Kimkim Trip Reviews

If your going to Iceland, using KimKim ask for Guðmundur Óli . He was great to work with.... had all our MUST HAVES... and the just all the extras.

It was an AWSOME 9 days in Iceland.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Holt—The Art Hotel

Reykjavík

Room was fully carpet.... had stains.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Húsafell

Húsafell, Borgarbyggð

What a RESTURANT!!!!! hotel and food were spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Secluded

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vík í Mýrdal

Vík

Rooms and bathrooms were tiny.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Cave tour was 3 minutes... To expensive, to far to drive. Wasn't impressed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old truck..... not in good condition

Our trip to Morocco was even more than I could have imagined. The food was fantastic, the landscapes, the smaller and larger towns, the mountains, Roman ruins and, of course, the camel ride and camping in the desert - all of which far exceeded our expectations. What made our trip so special though was not just these places...it was our driver, Tayeb. He expertly navigated mountain roads, through villages to the desert and back and, throughout our journey found the perfect stops for coffee and great lunch stops. He also made terrific dinner recommendations and always made sure we knew about the towns we were staying in. Above and beyond that, Tayeb was great company and made even the longest of our drives between cities go very quickly with his easy-to-get-along-with personality. If you have a driver as great as Tayeb, you'll have an amazing time exploring Morocco! I should also add that we had guides in both Fes and Marrakech...which are essential. The complex alleys and small roads makes it impossible for a visitor to navigate without expert guidance. Sharif was our guide in Fes and he was extremely knowledgeable about how to navigate the streets of Fes' marketplace. Mohammed was our guide in Marrakech and he, too, was an expert navigator and guide. Also, Said from Original Travel was extremely responsive throughout our journeys in Morocco...and we would not have had our amazing driver Tayeb or our amazing guides without him.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Ghita

Fes

The hosts at this Riad were extremely kind and welcoming. The atrium in the middle was beautiful, as was our room. Extremely clean. We chose to eat dinner here on one of our nights and the food was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

The atrium had all 4 markings of an authentic Riad: Plasterwork, Woodwork, Marble and Fes Tilework. Amazing!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

This camp is definitely GLAMPING! Very clean and cozy with Moroccan rugs covering the floors, our own personal shower and bathroom...and a wonderful king-size bed. The food was more than I could have thought possible in the middle of the desert...and the service was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

This Riad is in a very small town that we probably would not have stopped at on our own if we had designed every element of our itinerary by ourselves. I'm so glad our travel agent included this stop. The Riad looks unassuming on the outside (as most do) but there was a lovely pool, gardens to walk through in the back and the food was truly gourmet. It's decorated in a more modern way, and it was, overall, a lovely place to spend a night in between long travels between 2 larger cities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina: Journey Through the World's Living Medieval City

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide: The Economic Heart of Morocco

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi everyone and Coraima,
Our trip through Spain was amazing and wonderful. All the tour guides were excellent, except for the Picasso tour, where the guide seemed to be in a rush and I didnt provide enough explanation. We felt we needed to do it again on our own to fully enjoy it.
In SA Sebastián, both the Chef and the Sailing tour were spectacular. My wife and I had never had such an unforgettable experience. It’s a trip we’ll always remember fondly.

