Kimkim Trip Reviews

The hotels, car rental and planned activities were great. On the other hand, we received a very long document before our trip that just listed *all* of the options of things to do at each place - there was no priority or added information about timing, booking in advance, or attempts to tailor recommendations to our preferences. This document was generally not useful and we ended up having to use a travel book to figure out what to do in each place.

My trip was overall well planned by Bruno. We visited Rio and Foz do Iguacu with KimKim (we did also add a single night in Sao Paulo, due to travel needs). During the planning phase, we adjusted and added attractions that best fit my family. This included changing our flights that Bruno initially booked to help fit my desired schedule. The planning phase was great and easy. Our English guides did great and accommodated our family of 5 as needed during the various tours. The hotel selections fit our desires as well. My only small issue was the airport pickups. I believe they use a generic airport based service to get you to your hotel (at least in Rio and Sao Paulo that was the case). Both in Rio and Sao Paulo our drivers did not speak English. This was a slight issue as we weren't proficient Portuguese speakers, but we managed ok. If you were uncomfortable putting yourself out there doing some mimes and broken sign-language, it would have been very disappointing. All in all, 9 out of 10.

We had an amazing trip to London and so much of that had to do with our trip specialist Kateryna. From the moment I reached out with a trip inquiry to the time we actually were in London, she was so responsive and supportive.
The itinerary she created for us was perfect, well-balanced with activities and time for relaxing. She made all the reservations, tickets etc in advance which made the trip seem seamless.
We ran into difficulty with a 2 hour flight delay on arrival at Heathrow. I contacted her from the plane and she was able to get in touch with our transport from the airport, as well as shift our planned afternoon activities to evening so we could still do what we hoped to for the day. She made what could have been a stressful start to our trip so pleasant!

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason

London

So fun! All five of us enjoyed the experience. The tea selection was extensive. Our host was so knowledgeable and helpful. The food was tasty and the kids were pleasantly surprised that they could ask for seconds on any of the offerings on their stands. They all requested second servings of sandwiches!! A lovely experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Windsor Castle Day Trip from London

England

Great trip to see a very special place. SO much history and to keep it so well-preserved. Very special!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thames Cruise with Dinner

London

This was a highlight - seeing the city sites at night on a boat with a lovely meal. So special. We lucked out with amazing weather. The live music was a treat while enjoying a four course dinner on the cruise. Just lovely!! And so easy to take the tube to get to the pier! Highly recommend. The kids loved it too!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

So many historical sites within. Like several museums within one place. The Crown Jewels were amazing. Seeing the armory was also so cool. Just in awe at the history of the place. Very special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Chris our cab driver was so great! He customized the trip based on what our family was interested in and shared so many fun facts as well as tips about getting around London, best view for changing of the guard. We never felt rushed when stopping for photos. Also he rearranged his schedule to accommodate our flight being 2 hours late getting in and still took time to show us so many sites. Very friendly and knowledgeable about London history and site-seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shona was great at all times! We loved Japan! Yumi and ayumi, our first 2 guides were amazing. Yuki was very nice and gentle. Jun was a little disappointing, he seemed always in a hurry (most of the times walking way ahead of us and not looking back to see if we were keeping up, even having 2 kids with us) and was not enthusiastic about the history or places we visited. We found that guides that have their own kids are much friendlier to our kids and make the tours so much better and more interesting and enjoyable.

Mathia made our trip planning easy - a well planned trip across Norway with nice accommodations and helpful tips along the way. He gave us all the necessary details and checked in daily. When we had some minor issues, he replied super quickly and helped us sort it out. We especially liked the Flåm railway/bike excursion and enjoyed our stay in Oslo at the beautiful Amerikalinjen hotel.

We have had an amazing trip in Peru and Anne was a great help in planning and organising the trip. The communication was quick and complete. We loved all the hotels we stayed in, as well as the excursions. The first days in Arequipa we spent two days in a group by tour guide Maya. She was knowledgeble, friendly, helpful, communicative, punctual and fun. In and around Cusco we were helped guided by Julio Quispe. He was an extraordinary tour guide, whom I can not praise enough. He loves to share his passion for the region and was able to pass the enthusiasm on to us. His knowledge, stories, insights, anecdotes and tips really made this part of the trip special. Like Maya he was friendly, helpful, pro-active, punctual and flexible.

