Kimkim Trip Reviews

Lana’s birthday trip to Greece was an unqualified success. You will recall that she alone coordinated with you for a variety of excursions and experiences. After the first draft was developed, she asked me for my thoughts; I do not recall suggesting any changes.
After arriving in Athens on Day 01, we rested briefly in the hotel and took pictures of the view out the window. It took us a day to confirm that we were seeing the Acropolis – but not the Parthenon because a building rose to perfectly block its view. That was rectified by going to the hotel rooftop at sunset on Day 02.
Our first excursion was with Katrine as our guide for a neighborhood food tour. While I am not a chef, and do not enjoy cooking, the details Katrine provided at each of the stops along the tour were quite informative. It was simply a superb start to our visit to Greece. If our tour ended with that tour, the trip to Greece would have been a clear success. Wonderful.
Our Day 02 with Michael was exemplary. While I had no particular interest in Greek mythology, he made the morning quite educational. It was only after another mythology tour on Mykonos with a delightful Elizabeth that I learned mythology provides a guidepost for navigating life, death, and a host of other challenges in life.
Day 03 began with different Elizabeth picking us up at the hotel in a snazzy Mercedes to begin a thoroughly enjoyable day at Hyra – and no cruise ships. When the church that she wanted us to visit was closed, we had a wonderful discussion on the ability to improvise without needing to be annoyed at the circumstance. Our engagement with the mules was fun – strangely, they did not appear to be stubborn! Our horse ride began on a low note - I was tethered to Lana’s horse whose bridle was being led by the guide – while two young Irish lasses were free to handle the reins of their beasts. On the return leg I was allowed full control and my ride was a perfect success – I even motioned the guide away when he attempted to regain control because the horse was nibbling at leaves on an overhanging tree. At the end of that day, I wished that Elizabeth could be our guide again – anywhere; she was incredibly engaging.
Day 04 at Mykonos was fun – the taxi driver humorously warned us that we would get lost in town. I’d not say we got lost, but the way back to the hotel was not perfectly direct. As we approached the hotel from our initial wandering, we stopped and watched the rehearsal of a community dance group in an amphitheater across from the hotel.
The start of Day 05 was an absolute success with Dimitri leading us on a hike from the family vineyard to the coast and back. It was more than exercise – it was pure entertainment and full of informative details about life outside town, careers, family, churches, religion, etc.
The second part of Day 05 was a bit of disappointment. The guide, Sylvia, made sure that we were photographed at all her favorite locations. That is not our style, but we accommodated her. Except for the windmills, we had already walked to the stops she led us too. Unlike the engaging, educational food tour by Katrine in Athens, Sylvia’s food tour was ultimately underwhelming. In fact, the meal that we had was the second worst of my life – and to be honest, I do not recall my worst meal. I nibbled at the gyros to be polite. At the conclusion of her tour, Sylvia insisted on guiding us to a pathway leading straight back to our hotel, before going in the direction of her car. When she was out of sight, we turned around and went back into town to wander. While hydrating back at our hotel, we spoke at length with another, engaging guest and then walked crossed the roadway to the amphitheater for the production version of the community dance group. While there were no subtitles (!) or translations available, it was enthralling!
Day 06 was fundamentally a rest day since Lana was not particularly enthused about a hike up Mt. Zeus. I was more than enthused, but that was not relevant, I’ll hike for three weeks come August.
The Day 07 bike tour on Naxos began with a hiccup. We generally are at meeting points ten minutes early and are present when the driver or guide arrives. That was not the case this day, so Lana coordinated with the hotel clerk to arrange a very short ride to the bike shop where we met Manos. We quickly made up for lost time and were soon on e-bikes headed for the hills. What an absolute gem of an excursion. The experience matched that of the Athens food tour with Katrina and Elizabeth’s tour of Hydra in terms of quality, content, and immersion into Greek culture. Time at the goat farm was simply priceless. Fabulous beyond words. The evening mythology tour, while somewhat repetitive, proved to be very enjoyable. I don’t recall ever listening to English being spoken with a foreign accent with such perfect enunciation and pronunciation -- and with captivating inflection. Elizabeth packaged an interesting evening and graciously melded the expertise of a very knowledgeable young member of our group.
