Kimkim Trip Reviews

The local guides were incredible, especially Christian in Quito and Edwin in Galapagos. All the guides were knowledgeable and personable. Marina was also great on our hike to Cotopaxi base camp. That and Galapagos were the highlights for us. One disappointment was that I was told the hotels had fitness centers, but they did not. Very interesting and fun trip - I got to see and experience everything that I wanted to at a reasonable price.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Great breakfast buffet, perfect location, nice gym

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect right at the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

Great location, could walk everywhere

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Very nice hotel. 50 min walk to old town. 5 min walk to restaurants but did not feel safe so took a cab. Good breakfast. Nice location on the water. No gym.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Loved the equator museum, the cooking class and the beautiful churches.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christian has a great personality, is knowledgeable and has much enthusiasm for his country. It was clear that he enjoyed his job and sharing his knowledge.

Transport

Discover Otavalo and Cuicocha Lake: A Day Trip from Quito

Quito

Loved the market, which had very interesting things at good prices. The lake was gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park -Quito (Private)

Ecuador

Highlight of the trip - really fun. Loved signing the flag. The bad weather - cold and snowy- added to the adventure. Fantastic hot chocolate at base camp.

Quality of Experience

Food

Best hot chocolate ever!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christian and Marina are excellent, enthusiastic and fun guides! They made it fun for us.

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Stephan was knowledgeable and thorough- learned a lot and the turtles were interesting to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

We absolutely loved this day. We saw the frigates , blue-footed boobies, and the sea lions. We also snorkeled and had a great lunch on the boat. We saw so much and had plenty of time in each place without ever feeling rushed. Edwin was fantastic- he is knowledgeable and personable, fun to be around and took great care of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Ayora Departure Transfer: Farewell to the Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Lots of moving parts but all handled very efficiently.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful time on our way-too-short Wales trip...visited the seaside resort of Tenby, saw Puffins on Skomer Island, did a day hike along the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast out of Fishguard, which is a wonderful town spend a day meandering. Our transfers went off without a hitch, the drivers were all prompt and professional. We ended the trip in central London with an evening walk around Big Ben, Westminster, Buckingham Palace. Such a wonderful experience all around and many thanks to Jane and Marine-Héloise for shaping this trip for us.

Our group of 8 had a wonderful time . Unfortunately four of us missed several tours and several people had to wait several days for their luggage but I spite of that we loved Portugal, found Nazare interesting and loved the convenience of all our transfers. Thanks to Rita and Karin for helping us get the documents we need to get reimbursed for hotel and tour expenses.

Kim Kim helped us to structure the trip and provided guides and drivers as well as interesting experiences. The most outstanding guide was Paolo, for our day in Sintra and along the coast. He was knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. He understood that we like to walk and structured the day to include as much walking as possible. His wife, Anita, gave us the warmest welcome when we ate lunch at her restaurant in Sintra. We truly felt special and cared for. Another highlight was the lunch and wine tasting at Morgado Do Quintao. The food and wine were excellent and they were very attuned to our request for a vegetarian meal. The setting was magnificent, and the company of other guests provided for enjoyable conversation.

Our tour in the Duoro Valley with Pedro was also excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable about wine production, he made us a reservation at a wonderful restaurant for lunch, and he took us to some beautiful view points.

The car rental from Sixt was excellent; we had a brand new car and both pick and drop off went smoothly. One suggestion for improvement is that the directions for return of the car to the airport embedded in the Kim Kim app (where it says "click here for exact directions") were incorrect and gave a destination on Ave. da Liberdade. Fortunately we noticed that it was not at the airport and were able to find the correct directions ourselves.

The Porto food tour was the most disappointing activity. We enjoyed the company of the other people on the tour, but the food was terrible (other than the first stop at a small shop where they werved wine, cheese and sliced meat). In particular, the second stop was at a bar, where we ate in the basement and bugs hovered over the food. All of the food options there were pork and although they served us a "vegetarian" option of some sort of fish cake, it was inedible.

