Kimkim Trip Reviews

Kimkim put us in touch with Morocco based Travel Experts Abdellah and Said who arranged our entire travel and kept in touch with us through out the trip to look after us.

They were receptive to our needs and special requests regarding locations we wanted to see, places we wanted to stay and travel modes we wanted to use (we covered a part of our journey from Fes to Marrakesh by train - an interesting experience).

We also dealt with our friendly and "on time" and professional Driver Soufian [English Speaking] - who spent a number of days driving us all over Morocco.
Guides Hafiz (in Fez) and Hannan (In Marrakesh) added to our knowledge of the History and Monuments that we saw.
All were fluent in (Moroccan) English and communication was perfect.

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

This Hotel Deserves a Full 5 star rating EXCEPT for -- see below. It is ideally located -- Near the central restaurant area of the Chefchaouen, and also car transport when coming into the city can drop you real close to the entrance of the Riad. It is really beautiful and clean inside and well staffed. No worn out or excessive draperies etc. It had a pool and other miscellaneous services (like Hammam) are probably available- we did not use them. Excellent Breakfast and Breakfast nook with a real log fire. As Riads go -- one encounters narrow and sometimes winding staircases with triangular steps to navigate curves and turns in the stair case. Something to make note of as it may be physically challenging for some. (This is something common to many Moroccan hotels) The one thing I didn't like was how our luggage was handled. The Hotel sent personnel to take our luggage from the car to the Hotel reception for which they get 10/10- but instead of putting suitcases in a luggage cart, they simply lugged our suitcases over stone lined cobble stone streets - like conducting a Consumer Reports Stress test of our luggage wheels. Thud Thud, rutt tutt rutt thud - Definitely not worth it -- if your your luggage wheel breaks off -- the rest of your Moroccan and return journey across airports will be "Hell" with broken off wheels. We saw in other places in Morocco how Hotel staff does use Luggage Carts to carry your suitcases.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

See above -- luggage handling issue. Luggage was moved across rough paved streets with sometimes wet sewage

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fes Nass Zmane

Fes

Stunningly Beautiful. Great Location for the Fes Medina access. Decor inside the hotel and the room is great. Not the fault of the hotel - but a stale putrid smell is present in the streets of the Medina the hotel is located in. Inside the hotel no problem - but you can fell it the moment you step out in the street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

As it is all over Morocco, the stairs, the banisters are never to international standards. You will find that steps and staircases are uneven . The Bathroom sink merely tolerates the sink faucet spout to run at a trickle, whether it is blocked with muck or it is kept to work like that to conserve water is unclear. Our room was Named "TULIP" -- avoid this room because of faulty plumbing. No luggage stands in the room.

Iberostar Founty Beach

Agadir

It is like any good hotel in the USA -- to come here after your stay in various Riads of Morocco, one feels a great sense of relief. You can breathe, eat, walk. Everything functions as it is supposed to. Large verandahs, great views, access to the Boardwalk Promenade and of course to the Beach and the sea. There is not much to do in the town itself. Shop the Souks and Handicrafts. The hotel does exchange your money to local Moroccan Dirhams - a great convenience for a bit of loss for the convenience. Taxi is available at the front door, so one does not get the feel of being trapped, like in Caribbean resorts.

Authenticity & Character

Western or European - like you are NOT in Morocco any more. Like you are on a large Cruise ship

Location

Staff

We had a bit of rude arrogant smart ass young chaps at the front desk on check in day, would give insufficient answers -- but the rest was perfect.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

It was a Riad with the most Beautiful interior we had yet seen in Morocco. It felt like we were moved back in History and time. It's location with respect to the Central Square Jemaa el Fna is prefect. Access to Qutubia Mosque was also convenient. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful. We would have preferred a bit more lighting or brightness level in our room -- but it was what it was. Dim lights. This Riad did not have a TV in the room - but the internet Wifi was strong - so who needs TV.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located with easy access to the Medina and Jemaa El Fna square, yet it is away from the noise of the Medina.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It is clean, perfect plumbing, just that room was dimly lit, and access to the Breakfast nook is across up and down stairs

Activity Reviews

Fes Unveiled: Unravel the Riches of Morocco's Ancient City

Fes

Rich in History and Monuments we enjoyed Fes a lot,

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mystical Marrakesh: Unveiling the Allure of Morocco's Vibrant Jewel

Marrakesh

Our Tour Guide Hannah from Kimkim gave us a wonderful tour. She was good with her English fluency and answered our queries very satisfactorily.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive at Tangier Ville Harbor , Transfer to Chefchaouen

Morocco

The Arrival process is easy and efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey of Colours: Roman Ruins of Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

