Kimkim Trip Reviews

Pedro and his Team of Across Portugal were fantastic people to work with. I was impressed with the professionalism, responsiveness and attention to detail. Pedro was in constant communication with us to make sure every single detail was perfect. The transportation services were excellent. Hotels were extraordinary, It was a five star experience, and a very comprehensive and well planned trip.

Thank you Pedro for an amazing trip! Pedro and his team of Across Portugal are the best, I highly recommended them!

Overall a great experience. Trip was very thoughtfully planned out, and Majid was very accommodating and available. Special mention to our wonderful driver Moha, who went above and beyond in every sense. He was always punctual and well informed on the day’s activities. He made suggestions on revisions or alternatives (all of which were highly valuable) that him and Majid worked out with little involvement from us, and he was kind enough to welcome us into his home.
Would highly recommend for a once in a lifetime trip!

Activity Review

Hammam Spa & Massage in Marrakech 3 PM Session

Marrakesh

An absolute must!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot say enough about the level of service, patience, detail and organization that Sandy, our contact at KimKim and Odynovo, provided. I changed my mind and plans so many times in the planning process and she always responded with cheer and a desire to help me achieve our goals. We had an extremely seamless vacation experience in Japan, and I credit this to her and her team's incredible organizational skills. We never had an issue checking into a hotel, meeting a guide, with a reservation or anything. I didn't realize until we got there how much arranging they had done in terms of reserving a time for us to canoe; meet our guides; planning out trains; etc. Sandy checked in on us many times during our stay in Japan and always wanted to make sure we were having the best experience. I am so pleased we worked with them. Some of our desires may have been difficult to achieve since we were travelling in a less touristed region but they made it happen. There are too many great details of our trip to list all, but I will add some highlights and then a few things that we (or mostly I) would do slightly differently next time. I do want to go back soon and I would definitely use KimKim and Odynovo again.
Highlights- our guides Kohmin, Tomoko and Chie were all so interesting and knowledgeable, and gave us so much insight into local culture and history. Chie in particular is a riot and very personable. We really enjoyed the tuna auction and fish market in Shiogama; those were very different and uncrowded experiences I can't imagine that most tourists get to experience. Matsushima was beautiful and we loved going to the little tea house with Kohmin and Tomoko. With Chie, we explored Yamadera, which is a beautiful mountaintop shrine where we climbed up for gorgeous views and we had a fun local lunch with her and took local trains. One of our most memorable stays that Odynovo booked for us was in the ryokan in Tendo; what a beautiful, soothing and fancy cultural experience with gorgeously served meals I will never forget. I would have liked a little more time in this area. Kakunodate was also very memorable; we loved the samurai district tours with Koh and he also took us to a nearby waterfall. We went back ourselves the next day before leaving for Tokyo and were going to go on a hike up the hill for a view of the town but there were bears in the area! Instead we walked around this lovely town more, had coffee in a little and interesting local place and lunch in the hotel. It would be amazing at cherry blossom time, I'm sure and is quite famous for that. I had found a farm stay called Midori No Kaze but couldn't get in touch with them; Sandy did and booked that for us. It isn't for everyone - very rustic and basic, just 2 roooms in a couple's house, but we really enjoyed being outside the town and walking around their rice fields. They are incredibly hospitable. From the reviews online I had thought we could participate in some farm activities; though that didn't happen, we still had a great time just staying over there. Kazuko, the owner, is Internet savvy and books guests from all over who want something a little different. We really liked her and she even was happy to speak very simple slow Japanese with me so that I could practice! Our other favorite activity which Odynovo booked for us was canoeing in a group in the submerged forest in Lake Ishikawa, an opportunity that only comes along a couple of months a year in the spring when the snows from Mt. Ide melt. A very unique opportunity and fun to be the only foreigners in the group at a beautiful spot. The guides always called ahead to let various activities and hotels know we were coming and make us feel welcome.
The only things I would have done differently are more my responsibility. For example, I would have liked more time to just wander by ourselves through some of the towns. Ginbekei Gorge was a disappointment and I should have read more about it before hand- I was mixing it up in my head with another gorge in the area. At Ginbekei, I thought we could hike and walk around a lot but there are no trails. The "flying dango" were fun to see but I could have skipped this place altogether if I had known more about it, and would have preferred doing something else outdoors in a more expansive natural area. I think that KimKim may want to let people know if a particular activity is not necessarily the best use of their time, but of course again this is something that I should have been aware of myself. The only other thing I would have done differently is upgrade my hotel in Tokyo to one with a slightly bigger room since we were there 5 days. The Knot staff is absolutely lovely, and breakfasts were delicious, and it is opposite a really nice park, so it was fine. The staff also helped me arrange a reservation at a local jazz club one night. However, while Japanese hotel rooms can be small, I know, the KNot's are REALLY small with no place to put our clothes during a longer stay. Also, had I researched it a bit more, while it is good to be near the station, but Shinjuku is really crowded and huge and a little exhausting, so next time I would maybe stay in a slightly quieter area such as Asakusa, or rent an Air BnB if I'm going to be somewhere for more than a few nights.
In Tokyo, Odynovo arranged a fabulous tea ceremony demonstration for us with Mariko, and we were the only people besides one other Japanese woman and we had the BEST time. Thank you! So interesting to learn about. It is right next to the Kabuki Theater so we bought tickets to a performance there ourselves. On our own, we took the bus to Lake Kawaguchi one day to see views of Mt. Fuji and walk around, and that was also a great experience and awe-inspiring. W

