Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall the trip was great. Booking through Kimkim, with Bea's advice and suggestions, made it possible for us to experience an amazing trip to Naples. The private transfers worked well. Having seen the Naples traffic, there is no way we could have driven ourselves on this holiday. Our pick up at Naples airport worked well, taking us up to Cellole for the wedding. Our return trip to Naples via the Reggia de Caserta was great. We enjoyed exploring both the palace and its gardens.
The Hotel Caruso Place was lovely, and our suite was great. We had a small balcony, allowing us to watch the lively Via Toledo below. The location was really good, close to lots of shops, pizzerias and the Toledo metro. Our only challenge was getting to and from the hotel with all of our luggage (we had more than usual due to the wedding). It's a 2 minute walk from the taxi drop off to the hotel, and once you arrive you have to carry your bags up some steep stairs to the 1st floor reception. There's a side entrance with only a couple of steps that worked well for us during our stay, but you have to be checked in to use it. The staff were friendly and helpful. It's a small hotel, with a small team. They were happy to bring us coffee, a bottle of wine etc on request and spoke English.
Our food tour was a great introduction to Naples and our guide was very good. I think he was Giovianni. We were with 2 other British couples and had a great 3 hours together, experiencing fantastic food.
Our trip to Pompeii was really good. Our guide was Carmine. Having a guide for just the 2 of us worked really well. I don't hear well, so I often miss out during larger group tours. With Carmine's knowledge we were able to cut through Pompeii, avoiding the other tour groups, and could chat to him, asking questions as we went. His love of Pompeii and knowledge were clear and made the visit really good.
We then went on to Mt Vesuvius, with Umberto as a guide. Again, the private guide worked well for us. Umberto explained the different types of volcanos and then took us up to the crater at the top. Our visit took longer than expected as Umberto knew everyone who works on Vesuvius, in all of the stalls and refreshment places, and he stopped to talk to them. He took time to show us different rocks and minerals, which was fine but we were concerned for our driver, as we knew we were due back and running late. Umberto also talked a lot (not always about the volcano) and in truth we found the tour a little tiring. He was a nice guide, but lacked focus at times.
We enjoyed the visit to the olive, lemon and mozzarella farm close to Sorrento. The experience was very nice, although it was further away from Naples than we'd expected and we spent a lot of time in the car for a relatively short visit. Elsa and Benedetto were great hosts, and the food was lovely. As were the views back to Naples.
Positives: private tours were very good. The food and people, including our drivers and tour guides were friendly and welcoming. When we requested an earlier airport pick up for departure, this was easy to do and our My Trip was updated straight away.
Negatives: the description of the activities did not always deliver what we expected: the tours of Pompeii and Vesuvius were described as 'with an archeaologist and vulcanologist' but in reality they were tour guides, knowledgeable in the site we were visiting, but not actually archeaologists or vulcanologists. At the Sorrento farm we thought we would make limoncello, but the description of the tour changed in My Trip after the event to remove this and just referred to the live mozzarella-making demonstration (which we saw). Also initially we thought we had a lunch between Pompeii and Vesuvius, but that disappeared at some point.
So overall a really good experience, and we're glad we booked via Kimkim. We couldn't have done all of these experiences without you pulling together the trip. We really appreciated the prosecco and fruit on arrival at the Caruso Place hotel too! Thanks.

Maria/Barbara of Kim Kim/Storywalking did an outstanding job of organizing our trip to Sicily. Accommodations were lovely and extremely well located.

Local guides, drivers and events were all punctual, very interesting and knowledgeable.

Storywalking was very attentive to any minor issues and questions that arose during the trip.

In summary, I highly recommend Kim Kim/Storywalking and would absolutely work with them in the future. We worked with Kim Kim last year for a trip to Portugal and were also very pleased, hence the booking for Sicily.

Planing our trip to Taiwan: Ms. Shirely Fang was very efficient, fast-responsive, knowledgeable and adaptive to our wishes, request and queries, us a 75 years old couple. While touring Taiwan, the Super-Typhoon Krathon threatened the island, and changes were required to both itinerary and accomodations. Ms. Fang, together with our guide, Mr. Clint Liang, provided the required changes, such that eventually, most of the originally planned attractions were visited.
Performing the tour: Our guide, Mr. Liang, was very much responsive, informative, and esoecially helpful with our specific physical limitations.
The bottom line: our trip to the beautiful island of Taiwan was an exciting experience, thanks to Shirely and Clint.

