Kimkim Trip Reviews

Planning our trip was easy and seamless. Mathilde was very helpful and responsive. She was especially helpful when there an issue with the Italian railway system, and was able to change our tickets to a different time and route in order to get us to our next destination with time to spare.

Love the trip planned all the right activities. Wish she was a bit more communicative about her travels when she wasn’t going to respond and make sure we had someone to communicate with but she planned a great trip with great activities

When we arrived to Seoul, we were supposed to have a 4 hour tour coming straight from the airport. However, it was 6.5 hours and we only did 2 of the 5 things listed on the itinerary before forcing to call it quits due to the young children in our group. This day was very poorly planned. We got to the lunch spot, bought a few different items, and were ready to go, but we were told we needed to stay put and wait for 30 minutes until our guide and driver had time to enjoy their lunch. This was a waste of our time. The guide also told us she’d reach out to her manager to see about a refund for the spots we were unable to hit and I have yet to hear back. If the cable car is known to have lines and you chose to not purchase tickets in advance, why would that not be the first stop?

The second day at the DMZ was amazing. Vincent was great.

I cannot express how amazing this trip was! Olivia planned such an amazing itinerary based off of the things we were interested in. Her expertise made our trip so easy and fun. Our guide Yoshiko was the absolute best! She went above and beyond and made our days so fun. I hope KimKim gives her a raise because she is one of the best tour guides I’ve ever met. Sonny was also awesome!

Our hotel Sakura Terrace was a lovely stay. They have an amazing ceramic plate sauna, and massage chairs in the lounge.

I don’t think our trip could’ve gone better and I will definitely be using this company again.

With many thanks and appreciation to Ada for planning an itinerary that included most everything that we requested. Ada was there with support from start to finish. Hotels were booked within walking distance to the rail stations, and our rail tickets were sent to our first hotel location. Drivers and guides were prompt, professional, and kind. Ada's attention to detail was amazing. She even helped us to contact and visit with relatives that we initially had no information of their whereabouts. That was the highlight of our trip. Thank you, Amazing Ada!

Hotel Reviews

Daiwa Roynet Hotel KANAZAWAEKI-NISHIGUCHI

Kanazawa

Very conveniently located. Clean, comfortable room. Wonderful breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

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Location

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Staff

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Cleanliness & Comfort

THE BLOSSOM KUMAMOTO

Hotel was convenient. Many shops nearby for shopping. Clean, comfortable room. Breakfast was wonderful. Very friendly staff member offered to take photos of us in the indoor garden.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Around Takayama, Ascend Hotel Collection

Takayama

Convenient for our walking tour of the city. Comfortable, clean room. Wonderful breakfast.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chisun Grand Nagano

Very, very convenient to public transportation. Clean, comfortable room. Delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taoya Kisoji

Tsumago

Lovely setting. Clean, comfortable room. Wonderful breakfast!

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Room was clean, comfortable, located conveniently for our activity. Delicious breakfast!

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Location

Staff

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高野山 真田坊 蓮華定院 -Koyasan Sanadabo Rengejoin-

Kota

Luxurious lodging! Wonderful opportunity to attend evening meditation and morning service. Breakfast and dinner were incredible, very interesting, very delicious.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Very friendly staff. Great location. Amazing breadkfasts.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Takayama Full-Day Walking Tour

Takayama

This was an enjoyable walking tour of the marketplace and walks along the river. Tomoko san comes from that area, so our tour was more personal because she gave us information as a native of the city. She stopped often and offered to take photos of us at scenic places. She took us to a family operated noodle shop, which was a real treat. We enjoyed Takayama very much.

Full Day Shirakawa-go Tour From Kanazawa to Takayama

Kanazawa

We really enjoyed Shirakawago. The history of the village and the tour of the Temple and the museum were fascinating. I took many photos with hopes that some research now will give me a better understanding about the silkworm business. Naoko san was an excellent guide, speaking English and educating us about the history of the World Heritage Village and offering to take many photos of us. This was high on our list of places we visited. Our driver was prompt and very patient.

1 Day Historic Obuse and Hokusai Mad Man of Art Tour in Nagano

Nagano

We learned quite a lot about Hokusai and were able to see some of Hokusai's work and learn about his history. Our guide was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed our time with him.

