Kimkim Trip Reviews

Gummi was an absolute gem. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he made sure that each and every person in the group was comfortable with the excursions that we had. His wife Vara came with us too as we were a big group and she added another dimension and took care of the admin.
Gummi's knowledge of Iceland was great and we enjoyed his Trolls and Elves stories on long segments of our travels although I'm not sure we believed all his tales!
Gummi's passion for Iceland was evident as was his pride in his country. That came through loud and clear on many occaisions.
A busy trip but a wonderful one.
Thank you to the Kim Kim team and especially thanks to Vara and Gummi
Gill and Maurice

Hotel Review

Hótel Kría

Vík

Excellent food and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

Much better than I was expecting! It was busy but didn't feel crowded. The drinks from the swim up bar were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Quite a long walk to the cave but the staff made sure that I was ok. I have two knee replacements so I am not as agile as i used to be! Cave was good but with our large group was a bit full of people

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a very wonderful trip to Morocco. Majid was our original contact and responded to our requests regarding what we wanted to see and where we wanted to go. He was amazingly responsive and worked very hard to make arrangements for us. His selections of local guides and Riads was excellent. And Majid made himself available throughout the trip; at first in person, and then after we left Fez, he could be reached via What's Ap. if needed. Mostaph was our excellent driver. He too made every attempt to meet our needs and he was an amazing navigator and driver. We could not have had this trip without him. He was always in fine spirits and again, expert at his job. Moushine could not have been kinder and considerate of all of our needs. He is a lovely man who worked very hard to make certain that we had what we needed. His command of English could have been stronger and sometimes it was difficult for him to explain things to us. All of our local guides were excellent. They all had a strong command of English and of the history and culture of the city. My favorite guides were our Fes, Marrakesh and Essaouira guides. We also had a very lovely and knowledgable female guide in Meknes. I'm sorry that I do not remember their names.

I do have one recommendation. On other group tours I've been on, the guides joined us with many of our meals. Clearly, when we'd go off to restaurants on our own, this would be more difficult. But whenever possible it is very nice to have them join us, rather than go off on their own. Meal time is often an opportunity to engage in informal conversation and share.
Another suggestion..... I understand that guides and support staff deserve to be tipped. It would have been helpful if we could have been more prepared or "tutored" on how much to pay what service. We spent over $800. in tips on this trip. Again, the service fee was worthwhile. I wish I had know ahead of time.
Thank you Kim Kim, Majid, Moustaph and Moushine for the trip of a lifetime.
Linda Glick and Elliot Landes

Hotel Reviews

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

Beautiful spaces. incredible view from the rooftop. Amazing spot to hang out for a view of the city and mountains. Breakfast was wonderful. Staff very kind and available to help out. lots of stairs to climb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the Medina. Stairs

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

The Riad was amazing. And the staff was very accommodating and lovely. We enjoyed our stay immensely. This was our introduction to Moroccan hospitality at its finist! Abundance of food fro breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Tile work and decor were beautiful clearly authentic Moroccan works.

Location

Easy walk to the Medina

Staff

Could not have been nicer.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Yacout

meknes

Beautiful Riad. I wish we had more than one night to spend in Meknes.

Authenticity & Character

beautiful Riad

Location

much construction around the hotel made it difficult to. navigate.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

borj-des-cascades-ouzoud

ouzoud

Absolutely beautiful and luxurious spot and hotel. Pools and accommodation were outstanding. Brand new hotel with many features

Authenticity & Character

Just loved it

Location

Easy access to the Falls

Staff

so nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Mimouna

Essaouira

our favorite! Beautiful rooms with amazing view of the ocean. Loved every minute

Authenticity & Character

This Riad had it ALL

Location

Could not have been better

Staff

Soooo nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Simply lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Village du Toubkal

Imlil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chefchaouen Walk and Sunset

Chefchaouen

Our local guid was knowledgable but was very rushed and only spent a few hours with us in the morning

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Fes

Morocco

Perfect!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very expert at their job and very engaging

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes' Jewish Quarter and Medina

Fes

AMazing guide

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a fabulous home visit with a family. We cooked and laughed and had a delightful experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pottery & Mosaïc workshop

Morocco

Very delightful visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

outstanding!!! everyone should do this!