Activity Review

Highlights in Sun Moon Lake

Yuchi, Nantou

I decided to use Kimkim in searching for itineraries to visit Turkey, after our plan for Greece was completed. From the very start, Berat scheduled every single aspect of our journey with care and detail, starting with Istambul, then Capadocia, Sirince, Pamukkale and finally Izmir. The itinerary was perfect, highlighting the very best that great country has to offer, amazing hotels, transfers and activities of the most gorgeous places on earth. Thank you Berat and your team of guides: Volkan, Harun and Fatma, so knowledgeable and kind sharing the best information and companionship throughout all our travels. We also had the fortune to meet Berat personally when passing through Capadocia, that was so incredible! Talking to her personally and sharing our experiences with her was so nice. This whole trip was an unforgettable experience, that otherwise would not have been possible, so for sure we will plan any other journey with Kimkim in the future!! Thanks to all! We loved Turkiye🇹🇷 ♥️ and we hope we come back and visit some more of this gorgeous country!

Hotel Reviews

Kordon Hotel Çankaya

Çankaya, Konak, Izmir

Well located, nice and clean rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

This hotel was great, specially for its thermal waters; the food is also very good!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

There are not enough words to say how amazing is this place, the views, the room, the food and staff are absolutely wonderful!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kale Konak Hotel

This is an absolutely beautiful cave hotel right in front of the Uchisar Castle, staff is so friendly and the hotel outside areas are beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Armada Hotel

Istanbul

Very nice traditional hotel in The old city near the best attractions -Hagia Sohia, Blue Mosqud and Topkaki Palace. Breakfast was absolutely delicious

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Strolling around Old City Walls, Fener + Balat

İstanbul

During our (4) days in Istanbul, we were lucky to have Volkan as our guide, he gave us all historic background of every attraction in the city, while enjoying his company and conversations throughout our journeys. It was a pleasure spending all these days in his company, and made our experience unforgettable!!!,

Quality of Experience

H

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

This Bosphorus boat trip was beautiful watching the Palaces over the waterfront. The Asian coast of Istanbul is vibrant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

H

Transport

Explore the historical + modern hub: Pera, Karaköy and Beyond

İstanbul

During our (4) days in Istanbul, we were lucky to have Volkan as our guide, he gave us all historic background of every attraction in the city, while enjoying his company and conversations throughout our journeys. It was a pleasure spending all these days in his company, and made our experience unforgettable!!!,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

During our (4) days in Istanbul, we were lucky to have Volkan as our guide, he gave us all historic background of every attraction in the city, while enjoying his company and conversations throughout our journeys. It was a pleasure spending all these days in his company, and made our experience unforgettable!!!,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was really lucky to have found Kimkim, randomly searching for itineraries to visit Greece. I was finding it very hard to plan the perfect itinerary with so many options to choose from. So when I first contacted them, Effie was very helpful in sorting out our best options for our trip. Our 8 day visit started in Athens, then the Islands of Paros, Santorini and Mykonos. All transfers and activities were carefully planned and coordinated, making our trip so enjoyable. The hotels selected were spectacular!!! The daily communications with the team via Whatsapp was so helpful. The last day back in Athens, Effie wanted to meet with us and it was the perfect ending to our beautiful time in Greece! Thank you also for our welcome gift!!! Hope to see you again, Effie! We loved Greece 🇬🇷♥️ and want to return some day!

Hotel Reviews

The George Hotel

Mykonos

Excellent hotel and staff, gorgeous views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Above Blue Suites

Santorini

Gorgeous hotel with caldera view, very friendly and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adonis Hotel & Apartments

Naoussa

Gorgeous hotel in Naoussa, Ana, from the very first moment was so cine and helpful!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athenian Foss

Athens

Perfectly located in the heart of Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santorini Caldera Small-group Sunset Cruise with BBQ on board and Open Bar

Santorini

This experience was by far the highlight of Greece, what an incredible trip around the Island, with the most amazing staff! Views, food and bathing in the ocean were fantastic and unforgettable!!! Thanks to all!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens City & Acropolis Small-group Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

U

Transport

Salty Travel did a fantastic job of making an itinerary for our family of 4. Lots of great suggestions of activities and we had fabulous accommodation too. We would happily organise another trip with them.