Full Day Snow Monkey Park Tour (Join-in) & Sake Tasting

Nagano

Sake is not my drink of choice, but I did settle on a sake that I liked. We were given many choices. Staff at the sake brewery were pleasant and helpful. The Monkey Park was a nice hike up the mountain trail, and we were grateful that one monkey was there to entertain us.

Hike from Magome to Tsumago

Magome

This was the initial reason for going to Japan, but it left me the most disappointed. Tour guide was not astute enough to realize that I was recovering from bilateral Quadriceps strain from climbing the 5 tier pagode in Osaka a few days earlier. I am 84 years old and was carrying a backpack with overnight necessities. She walked rapidly, leaving me about 25 yards behind and then having to rush to "catch up." At one point, I asked her "May I ask a favor of you? Can you walk slower?" As a result of not walking a steady, slower pace, I was unable to physically complete the last bit of the trail to Tsumago. It required a taxi to get to our hotel. Although she stayed with us to register at the hotel, we did not require that help. That added time made her late for her train connection and she had to stay in a hotel that night. We offered to pay for her overtime, but she declined. I am disappointed that I couldn't complete the final part of the Nakasendo Trail.

Enjoy Temples & Bamboo Grove in Kyoto

Kyoto

Hector was a wonderful tour guide who taught us so much about the history of the area as well as of Japan. We will remember him warmly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Learn the Secrets Behind Ramen in a Cooking Class

Osaka

This was a fun class. Certainly will attempt to put to use what we learned about ramen and gyoza.

Osaka Day Trip: Shitenno-ji Temple, Hozenji Yokocho, Kuromon Ichiba Market

Osaka

Riwal did an excellent job planning our Chilean wine & more excursion! He was extremely professional, in spite of us making several changes along the way. He was quick to suggest options during the planning process and continued to check in with us throughout the actual trip to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. We were able to visit wineries from several areas including Maipo Valley and Valperaiso. Each was a unique experience and we kept saying that each one was even better than the prior one! Although we asked to do winery tours every day, towards the end of trip we were a bit "wined out" and asked if he could cancel our last winery and find something else for us to do. In less than a day we were rescheduled for a Chilean cooking class which turned out to be one of our very favorite experiences on the trip. Our guides were fantastic and our driver was great. I would highly recommend kimkim for anyone planning a trip to Chile and would suggest you ask to work with Riwal -you will not be disappointed!

Hotel Reviews

Casa Higueras Hotel

Valparaiso

I cannot say enough good things about this hotel. The staff was amazing from Marco who met us when we arrived, to Dorinda who served us at breakfast (and even going ac way to get me coke light instead of coffee each morning) to Christobal who took care of us at dinner. The location was beautiful, the rooms were spacious and each one was unique, and the people couldn't have been nicer.

Authenticity & Character

Each detail of the hotel was unique and beautiful

Location

At the to of the hill with fantastic views of the city and the ocean.

Staff

Everyone was so friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Bueras Hotel (ex Lastarria)

Santiago

The hotel and the staff were wonderful. While Lastarria was interesting, we didn't feel as safe walking around there as we did in other places in the city

Authenticity & Character

The outside area terrace and pool area were excellent places to just hang out after a busy day.

Location

The surrounding area was a little less safe feeling than other places in the city.

Staff

Eric was great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Quintero Coastal Experience + Visit to Aconcagua Farms

Chile

We started the day at the beach and stopped at a local fish market for some samples of fresh ceviche, clams, and shellfish. The highlight, though was Aconcagua Farms - by far our favorite winery! It's a small winery that also produces sangrias which was an interesting change of pace. Their sustainable and regenerative farming practices were so interesting and the owners were so energetic and likable!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit to the Santa Ema Wineyard - with winetasting

Chile

Sophia led our tour. She was so engaging and you could tell that this family owned business feels like family to the entire staff. It was a great tour and the wines were excellent.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Chilean Food Tour & Picnic with a View of Santiago

Santiago

We always start every new city with a good tour and this one didn't disappoint. In addition to the stops to try various dishes, we got some interesting history from Angel, and then bought food in the market that Jenny put together for a picnic lunch in the hills above the city -- it was perfect!

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Full Day Colchagua Valley Wine Tour: Explore Montgras & Santa Cruz Vineyards

Santiago

We changed this to a coming class with Responsible Travel Chile and we're so glad we did. The best experience of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jenny and Angel are the best!