I'd also like to be able to speak on the phone with the agency more at the beginning of the planning stage next time although email/ KimKim platforms works very well. Sandy is incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and diplomatic and I really credit her with making our trip such an easy and memorable one!!! She is amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East

Sendai

Great location, nice staff, amazing breakfast selections (Japanese and western). We enjoyed being above the lively and convenient station in Sendai. The room was very tiny, which is not unusual for hotels in Japanese cities though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tsunagi Onsen Hotel Shion

We really enjoyed it but it's a little different. Feels kind of like a Japanese version of a Catskills hotel. There is a large banquet room for meals (food is great!). People go around the whole hotel in their yukatas. Mostly older people or families with young children. We were the only foreigners at the time which was enjoyable for us! Staff is very nice. There are some stores in the lobby and there was a dance show after dinner that we enjoyed. Beautiful view of the lake. We loved the futons and our tatami room which was really comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very pretty view of the lake. Hotel is outside Morioka. We didn't find Morioka all that interesting since it is after cherry blossom season.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuna Auction & Fish Market Breakfast in Shiogama

Sendai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Encounter Splendid Nature: Matsushima Bay Cruise and Zuiganji Temple

Japan

Beautiful views of the bay and islands. Our guides were great in figuring out the best place to take the boat from and also took us to a lovely tea house in Matsushima.

Visit Yamadera, a Historic Mountain Temple

Yamagata

One of the highlights of our trip. It is a moderate climb up the mountain on steps and you get incredible views. Our intrepid and fun guide, Chie, also told us many great anecdotes and information about what we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took local trains. We had our luggage with us, and while I was at first dismayed I had not arranged for luggage transport or been advised to do so earlier, Chie helped us figure out where to store our luggage in the train stations and it was very easy. I was glad we just had carry on size bags too. Not a problem.

Lake Shirakawa

Zao Onsen

Beautiful lake area! I would have liked to spend time hiking in this area but I didn't fully research it before going. The views from the lake of the Mt. Iwate are stunning and we had so much fun canoeing with a group in the submerged forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Hiraizumi: Chusonji Temple, Motsuji Temple, and Genbikei Gorge

Hiraizumi

Gorge was disappointing - no place to really hike or do much - it's pretty but limited - see main review. I could have spent this time elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A little far for what we ended up doing there. The town seems kind of sad as well.