This once-in-a-life time adventure far exceeded my expectations! All 7 of us had a wonderful trip, thanks to Sebastian and his kind and accommodating willingness to work with Pat K.
Every driver and/or guide was prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and interested in knowing about us. Marlene gave us an interesting and efficient tour of Versailles. She was a hoot--what fun we had! We went through the streets of Montmartre with Sensei (sp?) who showed us all the hidden gems with lots of patience because it was crowded, noisy, and hot. He sprinkled his guidance with a sense of humor that was much appreciated. After leaving Paris for the Loire Valley, we were treated to 2 wonderful days at Domaine de la Tortiniere--what a gorgeous chateau where the breakfast buffet was outstanding! Camille was our guide at Tours, first to beautiful Chenonceau, then to wine-tasting at Clos de la Richardière. Camille made this day wonderful! She was a delight! On to Le Bayeux (room for 3 was too tight), where we self-toured a beautiful city and enjoyed the Bayeux Tapestry. Normandy, guided by excellent, knowledgeable, and friendly Emma was another highlight. It was an emotional visit and too much to write about here. A day and a half at Mont-St-Michel was overwhelmingly amazing, too! The Hôtel Lorette-Astotel is a beautiful hotel, though we couldn't take advantage of it because we were caught in the terrible storm as soon as we descended the Eiffel Tower. It took 1 1/2 hours to find our way back, but the staff gave us plastic bags for our soaking wet clothing. All transports--the Metro, trains, vans--were great throughout our entire time in France. Very impressive! Thank you so much for everything!

Overall it is an excellent trip. Airport pickup and drop off services were great, but there were some issues with hotel reservations. The hotels in Lima and Cusco booked 2 rooms with 4 travelers, but we had 5 travelers. KimKim was able to solve the issue immediately with minimal delay.
In detail:
The Posada Amazonas Lodge experience is excellent. All the people from Posada Amazonas are super friendly and helpful. We lost 1 luggage on the trip from Lima to Puerto Maldonado. The manager of Posada Amazonas was able to locate our luggage and deliver to the lodge the next day. Our guide, Freet, is very knowledgeable and accommodating.
In Cusco, our guide, Sonia, was very nice and experienced and took us to see many amazing places, from Machu Picchu to Rainbow Mountain. She provided great advice along the way and we learned a lot from her, especially the Inka history.

Hotel Reviews

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

good hotel, a little far from airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

This airport hotel is next to the OLD Lima airport. Even the hotel provide shuttle, due to the traffic, it will take good 20 minutes from airport to hotel

Staff

Due to the reservation issue, we waited more than half hour to have KimKim solve the issues.

Cleanliness & Comfort

pretty clean

Posada Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios

The Posada Amazonas Lodge experience is excellent. The rooms is very nature. Food and staff are excellent. Our guide is super good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

great

Staff

Very friendly and help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

This hotel is very nice. Both breakfast and dinner are excellent.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel choice fit the Cusco history very nicely.

Location

close to the historical site. very good.

Staff

The staff is very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

5 star hotel

Las Qolqas EcoResort Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo

This hotel experience is far beyond our expectations. if possible, we would give 6 stars.

Authenticity & Character

We love this hotel and can stay here longer if the trip is allowed.

Location

Even this hotel is not in the main square of Ollantaytambo, but the facility and environment are much better. It is quite, air is fresh, food is great.

Staff

The staff is friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and comfortable

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

This hotel is OK. We understand this is the backup choice since we could not et Palacio del Inka. As 3 stars hotel, it is a place to sleep. This location is not bad, next to Palacio del Inka.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Puerto Maldonado to Posada Amazonas

Puerto Maldonado

good experience. The guide was able to point out the various animals on the side of the river.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Posada Amazonas Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

hotel, food, staff and guide are all excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

All the food are local, fresh and cooked with very healthy way.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide 'Freet' and driver are excellent.

Transport

good boat trip experience

Posada Amazonas Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

All the activities are arranged based on your own preference and capabilities. The activities we choose are excellent and fit our expectation.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Depart Puerto Maldonado to Cusco

Peru

Departure arrangement is customed based on the flight. All the staff is professional, friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I will contact Salomé and Kimkim to plan and prepare future trips. They were easy to work with and provided assistance from start to finish. Salomé helped us plan a two week driving trip in Scotland. Working with her was great. She put together a wonderful itinerary based on our interests. Even though I had done a lot of preliminary planning, she suggested terrific activities that I wasn’t aware of that really enhanced our tour. Salomé did all the leg work in booking hotels, ferry tickets, and attraction and tour tickets, a huge job! I truly appreciated her efforts when I asked her to rebooked all the hotels to reduce the overall trip budget. She provided an accurate and detailed itinerary with everything we needed for each day. She was always a responsive communicator during trip planning and during the trip . We had a couple glitches while in Scotland and Salomé was always available to assist. Planning in-depth international travel can be intimidating but Salomé and Kimkim made it easy. If you want international travel that includes more than the tourists highlights Kimkim and Salomé can help plan this type of trip.

