Kimkim Trip Reviews

We group has used Kim Kim for many trips. As a group we get frustrated with the preplanning communications of each traveler with Kim Kim. Any communications get dinged to all other travelers. Paying deposits and balances individually and not as a group is cumbersome.

I was not the trip lead for this trip so was not the person doing all the communications with Nick but I feel he did a great job from what o know

Hotel Reviews

Verdant Hill Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Rock Resort

Aur Island

Many in our group had spectacular rooms with extra bathrooms. We were 4 senior women who were put into a bunk room for 8 without a bathroom and told we needed to use the bathroom down the path. Really???? We were then moved to another room that smelled of waste and were told we were going to be charged more. After discussion we’re not charged more but would rate that experience as poor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is great as a dive resort. We were not divers

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Already discussed

Waterfront Hotel

Kuching

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Grandis Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Authenticity & Character

Location

K

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Del Rio Hotel Melaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kuala Lumpur Walking City Tour

Kuala Lumpur

Would have liked more tasting as part of the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An adventure to remember with memories, people and activity. Ben and KIMKIM went beyond with solutions that will always be cherished. In our original discussion with Ben we asked for our adventure of Japan to be our adventure of Japan 2026. He made that come to be and even more.
The route from Osaka to Hiroshima to Miyajima Island to Kyoto to Nara to Toyko and full immersion with Toyko Disneyland and Disney Sea made our excursion exciting, historical and exhausting. It all came together with planning and coordination with Ben and his beautiful excursions added into the itenerary. I cannot fail to mention, the local guides at each major stop:
Eiicgu Shirakawa aka 'Mr. H'; Hideo Uematsu and Ryuji Kanie where fantastic with local color, culture and great coaching keeping our journey on schedule. Everyone at KimKim was extremely helpful in making any adjustments to the travel on the spot. The travel associates where ready to make adaptations and Ben was there to check on us every day with additional choices when necessary.
Our adventure had many highlights to name a few. World Heritage Himeji Castle, Kobe feast, Peace Memorial, Okonomiyaki, Kayaking under the Floating Torii Gate, Samurai and Ninga Museum, Todaiji Temple, Mount Fuji and the Panoramic Ropeway, Japanese Tea Ceremony, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya crossing and sky, Akihabara, Senso-ji and Disney Sea and Disneyland. All of the above, with local train, bus, ferry Shinkansin (bullet train) and private vehicles. We all had perhaps favorites but how can you immerse in many more areas and come out totally fulfilled.
We challenge our fellow tour groups to match this event. Please do not forget Japenese yen, Suica card, Pasamo and great hiking footwear along with your appetite!!
Thanks from the bottom of our hearts to KimKim and our favorite Ben Tanaka.
Theo, Kyle, Linda and Natalie

Isabel, Jaime were amazing guides and driver Roberto was great too! Thanks to them for making the attractions memorable!

Hotel Review

Casa González

Mexico City

The hotel was very comfortable. The room had basic facilities but was very comfortable!

Authenticity & Character

We greatly appreciated the layout of the rooms. The flowers and decor all around made it look pretty. It was in a safe area!

Location

The hotel was in a very nice neighborhood with restaurants and stores nearby!

Staff

The staff was very pleasant and helpful. It was very helpful to have front desk staff available round the clock!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were cleaned everyday. The beds were made and the room looked clean and neat.

Activity Reviews

Xochimilco Tour Trajinera

Mexico City

Xochimilco boat trip was the lowest point of our trip! We had expected a little more!

Casa Azul - Museum Frida Kahlo

Mexico City

Our visit to Frida Kahlo’s house and museum was a highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As mentioned in other comments the driver and the guides are assets to the company and they are who make the tour experience unforgettable!

Transport

The vehicles provided were clean and neat!

Private car with driver (Spanish speaking )

Mexico City

The first day was amazing specially with our guide Isabel and driver Roberto!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

They were always on time!