We had no desire to pursue this activity but the Kimkim office bearers wanted us to -- don't know why - may be the Government wants every traveler to go here. After having seen Roman ruins in Rome, Greece, Turkey, do you need to see one more

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Tradition: Sharing Stories and Savory Delights at a Moroccan Home

Morocco

Visit to an actual home in Fes Medina was a delight. A family opened its doors to us and met us with Grace and love. We really appreciated it. The only handicap is "Language" - wish we had an Arabic speaker with with us. The family's young son Hatim was fluent in English but too young to realize his much needed role to translate and facilitate conversation.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Take the Train to Marrakech and then Drive to Agadir

Morocco

I loved my ride on the train from Fes to Marrakesh. If needed I would do it again. You meet travelers - some like to engage with you in conversation, some don't - its the travel experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Exploration of Agadir city

Agadir

A trip to Agadir after going through colorful Morocco is like a relief valve. Agadir is not like "the madness" of various Medina's full of vendors and tourists shoulder to shoulder full.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Taxi overcharged us

Transport

A Day of Natural Splendors: High Atlas Mountains Adventure & Lunch with a Berber Family

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a sabbatical that we planned one year in advance. We love South America but had never been to Patagonia. We decided to spend a couple weeks there and spend a few days in Buenos Aires as we made our way home. It was AMAZING!

Planning the trip with Erin was a lot of fun, and Nara was also very helpful. The originally proposed itinerary was great, but we made a few tweaks to make it even better. We told Erin we like to be active during the day (hiking, biking, etc.), stay in really nice hotels, and drink great wine. We did all of those things and more!

During our trip, we stayed in six different cities: Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine, El Calafate, El Chalten, and Buenos Aires. Our transfers were very reliable. We appreciated kimkim's responsiveness when we had flight delays to ensure our driver was notified.

Punta Arenas - We liked Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca. It was quaint, and the staff members were friendly and helpful. The highlight was traveling by boat to Isla Magdalena to visit the penguin colony.

Puerto Natales - The Singular Patagonia was one of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed in. It was truly incredible. We loved our room and view, as well as the hotel bar and restaurant. The only hiccup we experienced was some confusion over logistics to get to the departure point for the boat tour excursion to visit the park and glaciers. There was not a pick-up, and we had to walk to the dock, which was 15 minutes away. Having to walk wasn't a problem, but we were a little late--just glad they didn't leave without us!

Torres del Paine - We thought it was a great idea to drive up the western side of Torres del Paine since we would eventually be staying and hiking on the eastern side. Our driver and guide were terrific. We stopped numerous places (waterfall, views, etc.), took photos, and learned about geology and wildlife. The Hotel Las Torres was fine. Our room was small but comfortable. The bar and restaurant were okay. Access to the trails was the selling point. The hike to Las Torres Lookout was easily self-guided but challenging; the views are weather-dependent, and seeing the glacier lake was worth the effort.

El Calafate - The Kau Yatun Hotel & Estancia was nice. They had an assortment of tasty food for breakfast, and we enjoyed cocktails and dinner of guanaco in their restaurant. The hotel has bicycles to borrow, which is helpful, as it is a pretty far walk to the main drag in town. Taxis were also available. Kimkim warned us that obtaining pesos was necessary but challenging; therefore, we sought that out immediately, but it was not easy. Banks closed early afternoon; the money exchange office ran out of pesos. We ended up having to go to a restaurant "back office" for an off-market change of money. It was interesting to learn that the exchange rate for American large bills ($20 and larger) was more favorable than that for small bills. We got a kick out of the Yeti Ice Bar (cheesy but fun). The boat trip to the glacier was lovely. Unfortunately, due to the proximity of icebergs, we were unable to dock and go to the balcony overlooking Perito Moreno Glacier.

El Chalten - It was fun to stop in Leona on the way to El Chalten. We enjoyed stretching our legs and learning about the historic spot. We appreciated the support we received from kimkim when we asked to do different guided hikes (one of us was still recovering from ankle surgery); one of us went to Laguna de los Tres and the other to Laguna Capri--both were great experiences. Both hikes could have been self-guided, but we liked our guides. One benefit was being dropped off at the north end of the Laguna de los Tres trail, which cut down on back-tracking. Mount Fitz Roy and the Fitz Roy Range are spectacular. On our last day, we hiked up to Mirador de los Condores, which offered fabulous views. Destino Sur Hotel was great, and we loved the town. We took advantage of the hotel's bikes so we could ride around town; there are no Ubers. We enjoyed beer and nosh at La Cerveceria and cocktails and wine at La Vineria. A local folkloric group performed a few tunes for us while we were dining at both Oveja Negra and Fuegia, which was a special treat. We had a blast riding mountain bikes 23 miles from Lago del Desierto to El Chalten. It was gravel the whole way with a few hills and a lot of tailwind and gusts. We stopped often because it was just so beautiful.