We were very impressed with all of the tour guides on our trip. We had tour guides in Athens at the Acropolis, in Chania (on Crete) for a food tour (Maria), one while hiking the Imbros Gorge (Nikos), another at the Knossos Palace (Carin), and another for a half day trip around Paros (Nicole). All were very knowledgeable and added a lot to our understanding about Greek culture. They were really delightful to spend time with. We also appreciated their professionalism . They all seemed to be very interested in giving us a better understanding of Greece.

We were also very impressed with the transportation on our trip. All of the drivers were there on time and transported us to our next destination in comfort.

Hotel Reviews

Mr & Mrs White Paros

Paros

This is a very unique property with a good design theme. It felt like an oasis at the end of our three week trip. The grounds were well landscaped and the pools were very inviting.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel design is a good example of modern greek architecture. It is very well maintained.

Location

It was about a 1 km walk to town on a very busy road with no sidewalks. We didn’t mind having to walk into town, but the road was a bit of a nuisance

Staff

Very attentive and friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was immpeccable

Elia Bettolo Hotel

Chania

The room was very comfortable. The location was very central which made for a fun stay.

Authenticity & Character

The front desk/ lobby is very small. It does not make for a very inviting entry.

Location

It is close to everything in Chania

Staff

For the most part staff was friendly and engaging

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was very comfortable

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

It was an adequate facility with a good location and breakfast. Staff was helpful and friendly. We were hoping for a more unique hotel for our first few nights in Greece, however.

Authenticity & Character

There was nothing special about the facility

Location

The property seemed a little run down

Staff

Very Freindly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The private tour of Knossos Minoan palace

Greece

Carin was an excellent tour guide. She was lot’s of funk and very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Paros Highlights tour

Paros

Nicole was a great guide. Once again, she was a fun person to spend time with and she was a wealth of knowledge. The insights she gave about the history of Paros (and Greek mythology in general) were really fascinating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An ultimate food experience in the villages around Chania

Chania

Nikos was a very courteous and helpful guide. It was fun to spend time with him and the hike through the gorge was very memorable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

Athens

Our tour guide (I wish I could remember her name) was extremely knowledgeable and a very delightful person to spend time with. She held an advanced degree in Greek history which gave her good credentials to conduct the tour.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

Rapa Nui was everything and more than expected. Guides were good and gave good information. Numbers in the groups were not too large.
Atacama Desert trips were generally good. Some of the guides were better than others. Phillipe on the Geyser trip was exceptional.
I thought the flamingo portion of the trip to Red Rocks should be put in with the trip to the salt flats and swimming day as it makes the day very long and does not add to the Red Rock portion.
The Valley of the Moon tour was excellent as it gave a totally different perspective to the concept of desert.
I cannot thank the Kim Kim travel staff who helped change the itinerary after my husband got ill - combination of cold and high elevation. They were there for me to help get him to a lower elevation which is what we needed to do.
The only negative was the hotel in Santiago - it met the needs of sleeping but it was really very basic.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

This hotel had a very relaxed feeling despite people coming an going at all hours. Room was good size and the bathroom was spacious enough for two people. Location was relatively good - 10 minutes to town centre. It was clean and well maintained. Staff were really helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Buildings were made of - I think - local materials and looked like they should be there.

Location

only 10 minutes walk from the centre of town.

Staff

Very friendly staff. The kitchen group especially were most helpful and kept the buffet section for breakfast, clean and well stocked.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was very comfortable, bathroom was always left sparkling after the cleaning people had been.

Hotel Gomero

Hanga Roa

This place was really great. Room good, staff helpful, breakfast excellent, good location to walk into town, pickups for tours was easy. I would recommend this to anyone.

Authenticity & Character

Staff helpfulness, location,

Location

Easy walk in to town.

Staff

Full of ideas of what to do, helpful with respect to tours - pickup times etc,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Floors were clean, bathroom was kept super clean every day.

Hotel Diego de Velazquez

Santiago

The hotel was not great - basic but not close to anything and walking around was difficult. I think it would have been better to have been able to stay closer to the downtown core if possible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We needed a map or more information to figure out what was close by. We did walk around but we really need some guidance about getting to the downtown core. None was forthcoming. Same for questions of where to eat - no recommendations were given.

Staff

We had a language barrier - our Spanish is rudimentary at best.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The first room was tiny and noisy. Second stay at the hotel room was better.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

This is a long day to start with so moving the viewing of the flamingos to the the Laguna Cejar day would have made this less strenuous. There is a lot of driving involved so one way to shorten it would be to change the flamingo viewing.

