Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was the second time I booked my trip with KimKim and I got not disappointed at all after the expectations were super high because of my Vietnam, Cambodia trip earlier this year. So, thumbs up for the amazing concept and how KimKim manage to implement it worldwide!
First of all I want to thank Ravi Tickoo from Active India for planning our trip... Wow, that was not an easy task and he did an amazing job. After several weeks of fine tuning, we got it and where ready to go. During the whole trip, Ravi and his team where always there for us 24/7 and we really had a lot of extra wishes and tasks to fulfill.
Second of all we want to thank Sanjay our driver who was with us the entire time... What a great soul and perfect driver. He was not only our driver but gave us many insights in culture, politics and what's going on in daily life in India.
The guides...
Mr Yogi in Delhi, a perfect start for our journey exploring secret places in old town - just amazing. His personality and guidance style where exceptional.
Arriving in Agra, Mr Love showed us the hidden gems and the magic of the Taj, no question was unanswered - amazing. Moving on to Jaipur Mr JC couldn't have been a better guide to show us around and we would have loved to stay another day but Dharamshala was calling.
Mr Sonu was awaiting us with his love for nature and culture of the place where he grew up. We spent amazing days in Dharamshala and Dharamkot. Arriving in Manikaran we did some nice sight seeing and hiking with the young guide from our hotel, Jagut, which was organized on short notice by Active India thanks to Ravi. Our last leg of the journey was Rishikesh, where laid back Mr Dev was showing us around the busy pilgrim cities including Haridwar.
Heading back to Delhi by train Mr Aman, the very kind representative of Active India, was awaiting us for a comfortable transfer to the hotel - like always, all went smooth and perfectly organized.
We could have mentioned so many more things but after this long review I can only say... Book your trip with kimkim and Active India and you will have one of the most amazing trip ever!
Cheers, Susanne and Volker

We were very happy with our decision to use Kimkim and would do you again. Valentine understood what we had in mind and came up with a program that was perfect for us. She told us we would need a rental car, which we hadn't realized but was really essential, and she organized a perfect small car for us, an automatic, a hybrid, very easy to drive. She suggested excursions we could do, all of which were great, as was the guide (Anne) with that company. And she, Valentine, was very responsive to all queries. There was one small glitch when we checked into the hotel, but she quickly sorted that out. All in all, a great experience and we would recommend Kimkim to others.

Hotel Review

La Maison des Peyrat

Sarlat La Canéda

This is a lovely hotel, 14th century building with lots of charm, as well as (in our case at least) a 21st century bathroom! The owners are delightful and very helpful. My only hesitation is the location. One needs to know that the hotel is up a very steep hill and there's no food available at the hotel in the evening, so one either has a steep climb up after dinner or the problem of finding parking every evening. Apart from that, we loved the hotel and would recommend it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Villages of Dordogne Valley Half-Day Trip From Sarlat

France

The Dordogne Valley Half-Day Trip from Sarlat was a delight. We enjoyed touring the villages and the experience of being in a small group was ideal. We were guided by an excellent guide named Ann for the majority of the time. She was knowledgeable and engaging, and I would absolutely recommend her to future travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarlat Market Visit & Dordogne Gourmet Culinary tour

France

The market visit and culinary tour in Sarlat was a fun experience. We enjoyed the mix of being on our own and also having guided tours. The small group setting was appreciated and made the experience more intimate. Our tour guide was fantastic and made the experience enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paleolithic Art of the Dordogne Shared Full Day Trip From Sarlat

France

The Paleolithic Art full day trip was another enjoyable experience. Being in a small group allowed us to ask more questions and get more out of the trip. Our guide, Ann, was exceptional and greatly enhanced our experience. I would highly recommend her and this tour to future travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rocamadour Half-Day Trip From Sarlat

France

The Rocamadour half-day trip was a wonderful experience. We had a different tour guide for this trip, and while he was good, he didn't quite compare to Ann. Nonetheless, the trip was enjoyable and the views were stunning. I would recommend this tour to future travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just had an incredible 11 days in South Africa and cannot say enough good things about the process, our guide (Liz in Cape Town) and the accommodations and people at the Thabamati Luxury Tent Camp. Even our guesthouse in Franschoek was incredibly cute and convenient. We would 10000% recommend this exact trip for anyone visiting the country. Our only swap might be cutting a day in Cape Town to spend an extra night in wine country or safari.

Hotel Reviews

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

This place is amazing. The food, the staff, the accommodations are all first class. We only spent four nights here but my wife cried on our last dinner as she never wanted to leave. Courtnee, Brett, Mish, Sips, Oscar, Caswell, Zona (I know I’m misspelling this one) and all others were so great and helpful throughout.

Authenticity & Character

Just an amazing place

Location

It has its own watering hole that is always vibrant with wildlife!

Staff

If I could give them 10 stars we would

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable, luxurious

The Commodore Hotel

Cape Town

The Commodore was a great hotel in a nice location. Nothing g fancy but a clean place with great staff and amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by V&A waterfront

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and cozy

Avondrood Luxury Guest House

Franschhoek, Western Cape

Such a cute guesthouse steps from downtown Franschoek. It had a cozy feel with a fire and honesty bar, great rooms, and a lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Such a cute main house with a fire each night and lovely, spacious rooms.

