Kimkim Trip Reviews

We've been planning our honeymoon since 2020, but due to COVID, family obligations, and life in general, we had to keep postponing. It was worth the wait. Marisa has been absolutely WONDERFUL over these past five years. She helped my husband plan an incredible honeymoon across Portugal, with the perfect balance of guided tours and leisurely, self-guided experiences.

The Across Portugal team added thoughtful personal touches throughout our trip, making us feel extra special from start to finish. The experiences, accommodations, and dining recommendations were exceptional. Marisa also did a fantastic job helping us avoid what I call “TikTok traps”—overcrowded, overly touristy spots. We love to immerse ourselves in local culture, and Marisa delivered exactly that.

Our 13-day journey took us through Lisbon, Porto, the Douro Valley, Évora, the Algarve, and ended in Cascais. Every partner we met was knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging. Highlights included private walking tours with locals and a tuk-tuk ride that offered a unique perspective on the cities. Claudia in Lisbon was outstanding—her knowledge of the city’s history was impressive, and she made the tour fun with interesting facts beyond the typical tourist script. She also gave us great pub and bar recommendations. Sandra, our tuk-tuk driver, was warm and informative while also giving us time to soak in the sights. She even surprised us with Pastéis de Nata in Belém! Ana in Porto was another standout—her insight into the history of Porto’s churches and local food scene was top-notch.

This was our first time using a travel agency, and we’re so glad we did. Even when things didn’t go as planned—like getting food poisoning from late-night McDonald’s (avoid the garlic aioli), car trouble, and the Spain/Portugal blackout—the Across Portugal team went above and beyond. Raphael, our amazing and considerate driver, was with us the day I got sick. He immediately contacted Carlos from the team, who helped with medication recommendations. Raphael also kept my husband company and had lunch with him while I recovered—something we really appreciated.

As for the car issue... well, the team knows how that went! Honestly, without their support and Ivo stepping in, our honeymoon might have ended very differently (only kind of kidding!).

In short, the Across Portugal team is genuinely invested in their clients’ experiences. From the moment we landed, they were in constant communication, sending daily updates and plans. My husband especially appreciated the reminder texts! Their flexibility, experience, and dedication allowed us to fully enjoy our trip without stress. We're already talking about our next adventure—this time, we want to include a football match! Go Sporting! (Just don’t tell Ivo.)

A huge obrigada to Marisa (the queen of planning a honeymoon for five years!), João, Pedro, Diana, Raphael (best driver ever), Ivo (our hero), Claudia and Ana (our amazing walking tour guides), Pedro (our cooking class chef), and anyone else we may be forgetting. You made our dream trip come true!

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

This hotel was charming and quaint—perfect for our honeymoon! As a thoughtful gesture, they gifted us a bottle of port wine to celebrate, and even refilled it two days before our checkout. The room was spotless, the bed was very comfortable, and we had a spectacular view of the city. The location was excellent—around the corner was a yellow tram and it is also just a short walk to Lisboa Rossio and many other attractions. On our first day, we strolled around Lisbon and, without realizing it, passed by several landmarks we would later explore more deeply on our walking tour the next day. A wonderful start to our stay in the city!

Authenticity & Character

I loved the "boutique" feel of the lobby, with their personal touches. It was beautifully decorated!

Location

The hotel was centralized and allowed us to easily walk to attractions and restaurants!

Staff

Very helpful and friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Albar - Le Monumental Palace

Porto

This was one of the nicer hotels we stayed at with five star staff. Their breakfast was delicious with plenty of choices with the option to order from the menu. It is centrally located, with quick 5-10 minute walks to restaurants and sites. It was extremely clean, with a very comfortable bed. The hotel also gifted us with sparkling wine, strawberries, grapes, chocolate and a traditional Portuguese treat for our honeymoon. Each night we received a little "happy" that was tied to Portuguese culture. For example, we were there the night before Freedom Day where they left us a red carnation. Highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Octant Douro

