Kimkim Trip Reviews

Elena did a wonderful job from car rentals, food tour, Pompei visit, restaurant recommendations, things to see in each respective place and booking the hotels in Naples and Sorrento. My husband and I really appreciate the arrangements, scheduling of the whole trip.

Upon arrival at Rome airport, we headed to Hertz to get the rental car. We visited Tivoli (Villa D 'Este and Hadrian's Villa) before heading to our Naples hotel Napoli Tree B&B. They suggested parking down the street but note that the parking entrance is really narrow. I contacted Elena and she replied right away regarding where to park. The elevator up to the B&B requires 10 cents to use (they have a bowl of 10 centavos in the reception). The building has a lot of B&B's. The location of the B&B is nice , because the room has a seaview, near the boardwalk and walking distance (36 minute walk) to the food tour meeting place Piazza del Gesu Nuovo. It would have been better to have a hotel nearer the oldb historical area though. But during the walk to the old historical center, we walked through Galleria Umberto (1887 shopping building), Plebiscito Square and more.

Our food Tour guide is Giovanna (Compania Guide) was on time, informative and very cheerful. She walked us through coffee/hot chocolate, buffalo mozarella, wallet pizzas (yum), pastries like baba rum cake which we love, gelato, and walked through Naples' Nativity Street where she showed us the different 'Presepe'. We didn't have limoncello though. She gave us suggested places to go after our food tour which is up to the Funicolare di Montesanto to see the view the Castel dell Ovo and Napoli Sotteranea (underground tour). She even gave us list of restaurants in Naples and Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano and Ravello because we mentioned heading there after Naples.

The visit to Pompei was fulfillment of my bucket list. We arrived quite early at the parking at Camping Spartacus and thankfully our guide, Enza started earlier than planned. Exploring Pompeii with Enza our guide where she touched the highlight of the vast ancient city was like stepping back in time. She was informative, knowledgeable and the whole experience was well worth it. During our visit,the weather at first, was cold, then it rained a little then became hot. We had lunch at La Delizie (really good pizzas and caprese salad, croquettes) then had baba Napoletano at a nearby pastry shop across the street.

Driving to our Sorrento hotel, we were told that there is a valet to park our our to a parking structure. We didn't need the car to go to Amalfi, Positano and Ravello because we took the bus which is near the train station (10 minute walk from hotel). Driving in the Amalfi coast is very hard due to narrow winding roads. We got a little carsick from the drive so it is a good idea to take motion sickness medicine in the bus ride. The boats are still not operating /going there (Amalfi Coast) due to high waves. There is a ferry to Capri Island though. Our hotel La Piazzetta Guesthouse is new and location is very nice. The only drawback is that on Saturday night the restaurant below had loud music till very late. Christina of La Piazzetta Guesthouse was very accommodating and welcoming. Since the season will only start in April, a lot of hotels and restaurants are still close. We were the first guest of La Piazetta this early March 2024.

Our fist bus stop is to Positano. we went down the beach and looked up at the houses in the cliffside, bought some souvenirs along the way and Assumption church. Next bus stop, we went to Amalfi, went to visit the St. Andrew cathedral. We had lunch at Pizzeria Donna Stella and had a limoncello gelato along the way back to the bus stop. We took the bus to Ravello using the same bus ticket but different bus, which is good for 24 hours. Upon arrival in Ravello, we visited Villa Rufolo then did some souvenir shopping then headed back to catch the bus back to Amalfi. Upon arrival in Amalfi, we took the bus that heads back to Positano and Sorrento. The next day we had a leisurely day at Sorrento.

Over all, this tailor made, Italian experience was five stars.

Fei ,our travel coordinater was just amazing,she helped me plan the trip soo well and efficiently ,making all my wishes and all the experiences i wanted come true.
Jennifer- our guide for the 1st 6 days was soo friendly ,guided us well and became a good friend for all of us
Mr Ho-our guide for the last five days in Kyoto and Osaka,is a perfect guide and went out of his way to show us places and capture great pictures of us all.
The only negative I can tell of our 12 days trip is the Kimono photoshoot ,I wanted a professional photographer and wanted to make it a memorable shoot.We were not happy with the quality of the kimonos provided and there was no photoshoot at all.Mr Ho was kind enough to take us out and clicked some good pictures.Barring this one experience,rest of the trip was amazingly coordinated by Fei and the two guides.Thanks kim kim for organizing one more great trip to me.Regards,
Kolla

Hotel Reviews

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Amazing hotel,awsome locale and the best of them all are the two onsens,one with an infinite pool overlooking hills and another with a waterfall.Five stars

Authenticity & Character

Location

Picturesque

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laforet Ito Onsen Yunoniwa

atami

Traditional Ryokan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MIMARU SUITES KYOTO SHIJO

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MIMARU OSAKA SHINSAIBASHI EAST

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Skytree and Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used public transportation-trains to reach skytree

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi Tour with Whisky Tasting

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oh my goodness we just returned from the most amazing Iceland trip, thanks to Rinolda!!

