Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a wonderful 8-day family trip to Colombia in December 2024- Jan 2025. Highlights for us and the kids (aged 6 and 10) were hiking and wildlife sighting in Tayrona National Park with Joi, submersion in Totumo Mud Volcano, and enjoying the beach at Islabela, one of the Islas del Rosario. We also enjoyed visiting the coffee reserve, Comuna 13 in Medellin with Andres and La Boquilla Mangrove tour outside Cartagena with Gabo. Our transfers were punctual, our guides informative and professional, and the kids never wanted to return home!

Hotel Review

Villa Maria Tayrona, a Kali Hotels

Los Naranjos

Kids enjoyed all the wildlife and hotel pool. Outstanding service and food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close access to Tayrona NP.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a small issues with water going out but it was fixed promptly.

Activity Reviews

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

A beautiful way to spend our last day in Colombia. We were taken care of by our Guide, Gabo, until we got on the boat, and had a lovely day in the sand and sun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour in Cartagena's Historic Center

Cartagena

We enjoyed the walking tour of the city center. It was a bit shorter (2h) than advertised, but hit the high points. There was a 4-hour break in the middle of this day which we were a bit surprised about-- in hindsight, we may have wanted to include another activity in our last full day in the city. We loved seeing the sloths in Parque del Centenario.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

A unique way to view birds and fish via canoe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salt Pans of Galerazamba

Cartagena

We didn't know that tourism to the salinas was restricted. We enjoyed Cristina's hospitality and tour, even a visit to her backyard, in this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Totumo Volcano

Cartagena

Our son (10) really enjoyed it! It was a bit confusing and we felt a bit pressured by the locals for paying extra for services, but our guide (Gabo) handled it for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Tayrona National Park

Colombia

This park was a highlight of our trip to Colombia! We loved hiking through the forest with Joi, spotting wildlife, enjoying the beach and views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The fishing village of Taganga

Colombia

We didn't have a much of a "tour"-- we were picked up from the airport by a driver and guide (Eduardo), were taken to a lunch spot (to pay on our own), and then taken to Tayrona NP hotel. This day was mostly a travel day but seemed advertised as a bit more interesting with some sightseeting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip: Comuna 13, Botanical Garden & Coffee Tour

Medellín

We enjoyed the Coffee Tour and Comuna 13 with escalator ride.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

The kids really enjoyed the Piedra hike and scenic tour of El Peñol.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip & visited York, Bath, Castle Comb & Oxford. Our travel specialist did a great job with a very short notice on putting the trip together! We had done some planning, but were not able to give the go ahead until a week or so before departure. Katerina worked very hard getting it all put together for us. All of the tours & drivers worked out well. We had some private drivers to see Stonehenge, Wells, Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle & Stratford Upon Avon. Our favorite place was The Manor hotel in Castle Comb! What a great property! We also really enjoyed the Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel in Bath. All of the places we stayed were unique & enjoyable. We would definitely use KimKim again & highly recommend Kateryna!

We had an excellent experience in Mexico. All the drivers and guides were excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly: Daniela, Montserrat, Suzy, Pablo.

We missed Rene because he disappeared and Mariana was the one coordinating our trip while in Mexico.

Hotel Review

Casa Decu

Mexico City

Great hotel, very well located, all the staff very friendly and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

This is an unforgettable experience, really unexpected. Very interesting to see how they work the Chinampas and all the work it takes, and above all keeping it as a family tradition

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The overall trip was great. We really enjoyed allan our guide in tokyo. He was very instructive, and gave us great information as well as being so fun and helpful.
Our guide slash in kyoto and osaka was very helpful with coordinating our trip and helping us get around and making dinner reservations for us.
Alisa did fine. It would have helped if she had put the correct people together in hotel rooms to save us about an hour on the first check-in when they had completely random rooms assigned. She obviously doesn't know anything about hokkaido. We didn't need to spend one night in sapporo. We easily could have gotten up early and gone straight to the airport. It was a waste of a whole day since we didn't actually have time to see sapporo. The hilton niseko is not very good and I think another part of the mountain like hirafu would have been better to stay. It would be better to ask for help from other guides who are familiar with the ski culture.

