Kimkim Trip Reviews

Each of the four guides were excellent. Good English, factual information, history, and attentive to my needs and wants.
The top locations in order of my enjoyment were: Manaus, Belem, Sao Paulo, Santarem, Alter.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Soneca Plaza

São Paulo

I really enjoyed my stay at the Hotel Soneca Plaza in São Paulo. It was located right in the heart of the old town, which made it a perfect spot for a tourist like me who loves to walk around and explore. The hotel itself was quite modest, as per my preference. There wasn't much of a reception area, but the front desk staff was efficient and helpful. The food was decent with good fruit juices, and good breads and rolls. They also offered breakfast, which added to the convenience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Massilia

Belém

My stay at Hotel Le Massilia in Belém was satisfactory. It was located about a mile from the heart of things, which I didn't mind as I enjoy walking. There were plenty of places to find food and water nearby. The hotel had a pool which I used every day because of the hot and humid weather. Overall, while it was good, it was not as centrally located as I would have preferred.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sandis Mirante Hotel

Santarém

The Sandis Mirante Hotel in Santarém was fine. It was located in a smaller town, on a hill and provided easy access to various areas. I enjoyed the fact that I could walk down to the waterfront area using the steps or take a longer, more gradual route. The hotel was modest with a small front desk and no real lobby, which suited my needs perfectly. There were also plenty of eating places within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Saint Paul

Manaus - AM

My stay at the Hotel Saint Paul in Manaus was excellent. The hotel was probably the nicest of all the ones I stayed in. It was located very close to the heart of Manaus, near the Opera House area. The hotel was more upscale with a lobby area, couches, a TV, a nice pool, exercise equipment and a business center. Its location made it easy to walk to different restaurants and attractions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Belo Alter

Santarém

My experience at the Hotel Belo Alter in Alter do Chão was not as positive. The place was a 45-minute drive from Santarém and there wasn't much to see or do there. The hotel itself seemed to be trying to be a luxury resort, but it fell short. The room was nice enough, but there was a lot of deferred maintenance and the beach area was not very appealing due to low water levels. The location wasn't ideal either, being a 30-minute walk from the town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

São Paulo Express

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Design, Art and Modernity in Sao Paulo

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

São Paulo Explorer

São Paulo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Belém and transfer to our accommodation

Belém

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour in Belém

Belém

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour Discover the Traditional Rainforest Communities

Belém

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Santarém & Meeting of the Waters

Santarém

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Jamaraquá Community

Alter do Chão

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day City Tour of Manaus

Manaus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Boat Tour: Visit Meeting of the Waters, Indian Village & Rubber Museum

Manaus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hien was a great tour planner. Everything from transportation to activities was seamless and well-organized. She also addressed any needs we had promptly while in Vietnam. Our tour was the perfect mix of activity and relaxation!

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Quảng Nam

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Siesta Classic Hang Thung

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doris Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

We went back to the Suong Pho two more times. Great tour!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Insider’s Hanoi - Vespa Tours ( Joint tour)

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

More selection available would be nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Local Market, Basket Boat, Fishing & Cooking Experience

Hoi An

Great way to experience the local boats and market. Cooking class with spring rolls and ginger chicken dish was excellent also.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong bay - Lan Ha Bay ( Doris cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Buffet selection seemed random. Would be better if Vietnamese food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rita made our last-minute trip planning very easy and I'm so grateful for her help! We had to cancel a trip to Morroco and decided on Portugal with very little time to plan. This is what she planned for us:

Porto food tour- fabulous guide Gabriel and great food- 100% enjoyed.

Douro Valley winery visit and river cruise. Overall a lovely experience but I think they were some issues with our guide. He was friendly and on-time but I think a bit confused about where and when we were supposed to be. He was actually a driver and not a guide. Communication was difficult. We were supposed to do a winery tour and then a river cruise but he went to the cruise first and arrived early and we had to wait an hour. Then we went to the winery, but we were late and missed the tour and the beginning of lunch. The winery (host, food, wine) was lovely and very enjoyable but I wish we would have had the whole experience.

Private day excursion to Braga & Guimaraes. Wonderful experience. Marlene was so kind and informative. She made sure we had a lovely day with great sites and great food.

Private morning tour of historic Coimbra- Bruno was fabulous. We enjoyed the education and the company.