Day 08 proved to be long and tiring. On the ferry dock we enjoyed conversing with our driver who also had driven us to the hotel on our first day at Naxos. While standing in the queue we had a good time with several fellow travelers. Since we had a reasonably late breakfast at the hotel, we were not hungry at (U.S.) lunchtime so we ate light snacks on the ferry. Another Dimitri met us at the hotel, and he was as energetic as any guide could be. Picking up on his energy, we told him that the performance bar had been set high by our previous guides. To give him full credit, he tried; but at a key point in the tour, he had to leave us to enter Akrotiri alone because he was not allowed to guide its tour. After he dropped us at the gate to Akrotiri, we had to navigate the site independently – no pamphlet was provided. I admit I did not research the site as I most certainly should have. Since we entered the site without a clue about its basics, I found a QR code that linked to an English website still in development. I also found a PDF I could download, but that was impractical on the iPhone. Halfway through the site I found audio snippets via QR, but the associated diagrams were tough to interpret and many of the objects discussed were not onsite – they were in museums. The breadth of the excavation was stunning – and I learned later that night that it might take another 100 years to finish excavation. After rejoining Dimitri outside Akrotiri, he gave us two options: visit another castle or nearby Red Beach. We chose the latter in hopes that it would bring the day to an early end. It did not and the lack of a lunch break began to take a toll on our energy and moods. After leaving the interesting beach he drove us slowly to another photo-op site and then slowly back to the hotel as if to end the tour closer to the contracted time. One last point about the tour – it was in a rattletrap vehicle that left me unable to understand much of Dimitri’s constant stream of data and eventually led me to tune him out. OK, to be fair to him, I wear hearing aids to restore consonants that over wise would be lost in the ethers. If the consonants were in fact restored during the ride, they were overwritten by the rattling. Lana and I ended the day with a short walk to a restaurant that tested my resolve to keep the hearing aids powered on. We did not get a seat with a wonderful view of the caldera, instead we were ushered to a table set partway into a serving isle. I asked to be moved inside where I then discovered I could not hear Lana over the din created by waiters, bar tenders, music, and acoustics. We asked to be moved again – and were offered a street side, outdoor seat on a very chilly night. All of that movement was of our making, and I apologized to the manager for being so picky at which point he entertained us with stories of really picky customers – a group in which he said we did not fit! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and his gracious hospitality.
The single scheduled event on Day 09 is always one of Lana’s favorite events – a regional cooking class. The class was perfectly enjoyable; great hands-on participation. Oddly, the lunch and wine tasting afterwards was ostensibly redundant – the food was the same, but double in portion size -- and the wine was similar in the pairing. The only noticeable difference between the two sessions was the dessert. Regardless of the redundancy, the meals had exceptional Greek flavors.
The weather reports for Day 10 promised an overcast day with chilly temperatures matched by high winds which led me to research the possibility of cancellation – not a chance. We spent part of the morning stepping down the 588 steps leading to dockside. There I purchased a trophy (Greek) hat on the assumption that we would successfully ascend the staircase. We did so without the aid of mules and celebrated with ice cream cones. Following quick rehydration, we walked quickly north so we could walk out to the Rock. And then we stuffed warm clothes into a backpack and were driven to the port for our catamaran sunset cruise. The weather was not as forecast – we only needed sweaters. It was as glorious as every other day in Greece – a perfect conclusion to our very, very successful visits to Athens, Hydra, Mykonos, Naxos and Santorini.
Thank you, Sydney, for helping make Lana’s birthday travel a marvelous success.