This was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken. Julia, Summer, and the Kimkim group tailored our experiences to our needs. We moved at our pace, and never felt overwhelmed or rushed. Most of our tours were private; and, were with very knowledgeable and experienced guides. Our transfers were all premium, and first class. All our tours were personal, informative, and high end! Kimkim went above and beyond more than once, when there were unexpected events. We communicated easily by WhatsApp, text, and phone. Kimkim responded quickly to all questions, and accommodated us expertly. We will recommend them to anyone; and, look forward to travel with them again soon.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Villa Emilia

Barcelona

Centrally located. High end

Casa Clarita

Valencia

Great location. Cozy boutique feel.

Location

Room Mate Macarena

Madrid

Fantastic location, great breakfast, nice rooftop bar and pool.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

Our favorite hotel of all. Great atmosphere. Historic. Beautiful nooks and mysterious tunnels!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Morisca

Granada

Not our favorite. Great location. Dated rooms that weren’t the cleanest. No shampoo or conditioner. Threadbare towels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Alhambra & Generalife Gardens with a Historian

Granada

Good enough! Due to a tour company mistake, our tour was rushed and cut short.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas & Flamenco Experience in Seville

Seville

Maria la Serrana, our private guide, is a legend in Flamenco circles! She travelled the world dancing Flamenco! We were super lucky to have her as a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best guide ever for this experience!

Private Gothic Quarter Walk

Barcelona

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Expert guide. Super nice

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família Experience

Barcelona

I would suggest a smaller group

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paella Cooking Class with Mercat Central Visit

Valencia

Lots of delicious fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private City Highlights Walk

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Short Prado Museum Visit with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Visit to Seville's Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

After a little mishap in the time of the tour, had a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ronda & White Villages Day Trip

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tour of the Albaicín in Granada

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marcel was our favorite

Self-Guided Local Markets Trip

Barcelona

Private Valencia Old Town Walk

Valencia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Retiro Park Walk

Madrid

Perfect location for a self-guided tour

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Visit of Madrid's Renowned Museums

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Everything was perfect! The hotels, and the tour guides and even the drivers were all wonderful, exactly as decribed and on time everyday. We loved the hotel in Cinque Terre, The Hotel Porto Roca, with the balcony overlooking the sea and town. We hiked the hills and enjoyed the free time shopping and exploring. We enjoyed the beautiful Cathedral complex of Pisa and had enough time to eat lunch where Maria recommended, overlooking the leaning tower. The central location of Colle Val D'Elsa was very nice to be able to drive to the hill top towns. The choices of wineries were all amazing, with views, history, delicious wines and food also. We loved each one and learned that 2 in one day was too much! Our favorite may have been Colle Bereto. They were so hospitable, and had top quality organic wines & olive oil. They even showed us the pasta being made for our lunch that day, delicious! The amazing landscape and historic hilltop towns were beautiful, we loved getting lost in these towns, and eating gelato along the way. Lucia was very accomondating in every way, even when we had a change on the last day of tours. We will recommend KimKim and it's tour companies, and plan to travel with them again. Maybe Austria? Thank you and Ciao!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Wonderful quiet historic hotel in the heart of Florence. Great location and delicious buffet breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Porto Roca

Monterosso

Such a wonderful location and great balcony! The rooms were very spacious and clean, and the food was all delicious. We especially loved the breakfast buffet. Thank you for sending the shuttle to come pick us up at the bottom of the hill! Loved It!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

very close to town, but on the hillside overlooking the Mediterrean sea

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo San Lorenzo & Spa

Colle Val D'Elsa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Museums special: small group guided tour of Uffizi and Accademia Galleries

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private transfer with stop in Pisa

Italy

Our very nice driver with Maria, our guide, arrived on time to travel to Pisa. Maria was very informative and sweet and explained all about the Catedral complex. It was all so beautiful and amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer to Tuscany via Bolgheri for a wine tasting session

Italy

Beautiful drive, and our driver was wonderful. The Chiappini Winery was so beautiful, we even were able to meet the owner. We enjoyed delicious organic wines, and a wonderful meat and local cheese tray. We purchased a case of wine to be shipped home. Wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tasting in Montepulciano & Montalcino

