Kimkim Trip Reviews

Felt a little like we were staying in a dorm room again. Furnishing and room were a bit worn and tired.

Love this hotel and view. This was my second time staying there. Food service good too.

Small rooms but decent facility.

Love the boat ride. But there were many changes in where to stand in line. There was a lot of confusion.

Guide very knowledgeable and good. It was disrupted by memorial events for the king, however, so the tour was cut short a little bit.

Easy and convenient

Solstrand Hotel & Bad was amazing and one of the nicest places we've ever been. The hotel used to be the residence of Norway's first prime minister and has a beautiful historic main building with a newer section where we stayed. The location on the water with views of the mountains and national park was stunning. The spa, pool, hot tub, and fjord swimming access were fantastic. We had full board with incredible meals every day, and the staff were very attentive to our dietary preferences. We also enjoyed biking and walking around the beautiful surroundings. It was a perfect way to end our trip.

Hotel Norge by Scandic in Bergen was a very nice, beautiful, and modern place. The breakfast was fantastic, one of the best we had on the trip. It was a great place to stay and added to the enjoyment of our time in Bergen.

Scandic Byporten in Oslo was good for a quick stop. We stayed there just to shower and have breakfast after arriving early in the morning before continuing our travel. The location was excellent, right next to the train station, so we didn't have to walk outdoors. The included breakfast was a nice touch.

What a wonderful little hotel. The most amazing location sitting right on the edge of the fjord and next to two great restaurants. The room was simple and clean and simply perfect for the location.

The Bergen Walking Tour with a Local Guide was good but not great. Our guide seemed a bit resistant to new things and rushed us through the tour, finishing early and missing opportunities to explore some interesting sites like the oldest church and a fort. We ended up visiting those places on our own after the tour. The guide was nice and informative but could have been more engaging and thorough.

The Waterfall Hike and Stegastein Viewpoint was very nice and worthwhile. It wasn't as spectacular as the Fjordsafari, but we enjoyed it a lot. The hike was made easier because after the hike, they drove us up to the viewpoint, which saved us from a long uphill walk. The group was about twelve people with two guides.

The Fjordsafari Extended was possibly one of the best things I've ever done in my entire life. It was a two hour and fifteen minutes extended riverboat tour, and we got lucky with beautiful weather. The experience was amazing, and being on the water with such stunning views was unforgettable. The weather could have made a big difference, but luckily it was perfect for us.

This felt a little more urban chic and possibly not as warm as the Granville. Very nicely appointed but very little room to get past the desk chair at the base of the bed. The extra twin size bed in the room might be a good space to move the desk to. The breakfast was great. The staff was very brigt and sunny at breakfast.

This was one of our absolute favorites. It had a balcony with a stellar view of the city. The restaurant was top drawer and the staff were incredibly attentive. Our room managed to be both grand and cozy (how does that happen)?! We had a lovely cup of coffee and a complimentary chocolate as we sat on the balcont. It felt very continental!

We arrived and were unexpectedly upgraded to a King Studio which felt very indulgent. Absolutely loved the free laundry and the very communal common spaces to share with others. Our first connection was with Elisabeth who was ver patient and gracious.

We absolutely love the stately old gal that is the Hardiman. The furnishings were elegant but not in an intimidating way. There was kind accomodations at the front desk in allowing us to drop our luggage early. Loved loved loved the baby grand piano. Was surprised that the main restaurant was not open for dinner but we loved our delicious breakfasts there. The shower was a little tight for elbow room and our particular view was a little grim but we still felt the staff and service was great.

They were professional and had an excellent breakfast. The room was spacious and clean and quiet.

We loved Davy Byrnes Pub and were so impressed with the French Gueuleton restaurant in Temple Bar neighborhood. It was exceptional food and atmosphere. We'd be repeat offenders if we lived in the city.

Paul did a great job but time of day and meet up place was a challenge as there was an overload of tings happeing in the park including on street vendor fair and hare krishnas singing wit amplification. Which made me think our guide might benefit from a little portable microphone. He had great information to share and really knew the city well. Loved some of his personal recommendations and insights based on his experience.

Jamie was an excellent guide. We were not told at the desk that it was free to go to other musems that day (ie: first Wednesday) or what other museums we might visit if we felt inclined, but Jamie let us know as we walked along. An excellent primer on Irelands oldest city.