Our experience in Morocco was exceptional. Hakim did an amazing job finding us the right hotels and sites to visit. His driver/guide was so flexible and helpful throughout the trip, finding the right stops along the long drive. Everything was perfect - one more time kuddos to Kimkim and the local travel agency!

We loved our tour of our Buenos Aires and igazu falls. Johanna was a wondrous specialist resolved all the issues that came up as with travel they always do. Loved the casa Joseph in Buenos Aires bike tour, the city was really a lot of good information and fun. Would highly recommend taking in the tango show. And to do empanadas later in the day after the tango show was really good timing. Anyway it would gladly do this again

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Saint George

Puerto Iguazú

Physically a nice enough Hotel. Very well set up has pool. It's clean. It's big. The beds are comfy. The staff's attitude is crummy and for that reason I would not stay there again

Authenticity & Character

New hotels have very little character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Joseph

Buenos Aires

Very comfortable hotel Small and in a great area of Buenos Aires. Easy to walk to all restaurants and the staff at the hotel was super

Authenticity & Character

Small on an active Street, just like real life

Location

Staff

Attitude, attitude, attitude

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Biking through Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Really enjoyed our tour with Pablo our guide. We were the only two we had plenty of time with him. We learned a significant amount of the history of the city and of course the river, the peoples that settled there. I always appreciate getting that kind of information it gives you a feeling for what the city was and has become. Lot of architecture and of course tours of the parks which are really overwhelmingly frequent in Buenos Aires

La Ventana - Tango Show | VIP seating

Buenos Aires

I was super impressed by the dancers and the way that this show was put together covering the 1920s through the indigenous people and the sounds of the Andes from the pipes they played

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a wonderful trip from start to finish and everywhere in between. Angela took care of everything! The accommodations, the tours, the transfers, the reservations were all made to our specifications and if something changed, Angela took care of it immediately. We had piece of mind every step of the way that we were and would be taken care of and that is priceless. Would recommend to anyone traveling abroad! Thank you again!

Hotel Reviews

Zoe Garden Home

Spata Athens

We were only here for a short time but it felt like home from the moment we got there. The host is so inviting and friendly. Providing many different touches to make us feel welcome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olive Green Hotel

Heraklion

Great spot. About a block away from all the shopping and food you could ever want. Breakfast was fantastic for a hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Very modern. Not traditional

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Azure Villa Santorini

Santorini

It is the off season and the villa was closed. The couple who met us. Had not opened it up prior and made sure everything was working. It seemed as they had actually never been there. They couldn’t even find the breaker to the lights. Once everything was in working order, we really enjoyed our stay. The views from the villa are amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Great apartment! Great location! Safe! Would definitely recommend

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private round transfer anywhere in Santorini

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cave of Zeus & Knossos Palace with Lassithi Plateau from East

Greece

The mountains of Crete are a completely different world. We would have never known about. Beautiful views! Beautiful history! Beautiful people!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating! Great guides all together!

Transport

Crete Sightseeing: Rethymno - Argiroupolis - Kournas Lake - Chania from West & Her

Greece

Great guide and great information. We learned so much and saw so much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

These guys were phenomenal! Watch out for the “evil” table at the end. 😂

Transport

Tailored Private tour

Santorini

Our travel advisor planned most of this but then we changed a couple of things along the way. We added the lighthouse and red sand beach. It was great to be able to have the basic tour and then add more things that we liked.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Babas and Yanis are great!

Transport

Winter Panoramic Tour 24 - 25

Santorini

Great to see all the different sights of the island and hear some history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Babas and Yanis are great!

