Kimkim Trip Reviews

Fantastic experience all around. Itinerary was so easy to access and was an invaluable tool during our vacation. We reviewed it each day - with detail and pics, names of drivers and tour companies, map locations of meeting places made it all so easy. We loved all our tours - especially our driver Felipe who took us to Sinatra/Pena Palace. A true gentleman and historian. Our hotels were all very different in the 4 places we stayed at. We loved them all. KimKIm stayed in touch all during the vacation and were available whenever we needed them. I loved the tailor made concept and now that I’ve experienced it and kimkim knows us a little better, I will definitely use them again and recommend to anyone!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Wow - what a hotel. This is a big modern hotel. It had a number of conferences held at while we stayed. But that did not interfere at all with our enjoyment. The pool is fabulous!!!! The restaurant/breakfast is very good. We were wonderfully upgraded to an Oceanside room, and it was really incredible. Location is very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Fantastic hotel. Incredible location. Historical building. Our room was right on Liberty Street and we could not hear a thing. I think it’s one of the biggest hotel room plus bathroom that I have ever stayed at. Breakfast was not memorable but fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Absolutely loved this cool, Scandinavian, boho hotel. Superb location along side the marina. Epic restaurant. The breakfasts are another level, the staff is 10/10. We tried the Avenida Restaurant als well for sinner - and it is a must. I loved the wood, rattan and natural finishes decor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Loved this small, boutique heritage hotel. Very upscale but homey. Excellent breakfast and service. Location location location - perfect for Porto. Would stay again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Cascais & Beyond – Cascais & Cabo da Roca

Cascais

This tour was okay. Our transport was not that great and our driver although very nice, was difficult to hear because he spoke too quietly and not a lot. We didn’t know here he was taking us and didn’t communicate much during the tour. We also had no lunch and were very hungry as it was a 5 hour tour from 10am until 3pm. The sites he took us to we enjoyed but it was too long for me.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sintra Day Trip

Lisbon

Oh my goodness - do not miss this tour. Most epic tour and driver. Fabulous pristine clean car, and our driver Felipe was incredible. So professional, kind, personable and an incredible historian. We learned SO MUCH from him. He provided just the right amount of information for us. We had “cheat the line” tickets and was able to navigate us past long lines and congestion at the Peña Palace. Again so knowledgeable - just unbelievable. Then he drove us to the town of Sinatra, where he dropped us off and we able to do what we wanted for an hour. Which was great. Just exceptional tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Superior driving and guide.

Transport

Mercedes station wagon. Impeccable.

Local Secrets Excursion by Van

Lisbon

This is a great tour, especially if you want to avoid some of the steep hills in Lisbon. Our guide Joao was great and was very knowledgeable about the history and areas of Lisbon. We stopped at a few places. It was just right.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fado Walk, Show & Dinner

Lisbon

This was an interesting tour. Our guide Marco? Manuel? (Sorry I can’t remember), was very knowledgeable about the history and city of Lisbon. This was lovely, however, he took us to two very high points in Lisbon that required us to was up about 1000 (lol) stairs. It was way too much for me (fairly fit 64 yr old). The view was great, but I would have liked to seen more of the city. We were then taken to the Fido Grill for authentic dinner and Fado show. This experience was just ok. Food very meh as well as the show. The restaurant was cute.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Douro Valley Day Trip with Wine Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

This is a great experience. Our transport was very nice and our driver Felipe was extremely personable and knowledgeable about the area, the history and wine. It is a very long tour. Maybe a bit too long for me. But included 2 wineries, I liked the first one the best. Felt like I was being welcomed into someone’s home. The river tour was just ok. You can’t really see much. You had to listen to a taped recording on an App you had to download and it didn’t work very well. The drive there was 1.5, and at a VERY fast pace, which was a little nerve wracking. lol. Overall it was fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lagos Evening Food Walk

Lagos (Algarve)

I really enjoyed this tour. Our guide was exceptional - Sophie. She was warm, funny and knowledgeable. She took us to all the holes in the wall in Old Town Lagos. Some really authentic dishes. I would have liked to a little more history, but it was a food tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall, the trip design and logistics were excellent. Tour personal were knowledgeable and wanted us to have an enjoyable and educational time. And, they all arrived on time and handled the details. The excursions were interesting ones.