Location

Steps from the wine tram and downtown Franschoek

Staff

They went above and beyond d throughout, even packing us take away breakfasts for our early morning trips.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the warm bottles they used to heat up our beds on the cold nights.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Private Table Mountain and City Tour

Cape Town

Our guide, Liz, was amazing. She was extremely knowledgeable and flexible when the weather got in the way of our plans. We felt like she was a third traveler with us rather than an intrusive guide. We didn't get the best weather for our Table Mountain visit, but Liz was able to shuffle things around for us and the experience was still remarkable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Hermanus tour including Whale Cruise

South Africa

The whale cruise was a unique experience. My wife is a big nature and animal lover, so it was a treat for her. It was a bit crowded but still an experience worth having.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Winelands Tour

South Africa

This was unexpected. We had Liz as our guide again and she provided us with great recommendations for wineries and restaurants. The wineries were incredible, especially the Ernie Els Winery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

The safari was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We were in the middle of nowhere and got up early for the safari. We wished we could have done a few more bushwalks but it was too hot. We spent our days reading and watching the animals come and go from the watering hole.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, we were pleased with the advice and guidance that Nancy of Japan Travel provided. We saw places that we would not have otherwise experienced.

However, the itinerary did not seem to take the actual traveler experience in mind. Some examples include:

Obtaining Transportation Cards
• Because our JR Rail vouchers were delivered to our Tokyo hotel, we were not able to pick up our Japan Rail Passes while we were at the arrival airport, so a few days later, we had to take time from exploring Tokyo to get to and navigate Tokyo Station to get our JR Passes.
• One of our surnames (Walker) was misspelled on the JR Rail voucher, which we discovered as we got to Tokyo Station. Upon messaging Nancy of Japan Travel, she informed us that we would have to go back to our hotel (on the other side of Tokyo) to meet an operations team member from Japan Travel to get a corrected JR Rail voucher, again taking time out of our day to handle administrative tasks that should have been done by Japan Travel. During our Metro ride back to our hotel, Nancy called to tell us to return to Tokyo Station, use the vouchers with the typo, and call the Japan Travel Operations team if there were any problems. So, back we go to Tokyo Station to get the actual JR Rail Passes. A significant portion of our days was devoted to getting our JR Rail Passes, which is not how we wanted to be spending our holiday.
• Had JR Travel arranged for us to pick up our JR passes at the airport and told us to get a Pasmo or Suica card at the airport, it would have alleviated much of our frustration with this matter.

Timing of Tours and Travel
• Tours and experiences seemed to have been set up without regard to travel times or overlapping timetables. Two examples include:
o The tour of Hakone was scheduled to last until 5pm, which allowed very little time to enjoy the ryokan experience since we had only a few minutes to soak in the onsen hot springs in order to get to dinner at the appointed time. The next morning, we had to leave the ryokan very early – missing the breakfast experience – in order to get to Kyoto in time for our appointment at the Kimono Tea Ceremony, which could have easily been scheduled for later in the day, if Japan Travel had thought through the actual travel schedule. We had to figure out the early-morning local bus and local train schedules since taxis did not come to the ryokan at that hour. What should have been a highlight of our trip – a relaxed afternoon, evening, and morning at a traditional ryokan – turned out to be a “rush in-rush out” experience, all due to timing of the Hakone tour (lasting until 5pm) and the need to leave early the next morning. Japan Travel should have provided adequate time for these experiences, taking travel and tour times in mind.
o The tour of Osaka was scheduled to begin at 10:00am, which would have meant we would have had to take a 6:20am Shinkansen train from Hiroshima to arrive in Osaka and get to our hotel for a 10:00am tour. Consequently, we decided to cancel the Osaka tour and take a Shinkansen train at a reasonable hour.
• Had JR Travel provided suggestions on travel from one city to another, perhaps they might have avoided these issues of tight time schedules

Tours
• Both guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and professional, but seemed to feel that we had to experience everything on a “checklist” of activities, even though we weren’t interested in everything of their list.
• Some of the tour plans were inordinately long for the limited number of sights to see.
o For the Nara tour, 2 hours were planned for Nara Park and visiting the Tōdai-ji Temple, 2 hours were planned for visiting the Isuien Garden, and 2 hours were planned for shopping. We had to be firm in stating that we didn’t enjoy visiting gardens all that much and that we did not want to shop at all.
o We cancelled going on the Osaka tour because of the aforementioned travel timing, but the proposed tour would have included 2 hours of shopping and 1 hour visiting gardens.
• While we knew that we were responsible for local transportation, we were not informed that we would have to pay for long-distance taxis in Nikko (from the Oawakudani Volcanic Valley to the British Embassy Summer Villa and then to the Hakone train station). Fortunately, we had the ¥17,000 ($117 USD) in cash, but would have preferred knowing in advance that the transportation would be that price.