Private bike tour of the Rio Formosa. Everything on this trip was so good but this was actually the low point. The first disappointment was that this tour began an hour-drive away from where we were staying- and I didn't realize that until maybe the day before. I wish Rita would have pointed this out and asked if that was an acceptable amount of travel (we had been doing a lot of driving). In planning, I was unsure that this was an activity that we would enjoy but Rita assured me that the area was beautiful and should not be missed, so I went with her advice. And again, our guide was very frienddly and warm and I think trying to do his best. What we did though was a very slow, three-hour bike ride through a marsh (kind of stinky and not scenic) with a guide who seemed to not know much about the area. He really was trying to be informative about the wild life but he had picked up a park brochure and would stop the ride to tell us the names of various birds we should look for- but nothing more. He didn't seem to know where the birds should be or really anything about them. And we rode soooo slow that I really think it was an effort to make the tour last three hours. It was uncomfortable.

Private walking tour of Lisbon. Hugo was AMAZING. So knowlegable and friendly. We saw so much with him that we would have otherwise missed.

Day excursion to Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril. So this is hard to evaluate because it was a super rainy day and I think that impacted what we did. Rui was lovely- informative and friendly and he really made the best of things. We only had entrance tickets to one palace- and that was on us because we booked so late. I think a lot of the tramping about that we would have otherwise done was just not possible on a day when it was raining buckets. Nice lunch and beautiful drive.

Rita also arranged airport transfers and a rental car- we booked our own accomodations. She was very responsive throuout the entire holiday via the trip plan s app.

We saw so much of the country and it was really a great trip. We flew into Porto for 4 nights, Coimbra for 2 nights, Nazare for 1 night, Evora for 1 night, Salema for 3 nights and then Lisbon for 4 nights. In hindsight, I would had skipped either Nazare or Evora and extended the one chose for 2 nights minimum. I would have skipped Evora I guess because the primary sight that I wanted to see there (Almendres Cromlech) was closed for renovations- which I didn't know until we arrived. It was a great town though- so maybe I would have just done two nights in each place? Hard to choose. It was a lot of driving for just a one-night stay in each.

Thank you Rita, for all of your help in making our time in Portugal so memorable!

One of my best travel experiences. Priceless. From the time we're gathered at the arrival area by our tour guide, Joao aka John, and picked up by Big Mike with an attractive new and clean coach all to ourselves, onward along the famous Canadian rockies it's like stepping into paradise. Being emerged in such beautiful, stunning, esmerizing, captivating, amazing views, I felt kinda overwhelemed. Yes, we took thousands of pictures any seconds chance. As John said "hit or miss chance" to capture it. The hotels we stayed were good, special mention of Forest Park in Jasper- homey nice ambience. The John - Mike is a perfect team. Thank you Carl. Outstanding rate of 10!

We had a few very positive experiences with a few of the drivers/guides. Wilson was excellent. He had strong english and was very patient with my 90 year old mother. Although the vehicle was not very fancy, it was clean and he provided water. He showed us many beautiful areas around Cuenca and took us to a fabulous restaurant in Saraguro. High praise for Wilson.
We were also very happy with Fransisco, our guide in Quito. He was very helpful and did and excellent job showing us downtown Quito. The dinner with him on Saturday evening was great.

Hotels: Disappointing
All the hotels were chains without charm. It was clear that there were much better options of boutique hotels in downtown walking regions that I could have booked for less money on hotels.com. The AC at the Royal Sonesta did not work and no effort was made to rebook us where we would be more comfortable. None of the hotels were in neighborhoods that we would consider charming nor were the rates very good.

Planning: Very difficult to work with
Costs were very difficult to control as individual costs of activities, transportation, lodging and food was kept from us. We had an idea of individual costs as we cancelled and added things otherwise it was obscured. We had initially asked for help in planning the part of our trip to Santiago Chili. We request a wine tasting excursion and we were presented with Casablanca a white wine region. I commented that I prefer red wine and instead of booking a different excursion in a red wine region (many close to Santiago) the response was that there would be reds available. We cut Alvaro out of the Santiago portion at that point.