Quality of Experience

family was lovely and so welcoming

Food

delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tranfer from Fes To Chefchaouen

Morocco

we love Moustaph....he was an amazing driver and we could not have had the trip without him

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family Hike to Akchour Waterfall Lunch by the river

Chefchaouen

This was probably the most unfortunate part of our trip. We were totally not prepared for the hike and our local guide, although lovely, spoke no English at all. This is probably the most dangerous hike I have ever gone on. The waterfall and the streams are exquisite. But the hike was on slippery sharp stones and no clear path. We hiked over slippery waterways. And it was unclear exactly where we were being taken ( to the Bridge? or to the Waterfall?) We were lucky that no one got seriously injured. Only a few of our very experienced hikers did the entire hike. Three of us stopped along the way and waited by the stream for the others to return. One of our party was guided back and waited by the van

Quality of Experience

Very beautiful, but scary

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Morocco

knowledgable guide. not very friendly or engaging. He seemed like he was tire of giving this tour

Quality of Experience

This is an amazing site

Transport

Guided tour of Meknes

Meknes

excellent local guide. She was so charming and adorable. And a wealth of informatin.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meknes – Azrou – Beni Mellal – Ouzoud Waterfall (6 Hours Drive)

Morocco

Very long, beautiful and dangerous twists and turns on the road. Wow! our driver is a magician! So skilled! It was a long ride

Quality of Experience

I don't know how we could have broken it up. But it was a long day driving

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Ouzoud Waterfalls hike for 2 hours

Ouzoud

It was a must see. Beautiful spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

. Afternoon Visit Demnat Jewish town in the Atals Mountains.

Ouzoud

Loved this stop. Our guide was awesome and so very knowledgable about the history

Quality of Experience

Just the right amount of time for our visit

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech – Visit Of The City ( No Drive).

Morocco

Excellent guide and food tour. Awesome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essaouira Jewish Heritage Tour

Essaouira

loved this city and loved this guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech – Essaouira ( 2 Hours And A Half Drive)

Morocco

awesome drive

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Imlil Valley

Imlil

awesome! loved this challenging yet very do-able hike. Thank you Mou

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the first moment I interacted with Tiago while planning the trip, I knew I was in good hands. The same was true with our larger-than-life guide, Gustavo.

Both were knowledgeable, experienced, and authentic locals, fully committed to ensuring we had the best experience possible.

My uncle and I were very specific in our wants for the trip, and Tiago and Gustavo were always available at a moment’s notice to accommodate us.

Horseback riding along the beach in Comporta was an absolute highlight for me.

I wish both Gustavo and Tiago every success, as they truly deserve it, and I look forward to working with them again in the future.

Thank you, guys!

All of our guides exceeded expectations!!