We just completed an incredible trip through Morocco organized by Hassan and his company, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

From the very beginning, Hassan was responsive, thoughtful, flexible, and genuinely interested in tailoring the trip to what Kate and I wanted. He listened carefully to our interests, answered countless questions, made adjustments when requested, and created an itinerary that struck a perfect balance between comfort, authenticity, adventure, and relaxation. He was very patient as we went through the process of creating our itinerary which involved tweaking here and there.

The accommodations throughout the trip were outstanding and each had its own unique character. The riads in Fes and Marrakech were beautiful, intimate, and full of personality, while our stay in Merzouga and the luxury desert camp in the Sahara were unforgettable. Riding camels into the dunes at sunset and spending the night in the desert beneath the stars was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The tents themselves were remarkably comfortable and far beyond anything we expected.

A huge part of what made the trip so special was our local guide, driver and on-the-ground host, Hamid, who was with us throughout the journey. Hamid was wonderful — friendly, funny, outgoing, and knowledgeable. His English was excellent, he always made us feel comfortable, and he seamlessly coordinated everything with the local guides and experiences Hassan arranged along the way. Whether navigating the medinas in Fes and Marrakech, the long drive through the Atlas Mountains, and the remote desert villages we went through, he handled everything for us..

What made this trip stand apart was that we truly felt we were experiencing the real Morocco through the lens of both Hassan and Hamid. The trip felt deeply authentic and personal in a way that would have been almost impossible to replicate on our own. We visited places, met people, and had experiences we never would have discovered independently.

While budget was never our primary concern, we were honestly astonished by the value provided relative to the quality of the accommodations, logistics, guides, transportation, and overall experience. Having every detail thoughtfully coordinated removed all stress from the trip and allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in Morocco and its culture.

This was one of the most memorable trips we have ever taken, and much of that is thanks to Hassan and Hamid.

Elena put together a smooth, effortless experience for us. She was available for the entire trip on WhatsApp if we had any questions (of which we had a few!!). Can't wait for our next trip to Italy :)

Everything went as pre-planned, with continual support before, and during our trip from the Kim Kim team via WhatsApp. We were very happy with our hotels, city guides and the whole experience. I'd recommend Kim Kim to any individual travelers who like to plan their own itineraries.

From the start of my perfect itinerary to Northern Italy, the KimKim’s specialists Elisa and later on, Leslie were incredible at taking notes on all my suggestions and accommodating my wishes for every part of the trip. They planned carefully the itinerary and we enjoyed every parto of our visit to: Milan, Verona, Lake Garda, Bolzano and Venice; the highlight and most difficult part was our visit to the Dolomites, but they found the most wonderful Guide, Alessandro, who took us up and down those gorgeous mountains, valleys, lakes and little towns! It was above all my expectations and the best experience of my life! Thank you all!

Activity Reviews

Venice at Sunset: Cicchetti, Food & Wine Tour

Venice

Our guide Anna was really the perfect guide for this activity, we had so much fun wondering the bars and food locations all around the San Polo neighborhood. The last restaurant where the served us pasta was not a good choice, not a typical place and the food choices we had were not good at all. The rest was perfect!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Heart of the Dolomites " (Eastern Dolomites)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent

"The Great Dolomites Road" (Western Dolomites)

Italy

The most beautiful rides through mountains, lakes, valleys and towns ever! Alessandro is very knowledgeable, lives in the area and takes you to where you get to see the very best of the Dolomites! Driving the Great Road of the Dolomites was an unbelievable experience. The only cable car open after closure of winter season was the highlight with the most amazing view!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Lake Garda: Sirmione, Malcesine, Cable Car to Monte Baldo

Italy

Our driver and Elena, our guide in Sirmione were great, friendly and very professional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great experiences! Attentive service! Superior customer service. Planned great venues around our interests.

Perfect introduction to Croatian Adriatic coast

Hotel Reviews

Riva Marina Hvar Hotel

Hvar

Great staff. Comfortable but limited luggage space

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Porto

Dubrovnik

Convenient to bus for old city. Spacious. Great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

New hotel so not focused on authenticity/character

Location

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Salona, Trogir and Klis

Split

Guide was fantastic. Gave history and insights. Very accommodating. Superb lunch recommendation

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

F

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

Knowledgeable guide. Perfect length of time. Informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class in the countryside

Hvar

Wow. Phenomenal setting. Wonderful food. Hosts like family

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lumbarda wine tasting tour with local snacks

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dubrovnik Food Tour

Dubrovnik

Very knowledgeable guide. Good variety of food

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vicky, our advisor, did an amazing job. Sydney opera house, barrier reef snorkeling, rain forests, animals, Southern Ocean lodge, all amazing. And the Australian people are so incredibly warm and welcoming.

Thank you for such a lovely and thoughtfully planned trip - Our family had such a lovely time and appreciate the way all the details came together so smoothly. Every accommodation, every transfer, and all recommendations were carefully crafted and delightfully recieved. There were far too many beautiful staff and operator interactions to single out anyone specifically - but everyone was so kind and accommodating for our kids and that means the world to us - thank you again!