Buenos Aires - We were a little disappointed when we arrived a the Duque Hotel Boutique & Spa in the Soho neighborhood. Our room was quite small, and there wasn't anything special about it; however, we received exceptional service from the staff. They helped us plan our free days in Buenos Aires with an estancia excursion for the full "gaucho experience" with a brief nose-to-tail horseback ride, asado, and folk music, as well as a boat trip to the Tigre district. Due to a strike, our flight home was delayed until 3A. It was very kind of the staff to allow us to shower in the spa after we had checked out so that we would be more comfortable traveling home. We really enjoyed riding around Buenos Aires on bikes with a guide and ending with charcuterie and a wine-tasting. We were disappointed in the sub-par dinner at Viejo Almacen but absolutely loved every minute of the tango show afterward. There were plenty of good restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. We especially liked Nicky Harrison--fantastic sushi in the front and a step back in time at the speakeasy tucked behind the restaurant.

Pura Vida Costa Rica! This trip would not be the same without the help of Holden/KimKim travel. It was our first time using a travel specialist and it has completely changed my approach to traveling. The itinerary created by Holden was perfect, just the right amount of excursions paced just for us. As an aging backpacker (lol) I'm used to cramming in as much as possible and hit the ground running, this trip fulfilled all my expectations and then some. We got a taste of Costa Rica, without feeling overwhelmed and can't wait to go back! I'm still surprised that everything went so smoothly and completely stress-free, we just needed to show up to our reservations on time plus communication with Wilman, our local contact via Whatsapp was super helpful.

All the tours were great, ( Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges, Ocean Kayaking, Kuna Vela sailboat, Children's Forest Night Walk, Cloud Forest hike) the tour I enjoyed the most was the Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike with Luis, granted it was our first tour but our guide was so knowledgable and helpful, we saw more in 1km than I would have every expected; Arenal Hanging Bridges guide, David, was also amazing at pointing out animals/plants and helping with photos.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Pros: Wonderful staff, great location, breakfast buffet, swim up bar, quiet Cons: dated premise, spotty Wifi (at checkout the credit card machine went offline), our bathroom had soap scum and hair, common areas are hot, quiet (we were here on a weekday so the vibe might pick up during the weekend idk) Our meals were fine at the hotel, very nice and friendly staff. We also ventured out and can recommend El Chante (low key 80/90's American pop music), Morpho Beach Bar (walkable) and El Avion (nice sunset views in an old airplane hanger)

Authenticity & Character

Was expecting more from 4 star hotel

Location

Could not be easier getting to the National Park and beach.

Staff

Friendly and tried to be helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

We spent most our time off-site but we did enjoy the volcanic mud spa massage and little walking trail. Location was convenient for us, we had parking, breakfast buffet was good, enjoyed the rainforest showers and birds from our 'porch'. Close by recommendations: El Chante Verde, Rainbow Chocolate tour, Tiquicia - town is a 7 min drive We went to Paradise Hot Springs at night, the front desk was able to rearrange a pass on short notice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

This place was a dream. Don't leave during sunset, the views are amazing. We had the honeymoon suite, which was huge and the balcony made my life. We only had the breakfast buffet, which was great, bustling during pre-tour hours and the good variety. Treated to a spa massage, amazing. Wish we had more time here to check out the indoor pool and canopy tour but next time! Note: Take the hotel shuttle or drive, everything is uphill; or walk, your calves will look amazing afterwards.

Authenticity & Character

On a mountain, great sunset spot, close by Children's Forest

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villas Sol Hotel And Beach Resort

Playa Hermosa

All-inclusive with great view of the bay. Very kid-friendly. We stayed in the hotel section, which had it's own parking lot, view of the bay overlooking the main pool and buffet restaurant (dinner/breakfast was fine but they ran out of food so sometime you were waiting) Staff was nice, my Spanish is rusty so they were patient and kind. Cocktails were inconsistent but it's free so not complaining. They have a lot of on-site activities (like movie night by the pool, dancing lessons) and beach shuttle. Note: need to go to the pool by the wet bar to trade in your towel card, open til 5pm. In the hotel, we didn't see elevators, it's not hard to navigate the stairs but just a note if you have heavy suitcases :) Driving in Entrance is split by two booths, one for Condovac on the left and Villa Sol on the right.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

there was hair and rubber bands on the bedroom and bathroom floor.