Transport

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Great tour. Wonderful explanation of the history and mythology.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

The Delicious Athens Food Tour afternoon

Greece

Elizabeth is amazing! Showed us and fed us so many many things!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

From beginning to end TRUE excellence.

My family’s experience with Dubai left us with some good memories but not a place we would revisit. It started off with me telling our Kim Kim agent, Habiba, the wrong arrival date. This lead to her scrambling to rebook everything which is credit to her and my fault.
The booked events left something to be desired with a combination of tourist traps that were often backed by cold service.
Mr Zain gave us the city tour our first day and it felt very canned with short stops to pop out and snap a picture, then move on to the next spot. It didn't factor our personal interests and showed poor use of time. We got swindled by a vendor he personally took us to which was a head scratcher.
The safari experience epitomized tourist traps with a super lame quad ride on the dunes which we upgraded to side by sides at a significant expense. We had to follow a guide around who drove a quad on a path through the dunes making us feel like….tourists. The SUV trip our driver/guide took us on the reach the dinner spot was the highlight showing some very skilled and daring driving giving us a thrill. At the dinner location was a camel ride that amounted to one circle about 50’ in diameter. Every step along the way this evening provided opportunities to pay for pictures that were constantly being snapped throughout the desert safari embodying the tourist trap vibe.
We got to see the Burj Khalifa on another event which was worthy.
Durgesh (worked directly for Navita tours like Mr Zain) drove us to several events displaying a great personality and genuine interest in us having a quality experience. He personalized some unscheduled detours once he knew our interests.
My summary: Dubai has some pretty amazing food, especially Indian, a super conservative culture (good luck getting alcohol at a store on New Years Eve), and lots of mind boggling wealth. It felt like a combo of Vegas, Scottsdale, and Salt Lake City with a super conservative and mostly cold Middle East-Arabian/Muslim twist.

Activity Reviews

Desert Safari

United Arab Emirates

Tourist trap.

Dubai full day tour with Entry ticket to Burj Khalifa at the Top

Dubai

We separated the Burj experience on a different day than the city tour. Burj great, city tour not so much.

Quality of Experience

Our driver on the city tour (Mr Zain) was cold and condescending.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great driver to Burj, lousy city tour guide.

Transport

Two different drivers leaving contrasting experiences.

Dubai Marina Yacht Guided Tour with Breakfast or BBQ & Sunset

Dubai

Nice Indian guys who drove us around the protected inside water offering a great unique very of the city. The captain shared his personal beer when they saw my disappointment there was no alcohol served.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I came across Kimkim while searching for ways to travel to Morocco. As soon as I reached out I was connected to .maryem from Morocco Immersion.
Maryem worked with me to help identify various itineraries and modify to suit our needs. She was knowledgeable and quick to respond
On arrival at Casablanca, we (family of adults ) were met by Eicham Idrisi who was our driver cum tour guide for the 9 days we were in Morocco. Eicham was very friendly, fun and drive very safe. He gave us a wonderful tour in each of the 5 locations - Casablanca, Chefchouan, Fes, Rabat and Marrakech we visited.
We will definitely use Moroccon Immersion and request Eicham for our next visit to Morocco

Our guides in Melbourne were excellent - Walter with Around and About, Josh with Oceania Tours Melbourne & especially Shelley Cohney, who did the Jewish Melbourne tour. Let me also add that Vicky didn't have an existing vendor for a Jewish Melbourne tour, but she happened to stumble upon the most knowledgable tour guide about Jewish life and history in Australia. On two occasions we asked Vicky to swap out or cancel scheduled tours on just over 24 hour notice and she managed to get us full refunds, which we really appreciated. The only negative thing I can say is that I wish Vicky had given us more of a heads up about what the Edge experience at the Melbourne Skydeck was, as had we known, we would have told her NOT to book that for us. Without Vicky, our trip would't have been anywhere near as amazing as it ended up being, and I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone booking a trip to Australia!