Douro

This hotel is perfect for that "getaway" feeling due to it's location. The hotel is equipped with services in case you forget items (i.e., straighter, anti-wrinkle spray, books, stroller, etc.). The view of the Douro River from our bedroom window was spectacular and the drive to the resort was beautiful. Due to it's location and the winding roads, we had to drive ~30+ minutes to our experiences, which means vineyard hopping was out of the picture. We did not mind the drive, but something to keep in mind! Due to the hotel being built on a hill, the layout of the hotel is atypical - which gives it a fun feel. They have two beautiful infinity pools, one outdoor and one indoor. Their spa services looked amazing. Although we do not have kids, the hotel seemed to be very kid friendly with a kids playroom located near one of the restaurants. They have two restaurants on location, one of them holding a Michelin star. I'm a big foodie and love trying Michelin star restaurants. My husband and I both ordered the tasting menu. They seemed understaffed, which made the service slow. We recommend saving your money and eating at the "casual" restaurant or eating a la carte. Not worth $350 euros in our opinion.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

This was one of the coolest hotels we stayed at. An old convent converted into a hotel and spa! This hotel was absolutely beautiful inside and out. It was brimming with history and authenticity. There was a beautiful church connected to the hotel. They did a wonderful job restoring the convent. We enjoyed the location of the hotel and it was only a (true) 10-minute drive into Evora. The breakfast was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend staying here!

Authenticity & Character

If I could give them 10 stars, I would!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Very nice resort! Staff was very nice and did everything to accommodate us. We arrived on the day of the nationwide power outage actually and the staff did everything they could to make sure our trip wasn't impacted. The hotel had couple of restaurants that made sure the guests were taken care of. The cliffs right outside the hotel were amazing and a great walk at sunset.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Amazing hotel in a perfect spot in Cascais. Easily walkable. Staff was excellent and the rooms were nice. The bar in the hotel was very nice as well and the breakfast was just as good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

We absolutely LOVED the walking tours. Our guide was Claudia, a native of Lisbon. The walking tours are such a great way to see the city with the added bonus of learning about the city. We had accidentally seen the areas she was going to take us to the day before, and Claudia did a great job meeting our requests. We asked her to show us her favorite spots as a local. One of our first stops was to taste some ginjinha - absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, it started to rain during our tour so we had to seek cover for part of the tour. At the end of the tour she typed in my notes app her favorite places to shop, favorite sites and bars (things we had asked during our tour). Our tour ended with a short wine, port and cheese tasting!

Quality of Experience

The whole experience was amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide - she is so friendly and easy to talk to!

Transport

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

Portugal

The winery tour in the Douro Valley was a blast! The guide was knowledgeable, and seeing the traditional grape squishing vats was fascinating. We also had a special treat of a supercar convention with over two hundred cars at the winery, which was an unexpected bonus. Highly recommend the wine tasting experience.

Explore Belém on a Scenic 2-Hour Tuk Tuk Tour

Lisbon

The Tuk Tuk tour in Belém was a delightful experience and our tour guide was fantastic! It was a fun and unique way to explore the area.

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Portugal

The Fado experience was really nice! The restaurant, Mesa De Fratus, had a fantastic atmosphere with a singer who performed beautifully. She really knew how to use the acoustics of the place, and it added to the cultural feel of the evening. Overall, a ten out of ten experience, though I haven't compared it to other Fado venues.

Tickets to Pena Palace and Gardens

Portugal

It was beautiful to walk around the palace, but unfortunately, we missed out on a lot of the historical context because we didn't realize there was an app we could download with explanations so good to check that if you visit!

I was very impressed by the patience and diligence provided by Sandra during our booking process; she provided a good range of itineraries for us which was backed up by local knowledge and information on travel times, costs and points of interest. It was easier to communicate via email due to the time difference between the UK and Central America and I was given sufficient time to consider the final intinerary and costs involved. All the information in the itinerary was informative and accurate. From the time of our arrival and meeting our first driver/guide, we felt very comfortable and confident that we were in good hands with the local travel provider Va Pues.

Our itinerary started in the quiet hills of Matagalpa and Selva Negra, then on to the RIo San Juan at Guacimo Lodge, followed by the bustling island of Ometepe and then a seaside chill out on the Pacific at Hotel Punta Teonoste and finally into Grenada which was full of music, activity, interesting historic sites, great restaurants and colourful nightlife while staying in the beautiful Plaza Colon hotel - a great end to the holiday.