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

Staff was friendly and location was convenient for walking to major sights.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta de la Rosa

Pinhão

Gorgeous location. We took a walk in the vineyard, which was a highlight of our stay. Dinner in the more upscale restaurant was delicious, with a magnificant view of the Duoro River and terraced hillsides.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Collection Lisboa Liberdade

Lisbon

Front desk staff was extremely helpful. Room was comfortable. Location was central and felt safe.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Outstanding location with easy access to beautiful walking paths along the cliffs and overlooking the ocean. Friendly and helpful staff and beautiful grounds. Large and comfortable room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

It was interesting to meet the other people in the group, who were all friendly and easy to talk to. However, the food aspect of the trip was poor. In particular, the second stop was at a bar where we sat in the basement and insects hovered over the food on the table. There were several of us in the group who do not drink beer, but this was the only beverage option there. The food served was all variations of pork. We had requested vegetarian food and we were served some sort of "fish" cake which was inedible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Our guide was patient and attentive and clearly concerned about our safety.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise

Douro Valley

The scenery in the Duoro Valley is amazing and Pedro was an excellent guide. He is extremely knowledgeable about wine and tried to teach all about Port wine. He made us a lunch reservation at an excellent restaurant and he took us to several beautiful overlooks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Excursion: Sintra, Pena Palace & Cabo da Roca

Lisbon

Our guide Paolo was outstanding. He is knowledgeable, pleasant to be with, and an excellent driver. He understood that we like to walk and he made sure to include as many opportunities for walking as possible. We were welcomed like long lost friends by his wife Anita when we had lunch at her restaurant in Sintra. We truly felt well cared for.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Alex was knowledgeable and passionate about Lisbon and its history. He gave us an excellent overview of the city and the history of Portugal.

The entire trip was well organized and ran smoothly. Directions on where to meet and at what times accurate. Tours were well run and tour guides knowledgable.

Hotel Reviews

Platzl Hotel - Superior

München

Great location in the heart of Munich. Very welcoming and accommodating staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutiquehotel Am Dom

Salzburg

Adorable boutique hotel in the heart of Salzburg. Perfect location for all the sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth

Vienna

Perfect location for all the sights in Vienna. Great, welcoming staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided tour of Munich

Munich

Thomas was knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dachau Concentration Camp - guided tour

Munich

Liza was a fantastic tour guide. She was knowledgeable, friendly and passionate about sharing her knowledge of the Memorial Site.

Bavarian Beer and Food Evening Tour

Munich

Very fun tour sampling several beers and ending with a great meal. Sam was an outstanding tour guide.

Guided tour of Salzburg

Salzburg

Great tour of the Old Town in Salzburg. Terrific way to learn the history of the city.

Sound Of Music Tour Salzburg

Salzburg

Great overall tour of the important filming sites. We enjoyed getting out of "the city" and seeing the beautiful lakes in the countryside.

City Danube River Cruise

Vienna

We had expected to have some historical background, but there is none. The Cruise takes you up the canal and back on the same route, which is not the prettiest part of Vienna.

Vienna's Sweet and Savory Food Scene

Vienna

Michelle was a terrific guide who showed us "off the beaten path" parts of Vienna. She is incredibly knowledgable in her Vienna food history as well as general Vienna city history. We had samples of many different types of local foods, and our only complaint is that there was way more food than we could eat!

Angela was an amazing coordinator for our trip to Greece. We were especially impressed because we got in touch with her just three months before our travel dates, and she was still able to plan and organize an amazing itinerary that fit the budget we provided and met all of our requirements. The tour guides she selected were amazing, and the hotels she recommended and booked were better than any of the ones we would have found on our own. She is a wonderful communicator and was very responsive and available throughout the entire planning process and during the trip itself.

Angel was our local specialist who planned our 3 days in Kiso Valley in Japan. She was always very helpful, fast to respond and provided us lots of details to guide us through the trek. She arranged for Summer to transport us one day and we had a good time talking with her during the drive. We had a very positive experience working with KimKim on our trip.

Activity Review

Hike to Kiso-Hirasawa From Narai

Japan

This was more of a walk along roads, not a trek. It was not a long walk to the train station.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Really wonderful experience. Wealth of knowledge and resources. I should have started here and let them do all the planning. I typically research and try to make best travel decisions from internet. Don’t waste your time. This group knows every area, interesting sites, hotels, restaurants and travel modes. Amandine was always available and other consultants chimed in on ideas. We had an awesome adventure.

This was a fabulous trip. Of special note is the quality and flexibility of our guides. They were fantastic. Rachel was also flexible and responsive to all our questions and modifications. This was a great trip.

Hotel Review

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

I am recommending this to friends. The hotel and spa is beautiful as were the grounds and the service was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

This was one of my favorite days. Our guide modified the trip by excluding the river cruise and it was the right call.