Transportation: Again high praise for Francisco and Wilson. However, our driver to the airport in Catamayo airport spoke almost no English except Twenty dollars. We offered to take us to the wind farm on the way to the airport. We said great and then he said $20. I looked up the cost of admission and it was free. He said it would only take 10 minutes for $20. We used google translate to communicate. Alvaro said we needed to get to the airport 2 hours early. This was not true. It is a tiny airpot and it took 3 minutes to get ticketed and go through security. Since we had 2 hours to wait, I payed for the lounge. This should be refunded. Our tickets were for the wrong flight which I was able to fix on my own. We requested two window seats and I was given a middle seat.
I was hoping, Anthony would just fix our tickets but no. I contacted him which was a waste of time. He did not fix the ticket only asked that after I had already fixed the ticket find a gate agent and hand them my phone to speak to them. There was no gate agent available.
We could not download the pdfs of the itinerary on our phone. We asked for text updates via WhatsApp. These were sparse. I did not know there was a driver hired to take us to the airport on Sunday until Anthony texted on Sunday. I responded to cancel and refund. Anthony waited 4 hours to answer and say at that point it was too late.
All in all, we will not use KimKim, Alvaro, or Responsible travel ever again and will not recommend it to anyone. We did love Ecuador and will return using a different travel company.

Our trip to Croatia was absolutely fantastic thanks to Antonia! It is the first time we used KimKIm but surely will not be the last. Antonia planned our trip down to every last detail. Each person she set us up with, drivers, tour guides, local agri-tourism, boat driver were all top notch. Each person was very knowledgeable in their area, took the time to see what we enjoyed and tailored the tour to our liking. The hotels chosen suited us perfectly and we were fortunate to even get an upgrade at one of them! Antonia's restaurant recommendations were spot on and she was always able to get us in. I loved the 7pm updates the night before to remind us of the next day's events. She made herself available any time of day or night in case we had any trouble, but absoutely everything went as planned.
Thank you, Antonia for taking the planning out of my hands and for giving us the trip of a lifetime!!

Tina's planning was absolutely amazing- it was a seamless holiday which was truly relaxing and and we are really grateful and lucky to have her planning! She was very prompt with her replies and very helpful. Im glad we got to visit the beautiful country and learnt so much about its culture and rich history! Overall 12/10 !

My wife and I just returned from a 16-day trip to Italy, which was arranged through KimKim and their local travel affiliate, Meet & Greet, Italia. Highlights included Venice, Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Rome, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast region, and Pompeii. Thi trip was the first opportunity for my wife to experience the beautiful country, and for me, a special return after 40 years, when I lived in Rome for a year as an architecture student. Celebrating a special anniversary, l already had a good idea of the special regions and towns that would offer my wife a great sense of Italy’s beauty and ultimately enhance our romantic getaway. Working with Emi at KimKim hi later her business associate, Francesco, I could not have been happier with they expertise, courteous and friendly accommodations, and tremendous service over the course of 8 months, especially in our final weeks leading up to our departure. Emi continuously went out of her way to address my questions, concerns and/or changing itinerary priorities, in the most professional way. I never had to wait more than a day for updated responses / itinerary changes, and most times the response was immediate. Francesco’s efforts were equally impressive, including real-time updates to our online itinerary, which kept my mind at ease before and during the trip. Both Emi and Francesco were accommodating to our own requests, including one request to change our hotel in Sorrento, after reading FB posts from customers who were being relocated due to hotel renovations underway. They also changed a scheduled boat tour of the Amalfi coast to a driving tour at my request. In both cases, their accommodation was a huge help, especially when we confirmed the ongoing issues with the hotel, and realized that the original boat tour would have been canceled that day due to high winds. So Emi and Francesco planned the perfect getaway and the memories will last a lifetime! I highly recommend KimKim, especially Emi and Francesco for a beautiful taste of Italy!!

Thank you Jessica. We appreciate your patience and hard work in working with us over many months to plan our family trip to South Korea. You never waivered through our many requests and changes as our plans changed.

Thank you Sang, you were an excellent guide for our family trip. We felt very safe in your care and appreciated you sharing your knowledge of each of the areas we visited.

Hotel Reviews

Lotte City Hotel Jeju

Jeju

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crown Harbor Hotel

Busan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramada Hotel & Suites Gangwon Pyeongchang

Pyeongchang

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lotte Resort Sokcho

Sokcho

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Surprised to find that 2 people had to sleep in mats on the floor.

Sotetsu Hotels The Splaisir Seoul Myeongdong

Seoul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laundry room big plus!

Activity Reviews

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Busan City Tour with Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch Tour

Pyeongchang

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Exploring Sokcho Beach and Jungang Market

Sokcho

For our family we would have skipped the market and spent more time at the beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I love Sorrento It was beautiful. I wished we could of gone to Capri and Blue Grotto but that means we can come back! Enjoyed Tuscany like to go back there and spend more time there. Loved the Roman Ruins and all the history in Rome.
enjoyed Pompei too.! The Amalfi coast was beautiful it rained but enjoy the limoncello tasting.
The hotels were great too! The Sorrento,Tuscany and Milano Hotels.

