Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip was labeled “Unforgettable Honeymoon” on KimKim and the trip definitely lived up to its name. We had an amazing time exploring Argentina in 12 days. We were able to go to Buenos Aires, Puerto Iguazu, Mendoza, and El Calafate, but didn’t feel rushed. Our airport transfers were seamless and always on time and the hotels were perfect for each location. Joaquina was available by email when we requested a last minute change, and she even emailed halfway through the trip checking in.
We loved every place we visited. Our most memorable hotel was in Mendoza and it was perfectly scheduled as a time to relax 3/4 into our trip. Even activities we didn’t expect, like The Argentine Experience, were amazing.

We had a great experience working with Bella through KimKim for our trip to Thailand. This was our first time using a service like this, and honestly, it exceeded our expectations.

Bella was extremely responsive from the start and did a great job collaborating with us to build an itinerary that actually fit our family—not some cookie-cutter plan. She was flexible, attentive, and made adjustments along the way so everything felt dialed in.

One of the biggest highlights for us was having local guides. That completely changed the experience. Instead of feeling like tourists trying to figure things out, we always felt taken care of and confident in where we were going and what we were doing. It took a lot of the stress out of traveling and allowed us to actually be present and enjoy the experience.

Overall, it made the trip smoother, more meaningful, and honestly more fun. We’re already talking about going back to Thailand—and we’d absolutely work with Bella again.

Hotel Reviews

Silom Serene Hotel

Bangkok

Hotel was nice but felt a little dated. A guest on our floor was smoking and it got in the vents. No big deal but not ideal.

Buri Sriping Riverside Resort & Spa

Chiang Mai

Very classy hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Aonang Beach Resort

Krabi

Perfect location, excellent food and resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hong Island trip by Speed Boat!

Thailand

Fucking awesome.

Welcome and Temple Treasures of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Hot spring & Emerald Lagoon tour & Tiger Temple with lunch

Thailand

A visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Mae Klong Railway market

Bangkok

I thought it was going to be different. It was okay but nothing amazing.

Half-Day Cycling in Chiang Mai!

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

Amazing experience and so much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

5 Islands Sunset Cruise with Kayaking and Swimming in Bio-luminescence!

Thailand

One of the best experiences.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Madrid/Seville/Lagos/Lisbon trip was well planned and well executed, nice whether helped as well.
Madrid transfers and guides were on time and professional, hotel was good, a bit noisy. Tuk-Tuk tour has room for improvement like better vehicles suspension and adding display with city map and interactive vehicle location.
Train ride was a pleasant experience.
Seville transfer to the hotel was OK, driver could use some training. Seville hotel should not be allowed to operate until underground comprehensively marked. Seville guide was on time, extremely knowledgeable and likable.
For transfer to Lagos was planned Tesla Y, instead was used Toyota Prius, substitution luxury car with economy car is not an acceptable practice, money back should be considered.
Lagos food tour guide was excellent. Lagos hotel was great, unconventional shower/toilet design would benefit by addition to toilet bidet and waste bucket. Lagos water tour was 30 minutes late, boat driver could be more respectful.
Transfer to Lisbon was good. Lisbon hotel was great, Lisbon tour guide was amazing. Tuk-Tuk tour had the same issues as Madrid one. Transfer to the Airport was seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Unconventional shower/toilet design would greatly benefit by adding to toilet bidet and waste bucket.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

Hotel should not allowed to operate until underground comprehensively marked, for example; every part has its own color code, similarly to marking trails in a forest.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room Mate Alba

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tuk-Tuk Experience Along the 28 Tram Route

Lisbon

Similar to Madrid, vehicle suspension is not adequate. Display with city map and interactive vehicle location should be added.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pena Palace & Sintra Village Half-Day Trip

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ponta da Piedade by Boat Excursion

Lagos (Algarve)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lagos Evening Food Walk

Lagos (Algarve)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Visit to Seville's Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show & Museum Visit

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Prado Museum Visit with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

Vehicle suspension is not adequate. Display with city map and interactive vehicle location should be added.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk & Royal Palace Experience

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gummi put together a fantastic trip for us. The stops were well thought out. The hotels were wonderful and the restaurant recommendations were varied and delicious.