It is difficult to emphasize how disappointing Kim Kim and our travel agent Elen were. We are a family of five and were charged $12,000 for a six-day, 5-night booking of transportation and hotels at four locations in early June 2024 -- Santorini, Delphi, Kalabaka, and Athens. That comes to $2,000 per day for hotel rooms and a car with a driver, plus one internal flight to Santorini after landing in Athens and a "catamaran" tour in Santorini. But in every town except Delphi, we were given tiny, economy hotels whose rates ranged from $100 to $150 per night online, meaning we were charged $340 or $400 per night per room; we still had to buy all our own meals and our tickets for sightseeing. In Santorini, the driver refused to take our bags in from where he dropped us 1/2 a mile away from our hotel, and the hotel sent one girl to help, meaning we had to lug our luggage for 1/2 a mile up tiny, twisting lanes after lengthy international and domestic flights. The hotel rooms in Santorini were so small that I could not stand up straight and I am only 5'4. The Catamaran tour started 1.5 hour late and arrived back 3 hours late; the food was ok and there was nothing to drink except beer and wine -- for what we paid, it was abysmal. In Kalabaka, our kids were given a smoking room that was only switched by the cranky manager after a lot of complaining to Elen. The A/C and TV in our tiny room didn't work, and when we called the manager for help, he only yelled at my husband for breaking it; when he left, my husband figured out the settings and managed to make everything work. When we told Elen, she had the hotel send us a couple of bottles of wine but the manager claimed there were no wine glasses in the entire hotel (even though it had an in-house bar). In Athens, the hotel rooms were so tiny we had to walk sideways; the elevator was so small we had to take 4 trips to get our luggage up to the 6th floor; and across the street was a beautiful hotel with a roof restaurant for breakfast overlooking the Acropolis. Elen refused to provide a breakdown of how what we were charged was used, claiming "confidentiality" with the hotels; the lack of transparency was appalling given that the hotels we stayed at were going for $100 or $150 per night only, but we were charged $350 - $400 per night. We were also charged for a car and a driver to be with us from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but the driver frequently left at 3:00 p.m. The car itself was not a minivan but a giant bus that was uncomfortable to travel in and hard to park. And it did not help that, instead of giving us a refund or upgrade, Elen tried to fob us off by delivering some pre-packaged gift bags the last day of our trip with useless things like a tourist guide book (that we no longer needed), a weird table cloth, and stale cookies. So, our best advice -- DO NOT USE KIM KIM AS YOUR TRAVEL AGENCY.

Hotel Reviews

Divani Hotel Meteora

Kalampaka

Beautiful hotel, spacious rooms, great common areas to sit in/read/enjoy a glass of wine, an outstanding breakfast buffet, and a great pool.

Authenticity & Character

Exuded warmth and hospitality. The elevator was broken when we got there but they got it fixed ASAP and helped our family of five carry our 5 suitcases up three flights of stairs

Location

Set in one side of town but near the main rood with bars, cafes, and restaurants

Staff

There was no one at the poolside bar so we had to wait a long time to get towels, ice, water, and snacks. Another staff member also got mad at us for enjoying our own bottle of wine in one of hotel patios -- why shouldn't we able to do that if we could do it in our room? Do you really think it's going to make us buy your expensive food and wine?

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and layout was spacious

Achilleas Hotel

Athens

The entrance to the hotel is dingy, there's a tiny elevator that can barely fit two people and one suitcase, and the rooms are built sideways -- long but not wide enough. Two people cannot walk around at a time. There is no view from the balcony except into a much nicer hotel with amazing landscaping and a beautiful rooftop restaurant. The furniture is arranged in such a way that you cannot fit your suitcases. The breakfast area is dark and tiny, with only one table under a skylight that's worth eating at but that is always taken. WOULD NEVER STAY HERE AGAIN!

Authenticity & Character

It's just a small, cheap, dingy building with no warmth or hospitality that Greeks are known for.

Location

It's not in the center of anything! Athens is not that big and we had to walk miles and miles to get to the Acropolis and other sights.

Staff

They were polite but not warm or friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Less furniture, more space, and more light!!

Cori Rigas Suites

Fira

Because Santorini is so beautiful, no hotel can go wrong. But the rooms in this hotel were SO small that I couldn't stand up straight in the bedroom, and I'm only 5'4. The bathroom was so tiny I had to bend my head when entering and walk sideways. The balconies were nice but shared with so many rooms there was no privacy; one evening, the 20-year old boys staying in the room next door stayed up out on the balcony smoking and playing music and talking till 3:00 a.m., and they were so close we couldn't drown out the noise. The bar was not stocked with anything -- just empty liquor bottles -- and the bartender couldn't make anything except open some beer or wine. The staff was friendly and the breakfast was nice, but we spent no time in the rooms because they were so small and uncomfortable!

Authenticity & Character

Size of rooms and no privacy on balconies

Location

On the wrong side of the island

Staff

Very nice and friendly; packed us breakfast the morning we flew back out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Make things bigger!!

Fedriades Hotel

Delphi

Though it is in a nice location, the hotel is tiny, with most rooms that overlook a wall. The manager is unfriendly, crochety, and completely arrogant. He put our kids in a smoking room, claimed he was sold out and couldn't switch them until we complained to our travel agent, refused to fix the broken TV & A/C in our room and instead accused my husband of breaking it. The balconies in two of our rooms were so small that all we could do is put our clothes out there to dry; there was little room for two people to sit and enjoy sunrise or sunset. The breakfast buffet looked really nice, but most of the breads and dry foods were stale because they put them away in a nearby cabinet, then take them out every morning.

Authenticity & Character

The manager's attitude

Location

In the center of town, near a lot of restaurants

Staff

Customer service -- don't yell at guests or accuse them of breaking your temperamental fridge, A/C and tiny TV

Cleanliness & Comfort

Smoking rooms meant everything smelled even in the non-smoking rooms. Awful view in some rooms in the back of just a large wall. No working A/C or minifridge

Activity Review

Diamond Caldera Sunset Cruise

Santorini

The view/sunset was great, dinner was good, and snorkeling was enjoyable. But the cruise started off an hour and a half late, there were no snacks, there was only cheap wine and beer to drink instead of a full bar, and docking was 4 hours later than promised, making for a tiring day spent waiting and waiting and waiting and getting an OK experience. Also, the staff were not nice -- very busy and stressed.

Quality of Experience

We wish we knew that the Catamaran would neither arrive on time nor come back; we were picked up from our hotel at noon for a 1:30 p.m. cruise time, but the cruise didn't start until 3:00 p.m. We were not offered any apologies or water or refreshments while we waited for ONE AND A HALF HOUR in the heat. On board, there was only one white wine and some beer; for what we paid, we expected a full bar. There were also no snacks; just dinner, which was served three hours after we boarded. The catamaran arrived back to port much later than expected, which made sense because of the late start, but then we had to wait another HOUR AND A HALF to dock because of all the waiting catamarans ahead of us. We got back to our hotel at 11:00 p.m., meaning we had nearly a 12-hour excursion instead of a 6-hour one, with the additional time spent in delays, not enjoying ourselves. WILL NOT RECOMMEND YOUR COMPANY TO ANYONE ELSE!!

Food

Dinner was plentiful and tasted fine, but there were NO SNACKS for the first three hours and the dessert was awful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides on the boat were stressed and busy; they barked directions about not going here or doing that, and were not warm, friendly, or hospitable

Transport

The boat was a rickety little thing with not much space for all the people to truly relax. For example, there was one or two benches upstairs that got taken quickly. On the main deck, there was one or two tables, again got taken.

Arranging the guide was very easy. Maslinka was one of the best guides I've had - and I've been to over 70 countries. She's very knowledgeable about the local areas we visited, as well as the overall macroeconomic topics dominating Croatia. Would highly recommend her.

I (49M) and my two kids (F16, M13) had a phenomenal time!
Antonia was fantastic working with us to build the right itinerary, with plenty of fun activities, down time, and wonderful accommodations. As well, we had several calls ahead of the trip wherein she provided numerous recommendations for things to do, as well as tips for navigating about the countries we were visiting.

Throughout the trip, the kimkim team checked-in every day to ensure all was well, and that we had whatever necessary vouchers and/or travel details for the next day. This really allowed me to relax and lean into enjoying my time with my kids rather than stressing about getting ahead of the next day's itinerary or managing the small details.

Although the region was experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, it thankfully didn't limit us from exploring much (we did bow out of 1 or 2 hard hikes when temps peaked over 94º / 34º, but given we were on the coasts and often in the water, we had a blast. We felt welcome by the locals everywhere we went, and the food was delicious everywhere we ate.

Wonderful trip, hotels selected were all of great quality, especially the Boutique hotel in Cachi.
Both guides ( Iguazu + Salta) were very knowledgeable, kind and could speak good English.
Camila was always responding very quickly to all my enquiries.
A fantastic family trip !
Many thanks

Hotel Reviews

Villa Vicuña Boutique Hotel

Cafayate

Nice rooms and charming hotel, close from the main square

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Colores de Purmamarca

Purmamarca

We had 2 rooms and living room + kitchen upstairs ! Beautiful view on the mountains. Great staff and every night you are invited to some traditional music and glass of wine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Toilets very smelly and showers tubs were leaking

El Cortijo Hotel Boutique

Cachí

Charming, beautiful hotel, great service and you can also enjoy fantastic massage ! Loved it !!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Design Suites Salta

Salta

The best part of this modern style hotel is its location.

Authenticity & Character

Modern style. Huge bedroom but very small bedroom. You need to ask plug adaptor at the lobby since no plug is suitable for European travellers

Location

One block away from the main square and cathedral

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No duvet on double bed; only small blanket

La Reserva Virgin Lodge de Selva by DON

Puerto Iguazú

Rooms were ok but not as nice as the photos from the website. It seems they are the ones from the new building. Basic comfort and restaurant was so-so. Since the hotel is isolated in the forest, no choice but to stay in the hôtel for dinner

Location

Activity Reviews

Tour of the City - Discovering Salta's Hidden Treasures

Salta

Was interesting but too short ( only museum and Saint Francisco church) ; could have added one more museum…

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salinas Grandes Bike Ride & Picnic

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our trip to Italy. Fabio was excellent and so informative and helpful. He was very responsive on texts as well. We had some unforeseen air travel delays and Fabio made all the necessary adjustments quickly and efficiently. All of our hotels were perfect - great locations, delicious breakfasts and comfortable for our family of 5. He also did a great job on suggesting tours to take and all of our guides were A++++. I highly recommend Fabio. We want to return to Italy to explore other areas and when we do, we will definitely use Fabio again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Condotti - Luxury Apartments

Roma

Lovely spacious apartment. Great location. Comfortable!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Plaza Sorrento

Sorrento

Location, location, location. Awesome hotel in the perfect spot in town. Amazing rooftop bar and comfortable rooms. Breakfast is also very good. Pool is crowded and people cover their chairs w towels and then never come back so we didn’t ever get more than one chair for 5 of us. Wish hotel regulated that more.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Frame Hotel Florence

Florence

Location is amazing! Comfortable. Fit our family of 5 well. Front desk staff is great too. Breakfast is delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Il Castello Apartment

Menaggio

Great apartment! A little difficult finding it but Fabio helped. AC wasn’t working 100% but weather outside was gorgeous so it didn’t matter. Amazing location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Best guide ever! He was informative and kept it interesting for our children.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Informative guide. It was VERY hot but she gave us many breaks in the shade.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Mall Firenze | Shopping Tour

Florence

Perfect!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Boat Experience - Explore Lake Como

Italy

So much fun and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Amalfi Coast & Capri Island Boat Excursion | Stop in Capri Island

Sorrento

Great! Loved the private tour. The stop in Capri was a little long…but besides that, it was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skip-The-Line Accademia Gallery Ticket

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was titled by Kimkim "Amazing Norway from South to North" and it was amazing! In every city we visited we had varied activities planned along with ample time for pursuing things on our own. Ethel really listened to our interests and built a trip allowing us to see a good portion of the country in our limited two week time frame. We had two excellent tours. The Food and Cultural Tour in Bergen was informative and fun. Our guide's love for the city was evident in her enthusiasm and in depth knowledge of the area. In Tromsø, Bernhard did a terrific job highlighting the history of Tromsø and the region. He helped us fall in love with the city. The learning throughout the trip was well balanced with physical actives and opportunities to soak in the beauty of the scenery. Norway in a Nutshell made for a long day, but it was so worth it to see so many incredible views. We snorkeled and kayaked. Our kayaking guide, Rune was incredibly helpful, thoughtful, and provided us with interesting insights into Norwegian life as well as a fun day of kayaking. Our accommodations were good and breakfast was always included. We enjoyed the over night trip on a cruise ship which made a side trip into Trollsfjord and through the islands of northern Norway. The midnight sun was spectacular!

The Kimkim team was very responsive to questions and worked with us to resolve two unforeseen issues. On one day activities were planned too close together, but in the end it all worked out. Additionally, in Tromsø, our itinerary said that we had reservations at the restaurant at the top of the gondola only to find out that the restaurant was no longer in existence. I would suggest providing information or suggestions on public transportation options in Svolvær. We spent over $100 on a taxi to get to our snorkeling excursion only to find out that we could have taken the bus for about $9. Needless to say, we returned on the bus!

Over all the trip went very smoothly and we felt each day was filled with great activities and adventures! I hope to work with Kimkim again. Thanks for an amazing trip!

Incredible trip all-around. The attention to detail throughout our adventure was simply amazing. Friendly interactions every step of the trip, from the kimkim representative who planned our trip, to the local tour operator who organised the detailed logistics, to the staff at each of the hotels and activities we had planned. The entire trip went unbelievably smoothly without any missteps, and when we contacted the kimkim representative requesting a small change to our itinerary the response was immediate and well executed. Importantly, we had told the kimkim representative that we were avid wildlife and landscape photographers, and she certainly didn't disappoint by organising a fabulous selection of sightseeing activities throughout our trip, including safaris, 4x4 excursions, and stunning wildlife encounters. Driving ourselves in a 4x4 adventure throughout Namibia has given us some memories that will last a lifetime !

Hotel Reviews

Quiver Inn Guesthouse

Keetmanshoop

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gocheganas Nature Reserve

We contacted the hotel for an early check-in for one of our rooms and they happily complied.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff would pro-actively come over and let us know about nearby wildlife and birds.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kalahari Anib Lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Okonjima Plains Camp

Otjiwarongo

Very large room with excellent furnishings and great bedside view of wildlife.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Every staff member was very helpful and friendly, especially on the safari when we went looking for leopards. They also seem very dedicated to the conservation of large cats in Africa.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bay View Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Okaukuejo Resort - Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Windhoek Luxury Suites

Windhoek

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brandberg White Lady Lodge

Uis

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mokuti Etosha Lodge

Etosha National Park

Thoroughly modern hotel with incredible facilities. Wished we could have stayed here a few more days to soak up the ambience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right beside Etosha National Park so great for wildlife adventures.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dead Valley Lodge

Incredible lodges overlooking a vast desert with spectacular wildlife wandering by.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were fun, friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to GocheGanas

Windhoek

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable.

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive at Mokuti

Namibia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wanted to give 6 stars. We told our guide that we wanted to see rhinos and lions during the daytime, and she actually managed it ! Also told her that we wanted to see several species of birds (rollers and hornbills) and she knew exactly where to go.

Transport

Meet & Greet in Windhoek

Windhoek

Very friendly local guide, thanks !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leopard Conservation Drive

Namibia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable, passionate and friendly !

Transport

Self-drive safari in Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

Quality of Experience

4x4 Huab River Excursion

Namibia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walvis Bay & Sandwich Harbour 4x4 excursion - Morning Tour

Namibia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sossusvlei Tour

Sossusvlei

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delivery of your rental car

Windhoek

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Namibia!

Namibia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I absolutely loved my trip to Colombia this past June/July. I had the good fortune to have Michael as my trip planner. He did such a fantastic job listening to what I wanted to see and focus on while still staying within my budget. We went through several iterations of plans and ideas, and he was just patient and thoughtful and full of suggestions and recommendations. In the end I had just the perfect trip planned, and I got to see so many wonderful places. Another highlight of my trip was my guide, Camila, who has to be one of the most special, smart, caring, generous guides and people I've had the pleasure to meet. She went out of her way to explain things to me and show me things and encourage me to try things. She was always putting me first. Her English was excellent and she even let me practice my Spanish a bit. I had such an amazing trip that I am already committed to going back next summer, and hopefully Michael can work his magic and come up with another wonderful journey and Camila will be available to guide me. I loved all the hotels and special places Michael found for me. I did have some questions during my trip, and both Camila and Michael were immediately responsive and tried to fix and improve things to make sure I had the best trip ever...which I did. I could not be more grateful to both of them...and to my amazing driver, Wilson, as well! He was such a conscientious driver and friendly and outgoing and I hope he is free next summer as well as I can't way to go back and explore more of this beautiful country.

Hotel Reviews

Majestic Coffee Hotel And Restaurant

This was a very cute place to stay, and I have to stay that I had the best meal EVER at this particular place...for $6! :) The lady who runs it should be running a Michelin restaurant. The rooms are very simple but clean. Note there is no Wifi in any of the rooms, despite what their website says. Still..there are not a lot of options if you want to see Tierradentro, so I think this was totally the best option. It was very pretty and charming, and the lady and her family there were super friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chalet Guamuez

This place is very cute and spacious. Each room has great views and some rooms have fireplaces. The breakfast was delicious and the staff was super friendly. I personally had problems as I found the rooms very cold (there is no central heat...just space heaters) but my guide swooped in to help me resolve this. Also, the wifi in the rooms is again not totally reliable, but the staff there did their best to help me solve this. There are not too many places to stay in this particular area, and it was very pretty.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel De La Opera

Bogotá

Really lovely hotel. I had a great stay here. The staff was super helpful, the breakfast was very tasty, and everything was more than I could have asked for. There was hot water in the showers and free wifi! Comfortable bed and quiet. I did get there early so could not check into my room but they watched my bag until the room was ready. I saw some other comments about the staff not speaking English and I just disagree. We are guests in their country and if you can't take the time to learn some basic Spanish then at least know you can use Google translate to communicate with them. I do not think the onus should be on the staff; it is on us as guests to be good visitors. I know rudimentary Spanish and I think they appreciated my attempt to be understood. The hotel is really well located and would totally stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

POSADA TURISTICA DANTAYACO

What a lovely place! I was enchanted. So unique and special. Everyone there was so helpful and kind. Quiet and so cute! Lots os monkeys and you can hear the river nearby. I was the only tourist there but the staff was super friendly and helpful. Delicious food. It was really unique and I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Finca El Maco

San Agustin

This was my very favorite place to stay during my 9 day visit to Colombia. Granted, I think I stayed in the best room they had! But it was really remarkable and unique. The staff was very helpful, the breakfast was delicious, and the room I had was unbelievable. Probably the best place I have ever stayed. I agree with other comments about the barking dogs...they really need to do something about that! (Not chain them up at night??) But I still loved it and would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dann Monasterio

Popayan

Great hotel! After more than a week of staying in some random and small places, it felt like luxury to find a clean hotel with wifi (everywhere!) and hot water in the shower! It was very clean and the customer service was impeccable. I think I was nearly the only tourist there, but everyone attended to me and helped me. I am especially grateful to Nathalie who was working in the kitchen. I walked down and gave her my dinner order, and she went above and beyond to make it special and deliver it to me. She was so kind and sweet...totally made my stay. Would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Excursion in Tierradentro Archaeolgical Park

Colombia

Loved my trip to the park. Learned a lot and the site was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Town of San Agustín

San Agustín

Camila gave me a personal tour of the city, and it was really fun and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Tour on a Local Farm

San Agustín

Loved my trip to the coffee farm! I learned a lot and the coffee was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the La Cocha Lagoon

La Cocha

Loved my boat trip on the lagoon. It was cold and windy, but so pretty!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas

Colombia

Visiting Las Lajas was one of the highlights of my trip. Brought me to tears...it was so pretty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bus-Tour to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral

Colombia

Loved seeing this cathedral! Totally unique. Worth a visit. My guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bogotá Walking Tour

Bogotá

I loved my walking tour! I had a fantastic guide. Wish it were longer, but it was my first day after a long flight, and I was exhausted. Still, my guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous Market in Silvia

Colombia

Really interesting visit to this market!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of the "Fin del Mundo"

Mocoa

Loved my hike to fin del mundo! It was much longer and more difficult than I first thought, but I am glad I did it. So beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Regarding Kim Kim - I didn’t set up the trip, a friend did, but from my interaction it was a good user experience.

The trek planned by Sangita and team was amazing and there are a number of things to highlight.

First off, the trip itself; my friends and I still can’t get over the amazing scenery. Even at the height of the rainy season, the misty mountains were beautiful and the harsh rain was entirely overnight so the hiking was never too wet. The amazing nature and the incredible peaks of Annapurna surrounding you are dreamlike.

Our guide, Mitra, was a total boss. He was well experienced, knew the routes and the land well, took incredible care of us, and made the trip easy and memorable.

Sangita arranged everything for us seamlessly and made the whole trip easy with drivers and tickets all prepared. She even got us set up with this great cooking class where we learned to prepare Dal Bhat at her office. She’s incredibly kind, professional but also very social, warm and easy to get along with. (Sangita we miss you)

If anyone is looking for the perfect trek and all the support you could need for an amazing trip in Nepal, this is the team to use.

Amazing 5-star service for a complicated and ever-changing itinerary. My wife and I have traveled throughout our 50-year+ marriage on all continents, and this was the best service ever. All of the suggested tours were exactly what we wanted, and the ample free time allowed for shopping and local experiences. Highlights of the trip were Blue Mountain tour and going to the opera in Sydney, evening barbecue and astronomy talk at Ayers Rock, and at Cairns, Kuranda tour, Sunlovers reef experience, Bayleaf Balinese restaurant, walks by moonlight on the Esplanade, best pub food ever at Paronella Park. Thank you for making our family trip the experience of a lifetime!

A few notes for future reference:

(1) The Harbour Rocks hotel in Sydney was ideally located for our activities, but the three-story venue had no elevator, and our rooms were on the third floor which presented a challenge for the elderly in our group.
(2) The Crystalbrook Flynn in Cairns was similarly a good location, and we loved the breakfast included, but unfortunately, we had an incident with bugs (roaches) in our bathroom which was never addressed. The room service was a little off at times, but addressed promptly when we notified staff.
(3) The Daintree tour was good, but we spent a long time on the bus picking up and returning passengers to their various hotels in Cairns and Port Arthur. If we had to do it again, we would opt for a private tour just for our family.
(4) The several cancellations of the local tours which required rescheduling was a little unnerving (we realize not kimkim's fault). We really did want to do those tours after they were presented and did not want to cancel them entirely. This resulted in stacking the tours together on a single day. This pretty much worked out except for the Sunrise and Sundown tours to Ayers Rock on the same day, which were originally scheduled on different days. Even the kids complained about that one. The evening tour was one of the highlights of our trip. We probably could have skipped the early morning tour.

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Sydney Airport

Mascot

Great hotel close to airport and free breakfast included.

Location

Close to airport

Cleanliness & Comfort

Expected cleanliness for upscale hotel.

Harbour Rocks Hotel

The Rocks, Sydney NSW

Great location, but no elevator for a 3-story hotel. The stair challenged should secure a room on the first floor.

Location

In the middle of all the tourist activity.

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

In great location near Esplanade, great free breakfast included, however insect problem in bathroom was not addressed.

Location

Near Esplanade and all tourist attractions

Staff

Room service was spotty (getting 3 floor mats instead of hand towels), but corrected when asked

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exterminator should be called.

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Top class hotel with great food and shopping.

Location

In the middle of the tourist activity.

Activity Reviews

Afternoon & Evening Tour of Paronella Park (departing Cairns)

Australia

Very interesting story of Paronella Park - glad we did it.

Quality of Experience

Loved the story of the founders of the park.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver, Man, was great and made the experience more enjoyable

Transport

Driver was knowledgeable and communicated well

Premium Daintree & Cape Tribulation Day Tour

Australia

Liked all the various activities on this tour but spent a lot of time on the bus picking up and letting off passengers.

Quality of Experience

We liked all the activities, especially the river tour looking for crocs

Food

Lunch had only three choices, chicken choice was not good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

all the staff professional and helpful

Transport

too much time on bus

Free Day in Cairns

Cairns

Shopped around tourist area, visited Armour Museum, Cairns Museum, Rusty's Markets, had amazing dinner at Bay Leaf Balinese restaurant, moonlight walk on Esplanade

Quality of Experience

Loved all the shops and eating venues

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

Australia

If you are in Cairns, you have to actually go to the reef. Liked all the various activities you could do from the pontoon.

Quality of Experience

Being up close and personal with the Reef

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Were helpful at all times

Transport

Not just a transport, but food and drink available

Classic Kuranda

Cairns

One of the highlights of our trip

Quality of Experience

Liked all the animals and different activities

Guides, Drivers and Staff

staff at site were knowledgeable and helpful

Transport

variety of transport modes added interest to the tour

Uluru (Ayers Rock) Sunset + Outback Barbecue Dinner & Star Talk

Uluru

One of the highlights of our entire Australia trip.

Quality of Experience

Close up views and extended narratives about Ayers Rock. Note to staff at barbecue: you need more than two heaters for this time of year.

Food

Many choices and plenty.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff

Transport

Rides in and out worked fine.

Uluru Sunrise (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta Half Day Trip

Uluru

Good experience, but early morning with cold and wind. The gorge walk is challenging mainly due to the loose rubble you have to walk over - a barrier to some folks (us). The slope and distance would be no problem with a smoother route.

Sydney Harbor All inclusive Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Viewing and food was great.

Quality of Experience

overall trip satisfaction

Food

excellent quality

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very friendly and helpful

Transport

harbour views

Halfday Sydney Private City Tour

Sydney

Great overall view of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge of the city's history and inciteful remarks

Transport

Plenty of room

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

Great tour of this area.

Quality of Experience

Flexible options - we really liked shopping in the village

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was flexible for our schedule.

Transport

Plenty of room

Cairns Aquarium by Twilight Tour

Australia

Loved this visit with knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Lots of information about reef life

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide

Leo did an amazing job with planning our trip. Paul our trolly wine tour guide was awesome (and so was his music play list). He was very knowledgable about the info in the Sonoma area. Our trip to Napa had a remarkable wine tour with Tessa Bowen at Platypus tours, she took us to 3 small wineries, which were awesome and we purchased wine from 2 of the 3 places.

Kim Kim set us up with a wonderful 20th wedding anniversary trip through Vietnam. We didn’t have a luxury of time, only eight nights available, but they helped us make the most of our trip through the country. Five star accommodations, smooth transfers, thoughtful and enjoyable activities, enough time to relax. Ashley, our agent, was super friendly and responsive to our questions and requests throughout. Thanks to her and the team. Highly recommended.

Our trip to England and Scotland was incredible thanks to Kat's wise recommendations and perfect organization! The 24/7 support and quick responses provide a lot of peace of mind and confidence.

I normally do all my own travel planning. However, when I had a chance to go to Vietnam for a long weekend, on short notice, I did not have enough time to think, plan and book. Thus, very leerily I went to the internet and found KimKim. The reviews seemed good, so I gave it a shot.

1. My contact Huyen was very responsive, all the time. I changed my plans a few times, and she was supportive and reacted quickly.
2. My Vietnam guide, Hien, was in Hanoi was also very good. Knowledgeable. Happy personality. By the way, the streets in Hanoi are the craziest I have every seen.
3. Ninh Binh drive and day was on time and very interesting.
4. Ha Long bay cruise was on a very nice ship. Very clean, good size being maybe 20 rooms, so not crazy crowded. Food was very good, especially the last day brunch.

I would recommend KimKim and Huyen to everyone.