Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was a terrific trip. Enough things to do with enough time to catch our breath. Eleanor did a good job making recommendations and ti ing our activities. Our guides, Hector, Irony, and kihora were first rate and each was both knowledgeable and thoughtful in customizing our time together. We especially loved our private Okebana lesson with Seanacey. Hotel recommendations were in good locations and comfortable.

Sangita and all of the guides with Himalayan Namobuddha Travel and Treks were amazing!

Kate from KimKim connected us with drivers and guides that were just good people with local knowledge and an interest in helping us have a positive experience. Numerous times during our trip, my wife and I commented that the support from Kate made this a comfortable and stress free trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Unique property, in a good sense.

Location

Staff

Wonderful welcoming staff. Made us feel like we were appreciated.

Cleanliness & Comfort

River Ness Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marmalade Hotel

Portree

Nice property in a very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was not overly friendly. All other employees at the property were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Fort William

Our time here was impacted by a major wind and rain storm. The staff rose to the occasion and did their best to pamper us and help make it a positive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views are amazing.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cameron house

Lovely property and welcoming staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Holyrood Distillery Tour

Edinburgh

Was looking for a whiskey tour. This tour focused more on their other distilled spirits. Was not a fan of their whiskey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

If you have limited time, don’t think this needs to be a priority.

Quality of Experience

Probably the least favorite guide we had while in Scotland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Inverness Walking Tour

Scotland

Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging.

Talisker Distillery

Scotland

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the hotels were great, they were in great locations and the rooms were nice. They included breakfast were also very nice. All the transfers went smoothly except for the pickup at Athens airport the person who was supposed to pick us up canceled last minute and we had to take a taxi but it was reimbursed as well as was the cost of the original driver reimbursed. Like I said the rest of the transfers went smoothly. All the tours that we took were also great, the tour guides spoke English well and were entertaining and engaging and gave a lot of interesting information. I also thought it was great to experience the contrast between the city of Athens and the smaller cities of Heraklion and Chania on Crete. There was a mix-up with the biking tour on Chania, when we got there the bike shop said there were no tours scheduled. However, they did take us on the tour anyway and we ended up getting a private tour instead of a group tour but I'm not sure how the mix-up happened. The tour guide himself was wonderful and the 25 mile bike ride was amazing. We were very sad that the Samaria gorge hike had to be canceled due to thunderstorms and we did not have time to reschedule so that was a major bummer but nothing anyone could do about it. We also really enjoyed the food tour of Chania, our guide was really great and it was nice to meet the other two couples on the tour we all had a great day together. I loved the convenience of Kim Kim taking care of all the accommodations tours and transfers for me and would definitely recommend. Also both Erica and Lea were helpful and easy to contact.

Hotel Reviews

Elia Bettolo Hotel

Chania

Very nice and cute rooms / decor, great view of the town with our balcony, spacious room

Authenticity & Character

Loved the decor

Location

Right in the middle of Old Town, could walk to everything

Staff

Everyone very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything clean, spacious room and comfortable bed

Olive Green Hotel

Heraklion

Very spacious rooms and everything was very comfortable and well-appointed. Staff was also very nice and friendly, location again was great you could walk to everything, and the buffet breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to all the Queen streets of Heraklion

Staff

Very nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was very comfortable and room was very spacious

14 Reasons Why

Athens

Although rooms were tiny but that's to be expected in big cities, it was nice and clean and cute The staff was wonderful and the breakfasts were amazing. The location was also amazing

Authenticity & Character

Eclectic decor

Location

You could walk to pretty much everything and there were tons of good restaurants nearby

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Ultimate Food Tour of Chania

Chania

Even though we couldn't go to the distillery, we did get to go to a small cafe, a bakery, a cheese factory, and olive oil factory, and a lovely restaurant for a delicious lunch. We enjoyed our guide a lot and also the other two couples on the tour

Quality of Experience

The guide was wonderful and so were the sites we visited

Food

I loved the feta, the fresh bread, the olives, everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was the driver and she was great

