Kimkim Trip Reviews

Thank you Minh! For coordinating and scheduling all activities, accommodations and domestic flights for our 15 days in Vietnam. I could not have done this myself, you listened and also offered suggestions. Our tour guide Ms. Tham were with us from Hanoi, Pu Luong Nature reserve, and Ninh Binh. She was exceptional, punctual, and knowledgeable. The weather was really nice, toured the capital, enjoyed coffee at train street (intense). Pu Luong is what the name stands for very nature and beautiful. Ninh Binh-Tam Coc is also beautiful, need to go to mua cave which has the 500 steps, it is worth it.
Went on to Bai Tu Long Bay (Renea Cruise) it was great to have met other people from different places since this was the only group tour for us.
Next was Hoi An, our tour guide Nhat was great and knowledgeable. We visited the Tra Que Village and Hoi An tour. Rode a bike through rice paddy and around village. Although it rained that day it was still exciting, we wore a poncho so that helped. Ba Na Hills- Golden bridge is a place to go and see.
Last stop is Ho Chi Minh City. Our tour guide was Ching, he was also amazing and knowledgeable. We did the Can Gio Mangrove tour, there is also monkeys there too.
Seen the bat swamp and crocodile reserve and fed them too. Thank you all!
Lester and Glenda
From Hawaii

Dearest Alba,
My wife Jill and myself cannot thank you enough for the absolutely wonderful trip that you planned for us in Northern Spain. Your professionalism was unparalleled throughout the entire planning phase and we are forever grateful that you put this all together for us. From the very beginning, we felt totally comfortable with you and knew that you would come up with some unique things for us to do and see. All of the accommodations that you sourced out were excellent in the 5 different locations that we travelled to during the trip. We especially felt that the daily activities you suggested and booked for us were perfect and well balanced. The full day Gaudi tour in Barcelona was an amazing way to start the trip. In Alquezar, the Footbridges hike down in the canyon was really cool but our favourite thing to do there was the day we personally got to meet you and we went to "The man who whispers Vultures". It was a day we both will never forget. Another special tour was when we arrived in Haro in the Rioja wine district and went on the full day wine tour which included horse back riding through the vineyards. Additionaly, from the bike and hiking tours in San Sebastian, to kayaking in the Mediterranean in Aigua Blava Begur, the itinerary you organized for us could not have been better. Thank you so much again Alba and we can't wait to book with yourself and Kimkim as we plan to go to the Southern Spain in the future.

Bryan and Jill Turkstra,
Ontario, Canada

Activity Review

Full Day Horseback Riding & Vineyard Visit

Spain

Thank you so much Rebecca and Robert for the wonderful full day on the WIne and Horseback Tour. Jill and I had so much fun!!! Your personal attention and kindness were over the top. We did a lot of great things during our 2 week trip to Spain, but this day was very special to us and will remember forever. Thanks again!!! Bryan and Jill Turkstra, Ontario, Canada

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip to the south Caucasus countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia was excellent! I had 3 different guides (one in each country) that were wonderfully insightful, helpful, and knowledgeable about their countries, food, people, and places. In Azerbaijan, Turkan was super funny and very enthusiastic, and she kept the days action packed with some cool side-trips and a great tour of Baku. In Georgia, Alex took me all over the country including Tbilisi, and I learned a ton about the food and wine. I really also enjoyed our day in the mountains with tremendous views. And finally, Avet in Armenia had fantastic insights and did some incredible driving all over the country. Yerevan was super fun as was finally getting the chance to see Mt. Ararat (I've never not seen it shrouded in clouds before). I also enjoyed the Armenian wine and food, especially on our trip to the southern mountains. And of course, as usual, Zehra managed all the details behind the scenes to make sure my hotels, guides, and border transits were all in order. Would recommend this kind of trip to anybody looking to get an introductory survey to these 3 countries - it was fantastic!

Taylor Woo was an exceptional private tour guide! We had so much fun exploring the city and learning from him.

Both William and Jenny were helpful, punctual and enjoyable

This was another great trip that started with KimKim! The trip planner —Clemens of PrimeTours—worked with us to put together excellent experiences in and around Budapest and Prague. The early planning was challenging because we had specific things we wanted to do and didn’t want to do. The result was great—especially the hotels, the local guides who led our walking tours, and PrimeTour’s responsiveness during our stay.

Myaen and Irish were amazing tour specialists. Much of our communication was anticipated which made me feel like they understood what we were wanting in this trip to Japan. Although we had a few questions to email along the way, many of our questions were answered before we even asked which was nice.

Our guides and transportation were all generally good. Jose in Lake Titicaca area was outstanding!