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Our guide, Luis, was so knowledgeable and set the bar pretty high for the rest of our trip. He balanced giving information, addressing questions, taking photos in a great pace. The tour walk is short in distance but I felt very satisfied in what we learned and saw. We spent some extra time in the park afterwards exploring the beaches and other trails, we definitely did not see much without Luis' trained eye :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis!

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling in Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

I was nervous about kayaking the ocean waves but our guide was kind and patient, he explained the schedule and we were off! It was basically a straight shot to the snorkel area, we had good time, it was a bit cloudy but we saw some cool fish and starfish. Our guide tried to point out as much as he could but it was a bit cloudy and here was just some fish (at the time, and I was admittedly a little distracted with the low tide and avoiding rocks). The snorkel gear was basic and I couldn't get my life jacket out of the way (lol) but it was a good kayak, swim, fruit snack, and then kayak back, hop in the shuttle and drove to the tour's restaurant for casado lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very kind and patient

Transport

Night Walk: Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Walking the dark trails were exciting, we loved the idea of being able to see the nocturnal nightlife. We saw a lot of bugs and an armadillo lol but it was still fun. Our guide had fun stories and good trivia facts. I enjoyed how the guides helped each other, communicated via radio and left sticks pointing to sleeping creatures. Wish we saw some more frogs and more animals but that's definitely not in the control of the our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Zip Lines

Arenal/La Fortuna

I'm terrified of heights and had to do the 7-course zipline! I would recommend the Sky Adventure Sky tram + Zipline tour, we had a nice ride up the skytram, where the guides made small talk about a little history of Arenal and some biodiversity facts. The only way down was going through the 7 ziplines (1 intro, 5 long, 1 short to the finish line), our group made it through fairly quickly and with ease. The guides did a great job distracting us during any hold ups or waiting on line. I felt very safe and comfortable, even when I was terrified. This was for sure a once in a lifetime experience for me, I even bought the photo package.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver pointed out a toucan and some monkeys. Zipline guides made it feel very safe and were friendly and patient (i'm sure they get the same nervous energy and did a great job being a patient and helpful). Office staff were a little short but there were a lot of people asking the same question.

Transport

Shuttles was clean, drivers were nice. It would have been helpful to have known in advanced that the shuttle back was different from the way there, it was confusing

Morning Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

Kuna Vela was great time! The staff was helpful, they even took some photos on the beach and on the boat. Originally, when we booked it we thought we were going to a snorkeling site but with the recent rainstorms, they recommended going to Huevos Playa where we could check out the caves AND do some snorkeling. It was a great alternative. We spent an hour on the beach, checked out the cave (we didn't get to walk to the other beach but it was still good photo op and great timing cause after 45min there were waves and the tide was definitely coming in), they gave out some snorkel gear and noodles to float, some people saw a turtle, lots of fish. Then we took the dingy back to the sailboat, plenty of food, offered lots of drinks, relaxing sail back, saw some dolphins, flying fish, birds, birds, birds, and a manta ray.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Spain was amazing and memorable! Raquel was excellent and covered all bases as she made our itinerary. Our driver Alberto at Seville airport was friendly and professional. Our hotel in Seville CASA 1800 was great and their staff was professional and helpful. The location of the hotel was the best part which allowed us to explore everything on foot. The nearby restaurants offered the best Tapas ! Next, our driver Jesus was exemplary! He was kind, knowledgeable, friendly , punctual, professional and above all a safe driver. Our stay in Cordoba at NH Amistad hotel was comfortable and the visit to the Mosque/ Cathedral was great. Our journey to Granada with Jesus was very enjoyable and informative. Our hotel in Granada Eurostars Catedral was good but we had to change rooms because the one given to us at first was on the ground floor and backed into a street with a bar which made it very loud. The other room was small and cramped on the first floor but quieter. Our visit to Alhambra was fascinating but began with a hiccup. We were advised to get to the location at 11.45 am but after 12 noon we had to call to ask why our guide was still not there. Unbeknownst to us the time of our tour had changed but we had not been informed. Sara our guide was good. Our trip to Tarifa with Jesus was great and the ferry ride to Tangiers went very well. It was good to have the tickets for all our excursions and ferry ride in hand instead of standing in lines. The weather was perfect for us although now we hope Spain gets some rain soon as the locals are praying for it. All in all a wonderful experience!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

Great location. Friendly and helpful staff. Good breakfast and afternoon tea was a bonus! The only issue we had was that we could not adjust the temperature of the room. We were offered a fan which helped some.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We could walk to almost every place we wanted to. Great restaurants and the best tapas I had in Spain were here closeby to the hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