Our initial interaction with Christine were excellent. Also, she was very responsive to any questions we had and so we trusted Kim Kim to have all the arrangements made per our requests. We would have given both a 5 star review but due to the following, we are giving 4 stars:
1. We had requested aisle seat plus second seat next to aisle way in advance but when we checked out we were given middle seats on the way to Seoul and return. This may seem trivial but due to medical reasons, an aisle seat was very important
2. We had specifically requested small group tour but in Seoul ended up being on a 26 person tour. Another disappointment was that the tour was a Viator tour that we could have booked on our own.
3. Our time in Jeju was a little disappointing as we thought we would have a tour guide who was more informative on the history and culture of Jeju. She is a lovely person who drove us everywhere but for what we paid for this tour and what our expectations were for having a driver/tour guide- it was a bit disappointing. We also felt that the content of the tour was not as we had expected. We are unsure if it could have been more interesting.

Having said this, we appreciate all the timely pickups by drivers and Christine’s responses to our questions and concerns. She tried to make up for the complaints by a credit and a lunch.

Hotel Reviews

GoldOne Hotel & Suites

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lotte City Hotel Jeju

Jeju

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L7 HAEUNDAE by LOTTE

Busan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soi Hanok Stay

cheongju

We booked this hotel on our own and lived it. Excellent place

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HOTEL THE BOTANIK SEWOON MYEONGDONG

Seoul

Excellent location. Service was fine and room was adequate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Seongsan Ilchulbong and Dongmun Traditional Market

Jeju Island

This day was a bit disappointing. Tour area were a bit touristy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Hallasan, Tea Plantation and Spirited Garden Tour

Jeju Island

The hike to the the peak was fun and informative. The spirited garden is a must see for all!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Bulguksa Temple and National Museum Tour

Gyeongju

Jino was an excellent guide. He shared all Sorts of historical and cultural information that made our time more memorable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small Group Full Day Busan Tour (Max 6 Pax)

Busan

Quality of Experience

Hi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul City Sightseeing (Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower & Namsangol Hanok Village)

Seoul

Due to group size

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had been wanting to visit the Loire for years and to have the whole trip organised for us was so much easier.
All the chateaux visited were excellent and the interpretations offered by our guides Alex and Chloe offered insights and history we had no idea about. These professional guides were essential. The wine tastings were an entertaining, informative and a relaxing way to end the day. Some light snacks with the tastings would have been appreciated.
Thanks to Caroline and her colleagues for quick and positive responses to our queries and requests. We would certainly consider using KikKim for future trip.
Bernie from Hong Kong 🇭🇰

Amandine was great , I would definitely recommend her, we were in very good hands with all the things we planned.

We had an excellent trip.
We were very lucky with the weather during the first two weeks of May — it was perfect for sightseeing.
Tayeb was a wonderful driver: thoughtful, punctual, accommodating, and fluent in English.
The itinerary was excellent and allowed us to experience the country’s diversity — from vibrant cities, to the High Mountains, to the desert, and finally the sea.
Although we very much enjoyed staying in the riads, it was lovely to end our trip in Essaouira at an international hotel with all the amenities and right beside the ocean.

Highlights
• The blue city of Chefchaouen, including our walk to the Spanish Mosque
• Volubilis — a fascinating historical site
• Merzouga — sleeping in a tent under the stars and the camel ride
• Boumalne Dades and the wonderful Todra Gorge
• Being lucky enough to experience the Rose Festival and see the rose fields in bloom
• Marrakesh, We thoroughly enjoyed the Majorelle Gardens (though we would also have enjoyed visiting other exhibits), the balloon ride and the excellent cooking class

Upon arriving in Casablanca, I would recommend touring Hassan II mosque and driving immediately to Rabat.
General Comments
Casablanca – Barcelo Casablanca. The city is very noisy. Recommend room on upper floor near the back of the building.
Rabat – Riad Kalaaz We had a wonderful breakfast. The room was a split level with the stairs going down very close to the entrance door. They should have railings for safety.
Enjoyed seaside lunch at Asilah
Tangier – Palais Zohia . Excellent location. Beautiful inner courtyards. Room is a little small. Enjoyed medina . Good local guide. He recommended excellent restaurant for supper.
Chefchaoeun – Taj Chefchaoeun Very nice hotel. Lots of stairs to reach hotel. Very good guide who recommended many excellent spots for photos. We enjoyed the walk our guide recommended to the Spanish mosque at sunset.
Volubilis thoroughly enjoyed walking through the Roman ruins,
Fes - Riad El Amine Fes – Lovely room. Great roof top restaurant. Beautiful courtyard.
Guide was good and necessary as the Medina is large and very confusing to navigate.
Merzouga - Tiziri Luxery camp. Loved sleeping in the tent and riding the camel.
Boumaine Dadas -Dar Rihana Dades Lovely hotel. (Towels were a little hard). Excellent food!
Marrakesh - Riad Atrium and Spa. The courtyard was very nice. The room was good but the rug inside the room was very worn. We thoroughly enjoyed the Majorelle Garden. The food tour was excellent. (I think his name was Souheil) We very much enjoyed the Mechoui and Tangia. The Balloon ride and cooking classes in Marrakesh were amazing.
In general the internet reception was not very good.

