Kimkim Trip Reviews

Kim Kim made it easy to crystallize our vacation plans and implement them. The lodgings they chose for us all exceeded expectations. Giulia did a great job arranging the details. She always responded quickly, and she always incorporated the changes we wanted. The tours and tour guides she picked for us were all first-rate. We especially appreciated her flexibility for us in Rome, when our visit coincided with very high hotel prices.

We would recommend Kimkim to anyone, and especially Giulia for anyone traveling to Italy. We had an amazing 2 weeks thanks to Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Berchielli

Florence

Great location, respectful and efficient hotel staff, with very comfortable accommodations. They charge a heckuva lot for laundry, but they all probably do that! I recommend to all.

Authenticity & Character

Welcoming decor, everything was clean, lots of great things nearby

Location

Very close to Ponte Vecchio

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Il Parco

Simply a beautifully-kept and located place. A very convenient shuttle helped us up and down the hill. Very nice swimming pool too. The numerous, annoying flies (outside, NOT inside) weren’t their fault!

Authenticity & Character

Great landscaping

Location

Terrific views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Santa Chiara

Venice

The location, super close to the bus & train terminals, was perfect for us. It was more clean, modern and spacious than we expected, too. Staff was great too.

Authenticity & Character

Not charming, old and authentic, but we were fine with it

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum

Rome

Excellent knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pasta & Tiramisù Cooking Class

Rome

Very fun, nice to meet others this way

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

Big crowds, but our guide was really knowledgable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Logistics of meeting place were confusing and inaccurate. We almost missed the tour

Tuscany: Leonardo da Vinci, Oil & Wine discovery tour

Italy

A bit too much time spent sitting and eating, but the da Vinci museum and winery were terrific

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of our guides did a very good job. Hamid, who drove us for the week, was superb. His scheduling, of where to be, and when, spot on.

Tour guides were excellent! In Saigon, he displayed excellent knowledge of the city. In Hanoi, he assisted us in getting tickets to water puppet show and was most knowledgeable regarding tour stops. The excursion to Ha Long Bay was definitely a highlight; the company selected was top notch. I would not hesitate to use tour company again.

Morocco is definitely a place to travel. Our small tour of two couples in a big air conditioned van was smooth and relaxing. Sallam was a passionate guide about the country he loves and the history in each area. Sallam really helped us understand how Moroccans lived and the influence of Jewish people in early culture. We also had a fantastic driver along who was a guide in training named Jamal. Jamal was pleasant smart young man who also shared his love of Morocco while safely driving us through maze of roads I wouldn’t dare drive myself. Thank you Sharon from KimKim for helping us plan an outstanding trip in Morocco.

Mathilde was excellent in responding promptly and revising the trip as we expressed our wishes in terms of the locations we wanted to visit and budget as well. When Mathilde was away, Kevin stepped in and was very helpful as well. In one situation when we needed help, Valentine also stepped in and offered to switch our hotel but we did not need to move, although the offer was very nice.
We had a fantastic time, sometimes challenging but very satisfying overall. For further commentary see a couple of my blogs below, and you can see all my blogs on the time we spent in France at andrasthehun.blog on wordpress or click on and-r-as-the-hun.ca. I copied two of the blogs below describing our unique experiences in Aix-en-Provence.

Finding Our hotel in Aix-en-Provence, France (blog published at andrasthehun.blog)