Just a five star experience with some f the best actors in Ireland doing wha they do best in telling stories and lore about some of the greatest writers in the world. We had Frank and Finn (Phin). They unspooled a number of scenes effortlessly in the middle of the standard city hullabaloo. Most people had no idea the were actually learning something noteworthy!

So amazing to be invited into ths space to see the craftsmen at work. The environment meant it was a little challenging to hear our guide clearly. But there were other ways to garner information just by being there. Loved the history and details on the process.

We absolutely loved this whole day. They trip to Cobh and the Charles military Fort were a happy surprise. The whole experience felt very immersive in the way of being in the middle of peoples day to day lives. LOVED the grounds at Blarney. Our driver and Guide Tommy was warmly humorous and sharp as a tack. Loved the big windows on the bus. Really an excellent company.

It's an amazing tour though as a guide I was a little puzzled by the characterization of the schools origin story as being openly antipapist without covering some of the adjascent history that if you were catholc during that time period you were in fact disallowed an education by the penal laws. Later when they were allowed to enter the school they were characterized as denied on the basis of their ignorance. I mentioned the fact that the fact that they still spoke Gaelic today and how perilous it was for them to have kept their language alive in Hedge Schools. I believe our guide (who was lovely) had to stay on their proscribed script. I think they might revisit their script in relation to the trut of the penal laws,

Loved the history and information. Appreciated we had an actual guide taking us through the tasting. We were absolutely surprised by the quality of their product and hope to find it stateside.

Loved our guide Michael and were so thrilled with his knowledge about sites and sense of humor. He drove very carefully and got us to each location without any issues. An excellent communicator in letting us know what time we should be back and got us back to the city right on time. We were knocked out by the Kylemore Abbey grounds though we somehow missed the guided tours on site timewise. Loved the sheepdog show and hearing details of what this is like for the owner to pursue on a professional basis. So thrilled this ended up being a full day rather than a half day for us.

We loved that we had private transport. Our arrival (first) driver had no sign. My phone was not connected to wi-fi while we were waiting to get through customs so we were a little bit stressed in identifying which driver was ours. Though he was a great driver and very kind. He helped us with our bags. We were sorry not to have had change to give him a tip on departure. Our driver on departure was hard to find in the midst of a line of cabs all in a row but he found us and we were a-ok! He helped with the bags and got us to the airport on time despite traffic. Was a little early picking us up so that was great.

We loved this hotel! The staff was fantastic, the rooms were very clean and comfortable, and the central location, close to the train station and shopping, can’t be beat!

Our favorite place in our favorite town! And the food was delicious, especially the fish soup! The staff was great!

A wonderful and peaceful trip. It was really fun to sit and watch the backwaters that I would have otherwise not seen. We were able to get off of the boat and explore. The food was delicious, especially the fresh fish. Everything was extremely comfortable.

A lovely hotel with friendly, helpful staff. Unfortunately, due to religious reasons we could not get a beer with our dinner. The spa ladies were really nice, but spoke very little English. I found it odd that although there was a sign stating that people must wear proper swimming attire that a family was in the pool wearing street clothes and none of the staff approached them. It was fun to watch the monkeys.

A beautiful area with a nice view. The pool and game areas were welcome. The staff was friendly and their ginger coffee was delicious.

A comfortable place to stay with a friendly staff.

It was difficult to communicate with the staff as their English was quite poor. Every single day they forgot to bring fresh towels for the third person in the room. My room was facing the street, so it was quite loud with music playing until fairly late. The breakfast room was disorganised, a table had not been reserved for a group of five.

Fantastic! The owners are very friendly and can speak English and German. The hotel is cosy with a lovely outdoor area to sit and visit in the evening. Everything was very comfortable.

I was thankful that they took us in at such an early hour. The accommodations were clean and the staff friendly.

We really enjoyed this. It was a lovely view and we saw animals along the way. We also ate local food that was really tasty. The walking was easy and air was fresh. A lovely day.

A fun experience that broke up our long trip.

This was not fun. I love to walk in nature, but I was not prepared for the leeches! They were disgusting! The guide did not care that we were having trouble with them. We all ended up with them on our stomachs, backs and necks. Horrible. Any interesting animals that we saw were not appreciated as they should have been.

I am very pleased to have seen this and recommend it to all. The actors include the crowd, making a great interactive activity.

Extremely impressive. Everyone enjoyed it.

I recommend it to all groups.