We had a much better experience than I could have ever hoped for by having local guides take us to the highlights of Rome and Naples. Our guide in Rome for the first two days, Mariapaula, was trained as an archeologist, her knowledge helped us appreciate the history (and her English was easy for us to understand!). We had skip the line tickets for the pantheon and the Vatican. After talking to other tourists who went through the Vatican, a guide and skip the line tickets are really worth it! I added an ebike ride in Frascati, outside of Rome. Our biker is a local and showed us amazing archeological sites..while not strenuous, it’s best if you’ve mountained biked before. We ended the ride with a wine tasting, then lunch at a gorgeous palazzo. Our final day was again in Rome with a private tour of the colosseum. Other tourists we talked to had a hard time figuring out how to get into the colosseum but our guide whisked us in and then took us to the palatine hill where she interpreted the ruins for us. Our hotel in Rome, the antico Albergo del pantheon was our favorite hotel of the trip!
Again we had a great private guide, Lydia, for Pompeii then spent the night in Naples. Walk the pedestrian only street, it’s so vibrant and full of life! Our private guide took us down interesting alleyways and to one of the best pizza places that I’d heard about!
We spent 4 nights in amalfi on the amalfi coast. Amalfi was good for us because it was an easy walk from our hotel to the central piazza, but if you’re willing to walk the stairs there are other beautiful towns to stay at. Our driver, Vincenzo drove us to ravello and Positano, two must-see areas. His English was very easy to understand and he was like a private guide as he was so knowledgeable about his home town. He made a lunch reservation for us at the Garden restaurant which had a picturesque view. We were recommended to go to the isle of Capri. It was our only disappointment. The boat ride stopped at 3 grottos which were not that enjoyable because you’re in line with other boats and all the drivers are vying for spots, plus it was too crowded for the blue grotto ( but no worries, we saw two later- see below). Once on the island we had less than 4 hours to explore. If you don't know beforehand how to get transported away from the hoards of crowds to the other side of the island, it can cost valuable time. We took a half hour walk uphill to the closest piazza, which was a beautiful walk but once in the piazza it was more of the same hoards of people so we didn’t enjoy that. The boat ride back was more enjoyable because we didn’t stop and the driver had Prosecco and aperitivi for us! Our last day I opted for kayaking out of minori. We had a charming guide who took us to the Pandora’s box grotto- amazing! Then limoncello spritzers on the beach! The other grotto that we saw , the emerald grotto was with our driver Vincenzo.
We got home less than 24 hours ago so it’s been fun to write about the highlights and I hope some of this info is helpful!

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Definitely worth it to skip the line

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

A private guide helps you see what’s important and you can also go at a pace that is comfortable for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Best way to see Pompeii. We had two hours which was a good amount of time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

Best way to see the colosseum and Roman forum!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

E-Bike ride in the Roman Castles area with winery - Frascati (Private)

Italy

If you’ve mountained or e-bikes biked before you’ll be ready to go on this amazing tour of gorgeous palazzos, views, and ruins of an ancient city. Our guide/bike rider was fun. At the end of our bike ride, the winery and restaurant were a real treat, Tenuta di Pietra Porzia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nick was quick to respond and always available.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Grandis Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Very central to market and restaurants. Good food available poolside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kinabalu Pine Resort

Beautiful views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Isolated area with great views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Halal hotel so no alcohol allowed in restaurant.

Sepilok Jungle Resort

Sandakan

Beautiful grounds. Older accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC struggled to cool. Older.

Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort

Beautiful grounds

Authenticity & Character

Grounds

Location

Staff

Guides

Cleanliness & Comfort

Older. Termites.

Mabul Beach Resort

Mabul Island

Great food. Everything included. Snorkel/dive on site.

Authenticity & Character

Beach vibe

Location

Beach but trash on beach and in water.

Staff

Snorkel guides

Cleanliness & Comfort

Springs felt in bed

Activity Reviews

Coral Island & Snorkeling Excursion

Kota Kinabalu

Crowded. Very limited area to snorkel. Reef did not look healthy.

Kinabalu National Park & Poring Hot Springs

Kundasang

Chose waterfall rather than hot springs. Hot springs were housed in man made area also it’s so hot you wouldn’t want to soak. Hike to waterfall was great.

Sepilok Orangutan Centre & Sunbear Centre

Sandakan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yan was amazing guide

Afternoon Wildlife River Cruise

Kinabatangan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kinabatangan River Exploration (River Cruises)

Kinabatangan

Fun. Unfortunately didn’t see any Pygmy elephants. Lots of monkeys, birds.

Mabul to Tawau Airport Departure

Mabul Island

Nick arranged earlier boat for us which we needed or we would have missed our flight. Driver met us at dock and quickly delivered us to the airport.

Everything went fine with the exception of hotel El Faro in Manuel António which was very bad and is not a 4 stars hotel whatsoever. Even the guy on the reception was very antipathetic (despite many others being friendly)! My recommendation is straight forward: dont sell this hotel!|

Our trip to Croatia was amazing! The scenery is awesome and the people are so friendly and with a crime rate the lowest in Europe, what's not to like?