We enjoyed meeting all our drivers, especially Oscar Lopez, who was helpful, informative and patient when I spoke Spanish with him. He was always cheerful and welcoming on each occasion we came to meet us to drive us to our next location and even spotted a sloth in a tree one day and we stopped so we could take a closer look. All the other drivers were cheerful, positive and happy to chat with me in Spanish.

The hotels we stayed in were very comfortable with lovely big beds, clean and efficient bathrooms and friendly staff.

The guides on the various rainforest walks, bird watching walks, river and city tours were all very welcoming and experts in their fields and their enthusiasm was infectious and we thoroughly enjoyed learning about all of Nicaragua's exceptional features.

Having a Whatsapp group with Maria Jose in Nicaragua was very helpful and reassuring and she always responded quickly to our requests and this again made us comfortable, safe and confident on our travels. Having our trip organised with drivers, prebooked hotels and tours (plus the ability to add side trips) took all the possible worry and hassle from our 14 days journey around Nicaragua, and we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday - it is a great way to travel.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Selva Negra (Bungalow)

Matagalpa

Fabulous location in a cloud forest on a fully sustainable coffee farm. Great walks, bird tour and farm tour with outstanding guide, Jose.

Authenticity & Character

The history of the family who have developed the hotel and coffee farm, the ethos behind the sustainability of the farm and hotel and the fact that the everyone who works there fully supports the ethos.

Location

In the hills above Matagalpa so the mornings were cool and fresh with warm sun during the day cooler evenings which was a relief after the heat of the day.

Staff

The staff were slightly reserved on our first day probably because we didn't speak Spanish very well and the fact that the hotel had been fully booked over the Easter week and weekend and they had been working very hard but a day later, we all relaxed and they were kind and friendly. Our guide during our farm and bird tours was outstanding, Jose Maria. We enjoyed his enthusiasm for his job and his knowledge was outstanding; we were lucky enough to find a bell bird in the morning on our 2 hour guided tour which turned into 3 hours with his determination to track down the bell bird we could hear calling/taunting us to find him. It was quite a moment. In the afternoon, we continued bird watching in various parts of the farm area and saw some beautiful birds in various areas. Thank you Jose Maria.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We were given the honeymoon cottage for our stay which was comfortable, clean, spacious and set in beautiful private gardens. The hotel dining room overlooked the lake and all the shared common areas were clean and modern. The grounds were very well cared for with gardens and plants in pots watered regularly and growing very well, a beautiful area.

Guacimo Lodge

Rio San Juan

Fabulous location on the River San Juan with great staff and excellent food.

Authenticity & Character

Our beautiful cabana had beautiful views, surrounding by flowering trees and shrubs, was cool and breezy, with a separate seating area. The ceiling fan and mosquito net made for a romantic setting and the huge bed was comfortable and cool at night. The swimming pool was a huge bonus as we couldn't swim in the fast flowing river so at the end of a walk or in early evening, the pool was great for a cool down.

Location

The shared dining and sitting area was a fabulous place to sit in at any time of the day but especially at night listening to the frogs and toads and other sounds of the night, gazing at the stars.

Staff

All the staff were attentive and kin. Marjorie speaks fabulous English and was very helpful. Orlando, our guide in the rain forest and on the river was so interesting, obviously loves what he does and was fun too.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was super comfortable! The only word of caution would be to request a room/cabana at a lower level on the hill depending on your fitness.

Hotel Villa Paraiso

Santo Domingo

We arrived after a long day of travelling back up the San Juan river and across Lake Nicaragua to Rivas and then across the lake to Ometepe. The hotel is on the lake shore which was lovely and although we had booked a standard room, it was not in a great location so we asked to be moved to a better room. The receptionist was very helpful and understood our thoughts, (the standard room was quite small and didn't have a lake view). We were moved to a larger room with two double beds a separate shower and WC and a lovely sitting area outside with a hammock and lake view - perfect! The hotel was quite busy but service was good, except they had run out of fruit for breakfast the next morning. The hotel organised a motorbike for us for a tour of the island which was great fun.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the lake shore with nice walks along the beach, facing the sunrise.

Staff

Once I started to try to speak Spanish, there were a few more smiles from the staff - we think they had had a hectic Easter and were a bit tired of guests!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean room and comfortable beds.

Hotel Punta Teonoste

Tola

Fabulous hotel on a huge sandy Pacific Ocean beach. Great architecture of main dining/sitting/entertainment area and spacious comfortable cabana.