Quality of Experience

The lakes, the volcanoes, the country travelled, the animlas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver threw that bus around corners at great speed. If you had car issues it might have been a problem. The guide said ask any questions and he would answer them but he was up front and not listening and one could not jump up and ask questions due the way the bus was being driven. In addition, he spent more time on his phone than paying attention to his clients. You had to wait until the bus stopped to engage with him. I saw Rhias but could not get his attention and he kept saying we will see more. I did see more but no one else did because you could not get his attention. Lunch at 4pm is not lunch time.

Transport

Driver of the bus was acting like he was on a rally drive!

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

The scenery was out of this world. The concept of salt mining took on a whole new meaning - I am not sure how they did it. The guide took us up a the long way first - great idea as it was not so steep.

Quality of Experience

Guide was pretty good . Vistas were spectacular

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was no problem asking questions and getting answers.

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Despite the early start this was worth it. The guide was awesome. I think perhaps the best one we had the whole trip.

Quality of Experience

Totally different from what we expected

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was superb

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

I love birds so that part was great. Swimming in the salt sea - well floating - was very tightly controlled. Not an issue with the guide but definitely with the Parks lady.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

I thought this was good. It was very basic and so anyone who knew anything about stars and the Milky Way might have found this boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good Bye Easter Island - Transfer to the Airport for your flight to Santiago.

Chile

We got picked up at the time and dropped off.

Snorkeling Tour in Easter Island

Easter Island

If you have snorkeled anywhere in the South Pacific or in the Galapagos this is really a waste of time. There are few fish - I maybe saw a total of 100 - and the variety is poor. I did it to say I had snorkeled at Easter Island but it was not very good. I was the only one in the group so had the leader to myself.

Quality of Experience

There are not a lot of fish so improving it would be difficult. The time out on the water was not very long. If we had been able to go to Bird Island the experience might have been better.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat had a problem going out.

Half Day Tour Orongo Volcano

Easter Island

Guide was excellent and knew his history

Quality of Experience

Guides knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

All the Moai sites were interesting. Anakena was a bit disappointing because of all the people. Moai were good.

Quality of Experience

Having time to walk around and not be rushed in viewing the site

Food

Glad we ordered ahead of time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Visit Ahu Akivi

Easter Island

Guide was a fill in but was very good. Very opinionated but he got his message across.

Quality of Experience

Knowledge of guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the Airport for your Flight to Easter Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a magical trip in Kenya. We went to Nairobi, Amboseli, Ol Pejeta, Samburu and Masai Mara. The itinerary was great and all of our camps were extremely nice. Joseph did a really good job working within our budget to find the best accommodations. He also booked fascinating safaris and cultural visits. We saw the Big 5 (lions, cape buffalo, leopards, elephants, and rhinos) and felt like we maxed out our time. The main thing that could have been improved is communication around the itinerary. I've booked 4 trips with Kim Kim, and usually, the local travel agent tells you the pick up time so you know when you need to wake up and can plan accordingly. I don't know if it was cultural, but we had to ask for that a few times before we got those details from Joseph, despite having early flights most mornings.

This was a great trip. Our guides were great and very knowledgeable. Our drivers were always on time. Hotel selection was great.

Activity Reviews

Culinary tour of Buenos Aires city

Buenos Aires

Loved this part of our trip! Our guide took us all over the city and we got to try so many different this of local foods!! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat trip to Victoria Island and the Arrayanes forest, Premium deck

Bariloche

This was the least interesting part of our trip. The lake is beautiful, but can be seen by hiking. This long boat trip takes you to Victoria Island, which was just an island with large redwood trees from California . This may be exciting for an older traveler, but took all afternoon just to see a park w trees. Would not recommend this. Use your time hiking, not on a boat ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The people were great

Transport

Tour of Bariloche city with a visit to Campanario Hill

Bariloche

Martin was an excellent tour guide! He was very patient and very knowledgeable. Always on time, early actually. Would highly recommend him!

Quality of Experience

Our guide Martin was the best

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Buenos Aires city

Buenos Aires

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. She took us to many parts of the city all on one day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adam, Jessica and the entire kimkim team were invaluable in making this a wonderful and memorable trip! Their insights, guidance, and outstanding communication and availability to assist were critical for us. They easily handled our major and minor itinerary changes after our luggage was lost. They were reassuring, calm and efficient. I am happy I trusted kimkim...they delivered on an unforgetable adventure!