Roberto and his team could not have been better, keeping us informed and providing updates throughout our stay. The Accommodations were great and the site seeing went without a hitch. In particular I'd like to thank one of Roberto's guides Marco. His time with us was memorable and he could not have been nicer. Definitely an asset to the team.

We and 19 friends had a SUPERLATIVE experience with Gummi. I cannot say in words how effective he was in all respects, as was his assistant Yara. He was great at the outset working with me on agenda. The customized attention he and his team gave from the moment welanded to the last cab ride to airport heading home was great. H em masterfully navigated the bad things that every trip involves, ie Covid case hotel and restaurant reservations that broke down etc.

He also has a great knowledge and sense of humor. All of our group connected with and appreciated him. Kimkim is lucky to contract with him.

Let me know if other questions. Give him a raise

Tayloe Washburn, group leader

This was my first time using Kim Kim, I have used similar services in the past. The trip included my best friend and myself. Overall, the experience was smooth in terms of selecting what we wanted to do and finalizing the booking. Ana was very patient with my delayed responses as well the many changes we had to our itinerary. The trip was memorable and I will definitely want to visit again. I would recommend that you ask as many questions as you need to gain clarity on your activities. I had made some assumptions based on previous experiences with agencies but of course they are not all the same and some tours may have additional costs associated that may not be listed in the description.

Our driver (Eka) went above and beyond for us and would definitely love to have him as our driver again. The cooking class was my favorite activity. The other tours were mostly other drivers taking us from place to place which was nice but would have preferred some additional commentary or explanation of things. The nature of tours can always vary but regardless we had a great time. Would likely use Kim Kim again or recommend to a friend.

Hotel Reviews

Artini 2 cottage

Service was great, loved the staff, they were so kind, helpful and wonderful to talk to. The rooms were clean and met our needs. The food was great - I loved the breakfasts but also the dinner items were great. We did the Indonesian breakfasts. The entire place is quite serene and tranquil and the best part is it's central and close to everything. Would likely stay again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Joya Balangan Resort

Jimbaran

Resort is a nice size and looks beautiful but the food and service at the restaurant was not the greatest. Food is pricey for the flavor - it was either cold or bland but want to note we did not eat any Indonesian food. The rooms are also awkwardly shaped and not well thought out in terms of where one would put their items. Location like most resorts is not super convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Ubud VW Safari Car Tour

Ubud, Bali

Overall really enjoyed this tour - saw lots of things in our first day in Bali and weather was great too. The only thing I was caught off guard with is the fact that none of the waterfall or temple entrance fees are included in the total cost. I didn't see mention of this caveat in the activity details and did not bring as much cash so this was not ideal for me personally. The driver/guide also does not come with you into some of the temples so at times we did not know what we were looking at or what was special about it. It is a car tour after all but I had made the assumption since he was our guide. He did go out of his way to make sure we got all the photos and let us take as much time as we need at places and so that was truly appreciated as we did not feel rushed. Overall, he (Wayan) helped make the tour and our first day at Bali a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Balinese Cooking Class- Shared

Ubud, Bali

This was my favorite part of our trip. I loved the experience beginning to end - from visiting the market to meeting other travelers and of course, the chef, who helped us make all the delicious dishes. She was funny, engaging, patient and made everything seem super easy to make. I would 1000% percent recommend people take this class. She also told us so much about her life and Balinese culture. Definitely would come back just for the conversation!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

East & West tour of Nusa Penida

Indonesia

The boat ride there was fun but the time spent at each place is too short. We had about 15-20 mins per place and that's also due to the fact that the island is massive and it takes a while to get around. Perhaps a shorter itinerary might work best - for example, we didn't need to go all the way to the tree house as there were a lot of steps and this took a lot of time. Plus the tree house is actually additional money to go into. Our driver was great when on the road maneuvering next to cars in a tight space, however, he was on his phone on a couple occasions watching videos, and this was concerning while driving. He also did not speak to us the entire time outside of telling us the time we had at places so this made for an awkward and transactional experience compared to our other drivers and guides. The island was beautiful and we were glad to have the opportunity to see it and take wonderful pics even though rushed to do so.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Bali's Most Beautiful Beaches & Explore Uluwatu Temple