Transport

Self-Guided Chania Old Town Walk

Chania

We split this up over two days but we appreciated having a list of all the places we needed to see

Quality of Experience

Knossos Palace Experience

Greece

The site itself was very interesting and our guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. Again the guide spoke perfect English and was entertaining as well as knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyons & Villages E-Bike Adventure

Greece

Amazing e-bike tour, the bike itself was very cool, you could paddle without assistance or anywhere from level one to four assistance depending on how steep the hill was. Some of the hills were very steep and would not have been possible without the pedal assist but you still have to pedal the whole time so I still felt like I was riding a bike not a motorcycle or anything but it definitely made the impossible possible with those steep hills. Our guide was fantastic, he always lived in the area and knew everything about the area. He took us to his own personal Olive Grove and taught us a lot about Olive oil production. We saw so many great things, it was a really wonderful tour

Quality of Experience

The coolness of the bikes, the knowledge and friendliness of the guide, and all the sites we got to see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Are biking guide was amazing

Transport

We had to get our own transportation but our hotel helped us arrange a taxi

Self-Guided Heraklion Town Walk

Heraklion

Self-Guided Lycabettus Hill Visit

Athens

Great to see the city from such a high vantage point, also nice to walk through the paths and get a little bit of nature in the middle of the city

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Neighborhoods Walk

Athens

I rearranged the order of things a little bit and we split it up over two days but all of the points that you suggested we visit were highly appreciated

Quality of Experience

Self-guided Exploration of Archaeological Museum in Athens

Athens

Very interesting museum, you can also get an audio tour from the desk

Ancient Athens Acropolis & Mythology Walk

Athens

Love getting to see the ancient artifacts, our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly spoke English very clearly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Peru was amazing. Loved our guide Diego in the sacred valley area would highly recommend to all our friends and family. Loved our train ride to Machu picchu from the sacred valley and highly enjoyed our private lunches. Thank you Anne for a great trip

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tambo del Inka Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa del Sol

Machu Picchu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking and Bar Master Class in Machu Picchu town

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Must sees in Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reaching the Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Visit to Ollantaytambo

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet Picnic at the Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stop over visits at Sonidos del Andes with Vicente Rayo & Pisac Village

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities-a-la-carte at Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities-a-la-carte at Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My moms birthday trip was beyond what we expected. My mom wanted to travels to the Azores to experience where her grandparents had come from and Giorgia played a big role in creating a fabulous trip. She listened to all of the wants and needs for the trip and found the best tour guides on Sao Miguel...EVER!! Natacha and Vauchon were both with us for three days. The made the five of us traveling feel like part of their family and showed us all the amazing parts of Sao Miguel. We also did a walking food tour with a company called Hungry Whales and it was the right amount of sampling food and walking. The guides were very organized. The second island of Terceira we experienced a lovely town and beautiful winery. I can't wait to go back.

Our 8-day trip to Switzerland was awesome. Through their local travel partner, the kimkim team pulled together a great itinerary that hit many of the must-see spots in the country (and in Switzerland, it's hard to go wrong because every site / sight is postcard worthy). Their very detailed itinerary worked perfectly, and allowed us to be in charge of our destiny every day...we really liked that. In addition to specific planned activities, kimkim provided suggestions for a range of other activities and restaurants in each destination...really helpful.

With one exception, the hotels they selected were terrific, especially the more authentic ones in Grindelwald (Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof) and Zeramatt (Hotel Alpenhof). That said, our first hotel in Zurich was terrible...far from the 5-star we requested (we'll take some of the hit on this hotel because prior to travel we didn't dive into guest reviews...if we had we would have said something).

The highlight of the tour was a 6-hour E-bike tour with a group called Flying Wheels in Interlaken. The bikes were top notch, the route we rode was stunningly beautiful, and our guide George (so much fun and so knowledgeable about Switzerland) was the very best. The other star of the show was our 8-day Swiss Rail Pass...we had unlimited use of the country's outstanding rail system that is the best we've ever experienced.