Hotel Reviews

ICON Valparaíso—Adults Only

Cala Murada

The staff, amenities and views were excellent. We absolutely loved the views and breakfast buffet. The beach was phenomenal!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was too remote. Each time we had to to take a taxi to get dinner as the meal plan was limited and very.expensive. Also, it was challenging to get to the beach.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating. We requested a room change because of a drainage issue and they assisted it right away. The staff was very friendly and kindly gave us local insights as well as arranging transportation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Joya del Casco Boutique Hotel

Seville

Joya del Casco is the best hotel we stayed in during our Spain vacation. The accommodations, the staff, and the location are all phenomenal!

Authenticity & Character

The staff, especially Joanna, were so genuine and helped us navigate local culture.

Authenticity & Character

The staff, especially Joanna, were so genuine and helped us navigate local culture.

Location

So accessible to major site seeing spots and restaurants.

Location

So accessible to major site seeing spots and restaurants.

Staff

So very friendly and gave the best hints and recommendations.

Staff

So very friendly and gave the best hints and recommendations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Such a beautiful and comfortable facility and rooms.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Such a beautiful and comfortable facility and rooms.

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Local Market Trip

Seville

Great, easy-to-follow self-guided tour...got to see and interact lwith ocal artisans, crafts and fresh foods. Throughly enjoyed exploring the variety and genuine culture of Savilla.

Flamenco Show & Museum Visit

Seville

Wonderful and exciting performance! The museum was small but the gift shop had great items, though overpriced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was the best trip thus far in our life! We were lucky to work with Ashley from the Kimkim team on creating the experience of a lifetime and couldn't have asked for a better agent.

We had great tours and experienced many new things, ate new foods, and met some great people along the way.

Each day, we knew what the agenda was and had a white glove experience with private transfers and troubleshooting (which were little to none as the trip plan was basically perfect).

We can't wait for our next adventure and will definitely be repeat customers!

The trip was okay ! I reached out to Kim Kim earlier this year with a friends suggestion . We had 3 options and were walked thru every possibility. Angela was amazing . We had a slight snafu and she was immediately there for us . The drivers and excursions were seamless . We visited the country of Greece and 3 islands 4 major cities … going forward I thought as a senior couple a little too much for us . We lost a few days due to transfers between islands that I was not prepared /told about. The excursions were interesting but took up a lot of our time . We have been to Europe 5 times and although this seemed easy in the future I will plan on our own

Our trip to Peru was incredible! Martina, our coordinator, and her team took such good care of us. They adjusted the itinerary to match our interests and kept in touch with us all along the way so we knew what to expect each day. I felt save and was ablet o relax and truly enjoy the experience!
Each of our guides were so personal and knowledgeable. We learned SO much! We truly enjoyed Edilberto (Edi) in Cusco, Franklin in Puerto Maldonado & Corto Maltes in the jungle, and Jose in Lima.
If you love adventure then we highly recommend the Via Ferrata climbing and ziplining experience in the Sacred Valley! Machu Picchu was breathtaking (we wish we had done more hikes in the area or part of the Inca trail), and the jungle was captivating.
I am SO glad we chose to work with this travel agency!

Our agents were amazing. Myaen who started our itinerary paid attention to detail, and responded very promptly every time we emailed or chatted. She was super helpful and informative and knew the ins and outs of the areas of Japan that we anted to visit as ell as all the experiences we had hoped to encounter. We especially enjoyed Eri, our guid to Mt Fuji. Very educated and knowledgeable on many facets of Japan, currently and historically. She helped purchase our future Shinkansen tickets to Kyoto at Tokyo Station before we embarked on to Mt Fuji. We had an amazing time. What was noted on the itinerary for the day as spot on and excellent.

Our curated day in Tokyo that I believe Irish put together, was chock full of places and things to see and do. It was a very comprehensive itinerary and one not for the weak of Herat directional fortitude or stamina. We visited four districts, navigated 8 or 9 metros, stayed out for 10 hours, and walked 9 miles. At our age, 62 ad 67 that was such an amazing day to have accomplished. The maps that were attached to the itinerary were very useful. I would suggest noting the time that the itinerary might take and distances that might be covered should one take in each spine, temple ad shopping experience.