Jimbaran, Bali

We picked two beaches and spent most of our time at one and a little at the other. Again entrance was not covered for this activity. The beaches were beautiful and Eka was our driver (who was our driver the whole trip) so of course that experience was great. We also got to see the kechak dance at the temple (this cost is covered) which was really fun and interesting. We didn't get a chance to explore the temple but caught the sunset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joao was amazing. He listened to what we wanted to do and gave suggestions when needed. He put together a wonderful itinerary. Unfortunately we weren’t feeling well for some of the trip and he was so good at listening to what we needed and did it at a pace that was good for us especially on the day we went to Sintra and Cascais and also the day we drove to Porto. Even though we weren’t feel 100% we saw everything that was planned and it was amazing. We had a really good time exploring Portugal. I would definitely recommend him and your company to friends and family.

Activity Reviews

Pasteis de nata cooking class

Portugal

She was very knowledgeable and very patient with us as she taught us step by step how to make the Pasteis de Natas. Can’t wait to make them at home!

Quality of Experience

Street Art Tour in Lisbon

Lisbon

I didn’t realize it was a private tour but I really enjoyed it as I didn’t know much about the street art. She was very knowledgeable and explained everything to me with regards to the artists and why they came up with their ideas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the most wonderful time in Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Polignano a Mare. Fabio took such wonderful care of us. He was very accessible and informative. Some highlights:
- The boat ride around Capril was wonderful! Our skipper, Luigi, was fantastic
- Our hike on the Path of the Gods was beautiful. It was a little more difficult than I expected, but our guide, Roberto, was great and was patient with us. Our driver that day, Ciro was wonderful.
- One of our favorite days was the road trip, and in particular - Ravello. What a beautiful town! Our driver that day, Marcello, was great!!!
- The cooking class at Chez Barone was so much fun - and yummy! We all had a really special time there
- In Polignano a Mare, the Masseria Aquaterrae was stunning. We were so pleasantly surprised. All of the staff were so kind and thoughtful and attentive. The rooms were beautiful and the grounds were amazing. The whole thing was so peaceful and enjoyable. One thing to note is that the location is not within walking distance of the town, but the front desk is more than happy to arrange for cabs.
- Our bike trip was definitely a highlight! Nico was a wonderful and friendly guide.
Thank you so much for everything!!!

My daughter and I enjoyed our trip very much. It was a great mother/daughter experience. Our hotels were all in great locations, close to the things we wanted to do. As I am 73, I was a little disappointed that some hotels did not have elevators as it was difficult for me to carry my bags up stairs. Otherwise, the hotels were all good, and the staff at the hotel in Bordeaux were particularly helpful and "sympa."

We also enjoyed the excursions arranged by Mathilde through A la Francaise. Two stood out in particular - the wine tasting in Bordeaux with Ben and the prehistoric art excursion with Anne. Both were interesting, well-informed, and simply lovely people. The only disappointing excursion was the one to Cassis, which consisted of a ride to Cassis with little commentary and 2 hours on our own. However, the guide that day told us it was her first week, so the trip may become more interesting. The scenery in and around Cassis was stunning though.

Train travel went well. There were some problems with the car rental because I damaged the car. The deductible was much higher than I expected, but it was noted on the voucher I received right before departure. In future, I think this deductible should be pointed out to the traveler with the option of booking their own car rental separately. That would have saved me a good deal of money.

Overall a very good trip, and I appreciate Mathilde's help with settling the insurance claim.

Hotel Reviews

La Villa des Consuls

Sarlat-la-Canéda

I loved this hotel, but it is not the best choice for older travelers. There is no street access to the hotel, and parking is quite far away, which made dropping off luggage impossible. In addition, there was no elevator. So for me, it was difficult getting my luggage to the hotel and up to my room. For younger travelers, it would be great due to its excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, big room and a pretty courtyard with tables and chairs.