About a year ago we started working with Rinolda to plan my mom's 80th birthday trip, and she was so very accommodating with all of our requests and millions of questions! She took great care to plan the best (and unique!) itinerary for us. My mom was really trying to maximize the chances of seeing the Northern Lights (staying in more remote, darker areas), while also wanting to see popular touristy things too. And we wanted a mix of active and less active things to do. Rinolda listened to all our requests, tweaking the itinerary several times, until we had it just right.

She booked various Northern Lights tours for us (via Jeep, bus, and boat), as well as a Golden Circle tour, snowmobiling tour, the Blue Lagoon, and even dog sledding. She was very clever with her solutions to our requests, and had a "can do" attitude. She never said "We can't do that" but instead, "Let me figure something out and I'll get back to you." :)

One of the best things about working with Rinolda was that she was very accessible and responsive throughout our trip. We never felt like we couldn't get help if we needed it. And when unexpected things happened (like one of our tours inexplicably getting cancelled the day before, not due to weather), she was all over it, finding us a replacement and taking care of things behind the scenes.

Right before the trip, we also realized that it was looking like the best weather for Northern Lights viewing might very well be the very first night of our trip when we had nothing planned -- so we asked her if she could find us a tour at the last minute and she did! (And yes, it turned out to be the best NL viewing!!!)

There was also a lot of seismic activity going on right before our trip -- with the Blue Lagoon evacuating and closing temporarily -- and Rinolda was very involved with keeping us posted on volcano updates and finding possible other geothermal bath alternatives for us. We were able to go to the Blue Lagoon after all and it was wonderful.

Another day while we were already in-country, we realized that one of the days coming up was kind of open (while we were going to be waiting around for a tour pick-up at 2pm). We asked Rinolda if there was anything we could do that day instead of sitting around at the remote hotel... Well Rinolda took charge and contacted one of her friends who lives in the area and is also a guide, and that friend (TAMARA -- the best!) picked up my mom and I and took us to see some local horses, and to an adorable tomato farm for lunch!!! It was such a perfect solution and we were so, so grateful that Rinolda CARED to help us -- and that Tamara was so wonderful too!! Tam was such great company, and now we can't imagine our trip NOT having included her. <3

Other great recommendations: the Super Jeep Northern Lights tour (you get picked up in an actual Super Jeep and can go off-roading/to more remote places than the bus tours can); also DANIEL from our Golden Circle tour was so knowledgable and friendly and entertaining -- highly recommend; Hotel Gullfoss (Gullfoss) and Hotel Skuggi (Reykjavik) were great accommodations; the snowmobiling tour with NICO/NICK out on a glacier out near Gullfoss was a total blast (and yes, my 80 year old mom did it!); KAREN, the driver on our return trip from the Golden Circle was amazing/funny; and then dogsledding was possibly our absolute favorite (THELMA with Viking Women drove us there and CLARA was our delightful musher) -- imagine being pulled on a sled across a frozen lake by huskies, while it's snowing... it was magical!

All in all a fantastic trip - and we saw the Northern Lights every night except the last night! Not bad!

Thank you, Rinolda, for ALL your help, your knowledge of the country, and your care and concern for your clients. This was a perfect "bucket list" trip for my mom that we will never forget. :)

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gullfoss

Tungufell

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Northern Lights Hunt Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

Loved the Jeep 4x4 access (vs a bigger bus that can't go off-roading to more remote places for better viewing) and the smaller group feel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Golden Circle first-class experience with a geothermal bakery in a semi-private group

Iceland

Highlights: Thingvellir National Park, geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

DANIEL!!

Transport

Snowmobile and Ice Cave Tour in Iceland

Golden Circle

Even my 80 year old mom could do this! Incredible! Nico/Nick was a fabulous guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nico/Nick!