From the moment we decided to book a tour of Morocco with KimKim, we were met with excellent customer care. The KimKim team, especially Said, was quick to respond and patiently answered our many questions and requests for customization. The website was great to use and served us well throughout the planning and during the trip.
Even before we embarked on our journey from Denver to Casablanca, Oussama, our driver/guide, was in contact with us and as soon as we touched down he efficiently navigated us towards him and the very comfortable van we would call ours for the next ten days. There was no doubt that we were in the best hands possible. Aside from being a kind and patient human, Oussama organically shared his love and knowledge of his beautiful country with us throughout the trip. He patiently accommodated our schedules and needs and answered a million questions. We added several excursions and each was superb. He matched us with Mohammed for a most insightful and delicious city and food tour in Marrakech; the next morning, we dove into a Hammam experience that my daughter called the absolute best thing that has ever happened to her, while my husband played golf at the oldest golf club in Morocco. We left Marrakech after three nights, following the lush green river valley to the striking peaks of the Atlas mountains to Imlil for one nicht. Again we were met by a knowledgeable guide who exposed us to the culture of his people and kindly opened up his house for a traditional lunch before continuing our hike to a waterfall through narrow, steep paths with amazing views. After a comfortable night at what seemed like our own private hotel (with pool), we left the peaks for the desert for two nights. Who thought we would be greeted with such comfort - the clamping in Agafay, as everything, exceeded our expectations. So did the ATV tour and Camel ride (with a baby camel in tow), followed by surfing and another Hammam in Essaouira… too many highlights to list. Every accomodation was great (with the Riad Le Pelerin in Marrakech being the most beautiful and special place we have ever stayed at), every restaurant recommendation, every place to stop to take in the sights - even when pressed, I could not come up with a ‘complaint’. This trip was the most memorable vacation we have ever taken with our family and the sounds, sights and tastes will be with us forever. We are already thinking about where we can go next and KimKim is on top of our list to guide us on our next adventure. Highly, highly recommend the company and their fantastic local partners. Again, big shout-out to Said and Oussama for a trip of a lifetime to North Africa.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Le Pèlerin

Marrakech

This Riad is an oasis in the middle of the beautiful Marrakech medina. The tranquility, comfort and sheer beauty is hard to put into words. Beyond gorgous. Staff so kind and helpful. Just amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

Great hotel in the buzzling and hectic town of Casablanca.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Imlil

Imlil

Authenctic berber home (from what I could gather), gorgous pool, great views, comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yes We Camps

Marrakech

Great "camp", gorgous common places, sparkling pool, attentive staff and tasty food. And, for all those teens out there, better cell service than in downtown Denver plus AC - for me, not expected in the middle of the stone desert.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Medina Essaouira Thalassa Sea & Spa MGallery

Essaouira

Very comfortable, clean in great location. Only hotel on our trip where we were more surrounded with other tourists (not a problem, just mentioning).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Mohammed did an amazing job of guiding us through town, answering our many questions and sharing his vast knowledge of the city, culture and history.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Evening Food Tour: A Feast for All the Senses

Marrakesh

Mohammed provided us with an amazing tour of not only the finished dishes, but also how and where it is prepared.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Relaxing Hammam Experience: The Art of Moroccan Wellness