Even though our trip went off without a hitch, here's a small suggestion...it might be nice for the local tour operator to check in on their guests mid-trip. We had a 24-hour emergency contact number and never felt exposed but that human touch is always good.

Activity Review

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

The Swiss Rail Pass is simply outstanding, Their app is one of the best we've used (super easy and informative) and the country's rail system is better yet.

Quality of Experience

Our trip to Scotland to drive the North Coast 500 was a journey filled with stunning landscapes, quaint villages, ancient castles, historic landmarks, pubs, distilleries, friendly people and terrific accommodations.

Shout out experiences: the Croft Cafe and the Highland Cows, The Royal Yacht Britannia, Culloden

I took a fair amount of time working with Yassine, then Louis, to put together a first visit to Morocco that captured all I wanted to see and appreciated their input in offering ideas, suggestions or modifications to help arrive at what I felt was the trip I wanted to take.

I saw the highlights of Casa Blanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara, Marrakesh and Essaouira. The guides I was paired with were wonderful - Zahra in Fes, Mohammed in Marrakesh and guides used to explain things like the ceramics and leather in Fes, the rug making process, and about argon. During down time, I wondered around the medinas near my riads and felt totally safe.

I went to Morocco solo and was assigned a driver for my trip, Said, who took good care of me. I could not have asked for a better driver who saw to it that I was where I needed to be on time, spoke fluent English, and enjoyed sharing information and answering questions, along with providing some additional suggestions or ideas for stops along the way. Said helped make my trip, that covered a lot of country and time on the road to see what I wanted to see, a huge success. My trip could have been very different depending on the personality of my driver, since I had so much time with the driver. Said was the best, he definately made the trip what it was, and our time on the road flew by. I'm very thankful to have had him as my driver.

I have used kimkim twice now and been very happy with the results. Kimkim takes time and effort to help create a trip catered to me and my interests.

We had a wonderful visit to Portugal and a great experience planning our trip with Joao from Kimkim. I have to commend Rui for going above and beyond by spending more time than planned in providing us our visits between Lisbon and Porto, knowing he still had to drive back later from Porto than expected. He was so kind to care more about us than himself.
We also had a wonderful trip to the Duoro valley with Ricardo. Ricardo also went out of his way by stopping at a couple points of interest we missed in Porto due to the bad weather one of our nights there. Both he and Rui shared a lot of history with us and also chatted about all kinds of topics. So pleasant to be in their company.
Sandra our Tuk Tuk driver was also a lot of fun. And Pedro in Porto was a wealth of historical knowledge. Nuno also provided a nice day with a hike and lunch in Serra da Estrella. Our othertour guides in Lisbon, Evora and Lagos were also very nice and informative but I unfortunately do not remember their names.
All of our accomodations were very nice and everyone who met with us were prompt and pleasant people.
Joao checked in on us daily and responded to us promptly from the very beginning of planning our trip to even after we arrived back home to the US. Our trip felt very personal even when we were in very busy areas that many other tourists go. This helped to reduce a lot of stress.
I would definitely use Kimkim travel specialists again. They even included a few surprise treats along the way.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

I have to say the turkish bath and sauna spa at this hotel is fabulous. The room was spacious and the bed was so very comfortable.

Pousada da Serra da Estrela - Historic Hotel

Covilha

Beautiful location and views. So peaceful.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is a remodeled TB sanitorium, kept to mimic the austerity of the buildings origin, but designed to provide you a very peaceful and scenic surrounding.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

The staff here were very polite and pleasant. The art deco decor made for nice and peaceful surroundings, taking you back in time. I want to also give extra kudos to the gentleman from Brazil ( whose name eludes me- perhaps Joseph ) who made us espresso martinis and made us feel very welcome.

Authenticity & Character

Restored to the art deco vintage style it was originally built.

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Very pleasant and accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

We enjoyed our experience int he Douro Valley with a winery tour and lunch followed by a private boat ride on the river. The Pachega winery was a very nice place and scenic location. They shared with us some lovely wines during our tasting. Our driver took us to beautiful look outs too along the way.