Transport

Cool bus to get out to the glacier!

Dog Sledding

Iceland

This was such a fun, unique activity! Highly recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clara the musher was awesome!

Transport

Reykjavik Northern Lights Cruise

Iceland

We were not able to see the lights this night but the concept was pretty cool (being out on a boat on the water to see them). Separately, the boat was also very crowded. Also, a lot of times the lights will show up later at night, around midnight, but the boat didn't wait and just returned to the harbor at 11pm (even though apps were showing a break in the clouds coming at midnight). Many people on the boat had to get back to their tour buses. We probably would have preferred a smaller boat or more private option, in retrospect. The captain was really funny though, and it's not his fault that the lights didn't show while we were out there!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful first trip to Thailand thanks to kimkim. Tina, our local specialist, was extremely responsive whenever a question or issue came up, and even changed our itinerary on the fly (for the very next day) when we decided we wanted a shift in experiences. And we loved our drivers and tour guides, especially Pear and Dam from Udomporn Tours in Chiang Mai.

Accommodations were all excellent (The Quarter Ladphrao in Bangkok, U Inchantree in Kanchanaburi, and Buri Sriping Resort in Chiang Mai), except for The Cottage Suvarnabhumi for our Bangkok airport stay - do not recommend.

Make sure to ask for the exact meeting points in the airport (e.g. at which door your driver will be waiting) and confirm pickup times the day before with your driver, we had some mixups but they always worked out.

Overall, this trip was a trip of a lifetime!! From start to finish, the planning, care and detail was superb and allowed for the magical experience we had!

The driver Reda was helpful, professional and full of great history on the country, cities and culture of the towns we visited. His warm approach, friendly demeanor and promptness really made the trip seamless all around! Over the course of the week, we became friends with Reda and consider him family.

The local guides for each city and Medina were very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful too. We couldn’t have seen the city or had the same positive experiences without them. Thank you!

Dalia listened well to our interests in exploring Spain and created a marvellous itinerary that we thoroughly enjoyed. She tracked our activities in real time and helped us when we needed it. We appreciated the Old Towns of Madrid, Seville, Antequera, Granada and Barcelona and being privately guided by well versed local historians. Our off the beaten track activities of a bicycle adventure on the Via Verde de la Sierra, hike in El Torcal, another hike in the El Saltillo and walkabout in beautiful white washed village of Canillas de Aceituno gave us an opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty of Spain. Another highly recommended experience was our cooking class in Madrid; now we know how to create the most delicious Paella and Sangria. Our trip experience exceeded our expectations.

Activity Reviews

Madrid Guided Tour with Royal Palace

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paella and Tapas: Madrid Cooking Class with Market Visit

Madrid

Eduardo was the consumate chef instructor. Kitchen was spotless and well equipped. Thoroughly enjoyed the market visit and create our own delicious lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

We created it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour

Seville

Teresa was terrific. As a local she was very well informed about the best Tapas bars and the best Flamenco experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sevilla Guided Tour

Seville

Really visiting the bull fight museum.

Quality of Experience

Antequera & El Torcal Day Trip

Spain

Antequera was a fascinating. We appreciated the legacy of the Romans, Moors and the Christians. The exploration the Dolmens was amazing. The El Torcal hike was stunning given the unique rock formations

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alhambra Private Guided Tour

Spain

An incredible experience not to be missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enrique was the perfect tour guide; local, excellent English and deep historical knowledge. A true professional.

Barcelona at Sunset: Tapas & Wine Tour

Barcelona

It was fun to be part of a small group for this tour in the historical section. The selection of Tapas bars, the foods and beverages was first rate. Great introduction to Barcelona.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights

Barcelona

Gaudi's unique architecture was a thrill to see first hand. Our guide was knowledgeable and given the hordes of folks at the Sagrada Familia we were glad that we could skip the lines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good taxis drivers and clean vehicles.

Historic Barcelona: Gothic Quarter, El Born & Picasso Museum

Barcelona

Repetitive given the first night Tapas tour in the Old Town. Would have enjoyed the Picasso museum more with an audio guide to move through the exhibits at our own pace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taxis, drivers, clean vehicles.

Logan our driver was great and our guide in Pondicherry was very knowledgeable. This was a fantastic trip with lovely hotels. We didn't need a representative to meet us at the airport hotel. We could have sorted this out ourselves and actually it made us think that there might have been a problem.