And, 7-11 and Eki ben are our new best friends. When in doubt or in a pinch for time, or grabbing something on long Shinkansen rides, that’s the way to go.

Our Nakasendo trail adventure was just breath taking. Each trail presented a new challenge and a very nostalgic look into the past. The scenery and culture up close and personal was spectacular. Each post town was quaint and offered such fascinating personal introspect. The ryokan and meal accommodations was nothing short of historic, realistic, generous, home felt and inspiring. Each were different in their own way, but blended a personal and professional sense of accommodation.

For note, the original Nagiso to Magome route from the train station, via the road, as prescribed by the itinerary and included map, should be just an option. Although the Trail was nearby we did follow the road but it was getting sketchy and boring. We opted to had to the trail midway and landed in Tsumago, which would have been our day two hike toward. We spent time there and taped in the trail for the duration, to Magome. It drew late, very dark and thunderstormed on us. It took us almost five plus hours to complete from start to finish, not including our rest in Tsumago. And, because we hiked the route, we chose not to hike back to Tsumago the next day as the itinerary laid out. Instead we found another 3.5 mile hike near Magome, then caught the bus to Tsumago for our day and accommodations. We were told by many, that people take the bus to Magome and hike back toward Tsumago. An option that should be included in your itinerary going forward. The bus back to Tsumago defended on a very steep winding road. That would had been our route should we stayed on our trek from Nagiso. Again not for the traveler less experienced in hiking that distance or terrain.

The trail was charming and spectacular. We only saw people hiking from Magome to Tsumago. Heading in our opposite direction. The easier hike. Our time however in both post towns were magical. We watched a vendor make udon in the window and after our short hike in Magome, decided to have lunch there. It was a very connecting experience.

The other trails were great. Kiso Fukushima was surrounded by Nakasendo trail within the city limits, which we partook. After a little confusion in Yabuhara, we found out was the the Tori Pass hike. Simply breathtaking. Narai was spectacular and we so loved the five star accommodations at Byaku Narai. We were on cloud nine and it was a great reward to end our hikes. We foregone our last day hike from Narai and just caught the train to Matsumoto. The castle was awe inspiring. The hotel, though so centrally located was a bit cramped. Very awkward bathroom set up that was almost dangerous to navigate. Our other hotels, Karaska in Tokyo, Daiwa Roynetts in Kyoto and Tokyo, were perfect.

Our foodie izakaya experience in shinjuku was so much fun. We would not have ventured there without our guide, who was energetic, educated and animated. What a fun last night.

Thank you to all of you who made this trip so memorable. This was the way to go versus two weeks on a tour bus. We plan to return to Japan and will certainly use your service again. We are using kimkim to Australia and New Zealand this coming January.

Forgot to mention that the greeter and white glove driving service from and to the airport was superb and such a classy touch. We felt so special..

Mahalo again for your patience with us and making this journey an unforgettable one.

Susan and Charlie Kunz

Hotel Reviews

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Ginza PREMIER

Tokyo

Great location to metro and Ginza

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dormy Inn Matsumoto

Matsumoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

J

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very cramped and the bathroom was dangerous to navigate. The threshold and a high ledge and a step down to the main bedroom floor made it precarious

BYAKU Narai

Narai

Simply spectacular. Private garden furo on the outdoor deck. Amazing food. Very classy and 5 star

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Large suite and bathroom. We felt privileged

Kiso Mikawaya

Kiso-Fukushima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Little away from town but very nice

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koshinzuka Minshuku

Nagano

The family was so genuine and allowed our traveling companions to stay at their hotel instead of a part rom us as they had a spare room open.

Authenticity & Character

Amazing history behind this ryokan. We loved it

Location

Staff

Super friendly and giving. They gave us omiyage

Cleanliness & Comfort

Magome Chaya

Super charming and authentic. We felt like family

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jenn was so helpful and kind. She even recommended an additional hike for us to go on which was spectacular

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Terrace Hachijohigashiguchi

Kyoto

Great location. Amazing breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karaksa Hotel Tokyo Station

Tokyo

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Night Food Tour

Tokyo

A must do for everyone. A spectacle to behold in Shinjuku, but the food and guide were just fabulous

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Afternoon in Tokyo

Tokyo

Giza was so much fun and exciting. We stopped for five hours before settling in the lobby of our hotel awaiting our rife to the airport

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Narai to Kiso Hirasawa Trail & Matsumoto