Morocco

The Hammam Oussama took us to was a life altering experience - so relaxing, so comfortable, so different. We were treated with the utmost patience and kindness and left feeling not only rejuvenated but elevated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were welcomed to and shown all around northern Thailand by our amazing guide Nuii and our driver Mr. Kai. Their preparedness, professionalism, and thoughtfulness made the trip exceptional! The van was clean, stocked with water and fresh fruit as snacks, and we expertly navigated the winding mountains between Chiang Rai, Pai, and Chiang Mai. The most memorable stops were the Kho Ku So bamboo bridge in Pai and the Chai Lai Orchid elephant sanctuary (with wonderful guide Tatu) in Chiang Mai! (The transportation to and from the elephant sanctuary from the Aksara Heritage hotel got messed up, which was the only stressful error / issue of the trip. Kien from Kim Kim, Nuii, and the lovely staff at the Aksara all tried to help us sort out the problem.)
We would highly recommend Nuii and Mr. Kai for your trip! They went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, cared for, and they were flexible to pivot the itinerary around our energy levels and changes in the weather. This was a truly an unforgettable trip made more special by the lovely and warm accompaniment of Nuii and Mr. Kai!

Tshepo was wonderful in helping us plan and keeping us updated on changes to the itinerary for our trip. The accommodations she chose were great, the Lebo tour of Soweto was also an amazing experience.
The people throughout our trip were very knowledgable and helpful, including:
Nokuthula - she was very kind and helpful in guiding us to the hotel and welcoming us after a long flight
Nadine - Our greeter at Kariega was very helpful and made us feel at home.
Osmond - Our ranger at the Kariega reserve, he was very personable, funny and extremely knowledgeable. We were excited and did 4 game rides with him.
The staff at Kariega was great as well and gave us a evening campfire barbecue meal which was tasty.
In Oceana, Max and Zed were great and helpful in answering all of our questions. They helped us arrange a short visit to Bathurst to see The Pineapple museum and Pig n Whistle bar. Luke was very knowledgeable and friendly.
FInally, our Soweto Tuk-Tuk tour guide Tami was kind-hearted and energetic and gave us a final tour of Soweto and took us to Mandela House.
All in all , it was a great first experience to South Africa - and has inspired us to consider future visits!

Hotel Reviews

Kariega River Lodge

Great Lodge, staff is kind and helpful. Osmond was a great ranger , knowledgeable and funny.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Osmond was personable , friendly and had a great sense of humor. He was also very knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve

Wonderful resort, beautiful views of Indian Ocean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All the staff was kind and helpful. Max and Zed were in constant communication helping us plan out our day and activities.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tuk-Tuk Tour

Johannesburg

Tami was a great host and driver, he explained to us the history of Soweto and had a great smile and sense of humor. It was a great pleasure to learn about Soweto from him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Croatia with KimKim was wonderful from start to finish, and working with Anna-Maria was a pleasure. Every detail of the trip, from transfers everywhere to the selection of hotels, made the trip easy and enjoyable for us. Our guides were all helpful and interesting, with special kudos to Ante in Dubrovnik, Antonio on Korcula, and Dario in Split. They were all knowledgeable and friendly and really helped us understand where we were both geographically and historically. When last we decided to explore a location new to us, with a language barrier but about which we wanted to know more, we booked a Viking River cruise. A KimKim tour offers all the benefits and conveniences of Viking, with the added advantages of choosing our own restaurants, smaller groups on tours, and not having to eat/socialize with the same people every day. And all the hotels offered more than the boat lodgings did. Next time we decide to go to parts unknown to us, we will definitely contact KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kompas

Dubrovnik

Beautiful and comfortable. One cannot really find an upscale hotel in Dubrovnik itself, but this place in nearby Lapad Beach was worthwhile.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Korsal

Korčula

Lovely hotel. While the driveway to the hotel was very narrow, our guides could always find us. This was my favorite hotel of the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beach Bay Hvar

Hvar

Beautiful place, with a small pebble beach right outside the door. Walkable to many things in Hvar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendida Palace

Split

Lovely old and comfortable boutique hotel, with AMAZING breakfasts. We were taken aback at first by the lack of an elevator (or room was on the third floor), but the staff moved everything for us without being asked. The hotel is on some kind of historic register which prohibits renovations to the lovely old structure. The "plunge pool" in the garden was a real plus in the scorching weather we had. The staff her was exceptional in every way,

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully renovated historic hotel.