Quality and Location of Hotels Varied Greatly
• The Tokyo Center Hotel is a mediocre hotel, at best. Our assigned room was so tiny that there was not space for us to put clothes, store luggage, or even sit at the small shelf that served as the desk. One of us had to move to the bathroom or get on a bed in order for the other person to get around in the room. Simply put, it was an unacceptable room. Fortunately, one of the front desk team members was able to move us to a larger room, and we paid for the “upgrade.” Breakfast was unexceptional, with below-average food quality. The hotel is located in a business-centric neighborhood, so there are few restaurants that are nearby and even those close early.
• The Kijitei Hoeiso Ryokan in Hakone was wonderful, but, as stated above, we couldn’t enjoy the experience because we were rushed, due to the tight schedule planned by Japan Travel.
• The Kyoto Takasegawa Bettei was a nice hotel, but a bit remote from sights.
• The Hiroshima Hilton was superb. Room sizes were large, with many amenities. The breakfast buffet was excellent. The location was fairly central.
• The Hanshin Osaka was run-down, with a limited-choice, low-quality breakfast buffet. While the Hansin Osaka’s location was OK, a modern hotel in the Osaka Station area would have been a much better choice.
• Many of these hotel experiences could have been avoided, if the itinerary discussions included the level of accommodations, Accommodations were, in many locations, below our expected standards.
• with a discussion of the level of accommodations being part of the itinerary discussion.

In summary, we were glad we got to see all the sights that were on the itinerary, but the experience was marred by the poor timing of tours and transportation. We would not recommend that friends use Japan Travel.

Guides made the difference. They are caring, proud of their heritage and offered unique experiences. Loved Daniel- he was as informative as he was witty and fun. Loved Victor’s stories, and couldn’t say enough about Rui. Wished we had skipped boat ride in Duoro to have enjoyed more time in the hotel as it followed our 4x4 adventure. Overall I’d plan another trip with kimkim and loved the ease of communicating and the app and outlines of the trip plans

Hotel Reviews

MeraPrime Gold Design Hotel

Lisbon

Loved rooms, breakfast, and most of all the friendly staff. Good location as it was central to what we saw

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could walk to any of the areas north, west or east, train station etc closeby

Staff

Walked in at 5:45 am from early flight and Pedro went out coffee his way to make us an espresso- what a great first impression

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, loved coffee in room, lighting was great, beds comfortable

Porto Charming Hotel

Porto

Wished we had spent more time in Porto and hotel to give more input but staff was great, location good and area safe

Authenticity & Character

Rooms and views were nice- loved being able to open a window and feel fresh air and hear local sounds

Location

Staff

Friendly, helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta de Casaldronho Wine Hotel

Lamego

Loved the views , sitting areas, cozy bar area, and dining room. Rooms were well appointed having closets etc and bathrooms were well sized and designed to handle two people. Loved coffee in the room and view over vineyards

Authenticity & Character

Unique design - modern but kept some of old character

Location

Views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Daniel was so much fun and so was the group- good size, food amounts were perfect and variety of dishes was interesting- loved covering different parts of city and ethnic groups

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Liked all the facts that didn’t kind like they came from travel brochure- made me appreciate the city and helped us navigate the area and entice us into coming back on our own

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liked we could end tour at a point where we could explore more there vs being back to hotel

Portuguese Cooking Class at a Chef's Home

Lisbon

Paolo had a nice way of involving everyone and we really learned some techniques as well as dishes. Drinking while cooking made the class lively and had a great feel for those who might not be serious cooks- I’d do this again and again

Quality of Experience

Food

Kept the recipes to snake for friends when I return

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Was my least favorite- nothing special

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

Didn’t know what to expect which may have good and bad. Hiking was the right amount and the added swimming holes were amazing and I should have better prepared for them. Lunch with the group was memorable and I got more out of this than just hiking. I’d always recommend- the group we had really made it better than a private tour

Quality of Experience

K

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Excursion: Alentejo Wine Experience

Lisbon

Loved the ride out and views of different areas we didn’t expect to see- cork farm/factory was interesting and the winery was beautiful. Lunch in Evora was well timed and loved the simplicity of the place chosen- authentic

Quality of Experience

M

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Loved seeing the market ( personal interest in those places) the area below/by the Luis the 1st bridge- wish we had seen more and added time to this but honestly my feet hurt at that point

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marina was excellent. Thanks to all of her insights and help we enjoyed a trip we’ll never forget. Marina put us with outstanding guides who made places come to life in food, history, art, photos and stories we’ll remember forever.

Hotel Reviews

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Staff was very kind and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Our guide was so knowledgeable about the history and neighborhoods of Lisbon. We came away with a much greater understanding of Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Great guide, great food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Clara, our guide, was outstanding. Fun, friendly and high- energy which was infectious. Her pride of Porto was clear and really engaging

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Olive Oil & River Cruise

Porto

Roi, our guide, was very knowledgeable and engaging. Really helped us understand the area well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Our guide, Paola, was outstanding. Fun, friendly, engaging and very knowledgeable. He showed us the highlights of course but it was all the out of the way authentic places he took us to and his personality that made this day so special for us. Hands down the best guide we had in Portugal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Morocco booked via Kim Kim and Megan's company Wanderlust was AMAZING! We had an excellent time and felt like everything that we booked was perfect. Every step of the way, every detail was taken care of. We met our driver Mustapha on day 1 and it was all smooth sailing.