The only suggestions for improvement would be a hotel location closer to attractions in Athens, and one tour guide, while overall good, one tour guide did not always position herself and enunciate well enough to be heard by the whole group.

Hotel Reviews

SanSal Boutique Hotel

Chania

Artion City Boutique Hotel

Iraklio

Elite Suites Oia

Santorini

Excellent location and amenities. The only criticism is that for persons with mobility problems, getting to and from the rooms would have been impossible.

Oniro City

Athens

This hotel was located at a bit of a distance from sites of interest, restaurants, etc. The facilities and service were very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Crete Sightseeing: Rethymno - Argiroupolis - Kournas Lake - Chania from West & Her

Greece

Cave of Zeus & Knossos Palace with Lassithi Plateau from East

Greece

Private round transfer anywhere in Santorini

Santorini

Catamaran Sunset Cruise 2025

Santorini

Private Biblical Tour of Ancient Corinth & Isthmus Canal

Greece

The Real Cretan Cooking Experience

Chania

We guide you in the Past 2025

Greece

Quality of Experience

Excellent choice of excursions. Tour guide was difficult to hear/understand.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband , 29 year old daughter and I just returned from a wonderful 9 day trip to The Netherlands & Belgium. Mieke did a fantastic job tailoring the trip to our needs. She picked perfect hotels that provided room for 3 adults. Once she understood our family dynamics she was able to tailor our daily itineraries . Highlights for us were: Visiting the Kuekenhof Gardens, Touring Kinderdijk windmills & exploring The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb using the 3 D tour! Mieke also gave us restaurant recommendations and tips for navigating each city. When we arrived she had a well organized package for us with all of our travel documents. And prior to the trip, Mieke was accessible for phone conversations to discuss our trip. This aspect of the service was invaluable and helped solidify our plans. This is our 2nd time traveling with KimKim and I could not be more pleased.

Hotel Reviews

Ghent River Hotel

Ghent

Room was comfortable and provided a very good amount of space for 3 adults. Shower room was a nice size.

Authenticity & Character

Room was a very nice size. Breakfast room was on the rooftop and light and airy with a patio.

Location

Walking distance to everything.

Staff

We were not greeted well by the hotel. When we checked in there was no welcoming manner. The man seemed put out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable. There is a bathrobe. Loved the exposed brick wall and the high ceilings. Bedspreads and towels were not special. No color or uniqueness to decor.

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

We had a room for 3 adults. Loved the decor and the view of the canal. The room & bathroom were on the small side but, doable. The breakfast was very nice. Great location. Perfect for our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Decor was pretty

Location

View of the canal. Across from the metro. Walking distance to everything.

Staff

Very nice. Helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean. Just a little small. Hard to find a place for 3 bags.

Activity Reviews

Ghent - Day trip to Bruges

Ghent

Pretty city. Think it would have been better if we had a tour guide when we arrived. We did do the bus tour on our own. It was expensive and just okay. But, it did give us a chance to see all around the city. Climbed the Belfry and that was wonderful.

Ghent - Gravensteen - Castle of the Counts

Belgium

The outside of the castle is way more interesting than the inside.

Ghent - Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

Belgium

AMAZING!!! Did the 3 D tour and it was such a fun and informative experience!!

Explore Ghent with a CityCard

Belgium

Easy to show card and take buses and canal tour.

8Ghent - Private guided walking tour

Ghent

Wonderful tour guide!!!

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by public boat (waterbus)

Belgium

Loved this experience. Very interesting!!

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

Belgium

Beautiful museum!

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

Belgium

Wonderful!

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

Belgium

Very well organized and informative. Powerful experience.

Amsterdam - Jewish Museum & Portuguese Synagogue

Amsterdam

Synagogue is so beautiful. History of the area very interesting. Did not see the museum.

Amsterdam - Private guided walking tour on Jewish History

Belgium

Inbal , our guide, was very knowledgeable.