The location of this hotel is great but the hotel rooms backing into the street and bar can be very loud until quite late at night. The staff at the front desk were professional but in the breakfast area the staff were very warm and helpful. The spread was great as well.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Collection Amistad Córdoba Hotel

Córdoba

Good hotel but we were unable to adjust the temperature in the room. Great breakfast spread. We did not find the staff very helpful in giving directions as far as where to leave the luggage while we were completing the check in process and we had to carry it up and down several stairs which was not easy given our physical limitations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

Please make sure that if there is a change in the itinerary that people should be informed. If unable to get a hold of them by phone a message should be left at the front desk of the hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were lucky to have been assigned by KimKim to Raquel Aceituno (Madrid Based) as our
Travel Planner for a trip to Andalusia Spain. Raquel’s easy availability by text messages on the KimKim
platform and by Direct Telephone call when necessary was very much appreciated.
Raquel’s insight into our needs and style of travel were addressed and modified by her expert advice.
Once the trip was in its final version, we never required any readjustments, such was the precision.

The additional use of the Phone App “Trip Plans” to follow our trip and itineraries was made easier. This
App was able to deliver us our various Tickets and Documents in an easy fashion, obviating the need to
Carry additional paper or Online copies of necessary documents.

We were assigned Driver/Guide Jesus who was an extremely professional and pleasant person.
Whatever was needed for local trip and guidance was provided by Jesus with good humor and
Professionalism.
I would be pleased to deal with above team again, if needed in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

Very Good Location for visiting all the Citadel sights and sounds. In the center of Cafe's and restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Good breakfast and a + was the availability of afternoon teas break

Location

In the center of Cafe's and restaurants nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Collection Amistad Córdoba Hotel

Córdoba

When you arrive at this hotel -- the main desk is located at an "inaccessible", "up a flight of stairs" location. You obviously have to first go to the front desk to check in, however there is NO REASON TO BE LUGGING UP YOUR LUGGAGE UP TO THE FRONT DESK. No one tells you this. You do not need to lift heavy luggage to the front desk, because this area will NOT lead you to your room anyway. The reception staff could have easily told us this. We lugged up our luggage up a flight of stairs manually (no Elevator at this level) to the front desk -- only to learn, now you have to carry the luggage back down again to pathway leading you to your Lift/elevator that takes you to your room.

Authenticity & Character

It is clean and maintained well -- by itself it is a hotel

Location

The quaint medieval streets nearby are completely navigable by Google maps - so it is located in a very nice neighborhood.

Staff

All the staff was good -- but the Front Desk staff should have guided us on arrival -- not to lift heavy suitcases up a flight of stairs while checking in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See the note above

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

The front desk people were amazingly helpful, courteous and knowledgeable. Taxis pull up to the front door -- a great convenience.

Authenticity & Character

Right next to a Historical Cathedral

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room we were assigned on our arrival was at street level, had windows that could not keep the sounds of the street and loud banter and shouts of the people from the restaurant and street from being very loudly into the room. Look for a room away from the street

Activity Review

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

Of course Alhambra and the Gardens are amazing and not to be missed. Out trip was marred by: -- Tickets bought for a particular Date and Time slot in advance were suddenly changed ---We had to wait 2 hours to meet our assigned Tour Guide -- The place is easy to get to by Taxi -- but there was no clear cut guidance about where and how to get to the Taxi stand once the Tour ends. Asking around we only got vague and incorrect guidance. The tour ends "FAAAAR" away from where you can catch your return Taxi -- beware.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

End the Tour at a site from where the tourists can easily make their way back to the Taxi stand

Had a wonderful safari with Alex as my guide. Thanks Joseph for fitting so much to see in the few days I had in Kenya!

This is the second time we have used Kim Kim to plan a trip and I would not hesitate to recommend them. From our initial contact all the way through the planning process Cami was available, helpful, friendly, knowledgable and nothing was too much trouble. I would message Cami day and night with big and small questions and she always replied promptly and patiently (even though I'm sure I asked the same questions over and over). Cami listened to our requests, our needs and our budget and planned the most phenomenal holiday ever. Along the planning process, the detailed day by day itinerary/trip plan we received with photos was a wonderful way to decide on activities and get a clear picture of the trip. The holiday was fantastic. Every trip that Cami organised was so unbelievably good. the guides were lovely and couldn't do enough for us. On occasion they altered the trip to accomodate us. The transfers were always on time and in really good, safe vehicles. Everything was ticketed for us and hotels paid and awaiting our arrival. Our trip highlights were canyoning in Kawasan Falls, swimming with the sardines and the beautiful snorkelling off Coron. The guide we had for 2 day trips in Coron, Jhonas was wonderful. He was so obliging even making us a fabulous feast for lunch. All of the island hopping tours were magnificent. If you have a picture of paradise in your head the island, lagoons and the aqua blue, warm water are that. The Filipino people are beautiful. I simply cannot fault our trip and I cannot recommend Cami highly enough. Anyone looking for a wonderful adventure should use Kimkim (Cami) and travel to the Philippine Islands.