Authenticity & Character

Fabulous beach side hotel, with a lovely cold pool which was perfect for cooling off - it was colder than the sea, which was a gorgeous temperature. We walked on the beach to watch the sunset, sunrise and do some rock pooling and we could have walked further along the dunes if we had had time. The sea had some great waves and a great expanse of beautiful sand and easy swimming.

Location

We were the only people on the huge, sandy beach - what more could you ask for? The hotel sits in its own extensive grounds with around 15 individual cabanas with no near neighbours.

Staff

Fun, friendly, cheerful and eager to please with good service skills. We enjoyed speaking to the staff in English which they were trying to learn and Spanish which I was keen to practice. The manager spoke very good English which we needed on one occasion when ordering a Snapper for dinner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a two bedroom cabana, one room with air conditioning and one room upstairs which had a fan and huge window with fly screen; we chose the a/c room as it was very hot! The open air shower was fabulous and the rest of the bathing area was open air and discretely designed. We chose this hotel as we didn't want to be in a busy seaside resort or surfing town like San Juan del Sur and I would recommend that KimKim/Va Pues look at it as a recommended hotel.

Hotel Plaza Colon

Granada

Beautiful hotel in the centre of Grenada overlooking the main plaza. We had a room overlooking the plaza but it was incredibly quiet when the balcony doors were closed at night.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was first renovated around15 years ago but all areas and our room appear to be freshly decorated and well cared for. The pool in the second courtyard was a welcome facility after exploring the city or being out and about on a tour of the Masaya volcano and the Pueblos Blancos. Breakfast was fabulous with a large choice and we especially enjoyed the wonderful fresh fruit and great Nicaraguan coffee!

Location

Great location in the middle of the small city of Grenada so it was very easy for exploring the beautiful historic buildings and finding lovely places to eat. The city buzzes with music in the square in the later afternoons/early evening but closes down around 9 pm each night over the weekend when we were there. We felt safe and secure walking around the city and people were friendly and helpful.

Staff

The staff at this hotel are outstanding especially Jamie who has been there for 18 years and she does everything from serving breakfast to staffing the bar in the evenings, brilliantly. She is so cheerful, her English is excellent but she also helped me practice my Spanish with great patience and humour. The security staff in the evenings were very attentive and friendly too, as were the reception staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spacious with a huge bed, desk and chair and a wonderful shower, plus an iron and ironing board! The pool area was cool and comfortable with covers for the sunbeds and lots of towels.

Activity Reviews

Matagalpa - Sustainable Farm Tour Selva Negra

matagalpa

Outstanding guiding by Jose Maria.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Matagalpa - Birdwatching Tour at Selva Negra

matagalpa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio San Juan - Night tour at Guacimo Lodge

Río San Juan

Outstanding guide, Orlando

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoeing Indio Maiz Nature Reserve

Río San Juan

Outstanding guide, Orlando

Quality of Experience

We saw beautiful birds and a pair of rare cats, Tyrahs.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Masaya Highlights : Masaya Volcano, The White Villages (Pueblos Blancos) , Catarina viewpoint, , Artisan Market

Nicaragua

Unfortunately we felt that our guide was a bit tired of taking yet more travellers on this tour, everything was a bit rushed and we had to tell him that we wanted more time at the Masaya volcano museum to look at photos and read signs after his good description at the beginning of the tour around the relief model of the volcano. In addition, as the volcano is a bit active at the time, only one small path and area where the smoke/heat vents are located, was open. We enjoyed the visit to the pottery but again there, the potter and his staff were a bit bored with the presentation and we were in and out in about 10 minutes despite asking questions. The Pueblos Blancos were a bit disappointing overall as it was very touristy although the pre ordered lunch was nice and in a quiet spot away from the parking areas. In hindsight we should have chosen the Mombacho volcano tour which would have given us (hopefully) a more in depth visit to the area without the touristy part of the tour although we did want to see the handicrafts of the villages but only saw these at the market in Masaya.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was good but the guide was a bit disinterested - we felt he had carried out this tour too many times!