Location

It was in the heart of the city on a back alleyway, where it was quiet. If handling luggage is no problem, this is a great hotel.

Staff

The staff we met were very nice, but there were very limited hours where the reception was manned.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Donjon – Cœur de La Cité Médiévale

Carcassonne

We liked this hotel that was very close to the castle. The hotel provided staff to pick up us and our luggage at a remote parking area. The service was prompt and available for the return to our car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de l'Amphithéâtre

Nîmes

Great location very near the amphitheater. There was no elevator, but the man at the reception offered to carry up our bags. Good selection at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

With beautiful hotel and grounds, this hotel was our favorite. It was an easy walk to the center of town, and we had a delicious meal in their restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds, nice room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Tremblay-en-France

The hotel was just average and really had little character. However, it was very convenient for getting to our departure gate to fly home. It was hard to find because there are 2 Novotels at the airport, and we walked the entire length of the terminal to find we had gone to the shuttle for the wrong Novotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Madame

Bordeaux

Good location near the old city, but very near a bar that stayed open late. Street noise was very loud until the early hours of the morning. Breakfast was disappointing. There was no breakfast area, so a tote with a minimal breakfast was left on the door. However, the people working the reception was very nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast, sound proofing

Location

Very central to the old town, but the area was noisy until early morning hours.

Staff

My daughter left a bag in a taxi, and they tried to help her retrieve it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historic City Walk

Bordeaux

This was a good excursion, but it was pouring rain during much of it. Our guide Margot was a great sport and tried to make the experience enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

The problem was the pouring rain since it was a walking tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

n/a It was a walking tour.,

Pont du Gard (Entrance tickets)

France

The site and the museum were very impressive. Highly recommend.

Two wine regions within a day - Saint-Emilion and Medoc

Bordeaux

Fun day; lovely picnic; and Ben was a phenomenal guide. He was knowledgeable and personable.

Paleolithic Art of the Dordogne Shared Full Day Trip From Sarlat

France

Our guide Anne was a great guide and fun person. She answered all our questions and offered suggestions about places to see and wines and foods to try. Rouffignac was not as impressive as Font de Gaume, which I have visited before. However, Rouffignac offers a train while you have to walk at Font de Gaume.

Gourmet Food & History Walk

Aix-en-Provence

Good tour that ended with a cheese and wone tasting at the end. Tour guide was competent but not extraordinary,

Half Day Cassis Trip

Aix-en-Provence

The area was beautiful, but the tour was really just a ride to Cassis with one stop at an scenic viewpoint.

There were multiple agents we worked with besides Tomaz. In general many of the guided trips we booked had time to walk or drive by sites but did not allow sufficient time to go inside structures to experience them. My brother Dan submitted a more detailed review by email and I added comments. We received responses from KimKim indicating our comments would be reviewed.

Our family of four just returned from a fabulous trip to Portugal! Kimkim connected us with Pedro who, from the start, was excellent to work with. We spent 9 days in Portugal...starting in Porto and working our way to Lisbon stopping for a night in Alcobaca and Cascais. Pedro's suggestions were spot on. The overall itinerary he developed, drivers (Ivo, Carlos, Claudia), guides (Taisa, Sarah, Sarah, Margarid), tours (e-bike, port tasting, walking, wine tasting, fado dinner), hotels, restaurant recommendations, etc were all excellent. The service and value we received was first class. As an example, my daughter was very disappointed for forgetting something in the hotel in Alcobaca...I asked Pedro if there was anything he could do...he worked his magic/network and the item was reunited with my daughter on our arrival in Lisbon. Simply amazing. He was connected with us throughout the trip and we tweaked a few things along the way...no request was too much! We had a wonderful family trip with fond memories that will last for a long time! Pedro had a huge part to do with that and we all are very grateful. So glad to have worked with him and his company. Thank you, Pedro!

