Paris trip with family of 4. Agency had arranged pick up from airport to hotel, which was nice that I did not have to worry about taxis scams. Hotels chosen were the Cumberland in London and Paris art hotel in Paris. Both were in the busy parts of town, which was what we asked for. Our activities were tailored to what we wanted. We did Tea bus tour, London eye, Tower London, Webmeister Abby and Madame Tussauds wax museum. It was nice to not to worry about getting ticket, making sure they are not sold out, how to buy, etc, as this was all taken care of for us.
Eurostar train to Paris was great and highly recommend, easier than plane.
In Paris we did Disneyland, Eiffel Tower, Cruise on Seine river, Louvre, and Notre dame. Had Sebastian as a tour guide for family friendly guided tour of Louvre was great, highly recommended if bringing young children. Again, didn't stress over tickets or times as Caroline, our travel agent, took care of this for us.

Hotel Reviews

Paris Art Hotel Quartier Latin

Paris

This is smaller hotel, more private and intimate. In a wonderful location in Latin Quarter, easy to find food and shopping. Staff was wonderful and friendly, but also helpful with anything we needed. Had a hair drier that failed and immediately replaced. Room cleaned in timely fashion. Did not have rooms that connected and had only 1 bed rooms but they accommodated us well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Cumberland

London

Great location in the City, amazing breakfast which was included, and staff very friendly. Food choices were wonderful in the hotel, and atmosphere was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The London Eye

London

Must do in London activity. Very straight forward. Beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louvre Museum Treasure Hunt

Paris

One of my favorite Family actives. Our Tour Guide Sebastian was wonderful, can tell he is very experienced. Kids were engaged the whole time. Highly recommend if wanting to do the Lourve with kids. Otherwise it is a mess of a place to go through without help.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family cruise on the Seine

Paris

The main river cruise that is next to Eiffel Tower. Ride when you want, runs every hour to half hour. It is 1 hour long but goes quick, nice view of city from the cruise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Entrance Tickets: Disneyland Paris (1 day/2 parks)

France

Have been to all the Disneyland parks in America, so wanted to try this out. It is Magic Kingdom parks but Paris style. So much fun as always with Disney. Food was amazing, having French food. Rides are similar but unique in their own ways. Lines are similar to any Disney park. Stayed for fireworks show at night and had a blast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tower of London (skip-the-line tickets)

London

Tower of London and the Royal Family Jewels. So much history, it was fascinating to see it all. Lines were not a problem.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana was phenomenal! Anna-marie did a great job assisting us every step of the way, answering our myriad questions throughout the planning process and while on the ground. Everything worked seamlessly. All the drivers and guides showed up when and where they were supposed to. We enjoyed each location we stayed in from the perfectly located Victoria and Alfred hotel in Cape Town to the Moremi Crossing camp in the middle of the Ocavango Delta. We couldn't be more pleased!

Hotel Reviews

Moremi Crossing

We LOVED Moremi Crossing and the Okavango Delta! The trip to the camp from the air strip wasn't bad, about 15 minutes via Land Cruiser and boat. Loved having our tent cabin right on the water and watching the elephants wander by. The central meeting area was lovely though large and had great small sitting areas for looking out over the water but the size also meant it wasn't as conducive to meeting folks. It was family style eating but you sat with your land cruiser team and your guide. Really enjoyed the bonfire and drinks before dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No heat or AC here but no complaint! Plus an outdoor shower. It felt more authentic this way and the blankets provided kept us plenty warm during the night.