Location

Nice to be walking distance to the Palace.

Staff

The staff was warm and willing to help with anything and everything. Super friendly. I felt very well cared for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The best of Dubrovnik in a tuk tuk

Dubrovnik

Great overview of the city with a friendly and knowledgeable guide, Ante.

Quality of Experience

Transport

I had never traveled in a tuktuk before, and it can go where buses and cars cannot.

Sea kayaking Lokrum island

Dubrovnik

This was difficult for me. I hadn't kayaed in years, which made the activity hard for me. Part of the problem was that we arrived late for our group, even though we met out driver on time. Morning traffic in Dubrovnik is really terrible, and getting there late while our group was already in the water was embarrassing. I think you need to re-calibrate the travel time to the group meeting here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korčula snorkelling safari

Korčula

This full-day snorkeling and sailing adventure was my favor of all our excursions. We were alone with our terrific guide Antonio, who explained much about the history and the culture including a lot of cool stops. like one on the island of Badija, where we saw interesting historic sites and fed the small wild deer. We snorkeled and sailed, stopping occasionally to swim. Lunch at a seaside restaurant was excellent. This was a really great day, and because we were on the water mostly, the oppressive hear didn't matter. Antonio and his partner Penelope were welcoming. helpful, and totally charming to be sith.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tastes of Korčula island

Croatia

I loved the first part of this experience, about the honey and olive oil production. The host was truly informative and also hilarious. The lunch part was harder to enjoy. The people on the organic farm were interesting and the food was good, but the day was too terribly hot to fully enjoy an outdoor meal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Split

Split

Another favorite activity, owing primarily to our incredible guide Darko. A native of Split and a historian, he knows SO MUCH about Split. We are both well educated in history, and Dark was able to pick this up early in the adventure and tailor his comments to our level of interest and experience. He is an engaging guide and a war, humorous person, all of which added up to a first-rate tour experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked from the lovely hotel.

Blue and Green Caves Speedboat Tour

Hvar

Another nice day on the water, this time with a charming family of 5 and two good guides. The Blue Cave is breathtaking. We never made it to the green cave, but the guides took us to another spot preferred by locals. Speed boats are cool--and so was the water!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Krka National Park with wine tasting

Croatia

Incredible waterfalls. Got crowded at the end. Wine tasting was also interesting and delicious. Croatia has excellent wines!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip! Sara was an excellent communicator and planner and we found the itinerary to be interesting and fun, and I thought the price was fair, especially considering the fact that it included transportation, lodging and meals (*there was a daily budget per meal we did not know about, so ask your guide) across a vast area. We did see many jaguars- which is a thrill with Noor and Pedro Paulo from the UESO chalana. We saw the beautiful rocks and waterfalls of Chapada dos Guimaraes and learned about the flora and fauna from our guide, Yann. Yann also introduced us to "pizza pantaneira" which was probably some of my favorite food on the trip. *Pro tip: ask your guide to tell you when you will need your bathing suit- you can swim in some of the waterfalls, but some are only to look at.* It was of course, hot, but that is what was expected. We enjoyed swimming in the beautiful clear streams of Nobres. We did get to see anteaters, lobete (little foxlike animals), bats, rhea, lots of caiman and capybara. We had a good trip. You may want to clarify what to bring and when you are meeting, just to ensure no miscommunications for your trips. The service was good overall and people were kind.