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Melbourne Hotel

Melbourne

Hotel was great. Having the living room area was a nice plus. My only complaint was that there was no way to attach a Fire TV stick to the TV in the bedroom as there was no way to access the back of the TV given the way the TV was mounted to the wall. The kids really liked the pool and pickleball court.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

I saw a mouse in the lobby (and discretely pointed it out the to the staff).

Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour

Pyrmont

Lobby was great - kids loved the foosball table. Pool was also great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Cairns International

Cairns

The kids really liked the pool. We loved that breakfast was included, and it was excellent (the kids really liked the juicer). Balconies in the rooms were a plus.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to all of our activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Bridge Climb Summit

Sydney

This was the kids favorite activity of the entire trip and it was one of the main reasons for the timing of the trip - I did the Bridgeclimb in 2004 and so I wanted to wait until my son was old enough and tall enough to go back and do it with my kids.

Quality of Experience

It is an amzaing unique activity that you can't do anywhere else in the world!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of the staff was great!

Cairns Lagoon

Cairns

It was fun to see this great public space, and a good thing to do on Christmas, since so many things were closed.

Quality of Experience

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway with Down Under tours

Australia

We definitely preferred the skyrail to the train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I didn't love the railroad but the rest of the transportation was great.

Sunlover Reef Cruises Cairns Great Barrier Reef Experience (departs Cairns)

Australia

Great experience, although similar to what I was expecting given that I had visited the great barrier reef 20 years ago.

Quality of Experience

All the reef stuff was great, but the food could have been better.

Food

Food could have been better, would like to see a few more options, although I realize they have limited space and it is hard to get thing out there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The third floor of the boat was very hot.

Daintree, Mossman Gorge & Wildlife Tour

Australia

The kids loved the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat.

Quality of Experience

The kids loved getting to interact with the Australian animals!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide/driver was very knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest and its conservation.

Transport

Vehicle was clean and comfortable.

Jewish Melbourne

Melbourne

I have to give very high marks both to Vicky for not only arranging this tour in the first place (she told me she hadn't previously booked a Jewish Melbourne tour and didn't have a go to vendor, and she managed to find the most knowledgeable possible guide with respect to Jewish Melbourne and Australian Jewish history in general) and to our tour guide Shelley Cohney, who was absolutely fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shelley seemingly knows everyone in the Melbourne Jewish Community and tailored the experience to our needs and preferences. She even kept the tour going for an extra hour to ensure we had time for everything she thought we should see.

Transport

Her car was great - no complaints.

Phillip Island & Moonlit Sanctuary

Australia

The kids loved Moonlit Sanctuary - especially the opportunity to feed the kangaroos and wallabies. I note that our tour guide was nice enough to give a cup of kangaroo/wallaby food to the two families on the trip that had kids (including ours), which was a nice touch (it seems as though whatever membership his tour company has for the sanctuary includes 2 cups of food per visit). Our tour guide Josh, was great.

Quality of Experience

Everything was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josh did a great job.

Transport

Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Bus Tour, Plus Otway Zipline Experience

Melbourne

We were lucky to be the only ones on the tour that day. I know it wasn't set up as a private tour, but that was an added bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walter was great!

Transport

He had wifi on his vehicle, which was awesome.

GOOD MACRO-PLANNING, BUT NOT A HIGH-TOUCH PREMIUM EXPERIENCE. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Our recent experience with Kimkim for a 12-day trip to New Zealand was a mixed bag. The macro-level planning was well done, but the on-the-ground support and communication left a lot to be desired. While some aspects of the trip were commendable, the lack of communication, flexibility, and local expertise lead us to not recommend Kimkim - the value addition just does not justify the mark-up and the positioning as a true full-service travel experience provider.

The Positives: Macro Planning and Wine Tastings

Kimkim delivered on several key aspects of the trip, including:

- Accommodation Choices: The hotels were well-selected, and room arrangements were thoughtfully organized to accommodate our group of seven. This is a complex task, and they executed it well. Same for the car rentals.