Attention to details like booking in areas that we requested and staying in riads and dars rather than hotels was very much appreciated. Whenever we checked in to a new place Mustapha did all the coordinating, all we had to do was show up with the bags and there was someone from the riad waiting to greet us. While I learned a bit of Arabic to be able to check in and out, it was really helpful to have someone who spoke the language handling this for us instead! Especially when we got in to town late in the evening in Chefchaouen.

In terms of lodging, each place that Kim Kim booked for us was unique and interesting. The first room we had at Riad Hicham seemed small and basic but the rooftop deck there was such a fantastic feature, it was literally right over the main square in Chefchaouen. That's when you realize that Morocco is not about hanging out in your room, it's going out and exploring and enjoying the outdoor areas as well as the courtyards! The food at Riad Hicham was excellent and breakfast was included. Dar Victoria in Fes was beautiful on the inside and had an excellent dinner menu along with some of the best service. Our stay at Paradis du Sahara in the desert was way more luxurious than we were expecting and again the food for both meals was fantastic. Le Petit Riad in Ourzazate made us feel like movie stars, the riad had a wonderful dinner included and a beautiful pool that our room looked out to. In Imlil we stayed with a Amaziegh gentleman where he made us dinner and it was lovely. The final stop at Riad Snan 13 was very luxurious and the pool in the courtyard is gorgeous. We stayed in the room right outside the pool which made us feel very pampered.

Our driver/guide Mustapha was amazing! He really connected with us and shared a lot of his experiences as we were driving around the country. He made us feel really comfortable and treated us like a cousin that came to visit rather than a client. He's an awesome guy who we really appreciated it!

In regards to the excursions we really enjoyed them all. One thing in particular that I noticed was how much more personal the activities were compared to what others seemed to have. For example, while in Fes we had a private guided tour so it was just the two of us plus our guide. While walking through the medina we would occasionally see large tour groups bustling about and it just looked unpleasant compared to our one-on-one experience. It was really nice to have that personal experience and that's something I wouldn't have thought about if I were to book all the excursions myself.

Leading up to our trip Megan and her team were very communicative and I felt very secure that everything was taken care of and they did not disappoint! This was a once in a lifetime trip for us but based on the experience we had with Kim Kim and Wanderlust I'm hoping that we can eventually go back and explore even more of Morocco!

Ina did a fantastic job planning our trip. Everything was scheduled and we were really able to relax and enjoy every moment. There was always someone waiting for us to take us to from every flight, ferry, and adventure she had planned for us. We will definitely use kimkim for our next overseas vacation. Thank you for an amazing vacation.

Hotel Review

Adriani Hotel

Naxos Town

We spent most of our trip at this hotel. The owners were very friendly and accommodating. The breakfast was homemade and didn’t disappoint. Naxos was by far our favorite city.

Authenticity & Character

Family owned

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Always came back to a clean and cozy room

Activity Reviews

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Vicky was very knowledgeable and a great tour guided of the Acropolis.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Tour around Naxos

Naxos

Great food on the boat and a great crew

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Words cannot describe the most wonderful amazing 10 day vacation we had visiting Croatia. Beginning with Bruno, who was so helpful in organizing our trip from the very beginning, especially figuring everything around my sister and my long time wish to visit Pag where our 4 Grandparents were born, to every person he had organized to transport us and guide us along the way. His constant communication before, during, and after our trip was so considerate and helpful. He even coordinated us meeting with the parish priest to visit the grave site where our Great Grandparents are buried, and helped us find the restaurant in Lun that a distant cousin owns. We traveled with our husbands and saw so many beautiful sights...Split was amazing and our tour guide Ivana was over the top the best. She guided us through the city of Split and through Diocletian's Palace. Friendly, knowledgable, and a great sense of humor. Mario was with us for 3 days driving and explaining as we drove to and explored Lun, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Krka National Park... ( where we had the most amazing lunch with our feet in the water ), Skradin, and Ston! Along the way we stopped at a roadside fruit and vegetable stand, for amazing local food , stopped for photos of the beautiful country, and had time for wine tasting at lovely Matusko winery on our way to Dubrovnik. We were all teary saying goodbye to Mario in Dubrovnik as after 3 days he felt like family. He was so comfortable to be with and filled us with so much history and beauty of Croatia. Our last stop, Dubrovnik ,and the old city , was as amazing as we had imagined .Our tour guide Amtea was so full of information and a great sense of humor that kept us engaged throughout. She even gave us the hint to be in the center at noon to see the pidgeons being fed. We grabbed a table and ordered wine and pizza and had a front row seat. Such a sight to see them all swoop down as the church bell rang, and then swoop away after. Walking the wall, a must do , was an experience we will all remember.... the views, the homes and people right amongst it all.... amazing! We are so grateful to Bruno and all the kind people that guided us through our trip. Croatia is truly a special place and our hearts are full!