Transport

Angel picked us up and took us directly there. We wanted to take the metro back, do he made sure to walk us there and that we knew exactly where to go

Overall, a well organized trip with very responsive contacts .
We enjoyed the trip to IGUAZU and the hotel was adequate but poor breakfast service
Trip to Mendoza was amazing with a lovely stay at Club Tapiz where the daily free wine tastings before dinner were well received..

Hotel Reviews

Club Tapiz

Maipú - Mendoza

Very good staff A little out of the way but UBER was cheap Nice rooms but no windows

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Village Cataratas

Puerto Iguazú

In the middle of a forest. Too far from town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amérian Park Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Poor choice Staff very inexperienced and unwilling to help. Breakfast staff were really the best people working in this dump of an old and dated hotel. We did not even have a phone in our room and had to go down to reception if we needed anything. The only clean place was the lobby

Authenticity & Character

Renovate

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Better beds, furniture and sheets

Activity Reviews

Good Bye Argentina!!👋👐

Argentina

Overall very enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

High end Malbec – Lujan de Cuyo & Maipú 🍷🧀

Mendoza

Not really a high end Malbecs. Expected boutique wines but ended up in a winery that produces 6 million liters of wine in a year. Found the wines to be expensive and not necessarily all that great.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had such a great experience with KimKim. We started planning with Moonika and met Lilla. a little later on and they were both fantastic. Lilla took the time to greet us at the airport which was very thoughtful. We had a few bumps in the road because of weather and Lilla was very communicative, even on the weekend outside of business hours, and helped us adjust as needed. The companies they booked our tours with were also great with kind and knowledgeable staff and both accommodations were wonderful as well. We were warned ahead of time about this time of year being a shoulder season which we definitely experienced but it did not take away from our trip at all. The trip was everything we had hoped for and we can’t wait to go back

Hotel Reviews

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. We had some noisy upstairs neighbors and when we called at 130 in the morning the problem was handled right away. Great sized rooms and amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apukka Resort

Rovaniemi

Great activities and amenities. Food on property is overpriced but other than that it’s a great property

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Staff

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Activity Review

Snowmobile Safari Into the Wilderness

Apukka

Even though a lot of the snow had melted this was a very fun activity

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Transport

Olman was truly exceptional — not only was he a great person to spend time with, but his knowledge about so many aspects of the trip made a huge difference. He quickly understood exactly what we were looking for and arranged everything perfectly to match our preferences. His professionalism, flexibility, and insight made our experience even more memorable.
Overall, we are very happy with the service and the entire experience. Thank you once again for taking such good care of us.

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

One of the very comforting hotels. Great choice

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Great staff and very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cipreses

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arenal Montechiari

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

WiFi at the room wasn’t available and it was bit inconvenient to go to reception or buffet area to browse the internet.

Rincón del Valle Hotel & Suites

San José

Location-wise, the hotel was convenient, and the breakfast was excellent. However, the amenities could have been better to enhance the overall stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Few restaurants around to check!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quite dusty and the bathrooms weren’t that clean.

Activity Reviews

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Knowing that all of the major things were taken care of was a huge relief. I wanted someone to coordinate transportation and accommodations for me, as those are generally what are the most stressful for me to figure out. I talked to Moonika and told her what I was looking for plus some of my concerns for traveling. She coordinated all of the overnight stays and transportation necessary and made sure I had the information I needed to get there. Accommodations were exactly what I was looking for, and drivers were professional.

We were a party of 3 friends who booked our trip to Turkey with KimKim and we 100% recommend them and would return to Turkey to travel again with this agency! Our tour arrangers were exceptionally responsive - Murat and Hulya helped coordinate for us when we were in Turkey and were incredible - our messages were meticulously detailed with our itinerary, driver information and flight info. They went above and beyond to take care of us- when I left my Kindle at a hotel - they coordinated with our driver and guide in the next city to retrieve that item for me so I could have it in hand before I left Turkey. Similarly, when the weather was not looking good for our hot air balloon flight in Capadoccia, they rearranged our itinerary so that we could go on our flight the day before - and it was SO memorable! Our tour guides - Emre, Ozan and Efe - were all so knowledgeable, hospitable, and professional - Ozan especially enriched our experience and helped us fall in love with Turkey. All of the drivers and tour vans were exceptional - my friends and I had never ridden in such comfortable tour vehicles (they had refrigerators in the car for water). All of the hotel accommodations were comfortable - Berat made sure we each had our own beds in each hotel. Amongst all of them - we LOVED the Kale Kona Hotel - we hope to return there one day, it was an amazing place. We hope to return to Turkey with KimKim one day to go to other places we have not seen yet.

