Kimkim Trip Reviews

I booked my Everest Three Pass Trip with Ngima Dorji Sherpa through the kimkim site. From the start Ngima was fast with providing answers to my questions and was clearly knowledgeable. I decided to chose his guiding company in large part because I wanted a local company and learned Ngima runs the only Sherpa owned guiding operation in Nepal. Once the trip started Ngima was fabulous with airport pick up and the tour of Kathmandu. He was generous enough to invite me and two other trekkers to a book launch party (Step by Step!) and we enjoyed an amazing night and dance party. Nigma somehow arranged me to fly to Lukla direct from the Kathmandu airport, saving the 4 hr transfer. He has fabulous connections and this came in handy a few times. Once in Lukla I met my guide Pemba and porter Dil. Both were super friendly and we got along right away. On trek I was impressed with Pemba's knowledge of the area and the people. He was quite connected to people in nearly every community and it meant some great access to the local culture including visits to schools, health centers and local Sherpa teahouses. Pemba was also great at adjusting our daily schedule when we were making great progress and also did his best to adjust to avoid the more overcrowded towns. On the harder pass crossings Pemba was great with pacing and ensuring we took enough breaks to keep our energy high. Towards the end of the trip I ended up picking up a parasite and both Pemba and Ngima were incredibly supportive to make some major adjustments in the plans and get me the medical treatment I needed. Getting sick is never fun but they did everything they could to ensure it was as smooth as possible. Overall it was an amazing visit to the Himalayas. I loved that the trek was a physical challenge with views that will stay in my memory forever. I cannot say enough great thinks about Ngima. As a guide company operator he does the perfect job in planning and communication. As a person Ngima is warm, generous and deeply connected to his community. It was a pleasure to meet him, Pemba and Dil and hope to get back to Nepal soon to share another adventure with them.

Angel did a fantastic job! Our trip had just the right amount of discovery on our own while having day to day details taken care of. We were able to successfully negotiate trains, buses, subways and even a ferry. We stayed at wonderful guest houses and onsens along the Kumano Kodo Trail. Our hosts were gracious and the food was terrific. The driver and guide were delightful and interesting people. Angel checked in with us daily which was nice to remind us of travel details for that day. I would definitely choose kimkim again for a self guided travel experience. And if anyone is considering Japan, I would highly recommend Angel.

Hotel Reviews

Ryokan Yunominesou 湯の峯荘

Yunomine Onsen

Really enjoyed this ryokan with it's outdoor baths and delicious food.

Authenticity & Character

classic tatami rooms

Location

Staff

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu

Tokyo

I was worried the hotel was to big and impersonal but it turned out to be nicely located for Shibuya, catching trains and walking to the Palace. The views of Tokyo were also amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kanazawa Zoushi

Kanazawa

We loved this hotel!!! The staff were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were aesthetically beautiful. They had free drinks and made us udon noodles at night.

Authenticity & Character

Aesthetically beautiful

Location

Staff

very welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

We spent only one night. The staff seemed a little harried but was able to answer our questiosns.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GUEST HOUSE Kumano Yasai

Takahara

What a find! Definitely worth the extra walk down from the trail to experience this delightful guesthouse.

Authenticity & Character

This is an 180 year old Japanese house that was redone beautifully in the inside with the original beams and glass. We had the whole place to ourselves

Location

Staff

Shino did the cooking for our dinner and breakfast. She runs a coffee shop and restaurant. Everything was delicious and the coffee was excellent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hitotoki

Chikatsuyu

What makes this place exceptional is the two 75 year old hosts who coddled us with home cooking and amusing conversation.