Haarlem - Self-guided cycling route to the Keukenhof & through the tulip fields

The Netherlands

Unfortunately the tulip fields were no longer in bloom when we got there. Apparently we missed it by 1 day. Also, we needed better biking directions. We had trouble following the path. That said, people were very happy to help. Also, enjoyed having E- bikes!!! LOVED the Keukenhof Gardens!!! So beautiful!

Day trip to Haarlem

The Netherlands

We didn't spend very much time in Haarlem. We were there just to head out to the gardens. Biking to Kuekenhof gardens was fun but, the directions from the bikeshop were a little challenging. People are very happy to help you out.

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Loved having our card and being able to navigate the trains and trolleys when we needed them.

Trip to Croatia was amazing. Equally amazing was working with Robi! He was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, responsive and seemed genuinely invested in our experience in Croatia being as fun and positive as possible. Also, his assistance with connecting us with guide Antea was wonderful. She was a terrific guide; filled with great knowledge of the history of Croatia and was fun and engaging.

Couldn't recommend both of them enough. Thank you Robi for helping us have a memorable time in your beautiful country!
Sheri

I must say this has been the most enjoyable trips ever taken the KikKim team was fabulous. From the very start of the process Anita was so helpful. Listening to what I wanted my trip to look like. Within a couple days of me submitting my profile I had a custom itinerary put together that fit my request to a T. Anita worked with me all the way thru the process including the days we were on the ground. The accommodations were top notch and the tour selections were fabulous. Not overwhelming but just enough to keep us busy. The local tour guides were top notch and very knowledgeable. All of our transportation to and from airports were great. Picked up in Black Mercedes cars or vans and the drivers were always professional.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Florida 3* Sorrento

Sorrento

Everything was ok with this place. Very minimalistic but had enough that met our needs. A little far from the center of town. We walked there about a 20 minute walk but usually had to get a cab at the end of a long day. And typical cost was 20 Euro for A 5 minute ride. But the walk to town was beautiful and the flowers were awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Pretty simple design well appointed

Location

A bit far from town

Staff

They were friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Aparthotel Trianon Borgo Pio

It was nice to have a little apartment feel. The location was great with everything in walking distance. The staff was super helpful and gave great recommendations all through our stay.

Authenticity & Character

The

Location

Great. Walking distance to everything

Staff

It was well appointed but kept some originality

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

H10 Corregidor Boutique Hotel

Sevilla

H10 hotels were my favorite on our entire trips. Always well appointed and very clean and well set up. The moment you walk in you know you are in good hands. The staff was very welcoming from check in throughout our entire stay

Authenticity & Character

Was fabulously furnished and designed but kept the original character

Location

Best ever. Close enough but yet still in quaint neighborhoods.

Staff

Couldn't be better. All were super helpful and profession and always with a smile

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Meninas

Madrid

The place was awesome. The character and location was great. Close enough to everything but in a quiet quaint area of town. Well appointed

Authenticity & Character

Very well appointed while keeping its authentic appeal

Location

A little off the beaten path which was perfect. Everything in walking distance

Staff

Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Very professional and knowledgeable about the area

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

The hotels was great. Very clean well appointed and perfect location. Walking distance to all the city events and attraction but enough off the main setting in a quiet neighborhood. The staff was wonderful

Authenticity & Character

Well appointed and yet quaint with a little flare

Location

Close to everything but secluded enough to have personal quiet appeal

Staff

Supper helpful in all respects. They were all kind and professional always had smiles

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect.

Activity Reviews

Explore Costa Brava: Kayaking, Snorkeling & Scenic Coastal Walks

Spain

No review. Trip cancelled do to weather

Barcelona Highlights: Montjuïc, Gothic Quarter & Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Absolutely perfect. Although it was a self guided tour or driver Teo was very knowledgeable and described everything that we needed to do and see and took us to the right vantage and gave us great eating recommendations. He even shared his Spanish Spotify play list with me

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

This was an Amazing start to our trip. The guide was so fun and energetic. He truly enjoyed his job and went out of his way to make sure everyone was included. He selected local cuisine and challenged us to try new things

Quality of Experience

Well thought out and had a personal touch

Food

All food was authentic and spot on

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable, friendly and funny. Went out of his way to make things perfect

Transport

Was a walking tour.