The travel agent reserved a place for us in Aix-en-Provence and the GPS in the Peugeot 208 indicated a map showing how to get there. The rush-hour traffic engulfed Kathy driving the car and I assisted navigating the road. Crowds of people walking across the street made driving more challenging. And the roundabouts, of which there were more than traffic lights, complicated driving by sprouting many exits and lanes that we had to assess in trying to find the right exit.
Some exits were just lanes. Once the GPS directed us to take the next right, which was a lane that took us into an underground parking that we toured searching for the exit. On exiting, the inserted ticket triggered the gate to open, and we sped out.
The car rental agent switched the GPS to English from French and a serious-sounding, deep-voiced female directed us to our destination with a UK accent. We learned some new expressions such as “bear right” which means to turn right.
The rush of traffic, the crisscrossing pedestrians, and listening to the deep UK-accented voice combined to make us highly nervous driving in a town new to us, and we wanted to get to our place fast. But that was not to be.
With the hotel address typed into the GPS, the GPS directed us to turn left into a lane right after going around the Rotunda, a central square in Aix. In the fast-moving traffic, we did not notice the small lane quickly enough and missed our turn in the rush-hour traffic. We were frustrated and used some words not appropriate in a blog. After recalculating, the GPS moved us around a few kilometers to come back to the Rotunda again. By that time with our nerves frazzled, we missed the turn lane yet again, being pushed by the cars behind us on our tail.
The third time around Kathy slowed down ignoring the honking behind us and we entered the single lane promising to lead us to our hotel. The next left turn ordered by the GPS left us facing a few bollards not allowing us into the single lane. Stumped, we stopped trying to analyze the situation before the honking became overbearing and people yelling at us to get a move on. We had no choice. We moved on while Kathy, in her utter frustration showed a finger to the woman driver behind us shouting at us.
At this point, having driven around for over an hour and a half, I said, hell with the hotel reservation, let’s take another hotel anywhere in Aix. Then we realized that we needed gas to continue our search. I clicked on Waze on my cellphone and looked for the nearest gas station. Still, in rush-hour traffic, we missed a few gas stations because we could not get to the right lane from the middle lanes fast enough. We filled up at the gas station that we finally reached, where a friendly soul directed us to a suburban hotel twenty minutes away. We were happy though with a full tank of gas and redirected the GPS to find the hotel.
Khalid, the hotel receptionist, was sorry but said his hotel was full and he came with me to two adjacent hotels to speak French to the other receptionists, which he said would help us, poor Canadians, find a place to sleep. Walking back and forth among the hotels afforded me time to discover that Khalid came from Tunisia and he became excited to hear that I loved Tajine.
The horrible option of sleeping in the car came to my mind, should we not find a hotel. But that idea also created a problem; where to find a place to park? Parking in Aix seemed nonexistent. When I shared this idea with Khaled, he would not hear of it, he said he would make sure to find a place for us.
But the nearby hotels were full as well. Khalid called another ten hotels to no avail. By this time, it was dark, and we were totally tired out and the impossible scenario of finding a quiet spot to park and sleep in the car has become a real option. Instead, Khalid suggested we leave the car at his hotel’s parking garage and take a taxi to our hotel, wherever it was. Since it was an offer to park free in the garage, and we were too tired to think, we accepted his offer. We took our overnight bags and waited for the taxi he called.
The taxi followed the route we had taken previously around the Rotunda, but instead of going off to the left where we had gone three times, the driver took the next right which was Cours Mirabeau where our hotel was. When confronted with bollards at the entrance – Cours Mirabeau is closed to traffic except for delivery vehicles and taxis – the driver inserted a card into a slot on a post next to him to make the bollards sink into the ground. And then we drove onto rue Mirabeau and found our hotel.
The next morning, after surveying where we were, we took a taxi to retrieve our car and returned to park it in the nearby parking garage. The instructions to our hotel would have been clearer if instructed to seek a garage, and not the hotel, which was inaccessible by car. But since the hotel has a street address, the GPS took us on a futile trip.
In retrospect, the travel agent should have told us to park first with an address for a garage and instructions on how to reach the hotel next. Instead, the address to the hotel was provided with the suggestion that we park in the nearest parking garage. But we were happy just to find the hotel located along a wide sidewalk full of outdoor cafes with crowds of people. Nobody paid attention to us entering the hotel.

Entering Our Apartment in Aix-en-Provence, France (blog published under andrasthehun.blog)