We had never used KimKim previously and this was a test run for my husband and me. I hired KimKim because I did not have the time to devote to planning a trip. My understanding was that we were paying a premium to an agent so that they could do the hard work of planning our trip and we could rely on our agent to create an itinerary, provide vetted hotels, guides etc., answer questions and provide detailed information so that I would not have to devote too much time to the planning process. This did not work out exactly as I thought it would - details below.

Overall I thought KimKim was good, but it was too expensive for the amount of service that was provided and the ultimate result should have been great rather than just good given the price we paid. Let me start with what they did well - the web portal was easy enough to learn to use and our specialist Aleksandra was responsive to changes in our itinerary and to follow up questions. Aleksandra was also polite and professional. KimKim did a good job with providing good guides. Our guide for the City of Edinburgh and for a day trip to St. Andrews were both very good, and I would recommend them to others. The bookings for hotels and guides were organized and we had no problem with the hotels saying they didn't have our room, or guides not showing up on time, etc. The hotels where we stayed in Edinburgh, Inverlochy and on the Isle of Skye were all very good choices.

KimKim did not do a good job with some things. For instance, they were not great with booking restaurants - the places they recommended were quite touristy and we were clear that wasn't what we wanted - we ended up booking nearly all of our restaurant reservations ourselves. A much bigger issue is that they did not mention anywhere in our itinerary or in any correspondence with us that we needed to advance book the ferry from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye. This was an important detail as the ferry books up in advance during the high season, and we could not get onto the ferry and therefore ended up driving an extra 80 miles, missing the ability to sightsee on parts of the Isle of Skye that we had been planning to do that day. Needless to say, this was hugely disappointing and I think is a basic job of our booking company where they dropped the ball. This made me think that our agent was not a local and clearly did not know this and did not think to ask anyone with more local knowledge. Our expectation was that we were getting advice from a local and clearly that was not the case. The other thing that was spectacularly badly was that the last hotel we stayed in was absolutely atrocious. It clearly hadn't been renovated in a very long time and smelled musty and was just plain disgusting frankly, and the dining options were beyond awful. It was not a place where anybody would want to stay, and I have absolutely no idea why Aleksandra booked us there. Most of the trip was wonderful, but that was a terrible way to end and unfortunately it is the last thing we took away from our time in Scotland.

My recommendation is to be very hands on: (1) make sure to independently review the hotels to make sure that they meet your satisfaction, and provide detailed guidance as to what you're looking for, (2) make sure to doublecheck your itinerary and ask the questions that you would ask if you were planning the entire trip yourself. This of course means that you're putting in much more time in the planning process, which kind of defeats the purpose of hiring KimKim in the first place. I might be willing to try the service again, but in a much more active manner.

Duncan arranged a very comprehensive/detailed wonderful plan for us to complete Iceland’s ring road! We loved the route, sites, and unique lodging/breakfasts. The car rental process was very efficient and loved the onboard wifi capability. This was our 3rd KimKim trip and we are going to use again!

Hotel Reviews

Fosshotel Hellnar

Hellnar

Very pleasant place to rest/refuel! Restaurant and staff were great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

Modern lodging with great restaurant/breakfast and staff! Our room was very spacious and included a small table with comfy chairs to enjoy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Katla by Keahotels

Vík

Very comfortable lodging with access to lovely dining facility/hot tub/sauna.

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

Very lovely and large space ‘in the forest’! The hotel had just opened for the season so not many people there yet or lots of staff. But breakfast was grand and staff were very pleasant & helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Abit out of the main town but lovely setting. We loved having access to out doors to sit in the evening!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Litli Geysir Hotel

Haukadalur

We were early in their season and at their non-connected hotel. It met our needs for 3 people well.

Authenticity & Character

The main hotel/restaurant were very top notch! Right across from the geysers…

Location

Staff

I had misplaced my phone and called after leaving to have them check space. Given lower staffing this took abit of time & a few call backs. But I appreciated their efforts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Árnanes Country Hotel

Höfn

Really liked the cabin like lodging! Could get a glacier brewed beer when checked in (price reasonable)! Staff lovely and breakfast was tasty/adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vogafjós Farm Resort

Myvatn

Very sweet farm setting and decor of ‘cabin’/dining area. Dinner and breakfast were fabulous! Vista of sheep grazing plus seeing their dairy cows get milked/tended to—while overlooking the acreage was very cool (for this ‘farm girl’)!