Giulia quickly understood the type of experience we wanted. Then she worked hard to deliver it. She succeeded. She and Andrea are outstanding.

Our trip to Morocco was outstanding. All the places on our journey were a complete joy to visit. The médinas , the food , lodging and people were amazing. But the best part of our trip was Khalid . 100 % service oriented and a pleasure to be traveling with. We cannot say enough about the quality of the experience provided by Majid and the best driver tour guide on the planet. Thanks for your attention to detail and the pleasant way we were treated.

Everything was so well organized and flawless. The tripp went as smooth as it could of possibly gone.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Poggiano 

Montepulciano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sentho Rome

Rome

Well located and very helpful staff. The rooms are modern and clean. Rooftop and garden in the middle of Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

25hours Hotel Florence Piazza San Paolino

Florence

Well situated and staff was very helpful! lots of amenities and cool design.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Certosa Di Maggiano Siena

Siena

The staff and place was just amazing! I highly recommend for a getaway close to Siena.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

We loved our tour guide. Was friendly and knew a lot about the Forum and Art.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Semi Private Tour

Rome

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and helped us move through the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car Rental Drop-off

Italy

Dropping off the car in Rome was a bit complicated because we had not been warned there is a dedicated parking for rental cars and we kep trying to go to the rental office. If you know about the dedicated parking, it is no issue, but if you don't, you might turn in circles a bit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car Rental Pick-up

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides and drivers were all amazing with their knowledge and friendliness. Kim Kim was flexible with changes and requests. It was an amazing trip

Kimkim enabled a memorable and family vacation to Oslo, Balestrand, and Bergen!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Lovely hotel with nice and expansive rooms. Some street noise with proximity to train station and busy streets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff were excellent - very helpful. Bar staff could learn a lot regarding customer service, especially for a hotel of this caliber. The bar staff appeared busy, didn't bring what was ordered, and made excuses.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Older hotel which was comfortable and well positioned near the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Some staff was wonderful (front desk especially), others were quite rushed/hurried in their service approach (restaurant/bar, morning meal, etc.) - a bit impersonal.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and expansive rooms, just might need to be updated.

Balestrand Hotel

Balestrand

Absolutely charming and authentic hotel, just a short walk from the 'center' of the town. Beautiful views from the fjord side of the hotel. Quirky and helpful staff who were warm and friendly, made us feel at home.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well positioned near the center of the town and also to hiking trail heads.

Staff

We loved the staff! They were so warm and friendly, very thoughtful and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Cecil

Oslo

Excellent breakfast, very well located, expansive room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Incredible experience, would highly recommend for lovers of fine dining!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided kayak tour

Bergen

Highly recommended! Excellent guides, and it was the appropriate amount of time for being on the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joel did an excellent job of arranging our trip. He helped us identify what we wanted to see and then provided the experiences in an organized and meaningful way. These included visiting the prehistoric caves, troglodytic dwellings, castle and gardens around Sarlat, the markets in Sarlat and Mirepoix, cathedrals and museums, taking back roads to see medieval villages, and spending the final day exploring the walled city of Carcassonne. Our enjoyment was greatly enhanced by our excellent guides, Sandra Ho from “France’s Impressions”, (Sarlat), Valerie (Cahors) and Olivia Gotti from “travelrealFrance” (Cahors and Carcassone) who were not only pleasant and well informed but had the knowledge and ability to customize our itinerary at our request. This included adding a visit to a goose farm (seeing/hearing hundreds of geese marching through the woods was something we’ll never forget), stopping at the Robert Doisneau museum (as a photographer, this was very meaningful to me) and visiting the Toulouse Lautrec museum. We also appreciated all the excellent accommodations. The staff at each hotel were very pleasant and accommodating. We loved being in the middle of the market in Sarlat, on the river by the Roman bridge in Cahors and at the base of the medieval city in Carcassonne. Finally, all the suggestions made by the guides for lunch stops were excellent. Even the weather cooperated (as Joel said it would). We are recommending Kimkim’s excellent service to everyone as we share (hopefully, without being too boring) our adventures with family and friends. Thank you!