- Wine Tasting Experiences: The wine-tasting tours were excellent, particularly the private tasting at Cloudy Bay in Marlborough and the private wine trip to Hawkes Bay with Edward.

- Big Picture Planning: The overall itinerary covered many major highlights of New Zealand. We covered a lot of ground in the South as well as the North Island.

Unfortunately, these successes were overshadowed by significant failures in execution.

The Negatives: Communication, Support, and Flexibility

Complete Lack of Communication During the Trip
Not once during the 12-day trip did we receive a single email, call, or message from Kimkim to check on how things were going. Even after the trip, the first communication we got was to ask us for this review! This lack of communication and periodic check-ins was deeply disappointing. Paula, our agent, simply disappeared once the trip began. This is not what we would expect from a full-service travel provider.
There was no day-to-day advice or recommendations for activities like restaurant bookings, particularly for problematic dates such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when reservations for a group of seven are challenging. We had to scramble to arrange dining options ourselves, which added unnecessary stress.

Limited Pre-Trip Communication
Important pre-trip details were missing, such as a comprehensive summary of the itinerary, flight and visa information, and other essentials. We almost got stranded at the airport because Paula did not remind us to get the New Zealand E-visa. I know this was buried in the communication before the trip, but with US passports, we are not used to getting visas for friendly countries like NZ. We had to apply for the visas at the airport, and the airline refused to let us board until we got the visas. We had to plead and grovel to get on the plane!!

Emails lacked clear subject lines, making it difficult to locate important information. A more professional and organized communication approach would have been much more helpful.

Poor Flexibility and Rigid Alternatives
When we canceled a day-long cruise because we didn’t want to spend two full days on boats (which should not have been organized in the first place, given we had told Paula that two kids had motion sickness issues), we were offered another rigid, unsuitable alternative: an 8-hour tour to an Alpaca farm. This suggestion failed to account for the fact that we had rental cars and could have used that day for a more flexible, self-guided itinerary. We felt that there was a lack of creative, personalized alternatives when changes were requested.

No Local Expertise or On-the-Ground Support
Our trip planner was based in the U.S., not in New Zealand, leading to a significant disconnect. There was no local contact who could provide timely advice or support. When we had the airport fiasco, Paula was in bed as it was midnight in the US. This is unacceptable. We were told to deal with the "local person" Sherry Li, who does not work for kimkim. It seems that Kimkim relies on outsourcing to third-party operators, which added confusion as we never knew who to call for specific issues, and left us feeling stranded when problems arose.

Excessive Markup Without Justifiable Value
Kimkim acts more like a middleman, outsourcing tasks rather than providing direct, hands-on service.
For the premium price we paid (including what appears to be a 50% markup), we expected seamless service and personalized support. Instead, we received vague guidance, poor communication, and a frustrating lack of accountability.

Summary
While Kimkim excelled in planning the macro-level logistics of our trip—such as hotels and wine tastings—their lack of communication, inflexibility, and absence of local expertise made the experience less enjoyable than it could have been. The complete absence of follow-up during the trip, no day-to-day advice or support, and reliance on third-party operators detracted from what should have been a smooth and enjoyable experience. For the price we paid, Kimkim should have provided comprehensive support, timely communication, and a personalized touch. Instead, they acted as a middleman, adding complexity rather than simplifying our journey. Given these issues, we cannot recommend Kimkim and will not use their services again.

Hotel Review

Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart

Auckland

Excellent penthouse 3-bedroom apartment. Great amenities and good location. Ultra modern design. The breakfast can be avoided - lots of local places near the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern and clean.

Location

Close to harbor and local restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice kitchen, appliances, bathrooms

Activity Reviews

Half Day Private Luxury Wine Tour

Blenheim

Cloudy Bay is a must-visit for wine lovers. And our private tasting at the "Shack" was outstanding!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host was amazing! Ask for Swafka

Transport

We drove ourselves!!

