Kimkim Trip Reviews

The Fonda Vela Hotel in Monteverde had its ups and downs. Initially, we were placed in less desirable rooms overlooking the parking lot, which lacked privacy and had a less pleasant view. However, we were able to resolve it due to speaking the local language, and eventually, we were moved to better rooms. The location of the hotel was beautiful, and the grounds were well-maintained. Service was good though the restaurant was overpriced and service slow. The New Year's Eve dinner was a letdown due to poor organization and long waits, despite being complimentary.

The morning sailing and snorkeling adventure was great. The crew was fantastic, making the whole experience smooth and entertaining.

The Palo Verde National Park Boat Trip was an enjoyable excursion. It was a refreshing change of pace and presented Costa Rica's natural beauty from the water in a unique way.

The Coffee & Chocolate Tour was one of the highlights of our trip. It lived up to its sterling reviews, offering informative and enjoyable experiences surrounding two of our favorite indulgences.

Treetopia adventure with zip lines and hanging bridges was exciting. Although my daughter felt the zip lines were too advanced, the hanging bridges were a great alternative, and we enjoyed the experience. The flexibility to change plans and enjoy different parts of the tour was appreciated, though I would have liked more specific guidance on choosing between this and other nearby attractions. Booking the first thing in the morning helped as we avoided the crowds.

The private guided walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve was outstanding. Our guide was phenomenal, treating us with personal attention and engaging with our kids throughout the tour. He seemed like a celebrity, known by everyone at the site, and made the experience special. His ability to spot wildlife and engage us all made the tour unforgettable.

The views alone are worth it!! Also, set in a more quiet location from other beach resorts that I have heard about. This was our hope and Gustavo met it. Loved the different pools — none of which were ever crowded. The hotel could offer more options for shuttle rides into town. Somewhat limited but we never even went into town because the hotel was so great. Excellent service at meals — food was also very good. Lovely room — very quiet and private and wonderful view of the coast and the river. From this hotel we booked an excursion to see the baby sea turtles hatching. This was probably the highlight of the whole trip. I have always wanted to witness this phenomenon and for my grandson it was the crown jewel of the whole trip!! When possible this should be offered as part of the trip. Staff always friendly and helpful!

Rooms were lovely with big outside deck overlooking the forest. Food was truly gourmet here. 5 star meals. Exceptional staff.

This hotel was nice, but the rooms were rather basic. Evidently we got a room upgrade for one of our rooms which worked well for our son and his family because it had two bedrooms. We, the grandparents, stayed in the more basic accommodation. The pool and warm springs were very nice. The night walk was a highlight.

We opted not to do this trip. It was too early in the morning for us knowing we had to get up very early the next day for our departure. I also think this is not a necessary trip for this area. You can rent kayaks or take a boat up the river from the lodge which is fine rather than traveling over the bumpy roads to get to the snorkeling area.

We did the turtle excursion offered by the hotel which turned out to be the highlight of the trip!! We also hiked down to the beach which is a bit of a trek. We think the hotel should offer better means of accessing the beach — develop a better route and shuttle.

We did not do this. Instead we opted to go to Treetopia and do both the zip lining and the hanging bridges. This was amazing!!

We did not do this.

This was a good trek through the cloud forest. Our guide was exceptional! Very good and patient. We did not see too much but we enjoyed the experience. Tarantulas and millipedes!

A good overview of the volcano and surrounding area. Glad there was shade a lot of the way. Beautiful views and we were lucky with the weather.

This was a nice first nature walk. We opted for a guide in training who was very good. The bird life was good. We saw one sloth and lots of butterflies. Otherwise not too much else. Are there other nature walks closer to the hotel that might offer a similar experience?

We had the pleasure of staying during New Year's, and the staff was excellent. They were always asking us if we needed anything to make our stay enjoyable. The rooms were nice and clean. The location was away from the town, but we got to explore some hiking trails around the shoreline. We were a minor concern because of the flight path, but there were a few flights each day, most during midday when we were out and about on the island. The pool was a little green and seemed out of order, so we spent more time at the beach than at the pool.