This Kimkim program went just about as well as one could hope for. All of our main events came off very well and were special experiences to us. Ioannis, our original specialist, no longer works for the company, but our first call, to him, aimed us in the right direction. There were two minor incidents that we quickly rectified using the support line and working the issues ourselves.

Our first hotel, Minoa Palace Resort, which was outstanding, gave us an upgrade to a suite with a private pool There facility is first rate with the most elaborate buffet breakfast we've every enjoyed. Our first activity, a traditional Creten Cooking class in the White Mountains was fabulous. 10 people in the group making a number of special dishes, and learning about the culture. The next day we enjoyed a guided cultural and history walk through Chania old town with several delicious food stops to keep us our strength.

Our driven transfer to Heraklion included several stops of interest including a limestone cave complex. The understanding of our reservation at the 3 Pines Design Hotel was different from Kimkim's, but it was all resolved smoothly with no damage. The visit to the Knossos Palace was wonderful complimented by a personable guide. The hotel did provide suggestions for dinner which proved to be delectable.

The high-speed ferry trip to Santorini was fun and efficient. Our room at the Amity Suites, which was not a suite, was spectacular with a western exposure with the Caldera right in front of us. The included breakfast was brought to our room and set up on our balcony overlooking the water.

The wine tasting adventure was well run and stopped at three wineries. The final one had a fine view of the sunset. And the food walk tour in Firostefani was great. Lots of diversity of food and an outstanding guide.

The last day was a flight back to Athens that went well.

All throughout the planning, we had options and choices to make and then they were dropped into the itinerary. We made a number of changes that we easily dropped into the program. To us, Kimkim provided a wonderful program to enjoy the Greek culture

Jane did a wonderful job helping our group of five plan a three week trip to England that captured everyone's must see list and then some. Jane was very responsive, available and did everything we needed. The trip was fantastic and will be memories for a lifetime. Highly recommended!

Lea was very helpful with everything. Especially issues with had with one of the hotels. Everyone got back to me very quickly and handled the problem. This is our second trip through KimKim and I recommend your company to everyone. We really enjoyed our trip!

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Athens Airport

Athens

Grecotel Eva Palace

Corfu

Beautiful place. However, we had suite and it smelled like mold. My allergies blew up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lesante Blu Exclusive Beach Resort

Tragaki, Zakynthos

Had several issues with this hotel. The room was great. The food just soso. But they charged us when we got there, and Lea had to get involved and get that resolved. They told us when we checked in that we could stay in the room on check out day until our pickup but then called us that day to tell us we had to get out now. Had a ride with them to airport - verified this three times and they were still late.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marblous Athens

Athens

Nice hotel and all the staff was very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Paragliding Tandem Flight Over Corfu's Coast

Corfu

Very cool experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Jeep Safari Adventure in Corfu

Corfu

Great! Sakis gave us a great tour and personalized it. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was amazing.

Transport

Private Sea Trip to Kefalonia

Zakynthos

Our guide was unable to take us so he hired another company and they were fantastic. We started later than expected but they let us know well in advance and all worked out perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Marathonisi, Turtle Spotting & Keri Caves

Zakynthos

Very nice just weather not the greatest.

Acropolis Beat-the-Crowds Discovery Walk

Athens

It was very nice and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a spectacular trip in Iceland thanks to the KimKim team, specifically Adam!!! Our itinerary, hotels, special tours, etc. were terrific and we can't wait to go back and/or to recommend our trip to our friends and family --working with KimKim! In particular, we loved The Cave tour and our guide, Gareth, the Spa Lagoon, and the Amphibian Glacier Boat tour. Each hike or walk from each and every waterfall to the geysers, etc was more breathtaking than the next. Also, each of our accommodations such as the Saga Hotel, the Selfoss Hotel, etc. were perfect for the four of us, including the breakfast buffets. We found terrific restaurants along the way -- really loved the arctic char, lamb, etc. We highly recommend The Viking restaurant that we found on our own, near Selfoss!! In the end, we cannot thank Adam enough and will use the KimKim team again.