Leny was excellent in all ways from planning our trip to Japan to communicating with us along the way, keeping us updated as to our schedule and tours. We had a stress free trip, all thanks to Leny. Everything went smoothly, all hotels were great, and all tours were terrific. We highly recommend KimKim and of course, Leny.

Hotel Reviews

Candeo Hotels Osaka Namba

Osaka

Nice hotel in excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vista Hiroshima

Nice hotel in good location

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

KAYA Kyoto Nijo Castle, BW Signature Collection by Best Western

Kyoto

Very nice hotel in great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tsukino Yado Sara

Hakone

Rooms were nice with tub overlooking greenery. Food was a little disappointing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Tokyo Shiodome

Tokyo

Royal Park Hotel was beautiful and in a good location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sayonara Japan!

Kansai International Airport (KIX)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Osaka Tour with English-Speaking Guide and Public Transportation (Private)

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Walking Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Peco our guide was great to be with. She shared some great food with us

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Full Day Hiroshima & Miyajima with English Guide (Private)

Hiroshima

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Welcome to Hiroshima!

Hiroshima

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Kyoto Arashiyama Best Spots 4h Private Tour with Licensed Guide

Kyoto

Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Full Day Kyoto Tour with English Speaking Guide and Public Transportation (Private)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

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Full Day Nara Tour From Kyoto with English Speaking Guide with Vehicle

Japan

Quality of Experience

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Tokyo to Hakone Private Transfer: Mt. Fuji and Hakone Full-Day Tour with English-Speaking Driver

Japan

Recommend this tour

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Full Day Kawagoe Tour From Tokyo with Guide (Private)

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Full Day Tokyo Tour with English Speaking Guide (Private)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

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Tokyo Asakusa Kimono & Tea Ceremony Experience

Tokyo

Nice experience

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Transport

Hello,
This was just a delightful experience was the most amazing. Jane out did herself in every aspect of my experience bring to life history, beauty and romance. From each hotel to the tour guides was spectacular. Jane took each email and brought my dream to life.

I love each and everyone of our guide. however Nick which one I believe the last guide was just outstanding. his knowledge, to charismatic personality, to his time management was just epically exquisite.

Hotel Reviews

Caledonian Sleeper Train Cabin

Edinburgh

it was not as expected

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Landmark London

London

everything about our experience with this hotel was amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ness Walk

Inverness

We can’t say enough about The Ness — we truly felt at home surrounded by the beautiful scenery, welcoming staff, and delicious food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Scotsman Hotel

Edinburgh

This hotel was absolutely wonderful — rich in history, with delightful service that made our stay unforgettable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private transfer from Train station to Hotel

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Outlander tour from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

I wanted to go on this tour because of the show Outlander, and it exceeded every expectation I could have imagined. The mystery, the romance, and the history were overwhelmingly wonderful. Our tour guide was absolutely amazing and brought every moment to life — it truly felt like stepping into the story itself.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jesse did a fantastic job coordinating my trip. It was easy to communicate with her in advance of the trip. When I got in country, everything ran smoothly. All of the guides and drivers showed up as expected in the right location and on time, the excursions were a lot of fun, and the hotels were as expected. I had no reason to be in contact with her while in country, which is exactly what one would hope to be the case. My only recommendation would be to let the traveler know in advance of the formal entry requirements/forms for Easter Island. I learned through the LATAM website that I needed some special documentation for Easter Island. That made me a little nervous and would have been niceto know in advance. Aside from that, flawless!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Easter Island Eco Lodge

Hanga Roa

Wasn't the best hotel but I intentionally skimped on this hotel to save money. So I got what I paid for.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Took a little bit to understand how to get hot water. Had a couple days of cold water at first. Had a broken light in my room that took a while to get fixed. I couldn't get the screen door in the back of my room to lock--not sure if it did. But again, as expected for a two-star hotel.