We enjoyed working with Moonika / kimkim to plan our trip to Finland, and all worked out fantastic. Highlights include backcountry skiing with our guide, Olli, in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park ... and staying at the Artic Skylight Lodge. They really listened to us, and set an itinerary that matched the adventure and experiences we sought. Moonika made it so easy for us, thoughtfully including the details of transportation and extras like dogsled outing.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic Skylight Lodge

Äkäslompolo

This place is very cool! New and very well designed, the individual cabins with glass bedroom provide comfort, privacy and an exceptional feeling of indoor / outdoor integration. The restaurant satisfies gourmet tastes and the sauna revives one after skiing in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Don't miss the polar plunge as part of the sauna experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Carefully set within a northerly sloping forest that near (skiable to) Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park adn Karilan Navettagalleria

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lapland Hotels Saaga

Ylläsjärvi

Our two-night stay at Lapland Hotels Saaga was pleasant. The hotel had a cozy ski lodge vibe and was located right by the Alpine Ski Area, making it convenient for our activities. The food was delicious, and we enjoyed the après-ski atmosphere. While it wasn't exactly the secluded experience we were looking for, it served its purpose well, especially for acclimating to the timezone and getting a feel for Finland

Location

Right next to the ski area

Activity Reviews

Sauna Experience at Arctic Skylight Lodge

Finland

Modern, private, well designed electric sauna with large window views, wonderful showers, a jacuzzi out on the deck, and short walk to the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ski Trek (Day 1)

Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park

We really enjoyed our 4 days skiing with Olli / Fell Trek. We had the backcountry experience we were seeking within Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. So much fun, and a good workout for 5 or 6 hours each day. Olli was knowledgeable and oriented our way through forests, up and down hills and fells (tunturi). We slept adjacent to the park: one night in a house, one in a rustic cabin and another in a lodge. The food was delicious, and very much satisfied our veggie preferences.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Safari

Finland

The husky safari was a memorable experience. The Safartica team organized everything excellently, and the dog sledding was so much fun. The owners were friendly and passionate about what they do, which made the experience even more special. The conditions of the dogs were top-notch, and it was clear that they were well cared for. Overall, a great adventure that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

It was a pleasure dealing with Vincenzo in planning our honeymoon. He was very professional and planned the perfect trip for us. We would definitely recommend using his services for anyone who wants to visit Italy.

We had a wonderful time in France. Vaseem, Lucie, and Audrey took good care of us and helped us navigate our first trip abroad as a family of four. The highlight of our trip was Paris. We loved the guided museum tours and especially loved our Pastry Tour of Le Marais with Rachelle!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel de l'Amphithéâtre

It was very quiet and the staff were all friendly. A bit dated but charming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Disney Sequoia Lodge

The lobby and restaurants with breakfast buffet were great. The rooms are very dated and the beds a bit uncomfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Ten minute walk to the parks.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit of the Eiffel Tower with access to the summit

Paris

The views from the top are incredible!

French macaron bakery class for families

Paris

The location of the class was very cool, we had no idea we would be in Les Galeries Lafayette. It was nice and quiet in the baking room but not totally sure it was worth our time if I’m being honest. Not super interactive for our 5 and 7 year old.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Louvre Treasure Hunt

Paris

The Louvre is overwhelming but we were thankful to have Claire as a guide. She had a fun game for the kids to hunt for specific parts of paintings which kept them engaged. We were not prepared and the kids were thirsty and hungry and water was not easily accessible in the museum. With that aside it was a great time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided visit, wine and olive oil tasting at Chateau Romanin

France

Lovely winery, knowledgeable staff and stunning scenery!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-guided exploration of Aigues-Mortes and Safari in Camargue

France

While the driver was so sweet and friendly, this tour just missed the mark for us. The advertised photos are a bit misleading. There are no wild horses in France as our guide informed us, we drove around to fenced in horses, a very cool salt marsh, some flamingos, and a fenced in bull pen. There was no tasting of local products, we were late due to an issue with weather, but I don’t believe it would have been included either way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day in Disneyland Paris - 2 Parks

France

Half day visit to the Royal Versailles with transfers

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pastry Tour of Le Marais

Paris

This was a hit with all four of us, Rachelle was kind, knowledgeable, and a not bit gimmicky. We had a wonderful time with her and didn’t want it to end! Also, the pastries were delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rita planned an amazing, customized family trip to Italy for our family. Our trip started and ended with a very smooth pick up and drop off at the airport. Our favorite hotel of the trip was the Palazza Galla hotel with its modern rooms, beautiful roof top bar with amazing views, delicious breakfast buffet and superb service. The food tour we took with Marica was fun and she were able to give our celiac daughter options at every stop but one on the tour. Giovanna was able to cover so much history at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum we would have been lost without a private guide. Our driver Giuseppe who picked us up from Salerno train station and stayed with us for the day until we arrived in Sorrento was amazing. He called local restaurants along the way to find us a perfect one that had gluten free pizza for our one daughter. He was full of information as we drove up the coast pointing out things we would have missed. In Ravello we had a private hike planned but it was a beautiful day and we wanted to explore Ravello, so our guide Gennsro, an expert hiking guide, gave us different options on how we could spend the day and we chose to explore more and hike less. He took us to the beautiful gardens at the Villa Cimbrone, and along a hike below the gardens explaining the lemon trees. After we went to Amalfi and explored the back streets there, then a stop in Positano to walk down to the beach and have a drink at Bar Paradise at sunset, it was a wonderful day. In Sorrento we stayed at La Piazzetta Guest, which had spacious room and the most amazing front desk staff, Caterina went above and beyond when our trip to Capri had to be canceled last minute because of the crazy weather in March. We asked Caterina about doing a wine tasting and in a half hour she had 2 options for us to choose from including transportation. We chose to go to Il Cantuccio’s brand new wine cellar for an amazing wine tasting with the most delicious food. The next day our private tour of Pompei with Gennaro was so interesting and educational. Pompei is huge and having a private guide as informed as Gennaro who could take us to all the highlights in the time we had to spend there was invaluable. The last hotel we stayed in was the Otvim, the rooms were a bit dark and the double room was small. It had a nice rooftop but the elevator was slow and when you took the stairs you ended up outside down the street from the lobby. Our favorite guide for the whole trip was Mia who guided us through the crowed Vatican pointing out all the amazing art while explaining the history of Vatican City. She knew some shortcuts to save time and explained what we would see in the Sistine Chapel before we entered so we were prepared for what we saw since there is no talking once you are inside the Chapel. Rita and her team were accommodating and flexible for our needs, we are so appreciative of her working with us on so many details. Rita and her team were extremely responsive in a timely mater to any issues that came up when we were on our trip, even on the weekends.

Catherina and the Columbus Guatemala Travel team were not only extremely helpful and informative, but kind and welcoming. They checked up on myself and my fellow traveler on a daily basis to ensure we got where we needed to be, and be there on time. The activities that were booked for us were also outstanding, with the Acatenango hike being the highlight. Each driver and guide for all activities were terrific. Furthermore, Guatemala is a beautiful country with friendly people and amazing culture. Antigua quickly became one of my favorite cities I’ve ever visited. Overall, the Kim Kim and Columbus Travel team, along with the local guides all did their part in making an amazing trip. So far, I’m 2 for 2 with great booking experiences on Kim Kim.

Activity Reviews

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Boat

Guatemala

Great guides and the like is beautiful. Lots of amazing history and culture to see. San Juan is an awesome little village.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike Through Villages Of Itzapa And Calderas.

Antigua

Although I genuinely enjoyed this activity, I would be lying if I didn’t admit how difficult this activity is. Being in the military and an active gym goer, I figured this activity would be a breeze but I was very wrong. This was still very fun and the guide, Willy, was amazing and helpful. However, I wouldn’t suggest this activity to anybody that isn’t used to mountain biking, EXTREME cardiovascular activity, or at least high altitudes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acatenango overnight

Guatemala

My favorite part of the trip. Albeit quite challenging, it was well worth it. Between the volcanic eruptions and the sunset and sunrise views are some of the most spectacular things I’ve ever witnessed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marzilla planned an unforgettable trip for my boys and myself to Greece. Our adventure began in the mountains and ended in the city. The activities and accommodations were top notch! From rafting to biking to hiking and touring…we did it all. Marzilla did an amazing job coordinating it all and the best part was that she was available to us every step of the way. If any issues came up she was easy to reach and more than willing to help us navigate our way through the trip.
I am already looking forward to our next adventure:)

We just returned from a wonderful adventure with the family in Morocco. Our trip, planned through KimKim was well organized to cater to the varying ages of our group. Our driver throughout the trip, Tariq, went out of his way to make sure that we got where we needed to, and was always smiling. We greatly appreciated having him with us, and his willingness to adjust our plans as needed throughout our stay. We highly recommend Tariq as a driver!

Our guides in the old cities of Essouaira (Hassan), Marrakesh (Hanan), and Fez (Mohammed H) made history come alive for our group and we were delighted by their knowledge and attention.

We are particularly thankful to Mostafa and Yusuf, that hosted us in Merzouga (Tiziri Camp). The atmosphere was most welcoming during our delicious meals, the Berber (Amazigh) campfire music was an incredible experience, and the tours through the desert to see nomadic living up-close was something we will never forget.

Our self-guided time in Chefchaouen was memorable and definitely worth the long drive to get there.

Also worthy of mention are the beautiful accommodations that were arranged for us. The Riads and Dars were clean and beautiful, and the Camp in Merzouga made sleeping in the desert worry free.

A great experience overall!

Hien from Realistic Asia helped my wife and I plan the trip of a lifetime to Vietnam and Cambodia. This was our first trip to Southeast Asia and we were blown away by the experience. Although we had limited time for our trip - only 10 days - Hien helped us make the most of it.

We appreciated the amount of flexibility planning our trip and felt like the trip was personalized just for us. My wife and I love to immerse ourselves in the local life and culture of different places, and this trip checked all of those boxes. All of our tour guides were fantastic. Linh from Saigon Food Tour was amazing whisking my wife from spot to spot through traffic on her scooter. Linh and Hao also surprised me with a special birthday BBQ dinner. Highly recommended way to start off the trip!

David from Hanoi Food Tour and Sen Soeu - our local guide in Siem Reap - also gave us very personalized and intimate tastes of the sites and food. In fact, we returned to the same Pho spot in Hanoi 3 times! We also loved the overnight cruise in Halong Bay! This taste of luxury on a smaller cruise ship was exactly what we were after. And words cannot really describe the incredible temples of Angkor Wat! While some of the sites were busy with other tourists, we always felt like we had one-on-one attention during our various private tours.

I would highly recommend Realistic Asia if you're looking for a personalized, luxury adventure to Southeast Asia on a reasonable budget. While we didn't have time to do everything on our list, we feel like the tours Hien helped us arrange and the food was top-notch! I should also mention the hotel accommodations and locations were just right.

We only wish we had more time and cannot wait to return to Vietnam for our next culinary adventure. (And we may consider a slightly cooler time of year to revisit Cambodia.) This trip was the perfect taste of both countries, and now we are hungry for more!

Harriet was completely on target with both her recommendations and her alerts. We enjoyed every destination enormously and only wish we had more time to have fully enjoyed some of them. Harriet pointed out that our itinerary was aggressive (by our request), and it was! We wouldn't have changed it. Overnight on the Milford Sound was the highlight of a trip full of highlights. TSS Earnslaw in Queenstown was an unexpected pleasure. The Glow Worm tour with Steven at Real Rotorua was a personal favorite--informative and intimate in size. Napier, the Blenheim wineries, Aoraki Mt. Hood, Te Anau, Christchurch, Queenstown, Franz Josef...none disappointed! Car rental in Auckland was difficult, time-consuming, inefficient, frustrating. We were warned of long lines at that rental location, but it was not a well-run branch. All of our accommodations were exceptional or very good. We recommend Harriet and KimKim 100%.

Hotel Reviews

The Dome

Napier

The stay at The Dome in Napier was exceptionally fantastic. The location, service, and overall experience were top-notch. This hotel exceeded expectations and left a lasting positive impression.

Distinction Luxmore Hotel

Te Anau

The stay at Distinction Luxmore Hotel in Te Anau was decent overall. The accommodation was clean and comfortable, but the hotel was huge, very busy and full of tourists.

Te Waonui Forest Retreat

Franz Josef Westland

The stay was comfortable and enjoyable. The accommodation was clean, but nothing particularly exceptional stood out during our one-night stay.

Activity Reviews

Hobbiton Tour

New Zealand

I had low expectations of this. I expected it to be kitschy and silly. Instead, the gardens were beautiful, the guide was entertaining, and I enjoyed far more than I thought I would.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Real Rotorua - Nocturnal Adventure Glow-Worm Tour

Rotorua

My personal trip highlight. I was looking forward to seeing Glow-Worms, but the experience far exceeded even my high expectations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was charming and knowledgable.