Incredible Experience – Ask for Omar!

We cannot say enough amazing things about our experience with Morocco Immersion Tour and Adventures! If you are planning a trip to Morocco, do yourself a favor and book with them right now.
The seamless experience started with Sharon, who was fantastic to work with during the planning phase. She was incredibly responsive, available, and attentive from our very first conversation. We had a rough idea of what we wanted to see but lacked a clear vision. Sharon patiently mapped out a customized itinerary, listened to our feedback, tweaked the details, and answered our endless list of questions. She even provided a comprehensive packing list that had us feeling totally prepared and confident long before we boarded our flight.

While the planning was top-notch, our guide and driver, Omar, truly made this trip an unforgettable adventure! Omar drove us across the entire country and completely stole the show. He went above and beyond every single day to ensure we had absolutely everything we needed, constantly checking in to make sure we were comfortable and having fun. Thanks to his expertise, we went way beyond the standard city tourist spots and ventured deep into gorgeous rural landscapes and hidden gems we never would have discovered on our own. Omar didn't just drive us around; he immersed us in the local culture, and taught us so much about the country. His fantastic energy and care truly made us feel at home. Omar’s exceptional service turned this vacation into the trip of a lifetime. We are so grateful for the memories and highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an authentic, stress-free Moroccan adventure!

Hotel Reviews

ONOMO Hotel Casablanca Airport

Nouaceur

Great location for early flight out. Shuttle to the airport on the hour.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The service in the restaurant was extremely slow.

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

This was our favorite place that we stayed and we wish we had spent more time there. The entire Riad, from the lobby, dining room, rooftop and rooms was gorgeous. Dinner in front of the fire and breakfast the next morning were two of the best meals of the entire trip. The location within the Medina was quiet, but close to shopping and the seafront.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad La Croix Berbère Luxe

Marrakech

The location of this Riad can't be beat. It is in the Medina, but near the exit so that you can get in and out easily. The inside has been beautifully renovated. There is lots of comfortable seating on the rooftop and you could choose to have breakfast up there or downstairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were a bit small.

Kasbah Roseville

Kalaat M'Gouna

This property was lovely with stunning views of the surrounding town and distant mountains. Our second floor rooms were spacious and comfortable. The Riad was amazingly managed by Osama who served as porter for our luggage, as well as cook and server. He takes such pride in what he does and is a real asset.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Riad is not near anything else.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

We arrived at the Camp on camels at sunset, which was both beautiful and hilarious! The tents were very nice and clean, and once the A/C came on after dinner, we were very comfortable. The food was average, but service was fine. They had entertainment around the campfire at night. We were too tired to participate but it sounded like all of the other guests were having a great time. We loved our adventurous truck ride out of the desert in the morning!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

We had a lovely stay at Riad Farouzi Fes. Ibraham and Sabir went above and beyond to make our stay incredible. The amount of food at breakfast was over the top! There were eggs, pastries, fruit, fresh juice and coffee. When we got back from our tour in the afternoon they served us tea and cookies on the rooftop terrace. They always made sure we knew where we were going, and escorted us themselves when available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Casablanca to Fes Via Volubilis

Morocco

We opted to visit the Hassan II Mosque instead of Volubilis. We spent our time on the ride to Fes getting to know Omar and asking tons of questions about the country. We got a laugh seeing livestock being transported on top of a truck!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We had an informative tour of Marrakech including sites just outside and within the Medina. Although not part of the guided tour, we visited the Majorelle Gardens on our own and it was a trip favorite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seafood Lunch from the Wharf