We came in at the last minute with a week before our flights to Thailand looking for trip options (was a last minute vacation!) and Bella promptly went back and forth with us several times at odd hours of her day on the other side of the world, quickly helping us land on a great trip for us, including having to very very carefully play tetris with shifting availability days/times as we booked so close to the days of the events.

Everything was meticulously organized -- drivers and guides for every segment, with her WhatsApping us contact info beforehand and quickly changing drivers when we had a delay during one event to make sure we were continually cared for. The guides she picked for us were very interested in going out of their way to customize the experience to our trip desires, flipping up destinations midday if they had more interesting sounding ideas after they got to know us, adding side trips, etc.

We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and especially with such wildly limited notice our expectations were very exceeded.

Hotel Reviews

Buri Sriping Riverside Resort & Spa

Chiang Mai

Staff were super friendly. 24 self laundry was awesome. The grounds were beautiful. The pool was lovely. The breakfast was so-so. We wished we had been closer/more walkable to old town - there wasn't much in walking distance from the hotel.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Suites Bangkok

Bangkok

Great location. All the staff were really friendly. Room was great. Breakfast was outstanding.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chiang Rai in a day!

Thailand

Absolute must-do experience. The white and blue temples are unbelievably pretty and interesting. The grounds of the white temple can be explored for hours. The art by the designer of the white temple is also very interesting and he was prolific. Long drive but completely worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Traditional Khantoke Dinner

Chiang Mai

Very very touristy experience -- tour bus after tour bus pulled up and filled the venue. But the dances were fun, the food was pretty good, and it was a good duration. The cocktails were mediocre.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Chiang Dao Cave & Art Village Baan Kang Wat Visit

Chiang Mai

Quite a long drive for an okay-ish cave. We ended up doing a different crafting village/fair another day instead of the Baan Kang Wat one, so this review is only for the cave. Most of the cave is unlit (the guide used a propane lantern and flashlight), and significant portions have been permanently closed off for safety after floods the last few years. Still pretty and interesting, but not very long and middling as limestone caves go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

Good set of activities in or near the Doi Inthanon park. Very pretty views -- waterfalls, forest hikes, hill tribes, temples.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Expedition at Chai Lai Orchid Ecolodge!

Chiang Mai

It was a fun experience petting and feeding the elephants in a couple different spots, but the rest of the "whole day" experience was some odd random activities that were mildly entertaining (bamboo raft ride, walkaround the hill tribe village without much explanation, etc.) but would have been better spent doing other things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ayutthaya’s Ancient Wonders & Local Flavors

Thailand

The scale of the ruins was grandiose, but the lack of our (humanity's, not us the tourists) knowledge about the history of the site means that it's mostly just a bunch of ruins with very limited context to walk around. We tend to be looking to combine historical context with tours, so this one was a bit disappointing compared to our other activities on this vacation. The food stop itself was good for river prawn fans, but outside of the local river prawns, nothing special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Dinner at Blackitch Artisan Kitchen

Chiang Mai

Our dinner at Blackitch was truly excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Traditional Thai Massage at Fah Lanna Spa

Chiang Mai

Our time at Fah Lanna Spa was wonderful. The staff were very friendly and all our services were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience

Chiang Mai

This was absolutely a highlight of our trip. Our chef instructor was incredible and gave us way more than just recipes, but instead a set of guidelines for how to be creative with Thai cooking. She also helped provide tips about how to get ingredients back home. It was really fun to go around the market with her before we headed to the cookery. Everything we cooked was delicious, but I am also going home looking forward to being able to re-create what we made.