Quality of Experience

The visit to the winery and the wonderful meal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sweet and Tasting Évora Tour

Évora

This was not my favorite experience . The sweets tended to be too much at once.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Going to Fado was really fun and the food was good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Our guide as excellent however the main was rainy and at times down pouring rain forced us to be indoors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was on time and flexible.

Transport

Jeep Safari through a Cork Forest & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate

Portugal

The Cork Fork and Olive oil estate was amazing .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was a really good experience. We were able to try a variety of foods.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This was such a good day. We learned so much about Lisbon .

Quality of Experience

Seeing so much of the city in a short time period.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As I have said before , the quality, knowledge and flexibility of our guide made the difference.

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

This was our longest and for me my most exhilarating day.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable , flexible, and fun to be around

Transport

We had a wonderful time in Ecuador and the plan Alvaro put together for either side of our visit to the Galápagos Islands was just perfect!

All of our accommodation was excellent and we had great variety every day. We felt we had a very nice balance of culture and nature and although we had a busy itinerary, we never felt at all rushed.

The “icing on the cake” for us was our guide Marco Herrera. He was so kind and considerate of our needs. He was knowledgeable but never made us feel overwhelmed with facts and figures. He didn’t rush us at all, and made sure we had as much time as we needed for taking photos and “mooching about” at our leisure.

Jeferson from the Tour Company called to meet us at our hotel in Quito and he was regularly in touch throughout our stay in Ecuador, making sure we were enjoying ourselves.

We would highly recommend Ecuador to everyone and feel it’s a shame that so many tourists only visit to see the Galápagos Islands. This is most definitely the highlight of the country, but there is SO much more to experience and we are really pleased we decided to spend over 3 weeks here in total.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

What a gem this family run hotel is! Lucia is an absolute lady and all the staff did their utmost to make our stay perfect. The rooms were great and we slept very well thanks to the lovely mattresses, soft cotton sheets and comfortable pillows. Breakfast was a treat with fresh varied juices and fruits and eggs cooked to order. The location couldn’t be better. Just a few minutes walk from one of the delightful town squares. We will most definitely recommend this hotel to our friends.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Gorgeous old hotel with great character. Our room was stunning! It’s perfectly located close to the old centre of Cuenca and breakfast was very good. I would suggest asking for a room that doesn’t overlook the main street as we found it noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguanazú Bed & Breakfast

Guayaquil

Wonderful old style hotel outside the centre of Guayaquil. We had a huge suite and we felt like a Honeymoon Couple! Food was lovely and the staff were very kind. It was so peaceful up on the hill and we slept really well. We would definitely recommend this hotel over those in the busy Malecon area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

The hot spring pools were wonderful. Rooms were so comfortable and nicely decorated. Food was excellent and staff were all very friendly. Would definitely live to return here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Coffee lodge Cristal Glamping & Spa

Mindo

Very pleasant stay here for our 1 night in Mindo. It’s such a great place to “get away from it all”! Having dinner and breakfast on the balcony overlooking the treetops was wonderful. Staff were very kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

Very comfortable room and we found the food to be outstanding! Staff were so kind and welcoming and the location was magical!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Lovely hotel. Very quiet and our room was huge! Staff were friendly and helpful and the meals were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This was such a luxurious hotel and the grounds were incredible! Our room was beautiful and we loved our food at dinner and breakfast. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Otavalo Market - Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Nice hike around the lake and it was pleasant to amble around the market for a while.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring San Pablo Lagoon & Encounter the Andean Condor at Parque Condor

Otavalo

Cóndor Park was very good. We were amazed at the variety of birds!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alpaca Encounter at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t in our favour the day we visited. We didn’t see any Alpacas, but the fog was so heavy we could hardly see our hand in front of our faces! The drive (until we hit the fog) was pleasant however and we had a lovely lunch in one of the small restaurants near to the lagoon.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park- Overnight at a Hacienda.