Talk about security! I thought we would get a key from a receptionist and go to our room in a hotel. Not so. We were registered at Les Suites Du Cours in Aix-en-Provence, which we thought was a hotel – but discovered later that in Aix, at least, a hotel is a type of townhouse in the center of the old city, they used to be houses of the wealthy. Our hotel room turned out to be an apartment.
Let me start in the beginning when we received instructions on how to access our “self-registration” where we would be staying tonight. Although we had the street address, the instructions on how to enter our accommodation from the travel agent came the day Kathy drove from St. Remy to Aix-en-Provence, about an hour’s drive.
I was surprised; I expected a hotel with a lobby and a receptionist. Not so. We received an algorithm on how to enter this place via ten successive emails that mirrored a five-page manual on entering this place, the latter also sent via email!
Challenged by digital codes and fobs and keys in the instructions, I was apprehensive about our arrival; what if we could not follow the instructions and were left on the street with no receptionist? Although we had a phone number, what if they do not work at night or not at home? And would my French be good enough to communicate with them?
When we arrived at the address with two backpacks, after being lost for three hours, we faced a large, ornamental door, shown in a picture on the five-page instruction manual. The door at our address was in the middle of outdoor cafes, with people occupying all the tables, oblivious to the new arrivals.
So, we started by punching in the four-digit code to open the ten-foot-high historical, ornamental, heavy door; it clicked and we pushed it inwards. The door was very heavy with springs so strong that I had to lean into it to keep it open. Total darkness awaited us inside the twenty-foot-long vestibule, and I fumbled to find a light switch, indicated by three lighted dots on the wall ten feet away from us. We searched for the mailboxes, as instructed, opened the door, and looked up the next code to open the number 5 mailbox, our apartment number. We punched another four-digit code a few times with no success until I realized that the star after the four digits was part of the code and not the end of the instructions. Two sets of keys fell out of the mailbox for our next set of doors.
A fob was attached to both sets of keys and one of the fobs opened the next door, leading to the staircase and the elevator. This part of the building was also totally in darkness but by now we knew to look for the light switch. With only our backpacks, we decided to walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator even though the twenty-foot ceiling made the stairs long. The instructions were that only one person and a suitcase could be in the elevator at one time, and yet another key to use it. At any rate, our apartment was only on the second floor, we reasoned, and Kathy was worried she might get stuck in the ancient elevator.
Having reached the second floor, we tried to use the old-fashioned elaborately molded key to open the large, ten-foot-high ornamental door. We were tired and the key was obstreperous, it would not work. I was unsure whether I put it in the right manner and twisted it around in all directions. Finally, I banged on the door in frustration, expecting someone to be around to help us or tell us to get out of there but nothing happened.
Then the realization struck us that in France, the second floor is actually on the third level. The ground or first floor is the “rez-de-chaussee”. So, we hauled our baggage up to the next floor in the dark again since the lights worked for a short time only and we had to find the next switch on the next level. This time the old key worked. Finally, we arrived in our “hallway”, but it was pitch black again, and fumbled in the dark to find a switch.
In this hallway, several double doors faced us which, I thought would lead us to the kitchen, bedroom, etc. I heard voices behind one of the doors so I went there and burst in to let the intruders know that we reserved this unit. American voices greeted us in a friendly tone, and they said that they had reserved this unit for five days and our apartment must be behind another door opening from the “hallway”.
Three apartment units opened from this hallway and we, apparently, reserved one of these but we did not see numbers to indicate which one. Each unit had a set of double doors in front of the locked door units themselves – the unit number itself was a small number on the inner door, not visible from the hallway. The ornamental double doors, we speculated, were probably the original doors to be kept for historical purposes, and the inner doors, where our keys worked, were modern, lockable ones.
I was embarrassed for bursting in on the American visitors, apologized, and went to another door in the hallway where one of the keys on the second set of keys worked. Finally, we arrived at our apartment. The “hallway” served three apartments; I mistook the word hallway for our apartment’s lobby.
Once we settled into our bright place, we engaged in a friendly discussion with the neighbors and imbibed a glass of wine to calm our frazzled nerves, I reflected on the amount of security installed here. We needed two digital codes, a fob, and two keys to enter our apartment! Was this necessary? Is this overkill? Is the crime rate in France high? I did not know. But I thought the five barriers to mount to enter an apartment were beyond the pale. But perhaps when you get used to this system, it becomes simple. At any rate, we felt secure to leave our passports in the room when venturing outside.
Now you might think this entrance to occupy your hotel/apartment was frustrating, irritating and unnecessary. It was. But at the same time, to me, it was a puzzle to solve. It was fun. I used to do sudoku and now I do wordle. The satisfaction of solving puzzles was similar to solving this real-life puzzle to get into our accommodation.

Booking our 14 day Spain trip with KimKim and having Raquel as our specialist was a fabulous experience throughout the entire process, from planning then all the way throughout our trip. We gave Raquel our request and what we wanted to do and she planned, organized and booked our hotels, train tickets and tours. Raquel also made suggestions on what we might want to do while in that city. All the hotels were excellent quality and tours were highly reliable. When we did need assistance, Raquel responded quickly and it was all resolved within minutes. I would highly recommend KimKim and specifically Raquel for your next trip.

Hotel Reviews

One Shot Palacio Reina Victoria 04 Hotel

Valencia

This is a beautiful hotel a fabulous city. Great location so you can walk to many parts of the old city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

A quiet and modern hotel with a great location. The breakfast was included and food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very walkable to the old city and many of the attractions.

Staff

Very helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and quiet.

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Clean, quiet and great location. We did eat in the restaurant in evening and it was tasty.

Authenticity & Character

Very clean and quiet. A modern, minimalist decor.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio Mariana Pineda Hotel

Granada

Loved the character and uniqueness. Great breakfast. They even opened a few minutes early when they knew we were leaving early.

Authenticity & Character

Unique rooms and furniture.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sacristia de Santa Ana

Seville

Clean and cosy. Great location. The breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Our guide told us that this was once a private residence but now a hotel. It is unique and very cozy. Our room overlooked the square and was nice to see and hear all the activity.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

So much fun and great opportunity to meet other travelers.

Quality of Experience

Food

A great introduction to the world of tapas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took a taxi to the meeting place and walked to each of the restaurants.

Highlights of Old Madrid Walk

Madrid

A great overview and introduction to Madrid. We were able to walk from our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and also took time to help us get a Sim card for our phones.

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Our guide connected with us before the trip so we were able to stay in contact before arrival. Because it was raining, our guide and taxi driver took us to purchase umbrellas. Victor was extremely knowledgeable and also was able to convey the history through storytelling. We really enjoyed this tour and would recommend a trip to Toledo. We just wished we had better weather as many of the shops were closed due to the rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor is a great guide and storyteller who is knowledgeable about history.

Transport

A quick train trip from Madrid to Toledo to meet our guide was excellent and easy way to travel. This was one of our first trips where we travelled by train and I would do it again. It is easy and stressfree.

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Excellent guide and very knowledgeable of the history of Spain and influences. There were many guides in area to help identify which group you were assigned to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable of history and architecture.

Transport

Taxi rides up to and back to the city centre were easy to access.

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

This was a fabulous show and the performers were excellent. It was especially interesting as it was located in one of the caves.

Quality of Experience

The performers were excellent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There were no guides nor did the production company speak english, so it was up to us to figure it out.

Transport

There was no problem getting a taxi to take us to the location (Sacramentoe Caves) but at the end of the show there was no communication on how to return to our hotel. It was late in evening and our hotel was a significant walk. Eventually a bus came along and we got on it to get down to the town where we eventually got off and grabbed a cab.

Private Transfer Hotel to Train Station, Train Seville to Córdoba, Privately Guided Visit of Córdoba, Train Córdoba to Seville, Private Transfer Train Station to Hotel

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was knowledgeable and very helpful to arrange our transportation back to hotel earlier than the schedule.

Transport

The train to Cordoba was efficient and was easy to find our guide. Having a private drive back to Valencia was perfect, so we could just relax and even have a little siesta. When we did have difficulty finding our driver, I called the company and we quickly connected. One of our people got sick and we wanted to return early, so we called the transportation company and they were able to accommodate us. Excellent service!!

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Excellent guide and provided overview of the city and its history. Andres also made recommendations on other places to visit in the city.

Quality of Experience

Guide had great knowledge of the history and the city and other sites to visit.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meeting us at the hotel just made it so easy to connect.

Private Tuk Tuk City Tour - Valencia Historic Center

Valencia

This was a relaxing and fun way to explore Valencia. Fiona loved her job and the city and she exuded positivity and excitement. It was a fabulous way to see the highlights of Valencia. I would have loved for our tour to be longer. I would highly recommend this tour to get a overview of Valencia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fiona was positive, loved her city and this just made the entire excursion so much fun.

Transport

The location of meeting point is central, but can be a little difficult to find as signage on the historical buildings are not permitted.

Guided Visit of Barcelona by Bike

Barcelona

Kinda disappointing! Bikes were old and not in best shape. There was no orientation, offerings of bike helmets, nor did the guide find out how experienced the riders were. This excursion is not for the inexperienced rider.

Quality of Experience

The route did highlight areas of Barcelona, but poor quality bikes and no helmets took away from the experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dimetrios was so helpful and went above and beyond!! Very attentive

This was our third vacation in Europe using KimKim, and like the previous trips, they delivered! Our multi-city self-drive adventure in Andalucia was well coordinated. Our KimKim agent, Rita, arranged our rail and car transportation, secured professional walking guides, and made excellent recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and day excursions. Rita was a supportive partner in respecting our travel expectations and budget. Her thoughtful planning included unique experiences in Andalucia such as a tapas bar sampling, authentic flamenco, a Spanish guitar concert and a most memorable cooking experience. We look forward our next travel adventure with KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Petit Palace Puerta de Triana