All in all we had a great experience. Planning the trip with Yuliana was a stress free experience. She was very prompt with her replies and always very helpful. She was also easy to connect with over the phone. All our excursions were great. We had a slight issue with one of the excursions but Yuliana resolved the issue and we received a refund. I would highly recommend Yuliana and her team to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Nice and clean hotel and great staff. Jordan and his waiting staff are wonderful. He remembered all our names and would greet us by our names every time he saw us. They make sure you have a customized wonderful experience and they tend to hear every need to ensure that things are just the way you like them. They will go above and beyond to make sure there’s a smile on your face and they were the bright part of my day every day when I went for a meal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is on top of a hill which is so cool. You definitely need a car if you are staying at this hotel.

Staff

The staff, especially Jordan was so sweet and friendly. He made sure to learn all our names and would greet us by our name every time he would see us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boating in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip. Joao did great job of lining up variety of activities and we very much appreciated the reservations and suggestions for activities along the way - suggesting parking locations took a lot of the "stress" of trying to figure out exactly where to go.

Starting the trip with private tours around Lisbon, Cascais & Sintra with Francisco was terrific way to gain better insight into Portugal's history and introduction to the country. We feel we were lucky to experience the freedom day marches and festivities in Lisbon - added a unique and interesting touch to our short time in Lisbon. The Fado dinner was a very enjoyable evening - host, cook, and server were all terrific; singers & musicians were delightful (the evening got long, especially when still adjusting to the time changes).

All the lodging arrangements were very nice - enjoyed the boutique hotels in Tomar, Douro, and Evora - all served as great locations to explore the surrounding area. And we very much appreciate that KimKim allowed us to select our own lodging in Lagos - we ended up at a very special and unique place that made a wonderful trip even more special and memorable.

Too many highlights to mention in a short review - Obidos, Nazere, Batalha were all terrific stops as we made our way to Tomar; we stopped at a grocery store as we neared Nazere and had the first of many picnic lunches on the rock cliffs looking over the beach and surfing waves.

In Tomar we explored Christ Convent and castle and then went for a hike in the castle gardens & woods to a large swing on a high overlook - during our hike the power went out in all of Portugal, Spain & France so when we came back down to town all the stores, museums, and restaurants were closed - we enjoyed a picnic & afternoon in the park by the river and when power came back around 7:00 we found an English pub that reopened; for us the power outage was just a slight detour / blip in the trip and a relaxing afternoon.

The Old Library and Chapel at Cambria were amazing and well worth visiting on the way to Douro Valley. We set google maps to "avoid highways" on the way to Douro and traveled some amazing back country roads and villages including a short stop to watch a heard of goats and their canine keepers move up the valley along a beautiful stream. National Road 222 to Duoro was breathtaking - after checking into the beautiful hotel, we set out to an overlook spot recommended by the receptionist. The nearby village had a single restaurant that we stopped at - the chicken and potatoes were absolutely terrific - we entertained and laughed along with the few locals in the restaurant as we communicated with the owner through google translate (and with their assistance). We had rain for much of our sunset cruise, so we were only "topside" for about a quarter of the time, but our captain was very interesting and entertaining as we got philosophical about the differences between our homelands - a very enjoyable evening.

We really enjoyed our time in Evora; highlights included the bones chapel, winery visit (it was raining that morning) and we really enjoyed the ceramic workshop. The cork tour was interesting and we really enjoyed learning about cork harvesting - very glad for the experience, but it was a rather long ride for a brief visit to a couple of cork trees and back - probably the only experience of the trip that was a little disappointing or underwhelming. While in Evora, we decided to take a short guided tour of one of the marble quarries (slight departure from the KimKim itinerary) - the enthusiastic guide shared a wealth of geological knowledge and information and the ability to visit the marble quarry and stand on a platform over the deep pit was a neat experience.