Delve into Samurai Culture in Kakunodate: Samurai Quarter and Sake Brewery Visit

Kakunodate machi

We loved Kakunodate - a lovely small town and it was great to just stroll the streets and learn about the bygone culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Learn about Miso and Soy Sauce Making: Ando Jozo Brewery Honten

Kakunodate machi

We ended up skipping these as we had already been to a whisky and sake factory and I thought this would be too much of the same. In general next time I would incorporate more free time to just walk around interesting towns or spend more time in nature walking or hiking. (Only gave the one star since we didn't do this)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just gave those

Tea Ceremony in Tokyo

Tokyo

A wonderful and interesting activity! Very intimate and enjoyable and Odynovo gave us great directions to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We got there easily by public transportation.

Pedro was super knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive. An absolute pleasure to work with.

Very smooth trip to Lisbon!

We had a great time in Portugal- we only stayed in Lisbon, but had a wonderful day trip to Sintra as well. Pedro had everything organized for us so the trip was a breeze!

All of our guides were excellent. The experience felt like a land cruise. I never felt lost or uncomfortable. People were available to welcome us at each stop and bring us to our next location. Irving met us in Cusco. He gave us many good insights regarding what we could expect. He brought us to local restaurants and an animal sanctuary. Javier was our guide in Machu Picchu. He was extremely knowledgeable of the history and patient with my walking speed. He also helped us a great deal to get fantastic photos. Felix brought us through Puno. He also helped us navigate local customs. I learned so much about Peru. The views were breathtaking. I loved all of the trains. It was a wonderful way to experience the Andes. The food and service were also very good. We enjoyed the hotel accommodations. Next time, we will spend additional days in Cusco and Machu Picchu to truly take advantage of everything there is to learn. I wish I had planned more time. I will have to come back.

I cannot thank the Wildr.Africa team enough for the trip of a lifetime. South Africa was exquisite! Beautiful topography, animals, interiors (!!), fabulous food and wine.

I am thankful I found kimkim who connected me to a great team on the ground in my destination. There is literally no reason to pay a US front company when all the expertise comes from the local team.

Anne Marie and her team were excellent communicators both via the app and via what’s app despite the time difference. They kept the planning process moving and helped me make decisions without overwhelm.

They understood my priorities for the trip and worked within those parameters to create the perfect trip for us.

All drivers, guides, and accommodations were seamless, and they helped us work through any challenges that arose. We are so grateful!

Many fabulous people to mention:
Walkers beach: maya, jane
Robberg hike
Monkeyland
Peninsula tour
Earthstompers: Rachelle
Babylonstoren
La Cotte farm
Pearl valley golf and spa
Walkers plain: James, roan, Clarence, zoli
… and of course Debra, Anne- marie and Cornelia without whom none of this would have happened.

My daughter and granddaughter and I took a self drive trip in Ireland. We chose to experience the West coast from the Dingle Peninsula north to Galway. We flew into Shannon which was the perfect airport for us American drivers to start. We used the GPS on my iPhone for navigation. Used ApplePlay instead of Google, although Google works too, and was spot on everywhere we wanted to go. We went off the beaten path many times. Planning was great, until it was not. My original contact listened to what I wanted the trip to look like, planned an itinerary that was not the normal cookie cutter trip, found lodging where we had a triple rom, sent her a glowing review, made final payment then she went silent. I had a question that went unanswered, finally called Kim Kim to get my question answered also had to call the get my vouchers and tickets 10 days before we left. At that point I was put in contact with Svetlana and she was amazing. I understand life happens and things get off track. All my correspondence was going thru the company system, and when my original travel agent was not longer doing her job, I should have been assigned a new contact not my having to make phone calls asking for help. I chose KimKim because I had a great experience planning a trip to Nepal then Covid hit and cancelled the trip. Yes I would use Kimkim again but could not give a 5 star review.

Activity Review

Farewell

Ireland

Hi Luigi,

Thank you for planning a wonderful trip for us. Overall, working with you was great and we had a wonderful time with a couple of exceptions that I mention later. Your itinerary gave us a Scotland experience we would never have come up with on our own. Your daily updates during the trip helped set the context for the day, and our guides were knowledgeable, personable, and accommodating. We feel like we came away with wonderful memories and a more tangible feel for Scottish history, culture, and the landscape.