Very modern hotel, clean and comfortable. Tranquil rooms.

Beautiful hotel, excellent staff who were curious about how our stay was going and made sure we had whatever we needed to enjoy it. Breakfast service was fantastic, and the staff were very polite and accommodating. Location was great to walk to restaurants, the shoreline, and the city center for shopping. The view was the best part! WOW!

Not a welcoming front desk presence. Did not have hot water for the first 3 days staying at the hotel. Was told it was a regional issue, not a hotel issue (for hot water?) Once we did get water, it was lukewarm at best. The hotel was doing renovations during our stay and did not mention it, which was the real issue, as work crews were installing new water heaters that lay throughout the hallways. The rooms were designed like a cheap motel with paper-thin walls. The single person working the breakfast service was the only positive, inviting person. The location was pretty good, but there are a few other options nearby that may be better.

Hampered by the weather, but we had a small window where the clouds parted, and we could see the mountain tops. Nacho, our guide, was great, very knowledgeable and inquisitive about if we were enjoying or stay.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and was awesome.

This hotel is a great location. The hotel overlooks the Black Sand Beach and the view is wonderful. You can walk to the Black Sand Beach from your room. The rooms are spacious and had a small kitchenette which was nice. There is not restaraunt on site but Vik is just 10 minutes away. I recommend the Black Pizza as it was great. The hotel does offer coffee and pastries for purchase at the main house.

This was a great hotel. We had hot tub at end of our building and it was easy to access. This place is great for Northern Lights due to low light polution. We were eating dinner and staff came around to say that the Northern Lights could be seen outside. They also have a system where they will call you if Aurora is see outside and this was helpful for us to see them. Restaraunt is great and the included breakfast was stellar. Would recommend to anyone.

This is a very nice hotel. The room was great and it is right in a small town. The grow some of their food so there is a greenhouse next to it which is always on. The light made it hard for seeing any nothern lights (would not be an issue during the summer). Staff was great and location is nice. Would recommend this hotel for a visit.

This hotel is located with awesome views of the lake. The hotel was very comfortable and the included breakfast was one of the best we had on the entire trip. We ate both nights at the restaraunt which had great food. Was a little understaff with one person for most of the restaraunt but she did a great job. Hotel has a great bar and just feel very cozy and nice. Our favorite hotel of the entire trip. Desk staff were amazing. We needed assistance with a medical issue and they assisted and even made calls to help us. Would highlyt recommend this hotel it was wonderful.

This hotel was great and located right next to the black church and to hiking trails to the sea. It is located in an isolated spot so hard to go somewhere for dinner easily. The room was a little small but did have a nice window for checking on the Norther Lights. Dinner was good but pricey.

This hotel was great. The location is close to shops and has easy access to food and shopping. The room was very nice and the breakfast they included was wonderful. Would recommend this hotel.

This was great. There were only two of us with the guide which was great. Our guide Siggi was nice, informative, fun, and great all around. We were able to drive on the glacier allowing us to see caves away from the crowds. We were able to see three differnt caves and was a great. Seeing the Glaicer lagoon before and dimond beach after made the trip that much more amazing. Food truck are in the lot to eat before or after. Highly recommend the fish and chips and the langostine roll they were amazing. This was great trip and one of our favorites.

This was great as we got to walk on the glacier. Our guide was great and we were not too big of a group which was nice. It was great to go up and down the glacier. We also were on the glacier for sunset with a clear sky which was amazing.

This was a nice idea but was not my favorite. You have to get set up in a dry suit to stay dry and warm. This was helpful but it was so tight and uncomfortable. If I had know how uncomfortable I would be in the suit I might have decided not to go. Many of the others did okay with the suits so could just be me. Also be prepared to be cold if you are going in the winter because it is cold. Also there are no fish really to see and it is just rocks. The promotional pictures make it look better than it was. Might be a better thing to do in the summer. The guides were great and very helpful.