Hotel Reviews

Amorita Resort

Loved the hotel, the position is perfect, up on the headland looking down Alona beach. The absolute best place to view sunsets. The pool is gorgeous and the staff fabulous. IThe only thing I'd change is my room type as ours didn't have a balcony and I do really like to have a balcony off my room. Otherwise rooms were lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Staff and set up

Location

The best location. On the headland, away from the crowds but easily accessible by foot to town. Best sunsets ever and great pool. Paradise

Staff

Beautiful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cebu Seaview Dive Resort

Moalboal

This is a great hotel for travellers who are out of their rooms through the day and just need a room to sleep in. Rooms are clean and tidy and beds comfortable. The pool and bar are very welcoming and a great place to watch the sunset. Would definitely stay again if had full day activities booked. Staff are lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the water, great sunsets and great snorkelling out the front to the left.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel

Coron Town

The hotel is old and needs upgrading. The hallways and rooms are tired/ The pool has no shaded areas around it and there's a lot of concrete which makes it extremely hot and uncomfortable. We couldn't;t utilise the pool due to this. The location on the water is good and if they fixed up the pool area, brought in plants and shade it would be a lot more attractive. The rooms and premises definitely need an upgrade.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

We just day transited here. I wouldn't want to stay here any longer than a day transit in the rooms we had which were small and looked into a central courtyard onto other rooms. It was fine for our purpose but would not like these rooms if staying overnight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Don't know about location, only there on a day transit

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Cebu City

Cebu City

Very clean and comfortable, in a good location for an overnight stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Don't really know about location as we only overnighted here before a flight.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dolphin Spotting and Snorkeling in Balicasag Island

Philippines

the dolphin spotting was amazing! Coming from Australia where dolphins are pretty common we weren't expecting much but the sheer number of dolphins and the show they put on is unrivalled. Dolphins fantastic. The first snorkelling spot on Baliscag Island was not good. It was crowded with tourist boats and tourists who could not swim clinging to boats in their life jackets. There was nothing to see and snorkelling was difficult because of the shgeert number of people there. The crew listened to our concerns and took us around the back of the island and it was completely different. The snorkelling was lovely and there were fish and coral to see. so much better than the first location.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food is ok. They try really hard and are lovely but food is average (everywhere)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Moalboal

This was our absolute favourite day in the Philippines which is a big call because everything was great. It was so much fun, trekking through the water, jumping from the cliffs (they do give you options) and going through the caves. The water is beautifully clear, the activities fun, the guides exceptional. A must do!!!

Quality of Experience

Exceptional guides, beautiful place and so much fun

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Just lovely. One guide carried my phone above his head for the whole day photographing and videoing my family. We would never have the photo memories if it wasn't for him.

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

So so pretty, the lagoons and islands are just lovely. Water is crystal clear and warm, boat comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Half-day Snorkeling Tour from Moalboal

Moalboal

Oor snorkelling was cancelled due to the weather but we did swim with the sardines which was amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coron Shipwrecks & Corals Day Tour

Coron

This was a very close second best of all our activities. We had the most awesome guide Jhonas who went out of his way for us and used his own go pro to photograph and video our families day. The snorkelling on this trip is the best we did. The first snorkel was at a sunken Japanese warship and that was just fabulous. The ship is relatively close to the surface so you can free dive down to it. The coral growing on the wreck and the fish are amazing. The second snorkel was even better, some of the best snorkelling we've ever one. There is an abundance of coral and fish. it is just beautiful. Jhonas....unbelievable. Thank you

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jhonas is a legend. Definitely ask for Jhonas

Transport

Coron Lagoons & Lakes Day Tour

Coron

Another fabulous day with Jhonas. This area is SO beautiful. the snorkelling and water activities were amazing. You just have to see the waterways off the Philippine islands to appreciate them. Jhonas also used his own go pro to video and photograph our whole day. Such a generous man.

Quality of Experience

Everything was special

Food

Jhonas prepared us a traditional Filipino feast and served in on banana leaves. He went to so much trouble, it was fabulous.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best guide in the Philippines. Go Jhonas.