Italy

Montalcino was beautiful, could have spent more time there, but we really enjoyed the winery, Podere Le Ripi and their innovative way they processed their wines. The wine tasting and lunch was absolutely wonderful with a view to match!! We purchased several wines and olive oil to ship home. We enjoyed Montepulciano and the historic wine cellars there, fascinating! Could have spent more time in the town, but really enjoyed visiting the copper shop, and shipped 2 items home. And of course enjoyed gelato!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Excursion to San Gimignano and Volterra with Wine Tasting and Tuscan Lunch

Tuscany

All the history and beauty of the hilltop town we absolutely loved!!! We enjoyed all the shops in San Gimignano, not enough time there, so we may have to go back to both San Gimignano and Volterra. There were many museums in Volterra that seemed interesting, but only had time to explore one. We enjoyed the winery Podere La Marronaia, and the view while having lunch and the wine tasting was wonderful! We purchased olive oil and wine to ship home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena Discovery & Chianti Wine

Italy

We had a change of plans this day, which was our last day, and elected not to go to Siena. I feel it would have been rushed and we should spend more time there. We really enjoyed the sleepy towns of Castelinna and Radda, which were beautiful. We stopped at the winery Colle Bereto, and were very impressed with the detail they placed when processing thier wines. The wine tasting and lunch were outstanding! Homemade pasta using the wheat they grew there and made that morning, delicious! We purchased olive oil and wines to ship home. The main building was an old church from 1300's which was beautiful, along with all the landscaping. We then travelled back to Florence and enjoyed shopping and dinner near our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque terre Card

Italy

Really enjoyed the beauty and serenity of the area! The towns were wonderful and picturesque!!

Quality of Experience

Private food tour in Florence with highlights

Italy

Enjoyed walking and getting the layout of Florence where we tasted different kinds of pastry breads, also a truffle sandwich. We also experienced a light charcuterie board meal with wine and bread. We walked through the busy night's popular areas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Argentina and Brazil was more than I dreamed it could be. Mater Sustenable did an excellent job organizing and coordinating our adventures. Herve was prompt in answering any questions and made suggestions of other activities that we could include. All of the guides that we had during our time were excellent. They were knowledgeable and were willing to include stops at our requests. All transfers were on time and if they were delayed, they let us know. It is so difficult to choose just one experience to highlight. While we enjoyed the big cities, we thoroughly enjoyed the smaller locations. Going to San Antonio de Areco and on to the Estancia El Ombu to ride horses, dance, meet actual gauchos and experience the Asado was a highlight. I could go on and on about the beauty of the Igauzu Falls, our original reason for booking this trip. We loved staying in Puerta Igauzu where we felt comfortable walking to locations in town. Seeing both sides of the falls is a must and the boat ride up to the falls was exhilarating. Then on to the South Pantanal where we stayed on the cattle farm. We were greeted by the Hyacinth Macaw and had Toucans chatting outside our room. The activities brought us close to the animals and birds of the area. We even saw the elusive giant ant eater. Finally, on to Rio where we had three days of tours with knowledgeable guides. And the food in all of the places was amazing. The best ice cream ever was in Puerta Iguazu, and I could live on the Pao de Quejo in Rio as well as the Feijoada. I had looked forward to the coffee and it did not disappoint. We learned about so many other places that we can visit in Argentina and Brazil. I think that it will be in our future.

Our trip was wonderful! We traveled to Porto (City Food and Wine Tour and a day trip to Duro Valley), Sandigo de Compostella (day trip to Galicia) and Lisbon (a day trip to Sintra, Cascais and along the coast) over an 11-day period.
The hotels were all in a great location. The hotels were exactly what we were interested in, small boutique in the city center. Our favorites were Jardim Da Batalha - Porto (wonderful, helpful staff, fabulous breakfast, great location and neighborhood and very quiet room), also The Art Inn - Lisbon (very unique, helpful staff, great location, and wonderful roof top restaurant!
We All our guides and drivers were expectational, on time and professional!
Janelle truly listened, communicated and did an outstanding job helping us coordinate the trip.
Thank you for all your help and guidance. We would highly recommend KimKim