The guides were great!
Roberto
Susanna
Valenta
Nancy
Elizabeth
Foucha
Barbara
We will be using Kim Kim again !
It was also nice having the drivers.

Thank you again for an AWESOME vacation!

Cindy Johnston

Hotel Reviews

Star Hotel Rosa Grand

Milan

Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

You could walk everywhere.

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful

Albergo Posta Marcucci

Bagno Vignoni

Hotel was very Quaint.I wish we could of had another day there.

Authenticity & Character

Loved it

Location

It had a beautiful setting!

Staff

They were not too welcoming in the restaurant

Cleanliness & Comfort

very good

Tree Charme Parliament Boutique Hotel & Bistrot

Rome

It was ok very hard to get to with our bags.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You could walk everywhere.

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very comfy

Hotel Conca Park 4* Sorrento

Sorrento

This was my favorite hotel. It had a beautiful scenery and very welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Just beautiful !

Location

You could walk everywhere.

Staff

Very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Palazzo Salgar

Naples

It was ok .

Authenticity & Character

Not sure

Location

Find somewhere you can walk. We had to take cabs where we wanted to go.

Staff

Nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and comfy.

Activity Reviews

Express Milan Duomo Tour with Terrace Access

Milan

Barbara

Lake Como and Bellagio – Full Day Trip from Milan with Cruise

Italy

Loved the trip

Quality of Experience

Beautiful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Elizabeth was great!

Transport

Very easy

Winery tour in Chianti Area

Italy

Beautiful place

Quality of Experience

Great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valetina was great

Transport

Yes

Vineyard Walk and Tasting in an Umbrian Vineyard

Italy

Very informative

Quality of Experience

Everyone was very nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Rome Walking Tour

Rome

Very good. Loved to hear about the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good

Transport

Explore Rome in a Day

Rome

It was great. Enjoyed every minute.

Quality of Experience

Perfect

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Susannah was wonderful

Transport

Naples to the Amalfi Coast or Amalfi Coast to Naples - Pompeii en Route

Italy

Everything was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto was great and very informative.

Transport

Loved having Roberto

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nancy was great!

Transport

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

This was great had so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Great

Food

Amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto was great.

Transport

Great

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Even though it rained. It was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome

Transport

Roberto talked about the history.

Naples Pizza Making Class

Naples

It was alot

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had to take a cab

I had a favorable experience booking my Iceland trip with KimKim and my local specialist, Èric. I contacted them just 2 weeks before the trip and was so appreciative of their fast work to schedule and plan a trip that was truly customized to me and my sons. We struck the right balance of low-activity touring along with some exciting adventure activities including hiking and ziplining on a glacier, exploring an ice cave, and snorkeling in the glacial meltwater where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. The documentation contained helpful info, our hotel selections were the right quality level, and when one or two issues came up, Eric and the team were superfast to help resolve them.

Morocco has always been on top of our Must-Visit places list and hoped the experience measure up to our dream vacation expectations. Abde and his amazing team made this all possible and more. From planning the trip, Abde was with me throughout the process. He was responsive to all my queries on a timely manner. He made the planning stage exciting with his knowledge and caring customer service.
Soukaina, our driver-guide was perfection. She made us feel welcomed, shared so much about Morocco, her pride and joy about her country and its people. She is an incredibly good driver, our comfort was her priority. She introduced us to authentic Moroccan food, Moroccan music and to people we met along the way.

Our highlights were the dinner with a local family in Fes where we ate delicious food, swapped stories and even some dancing. The Sahara desert camel rides, visit with a nomad family and 2 nights at a Berber camp where we were welcomed like family, entertained with their music and danced under the wondrous star filled Sahara sky. The drive up to the Atlas mountains that made us hold our breath with awe experiencing the ever changing landscape. So many sights to behold! And the adventures in Marrakech, the dizzying adventures in the medina and being guided to learn more about Moroccan food during our food tour.

What an impressive immersion into Moroccan culture in 10 days made possible by Abdeh and his lovely team. We are very grateful for this once in a lifetime adventure!