Our trip to Lithuania was perfect. Everything was arranged perfectly and Moonika was able to really provide us with an experience in every city that was tailored so well to our preferences. Our transportation was always punctual and very friendly. Our tours were amazing. Virginija gave us an amazing history lesson while showing us all the sites in Old Town Vilnius that were absolutely beautiful and so full of history and meaning. Beatrice was so delightful during our beer tour of Vilnius. She has so much knowledge of the local beer scene and all the different breweries. She was an absolute delight. Jolanda gave as such a great history lesson about Trakia castle along with a delightful boat ride around the lake. The kibiniai were so tasty. The history of the Karaitis people who were invited to live in the town and practice their own language and religion was fascinating. The hill of crosses was so beautiful and Kestutis did a great job of giving us the best plan of viewing everything along with a great ride from Vilnius to Sauliai in his new car - gorgeous. Mindaugas in Klaipeda and in the Curonian spit was a font of knowledge and so interesting. Neringa rounded off the trip by giving us such an amazing look into the history and culture in Kaunas on an amazing walking tour for the ages. Truly, truly enjoyed everything and everything was a well oiled machine. All of our transportation was spot on!!

Being that this was my first trip to Brazil, I wasn't sure what to expect. But while all the sights were most gorgeous and fascinating, the most overwhelmingly and welcome aspect was the organization and work Sara did in the organization of all the parts, of which there were many. She planned this trip and all its myriad details so that I didn't have to think of anything - except, of course, the time changes. The guides always arrived to pick me up for a tour way before the scheduled time. They were always where they needed to be. They were kind, polite, and respectful but most of all knew English! Probably the best moment ever was being just about 10 feet away from a jaguar in the Pantanal. He/she acted as if we weren't even there in the boat following him/her. To this lover of all things feline, it was a most spectacular moment. We saw four different jaguars that day along with capybaras, monkeys, caimans and many, many birds there and on the Rio Negro in the Amazon. While I would definitely advocate for someone who loves to watch wildlife take this tour, I would also advocate their visitation to places like Rio, Salvador and Iguassu Falls. Thank you, Sara and the entire KimKim team for these good memories of the beautiful Brazil country.

Hotel Reviews

Windsor Palace

Rio de Janeiro

Hotel was clean and comfortable with varying degrees of accommodation by hotel staff (mostly good).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A regular hotel, but I thought there should have been bottled water available that didn't cost so much.

UeSo Pantanal Lodge

Needs renovation; rather run down. The air conditioner was located right above the bed and the cold air blew on me all night long and made it hard to sleep. Food was pretty good and always enough to eat. The horses looked a little thin, but it might be because the "grass" doesn't seem to be anything but weeds and they need some more nutritious supplementation.

Authenticity & Character

What is authentic for that part of the world?

Location

I don't know whether it was a worse or better location than anywhere else. I've never been there. It took a while to get there.

Staff

They were very pleasant and caring.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jaguar full day safari - from Ueso Pantanal

North Pantanal

Day 3 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

Somehow, I was being bitten up by bugs; 20-30 bites. They itched like crazy and there was nowhere to buy anything (finally got to a drugstore in Iguassu) I ran out of shampoo and was using soap in the cold shower. We didn't have any hot water which made it a problem because the bugs had somehow made a nest in my suitcase, infecting all the clothes. With no hot water and no way to wash the clothes free of whatever bugs they were and no way to dry the clothes even if I had had the means to wash them, I had to wait until I got home for some relief. While I wore long pants and long-sleeved shirt, they still got onto my skin.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the must-sees of Rio in one day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Staircase and city tour

Rio de Janeiro

Santa Teresa & Rio Antigo

Rio de Janeiro

Rio Green Tour: in the tropical urban forest and among imperial palms

Rio de Janeiro

Would have liked to spend a little more time there.