Authenticity & Character

Typical Japanese home.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little cramped with bathroom space but all doable

Sansaro Cafe & Guesthouse

Koguchi

We were grateful this guesthouse was available. However, the owner wasn't aware that the onsen wasn't open so had to clean her own bathroom before we could get showers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We would have chosen a place closer to the trail but again we were grateful for someplace to stay.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Urashima

Katsuura

What a quirky resort. The absulte BEST onsen with the hot springs in caves overlooking the ocean. It was a great place to relax after five days of treking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto ekimae PREMIER

Kyoto

Small rooms. If I were staying longer in Kyoto I would have chosen another place. However very close to the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Kurobe Gorge Railway

Toyama

Delightful trip. Lovely hike. Beautiful gorge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver turned out to be a music conductor. We had lots to talk about.

Transport

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Yoshi planned a beautiful day experiencing Arashiyama.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yoshi was a great guide who answered all our questions the area and life as a Japanese woman.

Transport

Yoshi had everything planned so it all happened with little waiting.

Chile is a wonderful place to visit, and Jessie did a fantastic job accommodating our changing minds during the planning process and keeping up with us during our trip. I would recommend that if you’re doing back to back hikes in the park, do the Torres de Paine Massif first. (Strenuous) . Isla Magdalena was definitely magical.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Panamericana Providencia

Providencia

Many things to do in walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costanera

Puerto Natales

Beautiful views and accommodating staff. Walls are a bit thin, though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carpa Manzano

Punta Arenas

Cute hotel with a sweet history. The owner was actually the one who checked us in, and SO very helpful with our needs. We only had 1.5 hours between check in and our excursion, we got our laundry and lunch dealt with, thanks to her assistance. We loved the feel of this place, and the bed was super comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

This was exactly what we wanted- lunch was amazing, the captain was great- maneuvered the boat so everyone could get a view.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipo Valley Wine Experience

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

This was interesting because we didn’t know what to expect. First trek was fun and scenic, though the guide seemed to think it was a race. Second trek (waterfall, hike to horns) was beautiful, and we got left behind while taking pictures of the scenery that the guide seemed to take for granted. You can’t really get lost, though, as there’s 1 trail in and out. Third trek was more strenuous, but doable. Take a jacket, as that wind goes right to your bones.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Best part of the trip!!!! Penguins! So many, so cute.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There are lots of areas that need improvement like the quality of guide service . There fluency in English and knowledge about the country etc . Also certain actions taken by them like putting me on a motor bike even though I was reluctant as I was dizzy . This would impact safety concerns( Sapa) . Also the quality of the hotel in Hoi An. Also removing the visit to the tunnels in Saigon from the itinerary. Thanks

Hotel Reviews

Bespoke Trendy Hotel Hanoi

The service at the breakfast buffet was amazing ! The staff was very kind and accommodating. The staff at the front desk was sloppy and never welcomed us with a welcome drink .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Topas Ecolodge

sapa

The Topas lodge was literally heaven on earth ! Great staff , food service and cleanliness..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capella Cruise

Halong

We had a comfortable cruise ! Good staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aira Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Villa

Hoi An

This place was a let down . We had a room up in the attic . The front lobby , passages smelts of food and oil . Not impressed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Majestic Saigon

Ho Chi Minh

Perfect location in district one . Friendly staff , clean rooms .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoying

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Good street food tour .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek to Lech Dzao & Thanh Kim Villages

Sapa

The guide decide to put us on motorbikes without helmets . It was a safety concern

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong - Lan Ha Bay - Frog Lagoon Area (Capella)

Ha Long Bay

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dark & Bright Cave - Lan Ha Bay - Tuan Chau (Capella)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Market - Basket Boat - Fishing & Cooking Experience (N)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Highlights

Ho Chi Minh City

Major improvement needed ! Guide needs to be fluent in English and also have depth of knowledge of history . Also we were under the impression the tunnels were increased in the tour . However we never got to see them !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My granddaughter, and I just had an awesome experience with KimKim.

Our travel agent, Lucie, selected places for us to go and things for us to see in Paris that were specific to our interests and fit within five day timeframe.

The Mythic 2CV 3-hour tour that opened our trip was wonderful! It gave us an overall picture of Paris so that we could add onto it throughout the week. Our 9 Hotel Opéra had a great location and was very clean!

We would never have missed making macarons, chocolate goodies, and the gourmet food tour. Believe it or not, our food tour guide was gluten-free just like my granddaughter. She even went out of her way to buy gluten-free bread for her to use as we sampled so many goodies.

Of course, we loved the Dali museum, the wonderful tour by Alouise a Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower at night, the boat tour on the Seine river, and the Saint Chapelle Stain-glass windows.

I would recommend Lucie as a travel agent to anyone who wants to go to France!

Hotel Review

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

Very clean! Daytime receptionist was very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Great breakfast

Location

Near many restaurants and a beautiful park

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit of the chocolate museum with tastings

Paris

Besides, seeing the museum, we added on chocolate making. That made the experience 10 times more meaningful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveiling Masterpieces at the Louvre Museum

Paris

Too crowded

Trang's itinerary exceeded our expectation! It was our first time in Vietnam and Trang provided us an unforgettable trip, filled with memories that will last a life time. My favorite experience was the overnight cruise tour of Ha Long Bay. The limestone rocks were breathtaking and it was so romantic to the the sunset and the light of the moon on the rocks at night. We also enjoyed taking a Sampa through the caves, swimming in the bay and they even taught us how to make fresh spring rolls! We had two city tour guides on the trip (one for Hoi An and Ha Noi) and both were very friendly, talkative, willing to take our picture and explore things that caught our eye. Our favorite hotel was Palm Garden Resort where we had excellent service, food, a private beach and one of the best massages at the spa. Overall, we really enjoyed learning about the culture, history food and we can't wait to come back.

We travelled to Namibia as a family of 4 adults. I have an extremely busy life so to plan a trip like this is very difficult. Bianca planted the seeds of the adventure and have several iterations, we settled on a final plan. Bianca was very patient and responded quickly to any questions (we had plenty of them).
The trip was excellent. The accommodation she selected met the brief exactly....basic lodgings for the one nighters and more comfortable (upmarket) lodgings for the remainder. The car rental company were also top notch.
All in all, we had a very memorable adventure and would love to visit Namibia again (with the help of Bianca of course).

Activity Review

Windhoek day on leisure

Windhoek

Incredible India and that's exactly what it was! A trip of a lifetime..... we loved every minute. Thank you Ravi and Team Active India. We will be back! Ruth, Michelle and Evie.

Lydia was an extraordinary help in planning and implementing my trip every step of the way! I highly recommend her, New Zealand Fine Tours, and kimkim! It was a trip I wanted to do my whole life and didn't get around to it now. Every part of the tour was gorgeous, beginning with the journey into Hobbiton and the LOR sets were incredible. The Maori tours and shows were incredible. Mt Cook was especially beautiful, transcendent in a word. Took my breath away. Then on to Queenstown for stunning boat rides on the Lake and a dinner across the lake on one of the nights. Finally, the trip out to the West Coast of the South Island was yet another gem. All along the way my trip was planned step by step, the transportation was prompt with enjoyable and well informed tour guides, and the accommodations were clean and comfortable. The trip included some meals which were very good and memorable. Thank you Lydia and all the folks at NZFTs and kimkim.

Liz helped plan my trip to Peru with a group of 4 family members. She was attentive and customized the trip to our liking. Going to Peru was very memorable! It was def worth it! Lisabeth was available throughout the trip over whatsapp and answered all our questions and concerns regarding transportation and the tours. I am still daydreaming about our trip! I would have hoped the hotels be a bit higher caliber in Cusco but regardless was a fun trip overall :) THANK YOU!