Although very nice, after seeing the real Taj, it was not very exciting. I had trouble with rating it.

I really enjoyed this temple. We watched the water show at sunset. I would not have rated this as highly without the show.

We really enjoyed this and learned a lot. A memorable experience. I wish there had been more spices to see.

We had a wonderful safari. Our guide was excellent in the jungle and we were able to trek through rivers and see waterfalls and birds. The boat trip was nice. The jeep itself drove rather quickly and we were all a bit carsick. The jeep driver did slow down to point out some animals: elephant family, cobra, monkeys, birds, buffalo

It was interesting to see and watch a religious ceremony taking place next to river. The weather wasn't great, so there was not beauty in the sunset.

I really liked this, but not everyone in my family enjoyed it.

One of the highlights of our trip.

We loved the town. We found it much cleaner than in the north which made it more comfortable for us. Our guide did not seem interested in his job. He explained quite a bit about the plants, but at one point told us to go shopping because he wanted to eat lunch. We disagreed and he took us to a restaurant.

We enjoyed shopping. The block printing was of huge interest.

I loved the elephants! I would have liked to have ridden them to the fort. It was such a good feeling to hug an elephant.

It was really fun! We actually saw some leopards and enjoyed the jeep ride.

The fort was nice, but I expected more. A lot of imagination is needed to envision what it looked like at the time.

This was really interesting and enjoyable because of the knowledge of my tour guide. I would not have appreciated it without his presence.

Great location, great owner and wonderful staff. The self check-in was easy and there was great communication with the owner and staff. The rooms were a good size. The only thing I didn't like was that they did not offer daily make up service for your room.

Location was within walking distance to the old town. Staff friendly, breakfast fantastic! Rooms were a little small but clean.

Hotel is in a nice area close to the old city and restaurants. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.

An amazing spot in the Sacred Valley. Idyllic pool and very comfortable room for traveling with kids.

This was a great adventure and Maria was awesome. Our only negative comment is that this tour company has you walk about 30 minutes to the start whereas other companies drive you right to the base.

We stayed at the Kimpton Maa-Lai in Bangkok, which was a very nice hotel. I booked it through the Chase travel portal and got great benefits like breakfast and a $100 property credit, which made the stay even better. I would recommend this hotel, especially for those with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

In Thailand, we stayed at the Anantara Mai Khao Villas, and it was absolutely incredible. We had a private pool villa, which I would highly recommend for couples. The experience was amazing, and I couldn't recommend it enough.

We stayed at the Alma Resort Cam Ranh in Vietnam, which I would recommend especially for families. It felt like a family resort with lots of activities and many kids around. While it was great, if we were to visit again, we might choose a more adult-only place with fewer children. Overall, it was a good experience but more suited for families with younger kids.

One of the most fun experiences of the trip!

This was an incredibly fun and interactive experience! The staff did a great job of helping us connect with the elephants in a safe and ethical way! We were also taught how to make and fed a DELICIOUS Pad Thai that we are still talking about!

Accommodation were pleasant. Great breakfast.

Great for soccer fans.

Be aware this is a LONG full walking. While our guide was great in shortening it towards the end (3 hour walking tour was too much upon arrival for my two teenagers), it is a lot of walking and standing. It did help that it was a private tour and we were able to do this. It did, however, give us a better idea of the layout of the central part of the city and gave us context for many of the buildings and architecture that we would not have gotten on our own.

Sadly this experience was underwhelming. We were part of a VERY large group (14 people). Though we circled Victoria Market, we didn't visit any of the stalls, which was a disappointment. While I understand that one can only visit locations when they are open, we ended up having a large "snack" first, then dessert, then the after dinner drink, and then the sit down dinner, so everything was out of order. I appreciated the guides "want not, waste not" mentality. At each stop, he asked if everyone wanted their own serving (ex. a whole sandwich?) or if they wanted to share with a family member. This was great in that food was not unnecessarily wasted, but is also means that we paid for a tour for three people and never ate three people's worth of food (two sandwiches, two desserts, two drinks, one final meal).

While our tour group was a little big, our tour guide was excellent. Tour was well paced and very educational. Train / bus times worked out excellently so we actually arrived back to Munich a little early.

Extraordinary. Amazing place. it is a 400 years old building converted to a hotel. Our room was a duplex, huge beds, two bathrooms. Staff, super willing to please. Luis at the front desk with great suggestions for places to visit and restaurants to eat. The waiters at the roof-top terrace great cocktails and suggestions to eat from the local restaurant. Great location, everything is willing walking distance. Really good internet speed.