We had the trip of a lifetime in Iceland with Rinolda’s amazing planning. Our hotels were conveniently located along our ring road tour. The various tour companies we got to do excursions with (Hesta Sport for horse back riding and North Sailing for Whale Watching ) were phenomenal, we felt very prepared and relaxed on both tours. When a blizzard hit the north/east region of the country, KimKim was able to alter our trip to keep us safe but still enjoy the best of our time in Iceland. We will absolutely be traveling with KimKim again, as well as recommending them to our family and friends for their travel needs.

Hotel Reviews

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

Amazing customer service, great amenities, wonderful restaurant on site.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to many interesting sites and towns

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

The first room we were put in was very small, had a very low/slanted ceiling and a shower so tiny we wouldn’t have fit. After nicely asking to be moved, the next room was better; felt more like a hotel room rather than a guest room in an attic. The onsite parking was outrageously expensive (would have been about $55/per day. Thankfully we were able to park in a garage down the block for a more affordable rate. Still not our favorite stay of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Was hesitant to go to the blue lagoon after reading mixed reviews from other travelers. But I think doing it so early in the morning after our flight was why made it so wonderful. Or was far from crowded and very rejuvenating after a sleepless night on the plane.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horse riding experience

Varmahlid

This was my favorite part of the trip! Iv always loved horses; and after learning more about Iceland and their special breed I knew we had to add it to our itinerary. Soooo glad we did. Getting to experience the Tolt was very special. Our guide was amazing, I felt very safe and she took lovely photos of us.

Quality of Experience

Lo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The planning and the sites we saw were incredible. There were a few snafus during the trip. However, I was satisfied with KimKim's responce upon our return to take care of those snafus. I would reccomend this trip to anyone.
John B.

Minh was super helpful and everyone at Footprint Travel (which is the local company KimKim used). Our tour operator Thuy was very attentive and made sure that we were well taken care of including car pick up, hotel, breakfast and general questions. I love how I could completely customize the tour I wanted, and Minh made some recommendations about certain areas which was good to take note of. They were extremely flexible and considerate. The tour fit within our budget and was chosen appropriately but the food on the Halong bay cruise from Swan Cruises could be better. I would have wanted the Hanoi street food tour to be a bit more adventurous foods rather than pho and banh mi but it was still very tasty, we went to more local spots on our own free time. Hoi An was unfortunately monsoon season so it poured rain everyday but our local guide was still super positive and even offered his better quality poncho for me to use instead of my broken one. Sapa trek was a lot of walking but we enjoyed the mountain terraces and the local food lunch. Fanispan was also a lot of stairs but very very cool gondola!! Fanispan is a bit tourist gimicky but once you get to the temple part it’s great. We did the overnight Sapa train and surprisingly it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but very basic. I was actually able to get some sleep, and Minh/Thuy made sure we were able to shower before and after the train. Ninh binh was amazing, I wish I had a bit more time there but you can only squeeze in so much in 11 days! We enjoyed our free time days in Hanoi and Hoi An to just explore on our own, and so glad that this was an option as part of KimKim. We would 100% return to Vietnam and definitely use KimKim again!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Anatole Hotel Hanoi

Best breakfast of all the hotels on the trip. The staff are super attentive and amazing and actually remembered our names. The steam room and shower and pool facilities were great to use even after we checked out that morning. Would definitely stay here again. Location was also great!!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are modern and clean.

Location

Very walkable and close to many things.

Staff

Staff actually remembered our names!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable!

Sapa Charm Hotel

Good but tub was a bit weird. Location was not as close to downtown Sapa but great views.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice and had some charm.

Location

Wish it was a bit closer to downtown but it was convenient to trek from.

Staff

Language skills could be improved.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable.

Swan Cruise

The experience and room was fantastic but the food was too westernized, and everything was expensive in US dollars.

Authenticity & Character

Great room with a balcony!

Location

The bay views are amazing

Staff

Staff was very attentive and informative

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was great and everything was pretty clean. We heard our neighbours had a foul smell in there rooms in the lower floors.

Silkotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Umbrella rentals food, food was good, staff were nice, good amenities!

Authenticity & Character

Great!

Location

Off to the side a but but still close walking to central area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

The food line up for this tour is good for people who prefer western food but we like the food a bit more local. We wanted a bit more adventurous food options.

Quality of Experience

A bit too basic for us.

Food

Chicken pho was not as flavorful at the booth they chose. Other foods were tasty, but except the Che I would have been able to access all these foods myself.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great! He walked a bit too fast though.

Transport

Drivers are great

Hanoi - Ninh Binh: Tam Coc - Mua Cave

Hanoi

Views and experience was amazing but the food at the restaurant was not good.