Hotel Director Vitacura

Santiago, Vitacura, Región Metropolitana

Activity Reviews

Trekking in Easter Island

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easter Island Highlights Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Orongo Morning Tour and Ahu Akivi Afternoon Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a tailored / customised trip without budget. Few points about the planning and service with Responsible Travel.
1. Itinerary inaccurate information compared with actual program. We had a few days with less hour in the program mainly hiking compared to actual and Restaurant was too far, which we had our lunch only after 4PM. Due to poor planning from Alvaro.
2. Timing planned by Alvaro was not accurate, failed to check and/or update the latest information since the plan was almost a year ago. He should update and inform us as we paid 30% and in full prior to trip.
3. We had reminded him 1 month and 2 weeks prior to the trip if he checked all program and requirement are in order. Obviously, he did not as it was not well planned on some days.
4. Dietary concern was also not properly managed and/or arranged. Portion of lunch was insufficent especially the protein since I was not able to eat many other items due to my health - Informed a year ago.
5. Alvaro has not provided accurate information and/or the equired information to the local guides about our requirements - according to the local guides that informed us.
6. We requested price to be ALL-IN as we do not want hassle during the trip with too much phyiscal cash on hand and wrote Alvaro to make of that, which includes the Domestic Flight to Galapagos island. We were not informed at all of the limited luggage for domestic flight. We had to last minute pay for the over weight luggage. Unnecessary inconveniences if Alvaro had provided clear information - we would request for him to include any extra weight for domestic flight.
7. I had obviously provided my displeased on the program and Alvaro did not take the construtive criticisim well. The arrogant attitude handling a displeased customer was what put us off. He stop addressing me by name and addressed only to my husband which was disrespectful considering I was the one a year ago decided and planned this with Alvaro.
8. There were unsincere apologies from Alvaro and his boss. We have arranged all our customised trips with many other agencies all over the world including other South America countries - Every agencies would provide some form of compensation due to the poor planning, lack of information, bad hotels, food etc and poor arrangement with local guides. But Responsible Travel gave only excuses for their mistakes and nothing more.

Last point, tourist travel always take time to take photographs, especially one with a proper camera. However, we were always in the rush with the local guide cum driver and/or driver, with no consideration whatsoever to slow down or check if we needed to take a proper photos. Either thats the people in Ecuador or just the guide selected by Responsible travel, which was not good.

This is not the travel agency we were recommend and certainly we will not use them again.

All services are great, we really appreciate everyone effort for making our trip enjoyable...all the guides, drivers are good & tentative...will continue to use KimKim services with our next tour & will recommended to family & friends 😀
All the best!
Mary & Edmund Ko

"Our trip arranged by KimKim exceeded all expectations!
Each day, we enjoyed:
- Dedicated tour guides (Edward and Li Da) who were exceptional, caring, patient and knowledgeable
- Personal drivers, eliminating parking and waiting hassles
- Seamless hotel arrangements
- Insider tips on top restaurants for our free time

We're thoroughly impressed and grateful for the unforgettable experience.

We wholeheartedly recommend KimKim to friends and look forward to our next adventure together!"

Angel was great!
She was very patient w/ us during phase, since we made multiple changes. During the trip she kept checking in and providing assistance + changes (as a result of weather).
This is our second trip w/ KimKim and we highly recommend the service.

Joanna and the KimKim team did a great job coordinating our trip. The airport/train/hotel transfers and handoffs were seamless and made our experience stress free.

Kamel was our driver and he did a really incredible job. We encountered a very heavy rain storm en route to the Sahara Desert and had to find an alternative route to get to our desert camp. The drive ended up taking us 14 hours, but we made it safe and sound and Kamel was incredible along the way!

Hassan and Kamel were very flexible and helpful when it came to adjusting our itinerary. Hassan also was extremely responsive whenever we reached out with any questions

We three couples from India had a great time in South Africa and Victoria falls thanks to KimKim and Steph our trip planner..This is our third trip with Kim Kim.Perfectly planned and coordinated by Steph,who needs a special mention.She was very patient and catered to all my wishes and suggestions.Especially celebrating my wife s birthday in Kruger shalati train on the bridge.A memorable celebration.Mark our guide in Capetown was exceptional and took proper care of us,very punctual and friendly.In Victoria falls we had little problem in coordinating with the guides and pick ups.Kruger Shalati was again an awsome experience
Now the negatives in our trip though very few need to mention it here,
1)The sunset cruise we were given in all the itineraries was Sunset cruise luxury signature deck experience by Pure Africa,but we were taken to a small cheap boat with basic drinks and hot sun with no shade and hard wooden benches to sit..After a very hot day we were just looking to relax and unwind on the luxury cruise with artisanal premium drinks and canapes and watch the famous African sunset.A very bad experience.Especially with the signature deck cruise sailing next to us all the while.Stephs explanation that small boats reach better places wasnt very convincing.Didnt know why KimKim has compromised on this.This happened for the first time in my three trips.
2)They were few mix ups in flight bookings that made our hearts to beat lil faster with stress in the airport ,but were immediately resolved by Steph.Thanks once again Steph.
3)We were told we will be given visa on arrival for Zambia.The Bushtracks driver who took us to devils pool,stopped at Zambia immigration ,went inside and came back saying sorry you cant go to Zambia today as Indians need prior visa to enter.Then again he goes in and comes back saying if you pay a little extra(bribe) they will give you visa in 10 mins otherwise it will take one day as the visa has to come from Lusaka.So we had no option to shell out that extra bribe along with 50usd visa fee(which also am not sure that it ll be so much for a day tripper)Just informing you this so that this will not be repeated with your future clients.
Apart from these incidents,the trip had gone well with amazing experiences like Penguins,Devils pool,shark cage experience,shalati stay n safari,thanks once again Steph and Kimkim from six of us for curating an amazing trip