We had our university class get together in Morocco

We had an amazing time. The trip was very well planned and packed in a lot ( probably too much )
We got a very wide and detailed overview of the country

Our guides Nooruddin and Ayub were amazing - informative, articulate, reflective and very, very helpful
Their knowledge of history was amazing
But the most credit goes to Saeed who was always calm and composed and ensured everything went smoothly

Only thing to add -there was too much packed in the trip and we did not get enough relaxing time to chat among ourselves

We got to go all over Scotland for nearly two weeks with Marion's help. We saw some very beautiful areas and toured a lot of castles and whisky distilleries. My husband and I had a great time and all of our scheduled events and hotel bookings went through as planned. We never to reach out to the agency for any booking issues.

I would have appreciated perhaps a bit more communication - our dinner reservation with Three Chimneys had apparently been overbooked and they said they had sent an email about it to us, but it wasn't our email on their contact so we arrived at the restaurant expecting the kitchen tasting menu, but we had the normal four course dinner instead. This wasn't a big inconvenience or anything, but it did result in some confusion. We also did not receive any emails from the hotels regarding restaurant times. Redwood Hotel on Skye was not open every evening for dinner and because it is such a difficult drive to get to the hotel, I had hoped not to go out again that day. When I asked the receptionist about it, he said that that information should have been given to me in an email, which we did not receive.

Those were our biggest issues. And perhaps we might have appreciated another night in Edinburgh instead of the two initial nights as we were too tired to do anything the day we came in and we had to leave immediately after the first full day to go to Stirling Castle, which was a little out of the way since we ended up going back there towards the end of the trip.

My biggest tip for anyone booking in the future is to really look at the hotels and locations on Google Maps and see if you feel comfortable driving on Scotland's roads (they can be narrow or only have one lane with lots of sheep and potholes). We saw so many train stations and buses while we were traveling, and I wish we had used public transportation to avoid the stress of driving.

Overall, it was the trip of a lifetime and I'm so glad that I had Marion's help to plan this trip. She's very responsive and easy to work with and the KIm KIm interface is very intuitive and I really appreciated having all of our trip information in one place.

Kim Kim recommended the best of the best. My mom and I had an incredible experience, with the best service and everything went smooth. Thank you Kim Kim!

Activity Review

The Best of Argentina Culinary Experience

Buenos Aires

This is a must do! They make it so much fun and you get the full Argentine experience from the wine down to the food and all the way to dessert and matte tea. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Greece was amazing, went smoothly and was unforgettable. I have nothing but good things to say about our experience. This was our first trip to Europe and I was so impressed with the service that was provided. Communication was prompt and I was always able to get a hold of someone instantly if I needed them. Everyday we were notified of our schedule and times of excursions for the next day. The whole team at Be A Greek created a vacation for us that we will never forget. Highly recommend them and hoping to use their services again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Alcanea Boutique Hotel Chania

Chania Town

A beautiful hotel with friendly staff. The building is over 500 years old which makes it even more amazing and beautiful. This hotel has an amazing location and views. Located in the port and within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and the beach. They also have a restaurant and bar with a complimentary breakfast. We had a balcony where we could sit and relax with a view of the lighthouse. It was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

The building is over 500 years old and beautifully maintained.

Location

Located within the Old Venetian Port of Chania but off to side away from noise. Beautiful views.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly, helpful, and lovely to talk to.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Since it is such an old building there are no elevators. So you will have to walk stairs but it is what gives the building character. Everything was clean and comfortable.

DOM Boutique Hotel

Heraklion

Stayed here one night just to sleep. The hotel was beautiful, modern, and clean. Oddly located on a side street that gets busy but we didn't stay in the hotel except to sleep and it was conveniently located to tons of shops and restaurants. Beautiful area to walk about and sightsee.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and modern hotel

Location

Within walking distance to main shops, food and sights. I am not a city person so it was a little loud and busy for me in the area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Above Blue Suites

Santorini

This hotel and the location are breathtaking! The views from the hotel were beautiful! The staff were friendly and helpful. The breakfast was delicious with so many options. So many walking trails and things to do in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful blue and white hotel with breathtaking views.

Location

I'll never forget the beautiful views from this hotel.

Staff

The women who checked us in was lovely, friendly and extremely helpful. She recommended restaurants and made our stay very relaxing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and the hotel was well maintained.

Argo Hotel

Mykonos

Beautiful hotel and centrally located to many restaurants and beaches. I was impressed with the size of our room and the amenities. The hotel was beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located to many restaurants, a few shops and the beach. You can even walk down the street to catch a water taxi to access more beaches.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

I am not a city person and this hotel is located within the city. That being said if you stay in Athens then you need to stay at this hotel! They have a restaurant on their rooftop with the perfect view of the Acropolis. Extremely beautiful! Plus the food was delicious. The rooms were cleaned and maintained, and they had a jacuzzi bathtub. Being in the city it was quiet at night within our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Rooftop view of the Acropolis.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chania Old Town Private Walking Tour with Food & Wines Tastings

Greece

It was so nice to tour Chania Old Town with a local who does tours. It was great to hear the history and be taken to historical locations. The food and wine tasting at the end was a nice way to try local food and dishes. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We met the tour guide at our hotel location. Very convenient and easy.