Activity Reviews

Shared Quad bikes tour in Moray & Maras

Sacred Valley

very friendly staff and took the time for us to ride the quads and be comfortable with navigating before heading out! My sister was scared and the guide took her on his bike and she loved it! I wish it was longer and didnt know that there was a lagoon quad bike tour (perhaps worth exploring too!) with did the Moray and Maras and was fun to tour with Quads for sure!! We went in November and was still amazing weather.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Humantay Lake Trek: Small group

Cusco

amazing and a hike to remember!! Our guide Judith was amazing and was very helpful in having us navigate the hike. We went uphill using horses (since we were very sore from the Inca and Wayna Picchu hike) and loved seeing Lake Humantay!! A MUST SEE!!

Quality of Experience

Food

please change the food (breakfast and lunch) for this trip. Although the location is amazing, the food is terrible and we all ended up with an upset stomach...

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was bad, very speedy and the road was very zigzaggy over the mountains. I felt nauseous partly from his driving and from the altitude. It wasnt like this on prior hikes

Shared Short Inca Trail Trek 1/2

Peru

Our guide Claudio was a Godsend! He was so friendly, informative and made the hike memorable. it was 7 hours long but we didnt feel it! He would wait for us and we loved exploring the ruins and the Inca trail. Reaching sun gate at the end was a dream!! The sun came out and illuminated Matchu Picchu! It was THE highlight of my trip...make sure to go!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Chicha Restaurant by Gaston Acurio - Creative Menu NC

Cusco

underwhelming food and service. I would not have booked it if I had known it wasnt anything special. KimKim was kind enough to cover it for our reservation..

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rene did a great job helping us plan an amazing trip to Mexico. He really helped us build the adventure we were looking for and organized an amazing hike to see the Monarch butterflies. The cabin we stayed in in Almanaco was breathtaking!! The biking around Teotihuacan was also a highlight as well as the recommendations around Mexico CIty! Very well organized!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

Mexico City

Perfect hotel in the heart of the city. Excellent place to stay. Free breakfast. Spacious bedrooms. Even have a workout room!

Amanalco Alpine Cabins

such a cool experience. Amazing hospitality. Beuatiful sunrise and sunset in the mountains, Stars at night were incredible. Provided fire wood to make a fire in our cabin!! One of the coolest places I have ever stayed,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Surrounded by beautiful mountains in the wilderness, does not get much better than that

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mesón de Leyendas

Valle de Bravo

Great breakfast! Spacious and clean room in a perfect spot of the town. Only downside was that the walls are very thin and there was a lot of noise coming from the street and school across the road at night and early in the AM.

Activity Review

Embark on two-day trekking adventure to the Amanalco Basin

Amanalco

Such a cool and amazing hike. Monarch butterflies were so beautiful and so cool to see. Felt very safe with guide. Incredibly nice to get out of the city and be in nature and more remote. Amazing place to stay in the middle.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was an incredible guide who was so kind and informative.

Transport

Great taxi drivers. Felt very safe. Stuff always arrived. And they always showed up.

Our guide in Chiang Mai, Dare was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and with a good sense of humour

Hotel Reviews

Royal Princess Larn Luang Bangkok

Decent breakfast and large room but bathroom needed refresher

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Concierge good bar staff disinterested

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

Good location and a real oasis. Breakfast could have been better but room was superb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Katathani Phuket Beach Resort

Phuket

Lovely location with a lot of choice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half day Chiang Mai Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Join tour

Chiang Mai

Great experience with the elephants. Only gripe was there were a lot of us there

Quality of Experience

Food

Simple but just what you need

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok evening Yaowarat Street Food Tour (KT)

Bangkok

Perfect after the long flight. Short but gets you into your holiday experience straight away

Quality of Experience

Food

Very simple but good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved the tuk tuk

Bangkok City Tour Full Day (KT)

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip on the long tail boat was nice but a little long

Salt Farm – Train Market – Coconut Sugar Farm - Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (Half Day Tour KT)

Bangkok

Loved the train and the train market. Salt farm was a little disappointing but the trip to the floating market was a great way to end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My holiday in Vietnam was organized perfectly.
I visited Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An. Hanoi & Halong Bay ( Erina Cruise).
Every hotel excellent, all trip , privet transport on time .
I am very happy that I chose Kimkim.
Ashley is the best agent, She organize my trip perfect and communication.
She is lovely and very helpful.
I recommend 100%

Chris (Greece) was terrific! Listened to our preferences, crafted a terrific plan and patiently worked with us to include amazing places we found in our own. Available and responsive from planning to stages to support while on the trip. When we realized staircases in different villages were a challenge for one of us, Chris preemptively located a different (and perfect) hotel for us in Santorini. Chris organized wonderful tours with extremely knowledgeable guides and drivers for every leg of the trip. All just fabulous, recommend without hesitation! This was my 3rd trip with Kimkim & continue to be very pleased with the service and quality throughout.

Thank you Chris!

We understand that you were busy, but we were it appeared to us that it took an overly long time to finalize our plans. We have not experienced these types of delays with other companies with whom we have dealt. We do understand that you were were coming out of the pandemic, but we thought you should know how we felt. Overall, we were extremely happy with our trip.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Private Tour with a Local Guide

Kyoto

Excellent! Could not have asked for more!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See Peter Zingg's review about needing a second ticket for one train.

Private guided day in Tokyo

Tokyo

He spent extra time with us at the end giving us advise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip advisors Rene, Lizbeth, and Ximena were really helpful with any questions and concerns we had and they had taken into consideration that my friend was vegan when booking and trip planning. Thank You so much for your help!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Punto Mx

Mexico City

Hotel was really good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Sueño Hotel & Spa

Puebla

The hotel was kind of hidden, but gives you nice fairytale vibes. The only reason I give this a 3 is because the toilet broke the night we got there but the staff was attentive and kind and moved us to another room--albeit a little smaller than the one we had before.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was late (he got confused), and operator was not responding to us and didn't give us any contact info on how to contact the driver. Operator was also not picking up our phone calls, so we had to reach out to kimkim staff.

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Casa Azul Museum

Mexico City

We did not get to go to the casa Azul museum this time around

See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

I think they started running out of food by the time we got back from the hot air balloon 😅

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Biking in Teotihuacán "The City of the Gods" & Overnight in Puebla

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Afternoon in Puebla

Mexico

Discover the Magical town of Cholula

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I loved our guide!

Transport

Mole Poblano tour with cooking class

Puebla

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christina at Kimkim did a great job booking a wonderful trip to Norway for us. She was sensitive to our specific requests (I wanted spas and saunas everywhere) and also very knowledgeable about all things Norway - where to stay and what to see and how to get from one place to another. We were three people traveling together, and Kimkim walked us through all of the various railroad trips and transfers so that we very easily could find our way to wherever we needed to be. Christina chose beautiful and convenient hotels for us and arranged great experiences. All of Norway was wonderful, but the northern lights boat ride in Tromso, the Sauna/Fjord experience in Flam, the incredible Flam railroad, the Hotel Norge in Bergen all stand out. Mathia at Kimkim was the person on the ground during much of our trip and he was extremely helpful in making sure we made all connections and everything ran smoothly. We had a couple of little wrinkles - miscommunications with a hotel and a tour guide that caused some confusion and delay. And in both cases, Kimkim staff worked seamlessly to make sure our concerns were quickly addressed and everything was sorted. We would love to visit Norway again - it's amazing - and would be happy to return to Kimkim for help.

Activity Review

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

This was amazing from start to finish and 100% worth doing - so beautiful and great.

Quality of Experience

We had a great trip. Our three guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and overall just excellent. Each gave us insight into today’s Japan as well as the historic sites they led us to.

The Oku Travel written guides and maps were informative and clear, and we had no trouble using the train tickets and IC cards provided to us. We really liked the quality and variety of lodgings, dinners and breakfasts in Koyasan and in the Nakasendo post towns.

We had a great trip and would definitely recommend Kimkim's service. Our coordinator Tina was very thorough at putting together a custom itinerary based on our specific interests from the available pre-packaged tours. She was very responsive in the planning stage as well as during our trip and kept us up to date with details and changes.

All through our trip everything went as planned (with the exception of one tour pick-up time that was listed incorrectly, but it did not negatively impact anything else). It was great to have drivers and guides arranged each day, and a clear schedule laid out ahead of time. Great experience and we will very likely use Kimkim's service again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Silom Serene Hotel

Bangkok

Very comfortable and clean. Had the best sleep of our trip here. Location is conveniently near BTS and some small shops to get a good breakfast.

Boutique Raft Resort River Kwai

Kanchanaburi

Amazing location right on the river! The scenery is beautiful and it was great to sit on our porch and put our feet in the water. Staff was very attentive and friendly. They helped us arrange a driver to take us to Erawan National Park and to take us back to the airport after checkout. The beds were not the most comfortable and it was difficult to get the room temperature ideal (the air conditioner could only go down to 23C to avoid overloading it). We didn't get the best sleep, but it was overall worth it for the location and memorable experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi via Mae Klong market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Thailand

The Maeklong Railway Market was a really fun experience. It's amazing to see the dense and varied shops and how smoothly they function around the arriving and departing train. Despite being a tourist attraction, it felt like an authentic local market with lots of interesting produce, meats, and crafts. The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, on the other hand, felt much more like a tourist trap. It was fun to ride around on the canals, but it was crowded and the vendors are all selling the same items with high pressure sales tactics on a (literally) captive audience. We wouldn't recommend this one. Overall the day was very nice. Shoutout to our guide Betty for being super fun and energetic! We got to see a lot of fun things and had a smooth ride from our hotel to our next destination.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's Sea Canoe - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

This was among the best activities on our trip. The full day experience was really well organized from the transportation to the food and the scenery was beautiful. The staff at John Gray's Sea Canoe really went out of their way to make the experience full and memorable. We got 2 full meals plus a coffee & snack break in between travel segments, and we did multiple outings in the canoe to visit some really breathtaking sights around the sea caves. They even gave us some time to swim in the water and try paddling the canoe ourselves. In the evening each guide helped their 2-3 patrons create a beautiful krathong made from banana tree and leaves to set afloat after dark. It was a fun interactive experience and it was amazing to see the skill and variety in all the different krathong designs. After dinner we brought our krathong out on the water and got to enjoy it in the darkness of the cave. When it was extinguished we got to see the bioluminescent plankton up close! This was a great experience and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting Phuket.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Longtail Boat Bangkok Canaling Tour!

Bangkok

Fun excursion! We learned a bit about Thailand and Bangkok's history and we got to see a part of the city outside of the standard tourist spots. It was cool to see the variety of longtail boats and some of the culture around the canals. The tour is only a couple hours so it was easy to fit into our schedule.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently entrusted our honeymoon plans to Esther, and we couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Over 18 unforgettable days, we explored Cape Town, Franschhoek, Sabi Sands, and Mauritius. Right from the beginning, Esther took the time to understand our preferences and seamlessly integrated them into a personalized itinerary. Her responsiveness was remarkable, making us feel like a top priority.

The accommodations Esther curated in Cape Town and Franschhoek were nothing short of spectacular, and our Safari at Dulini Moya in Sabi Sands Game Reserve was the absolute highlight of our trip. Each of the hotels was truly a 5 star experience with incredible and attentive staff, luxurious accommodations, and delicious food.

We found ourselves stuck in Franschhoek during a natural disaster. Due to unprecedented flooding, there was no way in or out of the town, and we were unable to depart for our safari. Esther truly went above and beyond, tirelessly working at odd hours to find a solution. Her dedication and support during this unexpected situation not only alleviated our stress but demonstrated her professionalism and genuine care for her clients.

From the outset, every detail was meticulously planned, allowing us to relax and fully immerse ourselves in the joy of our honeymoon. We can't thank Esther enough for this truly unforgettable experience!