Ecuador

We had glimpses of Cotapaxi summit (and when we did see it, it was beautiful! The National Park was beautiful though and there’s lots to enjoy even if you don’t see the volcano that clearly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve

Riobamba

Again we had very poor visability the day we were to see Chimborazo peak. We asked the guide to turn back 10 minutes after we hit the dense fog (about 20 minutes before the summit) and instead we enjoyed the lower area close to Riobamba.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Cuenca and surroundings, Gualaceo, Chordeleg

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca! Very traditional and very walkable around the old centre. This was one of our favourite places in Ecuador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the Highlands to the Coast: Cajas National Park to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Enjoyable scenery but I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest! The photo stop at the top was good but I think perhaps I expected more from the National Park area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Pearl of the Pacific: Highlight Sites of the City of Guayaquil

Guayaquil

We enjoyed our time exploring Guayaquil. The Santa Ana area was lovely and we enjoyed the walk along the Malacon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Guayaquil's Local Wildlife at Parque Histórico

Guayaquil

Really enjoyed seeing the Iguanas in the park! Especially nice to see the babies who were only a couple of months old!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

Wonderful time exploring the historic centre of Quito. We loved all the Churches and the big squares with the fabulous architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Very enjoyable day. We loved the cultural aspect of it and the food at lunch was super!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Highlight of our trip on Mainland Ecuador. The birds were just amazing. We saw several species of Toucans and the experience with the humming birds was phenomenal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paul organised our trip, he was patient, very well informed and experienced in helping us to reach agreement to meet all our requirements for the holiday.
It was mainly focused on winery visits. However we had 3 days first in Buenos Aires, where we had two city tours with lovely guide Maria, and two evenings organised , one at the specular Fogon Restaurant and the other at Tango Rojo at Faena Hotel. Everything was perfect for us.
We then flew to Mendoza and met our new guide the delightful Augostina. We visited 4 wineries but the visit to Matervine Winery was the highlight of our Mendoza trip. We enjoyed a beautiful gourmet lunch at Susana Balbo Restaurant. Everything was organised with precision and once more it was perfect for us.
We then flew to Santiago where we were met by guide Roberto and driver Francesco. We had a three hour flight delay and they were so understanding it made a difficult day easier for us. Roberto spent the next 4 days with us. While travelling to and from the 7 wineries he shared all the information possible on the Country of Chile. The economy, the culture, the politics, the history, education, agriculture, industry, geography etc, etc.. He was so informative, a truly lovely man to share our experience with. The best guide we have ever had. The highlight of the Chilean wineries was Montes. A great tour. We also spent a lovely day with Roberto visiting Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
As mature travellers we believe that leaving the organising to a professional tour operator like Kimkim gave us peace of mind and made travel much less stressful.

Hotel Reviews

Alvear Art Hotel

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hyatt Mendoza

Mendoza

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lujan de Cuyo Wine Tour, Agrelo Region: Las Perdices, Matervini & Susana Balbo Wineries

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Casablanca Wine Route

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Excursion: Buenos Aires Sightseeing Experience - North Area

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner (Tango Rojo) + Private Transfers

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fogon Closed-Door Asado Dinner Experience with Transfers

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Excursion: Buenos Aires Sightseeing Experience - South Area

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine & Flavours of Maipu

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Experience Concha y Toro & Santa Rita Winery, Private Service

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We travelled to Costa Rica from the UK with our two children aged 11 and 8.

Bryan (and Nancy) did a fantastic job of recommending and organizing a range of hotels and activities for us over the two-week trip. Everywhere we stayed was brilliant in its own way -- Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero was rustic and remote, Las Lagos in Fortuna was family-friendly and fun, Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio was uniquely quirky, and La Mariposa was sleek and stylish with incredible views.

All of our trips were pitched perfectly for us & the kids. We absolutely loved the white water rafting and seeing all the amazing wildlife Costa Rica has to offer. All of our guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Shout out to Mariano and Alex for their hospitality on our drives, even stopping to show us the local crocodiles and buy us fruit.

Wilman was a great help as a point of contact while we were there and kept us on track with all of the details.

A special mention also for our guide in Manuel Antonio National Park who kept us all engaged with his infectious passion for the local flora and fauna!

It was a truly special trip which will stay with us for many years.

Really enjoyed the trip to Bolivia and Chile. Jimena Santos was an amazing tour guide in Bolivia!!! All the drivers were good, and we felt safe riding in all the vehicles. My favorite part of the trip was Uyuni and the salt flats. Hotel de Sal Luna Salada was quite an experience. The only negative thing about Hotel de Sal Luna Salada was that the dinners were horrible. They really need a new chef there.

All of the guides were very knowledgable and helpful. The drivers were also very good, friendly, shared information and were very helpful getting us to and from our destinations.

I had never visited Nepal before and Sangita and her team of trek guides, porters and city guides and drivers were faultless. Most importantly Sangita was always quick to reply to my questions and followed thru on all my requests and queries. I highly recommend her services

WHAT A WONDERFUL TRIP WE HAD TO SPAIN! MARINA PUT TOGETHER A FABULOUS ITINERARY FULL OF TOURS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. WE STARTED IN MADRID AND ENJOYED A WALKING TOUR WITH JAVIER AND ENDED WITH A FOOD AND DRINK TOUR AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT SPANISH FARE. WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO TOLEDO AND HAD A DELIGHTFUL TOUR WITH MANUEL AND ENDED WITH A YUMMY LUNCH IN A CAVE. WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO GRANADA WHICH WAS A LIVELY TOWN WITH A VERY FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE. WE ENJOYED LOTS OF REMARKABLE TAPAS IN THE LOCAL BARS INCLUDING A HIGHLIGHT AT BAR POE. WE HAD A GROUP TOUR OF THE ALHAMBRA- AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING CASTLE FULL OF HISTORY AND AMAZING ARCHITECTURE. WE ALSO ENJOYED A SMALL, INTIMATE FLAMENCO DANCE PERFORMED IN A CAVE. FROM GRANADA, WE DROVE TO SEVILLE BY WAY OF SEVERAL SMALL TOWNS INCLUDING RONDA, SENTINEL AND ZAHARA, ALL WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUE LANDSCAPES AND INTERESTING SIGHTS. AFTER THREE WONDERFUL DAYS IN SEVILLE TOURING THE CITY, AND ALCAZAR WTIH HELENA, TOURING AND TASTING AT AN OLIVE OIL ESTATE, AND A PAELLA MAKING CLASS WHICH WAS A HIGHLIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET LAST MINUTE TICKETS TO THE CATHEDRAL AND TOURED IT ON OUR OWN. THEN, WE FLEW TO BARCELONA. WE HAD ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE GAUDI MASTERPIECES INCLUDING CASA BATLLO, PARK GUELL, AND THE ULTIMATE, LA FAMILIA SEGRADA- ALL ARE NOT TO MISS WHEN IN BARCELONA! OUR FINAL VENTURE WAS A DRIVE TO THE COAST OF BEGUR. OUR STAY AT THE PARADOR DE AIGLUABAVA WAS AMAZING. WE WERE UPGRADED TO SUITES AND ENJOYED GLORIOUS VIEWS OF THE MEDERERREAN SEA! WE DID A CATAMARAN TOUR ALONG THE COAST AND SAW CASTLES AND BEACHES ALONG THE WAY. OUR BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE ENDED WITH A DRIVE BACK TO BARCELONA AND A VISIT TO MONTSERRAT! WE PACKED IN A LOT IN TWO WEEKS AND MADE MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

THIS WAS OUR ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT OF OUR STAY. TOTALLY ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN ANYWHERE ELSE WE STAYED. MUCH LOWER CLASS. THE STAFF WAS NOT TERRIBLY FRIENDLY AND SOME DIDN'T SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH. THE HOTEL IS DARK AND DREARY. IT IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO GET READY IN THE BATHROOMS AND APPLY MAKE UP AS THE LIGHTING IS TERRIBLE. THE LIGHTING IS TERRIBLE THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL. THE ELEVATORS SEEMED TO BE IN POOR CONDITION. THE BREAKFAST WAS LIMITED WITH STALE PASTRIES AND FEW CHOICES. THE AREA THE HOTEL WAS LOCATED WAS NOT THE SAFEST FEELING. I"M GLAD WE ONLY HAD 2 NIGHTS THERE, BUT REGRET THAT WE WERE BOOKED HERE AT ALL. IT WAS A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND KIMKIM PLACE THEIR CLIENTS IN THIS HOTEL IN THE FUTURE. MUCH LOWER CLASS THAN THE H10'S OR PARADORE DE AIGLUBAVA.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MOLD IN THE SHOWER ALONG THE CALKING ALONG THE FLOOR. ROOM WAS DARK AND QUIET, HOWEVER

Sallés Hotel Ciutat del Prat

El Prat de Llobregat

I HAD LOW EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE I HAD TOLD MARINA WE COULD SAVE $$ ON THE AIRPORT HOTEL NIGHT, BUT THIS HOTEL EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. IT WAS LOVELY. LIGHT AND BRIGHT WITH A VERY HELPFUL, FRIENDLY STAFF. BREAKFAST WAS FRESH AND DELICIOUS. ROOMS WERE BRIGHT, CLEAN, AND COMFORTABLE. WOULD RECOMMEND. THE LOCATION WAS A BIT SKETCHY BUT WE DIDN'T LEAVE THE HOTEL ONCE WE CHECKED IN AND FELT SAFE AND FINE THERE.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Madrid

JAVIER WAS GREAT. ENJOYED HIS TOUR. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SEEN EVEN MORE IF WE HAD GOTTEN ON THE METRO AND VISITED MORE AREAS THAN JUST WHAT WAS WALKABLE

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

THIS WAS A HIGHLIGHT. FULL OF FUN, LAUGHTER, GREAT FOOD AND BEVERAGES! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. BUT.....BE SURE TO TELL YOUR CLIENTS THE PROPER START TIME! WE WERE TOLD 6PM AND WERE THERE PROMPTLY AT 6 AND NO ONE WAS THERE. TURNS OUT, IT DOESN'T START UNTIL 6:30.

Quality of Experience

Food

EXCELLENT

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

GREAT EXPERIENCE

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. SARA WAS GREAT! ESTATE WAS BEAUTIFUL. REALLY ENJOYED THE TOUR AND TASTING

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

ALHAMBRA WAS VERY CROWDED AND HARD TO GET A LOT OUT OF A GROUP TOUR. ANTONIO WAS THE GUIDE AND WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH HIM AND ALL HIS KNOWLEDGE IN THE GROUP SETTING. WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE HAD A PRIVATE TOUR.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

GREAT SHOW. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO INTRODUCTION AS TO WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO SEE. AND NO EXPLANATION. WE ENJOYED IT BUT WOULD HAVE LIKED SOME EXPLANATION. WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A LARGE, STAGE PRODUCTION. HAD NO IDEA IT WAS A VERY SMALL INTIMATE AFFAIR WITH 3 DANCERS AND TWO SINGERS.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

HELENA WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAD LOTS OF INFORMATION TO SHARE. SHE DIDN'T PICK UP ON OUR QUEUS THAT WE WERE TIRED AND NEEDED A BREAK, OR TO EVEN CUT THE TOUR A BIT SHORT. `

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP!! WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING! LOVED IT!!

Quality of Experience

Food

DELICIOUS PAELLA, SOUP AND SPINACH/CHICKPEAS DISH

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Sailing along the Costa Brava

Spain

THIS WAS FINE BUT NOT GREAT. THE AREA WHERE YOU START THE TOUR WAS A BIT DINGY AND CROWDED. THE STAFF ON THE BOAT DID A GREAT JOB. IT'S NOT A HIGH CLASS EXPERIENCE. THERE WERE LOTS OF YOUNG KIDS ON BOARD. THE FOOD SERVED WAS FINE. NOTHING GREAT.

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

WE ARRANGED THIS FOR OURSELVES AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE DAY

Every thing went smoothly.
Our hotels were excellent, and the transportation was the same.
Had a great time and the weather was superb.
We loved our time in Norway and would definitely use Kimkim again

Thanks to Anna and the team

Martin & Kathy Woodward
Tasmania

Dhanushka and the Koon Holiday team created a great personalised experience for our holiday in Sri Lanka.

The initial consultation on what we wanted identified the type of experience we were after. Nothing was too much to ask.

Our local guide and driver, Kapıla Kaluarachichi was a great travel companion, in addition to being a great local guide, and provided great cultural and historical background for all of the sites visited.

Special mention goes to Mr Goonie in Polonnaruwa for his second to none knowledge of the local archeological sites and to Mr Jimmy Heyn, the manager at Sambar Hills resort in Nuwara Eliya for his attention to detail and his personalised service.

We would definitely use KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Enjoy a Refreshing Snack at a Roadside Food Stall

Sri Lanka

A nice introduction to the roadside stalls, which are the heartbeat of the local economy..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Ancient Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka

The guide selected by Koon Holidays and KimKim was a retired archeologist from the area whose knowledge was first rate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Being an archaeologist

Transport

Elephant Safari in Minneriya National Park

Sri Lanka

Seeing these great beasts in the wild was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Sites of Anuradhapura

Sri Lanka

The history behind what are some of the most sacred sites in Sri Lanka was very illuminating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit ancient Trincomalee fort (Fort Fredrick)

Trincomalee

Go to the fort at about 4:00 pm in the afternoon. This will allow you plenty of time to wander through the fort and arrive at the Hindu temple for the afternoon ceremony.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Temples & Beaches in Trincomalee

Trincomalee

A great area to relax or go scuba diving

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Kandy: Temple of the Sacred Tooth visit

Kandy

One the best and most important temples in Sri Lanka and definitely a must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Three temples loop in Kandy

Kandy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Need to go via private car. Some place a bus cannot get to.

Visit Spice gardens, wood carving centers & gem museums in Kandy

Kandy

A really amazing guide at the spice gardens, Gem centre and Batik crafts. These people are passionate about what they do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Nuwara Eliya

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galle Dutch Fort Visit

Sri Lanka

A great place to simply have a wander and marvel at the historical architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Lively Colombo

Sri Lanka

Some great sites combining the original culture and modern day architecture.

Quality of Experience

The museums, temples , Lotus Tower the food and markets.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Portugal to celebrate 15th wedding anniversary was well planned with in-depth conversation with Joao from Across Portugal. With ongoing conversation we were able to settle on points of interest and hotel arrangements efficiently and we really appreciated timely responses from Joao, which made us feel more comfortable in dealing with a travel agency we were not familiar with.

Even before our arrival, Joao texted and guided us, laid out detailed information on what to expect at the airport upon arrival. Upon arrival we were greeted with a Welcome Package of bottles of Porto and cookies and champagne! Each day he checked on us and reminded us of our upcoming schedule for the next day. Our drivers were on time and drove us in clean cars and Nelson, the driver we had the most, even got us a bouquet of flowers and a box of delicious chocolates on our anniversary date! Every hotel we stayed at also welcomed us with a celebratory bottle of champagne and fruit to help celebrate our wedding anniversary. What a way to make you feel special!

Our walking tour guides were also excellent too! Thank you to Margarida and Andre (Porto guide) were fantastic, engaging and very informative.

Thank you to Joao and his team at Across Portugal! We have travelled extensively around the world but Across Portugal's personal touch and services left us with wonderful memories of Portugal and unforgettable experiences throughout our journey across Portugal! Muito Obrigada!

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Great location, clean and quiet. Breakfast could have more variety; otherwise, service was fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Clean boutique hotel

Location

A short distance to the major tourist sites and restaurants.

Staff

Very responsive to our requests and questions. Very helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice firm bed. No odours. Very clean!

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

Amazing location, clean but the room could have been slightly bigger.

Authenticity & Character

Nice boutique hotel but it uses strong fragrance in common areas.

Location

Walkabout distance to all areas. Fantastic location.

Staff

Staff working the breakfast was very efficient and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and well kept hotel

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

It's location was amazing! Close vicinity to walks around the cliff side...very quiet. If you wanted to go into town then you had to take an Uber but otherwise, excellent location for hiking and long walks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grande Real Villa Italia

Cascais

Beautifully decorated hotel with large rooms. Needs slight updates but otherwise, excellent location and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very responsive to requests. Thank you.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and tidy. The bed was so big :)

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

The villa was beautiful and very interesting on the exterior, especially when the fog rolled in and covered the whole villa. The village around the villa was also very quaint and interesting but what we enjoyed the most was the services provided by our private driver, Nelson. We had the opportunity to ask Nelson questions about Portugal and what it is to be a Portuguese and he also provided a lot of interesting information about Sintra. Thank you Nelson!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Our guide, Andre, was very proud of Porto. As we walked through this beautiful town he explained the history and its different areas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Excellent private tour and delicious lunch at the restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was spectacular! What a beautiful winery!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

We were picked up and dropped off at the airport without any delay or issues. Much appreciated ample space in the car.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Always interesting to try sip and discover tours of a well known winery. Wine tasting afterwards with cheese board made the experience even more memorable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Driving through Douro valley to look at it's unique scenery was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

It was a private boat tour so we had ample space to relax and enjoy the ride. Also we felt safe and well protected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Portugal was a special vacation for us. Since we don't like planned tours or large tour groups, it was important to be able to design an agenda that appealed to things we liked to do. Typically I do all of the planning, but after coming across kimkim, we thought that a local person who is familiar with the places we wanted to go would be even better. Helena did a great job of putting together a plan for us. She was open to making changes as we went along, and gave good suggestions. Her choice of hotels was fabulous! They were all of high quality, provided good service, and gave us a luxury environment. Having Helena take care of our train tickets and our rental car made it so easy for us.

Despite one "blip" with a pick-up from the train to the hotel, our transports were excellent. It was tricky to find our driver at the airport, but once we did, we were pleased. The issue we had was difficulty getting in touch with the company after our driver had left us at the station due to our train arriving late. The phone number we were given had been changed, and the automated message letting us know the new number was so fast that it took us listening to it three times before we could catch all of the numbers. When we called the new number, we were told that someone would be coming for us in 15 minutes and to wait inside of the station. We split up so as to not miss the driver, but nobody came. After yet another call, we were told that a black car would be there shortly; however, someone in a light colored vehicle showed up and then didn't know where we were going nor where the hotel was located. After speeding down narrow streets, we were finally let off at the top of a steep cobblestone street where we had to drag our suitcases down two blocks to our hotel. Later we learned that transportation companies and taxis are permitted to access the pedestrian street in front of our hotel. We were just grateful that none of us fell down the hill or were injured, but that was completely ridiculous! After being told on the phone by a kimkim representative, Carin that the company is one that is often used and the disbelief that the phone number had changed, I sincerely hope that kimkim reconsiders using the company in the future.

The tours and tour guides that were set up for us were very good. The guide to the Douro Valley, Joao Campos, was friendly, interesting and accommodating. We really enjoyed the boat ride, visits to a winery, and lunch at a quinto was a highlight for us. Out 3 hour tour in Porto with Sandra Tavares was not exactly what we expected. Sandra was energetic and knowledgeable, however, we walked for 80% of the tour. The classic car picked us up near the end of the tour which lasted almost 6 hours. We were able to see a lot of Porto, but at the end were left far from our next tour without transportation. The amount of walking was also very difficult for some of us to handle, and did result in soreness the next day. Right after the first tour, we had a walking food tour. Fortunately, when we told the guide that we were exhausted and not up for a lot more walking, she was able to accommodate us by using streets that were less steep. The places we visited were definitely off of the beaten path and the food was eclectic from wine and cheese to beer and dessert. We had a great time with the others on the tour who were from various countries. Driving to Evora, Lagos and back to Lisbon was very easy. We were sad that our balloon ride was canceled due to the weather, but that is out of our control. Evora was very interesting, and the hotel there was outstanding. We didn't stop at Coimbra, but opted to relax at the hotel instead. We enjoyed the tour with Jones. He was also personable and knowledgeable. Our only concern was that his vehicle was small for all of us and not very comfortable. He showed us the cork factory and an old town with a former palace that had wonderful views. In Lagos, our tour to see the sunset at St. Vincent's Cape in Sagres wasn't exactly as written. Pedro was not our guide, Miguel was. His vehicle was a loud jeep-like truck that didn't have seatbelts that worked consistently. He would drop us off and then go off to smoke. He had some crazy stories and really couldn't answer some of our questions. He was a nice guy, but we felt unsafe driving with him. He brought wine to the sunset, but no binoculars or chorizo, as promised. We did enjoy lunch at Morgado Do Quinto that we drove ourselves to. The hostess served plenty of food and wine, and gave everyone a tour of the property. She also told us about the grape vines, almonds and cacao trees. It was very good. In Lisbon, our guide, Jose Antunes, was very good. He knew a lot about the city and walked us to see sights without going into a lot of buildings. Our day was a bit hectic after that because we had to travel by Uber across the city to paint tiles with Ana which was very cool! After leaving there, we met Mariana who gave us a tour at the tile museum in Lisbon. She was excellent. She was well prepared and really knew about tile history. After that, we were back across the city to the Earthquake Museum which was so-so. I think we call were less impressed with that. Following the Earthquake Museum was the Banksy "Museum". We found it interesting to review his work over time, but it was a tiring day. Our final day we toured with Marta to Sintra and Cascais. She was friendly and also very knowledgeable about the area from a resident's perspective. We went to a park to see the palace there which was spectacular, but involved a lot of trail walking. Then we had lunch at a local restaurant where we tasted all types of meat. That was also interesting.

Our trip exceeded our expectations. We loved Portugal: the people, the food, the history and the scenery. The one thing that was a bit concerning was being given all of the options for our trip but not knowing how much each item cost separately. In some ways, it was good because we got to do what we wanted and had the experiences without worrying about the cost. In other ways, it would have been nice to have some choices that may have saved some money.