Muchenje Safari Lodge

Kasane, Chobe

We loved this lodge! The central meeting/gathering space was warm and cozy and helped facilitate interactions among the guests. Eating was family style, but you sat where ever you wanted at the available tables so you weren't limited to the folks you may be traveling with in your land cruiser. You could also opt for a meal outdoors on your own if you wanted to - overlooking the river. Room was very comfortable and spacious. The drive into the park was about 15 minutes but you often passed wildlife along the way.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Phenomenal location overlooking the Chobe River valley.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls

This hotel exceeded our expectations! Centrally located and a wonderful chill vibe with great indoor and outdoor space. Wish we had had a few more hours to enjoy it more. Easy walk to Victoria Falls and a great craft market next door to the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Umkumbe Bush Lodge

While we really liked this lodge itself and the staff, we didn't like that you had to pay extra for several things that the other lodges we stayed in included as part of the overall cost. More specifically, you had to pay $80 per person for a 90 minute bush walk which I think was extremely over priced for what you got (we did it) and I would not recommend doing it (especially if you were going elsewhere where it is provided for free), for individual drinks (sodas and alcohol), and for laundry (which was very pricey). Having been to two other lodges that covered these items, I would definitely pick a lodge in the future that covered these costs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We liked the staff and found them very helpful. Interestingly the guides seemed on the less experienced/younger side compared to the guides we had later in our trip in Botswana. They were good but lacked some inter-personal maturity that comes with experience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Victoria & Alfred Hotel

Cape Town

Very conveniently located at the V&A waterfront. Very spacious and comfortable rooms and helpful staff. Good breakfast options as part of the stay. While we really enjoyed the V&A waterfront, it has a touristy feel, even with plenty of locals walking around. You have easy access to the Robben Island ferry, the Watershed market full of local crafts and the fabulous Oranjezicht City Farmers Market filled with great food and local shops. Perfect place for breakfast and lunch overlooking the Atlantic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Okavango Delta by Mokoro

Botswana

We finished our last hours in the Delta by going on a Mokoro ride followed by a bush walk. We loved it! The mokoro ride was a unique experience. So peaceful and interesting to see the delta from low on the water. I liked that it was combined with a bush walk too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Classic River Safari

Victoria Falls

We loved the sunrise safari! We were the only two passengers aboard and rather than going downriver toward the falls we opted to go upriver to see more wildlife and birds. Tons of hippos. Beautiful kingfishers and other African birds. Plus a bunch of elephants too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robben Island

Cape Town

While we were really glad to go to Robben Island and learn about it's history, we were disappointed that our time there was very structured by the official guide and didn't leave much time to wander or contemplate in our own way all that happened there. Hearing from a former prisoner was fascinating though while listening to him talk for at least 45 minutes, you are sitting on hard benches in one room and there wasn't, I don't think, the opportunity to ask questions. After listening to him, we were rushed through the area where Mandela was housed with barely a moment to look in. Now, what I don't know is whether we were being rushed because of the worsening seas outside and they wanted us off the island or if this is the regular schedule.

Quality of Experience

See thoughts above.

Transport

See thoughts above.

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

Loved traveling down the Cape Peninsula and seeing the Boulder penguins and the other cute seaside towns along the way. Views of the Cape of Good Hope were fabulous. Enjoyed seeing the wildlife in the park along the way, including our first baboons and ostriches.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Appreciated our guides insights and willingness to adjust the itinerary to meet our needs. He also insisted we see the penguins from the beach, not just on the path with all the other tourists, which was very cool.

Transport

We had an amazing experience with the whole entire trip/tour. The experience from the driver, the places and things we have done. The elephant sanctuary was something I truly enjoyed, feeding & bathing this huge gently giants. We truly were amazed on how huge the Buddhist temples and their status. The one in Bangkok (WOW!!!)
The foods were all so delicious. My daughter got hooked with the Mango sticky rice while my Son enjoyed all of the food. I loved my Iced Tai Tea - refreshing
Bella was amazing to work with she heard all of our questions & feedback.
Thank you very much!!!

Excellent service throughout the entire process. From the planning stages to the final day of the trip, the team was attentive and helpful. When I missed the pickup time for a scheduled tour, my advisor was quick to help me catch up with it. Every driver was polite and took the extra time to not only get me to my destination but also guide me through an unfamiliar country. I could not have hoped for better help.

Hotel Review

Lemong Hotel

Very helpful staff and I placed perfectly in Seoul. You are only ever a few minutes walk from any convenience you could need, and a great market Street only a few blocks to the north.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to anything you might need.