Transport

Hanna created an amazing adventure for my son and I in Iceland. The Katla Ice Caves were a next level experience on the glaciers! Trip provided clear directions with so many options of the best things to do and see from hikes, waterfalls, Diamond Beach, and food options. We slept well every night! Hanna’s choices of hotels all included comfortable beds, great breakfasts and dinner options. Food was expensive so appreciated having a solid breakfast then picking up lunches at local grocery shops while out exploring. Thank you Hanna!!

We had a wonderful experience from planning and during the trip. The guides were the highlight of our experience as they had deep knowledge of how to think about and find natural wonders. We felt very taken care of and also able to do our own thing when we wanted to by renting a car and when we wondered if something was possible every question was entertained thoughtfully. Would definitely use Serendipity Adventures and Kimkim again !

Hi kimkim,

First of all, my friend and traveling companion—Deb—and myself have never seen ourselves as tour people.

But since kimkim isn't your usual tour company, we discovered that we loved being able to work with someone to plan and execute a trip to such an exotic destination as Morocco.

And then once we arrived, having the luxury of a private driver who became our traveling buddy (and guide in his own right), along with guides who illuminated specific sites.

In addition to the amazing country itself, we must also give enormous credit to Llyace for making our journey through Morocco enjoyable and memorable.

Travel always comes with both pleasures and inconveniences, large and small. But with Llyace as our travel companion, he helped maximize the former and minimize the later.

He made us feel welcomed to his country because he saw his role as more than merely our driver, he was our amiable escort through every city we visited.

His professionalism resulted in confident driving, punctuality, hospitality and a desire to see to our every need. Even when those needs included quickly finding a pharmacy in the middle of the Moroccan countryside to help us concur a health aliment.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that we quickly gained the confidence that no matter what we wanted, needed or didn’t even know we desired he would deliver with warmth and good humor.

His personable attitude helped us feel welcomed and never alone no matter where we ventured in the exotic land of Morocco.

Our hope now is that not only are we are blessed enough to have companions like him on the future adventures we hope to take with kimkim—but that others are too.

With sincere appreciation,
Myles

We had an incredible time in Brazil thanks to Bruno's excellent planning. This was a last minute trip but Bruno absolutely pulled it out of the bag to ensure we had an amazing time in Rio with our guide Marcelo and in Iguazu Falls with our guide Edson. Both guides went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time and Bruno kept us updated with details along the way. Rio and Iguazu were beyond expectation and we're so grateful for the experience. Thank you to the whole team for the trip of a lifetime!

We had a mostly great trip with a few little issues. Our hotels in Santiago and Buenos Aries were fantastic as was our private guide at Iguazu (Marcello). Johanna listened and understood what we were after in our trip.
Our transfers from our hotels to the airport were on-time with great communication from the drivers, however our airport transfers from Santiago and B.A. were poor (or non-existent in one case). Full credit to Kim Kim though, through Kristy who intervened straight away to assist us and provide instructions and reimbursement when required. It was good to know that when things didn’t quite go to plan that there was someone readily available who could assist.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cumbres Lastarria

Santiago

Palo Santo Hotel

Buenos Aires

Loved everything about this hotel! The location, the breakfasts, the staff, the service. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Saint George

Puerto Iguazú

Unfortunately they insisted we pay for our room, even though it had been paid for. Easily sorted by Kim Kim. 👍🏻

Activity Reviews

Fly to Puerto Iguazu

Argentina

Excellent communication and transport at both ends.

Arrival in Santiago de Chile

Santiago

Driver didn’t show. Our plane was early so we understood there may have been a wait. We had no communication from the driver and travel company and they did not respond to phone calls. We were still at the airport well after our plane arrived. Fortunately Kristy from Kim Kim assisted and we arranged a taxi and were reimbursed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Santiago to Buenos Aires

Santiago

5 stars for our transport to the airport in Santiago. Our driver for early and provided great communication, however a poor experience at the airport in Buenos Aries. Whilst we had communication from the transport provider which was pleasing, it took a while to locate our driver outside the airport. Our transport was a taxi and the driver was too busy scrolling through his phone to look for us. (He scrolled through his phone for the whole drive). Unimpressed.

A Day of Adventure at Iguazu Falls: Exploring the Argentinian Side & Gran Aventura

Argentina

Marcello was an outstanding guide, a fantastic experience made even better by having a private guide who was passionate about his home. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Iguazú Falls (Brazilian Side) - Fly to Rio de Janeiro

Argentina

Another great experience with Marcello!