Transport

Explore Napier & Hawke's Bay

Napier

Accommodation was mind-blowingly good. Napier locale is beautiful, art deco town rivals Miami Beach, Bluff Hill is beautiful--it would have been easy to spend more time here.

Quality of Experience

Kaikoura

Kaikōura

Kaikoura was a pit-stop for us, but along the drive we saw a HUGE dolphin pod feeding. Dolphins were swirling, breaching--it was quite amazing.

Quality of Experience

Historic Tram Dinner

Christchurch

Good food and fun. Touristy in the very best way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise ex Milford

Milford Sound

THE TRIP HIGHLIGHT!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TSS Earnslaw Farm Tour & Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

The sheep shearing, working dog exhibition, buffet dinner, gardens, transport by steamship were all unexpected and excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Auckland Harbour Dinner Cruise

Auckland

Crew was personable but the food was awful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crew was friendly.

Transport

Under-whelming sail and views.

Good planning by Mathias. Everything went smoothly. Our guide in Quito was knowledgeable, and accommodating to our requests
The five day cruise booked in Galapagos was excellent

Our trip was amazing! Every guide and transport was ready for us. Our trip was well planned. It went very smooth. One incident on our way to airport was resolved by Holden and Nancy immediately.

It was a trip of a lifetime!!!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Absolutely amazing! The buffet was wonderful. Rooms were clean. Beds and pillows were too hard for my liking. Food was delicious. Beautiful volcano views. Seen a lot of wildlife, including a sloth on our resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds and hotel. Clean.

Location

Very peaceful.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable beds and pillows.

Gaia Hotel & Reserve—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

Hotel was a little dated and not as well taken care of as the first 2 hotels we stayed at. Beds and pillows were comfortable. Too hot to enjoy the roof top patio. The resort was laid out a little funky. Not enough staff to take care of things the way I expected. Nice place, but not exceptional. I did like that we had a 2 bedroom villa.

Authenticity & Character

Weird layout of resort and pools.

Location

A little far from beach and towns.

Staff

Very friendly. Private concierge was amazing!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need more staff. Pools needed to be cleaned more often. Villa was clean and comfortable. In need of updating.

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

I did not like hotel. It was clean but no outdoor spaces to enjoy. Food was subpar compared to other hotels we stayed at. No privacy when using bathroom or shower from other guests in my room.

Authenticity & Character

Contemporary. Did not feel like authentic Costa Rica.

Location

Right downtown. Good for walking and sightseeing.

Staff

Language barrier. Did not talk to anyone really.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Beds and pillows were very nice.

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was amazing. Our guide was knowledgeable. The hike was more difficult than expected. Very hard for my mom.

Quality of Experience

The view was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Patient. Went at our own pace.

Transport

Private Safari Float at the Penas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was one of our best experiences!!! Wildlife was amazing. Our guide was beyond amazing!! I would do this again with our guide! Surpassed every expectation!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk: Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

I would not choose this again. We did not see wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Selvatura including Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Savegre Whitewater Rafting

Costa Rica

Loved this activity!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Not great compared to food we had in other places.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very excited. Made us smile just seeing his excitement.

Transport

We had an amazing trip through Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale. Murat provided many great ideas to make our trip amazing and he was very responsive to our needs. Our trip to Sirince, a small town in Turkey, was a fantastic suggestion. Murat arranged a great boutique hotel with a incredible sight over the whole village. The balloon ride in Cappadoccia was very memorable. Given the unpredictable weather during winter, we could have missed this opportunity but we were fortunate to capture this and had a once in a lifetime view of this amazing out of the world landscape. Sebnem, our local guide in Istanbul, was fantastic as she really listen to our needs and went out of her way to make our trip fantastic as well as her recommended restaurants. We also liked to explore on our own as well as using local guides to complement our experience. Murat really helped in making this possible. Highly recommend using Kimkim and in Turkey, Murat's team is fantastic!

I am almost 77 years old and my biggest complaint is the number of activities that are packed into one day. I had the same problem in Spain last year and even though I purposely added a number of rest days, I would say the trip was still too exhausting.
Mariana the logistics person should be awarded a gold star. She was excellent and without her help the trip could have been absolute disaster. She should get a pay rise.
The hotels were excellent.
The guides were good and especially the guides to Uxmal, Rio Lagartos and the operator Bejil-Ha.