Quality of Experience

A great day

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ricardo was a friendly and very accomodating driver

Transport

The van was clean and very comfortable

Private transfer from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} with stops in Óbidos and Nazaré

Portugal

We had many amazing private tours on our trip, but I wanted to review this one because our driver Rui went above and beyond in providing us the chance to include Tomar on our way from Lisbon to Porto. This took a lot of extra time, and never once did he seem perturbed to have exceeded our 5 hour trip. He also suggested a restaurant in Tomar that was like being in the Taverna's of old. The Convent of Christ's church was beautiful. Amazing to imagine how it was built so long ago.

Quality of Experience

For us personally I think I would have liked to tour Tomar instead of Obidos

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rui was very accomodating and not just worried about his time

Transport

Nice clean Mercedes van

We loved our private guides for everything. The hiking guide listened to us and took us on a challenging hike and since we finished early he took us to a place where we got to see how olive oil was made and how various olives tasted. Our guides on the both the bike tour and tha Acropolis were extremely knowledgeable about their areas and we learned a lot of information.

Hotel Reviews

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

Absolutely gorgeous overlooking the Agean sea. Perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Breakfast outdone our balcony was superior!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

The pictures of the hotel were not at all what we were expecting. Apparently, our hotel had closed for the season so we were put in a horrible room. I was going to sleep on a chair at the beach. We called customer service and they arranged for us to meet with the supervisor of the hotel the next day and then put us in another hotel, The Anthony, and it was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Don't ever put anyone in the initialnhotel that we were able to leave.

Location

Make sure that the hotel you book someone has not closed for the season.

Staff

She helped us with our move.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything! A cat came through the bathroom window and was sitting on our bed!

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

We loved the location, the room was nice and the man who worked the morning buffet was extremely personable. We felt like we had made a new friend when we checked out.

Authenticity & Character

The staff is very kind and helpful. The buffet was amazing. . .

Location

Staff at hotel bent over backward to ensure that we had a wonderful stay.

Staff

They were extremelybkind and accommodated all of our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed and our room.

Activity Reviews

Premium Sunset Catamaran Cruise in the Caldera lagoon

Santorini

Awesome! The food was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their positive attitude.

Transport

Hiking Naxos Paths

Naxos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide lead us up to the highest point on Naxos. He listened to us and took us on a strenuous hike.

Transport

Sailing Tour around Naxos

Naxos

Excellent. We met alot of nice people.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Athens by Bike!

Athens

Our guide took us everywhere and made us feel very safe while on our bikes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The drivers were always on time. We had to change one transfer and they were very accommodating.

Private Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved Interlaken and the electric bike tour. It was the highlight of our time in Switzerland.

João was always helpful and patient with us and all of guides friendly and knowledgeable with special shout- out to Ricardo who taught us a lot about life in Portugal .
Our one complaint was with apartments in Lisboa. There was no one there to check us in and we waited outside for at least a half an hour before someone contacted us by what’s App. Someone should have contacted us ahead of time with virtual check in and out procedures. Although apartments are nice and in great neighborhood they are not ideal for tourists because of these issues as well lack of parking for drop off: pick up.
Other minor complaint with room in Porto which was quite small for 2 people

All of the tours guides were knowledgeable and simply amazing. All the historical sites were easy to access with a booked tour.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Genova Roma

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo Decumani

Naples

A nice hotel in a great location. However, the beds were tremendously uncomfortable. The hotel is great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Ok

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds

Rialto Hotel & Suites

Venise

Hotel was nice but you cannot use any hair styling tools since it was against hotel standards. The location was great and the staff was wonderful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ability to plug Devices

Trevi Collection Hotel

Rome

Great location to the historical sites, provided a variety of foods for breakfast, and was comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican & Sistine Chapel - Small Group Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge

Transport

You walked through all the amazing sites

There were many helpful things that Leslie and the KimKim team did, especially when schedules changed or connections missed, for example. The team helped us to pivot and fulfill tours as planned, as we had some flexibility in our week to do so. They helped find accommodations in Milan, train tickets, and a driver during the train strike, as well new train tickets when we missed another train for Bologna. Also, the daily reminders for the next day was extremely helpful, as we had to navigate a lot and there were six people in our group, so everyone was on the same page, and it was all so new and different territory! I would recommend KimKim to anyone who is considering, as their experience and resourcefulness was appreciated!