This was a nice experience. Our guide was nice, funny, and very informative. The water is warm and the view are very nice. We did this in the winter so it was dark and hard to see. Would be nice to have more lighting on the walking paths but remote and keeps to nature so that is nice. Great place especially if the Aurora is on display. Unfortunately no Aurora for us but great trip all together.

Riding the horses was great and the farm owners were so nice and told us so much about the Icelandic horse. These horses are so fun to ride and you really get to get close to them and help get them ready to ride. The bread and hot chocolate after were great. Bread is baked in a geothermal oven and is the recipe of the owner. There were only two of us on the tour so that was really nice. Advantage of going in the winter but it was cold.

The location, facility, and service were outstanding! We will definitely tell our friends to stay at this lodge when they visit Torres del Paine.

This place was beautiful - the hot springs were amazing- nice staff- unfortunately my husband ended up in urgent care and the hotel was very helpful with setting up transport to and from

Nice room - food was pretty good- missed all excursions due to illness-

Not for older people or those with physical impairment- hard to get around the resort

Beautiful hotel. The breakfast buffet was the best buffet I have had in my life. And I have experienced some pretty great buffets. Outside the breakfast buffet the food is good not great. The drinks are excellent. Food prices are high for the island but the drinks prices are good. The pools are fantastic. Only downside of the resort is how far away it is from all the action of station 2. The provided free shuttle helps but relegates you to a specific schedule. However I would stay here again if I come back to Boracay.

Lovely hotel. A bit dated but would recommend the seaview or ocean suites and not rainforest. The new years gala was a wonderful experience. The staff and food was great.

Best hotel of the entire stay. Wonderful facilities and staff as well as location.

Location is central, service is great. The rooms were a bit dated and our room situation was mixed up when we first arrived. Overall, would recommend though for the location.

Had the driver take us to do an atv jungle tour, go to the peak of a lookout, and also tanjing ruh beach.

Amazing experience. Wish we could have walked where the fireflies were but unique nonetheless

This wasn’t really a foodie tour for real foodies. Went to a beef roti stall and subpar hawker market.

Unique and amazing experience to get up close with elephants. Highly recommend

The fireflies are more at a distance and look like Christmas tree lights, but the blue tears was really cool. We also ended on a thunder storm so that added to the overall fun of the experience actually.

Guide Andrew really knowledgeable. Great guide for a cultural tour. City tour was a great overview.

The evening boat tour is low key (slow and limited guide) and if you’re a bit jet lagged you might want to skip this. You do get a great view of waterfront and MBS but if you’re tired it’ll be a drag for the kids max

Great to get a feel for the local neighborhoods and cultures in Singapore. We had friends locally that took us to Sentosa but also their neighborhood outside the city center at Joo Chiat rd which is really cool. Had a more hipster feel to it.

Average hotel in very good location in Puno. The selection during the breakfast was a bit limited. Rooms were chilly and during the night turned to be cold.

Average hotel in Machu Picchu. Rooms were a bit chilly, breakfast selection rather moderate.

Nice boutique hotel in Cusvo in very good location.

Very authentic and well equiped Lodge! Everything needed was there. Very good food and drinking water always available!

Very nice hotel - good breakfast (wide selection), nice rooms. Pool on the roof available but a bit small :)

Well packed trip on the lake of Titicaca. Floating islands is very different and worth to visit. Nice walking and lunch in Taquile island.

Interesting and comfortable trip by the bus

Stunning views, exciting walking in Machu Picchu

One of the most interesting tours covering different temples built by Inka`s

Very well planned and interesting tour throughthe Inka`s built Terraces and Salt Mines

Nice walking along the Ika road from Sacsayhuaman temple to Cusco city.

The logistics from Amazonas to Puerto Maldonado was nice and safe. All well planned!

Amazonas tour was very well organized!

Interesting tour through the history of Pery based on the collection of the art.