Essaouira

Rarely do you have the opportunity to purchase fresh seafood right off of the boat and have it cooked for you right there. What a bargain compared to what we pay in the US!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

We stopped briefly in Ouarzazate and took a look at the Taourirt Kasbah. Our next stop was Aït Benhaddou, and Omar took us on a nice walk through the ancient, but still inhabited, hillside village. We walked all the way to the top, to the ancient "bank" building (which, unfortunately was badly damaged in the September 2023 earthquake). The view down across the village and the valley beyond was breathtaking. On the way to Marrakech we traversed the Atlas Mountains along the Tizi n'Tichka Path. We stopped at the top to take in the beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day with the Locals in the Valley of Roses

Morocco

This was our favorite day of the trip! We started the day with Sharon's husband, Abdou, at a local rose farm and had an opportunity to pick roses with the locals and learn a little bit about how much this crop means to the area. We then went to the local market to choose vegetables that we took to the home of a local family. We spent the afternoon getting to know the family and how they live, and spent time with them in the kitchen watching them cook a traditional Couscous using the vegetables that we brought with us. A neighbor came over and gave all of us henna tattoos. We left this visit on such a high! On the way back to the Riad we had a chance to shop for some local rose products.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

After a stunning sunrise and breakfast we had a fun ride slaloming the dunes on a 4 x 4 ride from the tent camp, we were reunited with Omar. Our stop to see the ancient irrigation tunnels was very informative and impressive. We had a private guide give us a tour of the Tinghir Palmeraie. It was amazing to see all of the fruits, vegetables and grains that grow in the Oasis behind the homes. Our guide, Zak, treated us to a visit with his father’s “first” wife’s residence in the new part of the village. We also visited a Berber rug cooperative to see the rugs are made and we had a chance to purchase rugs too. Finally, we took a ride through the Todgha Gorge, a natural wonder. It was a holiday so it was very crowded, but we liked seeing the locals spending time with their families swimming in the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Ifraine and Azrou - Camel Trek to Desert Camp

Morocco

This was our longest day of travel in the van, and we needed to arrive in the desert by a certain time in order to be on the camel ride to the camp during sunset. The day was rushed because of this. We would have liked spending a little more time in Ifrane and with the Barbary Macaques along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Omar and Abdul met us first thing in the morning at our Riad and escorted us to the van for a driving tour around the perimeter of Fez which gave us an overview of the city. We walked and learned how the Mellah-Jewish Quarter with exterior balconies differed from those of the Muslim Arabs. The ceramic co op provided an interesting insight into how the mosaics were made from the reverse side. The tannery was smelly as expected but it was interesting to learn how leather is processed. Abdul left us at a delicious and peaceful restaurant in the heart of the Medina while he went to pray.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driving Tour of Casablanca

Casablanca

This was a last minute addition to our trip. We heard from others that had visited Morocco that we should not miss the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. Sharon was able to adjust our trip and get us set up with a tour fairly last minute. We are so pleased that we were able to tour this stunning mosque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We visited this site right after landing in Morocco. We found Omar easily, and after a long trip from the States he stopped and got us some delicious coffees on the way to the mosque. He also took us to a great restaurant for our first meal.

I thought all our guides were good but Tomoe in Tokyo was the best. We also really liked our last day with Fuji in Kyoto.

We had the best time on our honeymoon to Lombok! It was so seamlessly organized by our specialist, Arizta and her communication was so easy and reliable! Special shoutout to our driver in Lombok, Kus, who made the trip beyond memorable. He was so funny, easygoing and especially knowledgable about the island. He seriously was the best. He was punctual and made it so we never had to even think about when we had to be somewhere, he knew exactly when and where we needed to be and got us there safely and his communication was also so reliable. He also had great insight to extra excursions on our free days so we also had the best time! He went above and beyond! I would recommend him for anyone visiting the island in need of a driver! Our accommodations were also top notch. We wanted something a bit more off the beaten path but also some time to be in a more populated area to just walk, explore and relax. Aritza accommodated both of these requests and balanced the time perfectly! Our excursion were also prefect! Nate, in Tetebatu, was so so knowledgable and we had so much fun learning and exploring the village he grew up in! All of the villagers and people we met along the way were beyond kind and generous. Thank you all for organizing and taking the work out of the vacation so we could just sit back, relax and enjoy!