Quality of Experience

Lunch food could be better

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great!

Transport

Driver fell asleep a few times and did not pick up phone calls but we were able to find him due to my luggage AirTag :p

Lao Cai - Sapa - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Sapa

Sapa

Lots of walking! But amazing views of the rice terraces. It was muddy so we got very dirty! Lunch was very tasty! The Hmong people following you down the entire 8km trek is annoying but they actually helped us from falling and slipping so I guess it was okay. Makes you feel pressured to buy things. Make sure you have good hiking shoes with grip!!

Quality of Experience

Walk was a bit difficult due to the mud and my husband did not have grip on his shoes so he slipped several times. It was an amazing trek though!

Food

Very tasty!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide is a local Hmong but she’s friends with all the locals which makes it awkward when they ask you to buy things. She was lovely though.

Transport

Fansipan Peak - Cat Cat Village - Limousine bus back to Hanoi

Vietnam

We enjoyed our walk to CatCat although it was a bit rainy and the stones leading down to CatCat were very slippery so I couldn’t enjoy the view and was looking down the whole time at the ground. Once we arrived at CatCat it was beautiful blue sky and stopped raining. The village was beautiful and very picturesque. No Hmong locals followed us this time so it was better. I was very tired from the hike the previous day so we had to pay extra to get a taxi to drive us back up the 3km hill (uphill the whole way!) I wish they had the private driver pick us up from CatCat there but oh well. We had free time for lunch in Sapa then got driven to Fansipan. Fanispan and the temples itself is beautiful but the surrounding area is very touristy. I enjoyed the views from the gondola.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was kind of sick so he got me sick from the long drive back to the train station.

Transport

Wanted a pick up from CatCat back uphill.

Cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

The views were breathtaking and we liked our room, just the food was a bit too westernized and the drinks were in USD and very expensive compared to the rest of our trip. We enjoyed the cave, the squid fishing, and the cooking class, and the kayaking to a secluded beach.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was catered to more western tastes instead of being more authentic. Drinks were also the most expensive of the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay Morning Activities

Ha Long Bay

We enjoyed the cave and morning Tai Chi. Also transportation back home was very streamlined.

Quality of Experience

Food

The pho noodles were undercooked, but at least coffee, juice, and tea were included for breakfast.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Fishing Village - Ancient Town Walking with Street Food Tasting

Hoi An

Jam packed day but it was great even despite the heavy torrential rains! Our guide kept positive and we had a great time fishing, biking, boating, cooking, and seeing the silk worms! To top it all off we had plenty of great food on the food tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Free Day

Hoi An

Big fan of free days and exploring at your own pace, also gives a chance for rest when itinerary is jam packed!

Quality of Experience

Hanoi Departure - Goodbye Vietnam!

Vietnam

We had a free day and just arranged for transport to airport only, loved having free time to pick up any last minute souvenirs!

Quality of Experience

Dear Maria
I can honestly say that Italy is an amazing place to visit. The three guided tours, the first in Sorrento and the second and third in Rome, were so interesting and I can't say enough about the guides you assigned to us. Our 8-hr Amalfi Coast/Positano tour was so beautiful and our guide explained everything to us and helped us understand the history of this awesome countryside. Not to mention he entertained us with his singing and his colorful personality.

In Rome, our experience with Laura who explained the history of the ancient Colosseum in such a passionate way was amazing. She related facts to us that amazed us and we came away from the Colosseum with a better understanding of life back then. All this despite the fact that she was feeling poorly and we hope she has recovered.

And of course our tour with Tiziana (not sure of the spelling) of the Vatican and St. Peters was truly magical and inspirational. Her knowledge of the history and her manner of imparting all this amazing history was so appreciated.
All in all, this trip created memories that will be with us for a long time to come.

Our only issue was that I wished you would have suggested flying one way to Naples to see the Amalfi coast and Positano and then go to Rome and leave to come home from Rome. While it would have involved two one-way flights, it would have been less tiresome, especially the first leg of the trip when we arrived in Rome and were then brought to the train station (which was very crowded and confusing), and then the so-called "high speed" ride to Sorrento which was one hour late in leaving and was anything but high speed.

I am sure Lori and Lisa will agree that we created memories that will last a lifetime. Perhaps our next trip will include more of Italy. I want to thank you for your suggestions and for helping make our trip so beautiful.