Hotel Review

Kruger Shalati Train on the bridge

Kruger National Park, Skukuza

A great stay on the train on the bridge.enjoyed every moment of our stay.An experience of a lifetime ,courteous staff,knowledgeble safari guides,ours was Elvis ,with lot of patience showed us the Big five.The views from the room of the sabie river and the game that come to drink water too good!The pool with an infinity view and bar was a high light

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Elvis the safari guide,Remember the guy in the restaurant need special mention.And also all the singers and dancers at the evng dinner who wished my wife on her birthday

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed and the pool

Activity Reviews

Full Day Boutique Winelands Tour

South Africa

We missed the tour and participated in Capetown marathon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Full day touring Boulders Beach and Kirstenbosch Gardens

Cape Town

Mark was an amazing guide and took us for local sight seeing to areas like Bo-kaap and other areas of caoetown which was not there in the itinerary.African penguins are cute at Boulders then went to Kirstenbosch gardens which was also lovely

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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The guide cum driver Mark

Table Mountain Tour

Cape Town

Sadly missed the cable car tour because oh high winds,but Mark our guide made it up by taking us on a city tour

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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What an incredible trip! The team at kimkim made our trip to Spain a complete success! Our local specialist in Spain that coordinated the entire trip was Alfonso. Alfonso made sure that we made the most efficient use of our time and he arranged guides, transportation, and got us access into sites that were impossible for other tourists to get in to. The team of guides in each city (Barcelona, Madrid, and Granada) were of the highest caliber and were truly, educated, historians. In 14 days, we visited more churches, museums, and attractions than any other trip we've made throughout Europe. The trip is geared to your own capability of what you want to do and how many things that you physically can do. Alfonso figures that out in early communication with you and plans the PERFECT agenda along with the most comfortable hotels that are of the highest quality and situated in the most strategic parts of the city. This will be one of our most memorable trips in our lifetimes. My wife and I give 5 stars to kimkim and Alfonso. Also we give a huge thanks to the other team members that made sure everything went well: Uhaina (everywhere), Leon (Madrid), Miriam (Granada), Jose (TukTuk Madrid), Eirini (Barcelona)

My wife and I are retired teachers, we love to travel and experience new adventures. Two years ago we spent three weeks driving around Ireland. We didn't do a lot of planning and sort of played everything by ear as we went along. we had a great trip. That trip empowered us to try and do the same thing in France. Neither I or my wife had ever been to France. As I started to research things to do and places to go on the web I came across Kim Kim. I was curious to what it was about. So I clicked on it and started going through the process (which was really easy). I figured if they asked for my credit card I would click off the site. To my amazement they didn't ask for money. The next day I received a 21 day itinerary that included so much, I was astonished. The instructions said to set up a phone interview with the local specialist Mathilde (who is amazing). We did we altered and tweaked the itinerary to the way we wanted it and viola' we had a three week trip planned. We asked if they could rent us a car. They did. We asked to change dates, bookings, tours. Whatever we asked Mathilde accommodated us. We traveled around 1,500 miles and eight different cities. During a travel day Mathilde called me and said that we would be really close to where Kim Kim is located and would we like to get together for coffee. We agreed to meet and for an hour had a wonderful conversation with a really lovely young lady. We experienced Paris (all the highlights), The Alps, The Riviera, Medieval mountain towns, Normandy (D-Day tour was exceptional). The itinerary included 3 bike tours, 3 walking tours, 2 private tours, tickets to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Mount Blanc, Chenonceau Castle, Palace of Versailles, Dinner cruise on the Siene, Mont St. Michel, D-Day tour, Monet's Gardens and so much more. All of our hotels booked. Things that I would have never thought of Mathilde and Kim Kim did. And all this at a price that we could afford. We are preparing to go to Italy for three weeks next year, I will definitely be calling Kim Kim and Mathilde . Thank you for a great experience that my wife and I will never forget.

Activity Reviews

Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey - Entrance tickets

France

Quality of Experience

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Full Day Luberon E-Bike Adventure

France

Quality of Experience

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Omaha & Utah Beach War History Day Trip

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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City Excursion by E-Bike with Food Tasting

Lyon

Quality of Experience

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Welcome to Chamonix

Chamonix

Quality of Experience

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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VIP Versailles Bike & Palace Day Trip

France

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Skip-the-Line Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

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