Quality of Experience

Loved having the private experience - we were really able to ask questions specific to how I cook at home and I really feel that I'm going home with practical knowledge.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

True Taste of Chiang Mai with Evening Foodie Tour

Chiang Mai

Once again, we trusted all the choices with our guide and that was not a mistake. Everything we ate (and we ate a lot!) was delicious. It was super fun hopping around in the tuktuk.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Doi Suthep Temple Tour

Chiang Mai

Once again, this was a perfect activity to do on a travel day. Our guide was extremely informative and we learned a lot of new things despite already having been to several temples. The views from the temple were really stunning and the overall ambiance was really lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Erawan National Park visit

Thailand

This was a really fun day - we enjoyed getting out of the city and seeing some stunning waterfalls. The hike up to the last waterfall wasn't too strenuous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Food Tour by Tuk-tuk in Bangkok!

Bangkok

We followed our Guide's recommendations all evening and tried things that we would never have otherwise known to order. The food was delicious and we particularly loved the latter stops on the tour that were more market/street food like.

Quality of Experience

The one thing we would change would be the first stop that we did - it was inside a food court. We'd recommend sticking to the more open street market locations!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Bangkok City Tour

Bangkok

The Grand Palace and all the temples were really beautiful. We learned a lot about Thai history and Buddhist practices. Our guide was great and the pacing of the tour was perfect. We saw so many things!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bangkok! A short visit to Wat Saket Temple

Bangkok

This was a perfect arrival activity for when we were a a bit jet lagged. The temple was pretty and had a good view. Our guide taught us some basics about Bhuddism.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First of all, this our 2nd time to use KimKim for a trip. They certainly have made traveling more enjoyable, and in actuality, cost efficient!
We were working with Liz Karen for quite a while. She is knowledgeable about the various options for a Cusco trip which helped us make our decisions.
Since we started many months prior to traveling, we really appreciated Liz Karen’s patience and creativity. We end up with 9 iterations of our trip, and she helped with all the information we needed to have a good trip.
When we finally arrived, our in country help was Oscar! That guy is really patient, but I also think he knows how to build in the perfect amount of time for each of the outings. He kept us on pace, especially with our reserved luncheon at Ollytantambo and with the rather complicated 2 day trip for Machupicchu with buses and trains and other hotels, he made it easy. He really allowed us to enjoy ourselves and masterfully moved us around. To where we needed to go at what time we needed to be there.
We had a 6 day trip from USA, all in Cusco/Aguas Calientes area. With 11 people including 2 grandparents and 1 grandchild, the private tours and travel were of necessity, and here is where KimKim does so well. That’s the really service we appreciate because we get to enjoy the trip and the sights!
We stayed at Tika Wasi in the San Blas area of Cusco, which was a perfect funky hotel with nice courtyard area and the surrounding area is comfortable and plenty of food alternatives.
Definitely want to make sure you are acclimated to the altitude as not sure we could’ve done machupichu in the 1st couple days, pretty rough already.

Hotel Reviews

Pucara Machu Picchu Hotel

Can’t beat a hotel right downtown, such convenience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tika Wasi Casa Boutique

Cusco

Very nice comfortable boutique in San Blas. Breakfast was good, along with the courtyard area. No televisions in rooms, which is nice to have, but then again we were so tired that probably didn’t matter. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable about the area, and even helped me fix one of our luggage zippers!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right at the edge of the area. Far enough away from noise and hustle, yet close enough that we could walk everywhere

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco (Private Guided tour in Machu Picchu)

Peru

We simply travel to go find out about places, so we certainly got out fill of being in the area long enough, but then to add this really awe inspiring mountain top city basically in the middle of nowhere was simply breathtaking. Not to mention the climb up to go down to the part of the circuit 2A we went on. Oscar was helpful getting us around as he did all week.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour to The Sacred Valley: Maras, Moray & Pachamanca

Peru

Basically it was all about the Pachamama, as we are a family that loves to eat. Learning a bit more about the indigenous culture, in that setting at El Albergue was fantastic. The distillery and the coffee roasting facilities were a nice surprise.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour to Pisac: Andean Animals

Cusco

This was pretty neat, and really helped us understand where we were geographically: very high up in the Andes! So awesome! Was cool to see the local animals and birds, and see the countryside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Private Half-Day Walking Tour: Sacsayhuaman, Cusco City & San Pedro Market

Cusco

This was basically filler and a get to know the area excursion. I think our group was too big to make it special, as no one paid much attention and went off on their own anyway.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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This was our second trip to the Galápagos, and Ariel made it absolutely amazing. The MC Treasure was perfect, and the crew was exceptional—warm, professional, and always a step ahead. They made us feel so well cared for, and every detail on board was flawless. Hector, our guide, was fantastic and brought every island to life with his knowledge and enthusiasm.