First day at the Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Day 1 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

Last day at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

We had a fantastic time in Aberdare and Samburu with our most-excellent guide Martin W. from outfitter Truly Swahili. He was extremely knowledgeable about the local fauna (and flora), and was a lot of fun to explore the area with. Will definitely recommend him. Thanks again to Kimkim, Truly Swahili, Martin, and all the local critters for revealing themselves!

Cheers
Peter & Lisa Barto

We recently returned from an unforgettable family vacation to Thailand and Cambodia, and we couldn’t be more grateful to KimKim (and Hoa) for making it such a smooth, enriching, and memorable experience. Traveling with our two children (ages 9 and 11), we had a packed itinerary with multiple hotel changes and transfers—but at every step, KimKim was there to ensure everything ran flawlessly.

The local guides they arranged were knowledgeable, kind, and fantastic with our kids. We truly felt supported the entire time, which allowed us to relax and really immerse ourselves in the adventure. Each hotel was thoughtfully selected and a perfect match for our family’s needs—comfortable, welcoming, and well-located.

From cultural highlights to hidden gems, KimKim curated a well-paced and diverse experience that we’ll be talking about for years. We highly recommend them to anyone looking to travel with confidence, especially families seeking meaningful, well-supported journeys.

Thank you, KimKim, for helping us create such wonderful memories!

We had an amazing adventure in Japan, a lot of it due to Adeline's time and attention to detail. She always responded quickly and went above and beyond with all the excursions that were booked. We probably would not have done the tea at teamLab or gone up the extra floors at Tokyo Tower had it not been for Adeline. Also, our guide in Toyko, Sakai Mari was amazing! She helped guide us through our first day of riding the subway, gave us a Tokyo guidebook with the subway and train lines that was very helpful, and most of all spoke perfect English with little trace of an accent which made it very easy for us to understand her. I would highly recommend KimKim and especially Adeline when booking any trip!

Hotel Reviews

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

The staff was amazing and very helpful. Not to mention this is a beautiful hotel and very well located with easy access to trains and other landmarks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma

Kyoto

Located on a busy street but the staff was very friendly and helpful especially when speaking to taxi drivers and always waited until we left until retreating inside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi

Osaka

Great location, great staff, very modern looking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku

Tokyo

Great staff and they allowed us to check in early and stay an extra hour which was most helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Tokyo City Tour - Asakusa & Skytree

Tokyo

Our guide, Sakai Mari was amazing! She helped us navigate the subways so we could later do it on our own, taught us all about the difference of shrines and temples, took us to unique shops and had barely a trace of an accent which made her very easy to understand.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reservation at Tokyo Pokemon Cafe

Tokyo

If you are a Pokeman fan it is worth it, if not skip. Food is not that great; there is no place to sit and the lines in the store are very long.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class

Osaka

We made ramen noodles and gyoza from scratch. It was delicious and a great way to experience Japanese food in a different way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Beatriz did an amazing job with our trip! Some of my favorite highlights of the trip were the food tours in Barcelona and Porto, the tour in Girona, and the winery lunch & tour in the Douro Valley. Our hotel in Barcelona was in the perfect location.

Our family trip to Thailand was incredible. Memories to last a lifetime! Hoa planned the perfect trip for us and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thanks for everything!!

My husband and I finally fulfilled our dream of visiting New Zealand/Aotearoa to celebrate our 15th anniversary, and we could not have done it without our KimKim agent, Uma. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do, and she helped design a travel plan that captured everything we wanted and more.
During the trip, she and her colleagues remained in touch for any questions or support we needed. There were a couple of instances where we had to adjust our plans due to the weather, and Uma and her team were ready with alternate suggestions that were equally as amazing as the original plan.
Everything was perfect--from our hotel accommodations, restaurant suggestions, rental car and ferry arrangements, and activities. We literally could not have planned this trip ourselves.
I highly highly recommend using Uma and her vast knowledge to plan your trip to Aotearoa and anywhere else in the world!

Great experience! Leny was fantastic to work with and created an amazing family trip that we'll never forget!