Japan

We skipped the KisoHirasaw hike and stayed in town to shop. Matsumoto was fun and had spectacular affordable sukiyaki recommended by hotel staff.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tsumago to Nojiri or Nagiso & Kiso Fukushima

Japan

Kiso Fukushima was so much fun. Shops, museums, trail, foot onsen, bar. Great food at our hotel too. Got to do our laundry too

Quality of Experience

J

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magome to Tsumago

Japan

Saw the trail in reverse but that didn’t take away from the experience nor the scenery

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nakatsugawa to Magome Trail

Japan

Don’t recommend the Nagiso to Magome road route

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nara Day Tour from Kyoto

Japan

Once we figured out the transportation to and from, we had an amazing time. Everything was so awe inspiring and beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tea ceremony and see shrine, temples

Kyoto

It was a memorable experience. Very authentic and cultural. Kimonos were a nice touch

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bus and walking

Get Close to Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko

Tokyo

Eri our guide always the most intricate piece to this tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emanuela was excellent and had great personal knowledge. The piece of mind of the planned adventure with goals but the ability to detour was awesome and her recommendations were spot on!

Activity Reviews

Discover North Iceland

Iceland

Get out at night and look up! Laugerbakki was interesting place to stay. Lamb Inn Guesthouse was nice to be out of the city but the water definitely has an animal odor so that was not great

A Day at the Blue Lagoon

Grindavík

The Silica hotel was a wonderful way to end our trip and relax for the day. It was wonderful to have an area away from the crowds at the main pools but go to the main pool for the masks!! The water and setting and stunning!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hvamsvik Lagoon

Iceland

Loved being out on the water. If its cool out its a brave moment to get from pool to pool. Beautiful at sunset. Waterfall nearby also worth a drive

Quality of Experience

Snowmobile tour in Vatnajokull

Höfn

So fun but bring good gloves and shoes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mike was fantastic

Buggy tour in the Geyser Area

Golden Circle

So fun for us, but we love buggys. The geyser was nice treat with it. It does become crowded here so be prepared

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

South Coast

Vík

Beaches and ice!! Stunning views

Quality of Experience

Vatnshellir Lava Cave Experience

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Not very extensive spaces but very cool to experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Glacier Walk in Solheimansjokull

Vík

Great way to experience the glaciers and learn more about their history. Totally worth the experience even with the snowmobile tour Maria was a fantastic guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

At the feet of the Vatnajokull glacier and snowmobile tour

Höfn

Different way to see the area and experience the glacier. Might not be for everyone, but if you like a snowmobile its a great experience. Mike was a fantastic guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Super jeep was a trip! Sadly missed the reindeer by one day

Enter the South Coast

Höfn

Beautiful area and glad we had tours scheduled but we had to readjust to the crowds :-)

Quality of Experience

Enter the Eastfjords

Egilsstadir

Rugged and steep. Complete eye candy. Wish we could have stopped at the reindeer preserve Mud baths were amazing and we loved the lava rock at Dimmuborgir were incredible. Spend enough time to do the larger loop Staying in the hostel that night was our least favorite spot but food at the Nordic Inn was amazing

Quality of Experience

Mývatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Loved these baths but we were there in a storm so hard to talk about the view, but the pools definitely took the night’s chill off and the staff was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Forest Lagoon

Akureyri

Beautiful spot and very peaceful! Wish we could have more time in Akureryi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get a smoothie

Around and about Isafjordur or Hornstrandir

Ísafjörður

Beautiful area! Peaceful especially in early Autumn. A little foggy so perhaps we missed some of the views, but the area itself was soul healing. Explore the local hot pots and eat with locals at Tjorhusid! What an experience and the food was A-Mazing!! The stop for lunch at LitleBaer Farm- completely worth it!! If you are buying an Icelandic swester - buy from her, her mother and grandmother make them!! And they have gluten free waffles

Quality of Experience

Tjorhusid is 100% worth it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ferry to the Westfjords

Stykkishólmur

Nicer ferry we have been on. There are beds for resting and great coffee with free refills

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Reykjavik and Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

Amazing experience and a great way to shed jet lag! Definitely do the 7step ritual.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Blue Car was a great way to personalize our trip and definitely get the car wifi for navigation

After some hiccups my program for Norway and Sweden was set. Silvia helped me set up my bookings for various places in Norway – Oslo, Flam, Bergen and Trondheim, and Stockholm in Sweden. My challenging trip involved booking hotels, trains and a short cruise and she met them all. I had an idea of what I wanted to do and she enhanced the trip by making some suggestions, which I took and enjoyed! All in all, my trip was successful and it was great to have all the tickets and bookings done before I went to the countries. The walking maps, places to see and where to eat Silvia provided helped me to see the city. In three key places my room had excellent views. I don’t think I would have been able to do that myself. I took the day tours she recommended, and they were all great. I look forward to working with Silvia again sometime (if she will work with me – LOL) to see Iceland and Denmark.