Great location, room was clean and comfortable. Staff is friendly, but if you don't speak Spanish, you might struggle to get things done. I have to give them 4 stars because we had two issues that were never resolved. The mini-fridge was not working properly. The land phone was disconnected. I checked it and the power source was not there. We reported the issued twice in 4 days, it was never fixed. Also the internet was spotty. WIFY was slow and just had the right speed when you stand around the lobby not in the room. That is a deal breaker.

it was worth to go up to comuna 13. Year ago it was considered the most dangerous place in Medellin. Social and political will are transforming this poor neighborhood into a vibrant, proactive community that is trying to pull themselves up. Many great murals and a genuine desire of the people to erase a bad reputation. Kudos to my guide Andres Robledo for explaining to me social-dynamic of this community.

The chef tried to surprise us with a Mango ceviche as an entry. It was too acid which is normal for most people in Colombia, but my wife's ulcer begged to differ. He tried something different and I will give him credit for that. This is like a blind date. The main dish was a mixed of several meat and rice. It felt like chow-main. It has too much soy sauce which surprise us because we were expecting something more Colombian. There was an avocado salad. Rich creamy avocado with shopped vegetables. Dessert was a souffle made out passion fruit. That was worth the night. I think he put some liquor in it and was amazing.

Amazing, a really well run farm trying to keep it environmentally correct. No pesticide, natural fertilizer. I learned so much about coffee. I drank such a good quality coffee. I saw so many birds and wild life. We even saw a capibara. The person who gives you the tour ( I am so ashamed that I do not recall his name right now) knows coffee. He starts the tour by percolating coffee in front of you. Then you drink it and he explains the flavors, aromas and effects. The he takes you for an hour up the mountain trip. You see the coffee trees, flowers, and natural resources to keep it "natural". As you walk up, you see and hear many kind of birds. They explain to you the whole process of producing coffee, from the sawing of the seeds, the grooming of the trees, the collection, and finally the roasting.

I think this is the most overrated of all the points of interest in Colombia. There are 747 steps. You need to be in shape. The view is great, but is not worth a heart attack. Vendors are aggressive and overprice everything. Food choices are not that great too. Mostly local fried fish; bass and carpe. If you like narco-tourism, then go ahead in the boat trip, the only thing worthy of it is to say later that you were close to one of the many Pablo Escobar houses in the area. It is a two hour ride from any direction to get here. The worse part is that "El Penol' is private property, you pay close to US$12.00 to get in. There is a church in town worth visiting for its architecture and wood-carved decorations.

Rule number one: bring a hat. Rule number two: bring a bottle of water. Rule number three: bring comfortable shoes. Rule number four: try to read about the history of slavery in Colombia before you arrive in the country. My guide, Luis Moron was well versed on the colonial period of Cartagena, the revolution and current affairs of the city.

Medellin streetfood is mostly fried or bake. Too many to mentioned here, and to many to try in one day. There are several variations of croissant bread worth to try. Bunuelos, arepas and empanadas made of corn or wheat flour worth to try alone with the street coffee. There is no bad coffee in Colombia. Everybody try their best to percolate, roast and grind the best coffee possible. You need to try their banana bread. It is fresh fresh.

Cartagena's market Barzuto, is like any other third world market. Sanitary conditions are not premium. There is a chaotic traffic of people with merchandise coming and going in all directions. You need to be quick on your feet. Different sections of the market have different smells. You need to be mentally prepared for your nose to be assaulted by the smell of fresh blood, fish, pungent flames from the boiling pots with meat from animals like Capibaras and such, spices that you have never smelled before. On the other hand, you will see fruits from the Amazonian basin that you have never seen or tasted before. Great mangoes, supreme green bananas, guavas, grapes, etc. I suggest to bring a bottle of water to wash thoroughly whatever you might try to eat. Bring closed shoes. Cooking classes. New windows to new flavors and way to cook ceviche. Corvina fish dipped into coconut milk with passion fruit juice, mangos cubes, rocoto sauce, red onions, green and red peppers infused with lime juice. Robalo fish, dipped on coconut milk and brown sugar, patacones, guacamole with garlic shrimps. Rice with coconut milk and panera. Tomate juice from a very special tomato specie.