All the scheduled activities and sites were amazing, and I could write about each one. In the interest of brevity, I’ll keep it to a couple.

The Farm of Kinaldy Shetland and Valais sheep was a highlight. Julie was a wonderful host and was happy to answer any and all questions. She let us interact with the sheep, wander around her field to take as many photos as we like, and even try our hands at sheering. The sheep are very people-friendly. We also got to see two highland cows she acquired recently. I would recommend this experience to anyone interested in sheep if they don’t mind getting their shoes a bit muddy.

Cawdor Castle was another highlight. The gardens, in particular, were spectacular, bursting with spring colors. Given all the blooming flowers, we spent more time than I expected in gardens during this trip. I recommend people intentionally allocate time for gardens when touring in late May.

The main issues we had during the trip were with two hotels. The first was Inverlochy Castle. A pipe broke and flooded our room around midnight. We had to call the front desk multiple times before they sent anyone to help us because the night porter could not reach the manager. After much insistence from me, they moved us to two other rooms. This process took about an hour because we had to dress, pack, and move to rooms across the site in the main building (our original room was in the old guard house by the road). We did not sleep well that night. When we checked out the next morning, I thought they would compensate us somehow, but the manager did not even mention the incident. When I brought it up, they said they had moved us to new rooms, so they viewed that as sufficient. This was a shocking response from a supposedly 5-star hotel, given what had happened. I would not recommend this hotel.

The second hotel issue was more minor. Our breakfast was not included in the Waldorf stay, and we had to pay for it, even though the itinerary said it was included.

If there is a way for us to be compensated for either of the hotel issues, please let us know.

I hope this information is helpful. Again, thank you for helping us with a wonderful trip.

Sincerely,
Jack, Pei, and Nolan

Our recent journey through Spain and Portugal was nothing short of magical, starting with the vibrant city of Madrid. Our guide, Hector, provided a fantastic 3-hour tour of Madrid's charming neighborhoods. One of the highlights was discovering a hidden gem in Plaza del Conde de Miranda: the Monasterio del Corpus Christi. Here, we got a delightful surprise—delicious cookies baked by cloistered nuns who are forbidden to communicate with the outside world. This monastery, in operation since 1607, now shares its sweet treats with the public. This unique and delicious experience is a must-see!

Next, we journeyed to the historic city of Toledo, where the Gothic cathedrals left us in awe. We then headed south to Seville, indulging in tapas for days and soaking in the passionate rhythms of a mesmerizing flamenco show.

Crossing into Portugal, we found ourselves in the coastal paradise of Lagos, where relaxation by the pool and rooftop drinks became our daily routine. Our adventure concluded in Lisbon, a city that captivated us with its stunning palaces, bustling sounds, and a heartfelt fado show. One of the highlights was an exhilarating off-road trip to the high mountaintops, offering breathtaking views of Portugal’s natural beauty.

From the bustling streets of Madrid to the serene landscapes of Portugal, this trip was an unforgettable blend of history, culture, and relaxation. Thank you Rita and the KimKim team for taking what could have been a very time-consuming process to organize and made it easy to enjoy.

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Flamenco Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Rural Algarve

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just came back from a 9 day trip to Italy and we had an amazing time. Elisa was the perfect trip planner and was an absolute pleasure to work with before the trip and when we were in Italy. She arranged for amazing tours while we were in Florence and Rome. We also took day trips to Tuscany and Tivoli which were fabulous suggestions. We had personal tour guides all throughout the trip which made the difference. We could see things at our own pace and got to ask a lot of questions to get a deeper sense of the history. As true of any trip, we had snafu with a tour, but Elisa was available to help us immediately. She emailed us on a Saturday night to make sure that everything was worked out. She went above and beyond to make sure that our trip was a fantastic one and we are so appreciative to Elisa for everything. We can't wait to plan another trip to Europe soon, and will definitely use Kim Kim again.