Hotel Reviews

Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel by Shiadu

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Art Inn Lisbon

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Day to Discover La Costa da Morte: Exploring Fisterra & Beyond

Portugal

We had a great day! The guide/driver did a great job!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culinary Highlights of Porto: Food Delights & Bolhão Market

Porto

Great experience and guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Highlights: Wine, Olive Oil & River Cruise

Porto

The guide was great - we had a great experience

Quality of Experience

Food

We liked the second vineyard very much! Our lunch on top of the mountain in a small family restaurant was unique and the food and wine was wonderful! We had a great day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Sintra & Cascais: Palaces, Cliffs & Coastline

Lisbon

The guide/driver did a great job! We really enjoyed the day! We really appreciated the walk up to the Palaces via the paths through the gardens - it was a bit of a walk-up hill, therefore not for everyone, but our small group really appreciated it! The only negative was that the tour of the Pena Palace was very crowed, we would have skipped tour of the inside of the Pena Palance and spent more time in Sentra.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Portugal - Important Trip Information: Please Review Before Departure

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my third (or was it fourth) excellent trip that was planned by Esther Ruempol with The Eco-Travel Boutique. She is really good at listening as to what you want to see or experience and can come up with things you never knew existed or that you wanted to do.

Mauritius and the Seychelles were excellent and I am already looking into a trip to Zimbabwe planned by The Eco-Travel Boutique.

So if you looking into a trip to almost any part of Southern Africa, and countries off the coast of Africa, like Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles, you should consider reaching out to Esther.

Winnie listened to us and helped build a very special itinerary.

Thais was outstanding and made herself available for us at all hours. Thank you for creating an amazing trip!!

Considering the many flights, shuttles, ferries, hotels, excursions and guides, this was one of the smoothest trips we have ever had! All of our accommodations were exceptional. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly, we really enjoyed them all. There was one though, Foutis was his name, October 8, the 3-7pm walk. It was a great walk in some old neighborhoods with a stop for amazing ice cream. But at the end he said, now I will take you to your dinner reservation. We were surprised by this. We asked who made the reservation and he replied that he did not know. Then he proceeded to take us to a restaurant we had no idea about. It wasn’t the best experience. Just curious if you were aware of this. It all worked out fine.
We all felt our itinerary was a good mix of activities and down time. Even though we missed Paros, we were happy to experience the other side of Milos which someone we had met had suggested that area. We learned a lot about Greek history, culture and landscape. I can’t say I had a favorite island or activity, all were unique and very fun. The food was awesome. There is so much to praise. Thank you so much for all your planning and making this a wonderful trip to remember. And thank you for helping us through the cancelled ferry and change of hotels and all our questions. We would absolutely love to use Kimkim in the future! The whole team was excellent! Thank you so much! I highly recommend you to my friends.

Jorge was very helpful pre-trip and set up the entire itinerary- the highlights of the trip was the Sky pod lodge up in the cliff

Hotel Reviews

Casa Andina Premium Arequipa

Arequipa

Clean, Helpful staff and amazing ambience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aranwa Pueblito Encantado del Colca

Arequipa

Clean, Helpful staff and amazing ambience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Casa Andina Premium Puno

Puno

Absolutely perfect location and amazing Ambience. Great staff and very clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Cusco

Cusco

great location and great staff. Very clean and great bar....very clean rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SkyLodge

Urubamba

Was waiting for this adventure for last 15 years and did not disappoint. Awesome and amazing. Nicely challenging but not impossible

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walking City Tour in Arequipa

Arequipa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colca Canyon: From Arequipa to the Colca Valley

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Colca Canyon 2/2: The Condor’s Cross View Point & Journey to Puno

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trang was amazing to have as a resource, and our guides for our Ha Giang loop were amazing! Hoay and Luan were our guides. Our guide Liam for the Indochine Cruise was also amazing! Food was great across the board, and we had a very enjoyable time. We appreciate Trang’s hard work, and coordinating everything for us. It made our honeymoon very enjoyable. We loved seeing how beautiful Vietnam was and our accommodations were lovely.