The tour we requested from Chris was based around 'Following the steps of St Paul in Greece', plus wanting to see some additional scenic parts of Greece. Therefore, our two week trip took us to Thessaloniki, Philippi, Zagori, Meteora, Delphi, Athens, and Zakynthos. The guides we had for Thessaloniki/Philippi, Meteora, Delphi, Athens/Corinth were all extremely knowledgeable about the ancient ruins, Greek history, Greek mythology, and Apostle Paul, etc. However, we had requested not to visit a lot of museums and explained that neither of us were history buffs, so were overwhelmed by the number of museums we visited and quantity of Greek history and mythology that we were given.

Our private driver, Andreas, was fun to be around and very accommodating as we traveled from place to place on the mainland.

My favorite places were Zagori, Meteora, and blue caves of Zakynthos because of the beauty of the scenery. My favorite lodging was the Pirrion Boutique Hotel in Zagori because the hostess was so welcoming and helpful.

I was disappointed in the arrangements made in Zakynthos. To enjoy the island, we really needed access to a car, or provided information for booking transportation from the town of Zakynthos. Our one tour provided transportation to/from the boat launch to the Blue Caves, but that was only a half day of the two full days on the island.

I did enjoy meeting Chris while in Athens.

Hotel Review

Pirrion Boutique Hotel

Ano Pedina, Zagorochoria, Ioannina

We thoroughly enjoyed this 10-room hotel that was family friendly, and very welcoming! The hostess was willing to answer our questions about their village, other Zagori villages, and what we didn't want to miss in the surrounding area. The views from the hotel were breathtaking and there were multiple levels of seating outside to enjoy the scenery. Breakfast was included at the hotel as part of our tour, and dinner was available if you did not want to go into the small village. We enjoyed the food served for both breakfast and dinner. There was a bar available on-site for wine, beer, and cocktails within the bar area or dining room. NOTE: This hotel is not for those who are mobility challenged. Parking is limited, and down the hill from the hotel entrance. There are several steps to get to the entrance, and to get to the rooms inside the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is in the mountains with beautiful scenery, close to the Zagori villages, Vikos Gorge, and stone bridges.

Staff

The hostess took care of our check in/out process, answered questions about the area, helped keep the breakfast buffet filled, and waited on us at dinner. She was very friendly and did everything she could to make our stay pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The lobby, restaurant, bar, and guest rooms were all clean, comfortable, and well stocked.

Activity Reviews

Full day tour in Thessaloniki

Greece

The guide was very knowledgeable about the city and its history. We saw parts of the modern city and ruins within our tour. There was more walking than I expected and was comfortable doing. My favorite parts were the markets, and the historic area and open spaces down by the sea.

Philippi & Amphipoli Guided tour

Greece

I enjoyed seeing the ruins of the ancient city of Philippi and hearing about the Apostle Paul's time in that area. The guide was very informative.

Quality of Experience

The information provided by our guide and seeing where the Apostle Paul was imprisoned made the Bible stories more real.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The volume of information shared about the area was extensive.

Transport

The vehicle was comfortable, easy to get in/out. There were snacks and water available for us during the tour.

Meteora Half-Day Sightseeing Tour

Greece

The rock formations were truly breathtaking! When we arrived in the area, we drove around and took pictures because the weather forecast for the day of our tour was for rain. When we started our tour the next day, the fog was thick enough to not see the rock formations nor monasteries on the top or sides of the formations. As the day progressed, the fog cleared and we were able to enjoy the scenery we came to see. The history of the monasteries was very interesting, but we needed to climb a lot of steps to get up to them. Some friends had told us about visiting the monasteries, and they were able to see more parts of the buildings than our tour included, which was disappointing to us. They were still worth seeing though!

Delphi Guided Tour

Greece

We initially visited a museum and then the ruins of Delphi. I do not enjoy museums, especially when I am taken from exhibit to exhibit that the guide wants us to see, rather than being able to wander and view/read information on what might interest me. It was pouring down rain when we got to the ruins, so we asked to cut our tour short.

Shipwreck and Blue Caves Skinari

Zakynthos

While I was not impressed with the shipwreck, I loved the boat ride and the caves. The varying rock formations along the way, clear blue water, and the boat going into the caves were the highlights for me. While I knew we would have the opportunity to swim, I did not realize there would be no bathroom on the boat to finish getting ready to swim, so I missed out on that part of the experience.

Ancient Corinth & Church of Apostle Paul

Greece

Our guide was very knowledgeable about Ancient Corinth, and I enjoyed seeing these specific ruins and hearing how they related to the Apostle Paul. The tour included another museum that was not of interest to me. I was under the impression that we would get to see the Apostolos Pavlos Church right outside the ruins and asked the guide about that prior to going into the museum. I was assured that that was the last part of the tour, but we drove right past it on the way out of Ancient Corinth. I was very disappointed!

Athens Highlights

Athens

I had visited Athens before and been to the Acropolis and Parthenon, but our guide provided much more historical information than I received previously. I enjoyed wandering around the ruins and marveling at what is still standing, but the paths getting up to and on top of the rock were uneven and dangerous in places. The second amphitheater was being set up for a concert, and it is amazing that it can still be used for performances. We visited the New Acropolis Museum, a world renown museum, but it was still not of interest to me. Again our guide took us to the view specific parts of the museum vs letting us wander around some to see exhibits that might have peaked our interest. We were supposed to see the historic Agora, but it happened to be closed that day, so we went there after being in Corinth the next day. We then walked around the current market place with many restaurants and bars, souvenir stands, etc. The second half of the day we were driven on a panoramic city tour to see the sights of Athens, stopping for photo opportunities at Olympic Stadium, changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace, etc.

Quick response time from local guides; very comprehensive guidebook with helpful pictures and explanations. We wanted to make some changes in the middle of our trip and Dean was able to accommodate our request. I’m glad we used Kimkim for our first trip to Ireland as the number of locations to visit and places to stay can be overwhelming. Though the tendency when visiting a place for the first time is to try to see everything, this is a big mistake in Ireland. Even driving an hour can feel like an eternity when the roads twist and turn in every direction, which they DO. Better to choose just one or two locations and explore from there. We loved Kilkenny and Dingle the best. Both were really walkable, friendly, and charming. We found that you get a much better sense of the real Ireland in the smaller cities, so don't waste your time with Dublin.

Our trip to Morocco’s was well planned by Ali and included 9 nights. The communication with Ali during the planning stage was excellent and trip was modified according to our needs. The chosen accommodations in each city were unique and amazing . The assigned driver Lahcen was friendly, courteous and provided excellent service during our entire trip.
While in Morocco our trip was coordinated by Said who promptly responded to our travel questions. I highly recommend Ali and his team.

In our fifty years of marriage, we have traveled to many places. However this trip to France planned through Kimkim and the AMAZING AMANDINE was the best one ever!!! She gathered our input and created a dream itinerary to enable us to explore that beautiful country to get an excellent overview for the next time we visit!. Each tour was interesting and different and every tour guide was knowledgeable in whatever area or activity we were exploring. Favorites were Chef Fred and our French cooking class in Paris including a visit to the market for our ingredients. Axelle took us on the best food tasting and walking tour in Lyon providing some of our favorite memories! And the Seine dinner cruise was a beautiful (and delicious!) way to spend our last night in France. Amandine arranged all transportation as well from airports to hotels to train stations etc. and each driver was friendly and courteous. She was immediately available when we couldn't find one driver right away and in no time we were in touch with him thanks to her. She listened to our input regarding the type of hotels we especially like and found the perfect ones that offered a variety of styles, great locations and excellent accommodations. Deepest thanks and gratitude to Amandine for the best 50th Anniversary trip we will forever cherish! She is truly a gem and it was a special treat to get to meet her and thank her in person!

Activity Reviews

Old Town Food Walk

Lyon

We loved meeting Axelle! She was so knowledgeable, friendly and fun. It was a treat trying the variety of offerings at each stop and learning so much history along the way. This was one of our most favorite memories of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Axelle was a wonderful tour guide! The stop at Shop de la Rue and samplings of the wine, meats, cheeses and bread in their underground stone area was a great experience! The shop owner's son and partner was funny and adorable!!!

Transport

Axelle met us in our hotel lobby and we walked through the streets of Lyon together.

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

Great service and the food was delicious with a variety of items to choose. Otherwise was the perfect way to either or begin a trip to Paris. The sights along the Seine were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

French Cooking Class & Market Visit

Paris

Chef Fred was kind and friendly and it was great fun to chat while walking to the subway to ride to the market and then shopping for the ingredients once we decided on our chosen meal. Getting to cook in his Parisienne kitchen and learn delicious recipes was a fun experience and one of our favorite activities in Paris! Plus he promptly emailed them for us to try at home.

Quality of Experience

Learning to cook and then eat some delicious French food was a great experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chef Fred was exceptional and we would highly recommend this fun activity!

Transport

We walked and then rode the subway.