We loved our time in Morroco and have memories for a lifetime. We met some wonderful people along the way and thought everyone introduced to us by KimKim was very nice. However, I would not recommend using this service. We are easygoing travelers and can roll with imperfections, but this was just not worth the money. We totally understand they are offering a service and have to mark everything up, but the service wasn't good enough to justify what we paid. One tour guide out of three was stellar (Youseff in Rabat was phenomenal!). One hotel out of three was really lovely. For the hotel in Casablanca, we were put on one of the floors that had not been remodeled. The carpet smelled terrible, the furnishings were old and the room was small. I asked the front desk if some floors were better than others and she said yes but for the "level" we had been booked at we were not being given a premium room. They moved us to another floor with a bigger room and while the smell was better, it wasn't newly renovated. We're not sure what happened with that. Our driver was SO nice, and we liked him a lot, but he barely spoke English, so we couldn't ask him questions about anything we were seeing along the way which felt like such a shame. We only found out the driver wouldn't speak English after we booked and we received more details about the trip. Again, we're easygoing and we're certainly not mad at anyone for not speaking English well (as an American, I'm embarrassed for not speaking any other languages), but since we were paying so much, we figured we'd be really taken care of. Aside from that, one of the tour guides we had admitted to us that our driver was nice but didn't seem experienced and should have handled a couple of things differently with coordination and knowing where to go. We still tipped him well and liked him, we just didn't feel the service matched up to what we paid (which was a LOT). Long story short, we could have booked this trip for about 1/3rd of the price and hired a local driver and tour guide directly and been just as well off. It's our fault for booking last minute and doing it too quickly without asking more questions. So I'm mad at myself more than anything. Just do yourself a favor and really dive in and understand what you're booking so you can feel good about your purchase. We certainly did not.

Activity Review

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Youseff was phenomenal! He spoke English really well, which was helpful to us and he was super knowledgeable and personable. We'd HIGHLY recommend him to anyone. Our tour was only 3 hours, though, so I am not sure why this description says 6 hours. But all the same, we really liked him.

Kimkim meshed their two week portion of our trip to Venice, Florence and Rome with our four existing Airbnb reservations and our 8-day Vermont Biking Tour in the Alpine Valleys of Slovenia, Austria, and Italy that ended in Salzburg .

Most useful was Kimkim problem solving when the unexpected occurred and when we needed to alter our schedule due to unforeseen events.

We were able to maximize our vacation and reduce stress as Kimkim provided daily communication and support.

Rene was prompt, clear and professional in attending to my questions prior to the trip. This is consistent with other travel agents that I have used for other countries. I found out quite late that one of the hotels did not have air-conditioning and hence wanted a change. We ended up cancelling the hotel booking by Rene and I booking the hotel myself using Booking.com. Rene refunded me the "cost"of the hotel but refused to provide a breakdown of how he arrive at the refund amount which I thought was a bit on the low side.

Things also didn't go so well with the 'Trip Support' (the Rutopia team) during the trip itself. The team have to check with 3rd party providers most of the time and takes a while to respond to changing situations or questions. Some examples of areas that definitely needs improvement:

1) Drivers were late on 3 instances. Once by 0.5hr (we woke up early to be picked up at 5am for the hot air ballon tour but the driver came at 5.30am) and a second time by 10mins (we had landed at Cancun airport but the driver only showed up later) and a third time by almost 1hr (after we took the ferry from Holbox back to Chiquila). In the 3rd instance, my family was left standing in the open at the entrance of the jetty waiting for the driver for 1hr. To escape the hot sunny weather, we had to seek shelter at a nearby public toilet! When the driver eventually showed up, he expected us to go find his van which was supposedly parked in front of some restaurant instead of coming directly to our location at the entrance of the jetty. The driver also picked up an additional passenger along the way without explaining why (is this appropriate for safety reasons?)!