Transport

El Nido via ferrata

El Nido

It is worth doing. Really just a walk/climb up to a lookout for views over El Nido, but the view was very pretty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing trip! We enjoyed everything about our custom trip to Italy! Everything was planned so wonderfully that we were able to enjoy every experience without any stress. We are looking forward to planning another trip soon! Thank you for everything!

Activity Review

Market Tour & Cooking lesson (morning tour)

Rome

This was an amazing experience! I learned a lot and really enjoyed going to the market for fresh local ingredients. I’ve cooked the meal we made in Rome several times since we returned and everyone loves it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Norway was amazing!! 4 cities (Oslo, Geilo, Bergen & Tromso) in 10 days - hotels, tours, transfers to/from - all ran smoothly. Thanks to Kristiina for putting together the itinerary, incorporating everything we wanted to do and see, and for her patience in addressing all of our initial questions and concerns. Many thanks to Fenne for handling all the bookings and her responsiveness in providing support and recommendations along the way. Fenne's recommendation for dinner in Bergen, Fjellskål, was one of the best dining experiences we had! Highlights of our trip were the Northern Lights Chase in Tromso and the spectacular views from the top of the cable car in Tromso. Sledding in Oslo and cross country skiing in Geilo and Tromso were a blast!! Also the delicious breakfasts included at all of our hotels! :) This was my first time using a travel agency and my experience with kimkim was great! I especially like that they partner you with a local specialist, and Kristiina and Fenne were friendly and helpful at every step!

We absolutely loved 🥰 Costa Rica! We are looking to book another trip next year! Kimkim made all the arrangements for all hotels and activities! Definitely would use them again!

Esther did an amazing job of coming up with a great itinerary and location. Very easy to work with and she knows what is best for the customer.

Experience of a lifetime!
Thoroughly enjoyed a 2-week spectacular custom itinerary in Croatia in October 2023 planned/executed perfectly by Sarah and Ivan at Royal Croatian Tours who are phenomenal.
I would give them more than 5 stars if I were able to do so!
There are hands on/ accommodative/flexible and communicative.
All of the transfers, hotels, check-in's, tours/excursions/experiences were seamless and flawless
They kept in touch with us on a daily basis via WhatsApp to ensure everything ran smoothly.
We found value in traveling in early October (shoulder season) which we would strongly recommend, particularly with the hotel rates, decreasing crowds at the sites and easy restaurant reservations but still wonderful whether.
We stayed in diverse 4 and 5 star hotel accommodations all very well located

Started in Dubrovnik (spectacular UNESCO protected old town/city wall/museums tour), island of Korcula (hike Zrnovo village, olives vineyards, wine and cheese tasting, old town and port, excursion from town to the eastern tip of the island and more wine tasting- grk and prosip wines!), onto Hvar (visited the Fortress, old town and many steps!, and the Stari Grad plain another UNESCO heritage site- winery owner and guide Grgo was fantastic!). (Because the weather was going to be bad on a Catamaran from Hvar to Split Sarah at the last minute arranged for alternative transfer on a large car ferry rather than a catamaran! This was so appreciated.)
In Split ( 2 days) we enjoyed the Diocletian Palace with a private tour and the old town as well as the central Peristyle square.
Next a private transfer to Krka National Park .. amazing and would recommend half a day visiting there on a loop walk through the park spectacular Canyon and waterfall views . Onto Sibenik to visit an old Fortress, church and old town and again we got in our steps!.
Zadar for 2 days (..many churches/cathedral's Venetian gates/architecture and of course "Greeting to the Sun" from solar power and "Sea Organs" music organ from tidal waves motion.
Plitvice National park is an UNESCO protected park and it is uniquely spectacular with multiple layers of lakes and many waterfalls. I would not miss this natural wonder even if you have visited many different national parks in the world ...you will not regret visiting Plitvice. It is a little inland and best to get there by private car/transfer so our transfer to and from there arranged by Sarah and Ivan was very much appreciated.

Our last days were spent enjoying the beauty and wonders of a history of in northern Croatia.
We visited Pula and the Roman amphitheater, Hercules temple on the Forum and walked the old town before settling in Rovinj. Who does not fall in love with this romantic cobblestone old medieval town with this narrow carless stone passageways? Enjoyed great food and company in a local restaurant (El Bugador).
Our transfer from Istria to Zagreb would seem to be just a long car ride... not so... Sarah and Ivan surprised us with a full day trip to wonderful medieval Istrian hill towns and exploring white truffles in the charming countryside and village of Groznjan and hilltop town of Motovun on the way to Zagreb.

Sarah and Ivan Royal Croatian tours are highly recommended and we will definitely use them again on our next trip! We have already recommended them to many friends and family.