We finished our trip with several days in the Algarve. We stayed in a very unique and special airbnb that we selected - for us it was the "icing on the cake" that made a wonderful trip even more special and memorable. On the first afternoon there, we hiked the entire beach/coastline of Lagos from Meia Praia to the light house on Ponta da Piedade. The sailing tour the next morning was wonderful - captain Rob and first mate Anatoli were great - here is the review I left for them after the trip - My wife and I had a lovely morning sail with Rob and Anatoli on Ocean Breeze. Wonderful vessel, delightful company, informative and patient with all of our questions and musings. A great way to see the coast at a relaxed pace and from a different perspective. My wife and I are traveling Portugal in celebration of our 25th anniversary - this is one of the highlights of our trip. Other highlights in Algarve were the ebike tour (really wonderful way to see some of the back streets, smaller villages, and dirt paths at a really nice pace), kayaking in the sea caves, several hikes along the cliffs, and exploring several beaches (we enjoyed an afternoon sunning on the beach and lunch at one of the beach side restaurants down many flights of stairs).

On our final full day, we headed back to Lisbon by way of Sagres and made short stops at several wonderful beaches along the west coast including Praia da Arrifana, Odeceixe Mar Beach, and Farol Cabo Sardão. We arrived back in Lisbon, returned car and enjoyed a late supper along the river front - Joao's advice to return to Lisbon the night before our flight was a good recommendation as it gave us time to pack and have a good breakfast at the hotel before embarking to the airport for our flight home.

We really enjoyed our time in Portugal. The people were friendly and had a great sense of humor. The history is rich and fascinating (in the review I didn't mention much about the many castles and cathedrals that we visited and admired). There are many other countries we hope to travel to, but we wouldn't hesitate to visit Portugal again and would highly recommend it to others. KimKim (Joao) did a great job of putting together an itinerary with excellent mix of activities, suggestions & recommendations, and feel like he made reservations with outstanding guides and services (and relieved us from needing to do the research, reservations, etc.). We liked the freedom of mostly independent travel and occasionally departed from the itinerary, but it was nice to know Joao was only a whatsapp chat or call away if we needed assistance or had any difficulties. Thank you.

Wonderful trip.
Especially enjoyed Arenal Observatory Lodge and the Wilderness Resort Lodge at Drake Bay.
The food was fabulous and the service was splendid.
The La Paz Falls visit on the last day was a perfect ending before our late night departure.
I am already thinking of my next visit to Costa Rica and what new areas I would like to visit.
Thanks for all your suggestions and for making the arrangements.
Blessings,
Debbie from Alabama

The kimkim team was very helpful, easy to work with, readily responsive and flexible in setting up our trip.
The guides were very good. We thought some were exceptionally good - Ruth and Lorea in Barcelona, and Pete in Girona. They were personable, informative and able to keep us on track to see all they had planned.
The highlight was the day we spent with the local Basque guide (his name escapes me now) who took us into the Basque countryside. Being from the area for many generations he told us much about the local traditions, the way of life, small details that enriched our visit. We were served a simple authentic top quality lunch by the farmer herself in their 13 generation old farmhouse. A day to remember!
One thing that would have been helpful is to have had restaurant recommendations from a local specialist.
Great trip! Thank you.

Hotel Review

Hotel Villa Emilia

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Don’t know much about this subject - first visit.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private History, Legends & Monuments Walk

Girona

Guided Private Transfer with visits to Gaztelugatxe and Cantabrian Coast

Spain

He took us to a special spot to see a terrific view that I don’t think everyone would know about unless you were very local.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Basque Countryside Foodie Day Trip

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from an amazing trip to Scotland. Pauline, from KimKim travel was very helpful, patient, flexible, and she listened to our wants. She helped us immensely to craft a plan that hit all the key spots we wanted, and also included open blocks of time on most days for us to just wander and explore. The hotels were all in perfect locations and were wonderful. We liked the suggestions for restaurants in each area and we enjoyed those a lot. Also helpful were suggestions on sites, hikes, and other places of interest to consider in each area… that turned out to be a nice pick list.
Of course we had a hitch in our trip, as our flight to Scotland arrived over 4 hours late. Not a problem to coordinate with Pauline for a revised airport pickup time, and she also was able to reschedule a time sensitive tour. Very much appreciated.
We gladly recommend KimKim, and of course Pauline or one of her colleagues.