Activity Reviews

Experience Plaga Rose

Kuta, Lombok

The guides were so fun and so relaxed, it made the day perfect! The snorkeling was so much fun and the reefs looked beautiful. The beaches were beautiful and the sand truly did look pink and the water was pristine blue!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking with Guide in Ricefields, Waterfalls & Monkey Forest

Tetebatu, Lombok

This was such a perfect day! Nate was the best guide! He was so knowledgable and had such good energy! The trip was topped it off with the best beef rendang we tried during our vacation at the warung.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am incredibly impressed with the customer service provided by the team at KimKim! It was wonderful to not worry about ANYTHING - even all the taxis and boat trips were scheduled and paid for. We felt so taken care of and respected by everyone.

Veronica was our favorite guide. She was so knowledgeable and eager to answer our questions. One of my favorite moments was day one at Rancho Primicias - having lunch and watching the tortoises roam. I also loved our snorkeling and kayak experience at Concha Perla - we saw so much wildlife and had such a serene experience. The only struggle was that this guide did not speak any English on this tour - we of course understand that it is not something to expect, but all of our other guides did speak some English. The up side was I know a little Spanish so I was able to translate a bit for my mom and practice my own Spanish!!! :)

Fabricio was wonderful too - we loved our trip to North Seymour to see the frigates!!!

Overall, 100/10 experience and it was worth every penny. So happy and pleased with it all!!! Thank you!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Laguna

Puerto Villamil

Our room overlooking the bay was incredible! We loved hearing the flamingoes from the balcony. The downside to this hotel was hearing street noise - there was a dog barking through the night on both nights we stayed there. I know this is not something that can be helped, though!

Authenticity & Character

Water on each floor, the open air concept, the breakfast on the third floor

Location

Right next to the bay with the flamingos and around the corner from wonderful shopping and food.

Staff

I cannot remember names, but all the staff at the front desk were wonderful! Two younger men.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was great and we loved the room!

Hotel Fiesta

Puerto Ayora

Incredible location and beautiful pool! We loved Gabriel - he was so kind and helpful!

Authenticity & Character

The pool was very lagoon-like. So beautiful and relaxing!

Location

Staff

Gabriel - so kind and went out of his way to help us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

This was the last stop of the day for us on day 1 and we had already had a full day (plus waking up at 5am for a flight), so we were a little too tired to enjoy it fully. We wished it would have been scheduled for a different day so we could have gone to the hotel to rest. But otherwise, we loved seeing the baby tortoises and Lonesome George!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Norway was great, and we were very happy with our KimKim experience. Mathia did a great job helping to translate our trip preferences into a detailed itinerary during the planning process. He also answered various questions that we had about various aspects of the trip. The KimKim chat feature was very helpful for this, and Mathia was always very prompt with his replies. As our plans solidified, Mathia handled all hotel reservations, train and ferry reservations, and internal transfers. All of this information was then consolidated into our trip plan on the KimKim website.

During our trip, we used the KimKim app to follow our trip plan--this was very helpful. There were no surprises or missed bookings. At a couple points I used the chat feature to reach out to the KimKim team to ask a question and got prompt, clear answers, including over the weekend. Mathia had set up three different 3-hour guided excursions as part of out trip, which I would highly recommend. Our local guides (Stig in Oslo, John in Bergen, Tiril in Aurland) were excellent--very knowledgeable and passionate, friendly, happy to answer questions, and accommodating of requests to adjust the itinerary a bit during the tour itself based on our preferences.

Overall we had a great experience both before and during the trip. KimKim helped manage the details and connect us to great experiences, while still preserving a lot of flexibility and independence during the trip. Thanks to Mathia and the KimKim team.

Our trip was wonderful! We had such an amazing time. The locations we stayed, the cities we visited, and the people we met were nothing short of fantastic. All of our local guides were so informed and our driver, Ali, was so great! He helped us pick up some local lingo which was so fun practicing as we traveled. We didn't realize how quick the time would go by with how many cities we went to and how many day trip guides we scheduled. Our last guide was a woman, and as female traveler group, it made a wonderful impact on us to be able to get a Moroccan woman's perspective. If we were to change anything it would be to help slow down the day to day activities to feel like we had more downtime to enjoy the places we were staying. Overall, I fell in love with Morocco on this trip and will be returning to explore even more :) thank you, Khawla, for being a great local specialist!