Kim Kim put a wonderful jam packed vacation together for us in New Zealand. We wanted to do so much in our 14 days time in the county we they were able to fit in all our requests and more. Questions and concerns were always handled quickly. With so much to do and see I would have never been able to put our itInerary together. Way to many logistics and moving parts. I love how the vacation was tailored to us. We had about 17 different activities in our 14 days and all of our reservation, transportation and accommodation went as planned. Only a few things canceled but that was due to weather and we got a full refund. Every guide we had was welcoming and professional. Big shout out to Shaun at Altitude for our trip to Milford Sound and Iveta with Cheeky Kiwi. What a wonder beautiful county New Zealand it. This was a once in a lifetime trip. Thanks to Sabin and Laurel.

It was an amazing trip. It was a very action packed trip, lots of walking, snorkeling and sight seeing. We saw such incredible nature and I felt like I got to see a great deal of what the islands had to offer. The guide Astrid was so knowledgeable, we enjoyed the Darwin museum . The entire crew of the Bonita were so amazing, hardworking, kind, people. Renny our island guide and Deanna (lovely hostess) were particularly wonderful.

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands

We weren't able to spend much time at Toruga Bay.

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astrid was very knowledgeable

Transport

North Seymour Island

Cruise Ship

Santa Cruz Island: Black Turtle Cove

Cruise Ship

Santa Cruz Island: Highlands

Cruise Ship

Chinese Hat Islet

Galapagos Islands

We had a wonderful trip to Patagonia organized by Mery and supported by Joaquina. All transfers were always on time and we got lots of good suggestions from Joaquina about restaurants. We are looking forward to going again to Patagonia!

Positive thoughts regarding using Kimkim would be the ability to review the itinerary prior to booking.
Things needed for improvement: Utilizing travel agents with experience agents who will be knowledgeable and clear concise with the ability to take initiative in providing the client needs. For instance, if you have three travel destinations with plane changes then take the initiative to find out the appropriate luggage allowance and make suggestion on packing for trip. If the hotels are booked by the agency asking the hotel what toiletries do you provide to reduce the amount of items being brought. The agency taking the initiative to assure whatever tour company they choose to work with are on the same page as what was explained to the client. Our tours were amazing once started but there were confusion with both Cape town tour company and Zimbabwe tour company. With a great travel agency taking that extra little time to assure everything runs smoothly gives the clients an ease and the ability to enjoy their expensive vacation. Thanks.

Hotel Reviews

South Beach Camps Bay Boutique Hotel

Cape Town

Authenticity & Character

Location

O

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nkosi Guest Lodge

Victoria Falls

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chobe Princess Small Luxury Houseboat

Kasane, Botswana

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival Day aboard the Chobe Princess

Chobe River - Namibia Side

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Cruise - Signature Deck

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula Tour

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day two on Chobe Princess

Chobe River - Namibia Side

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day City Tour, Robben Island & Table Mountain

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boma Dinner and Drum Show

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Through the eye of an elephant

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a great trip to Patagonia arranged via kimkim. Jesse helped us with the itinerary planning, as well as suggested options that we could do based on our interest. She arranged for special meals that I needed. I really appreciate that. She made alternate arrangements when boxed lunch for one of our day trips was not dropped off as planned. The airport pick up/drop off and tour pick ups were very seamless, except at one place where the instructions were not provided in the itinerary to take the tour bus after the boat trip to the Glacier. We had a pick up come to our hotel in the morning so we expected to see a ride waiting for us, but no one was there, so we ended up having to Uber back to the hotel. This was a minor inconvinience. Other than that every thing was hassle free. We had a great experience. THank you for enabling us to have a memorable experience.

Activity Reviews

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek to the Peak of Mount Ferrier

Patagonia

Quite intense and difficult hike. It was very steep. Not recommended for those with knee issues

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ramiro was a great guide!

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Patagonia

Whiskey with glacier ice at the end of the trip was great!

Some challenge getting answers back in a timely manner, initial mixup in air flights days

We really enjoyed our first trip to South Africa. Bernice was amazing to work with and super responsive throughout the entire process. The level of customer service was excellent- Bernice or her co-workers would follow up to make sure transfers were on time and that we were taken care of during our stay and even left gift packages to help us celebrate our wedding anniversary. Our trip to the winelands was amazing and the 2 lodges she picked for our safaris in Kruger National Park (pondoro and lion sands river lodge) exceeded our expectations. We will definitely use KimKim for our next trip.

Guide Aruna was outstanding went out of his way a couple of the hotels were a bit iffy while a couple were absolutely delightful so a bit hit and miss there