Activity Reviews

Ha Giang Easy Rider - Day 01

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Giang Easy Rider - Day 02

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

The guides

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were very lovely and professional, and also very fun guides

Transport

Halong Bay, Overnight on Cruise (Day 2: Indochine Grand Cruise)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip and Aleksandra was super helpful planning and booking our trip! She was also readily available during our trip to re-book lodging and tours due to missing our flight to England. The app was a great and easy way to store all of our bookings. Our lodging in the Cotswolds was fabulous and we liked the York lodging as well. The tours she booked were also very good.

Some things we think could be better are: 1)being able to see a line item budget of our trip in the planning phase thus making budgeting easier; 2)knowing the duration of our tours and the anticipated number of people on each tour in advance; and 3) (a small detail) the app should show the day of the week and date, not just date.

We did have a hiccough due to missing our flight. Somehow the place we were staying was not notified of our delay so our first couple nights lodging was cancelled when we didn't arrive on the expected date. When we told Aleksandra we missed our flight we had assumed she would take care of the notifications. If we were supposed to reach out to the hotel it would have been good to know. Nonetheless Aleksandra and the hotel worked hard to help us out and get us settled.

Finally some things we learned that you may want to share with others: 1) we travelled from the Cotswolds to York on a Friday - the train was packed and there was no room for our luggage. In the future we will try to avoid point to point travel on fridays to mondays; 2) we had two tours a day booked a couple of days in London. It was too much. It was difficult to get point to point and have a minute to sit and refuel and 3) we might have preferred first class train travel and it would have been useful for us to consider that with Aleksandra and 4) in light of missing our flight and losing a day of our trip, in the future we will avoid planning anything the immediate day after our arrival.

Overall we would recommend KimKim to someone looking for a travel agent and appreciate all that Aleksandra did for us! Thanks!

This was an amazing trip. Due to a medical issue, we had to adjust our itinerary on the go and Hiba was attentive, quick and flexible. Our driver, Youness, who was with us for 21 days was perfect for us: an incredibly good driver, kind, patient, attentive, always available and very very resourceful. (I had a medical emergency and he immediately found a doctor along the way) He also suggested great restaurants . He was just an incredible human being.
As for the guides, we loved our guides: the guide in Casablanca who really made our visit to the
Mosque informative and enjoyable. The other guides: Otman in Marrakech , who was very patient and committed to showing us what
interested us and really knew his way around the Medina as well as the other highlights such as the Saadian Tombs. He was very generous with his time and he also recommended great restaurants. Abdullah in Essaouira was wonderful, introducing me to the city’s history including the Jewish Quarter, the port and ramparts as well as great shops for things I was looking for. He was very attentive, caring and very generous with his time. Igleos sp? In Rabat was great - very knowledgeable and really interesting. He organized the tour really well so that we didn’t have to walk too far (we both have lung conditions) and we got to see all the highlights. Farid in Meknes was an excellent guide, pointing out elements that I would have missed. in addition to the driver, the guides make the trip and these guides were the best.

Hotel Review

Barceló Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

This hotel was great for comfort, food and service. Zineb at Reception was amazing and always willing to go out of her way to help. This is a large and busy hotel and luggage will sit in the open waiting for departures or check-ins. Mehdi was great and really looked after our luggage as well as eager to help with anything else we needed. I would definitely recommend it

Location

Fairly close to the sights

Staff

Always eager to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping was very good

Activity Reviews

Guided tour of Hassan II mosque & the Habbous medina

Casablanca

Excellent guide who gave thoughtful information as well as facts. He also arranged a golf cart for us to travel the long distance between the entrance and the mosque

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Marrakech with stop at Oualidia

Morocco

We stopped for the oysters and the lagoon. The lagoon and sea are really beautiful and the town is a little more authentic looking.