Hotel Reviews

Euphoriad

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Location was great but our room was right off the entrance and was a bit loud and didn't feel as private as other rooms we stayed in during our trip. The staff was very nice but the owner/manager was a bit short and unhelpful when asking about local food recommendations outside of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

General staff was great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Boutique Hotel

Boumalne Dades

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

By far our favorite stay of the entire trip. It isn't close to town but the staff, food, and views were AMAZING

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views but a lot of steps between you and city central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Horseback Riding Experience

Rabat

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our guided tour in Marrakech was incredible, mainly because of our amazing guide, Hicham! We were so impressed that we ended up sharing lunch with him and extending what was supposed to be a 3-4 hour tour into 6 hours. It was truly a personalized experience filled with lots of informative discussions. His depth of knowledge and friendliness made the tour a highlight of our trip. Really set a high bar for our entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Our tour guide in Fes was awesome! Getting a tour through the many alleys in Fes by a local was a real treat.

Dades Valley to Merzouga Camel Trek via Todgha Gorge & Tinghir

Morocco

The camel trek from Dades Valley to Merzouga was an unforgettable experience. We timed it perfectly, heading out in the late afternoon to avoid the scorching heat. Our guide was hilarious and took some fantastic photos for us. Spending a night in the peaceful desert tent was the best sleep we had, making this experience a special memory of our trip.

Our trip to Romania was amazing! The iterneary was perfect. Irenne did a wonderful job of planning out everything. We were never rushed or stressed. Our guide Andrei was wonderful too. We were filled in with so much information and history on this complex and facinating country.
I would highly recommend kimim and Irenne!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Capitol

Bucharest

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bella Muzica

Brasov

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MyContinental

Sibiu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ibis Styles Bucharest City Center

Bucharest

Nice hotel. Had a little trouble with the AC and the front desk did not answer the phone when I called.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Brasov to Bucharest with Peles Castle Visit

Romania

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tampa and Brasov

Brasov

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bucharest to Sibiu with Curtea de Arges Monastery

Romania

Quality of Experience

Under construction

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to the Corvinilor Castle and Alba Iulia Citadel

Sibiu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I booked this trip with my travel agent, Cruises-for-Africa in South Africa who uses kimkim in Japan.

Generally speaking, it was a good trip with very few things to complain about.

If I were forced to complain, then my big complaint would relate to the size of the hotel room in the first hotel we stayed in when we arrived at Tokyo. You couldn't swing a cat in it. It's a pity that they chose to compromise in that way on cost. I would happily have paid more to get a room of similar size to the rest of the hotels on our itinerary. The room in the Mount Fuji Hotel was enormous. The only problem was that there were no normal beds. There were just futons on the ground, but it was interesting, nevertheless.

As for the rest of the hotels, they were excellent, and all hotels, including the first one, had very good breakfast buffets.

Your correspondents, KimKim were quite responsive, albeit at times a little slow. All in all, they did their job well.

The vehicles that were used to transport us privately from place to place were of very good quality, with really nice features.

Our guides were generally good, save for the last one in Osaka whose English was way below par.

From a personal point of view, I found the itinerary to be too busy, and I ran out of steam, forcing me to shorten the day by eliminating things that I wasn't particularly excited about seeing. These related primarily to temples and shrines. When you've seen a few, they all become the same. If I had it over again, I would exclude many of the temple/shrine visits and do something else.

Selecting food to eat was quite intimidating as there is very little description as to what each Japanese dish comprises. Towards the end of our trip, we became a little more adventurous and I must say we had some very nice meals.

If asked whether I intend to return to Japan, my answer would tend to be no. I found that there was very little unique about Japanese cities beyond the shrines and temples. Tokyo itself wasn't particularly pretty. It seems that every square meter of space has been populated by skyscrapers of the size that I have seldom, if ever, seen. They might have been interesting if the architects had shown a little creativity, but sadly, there was nothing pretty about them, just monoliths all standing in a row with remarkably little space between each building. Could never tolerate living there.

The highlight for me was the Japanese people themselves. Disciplined, extremely respectful and very kind people. If the world was populated by such people, it would be a much better world than the one we live in.

Therefore, all in all, a good trip, but not for me to be repeated.

Thank you very much for your help and support throughout the process. You were, as normal, excellent.