Amazing hotel, location, cleanliness, and service. 5 star luxury with a concierge that was able to set us up with trips and excursions when Kimkim left us hanging. The hotel concierge facilitated our trip better than Kimkim.

Not really that interesting. Small farm tour with the owners (very nice family). Took about 15 minutes. Then a preparation of an Egyptian lunch which wasn’t more than 20 minutes. We got to make bread in the oven which was fun. after that it was eating the lunch and driving back to Cairo. The whole experience was about an hour and though it was nice to see the countryside not really worth it. They didn’t book anything else for us for the day but luckily the hotel concierge was able to find activities for our free time. (Our rep from kimkim was useless)

A must do obviously while in Egypt. The camel ride was adventurous, kids loved it!

They cancelled this on us

Was great and worth it.

This boutique-hotel was in a perfect spot, surrounded by chapels, attractions and shops. The room itself was breathtaking, with lovely decor, tables, mirrors, sofas, a table for the custom breakfast served in the room. We stayed only 1-1/2 nights though. The staff did not speak much English but were extremely friendly.

The Amazon Tupana Lodge was the perfect place to enjoy our Amazon jungle adventure. The rooms on stilts, a common area with hammocks and comfortable chairs and of course, the buffet area and the steps leading to the port dock were all so beautiful. We saw wildlife right at the port deck - dolphins, herons, vultures, tepir and several birds. The stray dogs were too friendly and almost bit my hubby as we walked up the deck stairs. The stray cat was very cute though. The room was quite good and the fan really helped. Opening the curtains a little at the night helps cool air enter. The buffet meals were all amazing especially as they had several vegan options. They also took care to not contaminate vegetarian food with the meat - this was our highlight during the camping dinner at the forest. All the staff and guides were very friendly. The activities were all exceptional. Night or forest walks require us to wear long sleeves and pants. So, packing thin kurtis with long sleeves or thin slacks/leggings will help prevent mosquito bites.

We had a stay for a few hours in the night as we landed around midnight on Christmas. The staff was very friendly. However, we did not get any hot water in the morning. Seems like instructions to get hot water should be handy.

The room was very clean and we had ample room to open our suitcases. The staff at the hotel was exceptional as they answered all our questions and directed us to laundry service/laundromats close to the hotel. We didn't have enough time for the laundry service but the automated laundromat near the hotel saved our day.

The hotel room was very clean but the bed was so large that we had trouble opening our large suitcases on the floor. Enjoyed the breakfast with coffee, fruits, salad, cereal, hot milk and yogurt. The staff was not very friendly compared to the other places that we stayed at. It took us more than a day to figure out how to get room service or call the front desk. A paper with the key services would have helped as the icons on the phone were not very intuitive.

Our visit to the Argentine side of the Iguacu falls (called Igauzu in Argentina) was a wonderful experience with expert guidance from John, right from crossing the border to touring the falls in the Park. The hikes to the Devil's throat and Upper falls were amazing as we saw the falls from closeup. The boat tour by Gran Aventura (an additional trip) which took us under the waterfalls was an exhilarating experience. John gave us all the necessary instructions in advance and so we were prepared with an extra set of dry clothes. We also enjoyed an extra tour of the bridges across the 3 countries (Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil) and downtown.

Our trip to Brazil was unforgettable, thanks to Bruno and kimkim. Bruno helped us with our custom itinerary and was always available to answer any questions before and during the trip. The guides were very professional, knowledgeable and friendly and made our trip memorable and worthwhile. Marcelo at Rio, John at Foz do Iguacu, Carlos at The Amazon and Luiz at Salvador were our amazing guides. Our trip highlights - seeing Christ the Redeemer at Rio on a cloudy day and catching a glimpse for a few moments, Sugar loaf mountain at Rio (saw marmosets and vultures), Iguacu falls (Argentine side was our highlight) and the boat tour under the waterfalls at the Argentine side (we got soaked thrice), Bird Park near Iguacu falls, Brazil, amazing Amazon experience (canoeing, fishing, sunrise and sunset tours, forest walks), Salvador city tour. We saw exotic wildlife everywhere and endangered birds at the bird park. The hotels were all very good but with the Salvador hotel being our favorite as it was a boutique hotel located in a historic center surrounded by chapels and shops. We were able to get vegan food in all places with the Amazon Tapuna lodge being our highlight as several vegan options were available with breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had difficulty in finding vegan food in small airports. Latitude at Rio international airport was a great place for vegan food.