Quality of Experience

The landscape

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech's Monuments

Marrakesh

Otman was a super guide ensuring that we got to see everything we wanted to see. The highlights are well worth seeing: especially the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs.

Quality of Experience

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech's Medina & Souks

Marrakesh

The Medina in Marrakech is huge and thanks our guide, Otman, we got a good overview of both the lower end and higher end of the Medina.

Royal Hammam and Spa treatment at La Maison Arabe SPA

Marrakesh

We only had facials due to medical conditions. It was the most amazing facial I ever had! The women were wonderful and washed my hair afterwards as we were going to a nice restaurant afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a great time on our trip to Finland. Alise did a first rate job of working with us to find activities that aligned with our interests, plus following up while we were in country to make sure everything was going off smoothly, coordinating on-the-fly adjustments with the tour operators when the weather didn't cooperate, etc. We arrived at our hotel on the first night to find a goody bag left for us by Alise, waiting in our room!

Some especial highlights from our trip were:
Aurora watching tour in Inari
Joining a Sami family for cooking and eating a meal together
Visiting a husky farm
The amythest mine in Pyha/Luosto was also a nice side activity.

Hands down the best accommodations was the LapinTintti eco-cabin in Inari. The other accommodations were very nice, but they were businesses, and felt like it. Terhi, our host at the eco-cabin, is on a whole different level, down to a container of hand picked cloudberries waiting for us.

There were two items I would suggest as an opportunity for improvement:
1. The KimKim app was only OK. It had the locations, times, and descriptions. On a previous trip we used an app that offered a range of sites of interest for each day on your trip, with descriptions, locations, best times to visit, etc.
2. The overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi got the job done, but is not super pleasant even with the sleeper car. There wasn't anything "wrong" with it, but trying to juggle two fifty-somethings, all of our luggage, etc. made for a rough experience. Nothing that Alise or KimKim could have done differently, and I would have loved it if I were 20 years younger, but it is something to be aware of.

Hotel Reviews

LapinTintti Eco-Cabin

Inari

A+: This is a guest cottage owned by a couple, who pay exceedingly good attention to detail, in a wonderful setting. Far off the beaten path, with abundant nature and views. One warning: you need to go down a flight of stairs to get from the sleeping area to the bathroom during the night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Village Inari

Inari

The aurora cabin is a nice idea, but didn't really add much to the experience. We were there when the place was almost empty, but I can imagine that it would feel cramped at full occupancy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

A very nice city hotel (with a great breakfast spread), but nothing overly special.

Overnight Train

It's a train with sleeper cabins. It gets you where you need to go, but best suited for the adventurous young couple.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets

Rovaniemi

Pleasant, but that's about as far as it goes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kurula's Resort

Pyhätunturi

Very nice. They weren't serving breakfast while we were there, so they LOADED the fridge with a ridiculous assortment of foods for us to make our own breakfasts. They also had an option for us to do some laundry mid-trip so we could pack less.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to town for convenience, far enough for peace and quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Home Visit and Local Food Experience (Summer/Autumn)

Inari

The highlight of our trip. After four hours of spending time together cooking, conversing, meeting the family, etc. it was one of the most impactful times we had. This is *not* a touristy accommodation. This is a wonderful woman welcoming us into her home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not applicable.

Transport

Not applicable.

Husky Farm Visit and Wagon Ride

Pyhä

Meeting the dogs, getting mauled by puppies (our choice), a ride behind a team of 12.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnish Sauna Experience

Rovaniemi

A wonderful wood fired sauna *way* out in the woods.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful guide, Great facility

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It is a long way from Rovaniemi (about 45 minutes)

Northern Lights Hunting Tour by Car

Finland

We were taken out to a great spot to see the aurora.