Ariel’s planning, communication, and thoughtful touches made the whole experience smooth and unforgettable. We can’t wait to plan our next adventure with Kim Kim!

Asko was detailed in answering questions and was immediately available to assist when there was confusion at hotel check-in. This was the first time utilizing this service and I was very impressed with the level of detail in determining the final itinerary.

Hotel Review

The Porter House Sydney

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

All-Inclusive Blue Mountains Day Tour ex Sydney

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney & The Rocks Historic Walking Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sydney Opera House tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our family of four used KimKim/Original Travels to create a 9-day custom tour of Morocco that exceeded our expectations. Communication with Abdellah and Said at Original Travels was outstanding from beginning to end, the selected local guides were all excellent, and adjustments to our itinerary were made seamlessly when requested.

Our enjoyment of the trip was influenced by Karim, our exceptional driver/guide, who truly made our experience in Morocco unforgettable. He was always punctual, incredibly flexible with our schedule, and consistently went above and beyond to make sure our needs were met, including a side quest to find a specific piece of pottery.

What truly sets Karim apart is his cheerful personality and genuine willingness to share personal stories and deep cultural insights. His stories brought Morocco to life in a way no guidebook ever could, and we always felt enriched by everything he shared.

The vehicle was always clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, making even long drives relaxing. Most importantly, we always felt completely safe and in excellent hands with Karim behind the wheel.

If you are looking for a reliable, knowledgeable, warm, and professional driver/guide in Morocco, we cannot recommend Karim highly enough. KimKim, Original Travels, and Karim, truly made our journey special.

Everything was first class except the very last night. I know John Mattarella was a little kind in his words, but I won’t mix the words that was way beneath what you guys should’ve gave us. Everything was excellent until that moment it was like going to a hostile quite honestly is bullshit but everything else was great except exceptionally great except that last moment, which then the last moment is what you remember I hope for your future guests you get rid of that location cause that was a joke again thank you for everything with a great time John my wife, Yvonne, and Heather did all the coordinating with you. I was a silent partner and like said it was great fantastic over the top until last night. Quite honest I think we should get a refund for that night, but that’s beside the point please do better for your next guest on that port otherwise spot on thank you Ron Zielinski

My family (husband, oldest daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandsons) completed a trip to Costa Rica organized by Serendipity Adventures. I had extensive conversations with Holden, who then crafted an amazing itinerary for us which included a variety of activities. This was important to us as my husband is not able to do much walking. I found Serendipity to be easy to work with and extremely responsive to any questions we had. Prior to departure we got a detailed itinerary, instructions for our arrival and a helpful packing list.
Upon arrival we were met by Mariano who took us to our first destination. Mariano spoke great English, had tremendous passion for his country and was so informative. He was a joy to spend time with. He worked with us if we needed to tweak start times on our excursions.
This was a trip that left us with fantastic memories. From the amazing accommodations in the rainforest or by Manuel Antonio to our adventures (hanging bridges, zipline, cocoa & coffee class,, river float, ocean sail, hikes) everything was superb. Serendipty selected guides and companies (Endemic Bird and Brisa Elegante get a shout out) that were top notch. I can’t think of enough superlatives.
During our trip the Serendipity team stayed in touch. I was impressed with the promptness of their responses – even in the evening.
I would most definitely rely on Serendipity again!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful rooms with great views of the ocean. Breathtaking sunsets from the pool and dining room terrace

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All staff was friendly, courteous and eager to please. Diego at the pool bar is great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Hot Springs

Peñas Blancas

Beautiful setting in the rainforest

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

a few too many bugs but not the hotel's fault - you are in the rainforest

Activity Reviews

Sunset Sailing Cruise on the Brisa Elegante

Costa Rica

A fun crew. We were lucky to encounter dolphins and a mama whale and her baby.

Quality of Experience

boat ride was great - beautiful coastline

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

I'm amazed at how much Andres can spot. All the guides, although from different companies, help each other out when they find interesting things.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andres is the best!