He was available to quicky answer any questions we had. I would recommend this trip and Gummi to any of my friends.

Hotel Reviews

Alda Hotel Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Great location, nice staff, very nice breakfast included. Room is a bit noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Easy to hear doors slamming g

Black Beach Suites

Vik I Myrdal

Scenic location by a black sand beach. Close enough to town to go to restaurants. Large comfy room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

Large, comfortable rooms. Hot tub, restaurant on sight with a very nice breakfast included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Búðir

Búðir

Boutique like hotel in a gorgeous but remote location. Staff was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet, peaceful, beautiful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling Adventure

Golden Circle

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We drove ourselves

Mieke did an amazing job planning and writing up detailed instructions on how to get to my various hotels via public transportation. She included the apps I needed for said transportation, the approximate distances to walk. She worked around the bike and boat tour that I had requested and filled in the gaps with many things I would enjoy. I did have a few hiccups along the way such as one of the hotels had absolutely no heat with temps hovering around 40 degrees F at night. Also, the boat dock had moved at the beginning on the boat tour. One last mention, she sent me to Haarlem for my last day for the Monday market, but the market was replaced with a carnival that day. She had no control over these changes or mishaps. My only complaint was the trip cost a bit more than I originally planned.

Hotel Reviews

Ambassador City Centre Hotel

Haarlem

I cannot give this hotel and staff enough praise. They took care of me from the moment I walked in, quite early I might add, until I left the city. They got me into my room right away so I did not have to store my luggage. They made sure I had an appropriate vegetarian breakfast on my checkout. I had problems with my Uber and they helped me get another one do I could get to the airport safely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boat accommodation for cycling tours: Princesse Royal

I had a solo cabin with a twin bed. It was perfect for a solo traveler. It was a bit crowded with my suitcase needing to be on the floor. Some nights it was hard to make the room warm enough for me. The food was AWESOME. The boat had a chef and dinners were curated for us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Singel hotel

Amsterdam

This had to be one of the cutest boutique hotels I’ve ever been to. The room was small, but big enough for me. I had a beautiful view of the canal and it was very close to Amsterdam Central train/bus station. The breakfast was good, they even offered a couple of selections “on demand.”

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Keyser Hotel

Antwerp

How this is rated as a 4 star hotel is beyond me. I arrived a bit early and they allowed me to check in but the room was FREEZING. They told me the heat would be turned on at the desk at 3 pm (official check-in time). I came back after 5 pm and still no heat. I have NEVER stayed in a hotel where the temp is controlled by the desk. I also discovered the glass door would not close completely and the wind howled through it making it even colder. After several trips to the desk, they finally moved me. The second room was also cold and I was advised the heat was out in the whole building and because it was late in a holiday weekend they couldn’t get anyone to fix it. They had a space heater in the room(s) upon arrival and I found that odd. After reading Google reviews, the HVAC issues had been going on for over a year and NUMEROUS complaints were listed. THAT explained why the space heaters were already in the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Wever Lodge

Otterlo

This was an adorable lodge located just outside the national forest. The breakfast was delicious. However, it was a bit tough walking from the bus stop to the lodge. Much of the path was packed dirt and kind of muddy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bike & Boat: Amsterdam - Spaarndam - Haarlem

The Netherlands

The whole reason I went to the Netherlands was for the bike and boat tour. On our first day we “sailed” to Haarlem and biked into the town. Saw Grote Markt and the church.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ghent - Gravensteen - Castle of the Counts

The Netherlands

This was a self guided audio tour. I chose the comfy tour and was not disappointed.

Quality of Experience

Ghent - Self-Guided Culinary Walking Route

The Netherlands

I actually did not do a “self-guided” walking route, but found a guided tasting tour.

Quality of Experience

Antwerp - Chocolate Nation

The Netherlands

You can’t go to Belgium without learning about chocolate. I have been to cocao plantations in the Caribbean and I have come full circle to the finished fine Belgian chocolate. The tasting at the end was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Hoge Veluwe National Park by bicycle

The Netherlands

I got caught in the rain, so it wasn’t very enjoyable on the bike. I did enjoy the nature center/museum including the section underground

Quality of Experience

Hoge Veluwe National Park by bicycle + Kröller Müller Museum

The Netherlands

I walked/hiked over to museum from the lodge. It was a good activity for my arrival day. However, the tickets were date specific and it would have been better for the rainy following day.

Quality of Experience

Great service before AND (especially) during our trip. Helpful, proactive and on top of everything. Sylvia and the team were outstanding and a pleasure to work with.

Hotel Reviews

Island Magic Beach Resort Ltd

Caye Caulker

We upgraded to Island Magic Villas. MUCH better

Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge

Mountain Pine Ridge

The food and chef Sean are fantastic - real Maya flavors

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful villas and cottages and the main house cozy and high end

Location

Trails and waterfalls and wildlife all in the park

Staff

The best. All of them attentive and knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Caracol Mayan Site

Belize

Can’t miss city that really shows the early Maya culture and architecture. Thanks to Bau, our extremely knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Brilliant guide (‘Bao) who has as much knowledge of local wildlife as he does ancient Maya history!

Transport

ATM Cave | Actun Tunichil Muknal

Belize

A must see. The guide, Raphael, was excellent

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic chicken and rice and beans

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Archeology

Transport

We had the most incredible time in Morocco! Firstly, Maryem, our trip coordinator did a wonderful job tailoring the itinerary to our liking and was quick to respond to any questions we had during our travels. The guides, hotels, excursions, and travel arrangements were fabulous. The highlights of our trip were, our time walking around the blue streets of Chefchaouen, the food tour in Fez, the ruins of Volubilis, and our stay in Agafay. The best part of our trip was Hamid, our amazing travel expert. He was just the best! He was punctual, kind, funny, warm, inviting, a great driver, and embodied all the best aspects of Moroccan hospitality. I cannot recommend him enough. Under the Moroccan Sun will ensure you will have the trip of a lifetime and we are already thinking of our next tailored adventure with them.
Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Alkamar Camp

Marrakech

By far our favorite stay of the trip. Special shoutout to Mohammed who looked out for us during our stay. The food was incredible, the room was insanely beautiful (private pool and fireplace). Wish we could have stayed here longer!

Authenticity & Character

The best. Live performances and music. Authentic food. Down to the blankets, everything was perfect.

Location

In the desert. Great views and camels walking walking by.

Staff

Mohammed. The best ever!! Went above and beyond, can't say enough good things about him.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great shower. Very private feeling room.

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

The best breakfast of the trip! Fresh Msemmen made in front of you!! Room was clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central and easy to walk everywhere from the hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Gorgeous!!! Loved our stay here. Room was beautiful, beds large and comfortable, the best shower. Breakfast was amazing, and so were the amenities (pool, rooftop, spa treatments).

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and charming.

Location

Central location.

Staff

Very kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Riad Dar Dar

Rabat

Wouldn't stay here again... It was our first night though so we didn't spend much time here. Staff was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Medina.

Staff

One guy who seemed to be running the whole operation, and did very well! Very helpful with our bags, serving breakfast, and with finding the Riyad.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds uncomfortable, poor lighting, not the best bathroom. Just don't expect luxury.

Activity Reviews

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our guide Mohammed was one of the best! He was very knowledgeable and laid back (especially on plants in the Jardin Majorelle). Marrakech is just beautiful. Don't skip the YSL museum, it is a wonderful collection.

Quality of Experience

Food

We recommend. Comptoir Darna.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Fes Food Tour

Fes

Feta was our very favorite guide. Major shoutout to him, the king of the Moroccan guides. My daughter has a severe nut allergy, and as you will learn nuts are a prominent feature in Moroccan desserts. He was extremely understanding of this and cautious. He triple checked with vendors every time. We just walked around the Souk and tried all the things that peaked our interest. The best way to really get to know Morocco. You must try the potato croquettes and fresh cheeses!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Fes walking guided tour : No drive

Fes

Mohammed!! Loved this guide! So funny and informative. Again, he seemed to know everyone in town and watching him interact with everyone was a highlight. He helped us get a great price on our bags at the tannery too. We loved Fez, it felt the most authentic out of all the bigger cities we visited.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Transfer to Fes: Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Volubilis were the most incredible Roman ruins I've seen so far (and I've seen many). You must go before they put the mosaic floors into the museum they are in the process of building. It was incredible to just see them in the grass among the ruins. Donkeys braying in the distance really add to the vibe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Explore the Blue City

Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a must see! Just gorgeous everywhere you look. The whole town smells like orange blossoms, and as a result has the best orange juice. The guide seemed to know everyone in town and watching him interact with his friends and loved ones was the highlight of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Transfer to Chefchaouen from Rabat via Ouazzane 4 Hours Drive

Morocco

Beautiful drive through the Moroccan countryside. So much to see looking out the window.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Half-Day Private Sightseeing Tour in Rabat

Rabat

One of our favorite guides. His english was great and he was so knowledgable. We learned so much! He even added a stop to see the most beautiful mural as my daughter is an art historian. Rabat overall, is beautiful and clean. Amazing architecture. I just wish we had more time to visit some of the museums.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yay Hamid!

Our trip specialist Majid was wonderful, very accommodating, and incredibly responsive. We really enjoyed our 10 day trip though it was very fast paced. Our guide Red was very kind, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about the areas we were in. I would highly recommend both Majid and Red.

What a great trip! Eleanor was great to work with and help us figure out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. The transfers to and from the airports went well. Our Tokyo city highlight walking tour with Ken was very informative and enjoyable. The Kyoto cultural treasures tour with Satomi was also very good. She was flexible as to what we wanted to see and answered so many of our questions. We also enjoyed the Foodie Tour in Osaka. Our hotels in Tokyo, Osaka & Kyoto were all great. Good breakfasts and great locations. The Go taxi app worked well. Getting around by subway was sometimes challenging but good. Japanese people were very helpful when we got totally lost!

We had a most memorable trip thanks to Chhewang and Rikjin. The trip was well organised and left us feeling highly confident that each day would deliver us something exciting with no stress at all.

Nepal is a beautiful, safe country, and the Nepalese people are charming.

Above all, Chhewang and Rikjin are easy-going and great people to spend time with.

Working with Majid to plan our Morocco trip was so effortless and easy. He made sure to accommodate all our interests and preferences, Because of his time and attention to detail, our trip was so smooth and enjoyable. Majid was also always available and responsive. Whenever we wanted to make some modifications to our itinerary, he was readily available to listen to our feedback and make changes as needed.

We also loved our driver Ismail. He was incredibly knowledge and we learned so much from talking with him throughout our trip. Ismail was also so kind and welcoming, we felt right at home in Morocco thanks to him. We will highly recommend him to all our friends and family who plan to visit Morocco in the future.

Rikzin and Sonam provided excellent service in our brilliant holiday. From the views of Annapurna to the Jungle safari, we were well looked after. Communications were quick and efficient and I would certainly recommend this tour and management team. thanks again for a brilliant holiday.

All of the guides were knowledgeable and articulate about the wonderful biodiversity we were seeing. All of the transport drivers were punctual to the minute according to our itinerary. The entire trip went exactly as planned. Great work by the entire Serendipity/KimKim team.

Hotel Reviews

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Nice view from our room. Good food at the restaurant. The shuttle service to the rooms from the reception was dependable AND NECESSARY because of the steepness of the slope the hotel was built on.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

The view of Arenal volcano from our room was like a picture on a postcard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tortuga Lodge & Gardens

Tortuguero

We loved this hotel. Great staff, excellent food, knowledgeable friendly guides and excursions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private: Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Great personalized guide for just our private group. Forest Alive. Very informative and in depth walk through the cloud forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable guide.

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Selvatura was very well organized and well worth the day we spent there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Great tour. Very worthwhile with lots of details and hands on experiences throughout the tour. Fascinating to see the processes of coffee, sugar cane, and chocolate cultivation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Friendly knowledgeable guide who really took time to show us the plants and animals along the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Look

Transport

Guided Boat Excursion Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Great boat trip with lots of animal and plant sightings. Great guide — he really took time to point out details of the environment.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jesse was great to work with. We had a great time and wverything went smoothly.

Michelle did a fantastic job organizing our trip!
We had a family of 8 at the start in Auckland. All of our transportation, accommodations, and tours were arranged for us.
As we traveled south some of the family had to go back home, but the fun kept on coming!
In Rotorua we went to the Maori cultural center, Hobbiton, kayaking, and a visit to hot springs and spa.
Napier was another fantastic place as well as Windy Wellington.
The arrangements were made for one of the couples to leave from Wellington while the rest of us crossed to the southern island and then by train to Christchurch.
Michelle made all these arrangements for an easy transfer to our destinations.
Our accommodations were beautiful and in easy walking distance into the city center.
We did food walking tours and the International Antarctic center in Christchurch.
From there we went down to 4 of us.
This is where Michelle had arranged for us to rent and drive a car south to Lake Tekapo. We went on a small plane over the southern Alps and Mt. Cook. We stayed at an absolutely beautiful home overlooking the lake.
We then drove to Queenstown and stayed a couple of blocks from the city center.
We went to a sheep farm on the lake and learned a lot about the farm and its residents (sheep).
From Queenstown 2 of us took a shuttle, boat,shuttle, and finally another boat to Doubtful sound. Absolutely stunning!
We stayed overnight on the boat and were treated to delicious food and great accommodations.
It was a full days travel back to Queenstown but we have some great memories. Our captain Sean and Chef Juanita did a great job of filling our bellies.
We left Queenstown the next day and stayed one more night in Auckland. Michelle arranged our transportation to and from our airport needs. The hotel was so perfect for ending our New Zealand adventure.
Thank you for a great trip!
Laura Hirth

Hotel Reviews

M Social

Auckland

Perfect location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise - Southern Secret

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Captain Sean and Chef Juanita did a great job!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake Tekapo Holiday Homes - various properties

Lake Tekapo

This was a home overlooking the lake.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orari & Orari Apartments

Christchurch

Beautiful and amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina CityLife Wellington

Wellington

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very dated

Activity Reviews

Manapouri to Queenstown

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise - small group onboard Southern Secret (Fiordland Cruises) Self-drive to Manapouri

New Zealand

Great trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Steamship Cruise to Walter Peak Farm + Lunch BBQ

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

The service and food were very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jet Boat the Shotover River

Queenstown (NZ)

That was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Flight over Mt Cook and glaciers by plane from Tekapo - The Grand Traverse (Tekapo Air Safaris)

New Zealand

This was such a highlight!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our pilot Justin was very informed and a great pilot.

Transport

Progressive Māori Dinner Tour (kai safari)

Christchurch

Delicious international food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ashley was a great tour guide.

Cycle the Hawkes Bay wineries (self guided bike ride, includes transport)

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Redwoods treewalk by day including glow-worm cave

Rotorua

This blew me away! Beautiful and well maintained.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Steaming cliffs Waimangu Valley Nature Walk & Kayaking - private group

Rotorua

So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Polynesian Spa

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aucky Walky Food Tour - private

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked.

Additional private taxi transfer from airport to hotel or vice versa for second group on same day (Corporate Cabs)

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shiva in Auckland was great. Highly recommend! Nigel in Queenstown went out of his way to get us to where we needed to go.

Transport

Joao did a great job responding to our feedback and creating a trip that met all of our hopes and expectations. The four guides that we worked with provided high quality tours and their depth of knowledge was remarkable. Pedro with Our Island assessed what our interests were and then provided us a tour of Faial focusing on the plants, helping us understand how the ecosystem was built with endemic plants, plants brought in by the ocean and then those brought by people. His passion for his island and culture stood out. John from Sao Jorge Island Tours was our guide on Sao Jorge and again, his knowledge and passion for his island made us fall in love with all we saw. Matthew with Tripix guided us around Pico Island and his understanding of the history and development of the wine culture helped us appreciate this rugged island. Our final tour was Andres with Green Generation on Terceira and his desire to get people out into the countryside and hiking shone through and he provided us an excellent experience. All of these tours were impressive with the guides being experienced professionals with so much knowledge.
Joao provided us with road books to guide our explorations on Sao Miguel and these were excellent with clear descriptions of areas to explore and good directions to get us there. The rental company that they linked us with provided good service and a solid car for our explorations. The studios and hotels that Joao reserved for us were comfortable and convenient.
The Azores were spectacular - the dramatic landscapes, wonderful food, and kind people made this an exceptional vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Do Colégio

Ponta Delgada

This hotel was well located, provided a delicious breakfast with brewed tea, the staff were lovely, and the rooms were comfortable though a bit noisy. And the rooms had bathtubs!!

Authenticity & Character

The public spaces were well laid out and attractive. The rooms themselves were ordinary seeming hotel rooms.

Location

Great location, short walk to the waterfront and the restaurants.

Staff

Nice, responsive staff, very pleasant and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room and all of the public space was very clean, the beds were comfortable, and the bathtubs such a treat. The only drawback was that it was a bit noisy.

Azores Book Hotel

Angra do Heroísmo

Beautiful, comfortable, a delicious breakfast, and overall excellent.

Authenticity & Character

The book theme was well done and carried out throughout the hotel. The public areas were nicely set up and very comfortable. The room itself was ordinary but quiet and comfortable.

Location

The hotel was quiet as it was a bit outside of the main town which did mean we had a bit of a walk to explore Angra.

Staff

always polite and pleasant. Happy to answer any questions and were very accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, the beds were comfortable, and it was quiet!

Pico Studios

Madalena

Comfortable and an excellent location but the theme of the room was off-putting and the kitchen was not as well equipped as I would have liked. Loved that they provided a laundry facility with laundry soap.

Authenticity & Character

The theme of our room was grey and too modern and plastic for my taste. This was a studio.

Location

Walking distance to restaurants and the ferry.

Staff

We interacted with the staff person when we arrived and she was helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The studio was very clean and the bed was comfortable. We ran out of hot water one night as we didn't realize it was such a small tank.

As Casas da Riberia Grande

Ribeira Grande

Wonderful location - this was a studio and the kitchen was fully outfitted. The bed was comfortable and the parking made it easy to have a car in Riberia Grande. They provided a wash basin and clothesline!

Authenticity & Character

This was a modern studio but nicely decorated and very comfortable

Location

Our room overlooked a small church and the river

Staff

We didn't have staff on site but the individual who oriented us came from the hotel and was very thorough. They were also responsive to all of our questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No complaints what so ever

Activity Review

In the Shadow of the Giant: A Half-Day Guided Tour of Pico

the Azores

It was a cold, windy day and we were picked up from the airport to begin the tour. Matthew was excellent and did what he could to accommodate us given the weather. He provided a good overview of the history and ecology of the island.

Quality of Experience

Matthew's voice was a little quiet and so it was difficult to hear him at times. The second time we toured with him we asked him to speak up and he was much easier to understand.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matthew was knowledgeable and accommodating.

Transport

The van was comfortable.

My son chose the itinerary and Kimkim. You did not disappoint! The Acropolis tour was very well done, before the major crowds arrived. Tour guide explained our way through the Acropolis Museum, which helped us put things in perspective. All of our hotels were centrally located and that made them a HUGE advantage to our touring; especially in Athens and on Chania. Our Meterora guide did an outstanding job with fun touring facts, photographic prowess, and he clued into my interest in local flora by showing me several orchids! Drivers and guides often went above expectations with advice and answers to questions. Hotels were above standard in accoutrements.

Hotel Review

Electra Palace Athens

Athens

Such a great central location for tourists! The Acropolis was less than a mile away. Room was small but felt like a luxury; in room espresso, replenished daily, with water and turn down chocolates. The front desk immediately had an extension cord available for his c-pap plug ins. The hotel restaurant was excellent; breakfast extensive and quick, the bar on top had an exceptional view, and we enjoyed our best meal in their downstairs restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Central location for desk staff to give recommends, great view of Acropolis

Location

Near to Acropolis, shopping and restaurants

Staff

Great restaurant recommend, helpful with extension cord for plug ins.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Whole room was exemplary; turn down service included Valhrona chocolate!

Activity Reviews

Private Falassarna & Balos Beaches Day

Chania

Lack of details given to us before "boat" ride made for a bad start. Driver was knowledgeable about area, but the driver of the boat had rudimentary English. Although I had a nice hike on the island if I had known about the jarring boat ride I would have passed on this whole day.

Quality of Experience

Explanation of boat ride; I would not have gone if I knew.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat driver had rudimentary English, but van driver had grown up on Chania and knew history

Transport

Not even talk about life jackets

Private Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Experience

Athens

Our knowledgeable guide took us past the LONG ticket line! At many stops along the way she explained what and why we were looking at this or that; so helpful as we passed by Greek ruins. She was ahead of our questions; why is the marble a different color, where did it come from, the Caryatids were Painted? Etc. She told us about care of neighborhood cats, the owl on the Euro. She carried a notebook of pictures to help us understand what it would have looked like. At the Acropolis Museum she explained our way through the displays, the chronology, the work of restoration, the amount of Greek artifacts in other countries. My son enjoyed her talks about the political aspects of the Parthenon.

Quality of Experience

I was nervous about late start but she made up for it!

Transport

Walking, had stops along the way for talking.

Kim Kim overall made it easy for us to plan our trip to Morocco. We provided our interests and they made a specialized trip for us. Said was helpful in keeping us informed. Our driver Mustapha was great throughout the trip and was so helpful. Our guides were so knowledgeable. We really enjoyed our trip. I would definitely use Kim Kim again for our future travels.

All of our guides were tremendous and Leny and her staff checked in with us frequently to make sure all was going okay. Even when we had a train snafu (missing our stop) she was helpful in getting us "back on track." The hotels were all clean and met our needs. I will definitely use KimKim again!

Activity Reviews

Cycling tour in the Kyoto Countryside

Kyoto

Due to poor weather, we ended up not cycling. Instead, we were treated to the company of a tremendous guide who was so proud to show off her community. It was not a sightseeing trip, it was an experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip from Tokyo to Mount Fuji with an English-Speaking Driver

Tokyo

Our guide knew to take us to a smaller, intimate space as he could sense our love of the outdoors and nature. Maki-san was fantastic! He also had us buy our tickets for the cable car lift, then we had an hour to explore more rather than standing around. We enjoyed his company!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Half-Day Walking Tour: EasternTokyo Your Way (by Public Transportation)

Tokyo

A great way to start our trip and acquaint us with Tokyo and the subway too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Artiza from Shanti travel was amazing!! She came up with a one of kind itinerary and beautiful places to stay in Bali!
Putu was our driver in Bali. He made the trip! We really had a fabulous time that we will remember forever ❤️❤️