Kimkim Trip Reviews

We have been very impressed with kimkim as a whole. With all our flight interruptions and delays you were able to get us back on track. Having contact people in Peru was exceptional. My only 2 star would be our guide to Machu Picchu. He was very hard to understand and pretty hyper. Everything else was excellent!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Lima Airport

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the activities we were doing

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to our excursion

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Machu Picchu Excursion: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide hard to understand and we felt rushed at times

Transport

Stunning scenery in the Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Review of Our Recent Australia & New Zealand Trip using KimKim

The planning process with our KimKim representative, Paula, was excellent. She was knowledgeable about both Australia and New Zealand. I usually handle trip planning myself, but since this trip was over four weeks long and covered two countries, I felt it was complex enough to need expert help. Paula worked to ensure all our objectives were met and provided some valuable suggestions we wouldn’t have known otherwise.

Australia

Sydney
If I were to optimize our time in Sydney, I wouldn’t have scheduled the harbor cruise, e-bike tour, and food tour all within three days. The history and sights were somewhat repetitive. I would recommend only the harbor cruise and the bike tour, spread over two days. Spending two days at the beaches of Manly and Bondi over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t have stayed a fifth day in Sydney.

Cairns
Cairns was beautiful. Visiting the Great Barrier Reef and snorkeling is a must-do. However, the reef wasn’t as colorful as I expected, so it’s important to set realistic expectations to avoid disappointment. I recommend spending a couple of days here and visiting one of the islands to explore different parts of the reef. Instead of our second day in the rainforest—which required a long drive and wasn’t particularly interesting—I would have preferred an additional day on the reef. Perhaps a guided tour would have made the rainforest visit more engaging, but we rented a car and explored on our own.

Brisbane
Brisbane was one of our favorite cities, with its beautiful winding river serving as a key mode of transportation. We spent New Year’s Eve there, and it was the perfect size for the occasion. Our twenty-something daughter also enjoyed the nightlife. The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was a good experience, though it was disappointing that you can no longer hold the koalas. We spent close to $1,000 on the extra koala and platypus experiences, which were not worth the money. On our second day, we drove to a national park in the Gold Coast hinterland, which was fantastic—we even swam in a waterfall. The Gold Coast itself, however, was underwhelming—very commercialized, similar to Fort Lauderdale, FL, with hotels lining the beach.

Tasmania
Tasmania was one of our favorite places in Australia. While Hobart itself isn’t particularly special, the nearby animal sanctuary was a highlight, especially the nighttime tour. Driving around the island at our own pace was great. Due to limited hotel availability in the Freycinet area, we stayed in a house called Little Wren, but I wouldn’t recommend it for just two nights—we missed the convenience and comfort of a hotel. The Wineglass Bay boat tour was great, though if you’re prone to seasickness, you might want to skip it. In hindsight, we should have cut one day from Tasmania—there was no need to stay an extra day in Launceston.

Melbourne
Melbourne was good, though our experience was affected by one member of our group coming down with a cold/flu, which lowered our energy levels. We missed the penguin experience and instead spent time in urgent care. We took a four-hour e-bike tour of the city, which was enjoyable, and an eight- to nine-hour wine tour of the Yarra Valley, which was also good but felt a bit long, especially after three weeks of travel.

New Zealand

After Melbourne, my husband and I continued to New Zealand while our children returned to college. New Zealand was even more beautiful than Australia.

South Island (Queenstown & Beyond)
Queenstown was our favorite destination of the entire trip—you could easily spend five days here. The town and lake were stunning, and highlights included Milford Sound, Mount Cook, the Shotover Jet speedboat ride, and four-wheel driving along historic gold-mining roads. I recommend spending a night in the mountains, possibly in Arthur’s Pass. Christchurch, on the other hand, was just okay—nothing particularly notable.

North Island (Rotorua & Auckland)
Rotorua itself was just okay, but the mountain biking in the Redwood Forest and the whitewater rafting over a waterfall were incredible adrenaline rushes. The Mitai Maori dinner was worth experiencing, though it felt a bit cheesy at times.

Auckland was a good city with a nice harbor, though it lacked a strong identity. Our day trip to Waiheke Island was a highlight. We stayed at the beach after the tour and had dinner on the island before returning to Auckland.