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise (ex Queenstown)

Queenstown (NZ)

Beautiful views. Excellent natural beauty. A bit long (4 steps - bus, boat, bus, boat!) and the actual cruise is only 3 hours out of a 12 hour trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too long!

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

Excellent views! Must do in Queenstown to see the whole town from the top of the hill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No guide used.

Transport

Could not get Uber to work!

Our recent trip to Morocco, planned by Original Travel, was nothing short of extraordinary. From the meticulously crafted itinerary to the exceptional team, every detail was thoughtfully arranged to ensure a memorable experience.

A special thanks to Said and the entire Original Travel team for designing such a comprehensive itinerary that allowed us to immerse ourselves in Morocco's rich culture and history.

Our driver, Abdeljalil Saadan, was outstanding. Not only did he ensure our safety and comfort throughout the journey, but he also enriched our travels with fun stories and insights about the regions we explored. He also taught us some Arabic.

We were fortunate to have knowledgeable guides in each city:

- Omar in Chefchaouen - thanks for amazing views around the town
- Sharif in Fez - we would have never discovered all these secret passages in the market
- Younes in Tangier - thank you for the awesome tour and cookies

Each guide enhanced our understanding of these cities' unique histories and cultures, making our visits truly enlightening.

The accommodations at the ryads arranged by Original Travel were exceptional, offering comfort and a genuine Moroccan ambiance. The highlight was a special New Year's Eve celebration, which was a delightful and memorable experience.

We wholeheartedly recommend Original Travel to anyone seeking an authentic and well-organized Moroccan adventure. Their attention to detail and commitment to client satisfaction are truly amazing.

Thank you!

Loved the tour guide in Cartagena
Strongly recommend to do the walking tour at 5 pm as we did

Thanks Margarita for helping us organize a wonderful vacay

We had great guides in Chiang Mai. The hotel accommodations were beautiful and suited us well. The meals were fantastic and the transportation was on time and helpful. Overall a great experience!

The service that KimKim provided for us in the DR was great. They even helped us with a midnight airport pick-up even though we had not planned that ahead of time. Their drivers and guides are top-notch -if you get Jackson, you'll be really lucky!

Activity Reviews

Baiguate Waterfall

Jarabacoa

On this da we visited the coffee farm and really enjoyed the experience.

Discover Manabao

Jarabacoa

Fabulous hike through the forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide spoke no English but he was great none the less.

Day Trip Constanza

the Dominican Republic

Learned a lot about the area - Francis is a good guide.

Food

The original restaurant selected was too crowded, so we ended up at another one that had limited selection.

Transport

Tila was a very safe driver.

Day Trip to Bayahibe from Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo

It was a nice visit to a beach area - unfortunately, the coral is not that pretty.

Quality of Experience

Food

Great choice of restaurant on the water.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Three eyes National Park

Santo Domingo

Great visit with Jackson to Tres Ojos. It's a lovely park.

Quality of Experience

The area was very pretty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jackson is a great guide.

Transport

It was safe.

Guided Tour of Zona Colonial

the Dominican Republic

Our KimKim guide connected us with a City Tour guide named Tony and it was not a great experience. We mentioned that we were not too interested in visiting the main cathedral, but we went anyway. We went to a tourist trap of a store and lunch was where all the other tourists ate. Overall it was a disappointing expereince.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tony from the city tour agency was very low energy and didn't listen to us.

Transport

It was safe.