Hotel Review

Palazzo Talamo

Positano

The accommodations were beautiful, clean, and authentic to the area! The instructions to get in were good, and the videos for outside, key retreival, and then inside, were essential! I would add to the instructions about the uneven terrain, especially the first half of the 73+ steps, and to be prepared for that! The bus schedule was helpful but maybe more clear instructions for that would help. It was great that the bus stop was right there at the location!

Authenticity & Character

The Design inside and out!

Location

The view and bus stop.

Staff

There were no staff as it was an apartment

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds and the bathroom and shower....

Activity Reviews

Olivia - La Residenza Dell'Orafo Hotel in Florence

Italy

Olivia really liked the accommodations and the location as well!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olivia - Train service from Naples to Florence

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olivia - Private Transfer from Positano to Naples Station

Italy

Olivias driver was very kind and stopped to get her a water, as she wasn't feeling well on her departure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Tour to Amalfi and Ravello from Positano

Italy

The tour was great and Pasqual our tour guide was classy, patient, and funny too! We did ask him to take us to the beach, especially for my daughter who wanted to swim in the Amalfi sea, but he didn't do that, and we did have an extra hour to spare, as he dropped us off one hour early. Perhaps he didn't want sand in the car which was beautiful and comfortable. Aside from that it was great and we had beautiful weather!

Quality of Experience

We haf a helpful navigator throughout our trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were positive, patient,knowledgeable, and professional.

Transport

Positive, patient, helpful, personable

We highly enjoyed a 10 day driving tour of Morocco with stops in Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, Skoura and Marrakech. Our driver, Ayoub, was with us throughout the trip and, besides excellent driving skills, was knowledgeable, patient, thoughtful, helpful, and full of good humor. Our City guides in Fes (Shariff) and Skoura (Badr) were excellent. We had a rewarding lunch visit with a family in Skoura. We would highly recommend this trip for anyone interested in learning about the history, the people and the cultures of Morocco.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the Medina.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar El Kabbaba

Skoura

Exquisite setting, excellent staff and service. Being there is like being welcomed family members. The food there was remarkably good. Wonderful place to stay for two nights (not just one night) to enjoy the spa, meals, and beautifully landscaped grounds. And definitely arrange a family visit for lunch. One of the best experiences of the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Superb and friendly service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful room.

Hôtel La Tour Hassan Palace

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fès - Relais & Châteaux

Fès

Beautiful hotel, but they cancelled our appointment one hour before our arrival due to flooding issues they were having. It required several days to resolve the refund issues with the hotel, though none of this was the fault of Original Travels, who worked with us diligently to reach a fair resolution. Thank you Original and Said.

RIAD VILLA AMOOD

Merzouga

Excellent room and wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Historic, traditional feel.

Location

Beautiful hotel and grounds.

Staff

Uniformly exceptional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skoura to Marrakech via Ouarzazate & Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Transport

Explore the Heart of Skoura: Pottery, Palm Groves & Local Life

Skoura

Visit with a local family for lunch was a highlight of the trip. Learned so much, and enjoyed meeting the family.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch prepared by the family was wonderful.?!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you, Badr, for arranging the family visit.

Transport

Morocco Last Nomads Experience: Tea, Tales & Desert Adventures

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Staff at the camp were terrific.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fez: Exploring the Ancient Medina and Jewish Mellah

Fes

Excellent guide, Shariff. Informative and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Loved Volubilis. Must see.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Arrival in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat via the Coast

Morocco

Quite efficient and courteous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were met by our driver, Ayoub, right at the terminal exit.

Transport

The stay in Bergen was too long, it should have been remove two night and the last boat experience wasn’t great, there was nothing to do or visit.
But overall all went good.

Samad was a great driver who made the trip most enjoyable. Siad was there to make alterations to the itinerary when we asked. Overall, a stellar job!