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was an exhilarating adventure. The guides here are well prepared and clearly love what they do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Saw so many things

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private River Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano!!

Cacao & Coffee Class at Chachagua Rainforest Lodge

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very informative and fun experience. Our guide Roberto pointed out many things, especially on our hike to the finca. Got everybody involved in the process

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transfer for Passenger Arriving at a Different Time

Costa Rica

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aloha,

Bella and the entire team was so amazing and wonderful to work with and experience Thailand for the first time was truly a dream.

Bella was quite professional, very customer oriented and truly awesome to work with.

Bella was able to work with our needs and budget and made several thoughtful plans for us to choose and whatever questions we asked, she answered it quickly. Bella was very informative and made sure that we were taken care of each part of the trip from beginning to end.

The Bangkok Team: Our guide and driver, Anita and Shin, both were super awesome as well. Both were friendly, smiling all the time and just happy. That set the tone everyday. Anita shared the cultural, historical and personality everywhere we went. We loved the temples, sights, and food experiences. The temples were truly magical and wondrous. Chinatown, Floating Market, the Railroad market and all of the other sites we’ve seen was remarkable and “you have to be there to see and experience it.”

The Chiang Mai Team: Our guide, Cookie and driver were wonderful too. Cookie shared special stories with each place we visited and as we visited different temples and attractions, people knew of her and respected her. We felt very special to be in her presence.

If you ever want to go on a trip, please contact KimKim and you won’t regret it. We’ve bumped into several people who used other services and they did not get the services that we experienced.

We loved the fact that we were taken care of from arrival to departure, from hotel to attractions, food and sights made our Thailand trip filled with cherished memories, new found friends and a lifetime of experiences.

Bella and team, we loved it and we will be back.

Me ke aloha,
Jessica & Scott

Hotel Reviews

Layalina Hotel

Phuket

Layalina Hotel in Phuket was quite unique due to its hidden location; you'd almost miss it sandwiched between other businesses. Once you find it, though, its proximity to the beach and local spots is ideal for exploration. It had a charming quality about it, and I did enjoy my time there despite Phuket being a bit too touristy for my taste.

De Lanna Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

De Lanna Chiang Mai was a lovely hotel, located in a peaceful area. I enjoyed the quietness and proximity to food and massage places, and it was close to a 7-Eleven, which was handy for those unexpected needs. The mosquito spray I got there was a lifesaver considering the presence of mosquitoes in Chiang Mai. Overall, a very pleasant stay.

Silom Serene Hotel

Bangkok

The Silom Serene Hotel in Bangkok was fantastic. It's in a superb location, close to markets where you can grab fresh produce and smoothies. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, always greeting us with smiles. I felt so safe and well taken care of, even when I arrived late at night. They guided me to my room and ensured I was comfortable. It truly felt like a home away from home.

Activity Review

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

The Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience was just incredible! It was such a personal experience, reminiscent of visiting a relative's house and exploring the local farms for ingredients. Our teacher was amazing, making sure we felt comfortable throughout. I loved the warm, family-like atmosphere. The class being small was a bonus, making the experience intimate and enjoyable. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

We needed help to plan a trip to Australia and New Zealand in October through November 2025. We didn’t want a multi-city tour that would lock us into a fixed daily schedule, spending our entire vacation with the same dozen people. We had specific interests (animals, culture, museums) and were not interested in the outdoor sports and water activities that are so popular in both countries. KimKim was recommend to us by family members who had taken two successful trips with the help of their agents. Once we’d outlined what we had in mind, KimKim hooked us up with Vicky, their Australia-based agent, to help us work out the details.

Working with Vicky was easy, efficient, and even fun. We said where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see and when we needed free days to meet up with friends and family. She helped us shape the schedule, arranged all in-country flights and transportation, and tours she knew would be good fits for us. After about a month we had a plan that produced the trip of a lifetime! Once, when we had a problem (of our doing), Vicky jumped in immediately and resolved it for us in less than two hours. Hotel choices were excellent. Full- and half-day tours were led by experienced guides in clean, comfortable vehicles.

Our experience with KimKim was great. The KimKim website is easy to use and served as a great reference as we traveled. Vicky was a terrific agent who kept the ball rolling as we planned the trip together, patiently guiding us through all the details needed for an stress-free international trip.