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seoul Highlights: Gyeongbok Palace, Insadong & N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gyeongju UNESCO Highlights Tour with Local Ryan

Gyeongju

Very helpful guide with an intimate knowledge of gyeongju and its history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taylor was awesome. When we’re planning the trip at one point we lost a hotel room for a night she sent us from Flåm to Balestrand and it was one of the best nights we had on the whole trip. Short stay but one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. In addition, she was so attentive to our needs and the hotels were in the perfect location that adventures and tours were set up perfectly. I will definitely definitely use this group again because they know what they’re doing.

My visit to Argentina went very smoothly thanks to excellent guides Emilia, Eugenia, and driver Sergio, I was taken all over Buenos Aires and El Tigre and to a barbecue and horse training exhibition at a ranch in the pampas.

The boat ride through the delta in El Tigre was very interesting and Eugenia found me the small gifts i was looking for at a chocolate shop and a small curio shop there. She seemed to know everybody. Also visited a silversmith studio where they treated her like family.

In Uruguay my guide and driver Fabian and Javier showed me around Colonia where I had arrived by ferry from BA, then drove me to Montevideo where guide Carolina showed me the city and a cafe where the waiter demonstrated how to drink mate and how to drink it from a mate bowl.

Carolina realized at one point that July 31st is the traditional graduation day for medical students in Uruguay. Montevideo throws a huge party for them in a park downtown. So we headed off there, just to see the happy students and their families arriving. It was an unplanned experience and a lot of fun.

Guides were always willing to change things around depending on what i wanted to see at a given moment. Since my interest is photographing people, they made a point of finding places with a lot of activity.

It all went like clockwork. And it only rained for a half hour right at the end of my trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Montevideo

Montevideo

Huge suite with balconies on three sides. Great staff, very clean. Nice location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mio Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Great room and staff but hard to find someplace close to eat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonia del Sacramento Tour & Transfer to Montevideo

Argentina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of Buenos Aires city

Buenos Aires

A Day in the Countryside in San Antonio de Areco

Argentina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of Montevideo city

Montevideo

Tour of Tigre

Buenos Aires

Natalie was a wonderful trip coordinator! Had a wonderful time in Switzerland!

Our trip to Zurich, Interlaken and Lucerne was amazing!! Our specialist, Caroline, was outstanding from the first time we made contact with her, to staying in touch with us during the planning of the trip, to being there for us during the trip and folllowing up with us after we returned home. Her suggestions helped us tremendously while planning and while we were traveling. Caroline was there for us any time we needed her.

We especially loved our time in Interlaken. The views, beautiful little towns and awesome hikes we our favorites!!

Thank you Caroline and thank you KimKim! We will definitely be using your agency again!

Marc and Nicki Brustman

Overall, the trip was truly amazing, and we really appreciated all the thoughtful details and extra touches along the way. The fast-track airport service was fantastic, and we were very impressed with the quality of the hotels throughout the trip. It was clear that a lot of care went into the planning, and our family came home with so many wonderful memories.

A few suggestions for future trips: the Bangkok food tour was a little challenging with such a large group. We would have enjoyed smaller, more local venues rather than Chinatown, which was difficult to navigate with a group of our size.

The Shangri-La Chiang Mai was a wonderful choice for families, and the kids really enjoyed the hotel. However, I would probably recommend dining outside the hotel, as some of the best food we had on the entire trip was at the local restaurants in Chiang Mai. Exploring the local dining scene was definitely one of our highlights. We loved the Melia Koh Samui and the highlight was the speed boat tour and lunch on the beach.

Since we booked so far in advance, we had also hoped our rooms could have been located closer together. With a large family group, having rooms near one another would have made things a little easier.

These are relatively small suggestions in the context of what was truly a fantastic trip. We are so grateful for all the planning, attention to detail, and special touches that went into it. It was an incredibly memorable experience for our entire family, and we really appreciate everything you did to make it so special.