Knossos Palace Small-group Mythological Tour

Greece

The tour was very informative and insightful. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and you could feel her passion. Learned so much and we we enjoyed the beauty and knowledge we gained.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Santorini

We enjoyed this tour and we were able to choose the locations we wanted to see. The best part was talking with the tour guide and learning about the culture. All the locations were beautiful. We visited a monastery, and winery, and walked through a local town. Very beautiful and informative experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Caldera Small-group Sunset Cruise with BBQ on board and Open Bar

Santorini

If you visit Santorini this is a must-do! We had so much fun! The staff on the boat were all amazing, kind, and fun! It was a small group of people so we all chatted, got to know each other, and enjoyed the beautiful cruise. We swam in the ocean, saw the beautiful beaches, swam in the hot springs, had a delicious meal, and watched the sunset. They also showed us many historical sights. This cruise was one of my favorite excursions on our vacation.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos Old Town Private Guided Walking Tour

Mykonos

I am so happy we did this walking tour otherwise my husband and I would have been walking in circles around Mykonos. The tour took us to all the spots to get beautiful photos and avoid the crowds. Learned about the history and how Mykonos became known for being a party location. The city is beautiful with all the shops and painted walkways and homes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

So glad we did this tour because there is so much you can miss out on with the history of the Acropolis. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate and taught us so much. The Acropolis is absolutely beautiful and a must-visit. We are happy we had a tour of the museum as well because there is such an extensive amount of history to learn.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day in Chania

Chania

We were happy we had a free day in Chania so we could explore the city and recover from a long day of travel. The city is beautiful and lovely to spend time walking around and exploring. There is so much to see. You could sit for hours just watching the water. Beautiful city and our favorite location we visited in Greece.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beatriz put together a wonderful trip for us, including the hotels and the activities. It was a nice mix of planned activities and days to ourselves just to explore. She was very responsive to in communication as we were planning the trip, and worked with us on glitches without any problem. I will definitely have Kim Kim put together other trips for us.

Hello Joseph

Thank you for all of your work in planning an amazing trip to Uganda and Tanzania. All of the hotels/bush camps/lodges were excellent. There was never a hold up/question about entrance permits when we arrived at the National Parks. The airport pick ups were very smooth, even after a 2 hour arrival delay.

The meals while basic were plentiful, soup, salad, fresh rolls, rice/potatoes, mixed veggies, meat/pork/fish/chicken, dessert, tea/coffee/cold milk. Alcohol/wine/beer was available for an additional cost. Breakfast of fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast was pre ordered the night before and was ready upon your arrival. The box lunch was a sandwich, dessert, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice/water. It was interesting to see how the chef would vary the meal each day by using various spices or sauces. At the Rhino Lodge, one of the items offered at supper was roasted potatoes in a peanut butter sauce!! Surprisingly it was OK!! Some of the meals were a buffet style, some were served, while others were a served buffet. There was no issue if you wanted seconds.

After seeing 100’s if not 1,000’s of animals in Tanzania, I was slightly disappointed with the lack of animals in Uganda (15 elephants and a similar number of zebra/impala) trekking to the chimps and gorilla was certainly a highlight. My driver in Uganda, Nassar from Able Tours, said that Uganda is a farming country and if a farmer comes across a fresh livestock kill, they spread poison the kill hoping that it will poison whatever did the kill. He also said that zebra do not have any natural predators, so they usually die from old age. Driving thru Uganda I was very surprised to see the height and steepness of the landscape. We had to take a short 10 KM detour, due to road construction, it took us thru a large tea plantation and it was eye opening to see the people harvesting the tea leaves, with the wicker baskets strapped to their backs on the steep hills. Watching the person, who took the full baskets back to the processing location climbing up and down the hills, made my legs and back ache!! I am a motorcyclist; it was very surprising to see all the motorcycles that are used to transport all of the commerce. I saw motorcycles carrying 5 people, ladies riding side saddle on the motorcycle, lengths of metal pipe, lumber, live animals, many yellow water pails, large branches of bananas, large 50 kilo bags of beans and rolls of metal roofing. Whatever needed to be transported was done with the small 100/125 cc motorcycles. I saw people helping to push these motorcycles up over the hills as the motorcycles did not have the power to get over the top of the hill when they were loaded. The boat ride on Lake Mburo was refreshing after the long and rough roads in Uganda. The night I stayed at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, there was a commotion outside my tent around 11:30 PM. The noise carried on until about 3 AM until it finally subsided. In the morning, when I went down for breakfast, the staff asked how my night was, did I sleep well? I mentioned the noise and the staff just smiled and said, “Yes, the forest was not happy last night.” Apparently something had upset the local monkey group and they wanted everyone to know about it! Nassar told me that we were going to take a ferry across Lake Victoria, to save a 200 km drive I asked Nassar if he could swim, he said “NO, water is meant only for 2 things, cooking or bathing. There are things in the water that will eat you.” The ferry held 8 vehicles, about 300 of my newest non swimming friends and 50 motorcycles. There was no actual landing ramp, you just landed as close to shore as possible. Some of the ladies who had long dresses on would be carried off the ferry by someone so that their dresses did not get wet. I was the only one who was surprised by this, as it apparently is a common procedure. The ferry landed about 1 ½ KM from the Pineapple Guest house. The extra day that I stayed in Entebbe at the Pineapple Guest house was interesting. The guest house has 4 rooms each with private bath/shower and a balcony. There is a out building for families that sleeps 4. The swimming pool was a nice spot to meet other travelers and exchange stories. If you ever visit the guest house, ask for their Pineapple custard dessert. It is actually pineapple upside down cake with a large slice of pineapple on the bottom and a warm sauce that you pour over the dessert. I have never seen a pink pineapple but they are growing right on the property. I walked back down to the landing area (1 ½ KM) the next day and watched the activity at the local market. The Boma Hotel in Kampala/Entebbe was very nice with a swimming pool attached to the dining area. Unfortunately a late evening arrival and an early morning departure did not allow me time to enjoy the pool