Authenticity & Character

Lodging was across the road from the dining/reception area. But very pleasant stroll to access or to walk in the eve on paved off road trails.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laugarbakki

Laugarbakki

The hotel is very remotely located and was just getting started with this season. Staff were fine. Breakfast was great—(dinner was OK just not the caliber have been having). We had them move us to a room with 3 separate beds which they did accommodate. It was in a building that did not seem to have others in—so felt abit more isolated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

22 Hill Hotel

Reykjavík

This was very proximal to walking to sites downtown but we came early and without central reception on site—it was more challenging to call ‘home’. This was one hotel we also were not able to get our 3 ‘separate beds’ but all was very feasible. They were doing major renovations so lots of construction activity in the ‘lobby’. This will be nicer when all renovations are done!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vidgelmir cave guided tour

Iceland

This was a great educational and physical experience! Guide did a great job preparing us and leading us through activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

Great job by seasonal staff! Lovely space to wait in (by geothermal spa)…

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

i’m

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Loved the non-sulfur hot bath! Also enjoyed being able to dip in cold lake water from one of the hot baths. Very cool building/shower rooms etc. Only comment for possible improvement—is that some of the equipment getting in/out of baths were kind of green/slimy/slippery. It may be tough for them to impact this—but seems like they could have been cleaned.

Quality of Experience

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Very fun activity! It was fun to get into the ‘back country’ with big vehicle and then to explore on glacier trails that staff keep having to affirm are safe for walking on (with crampons). The caves and sites were glorious to take in!

Quality of Experience

Note to anyone who may have challenges with balance or endurance—this could be abit much for some. We really enjoyed but are used to walking with crampons on ice & in good shape!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide/driver was very well versed on the area and entertaining/informative.

Transport

During the trip we had to making some changes and Vicky was readily available and putting the effort forth that created an amazing experience with little hiccups. She was extremely attentive to changes, and ensured that we were abelk to complete everything we wanted to do at all the different locations we went to thorughout the tirp. There was maintenance on one of the items that caused her to have to reorganize our trip pretty last minute. She did amazing handling these changes!

She managed to fit everything we wanted to do and add suggestions for us in a 12 day trip to Australia which was already amazing and allowed us to enjoy our trip stress free!

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa

Port Douglas

Off the beaten path, really good for someone seeking a quiet vacation full of poolside relaxing. The hotel was amazing, the room was bueatiful and guest service was amazing. However the breakfast was the same everyday, and for us it was a bit to far off the path.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rhapsody Resort

Surfers Paradise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Premium Guided Dive Trip - Outer Great Barrier Reef

Port Douglas

The dive instructor only handles small dive groups of around 4 people max, it ended up being just myself and partner on our introductory dive. It was phenomnial and everyone was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my fourth trip with Kimkim. While Audrey was responsive and ensured our bookings were confirmed, we did not receive as thorough of services as previously obtained by other specialists. Our other Kimkim specialists would check in with us before and throughout the trip, provide contact information (with the specialist and not just the company hosting the excursion) in case of any issues, and provide critical information for navigating the destination. We did not receive any of this for our trip to Paris and had to do much more research to ensure a safe and comprehensive experience. Audrey did provide us with the essential information, but we feel we did not receive the great Kimkim experience we're accustomed to.

Nadine is exceptional! I have used Kimkim for several trips, and this was, by far, the best experience with a specialist. Nadine was responsive and knowledgeable, ensuring we had all the information needed for a safe and fun trip. I truly appreciated all of the additional tips, recommendations, and the welcome package at the hotel. Finally, our airport transfer driver, Robert, and the hotel hostess, Lisa, were phenomenal. I am genuinely grateful for Nadine and her helping curate an unforgettable experience!