Our trip includes taking a 2D1N short Inca trail to Machu Picchu, a day trip to Rainbow Mountain and another day trip to Humantay lake. We had three different guides respectively for the three trips, Reynaldo, Simon and Jamie. We had some problems with the first trip due to some miscommunication at the beginning: for some reason Reynaldo sent Whatsapp messages to one of us who did not read her messages instead of contacting me, the main person to communicate with Kimkim. As a result, we were briefed by someone else sent by the tour operator Alpaca Expeditions and there was confusion as to how to deliver our luggage to a new hotel before our return from the trip to Machu Picchu. Reynaldo turned out to be an acceptable guide especially for his knowledge about nature, plants and animals, but I feel he can improve by being more dedicated. We were put off at the end of the trip because we felt pressured to write reviews in front of him. Simon is amiable who put us at ease right away. We did not reach the peak to see the rainbow mountain because we were very slow paced and also because of the bad weather condition. Jamie was very patient with our slow pace which we appreciated. We were able to complete our hike to enjoy the fantastic view of the lake.

Hotel Reviews

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Nice design with beautiful details all around. But it was a bit expensive particularly considering we left in the early hours of the morning for hiking and didn't return until evening.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta San Blas by Ananay Hotels

Cusco

Ruby at the reception was very friendly and helpful. But there was a problem after we checked in. She told us she could not find our immigration entry record and as a result we were forced to pay the 10% charge which can be waved for foreigners. We eventually obtained the record with the help from our ministry of foreign affairs and got the money back. But it seems that Ruby and another hotel personal may have looked for our entry records under China and we are from Taiwan!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking to Humantay Lake: A Scenic Adventure in the Andes from Cusco

Peru

Similar but perhaps a bit easier than our hikes to some of the 100 peaks (each higher than 3000m) in Taiwan. But still very challenging for us, three, all seniors. We were glad that we made it and the beautiful lake isn't disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

Didn't finished the hike, stopped short of summit by about half hour (more than 1 hour with our slow pace). Foggy with light snow occasionally. Figured wouldn't be able to see the rainbow colors. Short of cash, otherwise might have considered taking horse ride.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Inca Trail Day 2: Machu Picchu Guided Tour and Return to Cusco

Peru

A bit anticlimax because we already had a fantastic view after we passed the Sun gate to arrive at the upper level of Machu Picchu. But the close up view is still worthwhile a second trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Inca Trail Day 1: Hiking to Machu Picchu via Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna

Peru

Great trail. Everything as I expected.

Quality of Experience

Food

Hot meal in the middle of the trail is more than you can ask for.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A long and bumpy van drive to the train station. Nevertheless, I felt we didn't have to get up so early -- were asked to be ready at 4 am.

Trek Briefing

Peru

We reported to the office upon arrival but was told briefing would be conducted at our hotel later in the evening, by a person different from our guide for the next day. This is a bit strange as it was a waste of time and I suspected there was miscommunication within the office.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Cusco

Peru

Cusco is a beautiful city, the narrow streets and alleys are especially attractive. We had a little bit more than one day to tour the city. We basically walked but a couple of times hailed a taxi or used Uber to visit attractions of longer distances. There were no problems except that Peruvian cash is often required.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was well planned and well executed. It was a full schedule with a good variety of activities to see some of the highlights of Portugal, but also with enough unplanned/down time for us to explore and relax on our own. The guides were knowledgable and enjoyable company (special shout out to Claudia) and the arrangements were always on target. A highlight was the private tour, tasting and dinning at Pacheca vineyard which I am sure we could not have experienced on our own. Excellent experience across the board.

Hotel Review

Eurostars Porto Douro

Porto

Very nice room, excellent location, and a rooftop terrace with a view that can't be beat!

Location

Activity Review

Exploring the Art of Pastel de Nata on a A Hands-On Culinary Group Experience

Lisbon

Class was well done, a lot of fun, results were delicious, and I learned how to make Pastel de Nata. Looking forward to baking more soon!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff