Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was our first experience using KimKim.com for travel arrangements. The process was extremely simple with great communication with Mathilde. We gave Mathilde dates and the key destination of St Malo we wished to visit, and she created a fabulous trip allowing us to experience Western France and Paris.
Starting in Tours on our way to St Malo she booked a fabulous dinner at Casse-Caillox and an unexpected gem with a visit to Chateau de Chenonceau.
The hotel booking in St Malo allowed us to be close but not in the tight quarters of the walled city. It was also adjacent to the wall allowing for views as the tide receded and the expansive beach was revealed.
The train ride to Paris put us in the center of town, making it simple to get to the hotel that was, once again, in a great location for the excursions she planned for us to the Eiffel tower and Versailles.
We are already looking forward to our next trip to Europe with Mathilde's help.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Monterosa - Astotel

Paris

Wonderful staff and amenities but the rooms thermostat did not seem to control any temperature or fan speed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Escale Oceania Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Plus l'Artist Hotel

Tours

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skip the line Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

Must see attraction that was made easy with the advance tickets. Foggy evening was the only detraction from the visit.

Palace of Versailles Half-Day Trip

Paris

Skipping the line was well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chenonceau Castle: entrance tickets

France

Hidden gem outside of Tours with amazing history.

Quality of Experience

Private guide Literary Walking Tour

Paris

Roberto was an amazing guide with immense knowledge of the literary history of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved our trip to the Amalfi coast! Everything recommended by Valeria was better than what we expected. Our favorites were Sorrento, Boat day to Capri with a visit to the Blue Grotto, having a private driver to take us to Positano, Amalfi, Ravello , Maiori. We also enjoyed the Pompeii guided tour and Naples food tour.

Activity Reviews

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Best day of my trip! I loved cruising on the boat, walking around Capri and riding the single chairlift in Anacapri

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive and fun

Transport

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Pompeii half day

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples City tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Street Food Tour in Naples

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything and all the planned events in Portugal we’re amazing. We enjoyed 3 days in Porto, and 4 in Lisbon where everything went as planned without any hitch. The walking tours gave us private and personal history and highlights of each city, the wine tour of Douro Vally was breathtaking, the food tours, cooking class, boat rides, prompt and friendly guides and drivers, clean and very well located hotels, all added to our enjoyment and feeling of security. The food and friendly people all made it extra special. We would be happy to recommend the Kimkim team for this type of tour and a special thanks to Karenina Steinbeck! Met our expectations and much more.

Kien provided an initial schedule for our family trip to Thailand which we adapted to include some other points of interest. After we set the schedule I was prepared to underwhelmed due to the logistics nightmare that I thought we had created.
From our arrival in Bangkok, where we were met at the jetway by a golf cart that whisked us through customs, to the remote aerie house overlooking the ocean with its infinity pool where we spent our final few days, everything was spectacularly coordinated.
Great accommodations, wonderful guides (Annie in Bangkok, and Noe in Chang Mai), safe and courteous drivers with their spacious and luxurious vans.
We took four internal flights over our 2.5 weeks, multiple ferry or long boat trips....there is no way we could have done this with no stress, but with Kiens expert connections it was a trip of a lifetime for our family. One could purchase our vacation cheaper by doing it ourselves, but that comes with all the stress, language barriers, logistics, it just isn't worth it......just call Kien at Kim Kim

Hotel Review

Aksara Heritage

Chiang Mai

Tucked away in a side street in Old Town, Chang Mai this hotel epitomizes comfort. The staff is very attentive and welcoming. The rooms are spacious and the beds are extremely comfortable. The breakfast offers a wide selection of western and Asian options. There was a nice touch of free neck and shoulder massages being offered each afternoon for a few hours.

Authenticity & Character

Although its a relatively new hotel it exudes the comfort of a well worn arm chair

Location

A short tuktuk to the night markets and restaurants of Old Town

Staff

Greeted by everyone, even in passing by. Polite and sincerely looking to ensure you have everything you need

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Having a guide makes a tremendous difference to the experience. All the official guides have to do extensive courses before they are allowed to "guide" and so one gets to hear the history of the various buildings and their significance of their time

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Annie was great and well informed

Transport

AD was great navigating the mass of traffic and yet somehow always dropped us off very close to the attractions and very quick to pick us up at the end of the tour

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Until one goes to Bangkok you cannot describe the night scene. We toured by the flower market which operates only at night, passing by multiple street vendors selling their wares or food offerings.The food is diverse and interesting predominantly chicken.

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

Organized chaos! Take a long boat through the narrow waterways bordered by vendors in boats along the banks, and more vendors on the sides of the waterways.

Quality of Experience

Very uniques experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Love Chiang Mai cooking experience (Morning session)

Chiang Mai

Lynn met us at the local market, which is an experience in itself, where she/we purchased the products for the meals that we would be making. Then we went off to her house which had a kitchen area set up with multiple cooking stations. Lynn talked us through the cooking process which entailed making predominately local delicacies. Unfortunately for us westerners this included offal , water buffalo blood, and other "delicacies" us westerners are not used to.....but we gave it all a try.

Quality of Experience

Monk Blessing at Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

Perched atop nearby mountain accessible by cable car one has panoramic views to the valley below. The buildings lends one to wonder how they built these amazing structures in such a remote area. Some very intricate carvings on site

Quality of Experience

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Morning session)

Chiang Mai

This is a refuge for elephants. They are treated with kindness and respect by the staff. A wonderful experience to interact up close with these amazing animals

Quality of Experience

Half Day - Half Night Hike at Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok

Our guide, Man, used to live in the jungle and has an amazing ability to know where various species would be. We were fortunate enough to see monkeys, snakes, tarantulas, a plethora of spiders and other creepy crawlers. once we got to the half way point Man cut down some large bamboo proceeded to fashion some plates and cups, and went to work making a delicious curry dinner all cooked inside some bamboo, over a fire. While Man was cooking we took advantage of jumping in the nearby river to cool down. On the return trip to the hotel night had fallen; however, with the powerful LED lights provided, it was easy to pick up the reflection in the eyes of various creatures in the jungle canopy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Khao Sok - Transfer to 500 Rai Floating Resort - Leisure Time

Khao Sok

A remote paradise. After jumping on the "hotel provided" long boat one waves through spectacular waterways, ending up at this lovely private get away in the middle of nowhere. Greeted by friendly staff one is invited to relax and decompress. Cool off by diving from your rooms deck, or take your assigned kayak for an explore around the quiet waters. One can take a sunset cruise in their long boat and see some of the nearby waterways.

Quality of Experience

Hong Islands Discovery with Snorkeling by Private Premium Long-tail Boat

Krabi

An opportunity to visit some of the islands within the national park. Jump off the long tailed boat and relax on the white sand beaches. Climb the 450 steps up to a lookout where one gets a wonderful view of the islands from above. On to another very small island where our guide cooked up a lovely lunch on the beach. Then off to monkey island where we were able to tempt some of these monkeys to swim (yes.... swim) out to our boat to feed on fresh fruit we fed them.

Quality of Experience

The whole trip was seamlessly organised and executed. It allowed us to efficiently visit most of the country in a relatively short period of time. Edy was an outstanding guide, through his passion, patience and flexibility.

My husband worked with Kimkim to create a special birthday trip for me to Galapagos islands for 9 days. Having never travelled to South America and not speaking the language, we were a little nervous at first. But with Kimkim's Ecuador specialists Nick and Tamer in charge, the trip went absolutely smooth. Truly amazing!

Before deciding on the trip, kimkim had us fill out a form that gave them the information they needed to coordinate outings, hotels, and dinners according to our likes and personalities. My husband and I wanted a trip filled with activities and they delivered. Our first day on the island took us to the Darwin research center in Santa Cruz with our guide Stephan, who was also our guide to a coffee farm in the highlands, hiking thru a lava tunnel, hanging out with lots of tortoises, and most importantly, planting 2 trees as a gesture toward off-setting our carbon footprint traveling there. Just a gesture, but says a lot about this company's philosophy toward travel. Our 2nd day on the island we took a boat ride to Bartolome, an uninhabited island and hiked to a look out. Our guide was wonderful on this trip and the crew cooked an amazing lunch of fresh fish, potatoes, vegetables, and dessert. The seafood throughout the trip was a highlight, especially the fresh-caught grilled lobster and octopus fixed so many different ways. All was so delicious!

We spent 2 days in Santa Cruz, then off to Isabella island for 4 more days of snorkeling, hiking to the sierra negra volcano, and more. Our hotel here was incredible and truly perfect. One of the things we were looking for was a low-key environment for 2 introverts (us), and Kim Kim couldn't have found a better spot! Our room was in a lovely boutique hotel right on the beach. The staff and our bartender, Daniel, were so friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed having dinner on the pier, looking out at the sea lions body-surfing while we dined in the open air. So amazing!

Like I said, we are active people and not ones to sit around. Probably a favorite outing was the Los Tunelos trip. We took a boat ride out to the "tunnels" where we hiked on the island, learned about the birds, sea-life, plants, and everything else amazing about this place. We finished with snorkeling where we swam with lots and lots of sea turtles, I started to think I was going to bump into one by accident. Also swam with sharks, sea-lions, and lots of fish! Snorkeling was the way to do this, no need to dive since all of the marine life was in the shallows. We also really enjoyed our bike ride with Julio on isabella. It was just us two and Julio and some rented (kinda rusty) mountain bikes. We hike through more lava tunnels and bike through the country side, ending with a hike up to an overlook where we were treated to a Galapagos hawk just a few feet away. It was a once in a life-time experience!

Overall, the guides were so kind and knowledgeable. Almost all of the Galapagos are national park and all guides are required complete government training in order to work as a guide. Visitors are also required to be with a guide for a majority of the outings. We were always learning about the ecosystem and never stopped being amazed at the immense knowledge our guides had. I wish the U.S. would implement a system like this in our National Parks!

Every minute of this trip was perfect. Thank you Kimkim, you have outdone yourself with attention to detail, prompt replies to questions, and making sure every last detail was taken care of. We plan to use Kimkim again for our next trip to South America (or elsewhere) .

Our whole trip to the Philippines was absolutely amazing and perfect from start to finish. We give a lot of credit to our specialist Cami, and the rest of her team members for making our trip so memorable.

When travelling to a foreign country halfway across the world, it can be quite intimidating when you don't know how to get around and you don't know anyone. From the moment we landed in Manila on our first day to the moment we left Manila on our last day, "someone" always knew where we were, whether it be our trip contact Ana or the actual hotels themselves. For us, one of the best aspects of the vacation is that transportation to and from the airport was always arranged for us, so that we were not left scrambling or searching on our own for transportation -- this reduced a lot of stress for us. So Kudos to Cami and her team for helping us with the transportation!

The activities and excursions were amazing. In a nutshell, the beaches and waters of the Philippines are beautiful. Everything is perfect -- whether it be the white sand, clear waters, or beautiful coral. Adding to our wonderful experience would be our wonderful tour guides. Special shout-out to Jhonas in Coron for a super wonderful experience. Jhonas is photographer, guide, diver, and excellent chef all in one! He took us to some wonderful places and made us some wonderful food, including arranging a boodle fight for us.

Hotels are excellent. All 4-star or higher. Comfortable rooms, excellent service.

Overall, our experience was nothing short of perfect. As mentioned earlier, having a wonderful travel specialist plan your vacation makes things even better - and we thank Cami and her team for being that perfect travel team. Their attention to detail was outstanding; they left no stone unturned and they left nothing to chance/uncertainty.

We've already said that we are going back in the future, and we look forward to reaching out to Cami again to help plan our next trip to the Philippines.

Hotel Review

Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel

Coron Town

Best breakfast buffet ever! And we loved the fact that it was so close to the town, we could easily hop on a tricycle to get into town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Coron Lagoons & Lakes Day Tour

Coron

The view is perfect. Crystal clear water, perfect white sand!

I planned a trip to various places in Argentina and it took some very good coordination from Emilce (and Kim kim) to pull this off. I want to say everything went PERFECT, there were no delays, their drivers and people were always there on time and so willing to help. This truly was a trip of a life time and it was so rewarding to feel they had everything under control.
They were very patient and kind during our planning phase and they showed grace as we where trying to fund the payments.
My family and I had such an amazing experience and I would do it again through KIM KIM and their people. I am very grateful and thankful for their help, accommodations, etc. If you are thinking about traveling, I can 100% verify that through them, you will have EXCELLENT service.
Thank you ALL for making this trip an unforgettable experience.
Emilce, you are the best!!!!
Sincerely,
Lisette

Asko was wonderful from planning to executing. Loved the itinerary he planned. Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip to Cairns due to cyclone Jasper. So we had to change our plan last minutes. He immediately changed our flights and hotels without any problem. Highly recommend him !!

Hotel Reviews

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

Very friendly and comfortable hotel. Location is very convenient to major sites in the city. We loved their breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Garden Hotel

Uluru

Loved scenery around it: peaceful and beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

All-Inclusive Blue Mountains Day Tour ex Sydney

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner

Uluru

"MUST" do activity!! Beautiful place to watch sunset and have a wonderful dinner!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sunrise & Kata Tjuta

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Our two week tour was very well planned and each location exceeded our expectations. It is hard to site one location over another so I would have to say we enjoyed them all. Our tour guides provided great insights about the history and culture of the area. What made our tour even more enjoyable was our wonderful driver Mohammad. He was very kind and thoughtful the entire trip and provided insights to each region we traveled through.

Our accommodations were better than expected. We really enjoyed each location we stayed in. Riad El Yacout in Fez and Dar Jasmine in Chefchaouen were a delight to stay at. Our desert experience in the Sahara was memorable and we had wished we would have stayed two nights just take it all in. Sitting by a fire, talking with our hosts, gazing up at the star lite sky was something you don't do every day.

Traveling to Morocco gave me a new insight to the culture, the people and the history that I would not have gained had I not visited. It truly is an unique destination not to be missed. We felt that two weeks is the right amount of time to stay for our first visit. If we would have had a few more days I would have like to spend some time on the Atlantic coast and enjoy the beach. Maybe next time. Thank you for the trip.

Our two week vacation in Vietnam was absolutely incredible. My husband Paul and I enjoyed going up and down Vietnam experiencing local food, culture and daily life. Each guide was so incredibly knowledgeable not only about their specific region but the entirety of Vietnam. Ms. Mai was our tour guide in Sa Pa and she was absolutely delightful. She was local to a village in Sa Pa and knew everything about the area. She spoke with us as if we were friends. I didn't care for the lunch provided in Sa Pa on the first day, but the hike through the rice terraces was an absolute delight and the lunch we had in the village was outstanding. The only think I wish we could have had more prep for was what to pack, especially for Sa Pa. We went on an 8.6 mile hike and that would have been nice to have that disclosed to us before we left the U.S. so we could make sure to pack correctly. Thankfully, my husband and I did pack correctly but we did not realize the extensive hike we would be going on. The lunch we had in Hanoi was very flavorful and delicious. It was so much food and we enjoyed every bit of it. Our coordinator Long was an absolute joy to work with. He was so responsive before and during our trip and had everything mapped out meticulously. We never had to worry about where our transfer would be or how to get ahold of our tour guide. He made any sort of anxiety of going to a brand new country wash away because of his careful planning abilities. Another thing that Paul and I would have liked to know ahead of time was the tipping expectations as well as how much cash we should anticipate to exchange. We felt a bit underprepared on that arriving in Vietnam. Nha Trang was beautiful as well, however I wish that we could have gone to a beach that was a bit more relaxing than the one we hung out at. The one we visited was a bit small and didn't have a lot of areas to relax on the actual beach. The snorkeling was amazing though, we truly enjoyed being able to explore the beautiful waters in Nha Trang. Our boat trip in Ha Long Bay was breathtaking but I would say that Ninh Binh was even more breathtaking. We did however enjoy the trip in Ha Long Bay being able to meet other travelers from other countries and enjoy some karaoke that night. For the boat trip in Ha Long Bay I would have paid more though for a five star experience. The boat we went on was nice but there were some things that I think could have been improved upon. I would also suggest a two-night trip in Ha Long Bay. There is so much to explore in Vietnam and Paul and I would definitely go back to explore more of their elephant sanctuaries and caves. Looking forward to booking another vacation with KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Classic Hang Thung

Beautiful hotel to stay in while in Hanoi. The French toast they have in their breakfast buffet is absolutely incredible, best French toast I have ever had. This is centrally located next to where everything is happening in Hanoi. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Truly enjoyed this experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adora Art Hotel

Unfortunately not the best experience at this hotel, the bed was very hard, the bath mat in the bathroom had a ton of mold on the bottom of it and the room in general was very small that we booked. The staff was mediocre, did not seem very inviting at all.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazing Sapa

Sa Pa

I wish we could have seen more, but the fog was so thick we couldn't see the views we paid for. I wish it was disclosed that the views would not be the same in the winter as the summer. The breakfast was ok, there were too many lunch options and not enough breakfast options. There also was not a bar area to hangout in. The actual room we stayed in was comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

I wish we stayed more than one night at the Hidden Charm hotel. This was a beautiful hotel with all the amenities we were looking for. The staff was so friendly and inviting. We would love to go back and stay longer. I loved this hotel room as well, it was large and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not very close to the main strip

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Pandora Cruises

Hai Phong

I wish I could write a rave review about this cruise but was mediocre. There was not enough awake time on the cruise to be able to enjoy and experience it. We hardly got any warning about any excursions that everyone was going out on and it was entirely too early to wake up and run out to an excursion, 6:50am was when the boat was leaving to go to the cave excursion and that was not fun to have to run out of bed scarf breakfast and go out. The bathroom was atrocious. I couldn't bare to go in to use it and any other bathrooms on deck were just as bad, one didn't even have a women's seat. I liked the people I met on this cruise but didn't like the cruise itself.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom smelled so bad the entire time.

Amiana Resort Nha Trang

Five star experience at the Amiana Resort. It's not in a convenient location but you have everything you need at the resort. The staff was friendly and really enjoyed talking to us. I wish there were more food options for dinner, but the breakfast buffet was unreal. They had absolutely everything, and it was very tasty. I wish I stayed the entire time in Nha Trang at this resort.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully built.

Location

Staff

Very kind people who work here

Cleanliness & Comfort

Incredibly clean and comfortable.

Au Lac Charner Hotel

This breakfast buffet was nothing compared to the others we had during our trip, it was almost zero breakfast food. It was centrally located which was good because I didn't want to hangout at the actual hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was so hard it felt like a rock

Activity Reviews

Ho Chi Minh City Highlights

Ho Chi Minh City

Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as this day had a lot of walking around Ho Chi Minh. A wonderful experience and make sure to bring tissues for the Vietnam War Museam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore The Beauty of Hanoi - Full Day Sightseeing

Hanoi

Visit a few historical places on this day. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as there will be a lot of walking around the city.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

Incredible, amazing, breathtaking and a very difficult hike if you are not accustomed to hiking. This was 8.6 miles of hiking through hills. The beauty was unreal and amazing to see the villages.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mai is the best tour guide.

Transport

Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Vietnam

Truly was in awe in the boat tour, just superb. I loved the lime stone rock structures, they were so beautiful. This is a two hour boat tour that was so gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

This was a nice boat cruise but I wish we would have paid more for a fancier boat. There is a 45 minute boat ride from the harbor to the boat though so make sure you prepare for a long transfer boat ride. The bathrooms were really bad on the boat though so keep that in mind too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

Visit in August if you want the best views. The fog was so thick we could hardly see any views. We loved the hike to love waterfall and that it was cooler weather though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mai was the best tour guide.

Transport

Dark and Bright Cave - Ha Long Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

The wake up call for this experience was way too early at 6:50am we had to leave the main cruise boat and go out. My husband and I didn't even get to have breakfast and enjoy the scenery before we had to go out. I really wish we booked two nights to have a more relaxed time.

Quality of Experience

This was a beautiful experience but it was really short.

Food

Missed breakfast because the excursion was too early.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Islands And Snorkeling Tour

Nha Trang

Enjoyed the snorkeling very much but didn't like the beach that we spent time at after the snorkeling. We were also the only ones at the restaurant. we ate at.

Quality of Experience

Food

Squid, shark, and prawns all very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat driver did not interact with us at all.

Free Time in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City

Self-guided walking in Ho Chi Minh is really hard when you have no idea where to walk to or what to see.

Quality of Experience

Flights, Hotels, Tours, Itinerary Ideas were all on target. We had, unfortunately, only 12 days to be on the two islands and KimKim helped us really focus on the types of activities we like to plan for ourselves. Having a tour group shuttle us from Queenstown to a beautiful hike 3 or so hours away and then have another tour group pick us up to complete the leg to Christchurch worked perfectly.
Accommodations in Auckland and the Northern Peninsula were beautiful as well. We could easily include walks, hikes, runs, fine dining, casual dining, great breakfasts, a scenic train ride, and scuba into the days without stress.
I like to plan my own trips, but found New Zealand had too many wonderful choices and using a trip planning service that new the lay of the land was extremely helpful to let us enjoy 2-3 nights in locations and not spend the majority of our time in transport.

I think I can honestly say that this was my best vacation ever with so many nice memories and places, people, food and culture.
I was a little hesitant at the beginning if I should organize my trip by myself as I usually do or ask for help but it was the best decision to ask for help. Leo was my specialist who helped me to create the perfect itinerary based on the timeline, dates and budget. The entire planning went smoothly, I had a few flight schedule changes but he always helped me to adjust the details quickly. The entire trip was effortless from my side, all I had to do was to simply enjoy it and follow the itinerary. Pick ups went right on time, communication was fast and easy with all the guides, Ana helped me on the ground to get additional details of the guides for the next day where it was needed so everything was so easy and without any stress.
I spent 18 wonderful days in the Philippines (Cebu, Puerto Princessa, El Nido, Bohol), every day was a new adventure and a new experience. I had so much fun on the activities; during island hoppings i was swimming and snorkling a lot, went hiking to watch the sunrise in Puerto Princessa which was absolutely magical, kayaking and watching fireflies (never seen so many in one place), city tours, atv riding near the chocolate hills of Bohol, I met the tarsiers, crocodiles and butterflies, so many unforgettable memories.
The nature was stunning everywhere I went, the underwater life was amazing, so many colorful fish, corals, turtles, sea snakes, beautiful birds on the trees, the entire place is magical and super clean.
The people were really kind, the food was delicious. I had the chance already in my first accomodation at Bluewater Maribago in Cebu to try the local specialities as they serve buffet dinner where you can try as many things as you like which is a very nice opportunity.
All the tour guides I met made my holiday memorable, they took really good care of me, explained me history, shared a lot of stories with me. I would like to say special thanks to my guide in Puerto Princessa, Rich Apiaza. I have never met such an energetic, enthusiastic guide before. He loves nature, birds very much, he loves Puerto Princessa so it really comes through all his stories which made the place even more special. I am very lucky that he was my guide for three days and managed to get to know the city and the surroundings from him.
There is so much more to see there and experience that I would like to be back again. After such a great experience with an organized trip by Uncharted Earth, I would for sure do it again the same way.

Hotel Reviews

Bluewater Maribago

Lapu-lapu City

Very nice, big resort, I can highly recomend their spa where they offer amazing massage. I tried their signature massage and also a facial treatment, very relaxing experience, super friendly staff. Another highlight is for sure the buffet dinner where you can try many local food specialties.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

Nice, modern hotel right next to a shopping mall so very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cadlao El Nido Resort and Restaurant

El Nido, Palawan

The atmosphere of this hotel is absolutely unique, you can enjoy the view of the Cadlao island from the garden and the swimming pool, the sunset is amazing with all the colors in the sky. The restaurant is excellent with delicious food, I loved the ceviche. I stayed in Gemelina, one of the best rooms with an amazing view on the sea from the porch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bohol Beach Club

Bohol

I think this was my favourite hotel because of the stunning white sand beach. The beach is so amazing with all colors of blue and green water, full of star fish and colorful fish in the coral area just few min walking in the water. Rooms are clean, the garden is super nice green, i was even watching the stars in the evening from a hammock in the garden.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cebu City and Mactan Island day tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Princesa City Half-Day Tour

Puerto Princesa

It was such a fun day, meeting with butterflies, crocodiles, bearcats, lots if sweets and amazing view at Bakers Hill, some history from the II World War which even inspired me to read a book about it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Honda Bay Island Hopping Day Tour

Puerto Princesa

Amazing snorkeling on Starfish island, desert like view with mangrove on Luli island and swimming on Cowrie island - i highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Princesa Underground River Day Tour

Philippines

This is the tour that I would never skip. The beach where the boats are leaving is unbelievable, the view with the mountains in the background is stunning. The underground river is a real miracle, never seen such a huge cave, i highly recommend to take off the audio device for a bit to be able to fully hear the bats and the water inside. I would also recommend to do the zipline, the view from there was breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Nido via ferrata

El Nido

It was challanging to climb up but the view worth any effort.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A - group tour

El Nido

No words how beautiful the nature is, I was looking forward to the island hopping but it exceeded my expectations. The 7 Commandos Beach is mind blowing even in cloudy and sunny weather. The tour was well organized, pick up on time, nice clean and huge boat, delicious lunch and very friendly staff. I even had a partner for the kayaking from the crew.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour C - group tour

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohol Island Day Tour

Philippines

It was a really active day, the atv ride around the chocolate hills was a very nice surprise. The tarsiers were super cute and we even managed to get there just before the crowds. I loved the lunch on the boat on Loboc river, we had live music, here i think it would be also nice experience to switch off the music for a few min to enjoy the silence on the river but otherwise it was very pleasent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The day was great but to be honest compared to all the other guides I met during my vacation this was the day where I felt a huge difference, somehow i did not feel that enthusiasm of the guide therefore stories were not so authentic. I did enjoy the day but it rather seemed like I went there with two people who were mainly responsible for my transportation and nothing more.

Transport

Kayaking with fireflies

Philippines

I would totally recommend to have this tour because the experience was incredible: we went kayaking after sunset before it became totally dark. The river was warm and calm, i enjoyed the silence and the nature so much and when the darkness came the entire rive shore area started to become active. Hundreds of fireflies on the trees started to light up and pulse at the same time, incredible experience. There are no pictures or videos that can reflect that feeling, a truly awesome experience. After the program we had dinner at the kayak station, the food was really delicious, all my greetings to the chef.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Philippines

This was a real adventure tour, jumping from cliffs, highest jump was 10 meters, swimming in the canyon and enjoying the waterfalls. I was even lucky that there were not so many people so it was really enjoyable. I also tried the zipline at the beginning, really cool ride in vertical position.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide was really helpful since the terraine is not that easy, one advise: dont rush through the canyon jist to avoid people because then you have no chance to really enjoy the nature there.

Transport

Dolphin Spotting and Snorkeling in Balicasag Island

Philippines

We started the day with dolphin spotting, there were so many that I could not even count them. Then we went to Balicasag to swim with the turtles and also to do snorkeling. The underwater life there is simply amazing, many colorful fish. The lunch on the boat was delicious, huge portion, impossible to eat it all. After lunch we did some snorkeling again and then we went back to the hotel. A very relaxing day, enjoyed a lot of sun and sea.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delighted to share my incredible 2-week journey with KimKim in Chile! From the bustling streets of Santiago to the awe-inspiring landscapes of Patagonia and the Atacama Desert, every detail was expertly curated. The guides were knowledgeable, accommodations were top-notch, and the seamless transitions between destinations made the experience truly enjoyable. Easter Island's mystical allure was a highlight. Kudos to KimKim for an unforgettable adventure. Highly recommend their services for an enriching exploration of Chile's diverse wonders!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hare Uta

Rapa Nui

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ladera

Providencia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Appelgren House Hotel Boutique

PUERTO NATALES

Authenticity & Character

Location

Pop

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lodge Terrantai

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Patagonian Ranch Experience

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Wine and the lamb! Must try!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso & Wine Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

I’m

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our 3 guides, Layla, Dennis and Yoyo were phenomenal, they looked after us and helped us even with things that they shouldnt have helped us with, we had a great time and would definitely book with kimkim again now that i have the experience

Appreciate Francesca’s patience with helping me plan my trip, and her diligence in getting money back for me which the local tour overcharged for.
The experiences were amazing, once in a lifetime journeys. The suggested tours proved good overall. I preferred my time with WonderLapland on the northern lights trek. The ice floating was so funny though would have preferred visiting during the day rather than not being able to see much at night.
More info on what exactly each tour entailed and what to expect would be good for preparations.
Would also have appreciated suggestions for tours or excursions I didn’t know existed until I got there, like toboggan, and skipping waiting in line for ‘Santa’.
Francesca’s added walking guides and local places to see in the towns I stayed in were great additions.
It’s challenging to get across exactly what your intentions are via messaging. Would recommend kimkim offer a way to have at least one conversation with the travel specialist. As well as provide accommodation options so the traveler can research the options and advise the travel specialist if they’re willing to pay more or less for a hotel.
The Santa Clause Hotel in Rovaniemi was fine, though there were other options I saw once I was there that might have been nicer. It is centrally located, though so were many other options. Also didn’t like that the sauna was only available 6p-9p when most are at night tours or dinner during that timeframe. The F6 was lovely and I would stay there again, though I might have been willing to pay a little extra for a room better located within the hotel. There’s no sauna here though it was a very cool experience using the nearby public sauna in Helsinki. The glass igloo was a cool experience though for the cost, probably not worth it.
Thank you, Francesca for all the work you put into my adventure!

Monika did an amazing job of planning our New Zealand vacation and choose the perfect itinary for us to follow during our trip. It felt like we had a good friend who was available to help us during our stay so we never felt concerned abut the trip logistics or other events. There were several times where we needed to make changes to the original plans (weather cancelations, etc) and Monika took care of everything for us so we were able to see everything that we had envisioned.
We particularly liked the many activities she planned in Rotorua and the Hobbiton tour. The Sudima hotels we stayed at in Auckland and Roturua were exceptional.
The Waitakere Resort & Spa was a bit of a disappointment. It seemed like it was in need of significant updating and repairs. The people were very nice and helpful but overall it just seemed very dated.

Hotel Reviews

Auckland City Hotel

Auckland

Our stay at Sudima Auckland City was pleasant. It boasted clean accommodations, friendly staff, and good layout. The hotel's location was perfect and accessible, making our traveling and exploring of the city uncomplicated. However, the breakfast wasn't up-to American taste, but that could just be due to different customs. Overall, the service and facilities were commendable!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waitakere Resort

Waiatarua, Auckland

This resort wasn't quite up to our expectations. While it was clean and had promise of nice hikes, and waterfalls, many roads were closed and the hikes were hard to find. The wifi was weak and the hotel felt a bit outdated overall. Despite the resort's potential, it didn't quite live up to its prime. Regardless, it was a clean place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima Lake Rotorua

Rotorua

Much like the Sudima Auckland City, the Sudima Lake Rotorua was an excellent place to stay! The location was superb and the staff was extremely friendly. Our rooms were clean and comfortable. The breakfast was similar to the sister location, the bacon came off as a bit raw which was disappointing. Despite this minor hitch in the breakfast, our stay in Sudima Lake Rotorua was pretty good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Waitomo Glowworm Caves + Ruakuri cave combo

New Zealand

This activity was truly incredible. Exploring these unique caves was a blend of learning about stalactites and stalagmites and experiencing the wonderful light show created by glowworms. Our tour finished with an unforgettable boat trip in the cave river lit only by the glowworms above. Definitely a surreal and must-try experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt Tarawera Crater Walk Experience

Rotorua

Walking around the edge of an extinct volcano! Words can't describe the majestic views and raw natural beauty of the crater. The walk was a highlight of our trip and proved to be a thrilling experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Redwoods treewalk by night

Rotorua

The night walk through the Redwoods was an incredible, one-of-a-kind experience. The Redwoods were beautifully lit up, creating an enchanting atmosphere. The platforms and bridges made it a unique treetop adventure. This shouldn't be missed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

This was an absolute treat for movie buffs like me. Getting the chance to explore the beautifully recreated Hobbit village from the movies was fascinating. The place was full of the furniture details like in the movies. This addition is new and is something exclusive which made our visit special!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fantastic trip to Ecuador. We hadn't heard of KimKim before, but the sample itineraries looked cool and so we inquired. Mathias of Authentic Ecuador responded right away and we evolved an itinerary that covered the major areas of Amazon, Andes, and Galapagos in 15 days. Going with 2 kids, there were a few long travel days, but the itinerary spaced those out with other more-relaxed days. Mathias was great, always responsive and tailoring everything to what we wanted. We preferred accommodation that had "character" and he got us a cool boutique hotel in Quito, a remote Amazon lodge, and a lodge with panoramic windows on a volcano. (Though he of course couldn't control the weather which was cloudy that day).

Local guides and drivers were great. Especially Mishell in Quito & mainland -- very organized and thorough. And Daniela in Galapagos -- very knowledgeable local naturalist with lots of energy. Only hiccup was a date-switch on which island we were doing on a day-trip boat excursion. But not their fault -- boat operator changed the dates with only one day notice and we didn't have cell phones that worked to be contacted. They did send a private driver to get us to the correct place, albeit late.

Overall, very pleased with our trip and experience. Prices were mostly in line with what I had researched, maybe a bit on the high side, but tradeoff is the customization and responsiveness which was top-notch.

Two thumbs up!

Activity Reviews

Hot Springs of Papallacta

Ecuador

Visited Termas de Papallacta for a few hours. Beautiful location, variety of pools and temperatures. Not crowded when we went. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Quality of Experience

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Our guide Daniela was great, told us a lot about the ecosystem and history of the island. Visited Tortoise Refuge and it was amazing to see these giant animals just wandering around. Darwin research center was interesting, especially the baby turtles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was top notch , Trang was very professional and diligent in her job.
Very impressed with the transportation modes.
Definity will use Kim Kim again !!

Our family had a great time! Arianna took care us through out the whole trip by making sure that our connections with our transportations and tour guides were on point during the entire trip. The tour guides were calm, patient and excited to share the site's information with us. We learned a lot. The kids want go back!
Thank you!