A lot of transfer from airport to hotel and trian station to hotel where left to us. Would rather that be part of the service. Didn’t like tours being shared.

This was another very nice trip arranged by Kimkim. Overall impression was really good; everything was well organized, and the level of activities was just appropriate for our taste and our capabilities. And yes, we were quite lucky with the weather.

We just stayed in three hotels during our 14 nights trip, which proved to be a good decision as transportation is one of the weak points, especially on Bali. All three hotels were exceptional, but the most we liked Tejaprana Resort & Spa in Ubud.

We like to praise Marc for the planning process. After we gave Marc our traveling details and basic wishes, he generated initial trip plan amazingly quickly, but we were not completely satisfied with it. We proposed several changes, but Marc was politely persistent and give us clear arguments why proposed changes might not be so good idea. We are glad that at the end we accepted originally proposed plan with only one minor change, as this proved to be optimal! Just one example: we insisted to see also Kuta beach on Bali, but this fairly short excursion from Ubud to Uluwatu temple, Kuta beach and back to Ubud took us nearly eight(!) hours of driving, as commuting in Bali is a serious problem.

We like to summarize that all involved guides and drivers on both islands were prompt, polite and knowledgeable.
We like to thank the complete involved team to arrange really nice trip for us.

Guide Oscar palomino was amazing. You can’t find a better guide

We had a wonderful holiday throughout Vietnam & Cambodia. Huyen organised an ideal family itinerary visiting many sights & we met such lovely & funny tour guides who made the holiday memorable. We highly recommend the KimKim team who were always available to answer messages & requests at anytime. Thanks again!

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Wonderful service, delicious food & memorable sights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saigon By Night Food Tour - Experience Vietnam on Two Wheels (Small Group tour)

Ho Chi Minh City

Such a fun tour in Saigon, my favourite night of our 2 wk holiday. Thanks to the lovely ladies who drove us around the city & gave us a great insight into the culture of the Vietnamese people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louis was very helpful in planning our trip to Morocco, especially with it being a last minute trip. We absolutely loved every moment of our trip and cannot wait to return one day. Our driver, Az, was very helpful, educated us about the area, and was very enjoyable. Our amenities and service was also very pleasant and hospitable. Lastly, our tour guide was very nice and we enjoyed hearing and learning about the country from his lens. This is my second time using kimkim and I will definitely use them for my next trip.

Hotel Review

Riad Atrium & Spa

Marrakesh

I enjoy this accommodation. Very comfortable and clean. The staff and the owner were very hospitality and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride

Marrakesh

This was a great experience and I’m glad we added it on. During my own research I did find several vendors that were about half the cost of our booked hot air balloon ride, so I thought it was slightly overpriced. Nonetheless, it was a great experience and worth doing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Happy they provided food for such an early morning excursion.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub & Massage

Morocco

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

I really enjoyed this experience. I possibly would’ve have added more stops to historical sites or attractions but it’s also hard to fit so much in the allotted time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The whole adventure in Morocco was absolutely amazing.
Early planning is the key to success. Said worked with us so that we had the ultimate experience throughout our journey.
Our driver, Mustapha, went above and beyond to make sure we had the best experiences.
All our guides were exceptional except for one.
The hotels and riads were excellent.

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Tanger City Center Hotel and Residences

Tangier

not exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Small ,intimate Ryad. Very different experience Unfortunately very noisy at night. Food not exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Lovely hotel and beautiful gardens. We had a wonderful room on top floor with outstanding view. The walk from the car to hotel a little disconcerting - a very narrow alley and not very clean. Then the entrance to hotel transforms into a paradise. Quite an amazing experience. Staff extremely helpful and friendly. Gardens beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar El Kabbaba

Skoura

This was paradise. Peaceful , tranquil . The gardens were absolutely amazing . Intimate outdoor eating areas: Large but intimate dining room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Beautiful hotel - full of history - intimate seating areas, The decor so authentic you would believe you were in a different century and living in an ex patriots dream.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Luxury Camp Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

Not quite as we expected but we were in the desert. Accommodation basic. Heating (for the nights) and a/c( during the day) was not very efficient. Food not good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful and efficient. Also always cheerful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel La Tour Hassan Palace