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Koh Samui

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shangri-La Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Stay was nice, great location, pool and spa. Buffet dinner was not good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riva Vista Riverfront Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai

Design was outstanding. Pre-fix meal was a bit challenging and would have preferred the a la carte service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Great rooms and breakfast included. Safe location near walkable stores and eateries.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chiang Rai Iconic Temples

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chiang Mai by tuk tuk

Chiang Mai

Bam was an amazing guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Pad thai location was amazing, the crowds and china town were not ideal.

Quality of Experience

Food

better food quality at local places

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Elephant Eco Valley: Elephant Trail & Bamboo Rafting in Mae Tang (Private)

Chiang Mai

Bam was amazing as were the guides at the Eco Valley.

Quality of Experience

Food

plated lunch was beautiful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Was a bit too long.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unique Railway market & Damnoen Saduak Floating Market with Local Food Tasting

Bangkok

Floating market was not great, never actually purchased food as we floated. Lunch place was not ideal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Kayaking & Snorkeling at Angthong by Premium Speedboat (Private Tour)

Ko Samui

Best overall and guide was crew were great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim allowed us to design a trip that fit our personalities and needs - guidance on what to see as well as reservations for key museums and bike rentals. It felt like a trip that we designed rather than a large group tour, but was much better than I could have done on my own without some knowledge of the country. During the planning phase, Bas was great at responding to our requested changes and questions.

We had a few glitches as we arrived, but the team (either Bas or Meike) responded very promptly and helped us to get back on track.

Marisa did a great job tailoring the trip to want my partner and I wanted. The tour guides were all very friendly and knowledgeable. As well as I all our drivers. All the transportation planning was smooth and the group communicated with us throughout the trip to make sure everything was going accordingly to plan. The hotel stay in Lisbon was perfect for walking to restaurants, shops, train stations, and to learn about the city. Algarve was beautiful and we really enjoyed the bike tour and our guide Fefe. The food was excellent and endless wine selection. The only part of the trip that was a little unexpected was the many children at the resort in Algarve (summer= lots of families) so at times it was a little hectic and no place that didn’t allow kids (bar or spa) but having the beach and towns nearby to escape made it enjoyable nonetheless. I would likely use kimkim again to book future travels.

Julia planned an amazing two days in Madrid for us. Everything was great starting on day one with our airport pick up, followed by a self- guided and self-paced walking tour of La Latina , and ending the day with the super fun Tapas and Tavernas history food tour with Daniel from Devour Tours. On day two we were so fortunate to have the amazing Maria guide us at both The Prado Museum and the Royal Palace . She really made the art come alive for us. It was an amazing experience. We learned so much and really were able to make the most of our visit. We also had plenty of time for needed siestas and a long visit with friends. We loved staying at the Pestana Collection Plaza Mayor — a cool hotel with a perfect central location. We will definitely return to Madrid!

Hotel Review

Pestana Collection Plaza Mayor

Madrid

Great central location. We were a 20-minute walk or less from everywhere we wanted to go. The staff was wonderful. The room was cool. Delicious breakfast. A lovely calm oasis in the city.

Authenticity & Character

Near rooms, lovely decor, great staff, nice breakfast

Location

Central to everywhere we wanted to visit. Very walkable

Staff

Couldn’t be nicer or more helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daily run cleaning and turn down service with a chocolate treat included!

Activity Review

Short Prado Museum Visit with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Madrid

The guided tour was amazing. Maria knew so much and we experienced the art in ways I never have. I would do this again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimkim gave us a great itinerary that closely matched our interests and desired level of activity. They took a lot of the planning burden off of us and made our trip fun and enjoyable.

I will say that the communications when we were on the actual trip were a little uneven. Messaging through the app received no or a delayed response. When I finally figured out we should use WhatsApp we had better responsiveness, which should have been made clear from the beginning.

Our stay at hotel Aurlandfjord was lovely, but we were a little surprised to find dinner had been included and we weren’t asked about that in advance. I think we would have preferred to buy our own dinner and make our own choices.