I speak as the organizer of this bespoke trip to Romania. My late partner Linda was battling pancreatic cancer when she asked me to take over the arrangement of this trip to her native Romania. I think she wanted this trip in the works to have a peak experience to look forward to if she survived, and to give to her friends and family if she did not make it. Unfortunately, she passed away before the trip -- instead departing on another trip we are all signed up for eventually. Linda chose Romania because her paternal ancestors emigrated from there to Detroit, Linda's birthplace. Linda had been to Romania before to explore where she came from, but she felt she had missed some important experiences, among them the painted monestaries and particularly the village of Mihoveni, near Suceava in Bukovina, her ancestors' home. Irenne as the travel planner for Secret Romania did a wonderful job of asking me what we wanted from the trip, adding experiences that we did not know to ask for, and putting together all the logistics needed to make the trip successful and enjoyable. (Along the way, she was amaziningly patient and good-natured with all of our questions and requests.) Our guide Florin, was extremely knowledgeable about all things Romanian along our route, plus being patient, warm, and kind. Our driver Bogdan was excellent -- our safety and comfort were clearly his highest priority. Before the trip I was not sure that I would have chosen a trip to Romania as my top destination. But once I got there and experienced the history, the culture, and the people, I realized that this was a chance of a lifetime to experience an extremely beautiful country and an extraordinary culture. Our trip culminated with the opportunity to spread some of Linda's ashes on the lovely flowers in the garden of the church that played such an important role in the lives of Linda's forbears. All in all, six stars on a five star scale. The trip of a lifetime thanks to kimkim and the staff at Secret Romania.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dukat

Gura Humorului, Suceava Romania

Comfortable and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Sighisoara Binderbubi - Hotel & Spa

Sighisoara

Comfortable and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Continental Forum Bucharest

Bucharest, Romania

Comportable and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near everything we wanted to see.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Armatti

Brasov

Comfortable and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sonnenhof

Suceava

Comfortable and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sighisoara to Bucovina with the Red Lake and the Bicaz Gorge

Romania

The Bicaz Gorge was spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Bucharest to Brasov with Peles Castle

Romania

Peles castle was like a mini-Versaille, but ina more spectular setting in the mountais.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zarnesti Cliffs and Bear Watching

Romania

Seeing the bears in their natural environment as a treat.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Viscri and Sighisoara

Romania

Loved the UNESCO World Heritage aspects of this wonderful places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Bucovina

Gura Humorului

The painted monasteries were unique and amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Suceava

Romania

The village life and buildings museum was very informative. The city fortress, destroyed by the Turks and now beng restored, was impressive.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Mihoveni

Suceava

This was a very specific add-on in response to a request. We wanted to see the Ciofus' and other related families' graves in the local cemetary -- and to spread some of our beloved Linda's ashes in the church flower garden. Linda made me promise, and Irenne as planner, Florin as guide, and Bogdan as driver make it happen. A promise made, a promise kept.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very comfortable Mercedes minibus, expertly driven.

Free time in Bucharest

Bucharest

The museum regarding Romanian history, especially the communist period and the revolution against that government, were fascinating.

Quality of Experience

Beyond amazing! Angeliki was incredibly responsive and her recommendations couldn’t have been better. My husband thinks she may have been AI she was so good, and maybe she was, but I kept calling her my friend! She was so kind when I’m sure I was asking too many questions! :) She even recommended a last minute spa on a rainy day that was fabulous! For my first international trip, she couldn’t have been a better guide. Further, all of our tours were top notch, professional, safe, and truly wonderful. One of our tour guides (a local) even indicated we had booked with one of the best tour companies in the area - I had no idea but they treated us wonderfully, and the vehicles were all nice, new, safe. From start to finish, the process couldn’t have been better. Wonderful restaurants were suggested and recommendations were made based on timing each day. Truly couldn’t have loved Greece, this trip, and Angelikis help more. I wish it wasn’t over! A dream vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Athens Woo Suites

Athens

Simple, clean, quaint hotel. Wonderful location right in the middle of the sites. The sweet ladies working here made all the difference! So kind and helpful and welcoming! Bed was also soooo comfortable and the breakfast was delicious!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So kind!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel

Pollonia

Beautiful! Our weather wasn’t great and it was still beautiful. They had a main jacuzzi and our room had a jacuzzi and neither were kept warm. This was rhe only negative to our stay. We even asked but no one followed up. We were told it would be about 90 during our tour, but it was always cold. For October we would have loved to sit outside in the hot water, but they never heated them. I did love leaving all our windows open. Very private with a wonderful view. The hotel was clean and the staff was kind and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Adamantas would have been more central. Our guide did recommend a place here but I went for a nicer hotel instead. I would still choose this location again as the hotel was just that special. Also, Pollonia is quaint and quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grace Hotel Santorini, Auberge Resorts Collection

Santorini

Breath taking. Beautiful. The staff went more above and beyond than any place I have ever been. I felt like royalty here and the staff worked so hard, I almost wanted to jump in and help them! Truly a wonderful place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Sailing Tour Around Milos (Catamaran from Adamas)

Greece

We had a cold day but George and Yanis were wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing experience using kimkim to plan our dream honeymoon. All of the local guides and excursions were amazing! We got to work with Melanie and she curated exactly what we wanted to sites to see and the perfect mix of excursions and relaxation. We would highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Santa Chiara

Venice

Lovely beautiful hotel, close to the entrance to Venice so you don’t have to drag out bags around and close to the train station. On the water, with lovely views and a beautiful building! Breakfast was also great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & Spa

Florence

Great hotel, close to everything in Florence, including the train station! Staff was lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

Great location, super friendly staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Kalea

Sorrento

Absolutely beautiful hotel! Loved the colors, the patio, and the staff were excellent. Located a little off the beaten path so it was relatively quiet and away from crowds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terrazza Core Amalfitano

Amalfi

Amazing rooms, so spacious and with a beautiful ocean view!! Hard to find the entrance and get to the hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Small group boat excursion to Capri from Sorrento

Italy

One of our favorite excursions! Great boat ride and time to spend on Capri.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic trail nicknamed The Path of the Gods + Transfer from Sorrento

Italy

Amazing views, great experience! Not much of a hike due to stopping frequently.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Cinque Terre

Florence

So beautiful! Wish we could have spent more time in the towns!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A day among the most beautiful mountains in the world: the Dolomites

Italy

Unfortunately had a cloudy day but Christiano was great and we enjoyed the trip!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

We had an amazing tour guide, who shared so much knowledge!! Unfortunately we did not get to see the inside of the colosseum due to it being closed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Highlights with St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

We had our own private tour, and it was amazing! So much knowledge and beautiful art

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Semi private Chianti and San Gimignano tour

Florence

Our tour guide, Andrea, was amazing!! So much fun at the wineries! We enjoyed seeing Michael Angelo square and visiting San giminiano as well!

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Ruins of Pompeii & Winery on the Vesuvius

Italy

Pompeii was so cool, bummed that we did not get to see Mount Vesuvius but winery was fun!

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Pizza Workshop

Sorrento

So fun!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip to Morocco with KimKim was fantastic. Our driver/guide, Mohammed was wonderful. He was always punctual, polite and professional. He added ideas and opportunities to enhance our travel. One example was caused by an impactful rainstorm. Roads were closed and we couldn’t execute our planned itinerary… Mohammed contacted a family member and they provided a memorable event for us including a lunch in their home - so welcoming - as well as DELICIOUS! We truly valued that day -
All of our local guides were fabulous. Knowledgeable and accommodating. We especially enjoyed Salim in Marrakesh.
Thank you for your careful planning on our behalf - we look forward to another adventure with you.
Barbara Haydon

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

This hotel was the only one that fell below a 5star rating for us. Our room was fine but breakfast was very poor - overcrowded and overcame the staff’s ability to serve well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walking to restaurants and sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Hanael Garden & Spa

FES

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful Riad

Location

We enjoyed being within the mefina

Staff

Professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Gorgeous camp

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Sahara - hard to beat!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful room and bathroom

Elegancia Riad Boutique & SPA

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Perle d'Eau

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not too much to see - accommodated our needs

Staff

The dinner was excellent!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fes walking guided tour : No drive

Fes

Informative, good local guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Midelt & Erfoud

Morocco

Long camel ride but worth every minute!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport