Kimkim Trip Reviews

KimKim helped us locate wonderful places to stay (given our requirement to have 2 bathrooms for 4 people) and we had amazing guides in every city -- Zurich, Basel, Venice, Naples, Amalfi Coast, and Rome. We had the BEST time. Marianna was generally available while we were traveling, as was High Point Holidays, and it made things much easier to have that constant contact.

I started organizing this trip back in the January time frame and by March we had locked down the details. I am grateful that the KimKim team answered my questions and really listened to our priorities. Our hotels/apartments were all extremely well=located (big priority) and our guides were all so good. My teenage daughters had a great time, despite the epic heat wave hitting Europe and the daily power outages in Italy. All in all, we are so very happy with our trip!

Activity Reviews

Rome with Golf Cart at Night with Pizza & Ice Cream

Rome

Such a fun way to see Rome, esp in the heat of the summer. Seeing the sights at night is a special treat, and the dinner we had was AMAZING.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Such fun!

Private Venetian Foodie Walk

Venice

Maria is a lifelong Venice resident and she taught us so much about Venice - its history, culture, evolution over the past several decades. What a pleasure this tour was! We likely would have not tried cicchetti were it not for this tour, so it really did open our eyes to a Venetian custom.

Quality of Experience

So much fun and so delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maria was chatty and interesting and incredibly knowledgeable

Transport

We walked!

The safari guides we had were all amazing! We loved the food and camp accommodations. All the organizing with our transportation and connections was so well executed. Our least favorite camp was Moremi and could have skipped this one and stayed longer and the prior 3 game reserves.

This was my third trip with KimKim. And, as usual, everything went perfectly. Denmark is a wonderful country and they have organized and run their country much better than we in the US have. I am 82 and at this age I enjoy simply watching people and absorbing their lifestyles, just seeing how their society functions.

I will definitely will use KimKim again as a travel arranger.

Many great memories came out of this trip. Tasmania was a great choice but we wanted to stay longer. Everything went smoothly on our trip and Ruth was a great help to us. I told her what we wanted to get out of the trip and she made the magic happen. The only regret I have is that I didn’t let Kimkim make the travel arrangements.

One thing I especially enjoyed was having car services pick us up at the airport and deliver us to our hotel. That was such a luxury not having to deal with cabs and Uber and such. We also had a wonderful guide in Tasmania who I would not have been able to book for myself because she was booked through the car service company. All in all, Ruth helped us have a successful and magical trip.

Hotel Reviews

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

The rooms were super nice. We had our best night’s sleep there. Wonderful to have the washer and dryer there because everything was dirty by the end of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved being able to walk to the Pancake Manor! Lots of shopping nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reef View Hotel

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland

We had a nice large room and a smaller adjoining one. This hotel is not luxurious but it had its charm. The cockatoos visited us faithfully and the kids were delighted by them. There was really only one restaurant that was kid friendly, but we also enjoyed the pizza place. Everything costs extra. Very little is included other than your room. We enjoyed the buggies for one day but didn’t find it necessary for the more than a day. There’s a grocery store down by the wharf which was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Very beachy. Good showers, lots of towels provided.

Location

It was a typical resort. Beach was very close and it had a heated pool.

Staff

They were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hard not to bring sand in, but the beds were comfy.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart

Hobart

We loved this hotel. They give you a chocolate chip cookie when you check in. I especially liked the bathroom. It had a very nice shelf that allowed you to have all your toiletries handy. The food was okay, but not great. I wouldn’t advise eating dinner there, but breakfast was fine. It was not in a great location for getting fast food. Not much nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very near the Visitor Center and the wharf. We were able to get the Hop on Hop Off bus at the Visitor Cemter.

Staff

They were very patient about giving us replacement keys. We had a very early departure and they made us breakfast boxes. D

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall

Sydney

The staff was so accommodating. The apartment was very nice. It lacked any basic food ingredients though. Not even salt was provided, so bring everything you need for using the kitchen. The ultramodern stove was difficult for me also. It was in a great location. Lots of shopping close by. The pool was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We found it easy to walk from the apartment to restaurants and to Darling Harbor.

Staff

We arrived way before checkin time and they allowed us to hang out in the pool area and were great about letting us access our bags.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Private Tasmania's Wilderness & Wildlife

Hobart

We had the best guide ever. Rosie was very friendly and great with the kids. They loved the mushroom experience at the National Park. We had a wonderful lunch at a local cafe and Rosie had us singing the Kookaburra song and we kept singing it for the entire rest of our trip. The kids loved Bonorong so much and Rosie knew all of the information that the guides there had to offer. The kids even got to pet a wombat! It was great.

Quality of Experience

This was the best tour of our entire trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rosie was amazing. We fell in love with her.

Transport

Comfortable and provided for all our needs.

We did so many varied activities. As a grandmother traveling with teenaged grandchildren, I was appreciative of the activities that appealed to young people. Norway offers so many out of doors wonders and we did our best with all of them. Our personal guides were great; we felt that we got to know them in the short time they spent with us. All in all, a great success and just what I wanted for this trip.

Activity Reviews

Sauna Experience

Oslo

Hands down this was the most fun experience we had in Oslo. A beautiful sunny evening in the sauna right on the edge of the fjord with fantastic views and plunges into the fjord followed by dinner at a nearby fish restaurant.

Cider Tasting with Food Pairing

Norway

We had several "viking" meals of small plates paired with cider and this one was the best at the orchard where the apples are grown.

Quality of Experience

Fjærlandsfjord Cruise & Bøyabreen Glacier Visit

Balestrand

Great outing, all that it was expected to be. Details of the boat's identity need to be updated; the boat listed is out of service.

Thank you Liz for listening to my requests which was to have a dynamic central locating experience. We always stayed in the heart of locations that we wanted to be in. Our transfers and majority of our guides were exceptional. It’s hard to keep track of all our guides. Dina, who toured us in the D’orsay museum was exceptional. Communicated very well and was able to adapt to our needs. We had a person in a wheelchair, which was a challenge throughout. Sara was exceptional, giving us information about the louve. I enjoyed Adam who gave us a tour at the Notre Dame and Saint Chappelle. Additionally, the gentleman who gave us a tour to Saint Remi in Avignon was exceptional. My recommendation, however, is to space out the tours a little bit more or create a situation where maybe people back off or give them the disclaimer that they might not be able to spend as much time as they would like to in one area.

Hotel Reviews

Palais Saleya Boutique Hôtel

Nice

I shared a deluxe sweet with my parents. I wish there was more privacy. I could hear too much.

Authenticity & Character

Very clean

Location

Five minute walk to the beach one minute walk to town

Staff

Friendly helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Garlande Hotel Avignon Centre

Avignon

Great location, kind owners

Authenticity & Character

Old yet charming

Location

You are in the heart of the town

Staff

I adore the owners

Cleanliness & Comfort

I slept well

Hôtel De Brunville & Spa

Bayeux

Great area. Small. Amazing staff. Gets the job done.

Authenticity & Character

It needs a major upgrade.

Location

The best

Staff

Totally accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some towels were stained.

Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

This hotel was our first stop. Our Paris trip went so fast. It’s hard to remember everything, but I do recall that we were located very centrally.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to all major - sights for first timers. Safe.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Avignon Stroll: Popes’ Palace & Rhône Wine

Avignon

Quality of Experience

I found it hard to understand the guide. But she was really great and had a lot of passion.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self Guided Visit: Picasso Museum (Tickets to be Purchased Upon Entry)

France

Quality of Experience

Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening at the Moulin Rouge with Private Transfers

Paris

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Saint-Rémy, Les Baux & Pont du Gard Experience

Avignon

He was incredible. Absolutely loved this tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Louvre Museum Visit

Paris

Quality of Experience

K

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Farmer Market Day in Avignon

Avignon

Quality of Experience

Private Giverny & Palace of Versailles: Art, Royalty & Gardens

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lavender Luberon Morning Discovery

Avignon

This was my dream experience. I really wanted to see the lavender field and I did!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Morning in the Pearl of France : Menton

Nice

I absolutely loved exploring Menton. I wish I could’ve spent more time there. I would’ve liked to have gone swimming there.

Quality of Experience

Mentone is such a neat place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian spoke very good Eng and did his best and was able to accommodate the different needs of our group

Transport

Self-Guided Beach Day

Nice

Quality of Experience

Sea Life Secrets: Snorkel the French Riviera

Nice

A great time to feel the sea. It was supervised and safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was close to our hotel so we could Uber or walk

Private Monaco, Monte Carlo & Eze Afternoon Excursion

Nice

This day was overwhelming, partly because it was hot, which was out of anyone’s control. I felt like this whole experience was very rushed and I almost would’ve rather just gone swimming at a beach. He did his best to be accommodating, but he knew the type of group that we were and if he felt like Jim was such an impediment, he should’ve added a guide or suggested that Jim stay home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He is very energetic- I would place him with more capable walkers. The challenge was we had a gap in activity level between our group and that was a challenge for this activity.

Transport

Mont Saint Michel & The Abbey : The Enchanted Island

Bayeux

This location is just exceptional. We had a great guide. There was some confusion about where to be picked up. She was accommodating. I would have advised the team better that Jim probably should not have come to this activity or maybe it was stated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent transport and guide. Wish we had more time to eat lunch there.

Private WWII Jeep Experience

Bayeux

Great experience. I think I would preferred taking a tour via the van over the Jeep. For comforting reasons.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle Visit with Priority Access

Paris

Excellent guides. However, time was too short.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our hotel was nearby

Private Exploration of Orsay Museum

Paris

Diana was very knowledgeable and helpful and accommodating. I wish the tour was longer. We did not have enough time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were located close to the hotel. We were able to get preferred accommodations because Jim was in a wheelchair.

My input to the planning and booking was minimal for our group of six, but the few questions I had were answered promptly by Liz. In our situation we needed a personalized and professionally organized trip to be able to travel throughout several cities and visit the many historical sites.

My first trip to France and I cannot understand or read French. We covered a lot of ground in 16 days. Transportation between cities and tours worked out extremely well. We had six people with luggage & a walker that fit neatly into a passenger van. We also walked and used Uber to get around.

We chose to stay in the "old town" areas close to historical sites. This meant narrow, cobble stone streets, not friendly to the walker. Most of the historical monuments require a lot of walking, standing and stairs. Tours of historical monuments are physically demanding. It would be helpful for the tours to better describe accessibility.

Tour guides tend to overload you with a lot of information in a short period of time. They want to give you your money's worth and impress you with their knowledge, but sometimes it is difficult to absorb if your feet are tired and it is hot. Some tour guides wired us up with headphones and this was helpful when there were other competing tours. They have a challenging job because they do not know what you already know or your interests, and this varies by each individual.

Unless you are a history buff it is difficult to prepare for the tours. In the United States we think of history in a few hundred years and in Europe you are talking about a couple of thousand years. Our live is complex compared to the old days, but they had to be concerned about conquerors and therefore build fortifications on hills, high ground is key terrain.

I gained a greater appreciation of the ancient history and in 5,000 years of civilization, human nature has not changed. One would think that by now we have had enough experience to know the principles and values that work. Apparently, the schools in France teach a lot of history, something we need to improve on in our educational system in the United States. The titans of religion, royalty, arts, and music tell us so much about human nature, politics, and daily life, but it is hard to find time and difficult to comprehend, especially in our crazed social media society and our 24-hour news cycle. Visiting these historical sites helps one to better understand our history and heritage.

Being from the San Francisco Bay Area we have all these schemes to make housing, transportation, and quality of life better. They want to recreate the "European Model" of good public transportation, sidewalk cafes and quaint shops. I agree they are fun. In theory they are great, but not practical in most United States cities. Unfortunately, are schemes are not working. For example, public transportation has nothing to do about moving people, it is about jobs, contracts, and buying votes. Surprising to me was the amount of graffiti in France, even in the smaller towns. Homelessness was minimal and we always felt safe.

Not sure what people do for a living in France, but they spend a lot of time in sidewalk cafes. The French people seem to be in better shape than Americans. The youth were impressive. Thirty (30) years ago Americans found the French difficult. Many people in France now speak some English they are delightful and helpful.

We enjoyed our family trip to Morocco. In just a few days we toured the walled Medina in Marrakesh, the seaside town of Essouira, the Atlas Mountains, and the Agafay desert. Our driver Omar who was with us the entire week was friendly, prompt, and very helpful. We enjoyed spending time with him. The cooking class at La Maison Arabe was very professional and well done. We enjoyed our guide Yousif for the hike near Imlil. The staff at Yes We Camps was very hospitable. While we had hoped to get to more of the country, this trip provided a first glimpse of Morocco and Berber culture.

Hotel Reviews

Yes We Camp

Marrakech

A lovely glamping experience in the Agafay desert. While we were only one of two visitors at the time (off season), the staff was lovely, the food amazing, and the activities (pool, ATV, camels) provided for some fun and relaxation at the end of our trip. The tents were very comfortable and nicely decorated. I enjoyed this eco tourism experience although it would have been more fun if there were additional guests.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to marrakesh. We easily made it to the airport from there for our return trip.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Imlil

Imlil

The views are amazing especially from the pool deck. But the place is a bit run down. There is not much to do in Imlil outside of hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Atrium & Spa

Marrakesh

This is a lovely riad. Just outside the walls of the Medina, tucked away down a few alleys, it is a delightful place with a rooftop restaurant. The owner was lovely and shared the history of the riad with us as well as his plans for expansion. We enjoyed watching World Cup matches with him and his son. The rooms are very tastefully decorated and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

ATV Quad Adventure in the Agafay Desert

Morocco

This was a lot of fun!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Right outside our desert camp

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

The guide was very rushed. He walked too fast and we felt like we were in the way of his other activities. The timing was good aim the early evening while jemaa el fnaa was just getting started.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

He picked us up at our riad

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Imlil

Morocco

It was a longer ride than expected and Omar did not know exactly where the hotel was. He asked several people and they didn’t know.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family Adventure in Imlil: Hiking, Mule Rides, and Berber Encounters

Imlil

We enjoyed the hiking and asked if we could go longer but yousif seemed to be on a fixed schedule. We would have preferred not to do the Berber encounter. We only saw the host for a second and she did not talk to us at all about Berber culture. Her home had a lovely view but it was a wasted 90 min. They also did not get the message that we were vegetarian and cooked a chicken tagine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the The Eve Branson Foundation

Imlil

This did not happen. No one was there to receive us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Omar was great throughout

Day trip from Marrakech to Essaouira

Marrakesh

It was a long trip but a lovely day in the seaside town. It was just enough time to tour the souk, eat lunch, and feel the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Made stop at Argun oil cooperative

Cooking Class at Amal Non-Profit Center

Marrakesh

Very professional cooking school at La Maison Arabe (I didn’t hear or learn anything about Amal nonprofit while there). We enjoyed the kitchen set up and learned experience. I felt it was a bit rushed at times but they have it down to a science. Mohammad and Fadiha were warm and welcoming as were the other staff. I would have liked a tour of the hotel and other facilities there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bicycle Tour of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

It was ok. The guide was very knowledgeable but he did not stop very often. There were times I wanted to take a pic or hear about something but we were so focused on avoiding mopeds. The guide was also like 45 min late so we started late. He should add a few more stops in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sara was amazing every step of the way. We loved all of our experiences and everything was seamless. We hope to come back.

When I started planning my husband and I ‘s trip to South America, I was looking at various destinations and was getting very overwhelmed. As a result,I decided to use a travel company and randomly found KimKim. I was connected to Paul. From the first conversation with Paul, he made me feel like he was there to plan a dream trip with my ideas, his input and he really worked to get to know what my husband and I wanted to do in Ecuador. Paul and I exchanged emails and even spoke on the phone planning the trip to Quito and the Galápagos Islands for about 4 weeks. From the day before we left for our trip, Paul was in daily contact with us and even when we flew home. Paul came personally to our hotel when American Airlines left our luggage in the USA and we worked with his contacts and American Airlines to get the luggage to our hotel quickly. Paul’s actions demonstrate first class service. The printout of our itinerary was very detailed with locations of places we would visit, hotels and the phone number of his team that would be part our trip. Using Paul as our travel planner was THE best money ever spent, because his involvement in our vacation journey made it the best trip for us and we have been to Asia, Africa and Europe. We are from the USA. Along with Paul, our guide in Quito was Cristobal. Cristobal is a very educated, kind person who took the extra time to teach us about the beauty of Ecuador and share his love for his country with us. We even feel like he is more than our guide but now we can call him our friend.. Some of experiences with Cristóbal involved learning about wildlife, flowers, plants and visiting the countryside and old town of Quito. Cristóbal went the extra mile by taking us to unique places like a small ice cream business where ice cream is made fresh with fruit as we were watching and taking us to the MegaMax to buy a suitcase. Cristóbal deserves the credit in making our trip in Quito so special and unique. The Galapagos Islands were beautiful and we loved the sea lions, other wildlife and our boutique hotels, but the trip would have been better if we had Cristóbal with us. Paul, and Cristóbal are definitely amazing gentlemen who care 💯 about giving first class service and we highly recommend them to other.

Jenny couldn't have been easier to work with and the accommodations were grwat, just what we asked for a little off the path.

I would definitely recommend using Kimkim to plan a vacation. Everyone who interacted with us was helpful and were able to plan activities that would not have been accessible to us otherwise, such as private horseback riding and fishing excursions. Matij and Beni were our points of contact for while we were in the country and were crucially in their assistance!

Robi was our local travel planner. He is amazing - kept us informed every day. He would let us know what time and where our guide/driver would meet us. The itinerary delivered. I was very thankful for all the little details - for example the electric golf cart to take us from the ferry port to our hotel in Korcula. His recommendations for places to eat - were spot on. He sent pins on maps for places to visit and also where to meet the guide/driver. He even sent us photos and pins for the ferry port so that we would not miss the catamaran.. Such attention to detail. Also there were a couple of occasions where we deviated from the original planned itinerary but Robi was gracious and took care of everything!

We had two separate pick-ups and drop-off for airport. He coordinated that well - informed us where we would be picked up. We were worried for our daughters are their pick up time was very very early. But he told us the make, model, license plate number, name of driver and driver's phone number. He understood our concern! Thank you!

Mario - our driver/guide for the first half of our trip was very good. He guided us and shared interesting facts. On the hike around Plitivice Lakes he was patient and guided us to better photo spots.
For Krka National Park we changed our minds about exploring the upper part of the park, the Robi worked with the guide in coordinating our last minute desire to go the monastery! It was smoothly handled.
I forget the name of the driver who took us from Krka to Split. Since we had time he offered to take us on a detour to see Trigor! What a delight!

So a big THANK YOU to Robi for putting together a memorable trip - all the hotels, drivers, guides and places we visited were just amazing.

This was my first time using KimKim. I've visited about 50% of countries in the world so I've used hundreds of travel agencies. KimKim is the perfect way to organize a trip. I knew exactly which cities I wanted to visit in France and worked with Sophie who was based in Lyon. She organized hotels, car transportation, trains and tours that she recommended. We worked together providing each other feedback until we came up with a final plan. I was a solo traveler for this trip, so knowing I could rely on Sophie for advice was very reassuring. Sophie stayed on top of any changes that were outside of our control and was quick to problem-solve when any snags were encountered. KimKim had a very user friendly app that made everything so clear and accessible. I would highly recommend KimKim and Sophie for your next travel plan.

We had the best honeymoon thanks to Cannon, we would definitely recommend Kim Kim!

Hotel Reviews

Odakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

SAKURA TERRACE THE GALLERY

Kyoto

Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA

Osaka

Hotel Granvia Hiroshima South Gate

Hiroshima

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Feed Deer At Nara Park

Japan

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1-Day Hiroshima & Miyajima Tour

Hiroshima

Our guide Miki was absolutely exceptional! We had the best day ever.

The trip was fantastic and captured everything we wanted to experience within the 10 days. Our guides were fantastic, but our most favorite guide was Christos for day trip to Delos who made the visit fun and engaging, even for the kids. The hotels were all perfect as well. The Foundry was in a great location, close to the Acropolis and nearby to some superb restaurants. However, we really enjoyed staying at the Mojo Suites on Naxos - it was roomy for the four of us and the breakfast was outstanding. We even enjoyed afternoon drinks in the courtyard on our last day and chatted with the owner. We would definitely go back to Naxos!

Hotel Reviews

Majo Suites Hotel

Naxos

Fabulous accommodations, authentic homemade breakfast in the mornings. Our suite was perfect for the four of us and the location and access to beach and restaurants was perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very welcoming and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anemomylos Residence Paros

Naousa

Great location - able to walk downtown. Pool was very pleasant and the courtyard was quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Foundry Suites

Athens

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Afternoon Old Town Walk with Portara Sunset

Naxos

Our guide was personable and knowledgeable. We were so glad that we took the time to acquaint ourselves with Naxos and its history when we arrived.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Full-day Sailing to Blue Lagoon

Paros

This was by far our best experience of our trip! The four of us were spoiled for the entire cruis - the food was abundant and excellent; the service was beyond expectation. We had so much fun swimming, cliff diving and relaxing. I highly recommend Glaraki.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Delos & Mykonos Day Trip with Expert Guide

Greece

Delos was amazing! However, I would have skipped the excursion to Mykonos afterwards as there were three large cruise ships docked in the port and the town was swarming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christos, our guide for Delos was great!

Transport

Where to start: the guides, Gareth in Edinburgh, William and Dr Murray in Stirling, and Nathan in Glencoe were all amazing. They were quite knowledgeable in their fields , full of funny and interesting stories and set their pace so Grandma could keep up,

Favorite large city Stirling was the best. We were lucky enough to be touring on Armed Forces Day. Not only did we have Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument but the joy of the marching soldiers, bagpipes and dancers. It was wonderful. We also had a great meal at the Allen Park. Almost forgot, we also had a fun evening at a pub with many sailors who were heading out to sea the next day.

Accommodations; loved them all but one. Inverness hotel was not our favorite. No parking except a couple of blocks away. Our family room was not in the main building. We had to walk upstairs into the building then downstairs to our basement room. Not the best situation. We really liked the No 17 Promenade in Plockton. Nice rooms, great meal, pretty town to walk about.

Best Day: Isle of Mull. As you know our search for the “hairy coos” was not going well. The girls kept doing internet searches and found the beach for swimming and coos roaming about. Love Scotlands right to roam because that’s what we did. We were on roads that were nothing more than cow paths but finally arrived and were rewarded with lots of coos. Jennifer headed to the Laggnan (sp) beach and swam in the Irish Sea. Carol Ann and I spent lots of time communing with the coos. Such gentle, curious animals. We then joined Jen on the beach and the coos followed us. The babies played then they all laid down for a rest. It was perfect . After so much time there, We only had time to visit the weavers on Mull and spend lots of money. Never even made it to Iona

The Tallisker distillery tour was not very good. The guide spoke too fast and was quite hard to understand.

We did all the hikes. I had some difficulty at the end of Arthur’s Seat and old man of Stor and didn’t quite make it to the top. The girls did though. The downhills were very hard on my old knees. The Fairy Pools were rushing with water. We never saw Divitch (sp) falls but we hiked to the top and down for 6 miles. Loved the gentle stroll with Nathan in Glencoe and the hike we did near Luss and Loch Lomond.

Greatest disappointment other than leaving Scotland was the lack of time we had walking around all the little towns we stayed in. We were always exhausted at the end of our day.
We wish we had more time at Culloden and Cawder Castle. One hour at each was not enough time.

I’m sure I have missed something but I think you get the idea it was a wonderful holiday for all of us. Your team did a great job helping us plan this marvelous visit to Scotland. So much so, we want to come back. Thank you.

Now for the business end. Can I get an itemized account of our trip? Also, since we didn’t do the Jacobite Train do we get a refund? Will definitely use KimKim again. Rosemary Carrico

We had great guides, Amanda, Trevor and Jim. It was a real treat spending time with each of them. We happened to be in Wales during the heatwave, but that didn't detract from the wonderful sites and people we met.

Incredible. Every single part. We can’t thank Mathilde enough for planning the most perfect trip to Switzerland ever. She thought of every little detail and was there to guide us along the way. The hotels were AMAZING and we appreciate all of the efforts to make sure our rooms had stunning views. It was a seamless process. To touch on the cost- it may be more expensive than planning it yourself but we were happy to pay for the service and expertise that we received from Mathilde. She is incredible! We hope to plan our next big trip with her in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic, Autograph Collection

Montreux

What a stunning location and view. It was so easy to get to and from the train station. The view and room we had were positively stunning.

Authenticity & Character

It was luxurious!

Location

Amazing location!!!! So peaceful and serene and the hotel itself is gorgeous!

Staff

The desk gentleman (curly hair) was so kind and welcoming. Everyone truly was kind and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spectacularly clean and comfortable!

Alpenhotel Fleurs de Zermatt

Zermatt

Hotel was slightly removed from the Main Street which was so nice to be out of the hustle and bustle. It was super clean and the view of the Matterhorn was amazing from our balcony. We also received a room upgrade which was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spinne Grindelwald

Grindelwald

This hotel had the most stunning views of Eiger North Face in all of its glory!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved the location - relatively easy to find! Its view is the star of the show.

Staff

Staff was helpful in all regards.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel was clean and had everything we needed.

Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann

Lucerne

A stunning location. Immaculately maintained. Friendly and completely lovely!

Authenticity & Character

It reflects of the ambiance of the city and all of its charm

Location

It was in quaint area of the city

Staff

Friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculately maintained.

Activity Reviews

Chillon Castle (Entrance tickets)

Switzerland

Very interesting and nice it was included with our Swiss Travel Pass

Quality of Experience

Transport

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

Easy and so convenient at every location. Mathilde made sure we had easy access to the train locations. Once we figured it out it was definitely the way to travel around. Only one big problem was storage for luggage. There was never enough space and often we had to take ours to our seats or stand with it. But that’s not something you can control.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Cheese, Chocolate & Wine tour with Gruyères town, Maison Cailler factory & Lavaux vineyards

Montreux

This experience was incredible. Our guide - Emmanuel - provided as every authentic experience we could ask for. The authentic cheese making he added was the highlight of this trip. Plus he made so many additional lovely stops to show us different views and explained so much of the countryside! It was magical!

Quality of Experience

Emmanuel was the best and made the experience much more lovely and fun!! Love him!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport was so comfortable, air conditioned, had water and supplies for us to keep us comfortable!

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

This was a good excursion. At the top we found the views not as beautiful as some of the other stops. However- we took a hike down to the mirror lake which the hike was rocky. We hopped onto the train however and got off one stop down and had the most incredible hike through the forest to Zermatt! THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Not enough seating for everyone. We were lucky to have had seats

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

Our guide was incredible, gave us tons of information at each stop and took us to amazing sites while keeping everyone safe throughout

Quality of Experience

Food

We liked the authentic food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Kayak Tour Lake Brienz

Switzerland

It was gorgeous the water was stunning and so cold and refreshing and the equipment was top notch!

Quality of Experience

Our guide was super friendly and nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

It was spectacular! Hiking and views were stunning! We loved all of it!

Quality of Experience

The views!!

Transport

We were so impressed with our trip with KimKim. For the amazing communication from Bella, and the amazingly knowledgeable guides of Marty, A, and Lena, our awesome drivers, Mr T, Ms Pound and everyone at all the hotels, were were so impressed! Everything was easy and stress-free, from transferring from one part of the country to another, we didn’t have to worry about anything! Everyone was so thoughtful and kind and we have been singing everyone’s praises to our friends back home.

The experiences we selected were all fantastic, from temples and Buddhist monks, to cooking classes and water sports they have something for everyone! This trip was so special for my son and I and we will remember our time in Thailand fondly for years to come.

Hotel Reviews

Katathani Phuket Beach Resort

Phuket

Loved this hotel so much! Stunning suite overlooking the property and ocean made it near impossible to leave. The grounds has literally any and everything you could want or need but so close to a lot of things as well. We will be back!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The resort has everything you could want or need but close to things too!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

99 Heritage Hotel

Chiang Mai

The best boutique hotel we’ve ever stayed at. Amazing staff, stunning grounds and well appointed rooms. The vibe was very 1940 age NYC meets Thailand and it was absolutely stunning. Loved the outdoor indoor concept so much.

Authenticity & Character

My favorite boutique hotel ever

Location

Near everything even two amazing temples across the street!

Staff

So kind and willing to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfection

Nysa Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Fantastic derive, great location and the hotel restaurant was phenomenal. Loved our time here.

Authenticity & Character

So lovely

Location

Close to everything we wanted

Staff

Kind and swift

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt like New

Activity Reviews

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

A was the best teacher! She was so patient and kind and gave great tips for being able to recreate our dishes in America. Loved the cookbook we got too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai-Half Day

Chiang Mai

The best part of our entire trip!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome and Temple Treasures of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Our guide, Lena, was amazing and gave us so much history and knowledge! So cool to see something so unique to Thailand.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, explore the famous weekend Chatuchak market

Bangkok

Our guide, Lena, was amazing and gave us so much history and knowledge! So cool to see something so unique to Thailand.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Lena, was amazing and gave us so much history and knowledge! So cool to see something so unique to Thailand.

Transport

Our driver was fantastic!