Seville

This hotel was in a great location, right in the heart of everything. The parking situation was a bit confusing, as they had a garage that we didn't know about in advance. Some advance notice about the parking would have been helpful, but the staff was able to direct us to a public parking lot nearby

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Plaza Malaga Hotel

Malaga

The GPS had us going in circles trying to locate this hotel, as it was in a pedestrian-only zone. We ended up having to call the hotel for directions to a nearby public. Otherwise, it was a lovely hotel in a wonderful location. No complaints!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

This was by far the best hotel of the trip. It felt luxurious and was in a fantastic location. I felt like I was living the high life staying here. Would highly recommend it to anyone.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Spanish Cooking Experience

Granada

This was an unexpectedly delightful experience. Meeting the chef at a market and getting to shop for our ingredients was a fun twist. We ended up spending about six hours with her at her farm, which was more than we anticipated but didn't interfere with our plans. It was a great day, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves cooking and doesn't mind spending a bit of extra time on it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crazy but beautiful country.

Thanks you to Trang for very efficient organisation and also Mr Sang who was a very enjoyable tour guide.

Hotel Reviews

Sanouva Saigon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Premium Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Rooms very dated. Cold shower.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casta Cruise

Halong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ben Tre Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I’m

Transport

We had a wonderful time during our trip to Croatia. The country was beautiful, the people were kind, and the food was delicious. Our itinerary allowed for a good mix of rest and exploring. We enjoyed activities off the beaten path and some classic sites. The island of Korčula was our absolute favorite and would love to spend more time there. Our tour of the island with culinary tastes was amazing. We were so happy to visit Komparak and then have lunch in the country side. All hotels were clean, well located, and a joy to stay in. Our drivers were friendly and we much appreciated being driven around. We had a small issue with 1 ferry ride but Anna Maria was able to quickly resolve and we caught the ferry on time. Would highly recommend booking a trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Camera Split

Split

Very spacious, clean and modern room. The host was incredibly kind and made huge, delicious breakfast each morning. The location felt very safe and allowed for quiet sleeping while still being within walking distance of many sites. We would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to. Felt safe. Not on a loud street.

Staff

Our host was so kind. Wonderful woman.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean and spacious! Modern amenities. The beds were very comfortable.

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

Huge resort which is a bit of a change for us but we ended up enjoying very much. The room was very spacious, modern and clean. It had a nice balcony where we could see boats passing on the water. The pool area was very nice with a small beach nearby. The staff were very nice and helpful. It is a 10min walk from town but easy if you go around the hill (and not up & over it). As this resort is on a hillside there are a lot of stairs and levels. Poolside food and breakfast buffet were delicious and there is something for everyone.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's a bit out of town but the location is beautiful. We didn't mind the walk.

Staff

Friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fabris Inn

Korčula

The staff here are SO friendly and helpful. The hotel is an easy walk from the ferry and well located in town. Due to it being a historic building, the rooms are quiet small and it can be noisy but each room is well laid out and earplugs are provided. Breakfast was yummy and the welcome gift of cookies were our favorite.

Authenticity & Character

Historic, old building with lots of character and charm

Location

Great location! Easy to walk to many places within town and to the ferry.

Staff

The kindest staff. One day it was raining and we were lent an umbrella

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. The rooms and especially the bathroom are quite small but it was ok for our short stay and the hotel provided many accommodations to compensate for the historic building.

Hotel Lero

Dubrovnik

The rooms at this hotel are very spacious, modern and clean! The welcome cookies were delightful and the staff friendly. There isn't much nearby but don't let that deter you. The food and drinks at the Piano bar were flavorful and the breakfast buffet was huge. We also ate at the attached Taj Mahal restaurant which is an absolute must try. We took a bus back from the old city one day which was only a few minutes long and very easy to navigate.

Authenticity & Character

Attached to a traditional Bosnian restaurant (Taj Mahal) which is a must try.

Location

An easy, quick bus ride from old town. Nearby grocery store as well.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable, modern and spacious rooms. Very clean hotel as well.

Activity Reviews

Tastes of Korčula Island

Korčula

Hands down, our favorite experience during the trip! A short ride to Komparak allowed us to experience a private tour tasting honey, jam, olive oil and gin. Our host was welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. We purchased several products to take back home with us. Our driver then picked us up to drive into the countryside for lunch. The lunch was incredible - sitting outside near the garden when our lunch was grown. The staff were friendly, the food was amazing and we relaxed while enjoying the sites, smells and tastes. We took our time and then called our driver when nearing the end of our meal who promptly came to pick us up.

Quality of Experience

Absolutely worth it

Food

High quality, local and the tour was personalized to what we liked.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly

Transport

Day Trip to Krka National Park & Trogir

Split

The waterfalls are breathtaking! Our tour guide was friendly and allowed for ample time to explore the park and then take a short boat ride to Trogir. The park can become crowded so we were happy to have traveled on the edge of peak season and while not overwhelming warm. The walk is several levels but not difficult or too strenuous. The short boat ride was enjoyable and it was nice to explore another small town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide

Transport

Konavle Wine Tasting Tour

Dubrovnik

Fun tour tasting wine and experiencing the local culture. Small group was the perfect size and it was nice to meet others from around the world. All winery hosts were kind and inviting; excited to tell us about their culture and treat us to their products. The train ride between wineries was fun even when it started raining. This made our trip even more memorable and we were able to warm up with some spirits in addition to the wine. The bus picked us up and dropped us off directly at our hotel so that was very accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host was friendly, knowledgeable and funny

Transport

Easy bus ride and comfortable transportation. The little train between vineyards was fun even when it started raining.

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

We really enjoyed this private tour of the old city. Our host was incredibly knowledgeable and gave us an indepth look into the city, beyond what we could have learned simply walking around ourselves. She customized the trip to what we found interesting and gave us tips on where to grab lunch after and tour the city walls.

Quality of Experience

Customized in depth tour

Food

We didn't have any included food. We were given recommendations on where to grab lunch after.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was the best! She was so kind, knowledgeable and friendly.

Transport

Our driver took us down to the old city and it was easy to walk around from there. The Dubrovnik Pass included bus transport so we could easily get back to our hotel

Can’t say enough good things about this company…they made our honeymoon vacation in Italy, seamless and stress free. Emi, our consultant from Rome, created a wonderful itinerary for us with great tours and accommodations, car service when needed and a timeline that kept us entertained but not overwhelmed. The couple of hiccups during the trip ( a train strike and mapping error) were handled quickly and easily. We will certainly be using this service again again and highly recommend it to others!

Hotel Reviews

Unconventional Hotel Sorrento 3* Sant'Agnello

Sant'Agnello

Wonderful little hotel tucked away from the main hustle and bustle. Clean, nice view from our balcony, wonderful breakfast and very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cosimo de' Medici

Florence

Great little hidden away gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super close to the train station and very convenient to many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows were very firm otherwise everything else was great

Hotel Ca' d'Oro

Venice

Great little hotel off the beaten path. Very clean and comfortable. Unfortunately we were only there for one night and had to leave early so didn’t get to take in the breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off the beaten path so was nice and quiet. Just over 20 minute walk to the train station

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nord nuova roma hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to the train station to walk there. Also easy walking distance to many attractions.

Staff

Very helpful but not the most approachable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, very comfortable and lots of little niceties thrown in

Activity Reviews

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

This area is a must see. Our guide was very informative. Wish we had more time in Amalfi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti colors and flavors: Tuscan countryside with wine tastings

Florence

Amazing!! This is a must do, even for a non wine drinker! Lol

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Antonia ( I believe), was terrific! So informative, understandable and friendly

Transport

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

Wonderful to have a day to wander and explore the area

Quality of Experience

Accademia Gallery Tour

Florence

This was an interesting tour but sometimes difficult to hear or follow with all the information. Nice to see but not a must

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscan Cooking class and S.Lorenzo Market

Florence

So much fun!! A must do!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stefano and Thomas were awesome. Wonderful teachers and made the whole experience so much fun!

Wonderful trip to Ireland! The local team was great with checking in once in country. The itinerary provided offered wonderful selections of things to do and places to visit to fill our time. All restaurants and stops suggested were wonderful. The hotels lacked in some areas, but overall nice stays. We loved driving through the south end of the island and visiting the beautiful naturescapes of Ireland. Would definitely use again for future trips!

The Iceland Tour was an amazing trip, aided by the professional and competent KIM KIM team. A special recognition to Francesca, who has helped arrange this trip for over a year. The rental car, the itinerary, the accommodations were all taken care of. I highly recommend self driving as it gives one the freedom to set your own pace and to alter locations as desired. All of the excursions were worth the time and a special shout out to Arctic Adventures and their Super Jeep Aurora Tour. The accommodations were all good and were well located, usually a few miles toward the next day’s journey. A few minor issues during the course of the trip were quickly resolved by KIM KIM team member Preeti. Anyone considering a trip to Iceland should consider utilizing the services of KIM KIM. I feel that my nine day tour of the Golden Ring Road was just right. Every day was planned out with possible options. Excursions included many natural wonders, the animals, the Icelandic Horse, reindeer and whales. The hot spring spas, the ATV ride, the helicopter tour and of course, the Northern Lights.The following information is important to be aware of; food is expensive in Iceland, especially restaurant dinners. Our breakfasts were included with the hotels and for lunch, we saved money by buying sandwiches from the grocery store. Also, after you have arrived and are picking up the rental car, be sure to purchase the auto damage insurance. Windy days and close parking can result in expensive dings. Finally, if Iceland is on your Bucket List, go now! It’s a beautiful country with miles of empty roads and unbelievable wild scenery. But the pressure of uncontrolled tourism is bound to forever change the country and the quality of your adventure. Make reservations and go. Your memories of Iceland will remain long after the cost is forgotten.

Tommy n Jun are good guides. The drivers are all friendly, eventhough we could not communicate. We like Jun more, he is very kind n sincere. We didn't have a chance to see the museum in Hanoi since the museum is closed every Monday.

Activity Reviews

Explore the Beauty of Hanoi Capital with experience the Water Puppet show

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Bun Cha n nem

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

Must go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

We didn't like it, nothing to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Vietnam

Must go.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onboarding Cruise To Lan Ha Bay (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Must go.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was amazing. It was a 76 day trip to see both Australia and New Zealand. My Specialist Liz Neal was amazing and fantastic. She worked with me for almost a year to organize everywhere I was going to go and the day trips and I also wanted to make sure that I had drivers to pick me up from the Airport and for the daily outings and they were there. The booklets that she sent me with all the daily information of all the outings and plane information was a fantastic idea. I carried it everywhere and will use it when I do my photo album.

The only thing is that I need to keep some days off for myself. I was so excited about this trip and I wanted to see everything that I booked something every day. Liz tried to get me some time off from visiting but I just wanted to experience everything. In hindsight, some time off would have been good to actually do things I wanted to do but had no time like either sleep, shop or just walk around. Something to keep in mind for my next trip.

It is too bad that Liz is an expert only on Australia and Zew Zealand. I would love to have her as my agent for all my next trips.

Thank you for this amazing experience.

My recent trip to Greece with my friend, Richard, was wonderful in all aspects. Mariliza devised an itinerary of really worthwhile tours, mythological & archaeological, also cultural, food & wine. The trip plan also allowed for free time so that we could further explore areas on our own. We had a fantastic guide, Magda, for our tour of the Acropolis. For Delos, we had Pantelias who was really passionate about history, mythology and culture. In Naxos, Yiota highlighted life in medieval times there. And on Santorini, we were fortunate to have Panos for 2 tours wherein we were able to discuss local foods and wines, and of course sample both!
All of the places (Athens, Mykonos, Delos, Naxos, Santorini, Crete) we visited had their own unique/different features and I loved them all equally.
I would like to give special mention to our driver in Athens (Pascal??) who ensured our safety and got us to our destinations stress-free. And thank you to all the other drivers who willingly shared local knowledge.
Thank you again Mariliza!

Hotel Reviews

Myconian Kyma Design Hotel

Mykonos

Beautiful hotel with wonderful amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located a short walking distance from town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xenones Filotera

Imerovigli

The views from the hotel are spectacular!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SanSal Boutique Hotel

Chania

Great location, walking distance to Old Town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walking distance to attractions, restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Our first room happened to be in a part of the hotel that is adjacent to a nightclub that was open until 0400. Needless to say we had a sleepless night. We were changed to another room for the following night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location is within walking distance of attractions, restaurants, eyc

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cyano Suites

Naxos

Located a short walking distance from town. Beautiful view from hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Family run hotel with very nice ambience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Santorini, Semi-Private Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the UNESCO's archaeological site of Delos, Guided Tour

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Medieval Citadel, Private walking tour

Naxos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Greek Food & Wine Tasting

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free afternoon in Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Athens Highlights / Mythology Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Said was very helpful with organizing and coordinating the logistics of the trip. I was traveling with a friend for a birthday trip. There was a lot of flexibility with the tour and we were able to make it our own, however after going to the Sahara and Essaouira and speaking to some of the locals, I wished we had an extra day at each location. The locals had recommended we should have booked an extra day in the desert and an additional day in Essaouira. In hindsight, I would have appreciated some recommendations from Kimkim since our dates were pretty flexible and also that we spent a lot of time driving to places from Marrakech. Either way, we made the most of it and enjoyed every minute of our trip and would book with Kimkim again.

Soufiane from Original Tours was our driver for the trip. He did a fantastic job driving us around for over a week and was very knowledgeable about the areas we visited. He was very helpful with informing us on what was/wasn't acceptable culturally. He also recommended things to try while different areas in Morocco. We felt safe and he stopped at all the viewpoints we wanted to see along the way. I would definitely recommend him as a driver.

We spent a month in Argentina and 10 days we were on a kimkim tour.

Our tour started in Salta. Our itinerary said that our tour operator was Signature Tours, but in fact it was Altiplano Travel. This was the start of the errors with our kimkim tour.

We were picked up from our hotel for a tour to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca. The tour leader only spoke Spanish and we triple checked that we were on the correct tour. We were assured that we were on his list. So, for about 2 hours we listened to Spanish, which we didn’t understand and missed all of the information about the area.

We took a 4 hour Salta city tour one day that was also all in Spanish, so we didn’t learn anything. We had a young man accompany us as an “interpreter”. He was a nice kid who was still in high school and knew conversational English and was totally lost with translating. Our Spanish guide spoke and we got a 1-2 word translation. Again we had no information. I’m not sure why they even put us on the tour!

We then went on a 12 hour Spanish speaking tour to Cafayate with our “translator” who wasn’t able to translate. This section of road has been described as an “epic once in a lifetime road trip”, which we were not able to learn about! Super frustrating!! Kimkim did not deliver the English speaking guides that were promised and by this omission, left us unable to learn about the places we had flown so far to see!

Our tour Hornocal (14 Colors Mountain) was great when we were provided with and English speaking guide. We stopped at little villages along the way and the guide helped us order a delicious meal. The mountain was amazing!

We next went to Iguazu to stay at the Mercure Iguazu Hotel. When we arrived at the hotel we were told that our hotel had not been prepaid. The confirmation number we had from kimkim meant nothing and we had to pay again. Thank goodness we were set up to be able to do that! We received an apology from kimim for their error and eventually received a refund on our card.

The tour of Iguazu was great with a very good guide. We walked the upper and middle trails and then went on an exciting boat ride to the falls. The next day we visited the Brazilian side.

Argentina was our third kimkim tour. Myanmar and Colombia tours were 5 star excellent, but this one missed the mark by a long way!! I was very disappointed with this trip!

Felipe and team were very communicative and in touch the entire time. They picked great places for dinner and set up wonderful guides. David in Bogata was very knowledgeable and had a great background in history. Diego in Medellín was a lot of fun and shared very interesting context to the places we visited. Carolina in Cartegena had great energy and provided some additional local places to grab a beer and good eats. Felipe put together a trip that was exactly what we wanted with tours and all of our dinner reservations. We just showed up to enjoy!

Hotel Reviews

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

Beautiful location and small hotel. You feel like a guest in a wonderful home.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to great restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

The Artisan D.C. Hotel was great with a fabulous location. The service was top-notch and we felt very taken care of.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Bogotá City Tour (with Gold Museum, Local Market and Monserrate Hill)

Bogotá

Our Bogota guide, David, was super knowledgeable. His depth of knowledge was impressive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour

Medellín

The coffee tour was intriguing but I'm mixed about whether I would recommend it to someone else. It felt like it was something that could be skipped if you were pressed for time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of Medellín City Tour (with Comuna 13)

Medellín

The walking tour is a must, the fruit tour was okay, but the rum tour is an absolute must-do. It was amazing! The one downside was the restaurant Marea, which was the worst meal we had in Colombia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

The welcome to Colombia was fabulous. Felipe and his team were absolutely amazing, setting up a WhatsApp and communicating with us all the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatavita Lake Tour and Usaquén

Bogotá

The Guatavita Lake Tour was interesting and the dinner at Artisanal Crepes & Waffles was great. The only issue was the altitude, which could be a problem for some people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

Very educational and fun. Trying 8 rums with chocolate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was absolutely amazing. The guides and drivers that we were pair with were all top notch. Our Local Specialist Connie was amazing, we had some last minute changes that were need for some things and she was able to take care of everything for us flawlessly.