I went with three others on an 8 day cruise on the ship Archipel 1 over Christmas with the naturalist Christian. The boat was well-appointed, the food was excellent and the others cruising with us were all very pleasant. Angel did an outstanding job of remembering everyone's food likes and dislikes and kept bringing us our favorite foods. Carlos kept the cabins immaculately clean and the beds made well.
We snorkeled and hiked with Christian, who was very well-informed about the geology of the islands as well as the biology. Besides this type of trip, Christian runs diving excursions too.
The trip covered Genovesa in the north, Batholome and Santiago in the central along with Santa Cruz, Floreana and Espanola and finally San Cristobal in the East. If I'm ever fortunate enough to return, I'd very much like to see the western islands too.
The birds were fascinating, but I would have liked to do even more snorkeling than I did, so my suggestion to others is that they emphasize the snorkeling and come equipped with the ability to take underwater pictures and movies.
Nick was always punctual with replies and was outstanding to deal with. There were no hitches with the plans.
We stayed at the Wyndham Quito Hotel near the airport, and it's a very nice hotel with modern comfortable rooms and an excellent and delicious free breakfast buffet and a similarly excellent dinner buffet.

Jesse did a fabulous job organizing our trip. She always seemed to me one step ahead of me with drivers and guides. We were so thankful we used KimKim to help us plan and schedule everything for our family to have stress-free trip in a country where we barely spoke the language. All the hotels, activities and guides she picked were just right for our family (parents plus 2 teenagers).

Hotel Reviews

Appelgren House Hotel Boutique

PUERTO NATALES

The owners were very nice and helpful. Always asking if we needed anything. We stayed in a multi-room suite with a kitchen so it was nice for all 4 of us to be together. Only negative was that it was further out of town, but the view was great! And it was only 5000 pesos to take a taxi to town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Everyone was very helpful and the hotel was in a great location-easy walking distance to town right on the water. Only negative was that the rooms were hot. No A/C and you had to shut the window at night to block the light.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

We were actually only in the hotel for 4 hours because our rescheduled flight was very late, but they were nice when we arrived at 2am local time and kind to store our bags the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Bidasoa was in a great safe location. Hotel was very clean and nice. Breakfast was fabulous. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They let us sit in the lobby and store our stuff for hours when our flight got cancelled.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

It was fun to see the glacier but it is a LONG day on a boat. The lunch at the ranch took 2.5 hours and the food was only okay. By the time we got there we were very hungry and just wanted to be served immediately rather than everything slowly served. Also, it was weird that some people got a cheese board snack on the boat and we didn't-I guess their hotel sent the snack.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Abi was a great guide. We enjoyed both shorter hikes we did in the park.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Base Torres Hike

Chile

This is a hard hike. Guests need to be aware that this hike is 13+ miles and very challenging both directions. We would have preferred a private hike for our family so we didn't have to wait for the whole group at each stop. I didn't realize that was an option.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Hernan spoke great English and clearly knew a lot about the area. It was a really interesting trip. We would have liked to explore on foot a little more if possible. There was a lot of riding in the van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver seemed very sleepy on the way home.

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

Felipe was a great guide. Told us a lot about the city and kept it interesting which is saying something since we had just arrived that morning and hadn't slept on our flight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex went above and beyond every step of the way! His local guides were also fantastic!! They were knowledgeable, flexible and great with kids (we were travelling with a 7 and 10 year old). Giannina came with us to Antigua and Lago Atitlan and she was so fantastic. She understood we needed extra breaks on long drives with the kids, she made sure the local guides tailored their cultural tours to the kids and was patient, reliable and fun. We all loved the ziplining, hiking the volcano, and spending. Christmas in Antigua. What a beautiful place!!

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Bitlmore Plaza

Belize City

Service was poor and they are building a conference centre beside the hotel and there was rock blasting happening all day. It was tough to enjoy your room or the pool. Hotel was busy and when we arrived (along with about 20 United airline pilots and flight attendants) rooms were not ready and they sent us to two different rooms that had not been cleaned ( this was around 4pm). We waited about 90 minutes to get into a room, which turned out to be last room right beside the construction. It was fine for sleeping. There was a strong musty/ mouldy smell as well. We were glad we were only there one night.