Micaela from KimKim and Joaquina from Say Hueque were very helpful, supporting me with itinerary revisions even just a few days before the trip started.

​During the trip, the local operations provided outstanding service, especially during Torres del Paine. It was a wonderful, unique experience with a high-quality bus and knowledgeable guides. The locations we visited were distinct and offered a fresh perspective compared to standard itineraries from our country (Thailand).

​Additionally, the Mayo Spirit Trek was amazing and stood out as one of the true highlights of our journey in El Calafate.

​The duration was just right to cover everything on our wishlist, while still allowing us enough flexibility to take in each location without feeling rushed. Highly recommended.

Activity Reviews

Full-day Trekking Laguna de los Tres

El Chaltén

Our guide was really professional and really took care of us even during the extreme weather!

Quality of Experience

Flexible and we had a really good care.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent!

Transport

Full Day MAYO SPIRIT TREK

El Calafate

Cruise was amazinggggggggg, we all loved it! The places we visited also nice and specular!

Quality of Experience

Great time arrangement, lots of thing to see especially the floating ice burge and large glacia!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was friendly and informative.

Transport

Cruise and bus were all excellent!

Full-Day Hiking Base Las Torres

Puerto Natales

Best hike and most beautiful hike in Patagonia. A long the way was scenic! The local guide was also amazing and well-prepared. The provided lunch was just enough.

Quality of Experience

Good time arrangement

Food

lunch pack qas just right!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well prepared guide

Transport

Good bus qaulity

Full-Day Torres Del Paine Tour

Puerto Natales

Fabulous tour plan, seeing new perspective

Quality of Experience

It would be better to visit the broadwalk and skip the cave (last destination).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide was really friendly and knowledgable.

Transport

Bus was comfortable, but can be better as the size of the seat was not fit for westen people.

Samantha and the KimKim team did a great job helping us schedule and organize our 3-week trip to Australia. We like to explore on our own but appreciate guided tours in special places - especially with small groups. Samantha worked closely with us to come up with a flexible schedule to accomodate our style. She came up with a plan but then worked closely with us to adjust to match our interests. We really appreciated that special help.

The biggest highlights were the tours at Uluru (guided by Ali) and Kata-Tjuta Domes (Jose) with Seit Outback Australia and the Sydney Opera House by SOH staff. We also appreciated the arrangements for lodging and transportation (flights, airport pick-ups, rental cars) that made the trip very easy.

The Daintree Heritage Lodge was a fantastic natural location with a great creek and swimming holes going through the property, outdoor eating area, and great birds and flora. It also was close to another highlight, the Madja Boardwalk trail which goes through both rainforest and mangrove habitats and gave access to tours of the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree River to see crocodiles and other river wildlife. The lodging and amenities at Yulara were amazing. I wondered what we'd do there in between tours to Uluru and Kata-Tjuta but the whole city/resort provides many opportunities to walk around, see great aboriginal art galleries, and have short tours about flora and the local culture. The rental car from Melbourne let us get out to the 12 Apostles and a great hike at Triplett Falls. We also enjoyed the New Hotel in Sydney for our short stay there - great location and unique design.

We will definitely be using KimKim again for trips in the future. Thanks to Samantha and the whole team.
Rick and Laura

We had a great time in Buenos Aires and Bariloche. The experience was seamless, and all our local guides were great. Highly recommend working with KimKim and Paulo.

Gorgeous country, very nice people. Keti organized our round trip very well. Our guide and our driver were fabulous. I can only recommend

Activity Reviews

Day Trip around Kutaisi

Kutaisi

Quality of Experience

Not so much to do in Kutaisi, we found the day a bit long. We should have explored the canyons

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Stepantsminda to Kutaisi via Uplistsikhe

Georgia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Stepantsminda

Georgia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Tbilisi to Telavi with visits on the way

Georgia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing Safari to the Oktavango Delta, Kalahari and Victoria Falls