2) I reminded 'Trip Support' before the trip and a few times during the trip that we are a family of 4 adults with big luggages. However, they still arrange for small cars to pick us up on a few occasions. We were told that this is what the 'package' provides for which I am very surprised given that this is not a budget tour package! We have to spend time figuring how to fit all the luggage into the car as well as squeeze 4 adults into a small car for long journeys. I find it most unacceptable when there are no shortage of vans or big SUVs in Mexico and other travellers in smaller groups are travelling in comfort in larger SUVs and vans. I have used travel agents in the US, South America, Europe and Asia and they are all able to ensure that my family travels in comfort when it comes to transportation but the experience in Mexico is definitely below par.

3) We were booked into Ventus Ha Resort at Puerto Morelos for 1 night. However, we were not told beforehand that we were booked into 1 room instead of 2 rooms. We only found out when we checked in at the resort. Although the room at Ventus Ha are a little bit bigger, it will be normal expectation for us to be given 2 rooms which is the arrangement for all our other hotels during the trip. As we were given 1 room, the resort only provided 2 complimentary wifi access and we can't even share the access as they are fixed to 1 person each! The 4 of us have to squeeze into 2 double beds for the night and a single toilet. It's a beautify resort but our experience was sub-par due to the arrangements.

4) There were huge demonstrations along the main streets of Mexico City and in Zocalo Square due to the elections but the travel agent did not give us any warning or advise beforehand or did not do anything to adjust the itinerary to help us avoid the crowds or disruptions. During the tour of historic Mexico City on May 19, the tour guide did her best to navigate through the rowdy crowd in Zocalo Square and the surrounding streets but I feel that the travel agent should have switched the tour to another day given that we had multiple days in Mexico City and the date of the political rally in Zocalo Square on May 19 is known beforehand. When I requested to stay 1 more night in Mexico City on May 29 in a hotel next to Zocalo Square, the tour agent also didn't advise me that there will be a big political rally at the square on that day and the roads surrounding the square will be closed. We had to walk 45mins out from our hotel in order to get an Uber to travel out of the area. In fact, our hotel had to roll down the metal shutters in its front entrance in order to protect the premise from the rowdy crowd. For basic security and safety reasons, these are things which I expect the travel agent to discuss with me in advance and help me avoid them rather than leave it to me to figure things out myself on the spot!

Overall, I find the tour arrangements to be sub-par for the price that I paid. This is the first time I used Kim-Kim for my travel arrangements and I had high expectations. However, I have to say that given the sub-par experience, I will think twice in using Kim-Kim again.

We had a wonderful time in Morocco…from the moment Othman picked us up at the airport, everything ran well. Most of our guides were fantastic and knew their jobs well. This is our second time booking through KimKim and won’t be the last.

Huge thank you to Gustavo for planning a fantastic trip to CR. The hotels and activities were just top notch. I also must recognize RideCR for getting to all locations safely and promptly.

We met other visitors from the US that also worked with KimKim Team and we agreed that you did a great job. We are recommending you to our friends.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Beautiful grounds, great breakfasts, and meals by the pool and springs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of Arenal Volcano

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

We stayed 3 nights and ate most meals at hotel. The food was truly superb and we wanted to try everything offered. We stayed in the Cloudforest Bungalow and it felt like we were in the middle of the trees. The staff would great us by name and quickly knew what our favorite items were.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The restaurant staff was amazing. There were several but Allison and Eric were a few standouts.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Perfect location being further from town but walkable to everything. Grounds are beautiful with monkeys and iguanas present.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Treetopia Zip Lines

Monteverde

We highly recommend this zip line tour. Staff was superb and the views are exhilarating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our naturalist guide Maloney made the experience. She pointed out toucans, monkeys, frogs, and other animals. So informative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Very nice touch to have fresh fruit after our hike.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Tigre Waterfalls Exploration

Monteverde

We were hesitant at first since we had seen a waterfall in La Fortuna. However this is a must do hike. It is very strenuous and we welcomed the provided walking stick. Very much enjoyed the horseback ride back up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Surf Lessons at Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo

We had Keki and Moses ans instructors and they did their job to perfection. We both were surfing within 30 minutes. Iguana Surf is a must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 13 days in Morocco. Working with Said to plan the trip was a pleasure. Said was always helpful and prompt in his responses to our communications. During the trip if adjustments/changes were requested, Said was great in making them happen. Faisal, our driver, was an amazing driver and shared lots of knowledge about Moroccan life and culture. He was always happy to answer our questions. He knows everyone which was certainly helpful in making things go smoothly. Favourite places… the tour of the Mosque and a walk on the beach in Casablanca, Chefchaouen (the blue city), Volubilis (UNESCO World Heritage site - amazing Roman Ruins), Fes (both the tour of the Medina and the scenic over look of the Medina), the magical Sahara, crazy and wonderful Marrakesh (both the cultural tour and the food tour (both with Hanan) were fabulous and of course Essaouira (be sure to buy fresh fish on the dock and have them barbecued on the pier (the one at the far end of the pier is the best)). We loved staying in Riads but be prepared for lots of stairs). There is a lot of driving involved (which they tell you about up front), but you need to be prepared for that. Faissal had stops planned but was also happy to stop if we needed additional breaks or for photo ops. Overall a memorable trip.

The trip was amazing!! The guides were so nice and helpful. And the overall experience was everything we could have hoped for. Thank you so much to Sandy and your team - we appreciate everything you did to make the experience so easy and memorable!

This trip was truly a once in a lifetime vacation. Neil planned everything for us and we could not have asked for a better itinerary. It was everything we could have asked for and more!

We loved all our castle tours and even had an extra day where we added in the Stirling Castle (which ended up being my favorite)

Loved all the history of the Jacobites and the Culloden battlefield tour.

Our favorite town was Portree I think I would have liked an extra day there...so much to see and do. We loved the Highlands and Isle of Skye.

Adam was helpful, efficient and just great.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Diana

Tossa de Mar

Lovely room with plenty of space. Perfect location. Charming staff. Great breakfast. Nice restaurant for dinner. Lovely public spaces.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Serras Barcelona

Barcelona

The staff was welcoming and helpful. They had amazing smiles. Everytime we went out, we were offered water bottles- a nice perk. The room was tiny, but the shower luxurious. Easy walking distance to everything. They didn't point out that the building housed Picasso's first studio!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private El Born Walk with Tapas & Flamenco

Barcelona

Our guide was delightful! We truly learned more about Catalon. The two tapas restaurants were both fun and delicious. The flamenco, which I wish I could rate separately, was disappointing. I expected gorgeous women in flamboyant red dresses and lively music. Instead, it was moaning men and two angry women stomping their feet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sailing Trip with Winery Visit & Tasting

Barcelona

Van ride to the winery; boat ride back. Winery was lovely. Lunch was some ham and bread with tomato... While it was tasty, it felt like a snack, not a meal. The boat ride back was rougher than expected. We had to hold on for dear life. (Was surprised putting on life jackets wasn't advised or offered). Two of the other guests were ill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boating, Hiking & Kayaking in Tossa de Mar

Costa Brava

This was cancelled. No replacement or refund was offered

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

This experience was perfect, starting with the market, actually preparing the feast, and the best of all, eating the feast!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Glass-bottom Boat Ride from Tossa de Mar

Costa Brava

Getting on the boat was a challenge, despite having the reservation number, they told us this was from a "fake website" and were simply unpleasant. Ultimately, they found our names on their list. Very frustrating and unnecessary rudeness. The boat itself was ok- a bit crowded. The fish were not particularly extraordinary. The beach was nice enough, but there was no where to escape the sun. No shade anywhere. Although the instructions said to bring money for drinks or food- there was no where to purchase anything. There is a restaurant there, but it was not yet open for the season. They said it opens in June.

Private Barcelona Picasso Tour with Picasso Museum

Barcelona

The guide, while clearly bright, was not as upbeat or cheerful as one might expect. She also, sadly, had bad breath and kept standing so close that it was actually nauseating. :(

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Beach Day in Costa Brava

Spain

Tossa de Mar is a lovely little town. We happened upon several great hikes.

Quality of Experience