The most interesting part was reaching the Amazon Tapuna lodge from Manaus via 2 motorized boats and a 4*4 - a total of 4+ hrs. None of the staff or drivers spoke English and we didn't have internet coverage en route so Google translate didn't work (key takeway is to download the language package before your trip). When aboard the first small motorized boat, we feared we would be in this boat for 4 hours and so quickly wore the life jackets. Thankfully, it was only for 40 minutes or so. The driver stopped in the middle of the river and showed us flags of Peru, Columbia and Brazil. We saw that the color of the water had changed at that point too - apparently it was the meeting point of two rivers moving in different directions. We then went on the 4*4 trip for 2.5+ hrs. with one truck stop/toilet break. The final hop was a 1/2 hr. boat ride to the Amazon Tapuna lodge. The beautiful view of the lodge on stilts, the steps from the port deck and the hammocks, etc. were indeed breathtaking. We had arrived in the jungle.!!! We were greeted with a welcome drink by Carlos, our awesome guide who spoke perfect English in addition to Portuguese and Spanish. We were thrilled to learn that we would be getting vegan food for all our meals - our Brazil trip highlight. We loved doing the tours with a Japanese Brazil family and a British woman. Since we left at 7am or so from Manaus, we were at the lodge by 11:15am. We had lunch at 12:30p (the lunch time at the lodge) and had 2 tours that day. The 4pm tour on the boat was to meet a local family, learn about their hard life and taste their awesome farina/farofa (the toasted cassava flour used on all salads, rice and beans, etc). We got a demo of making farina and tapioca. After our awesome dinner at 7:30p, we left on a boat tour to see alligators. It was awesome to see a baby alligator from up-close.

Only issue they weren't able to make me a to go breakfast in the morning for an early departure

excellent hotel and staff, very service oriented, wonderful value

stunning, food is incredible, wonderful activities for the kids, serene

Absolutely spectacular view of this glacier! The enormity is mind blowing and seeing calving in real life is a once in a lifetime experience! No matter how many times we viewed the glacier from various lookout points, it took our breath away.

One of our favorite hikes! Our guide made sure that everyone’s needs were taken into account and that all of us felt comfortable on the muddy and steep hike at the end. We were able to get up close to the glacier and the view was breathtaking. Highly recommend this one to all who can make it! FYI, this hike is rated Medium difficulty but it was quite tough at the end.

Good hotel close to downtown; it has everything you need.

Wonderful! This definitely felt the most unique and most special of the whole trip. The owners put a lot of care into making sure everything was perfect upon arrival. Only complaint would be to have the addition of a fan for the summer; it gets quite hot in there!

Totally fine! Would have been great for kids/families; they had mini golf and games that we didn't use.

This was wonderful - please use this place in the future! Daniel the owner was so nice, and it was one of the more unique accommodations that we stayed in! Also: "The Cyprus Tree" restaurant in Okahune was one of the better restaurants that we ate at all trip. Really good!

Great! Very unique hotel character.

Everything you could want; clean and friendly staff.

Wonderful! Guides were great and it was the most unique experience we had. Definitely do the longer "Black Abyss" one if you have the time.

Great views and the activities at the top are fun! The luge was the highlight.

Amazing and highly recommend! It was more intense than I thought but the guides did a great job!

Super fun! I was not expecting it to be as fast or as close to the canyon walls as they were.

Best views and I'm very glad that we did this first; it helped get a lay of the land. Pilot was great as well!