Overall Reflections & Learnings
1. Trip Length – Four to five weeks was too long. Three to four weeks would have been ideal, as we could have covered all the highlights with less downtime and wasted travel time.
2. Hotel Quality – The moderately priced hotels were lower-end than we would have preferred, especially in the cities. In major cities, we often ended up in Chinatown, on a steep hill, in tiny rooms, or in hotels with limited services (e.g., no gym) and slightly outside the main areas. Next time, I would upgrade to a higher-tier hotel in the big cities for better comfort and convenience.
3. Flight Scheduling – Since the local travel agent booked our flights, I assumed the flight times would align with our agreed itinerary, but in some cases, the flights left much later than expected. This led to some destinations feeling too long, others too short, and significant shifts in planned activities. I would pay closer attention to flight schedules next time.
4. Local Travel Agent Support – The local travel agent in Australia was not very responsive, especially on weekends and holidays, which was frustrating at times.

Would I Use KimKim Again?

Probably—especially for a more complex trip, a destination outside of my usual experience, or a trip longer than 10 days involving multiple countries.

Hotel Reviews

Voco Auckland

Auckland

Best room overall. Again on top of mountain very down on the harbor which was tough for a handicapp walker. Limited just going out down the street to an uber ride. Confusion on check in and parking of car expensive.

Authenticity & Character

High rise

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Millennium Rotorua

Rotorua 3040

Very old and run down

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scenic Hotel Cotswold

Christchurch

Quirky and awkward. With the trolley being the main source of transit it would have been better to be closer. We were far out of central town. Big room a bit run down.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds and pillow comfy

Scenic Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

Hotel hallways were uphill and a bit of a maze. Room was big and good shower. Bed and pillows comfy. Nice balcony overlooking mountains and lake. On the top of a massive hill which wasn’t convenient to restaurant and bars and tours as a handicap person. Lots of Ubers to go 3 blocks. Downtown would have been better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Welcome Melbourne

Melbourne

Location in Chinatown not great. No valet or Parking which was super challenging. Small rooms, limited services, breakfast included was good but not sure if a good value.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leisure Inn Penny Royal

Launceston

A bit quirky and dark.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A bit too run down and quirky.

Little Wren

Coles Bay

As shown but very small. One small bathroom on different floor than bedrooms not ideal with handicap. Shower broke and fixed but late for dinner because of it. No extended checkout was a bummer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Too small and limited bathroom.

Ibis Styles Hobart

Hobart

No food available after 8pm. Not much service. Gym and pool were nice. Breakfast included was good again not sure on value.

Authenticity & Character

High rise

Location

Staff

Limited

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed and pillow comfy. Nice bathroom.

Mercure Brisbane King George Square

Brisbane

Good overall. Valet was on and off. Self parking city not ideal. The hotel and rooms were a bit worn. Roomy enough in size. Breakfast was included and very good. Again unclear on cost so not sure if value.

Authenticity & Character

High rise.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed and pillows

Oaks Cairns Hotel

Cairns City

Updated and close to GBR attractions. Due to handicap would have preferred uogeade to hotels right at docks to avoid walking again 3-5 blocks. No valet or parking of rental. Street packing was not ideal. Breakfast included was good but not sure what we paid for it so value unknown.

Authenticity & Character

Fairly vanilla

Location

Not ideal for walking Handicap

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed, pillows and size of room all great.

Hotel Ibis World Square

Sydney

Neighborhood not great, very small rooms, overall a bit worn. Not concierge so little guidance on navigating the city or restaurants etc. Four block walk to major transit which is fine unless you have a person in your group with disabilities related to walking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed and pillows comfy

Activity Reviews

Taste of Waiheke Island

Australia

Great day however this trip didn’t go to brewery and subbed in another winery which was a bummer. They said your info was a year old.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mitai Cultural Experience & Dinner

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Rotorua

Rotorua

The town is run down. The geysers were sort of commercialized and cheesy compared to something like Yellowstone, Wyoming USA. The redwood Forest was amazing and we ended up renting mountain bikes riding through them, which was great. We also took a white water rafting trip over a waterfall, which was a great, adrenaline rush and super fun and safe.

Quality of Experience

Full Day Mount Cook Tour (Queenstown to Christchurch)

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Essential Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Milford Sound Coach/Nature Cruise/Fly (ZQN return)

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet Barbecue Lunch

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yarra Valley Food & Wine Day Trip Private

Australia

4 winners are too much. I bit too long.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wineglass Bay Cruises Morning Wineglass Bay Cruise - Sky Lounge including Lunch

Freycinet

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rough seas cause vomiting

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary Night Visit

Hobart

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Brisbane

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Full Day Michaelmas Cay Cruise (from Hotel)

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Sydney Classic Tour - E-Bike

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Taste of Sydney Tour

Sydney

No driver promised, too much walking, not very knowledgeable, had already heard it all in harbor cruise so repetitive. Food not that interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harbor Experience Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Couldn’t hear guide very well on outside decks

Yuliana was amazing-all our transportation went smoothly and the information she provided before was very helpful. I especially loved the cooking class and organic garden tour with information on medicinal plants. Our tour was just the 2 of us and we had much more hands on than other tours that came through at the same time and the food we made was amazing. We saw lots of wildlife especially at Cariblue on on the Cahuita Park hike. Our lodging in Monteverde was in town and allowed us to explore. Yuliana did a great job of prioritizing everything we hoped to do on this trip.

Hotel Reviews

Auténtico Hotel

San José

Good location and beautiful grounds. Room was small and AC unit made a ticking noise which was distracting. Cramped bathroom/shower

Authenticity & Character

A tour hotel but nice restaurant/breakfast

Location

able to walk in the area and explore parks, coffee shops

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Noisy AC unit and small bathroom but adequate. The shelves next to the desk helped organize since the bathroom was small and not much space for suitcases

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Loved the proximity to St Elena and walkability. Lots of steps up and down on property-could be a problem for some but not for us. Pleasant and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Nice grounds and gardens

Location

Walkable to town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

spacious room and bathroom

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Rooms were beyond tired. Our first room lacked hot water and the shower and tub faucets didn't work. Very odd layout in both rooms. Second room had tepid water but the shower was above the jacuzzi tub which had a crack in the bottom and was hard to stand in but since there is no partition next to the tub the tile floor got wet and was perilous. The second room was nest to a busy highway and there were people near the highway cheering late at night. There was no WIFI in that portion of the property so we had to walk back to the office to access. The thermal pools were cool but that was probably due to the persistent rain. Nice walking trails although challenging in the mud. Found monkeys in the trees and lots of birds-saw Toucan at the pool, turkeys in the trees, hummingbirds

Authenticity & Character

The pool area was lovely and the staff delightful. The thermal pools were cool due to rain. Worth hiking to the Maleku Village & learning about indigenous culture

Location

Arenal came out from under the clouds one morning-nice view

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

See description of rooms above

Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort

South Puerto Viejo

Saw sloths in the trees. Expect the early morning Howler monkey wake up call but that made us feel closer to nature. Easy walk to the beach and good restaurants-especially Beach Break. Good breakfast. Nice to have filtered water dispensers all around for easy access. Pleasant bar staff.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like we were in the jungle

Location

Great wildlife on site and easy walk to beach

Staff

Very pleasant staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean comfortable spacious bathroom and room

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

Very helpful staff and nice rooms. Good breakfast. Easy to get transportation from the hotel to explore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

had only 1 night here not a lot of time to explore around the hotel

Staff

Very friendly and helpful at recommending places to eat and transportation

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quiet room and nice bath/shower although the sliding door on the bathroom was noisy

Activity Reviews

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Learned about bromelias and tree ferns. Heard more birds than we saw but did get to see a Quetzal and went to the hummingbird cafe at end and saw 4 species of hummingbirds. Saw enormous tree ferns and learned about the filming of Jurassic Park in Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guide was informative, beautiful area-lush

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Informative, pleasant

Transport

organized

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Our guide did not drink coffee so emphasized the chocolate and sugar cane more but informative. Enjoyed tasting all the coffee roasts in the visitor center. Loved seeing the coffee beans on the trees. Very interesting to see the steps in cocoa bean processing and chocolate

Quality of Experience

The tasting in the chocolate part and cane joice was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pleasant guide

Transport

organized

Traditional Cooking Class - Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Private garden tour was amazing with more information about native medicinal plants. The cookiong class was very hands on and we loved the food we made-can't wait to make gallo pinto at home! The chef did not speak much English but fortunately I speak a fair amount of Spanish so it worked out.

Quality of Experience

Loved the hands on

Food

The food we made was excellent although I need more practice on the tortillas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great garden tour guide who was also our driver and we had enjoyable conversation to and from the farm

Transport

see above

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Enthusiastic guide who was quick to find things for us to see with her spotting scope. Loved the waterfall

Quality of Experience

Beautiful views from the bridges

Guides, Drivers and Staff

great guide who was sensitive to members of group with anxiety about the bridges

Transport

accommodating

El Silencio Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great guide and we learned a lot about medicinal plants. Unfortunately if was raining so not much wildlife but that can't be controlled-hike was shortened because of rain.

Quality of Experience

Weather dampened the experience-views were gone

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was personable and informative

Transport

organized and efficient

Cahuita National Park Snorkel & Rainforest Hike

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

We were expecting the possibility of snorkeling per our itinerary but were told we were only registered for the hike-as it turns out the weather did not allow anyone to snorkel. The guide was amazing and we saw lots of white faced monkeys, Jesus Christe lizard, howler monkeys, learned about local plants and had a lovely time cooling off in the water on the beach

Quality of Experience

great guide and lots of wildlife

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide

Transport

organized and convenient

Kimkim arrangements and itinerary for New Zealand was great. Thank you Paula for making the trip super memorable and organized.

Trip to Norway was amazing! Loved the cross-country skiing, dog sledding, and snow mobiling. The tour guide for the snow mobiling, John, was great and very accommodating. Everything went smoothly and it was easy to get around.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Alta

Alta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Saga

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Hunt with Photographer

Alta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arctic Floating Adventure (Evening)

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kvaløya Husky Sledding Excursion (Self-Drive)

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Cross-Country Skiing in Tromsø

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snowmobile Adventure

Alta

Great experience going into the backcountry into the mountains. Scenery was beautiful and had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was a great guide! Very knowledgable, experienced, and accommodating. Great and interesting guy altogether.

Transport

We planned our New Zealand trip with Nats and had an amazing experience. Right from the start there was great communication and the trip was tailored to what we were interested in. We were able to make changes and additions to the draft itinerary and weren't made to feel like an inconvenience at all for doing so. Prior to the trip, there were regular check-ins and any pre-travel paperwork was provided to ensure our arrival was seamless. One of our interests for the trip was to see some of the Lord of the Rings filming locations. With Nats also being a LOTR fan, he was able to provide additional suggestions we had not even thought of! I thoroughly enjoyed the day-by-day schedule along with recommendations for stops/attractions in each destination. We were provided vouchers for each of the planned activities ahead of time so we could bring them with for easy check-ins as well. Nats went above and beyond by meeting up with us during our trip and treating us to the delicious cream horn dessert. This trip exceeded our expectations and Nats will be our go-to should we ever make it back.

Activity Reviews

Glenorchy Lord of the Rings 4WD Tour

Queenstown (NZ)

The information provided during this tour was interesting, but if you do your research ahead of time for some of the LOTR filming locations - you could go by yourself without a guide. The 4WD vehicle did allow you to get to some of the harder to get to places - but the "filming locations" there were off in the distance (the guide pointing at a far off mountain peak and saying that was were X scene took place).

Quality of Experience

Although the weather was not ideal, we still had a good time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Motuara Island Bird and Day in the Sounds

Picton

This was a long day, but completely worth it! The cruises to your destinations were so beautiful and we had a once in a lifetime encounter with a large pod of very playful dolphins along the way. The hike to the top of Motuara Bird Island was short and I would have liked more time to check additional birds off of the list, but saw new ones that would have been hard to find in other locations. The Queen Charlotte Track was just right for us - any longer and we would not have made it back to the ferry in time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zipline Original Canopy Tour

Rotorua

We had never ziplined prior to this and it was AMAZING. The guides were very knowledgeable and provided a great tour. It was very interesting to hear about the conservation efforts this company puts forth to ensure their forest, the plants and birds are protected. Would highly recommend for anyone interested in supporting local conservation efforts and want to have fun while doing so!

Quality of Experience

Great guides and a fun group

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour, with a Lunch at the Party Marquee

Matamata

For a LOTR fan this is a MUST. It was a magical experience to say the least.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoa did an incredible job planning a two week trip to Thailand for us! She was very kind and patient with us during the planning process and gave us her opinion on different trip options. While in Thailand, our guides Pom and Ying were very knowledgable and made sure we had a great experience. This was the trip of a lifetime!

Tina did a great job It was a very good trip. Hotels and schedule were all nice. It was very affordable but still top rate!

Hotel Reviews

M Village Hotel Ton That Dam

Ho Chi Minh

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Matilda Hotel

Hanoi

Great lication

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the center of old town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Signature Cruise

Hanoi

Great food. Clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One night is plenty

Veranda Lodge Hua Hin

Hua Hin

Lots of character. On the beach , clean great for the price

Authenticity & Character

Original design. Trees

Location

Can’t get closer to the beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cu Chi Tunnel visit

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I’m

Transport

Emilia and then Augustina responded to our queries rapidly and accurately. Diego our guide: ponctual, professionnal, knowledgeable and has great music in the car!!! Had great tips to improve our sighseeing experiences as well as shopping adventures. I had a bit of a medical problem: without me asking him, he accompanied me to the pharmacy and facilitated the purchase of what I needed. Favorite moment: everyday. Everything stood out. The mountains, the scenery, the food and wine. In my everyday life, I avoid having discussions by text messages or emails. The KimKim way of doing business is exclusively in this manner. A zoom call to start the planification process would be very efficient and facilitating. Email exchanges afterwards would then be ok.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Vicuña Hotel Boutique

Salta

High-end french-style hotel. Lovely with excellent breakfast. Staff were exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Infinito Hotel

Buenos Aires

Room on the small side for two people, two beds and luggage. However very clean and quiet. What made this hotel great was the staff: whether to tell us how to use subway, where to get off, etc. which restaurants in the area etc. they made a point of giving us all the info we needed. Standard breakfast with egg dishes on request. Good location.

Authenticity & Character

Standard hotel with all standard services offered

Location

Staff

They made our stay more enjoyable. Gave us tons of useful information so we would have to go through Google searches.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms a bit small.

Marqués De Tojo Hotel

Purmamarca

Rooms were quite large and very clean. Overall, very quiet and not far from the center of this small town. Decor might need to be refreshed a little bit with a coat of paint. This being said, would stay there again, no worries. The air conditioning unit started spilling water in the room during the night. Staff were located quickly, everything cleaned up rapidly. They offered another room: we declined since we were leaving in the morning. Standard breakfast with eggs made up on request.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Marías Hotel Boutique

Tilcara

Amazing views for the room, staff were more than helpful, providing advice and hints for matters we did not even think about. They arranged for restaurant reservations and transportation efficiently. Definitely a plus to stay there. Hotel and rooms are beautiful as well as the gardens.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pristine Camp Salinas Grandes

Jujuy

Out of this world experience, a must, even for one night. 5-star accommodations with amazing food and wine. Personnel were more than helpful and available for everything. Would recommend without hesitation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Quebrada de Humahuaca, visit of the Hornocal

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first visit to Portugal so we decided to work with a professional travel company. We are glad we did.

Kim Kim exceeded our expectations! From the first contact with our representative (Helena Fernadez) until we were dropped at the Lisbon airport for our flight home, everything went exactly as planned.

Over a one week trip with visits to Lisbon, Porto, Evora, Obidos, the Douro Valley and numerous other villages and towns, there was lots to do. What stood out for us was the quality of the Portuguese food, the wine and the hospitality of the people. All came together for an enjoyable seven days.

We interacted with guides, drivers, restaurant staff, hotel representatives and other individuals along our trip. All afforded a warm level of service and care. But certain individuals went above and beyond.

Our driver from Lisbon to Porto and back Mr. Nuno Neves was exceptional. He shared his love of Portugal with us, facilitated our visits to small interesting villages and seemed always to be looking out for us. Well done Nuno. Much appreciated.

When we were in the Douro Vally, it was my wife’s birthday. Our guide/driver Bruno took that as his challenge to ensure we had a special visit. From tasting wine on the river cruise, to having the owner and guests of a small family restaurant high above the valley sing Happy Birthday in Portuguese. Very special.

It was a wonderful week. Thank-you to all the kim kim staff for making it happen for us.

This trip was for my husband’s 40th birthday and I would say it was an incredible way to start a new chapter! We can truly say we have seen every bit of beautiful Croatia, and what a gem it is!!!
First of all, I could not have done this without the tireless hours Robi put into planning this itinerary! We went in early November and we really enjoyed the fall weather and low crowds!!! Only minor downfall was that in some of the smaller towns, restaurant options were minimal and stores were closed for the season. But we would take that exchange for the low crowds we had the entire trip!
Robi was a rockstar with the constant communication on WhatsApp the entire trip. It was like having our personal tour guide in our pocket!!! He dropped pins of sites, restaurants, ice cream shops, and parking. Kept us up to date with the following day’s agenda, time line, who we would meet, etc. He made the trip so seamless!!
Had a great tour guide in Zagreb, named Mario, that not only picked us up from the airport on our arrival, but toured us around and passionately spoke about his country and Zagreb. Just great!
Matej delivered a rental car to us, and also picked it back up in Split. He also drove us back to the airport for our departing flight home. Took great care of us!
Robi had us vouchers and times of our arrival for Plitvice and Krka National Parks and made those experiences just wonderful! The national parks and immense amount of waterfalls were just breathtaking! It was also lovely to tour those parks without the intense heat or crowds that are typical in the high season. Those parks were a big highlight of our trip.
Split was one of our favorite cities. Warm, sunny, palm trees and history! Pero guided us around the city center and did a great job teaching us all about the Diocletian’s Palace.
Robi then became our real life, in person guide for a couple days, touring us around to Peljesac peninsula, Korcula, and Ston. His knowledge of Croatia is extensive and we enjoyed spending time with him. He also took us to a couple wineries in the Dingac valley that was an experience of a lifetime! So, so cool!! Ended our trip in Dubrovnik, a beautifully quaint town! Our hotel, Pucic Palace, was my favorite! City center as you can get and such a gorgeous antique room! Antea, our guide, filled our history cup up with a great tour and then we got to explore the small town the rest of the day!
The details of the trip did not go unnoticed and I could not have planned such a relaxing trip for myself and husband without Robi’s expertise!! I will highly recommend Robi and his services to my friends in the future. Until next time, Croatia!

Our trip to Norway was fabulous! Kimkim listened to us and helped arrange a perfect itinerary based on our interests. They offered lots of options and valuable suggestions for what would work best and arranged a busy, but not chaotic, schedule. Alex, our Norway specialist, was particularly helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Yggdrasil Farmhotel Retreat, Spa & Yoga

Straumsbukta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off the beaten path with beautiful views of the fjords.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Admiral

Bergen

Wonderful accommodations, a central location, helpful staff, and a wide selection of breakfast options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Fjordhytter

Flåm

An amazing location with fabulous views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

A perfect downtown location, an amazing breakfast/brunch offering, and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo

Oslo

A must visit museum in Oslo!

Quality of Experience

Private City Walk

Oslo

An extremely informative and knowledgeable guide made this a highlight of Oslo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a dream trip and Vicky helped make everything so seamless. We reached out to her about possible itineraries, and she worked with us to make a perfect 10 days. She was always available for any questions and was helpful throughout the journey. There was some flooding in Prosperine, so we had to pivot, and she was helpful in making changes and arrangements for us in Cairns. Our flights, transfers and tours were all planned out and we had no issues.
The accommodations she choose for us were clean and comfortable. We stayed at The Riley and Visions apartments in Cairns and both were excellent. Upon returning to Sydney, she booked us at The Vibe Hotel in Darling Harbour. It was a smaller hotel and had everything we needed including breakfast. The location was great as it was about 10 minutes away from great shopping.
While we were in Cairns, we had 3 tours booked and they were all fabulous. There was the Classic Kuranda tour where we went up in the train and spent the day touring around. We enjoyed the views and took in some time at the wildlife habitat before heading down in the gondola. The second tour was on the Ocean Freedom where we went out to the reef and did some scuba diving and snorkeling. This tour was so much better than the others we booked on our own and really made me appreciate Vicky that much more for her knowledge on what the tours offered. This was a smaller group and the staff was absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable. Our last tour was of the Daintree Forest and Cape Tribulation. Our guide kept us entertained with lots of stories and we enjoyed a dip in some falls, lunch, a boat ride down the Daintree River and a visit to Cape Tribulation. All the tours she booked for us were excellent.
I travel a lot but am new to Australia and I feel that Vicky really took the time to find out what we were looking for in our travels and did the perfect job on finding us the best accommodations suited to our needs, clean and punctual transfers, amazing tours and flights that worked with our schedules. It was great have the peace of mind knowing we were looked after in an unfamiliar country.

Thank you Vicky for an amazing holiday,

Shauna and Elisha

We had the trip of a lifetime. Emanuela with Kim Kim took very good care of us. We had weather issues that required us to change hotels twice in one day. We were extremely grateful to her for working so hard to make sure we had the best accommodations. She even had a bottle of champagne waiting for us in our room. We were in very good hands with our guide Svavar. He was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond for us. I would highly recommend booking with Kim Kim and ask for Emanuela!!!

Ethyl, Fenne and Julia from Kimkim team were amazing from planning the trip to real time assistance when on the trip. Our family had a fantastic Norway trip. They planned all the must do experiences and attractions in detail so most of the trip was fun and relaxing even with 2 kids:)

I would have given 5 stars but we felt the execution ( booking confirmation as planned) as well as matching the needs with the logistics involved could have been much better. It kind of didn’t justify the money premium paid instead of self planning.

Thank you for a memorable trip overall!!

Hotel Reviews

Malangen Resort

Skutvik, Meistervik

Excellent location, service. Note: ALL the activities/experiences over the 3 day trip were canceled with no backup. This resort is 1.5 hours drive from tromso so you are kind of stuck with no activities. All activities were on schedule in tromso so not a good idea if you’re choosing this resort for activities. Better stay in tromso where you have plenty of options .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byparken

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

One of the Best views in the world!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

Excellent service and breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Watch (Malangen Resort guests)

Mestervik

Was cancelled for all 3 nights with no backup. We ended up staying in tromso and still were able to view northern lights. The resort is far from tromso with no backup. The resort itself is excellent!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Reindeer Sledding & Sámi Overnight Experience

Tromsø

Excellent!! Must do with kids

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dogsledding Adventure (Malangen Resort Guests)

Mestervik

Was pre cancelled before arrival. No backup or near by options . Far from tromso where activities were on schedule with many options

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Excellent tour guide!! Beautiful city with very interesting history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Experience (tickets included)

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ægir Viking Meal Experience

Norway

Very delicious, very unique!

Quality of Experience

Ko

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sauna Experience

Oslo

A must do !!! Excellent location, facilities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Raquel was the best! She worked with us to tailor the trip exactly to our description. We were able to work with Raquel on how we wanted each day to be - activity, free time, transportation - so we could enjoy the location without hassle of trying to figure things out in a new environment. The airport and train station pickups and drop offs were really nice. The little things mattered a lot to us during the trip. Even when things did not go smoothly, we were able to get a hold of the support folks to smooth out and solve the situation. It was comforting to know we could lean on them during all of the trip.

The tour guides were very professional and accommodating to our needs. There was an instance when the hike we were looking forward to turned out to a more of a leisurely walk. The guide took it upon himself to show us a different spot which was more of the hike we had intended to do. Then when the weather turned ugly, we were taken to an alternate location which was a surprise and extremely enjoyable. In the end it turned out to be a great day even though it was not something we were looking forward to at the beginning of the tour. Kudos to the travel agents on picking people who are knowledgeable as well as empathetic.

This is the third time we have used the kimkim service to book trips and each one has been excellent! On this trip, Raquel was a true star, making sure everything worked out great. We are recommending kimkim to everyone we know as well as using the service for future trips.

Thank you Raquel and Kimkim for the wonderful memories.

Our guides were amazing throughout our trip, there were a few things that we were expecting that weren’t provided. However that didn’t stop us from having an incredible trip. Our driver Ilyace took great care of our family and really helped make our trip enjoyable

We had a wonderful trip that exceeded our expectations. The pre trip preparations with Hakim were easy and he was very flexible in tailoring the trip to our schedule and our interests. I felt like together we came up with a good plan and it was well executed. Success in sports is a combination of planning and talent and the same can be said about our experience this past week. It was a successful trip because it was well planned with talented individuals helping us along the way.
That had to start with our driver Hakim. He could not have been more accommodating, personable, and good company for the week. Additionally he was an excellent driver and made sure we were well taken care of and the schedule we set was followed precisely. He was always early, always available, and we always felt we were in good hands knowing he was there.
The local guides were all very knowledgeable and pleasant and I felt we came away from each day with a better understanding of the history and culture everywhere we stopped. Our guides in Rabat and Marrakech should be singled out as theywere both not only informative but also fun to be with. We had a hand in setting the schedule and if I were to do it again I would change the morning tour of Casablanca and not have toured the Jewish sites. They were interesting but I felt in retrospect we should have devoted the limited time we had in Casablanca to seeing something else. That was on us for wanting some type of Jewish experience, but we got that in Marrakech and my suggestion would be if you have other clients with limited time looking to tour Jewish sites, steer them to Marrakech.
The extras like the balloon ride, the cooking class and hammam were all terrific also and again well organized. This was at or near the top of the list for best vacations we’ve been on. Thanks for your help in making it happen.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

The La Maison Arabe was a wonderful place to stay. Terrific location, staff, accommodations, setting, restaurant and a wonderful place to spend a few days. The Hammam was excellent and the room and view outstanding. The shower was a little tricky but otherwise couldn’t have been happier.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely setting. We were greeted with a glass of tea and a tour. Beautiful building.

Location

Close to the Medina and other than a short walk easy to access by car.

Staff

Very helpful. We checked out at 4:00 and someone was there to help us take the short walk to the car.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Casablanca Hotel

Casablanca

This was a similar experience to our stay in Rabat. Beautiful hotel, lovely courtyard, warm and welcoming staff but we were there only one night and other than having a drink on the patio we did not spend a lot of time there.

Staff

Pop

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel La Tour Hassan Palace

Rabat

As this was more of a standard luxury hotel and not a traditional riad it wasn’t as interesting as our stays in Fes and Marrakech. Having said that it was a great place to stay and the restaurant and courtyard area were lovely. The breakfast was probably the most elaborate we had during our stay. The staff was also very solicitous but we were only there one night so we had little interaction with staff.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Wonderful riad. Beautiful, comfortable, staff very helpful. Great location for our touring.

Authenticity & Character

The decor and setting. The suite was lovely and very comfortable.

Location

Staff

Everyone was terrific from the opening class tea to our final goodbye.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was very comfortable and great to settle in after a long day of touring.

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Probably the best guide we had. Very informative and answered many questions I had about Morocco in general that I didn’t ask the others. Long day but well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As mentioned very open, easy to talk to, didn’t shy away from tough questions. Very pleasant.

Transport

Four stars only because of the amount of walking.

Morning Hot Air Balloon Experience

Marrakesh

Beautiful morning. Great experience. Amazing views. Well worth the 6:30 am pickup.

Quality of Experience

Great pilot.

Food

Just nice to have something to eat after the ride

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Concerned our 6:30 pickup wasn’t there by 6:45 but it all worked out well in the end.

Casablanca's Jewish Heritage Visit

Morocco

Probably the weak link of the tour. The guide was nice and knowledgeable about the Jewish history of Morocco but there was no docent or individual at either the Temple we visited or the museum that was very helpful. We could have probably skipped doing this in Casablanca. We incorporated a few Jewish sites in Marrakech and that would have been enough for us. Would rather have seen other sites in Casablanca. That was on us though as we only had the morning there and chose to do the heritage tour. Had a nice meal and experience at Rick’s Cafe the night before.

Quality of Experience

Docents for each stop

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hakim was again. Our guide was nice but someone at each site would have been more informative

Transport

Hassan II Mosque Tour

Morocco

Mosque was an amazing edifice. The local guide provided by the mosque was not as informative as we would have liked.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide at mosque was just okay not great

Transport

Our driver Hakim once again very helpful.

Morning Guided Tour in Rabat

Morocco

Terrific guide. Very enthusiastic, informative, gave us a nice overview of Rabat.

Quality of Experience

M

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Meknes & the Roman Ruins of Volubilis then Continue to Rabat

Morocco

Another great day. Tour of Volubilis was terrific. Interesting to see a different medina although after a long day in Fes it was nice that this one was a little shorter. Drive there was very pleasant also.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Workshop & Local Food

Morocco

Thoroughly enjoyable from our shopping for the meal in the souk to our cup of tea with Fes’s celebrity teamaker to the actual prep and dinner itself.

Quality of Experience

Our hostess was lovely. Very gregarious, had wonderful relationships with the food vendors. Made us feel welcomed everywhere we stopped.

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Great day. Long and maybe could have a little less time in the Medina but overall felt like we got a good feel for Fes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was terrific. Took us to his favorite restaurant in Fes called in English “Second Wife” for a more local place to eat. Outstanding b

Transport

See above

Absolutely wonderful trip, one of the best among all trips I have made in my life!

Liz Karen has done absolutely brilliant work organising this trip for me and accommodating all my requests. And she and her colleagues were absolutely amazing when my flight from Chachapoyas to Lima was cancelled and they needed to get me to Lima in time for me to catch my international flight! Special thanks to Liz for her help with getting the refund from the airline for this cancelled flight!!! :)

Milton was a superior guide, he made the trip very special (mainland).
Liz our contact on the Galapagos was also great.