The Chanya Hotel in Moshi was my first experience with a tented bed!! There is a swimming pool which was most enjoyable after my Kilimanjaro trek. All of the hotels in the cities are located along a main road, but there was never any noise from the traffic, and each hotel was gated. The Rhino Lodge is located near the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. The balcony faces a mountain range and it was enjoyable to sit and watch the evening sky, while listening to the animals wandering the property. When I went to go bed, I was surprised to find 2 hot water bottles under the covers, warming the bed!! Arriving at the bush camps you are met by the staff who offered hot towels to wash the dust off of your face and also a glass of cool “refreshment.” The rules about the camps were explained and you are given a walkie talkie to contact the main tent. You were told NOT to walk up to the main tent by yourself in the dark. You called the main tent and a guide would arrive to accompany you to the main tent. Hot water was provided for a shower, you told the staff what time you wanted a shower and they would bring you 2 large pails of hot water that was then mixed with the water that was on the roof.

In Tanzania, my driver was Rama from Nariku Travel Experience. He was excellent in spotting the animals that often were hiding in or under a tree. When we first met, before we entered any National Park he said there was 1 rule that I had to follow, that was NEVER get out of the vehicle until he says it’s OK. After seeing a pride of lions lying on their side in the tall light brown grass, I soon realized what he meant. I commented about the lions and he smiled and said that if I was going to go to the bathroom over by the tree that I would probably not get back!! Rama explained about the 2 safaris and asked me what I wanted to do. He said we may be 20 KM away from the camp watching the animals when it is time to return for lunch. If we returned it could take an hour each way plus the time it took for lunch and then we would have to return and find the animals. He said we could take a box lunch with us and stay with the animals. As I came to photograph the animals, that was the option I chose. Rama’s knowledge and experience was tremendous as he was often able to position the vehicle in such away that allowed for some amazing photos. He was more than willing to wait until I was finished taking all of the photos that I wanted and often he would suggest a slightly better location. We witnessed 2 lion kills, one directly in front of the vehicle, about 20 meters away. Rama saw 1 of the lions stalking a gazelle, while the second lion went into the bush to chase the gazelle out. Rama drove right to the edge of a water crossing, where we parked and waited. Shortly after, the lion managed to capture the gazelle. Later that evening back at the camp, some of the other people who had witnessed the kill said, while eating meat with their supper; that was not very nice to witness the lion kill.

The 2 tours were completely different. In Tanzania, Rama stayed with me the entire day in the vehicle, he would stay at the same camps, ate with me or if I was sitting at the common tables with other guest, he would sit with the other drivers. I felt that I had made a friend, we chatted about his family, life in Tanzania/Canada and anything else that came up.

In Uganda, Nassar, was very pleasant, he drove me from point to point, dropped me off with another guide and he would return to take me back to the hotel. He did not seem to stay at the same camp/lodge nor did he ever have a box lunch for himself. The first day I realized that he did not have a lunch, I offered to share mine with him, but he stopped along the road at a vendor selling BBQ meat, cassava, bananas or corn to purchase his lunch. One morning Nassar mentioned that he was slightly sore as he had stayed at a small hotel in town and was able to play football for about 2 hours that evening with some of the local lads. We both laughed and commented about knowing how he felt!! The trip in Uganda was basically a 5 day drive with 2 days trekking to see the chimps and the gorilla. It seemed to be a long uneventful tour, due to the lack of animals.

The overall trip was amazing, I think that had I arrived in Uganda first and saw the few animals before going to Tanzania, there would not have been any slight disappointment. All of the hotel staff were extremely helpful and friendly, more than willing to chat about their life and to learn about my life in Canada.

Thank you for arraigning this adventure, perhaps there will be another longer safari soon!!

Wilf McQuinn
Canada

Our trip to Italy with KimKim travel was nothing short of fabulous. We started our planning with Arianna, who I would highly recommend. She pays close attention to detail and I could tell she truly cared about us. She told us the truth about her opinions on things while also respecting our ideas.
Once we got to Italy, we ended up checking in fairly late to our first hotel as we were spending time with family that lived there. The hotel even contact KimKim to check on us and Barbara texted us to be sure we were ok. It really showed how much they were going to be there for us and made me feel super safe. All of our transportation to and from places was so clean and the drivers were knowledgeable. I also LOVED every place we stayed in. Our hotel hosts were kind, supportive, answered our questions and went above and beyond for us. We even made so many friends through them!
Jessica was also very helpful in working to help us add a last minute adventure while we were there.
I cannot recommend KimKim enough. Thank you a million!