Rabat

Fabulous. Highly recommend. Beautiful setting. Accommodation superb. The dining experience not quite up to expectation. Service extremely slow and food not as ordered.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Casablanca Hotel

Casablanca

Marvelous location. Beautiful setting. Very large but furnishings and decor superb. Easy to get lost in the cavernous halls and public areas. Food not exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tangier Guided tour

Tangier

Marvelous guide with great sense of humor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes Guided Tour: Unravel the Riches of Morocco's Ancient City

Fes

Wonderful experience with great guide. Much more compact Medina therefore easier to negotiate.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Chefchaoeun

Chefchaouen

Rain rather dampened the experience. A definite stopping place to experience the real Morocco.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Long drive - but full of experiences . Guide at Volubilis not very good. But the site was amazing. Not enough time for Moulay Idriss and only a drive thorough Meknes. Wish we had more time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Long drive but interesting and scenic. Erfoud very dramatic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Skoura to Marrakech

Morocco

Interesting stops along the road.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Desert adventures around Merzouga

Merzouga

Best lunch we had was in Merzouga. Interesting driving around the Bedouin camps.Such resilience aginst all the elements. Music cafe was very enjoyable. That was an excellent experience. Camel ride OK

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike through Berber Villages

Morocco

WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. Lunch with a Berber family a heart warming experience. The market gardens were wonderfully kept by the farmers who owned each of the allotments. Great guide who explained how the gardens were allotted and cared for. by each farmer.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Overwhelming. People, smells and noise. Felt perfectly safe and free to roam anywhere. Cafes interesting but food not exciting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Majorelle Garden

Marrakesh

A must do. Book well ahead. Beautiful gardens and lovely cafe for lunch or tea. Museum a little disappointing. Not many fashion displays.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Did not enjoy the experience. Food was awful and guide not interested in sharing knowledge. Do not recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Guided Exploration of Rabat

Rabat

Rabat a beautiful city. Modern intermingled with lots of historic and traditional buildings. Chellah Necropolis magical. Wonderful atmosphere. White storks a spectacle in themselves. Beautiful waterfront. Royal Palace and Mausoleums gorgeous. Late afternoon perfect time to go. No crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-guide

Morocco

Not a very interesting city. Do not recommend more than one night. Very very crowded and traffic jams everywhere. Also very polluted. El Hassan Mosque magnificent but very overpowering. Not much else to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The whole journey was exceptional. All went to plan.
The guides and drivers were excellent. Knowledgeable, helpful and always polite.
From the planning through to the completion of our tour in Southern Spain was above and beyond our expectation.
The hotels especially the Hospes group were absolutely beautiful . The accommodation, concierge service, were excellent. The hotel in Sevilla (Colon Gran Melia) was perhaps not quite up to the Hospes standard. A little tired around the edges.It could do with a refit. Would have liked to have stayed at the Las Casa del Rey de Breza in Sevilla
We will definitely use Kimkim again.

Hotel Review

Hotel Hospes Palacio del Bailío

Córdoba

Absolutely beautiful. All our needs taken care of - efficiently and courteously. Dining room a wonderful experience . The dinners on both occasions were excellent. The coffee station at breakfast could have been a little more efficient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Málaga Cruise

Málaga

Too long and not very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Málaga

Spain

Guide was excellent and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Guided Visit of Ronda

Spain

Rained out

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, Hike the Caminito del Rey

Spain

Rained out

Quality of Experience

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

Guide was excellent. Walked to many places off the beaten track Wonderful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A few days ago we (me and my husband) returned from a travel throughout the Brasil. Bruno gave me perfect itinerary and did all booking of the hotels, transfers and flights during our 10 days trip. We have bad luck with canceling of one of the flights, but thanks to Brino’s quick response we were able to get to the next one on the same day. All transfers ran smoothly. As for local guides, Luis in Rio was excellent, very knowledgeable about the history of Rio and Brasil. Addition to all ‘must see’ in Rio, he showed us a lot of hidden gems od Rio. It was like a walking with some celebrity, because he is/was a professor to almost all other guides we met, so he was warmly greeted everywhere. Edson in Foz do Iguacu was also very knowledgeable about the nature and wildlife in the area of these beautiful waterfalls. And at the end Amazonia, which was amazing. Tupana lodge, regarding which I was a little bit sceptic, turned out to be everything that Bruno promised, and Carlos, our guide there, true nature lover, explained us a lot about birds, other animals, forests and native people.
All in all, beautiful experience. Warm ‘thank you’ to Bruno and to all people we met throughout our trip, Natasa

My guide was truly amazing, but so was the driver. One day it was raining and we had a few hours left and he suggested going to the library. I'm an academic, so I was up for it to get out of the rain. It wasn't a normal library. There was a scale model of the region with every building and tree. We spent two hours there and could have stayed longer. It was more like a museum.

We had a fabulous time during our 15-day trip to Japan! The trip was planned and coordinated by local specialist Shona. She did a great job in planning the trip the way we wanted (including all the train reservations). We visited Tokyo (5 Nights), Kyoto (5 Nights), Matsue (2 Nights) and Osaka (2 Nights). In Tokyo and Kyoto, we had several private full day trips to points of interest as suggested and planned by Shona. Our local tour guides Yumi (Tokyo) and Yuji and Ken (Kyoto) were all great in explaining the importance of the sites we visited. In Matsue and Osaka, we chose to do the sightseeing on our own but followed suggestions from Shona. The selected Hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka met our expectations. In Matsue we chose to stay at a Ryokan which provided a great cultural experience with Japanese traditions including the prefixed Japanese style dinners). If anyone is planning a trip to Japan, I would highly recommend Shona as your local travel specialist.

It was amazing to get to do our 11 day trip to France and not worry about booking anything but dinner! And even then, the KimKim team helped us by calling restaurants we couldn’t book online and speaking to them in French to make our reservation.

Our bike tour in Versailles with Aurora was amazing, she was an amazing guide! Our other favorite part was the fondue dinner and lake cruise in Annecy with Paul. He had fantastic service, was very personable, and taught us a lot of interesting history about the area.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Domaine de Bayeux

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendid Hotel Lac d'Annecy - Handwritten Collection

Annecy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of everything! So easy to walk around town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel A la Villa des Artistes

Paris

Room was very small and cramped, there was not even enough space to lay out our small carry-on bags. The bathroom shower had tile pieces that were rusted and the hardware had fallen off. We also couldn’t get the room to cool down, but luckily it was nice outside so we slept with our windows open. The highlight was the courtyard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Versailles : Food & Palace Bike Tour - Full Day

France

Loved the bike ride! Such an amazing way to see Versailles. Our favorite part was shopping in the local market and then having our picnic at the lake. It will be a highlight of the trip, for sure! And our guide, Aurora, was Amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aurora was amazing! Her English was great and she told us so many interesting things about the history.

Transport

Full Day Tour of Omaha and Utah Beaches & Normandy Landings Sites

Bayeux

It was a long day but a good one. Definitely wear good shoes and layers (it was windy and 49 degrees the day we went). Our guide gave us the perfect amount of time at each location and the flow of the tour itself was very intuitive. Overall, it was memorable and very moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Giverny along the way

France

Highlight of the trip! It’s a must to if you are in the area in April or May.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Le Louvre Private Tour

Paris

It was a great learning experience, but I probably would have done a shorter tour because it was so busy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private cruise & Cheese Fondue on Annecy Lake

Annecy

If you have the chance to do this, DO IT. The lake is gorgeous, but there is so much more than meets the eye from the shore of Annecy. This was a highlight of our trip! The fondue dinner was fresh and delicious, and our guide provided wine and blankets (we went in May and it got a little chilly).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paul was an amazing guide! So knowledgeable about all the houses and properties around the lake. He did an amazing job!

Transport

Haut Marais & Canal St Martin Food Tour

Paris

It was a very insightful tour, although it was a bit more like a history tour with food as an accent, verses the other way around. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kind.

Quality of Experience

I wish it had been two hours or in a more condensed area. It was a lot of walking and most of the food was dessert, which was a lot of sweets in a short amount of time. I wish there had been more savory food included as well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fenne was my main contact and very helpful. Our itinerary enabled us to move smoothly from one space to another. We felt confident with the instructions. Hotels were very good. Well done, KimKim! Thank you

Ammar has been very helpful in the hotel checkin and recommending stops and timming of activities.

Samir has been good in the setup and tweaking of our itinary and following up to make sure things were ok.