Authenticity & Character

Looked like any other best western

Location

Nothing really around it. Nice that it was close to the airport

Staff

The staff were doing their best to manage a tough situation

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

This was like being in a large hotel in any large international city. It was clean and amenities were great. We waited about an hour to check in. Breakfast was good, but we ended up having to pay for the kids as for some reason they were not included. They were not originally on the reservation either which delayed check in a bit.

Authenticity & Character

Really nicely decorated for christmas

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Porta del Lago

Panajachel

This hotel was great. It was quite cool and rainy when we were there and we were not feeling great, so we did not get to enjoy this hotel as much as the others.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the water and all the action

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Porta Hotel Antigua

Antigua Guatemala

This was my favourite hotel of the three. Staff was welcoming and front desk staff all spoke English. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Grounds were beautiful and the kids loved the playground and the parrots. The breakfast was also excellent. We had one bad experience in the restaurant on the first night we arrived. A large tour group came in (from old town tours), and they got served right away and we got forgotten for about an hour and a half. I think the guide was quite aggressive with the staff as we just got forgotten. Otherwise the service was great and it was a very positive experience.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful old building, amazing Christmas decorations, outdoor restaurant

Location

Very central and beautiful location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We did see two cockroaches in the bathroom

Casona De La Isla

Flores

We were only here one night. Hotel was clean and breakfast was great. There was no safe in the room. That would have been nice to have.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was busy and crowded- long lines to check in and long wait for breakfast. Likely because of Christmas season.

Location

Central. Close to lots of restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

We all loved this trip. We went to Santiago and San Juan. Paul was not feeling well this day. Kids really loved stopping to see the bees at the honey exhibit and learning how chocolate is made. I really loved wandering around the market in Santiago. It would have been great if we could have had lunch at the hotel before leaving. I got sick from eating lunch at one of the little restaurants in Santiago.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Drive to Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

We did this on Christmas Day and there was no traffic! Drive was great. It would have been good if there a place to stop for the kids to run around a bit on the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zipline Tour at Santo Domingo del Cerro

Antigua

The whole family loved this!

Quality of Experience

Staff were really great with kids- really made experience great for everyone

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Walking Tour

Guatemala

Dart was engaging and interesting! Loved the old churches and the ruins. She understood the kids attention span and made sure to have a well timed ice cream break. This tour was cut short in order to bump up the time of ziplining. We did this so the kids could have a few hours of just hanging out by the pool and text before dinner. We were trying to stay up to midnight on Christmas Eve to see the fireworks!

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

This was a great trip! It was a tough hike for the kids, but they made it! And Giannina was very patient with us. The best part was going out onto the lava field at the top and roasting marshmallows. It would have been great to now how long the drive was going to be to and from the volcano!

Quality of Experience

Guides were fantastic and experience was very unique!

Food

Giannina made us lunch, but kids would not eat the sandwiches because there was tomato, mayonnaise and lettuce on the sandwiches. Would have been great if she asked us what the kids would eat:)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Tikal itself was amazing!! Guide was good, but did not seem to have a good sense of when we were losing the kids attention. He was speaking to Paul and I which was interesting for us/ but he lost the kids and then they would start to complain. The kids did love the ruins and the birds we saw, but I don’t think they took in much of the history part. The day was too long for the kids, because we went from Flores to Tikal, back to Flores, flew to Guatemala City and then drove to Antigua. With the traffic, that was about 10 hours of travelling, plus Tikal! There was also no time built in for lunch. We ended us having a donut at the airport in Flores for lunch, which meant that the kids were cranky and not feeling great on the long drive from Guatemala City to Antigua (with traffic about 2.5 hours). They were so tired when we arrived they did not want to eat dinner, and when we got to the restaurant at the hotel we had a very long wait. With kids that age I think it would have been better to maybe stay right in Tikal, or to stay two nights in Flores so that it would not have been as rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you for planning an amazing trip for us. Every detail was well thought off and all our guides were fantastic. Special thanks to Andrez
in Bogota, he went above and beyond with showing us bogota and the surroundings.