Portugal Pedro was an awesome host and was very attentive to our group every day we were in Portugal. Communication was excellent as Pedro also checked in with us even weekends which is awesome and unheard of here in the USA!
We would recommend anyone going to Portugal to use Pedro.
His recommendation were spot on.
We loved our boat ride in Porto down the Douro river as well as the private boat trip in Lisbon down the Tagus river.
The bridge climb in Porto was also a super exciting event.
Fado experience was also super nice and gave you a real flavor of Portugal.
If you are traveling Portugal please use kimkim and have Pedro plan your trip as if was super organized and everything went very smoothly....especially the transfers!
Thank you Portugal Pedro!

Fantastic! Cannot say enough about Irene and her team throughout this process. They were amazing! Was our 40th wedding anniversary trip to Greece and couldn’t have asked for more. The places and itinerary Irene put together were great. And not having to worry about the details were so appreciated. From airport transfers to rental car pickup to ferry tickets and excursions, we didn’t have to think about a detail. Irene’s folks took care of everything! We used WhatsApp to communicate and it worked great! How we got our tickets for everything. The places Irene set up were superior and they greeted and treated us so well at each of the 5 hotels. And we like to do our own thing most places but the excursions Irene set up were the best we’ve ever experienced (personal guide to Acropolis, Alex, was amazing.. as was our hiking guide, George, in Naxos.. and our cooking class host, Katerina). Would not HESITATE to use Irene and her team again and could not be more thankful for the trip of our lifetime. Look forward to the next with kimkim! :-)

Hotel Reviews

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Perfect location for the Acropolis and downtown Athens. Staff was amazing.. in particular, Aphrodite.

Authenticity & Character

Boutique small hotel with best breakfast!

Location

In Plaka district close to everything

Staff

Aphrodite was great!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athina Studios & Suites

Naxos

Right next to the beach.. amenities and views were superior. Staff was amazing!! So attentive and had the pool to ourselves most days and drinks from the bar while we enjoyed it.

Authenticity & Character

Small hotel with very personal feel

Location

Right off the beach.. beautiful clear calm water

Staff

Staff was attentive and available for any and all questions .

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Ottomane Chania

Chania

Of the five hotels we stayed at in Greece this topped them all. The city of Chania is a gem! Wished we’d had a few more days here :-)

Authenticity & Character

Only a handful of rooms with original art and the most comfortable beds we’ve ever been in.

Location

The location was wow! Next to city center and they had parking which was great. Also right next to a 5,000 year old archeological dig.

Staff

Amazing attention to detail. Our last morning we had to leave at 6am so host made us full breakfast night before to enjoy before we left.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Again, spacious room with most comfortable beds!

Petit Palace Suites

Santorini

What can you say! The views were superior. Best place on Santorini to watch the sunset!

Authenticity & Character

Terraced room on edge of caldera were amazing.. everyone has wow views!!

Location

Away from congestion of Fira and Oia.. perfect location.

Staff

Faye and Alexandra on the restaurant staff were amazing… so attentive and personable!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inotropes Boutique Suites - Adults Only

Archanes-Asterousia

A gem in the middle of an authentic Cretan village. Only a handful of rooms.. each beautiful, clean and very well maintained.

Authenticity & Character

Small number of rooms made it special. Boutique hotel with parking was great.

Location

Not far from Heraklion.. great location in authentic village.

Staff

Breakfast was wow! The spread was amazing!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Alex was amazing! Would encourage anyone going to the Acropolis to ask for him. Cannot compare to the large group tours we observed there. He was our personal guide and knew more about U.S. history than us!! Amazing young man and person.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Naxos Paths

Naxos

George is a gem! After 5 hours together we were ready to adopt him as an honorary son! He took us on a hiking tour of multiple villages and was so informative and interesting.. so appreciated

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Naxos Villages

Naxos

Katerina and her mother Maria were fantastic. Special time learning various Greek dishes.. look forward to replicating with family! Her house was so inviting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What a fantastic holiday. Croatia is an amazing country to visit and this holiday allowed us to explore the best it has to offer including city tours, quaint coastal villages and spectacular national parks such as Plitvice and Krka.

The people we met and stayed with on the way through were so friendly and helped make our holiday that much more enjoyable.

Bruno and the team were fantastic, the planning and organisation were excellent and everything went as expected.

Thanks so much for a fantastic holiday, we’d recommend Kimkim and especially Bruno to our friends and family if they wanted to visit Croatia, not that they’d need much convincing once they see the photos.

What a great team in Saeed, Norrudine, Ayub, Aziz and Hasan. Truest a platinum team in every respect
Amazing. Safe country with varied landscapes

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Garden Inn Tanger City Centre

Tangier

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Luxury Camp Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

Great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

Could be improved

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Perhaps smile a bit more, efficiencies could be improved; piano in the lobby needs tuning and a chair to sit and play!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tanger to Fes via Chefchaoeun and Vollubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable, great guides