Hotel Reviews

Queen's Hotel

Stockholm

The location was a little far from the central station, but otherwise it was okay. I had to walk a bit to get to the buses and trains. But the walking was okay - it was all through the shopping area, so fun to look around. I did not like that they did not have an elevator for the first floor. Carrying luggage up and down is never fun. Room was comfortable. Breakfast was quite boring...same old bread and eggs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon hotel Nidaros

Trondheim

The room that was booked for me was the single room. It was good size. All was good - the room, the bathroom, the hot water kettle, the wifi. The best part was the food - breakfast and the "light" dinner was great. The light dinner was not so light. For me it was a full meal. The breakfast was also great. The only thing was that they did not have the dinner on the weekends...why? The location was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MS Vesterålen

Tromsø

This was the short 2 night, 1 day cruise from Bergen to Trondheim. The room, wifi, bathroom - all were good, although I was almost in the bowels of the ship. I did have a peephole to look out. This was quite expensive cruise. It was kind of cheap of them to not provide meals for everyone who stays the night. They did not even provide breakfast. There were plenty of places to sit and view the scenery. And there were some eating places to buy food. They could have had more evening programs to engage passengers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

The hotel was about a 12-15 min walk from the station but the location was excellent. It was right in the historic district of Bergen. I was lucky to have a room on the 6th floor with a great view. The location was superb. I could walk to all the buses, tourist places, grocery store and visitor center. I completely enjoyed that. The hot water kettle really helped as I am tea drinker. Room and bathroom were both great. Breakfast was okay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

I think this hotel is a bit overrated. It was just like any other 3 star hotel. The room was okay, my view was in the front so yes, it was great. Flam is really small and this hotel was just a 1 min walk to the station. The bathroom was clean, bed was comfortable. Wifi was fine. The breakfast was boring and not much choice for vegetarians despite the huge spread. Even the hash browns were dry and hard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfort Hotel Karl Johan

Oslo

The location is the best part of this hotel. It is near the Central Station and it was super easy to go everywhere from there. Rooms were comfortable and staff was ready to help with anything. The only thing I missed having was a hot water kettle to have tea in my room. Breakfast was a bit boring. Same thing everyday (I stayed 5 nights).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and bathroom were all clean and in good condition.

Activity Reviews

Scenic Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

Oslo

It was a good tour if one was visiting only Oslo. But since I was going on to see more of the fjords, this trip was not worth it for me. I could have done something else.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stockholm Archipelago Tour with lunch

Stockholm

It was a good tour. Got to see Stockholm and surrounding area. It was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything. I have no idea what I was eating. And I had to pay extra for tea.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I recently went on a safari tour in Kenya and Tanzania, and it was amazing! The itinerary was well-planned, allowing us to see the famous “Big Five” and enjoy the stunning landscapes of both countries. Our guides were not only knowledgeable but also passionate about the wildlife and local cultures, adding great value to our experience. When we expressed interest in coffee beans, Nicholas kindly arranged some for us, which was a delightful touch!

The accommodations arranged by the agency were comfortable and authentic, making our stay memorable. Each place offered beautiful views and the staff were incredibly friendly.

Overall, Nicholas provided an unforgettable, enriching journey. I highly recommend this travel agency to anyone interested in exploring the wonders of East Africa. Thank you for making our dream safari a reality!

Our Icelandic guide for our glacier walk was very informative and helpful. That tour was operated by Blue Iceland.
Tomas with City Walk Reykjavík was outstanding.
We were fortunate to see the Northern Lights during a period of high activity! We recommend the Lava Show. There are so many amazing waterfalls, it’s hard to pick a favorite.
Take a dip in the Blue Lagoon.

We had to make several changes to our trip (including dates of tours/hotel bookings) within a few weeks of travel and Tasos was great at sorting everything out without compromising our plans. Great restaurant recommendations too!