Kimkim Trip Reviews

We went for a family trip to Costa Rica in February, we had our 3 grown children with us, and we added my sister after booking. We had prompt communication from Bryan- our travel agent from Serendipity tours. I was able to modify recommendations easily. Both hotels we stayed at were great- Mariposa in Manual Antonio and Mano Hot Springs resort in Arenal area.
Transportation pickup was also great. We had, Alex, as our driver majority of the long drives and also one day of our excursions. He is amazing. Informative and punctual.
We went to state park in Manual Antonio and our guide was very passionate about nature- his name was Susio.
We went on a river rafting tours and few of us had never done river rafting- was grade 1-2 and was perfect, on the way and back from the river, we went through some small local villages and saw unique plants and animals. Our lunch afterwards was good, ate local food.
All tours recommended were great, only tour I would have skipped was hanging bridge tour, only because our Manuel Antonio guided stated park tour earlier in the week was better. The hanging bridges were ok, we have seen better in Whistler, Canada. Because this tour was booked in the afternoon, animals were sleeping.
Zip lining in Arenal was good with Sky Adventure.
We added a chocolate/coffee tour on our last day, this was fun, me made our own chocolate bar. Coffee, per my husband was very good that we grinded in the tour. He usually doesn't drink it black, but he said it didn't need any sugar of milk.

Only glitch was our driver was 30 minutes late going to the airport he apologized profusely, and we made it in enough time for our flight.

Hotel Reviews

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Views from the hotel were amazing. We had issues with staff leaving enough towels in our rooms daily. We had 3 people per room. Hotel grounds had cool animals walking or flying around- macaws, lizards, monkeys etc. Their food was expensive for dinner but bland. Breakfast was good, with an omelet bar, fresh fruits. Liked location, can easily walk i to town and we caught the local bus to Quepos and saw the sunset and ate at Sanchez- a local restaurant. Falafel place was great in Manuel Antonio and Angels restaurant. All of these recommended by our Serendipity driver- Alex.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

four star because of issues with room staff. Servers at restaurant/pool area were great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Amazing view of volcano from our room. Liked that are rooms were next to each other. Had shuttle service from our room to front of resort, if were too tired to walk the distance. Grounds were beautiful, we saw many different plants and animals. Rooms were clean. The restaurant had amazing food for dinner. Breakfast was good, with many different varieties and open to nature, saw many plants and birds while eating. We ate at the pizzeria twice, enjoyed playing cards at their large tables in evenings. Hot spring were amazing, nice to soak after all our adventures. I would suggest the hotel acquire a shuttle to La Fortuna area for guests, taxi ride prices added up easily.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

It rained so hard to see volcano after we went to base. Guide was good and informative. For the water fall, amazing. Steps up were hard because of the humidity but did it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Loved zip lining, sky tram ok, sky walk was ok also. We have seen better hanging bridges in Whistler, Canada. Hike was ok compared to Manuel Antonio hike

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Susio, our guide was great, very passionate about nature. Saw a lot of animals with his help.

Savegre Whitewater Rafting

Manuel Antonio

Rafting was great, not to hard, got wet. Ride to river was through some villages. Lunch after was good local food.

This was the second trip that I worked with Jay Kajaria with Bespoke India Holidays to plan. The first trip was to Delhi and various areas around Rajasthan. It went so well and I was so pleased that I booked a trip to North Eastern India. And this was also a remarkable trip. Simply tell Bespoke what you are interested in and where you would like to go and they will take it from there. You are assisted every step of the way, from being picked up from the airport and later being dropped at the airport and being assisted in checking in for your flight from India.

Many of the famous tourist areas of India were covered by the first trip and now I wanted something different -- and this is Northeastern India. It is a land of unusual tribes, different topography and different animals. Make sure you go to Kaziranga National Park -- and also take the elephant safari in the morning.

Also impressive were the lodgings in which I was booked and my guide and driver were top notch.

I am so pleased with this trip (and the prior one) that I am already looking talking about and looking forward to working with Jay on a third trip.

Thank you Bespoke India Holidays (and Jay and my guide "Dee-poo" and driver "Harem."

The entire trip was fantastic. Most all scheduled events took place on time and as advertised. Any questions were answered promptly and satisfactorily. It was nice to have Kimkim check in with us daily.

Of particular note, were the informative, helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides.

1. Montse greeted us in Mexico City on our first full day and shared her love of the city, its culture and food.
2. Pablo was a wonderfully informative guide through museums and Teotihuacan. Both days with him were great. We had spectacular meals in Mexico City and enjoyed walking through a few of its charming neighborhoods.
3. In Oaxaca, we were expertly led by and taught by Alex through the old city, to the awesome ruins in Mount Alban, and wonders of Teotitlan del Valle (including the hike!). We were fortunate to have had multiple days with Alex.
4. We rounded out Oaxaca with an expert led mezcal tour and tasting with Daisy. That was great fun.
5. To end with relaxing days in Salchi was perfect! The boat trip guided by Captain Isidro Cruz (including seeing whales) was a great way to see the coastline and snorkel.
6. Our drivers (if not included above) were also great.
7. We hope we didn’t leave anyone off—all were great!

The hotel Casa Mauna at Salchi was very good (and peaceful). We had room 3, which seemed likely to be the very best at the small hotel. The vegan food was also very good—the drinks excellent. The pool delightful. We highly recommend it.

We will now share comments about the hotel choices in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Both hotels were beautiful and well-staffed. We were always made to feel welcome. The restaurant at the Zocalo Central was very good.

However, both hotels were situated in the center of vibrant, busy, and very loud areas:
• It was about impossible to sleep soundly in our room, 515, in Zocalo Central. The noise from the square continued most of the night (drumming and crowd noises), and then the sound of heavy chairs dragging noisily on the dining room floor just above our heads started about 6:15AM. One additional, seemingly minor but noteworthy item, was that we found out on Saturday afternoon that there would be no laundry service on Sunday—which we knew about-- but also on Monday (due to the national holiday on Monday. It would have been useful if we had received this advisory on Thursday or even Friday night, as then we would have had our laundry done on Friday or Saturday. As a result, our carefully planned light packing was confounded—we spent time doing our own wash in the room. When traveling, little things like this matter.
• For the first two nights in Parador de Alcala, we slept well. Then things changed. It was Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday and Sunday when the noise became a real issue again. The local bars blared music until 3AM (or later), and then the party goers continue the festivities in the streets until dawn, at which time the street traffic noise becomes quite high. I know the hotels do not have control over the bar noise or the traffic—but for Kimkim, we think charming hotels chosen away from the noisy parts of the city centers would be better.

Finally, as it goes for Kimkim:
• Mariana did a fantastic job of providing on-the-ground assistance for the inevitable adjustments which were needed. She was prompt with response and follow-ups. She provided a very reassuring and effective backup to situations that came up.
• Our first point of contact was Isabelle, who also did a great job of helping us design our perfect holiday. She was very responsive and helpful in discussing with us our preferences, and making adjustments to, our itinerary.
• The Kimkim service and platform worked well and we would recommend Kimkim to others. We plan to do so ourselves. We were able to focus more on enjoying the trip then on logistics. There were two minor changes to the itinerary that came to light during the trip—it’s possible a Live Itinerary would help alleviate these inevitable discrepancies – but no problems arose from this either.

We were pleased with adjustments and we happy with Kimkim and their entire team.

Hotel Reviews

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

I stayed at Zócalo Central in Mexico City for five nights. The location was right on the square, but unfortunately, the room was very noisy due to being under the restaurant. The noise made it difficult to sleep, especially with chairs moving early in the morning. The staff offered to move us to a quieter room, but we decided to stay put. Overall, the hotel was nice, but it might be better to check for quieter rooms if noise bothers you.

Hotel Parador de Alcalá

Oaxaca

Hotel Parador de Alcalá in Oaxaca was located right on the street, making it a bit noisy. The hotel itself was nice, and the staff were great. It could be a good option for a short stay in the city center, but maybe not ideal for multiple nights if you value a quiet night's sleep.

Staff

Casa Mauna - Boutique Hotel

Crucecita

Casa Mauna was a lovely boutique hotel located near the beach. It had only six rooms and was a short walk to a private beach area. The location was peaceful and quiet, perfect for reflection on the trip. We enjoyed the tranquility and privacy of the hotel, making it a highlight of our stay in the Huatulco Bays. The vegan food was also very good—the drinks excellent. The pool delightful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Archaeological Tour in Monte Albán

Oaxaca

In Oaxaca, we were expertly led by and taught by Alex through the old city, to the awesome ruins in Mount Alban, and wonders of Teotitlan del Valle (including the hike!). We were fortunate to have had multiple days with Alex. Exploring the ancient ruins and learning about the Zapotec civilization was truly captivating. The guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was great

Transport

Explore the archaeological site of Teotihuacan

Mexico City

The private group tour of the archaeological site of Teotihuacan was amazing. Walking through the ancient ruins and learning about the history of the site was a memorable experience. The guide was excellent and shared a wealth of information with us. It was a day filled with awe and wonder

One of the best trips we've taken! From start to finish, everything was carefully and expertly planned. Our driver Tarek went above and beyond to take us to the best spots for local cuisine, added additional stops for shopping and made our stay feel as close to being a local as possible. Special thanks to Samir for his flexibility, thorough explanations and recommendations. I'll definitely recommend them to prospective travelers.

Hotel Reviews

Memories Aicha Luxury Camp

Wadi Rum

Glamping with a celestial touch. Exceptional food, amazing views, very hospitable staff in the midst of a surreal landscape...what's not to love!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dead Sea Spa Hotel

Sweimeh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SEAS HOTEL - AMMAN

Amman

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petra Guest House

Wadi Musa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra - Morning Free

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rum Valley SUNSET TRIP

Wadi Rum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

RUM - FREE TIME ON YOUR OWN

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip climbing Kilimanjaro followed by a safari organized by Kimkim was fantastic. Our lead guide on Kili, Abu, was professional and really helpful. Our other guides, Nazoru and Lulu, were equally fantastic. On the safari to Tarangire park, Serengeti and Nagorogorno crater, or guide and driver, John, was so knowledgeable about the environs and animals. He really made the long driving days special. Thank you team!

The guide in manual Antonio was great he really was enthusiastic about the national forest and all the animals he showed us.
Alec our driver was also great, funny and gave us a lot of information from restaurants and things to see in both manual Antonio and La Fortuna. We loved him . Costs Rica is beautiful, lots of adventures for all ages.

Hotel Reviews

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Hotel had great views of the Pacific Ocean, staff was good, the breakfast was good. Didn’t enjoy the dinner at the hotel restaurant. So we went to places outside the hote

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views and sunset. Near local parks and restaurants

Staff

Willing to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Place is clean and beautiful

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The rooms were nice and private with patio surrounded by beautiful tropical plants and great view of Arenal volcano from our room sliding doors.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were private and big enough that they could have added some sitting furniture.

Location

Location was nice in front of volcano, but 20 min drive from local restaurant in La forturna. We had to get cabs to go back and forth to La fortuna .

Staff

Friendly and willing to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was kept clean and beautiful

Activity Reviews

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Our guide Andre Soccio was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the animals in the park . He knew where to find all the different animal/mammals/ birds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful and expierenced

Transport

Always timely pickups from airports to resorts. Clean cars

Savegre Whitewater Rafting

Manuel Antonio

First time whitewater rafting, even though dry season, the rapids were still 1-2 level and good for beginners. We enjoyed the excursion.

Quality of Experience

They kept us entertained

Food

Driver had pineapple and watermelon ready as we finished our rafti by and drinks. The tour provided authentic costarican lunch which was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The crew kept us entertained we enjoyed the drive. To the river as they explained the surrounding landscape

Transport

A bit bumpy and curved roads , but your driving thru the back roads, not too bad

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Loved the zip line thru the rainforest, weather was perfect

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful hike both the volcano tour and the waterfall

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alec was our driver, we enjoyed driving with him , he also did the waterfall with us. The volcano guide was good and knowledgeable

Transport

This is Joan and John Merriam’s review of their trip to Colombia from January 16-30 2024 which was planned and arranged by the KimKim team. We cannot say enough positive things about Margoth and Felipe and the rest of their team. During the planning stage and throughout our days in Colombia they were always quick to respond to any questions or concerns we had.

Our trip consisted of four days in each of Medellin, the Coffee District and Cartagena concluding with a two night stay in Bogota. Our accommodations were in beautiful boutique hotels in the first three locations and a very comfortable first class hotel in central Bogota. And each location included restaurant recommendation that were always superb. Our guides - Diego in Medellin, Felipe and Mauricio in the Coffee District, Gabo in Cartagena, and Maria in Bogota were all very knowledgeable and could not do enough to make our tours both educational and enjoyable.

Overall, our trip in Colombia was a great experience and one we look forward to recommending to our many friends. We think the country has much to offer to travellers and that the people of Colombia are among the warmest and friendliest people we have met on our travels in many countries all over the world.

Samir was our driver and guide. He did an amazing job….always on time and humble and willing to adjust according to our needs. He made our life easier and guided us well. He is very knowledgeable. The whole team was very responsive whenever we had any questions and and changes was had to make in our itinerary
Highly recommended!!

Overall, we had a memorable experience in Osaka and Kyoto and we're glad we opted for the private tour and driver. The accomodations recommended were authentic and excellent in service, especially the Imperial Hotel Osaka. The Ryokan in Kyoto gave us a really good feel of the traditional way of living.

The guides were all really polite, attentive and knowledgeable. The driver himself was good and acknowledged his minor technical hiccup and went out of the way to get it sorted. Overall we had a great experience and impression of the places we went.

Hotel Reviews

Imperial Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Momijiya Honkan Takaosansou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Osaka City Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Tea Ceremony KYOTO

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Cooking Class

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kinkakuji and Nijo Castle Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have recently come back from a Trip to Patagonia (both Chile and Argentina) which Erin organised for 4 of us prior to a cruise to Antartica.
Erin suggested a very good itinerary to accomodate this, which we subsequently modified considerably based on timing, cost etc. All enquires were answered promptly and with Erin's suggestions we had an excellent itinerary.

The trip itself was excellent. All operators turned up on time as per the schedule . Guides Camila and Mateus were execellent.
I would definately recommend Erin in planing any trip to Patagonia

Liz was a fantastic travel agent for us. She organized a great itinerary and was easliy reachable throughout the trip!
The Ovolo Wooloomooloo was a great recommendation in Sydney although I would pass on the hotel recommendation in Palm Cove ( the Reef Retreat) as we prefer hotels over rooms where you don't have daily maid service. Their use of tacky tourist poster signs at the front entrance was a turn off. Liz also helped us tremendously in helping my husband connect with extended family in Brisbane (as shown in the profile photo)

We loved the tours which were organized however my criticisms in Australia are two:

The local Australia rep does not have a number reachable by WhatsApp. This is not great as trying to make a local call is expensive. The 24 hour line was reachable by Whats App but no one ever answered or responded to text messages sent on Whats App (even though it was clear the messages were read) This is a BIG deal because we were not informed that a separate service was picking us up and returning us home for our rainforest tour in Cairns. The driver who picked us up had no idea who was meeting us for the tour and the driver who took us back to the sky ride for hotel pick up had no idea who was picking us up. I asked every car in the waiting area if they were our driver just to luck out and find the driver who had arrived 45 minutes early (according to his notes) for our pickup. I am telling you now, if he had been on time 45 minutes later we would have been in an UBER. This lack of communication and inablilty to contact anyone locally is completely unacceptable.

Apart from the less than ideal Cairns transportation experience we had an enjoyable trip. Our experience in New Zealand was great, the local rep was reachable and we enjoyed each of the trips.

Please do consider recommending the Heal House Hotel in Brisbane. It is a 1st class B&B which we booked ourselves but you should be aware of. I told them I would inform you of them and I do believe they are open to working with travel agents since they do have to pay a commission to Hotels.com

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fitzroy

Auckland

A 1st class hotel located in Ponsonby, a walkable Auckland neighborhood with lots of food and shopping options. The hotel is a small B&B, professionally run with a lovely wine/beer happy hour and included, stocked fridge in the room. Breakfast was amazing with delicious options such as an eggs benedict on a potato rosti, or pancakes, added to a delicious continental breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and breads. Uber to the musuem and downtown Auckland was around 20 AUS.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

If you want luxury and comfort, this is your place!

Pullman Rotorua

Rotorua

A first rate hotel, located in the central business district. Rooms are spacious and comfortbale, breakfast had everything you could possibly want.

Authenticity & Character

It is the nicest hotel in town. There is no particular "character" Breakfast options were outstanding in the included breakfast

Location

Staff

A very friendly staff that went out of their way to help you

Cleanliness & Comfort

ACCOMMODATIONS BOOKED BY CLIENT

This review is for the Heal House Brisbane- please update the heading to reflect this. The Heal house is a luxury 3 bedroom B&B run by a couple who go out of their way to ensure you have the best possible stay in Brisbane. They are located in New Farm which is walkable to downtown (30 minute easy walk). The hosts provide you with a Go card on their account that allows you to use the public transport system to get around the river spots. You just pay them at the end for what you used. The beds were very comfortable, the bathrooms well-appointed with thoughtful touches like micellar wipes for female guests, cotton balls, swabs, robes, slippers etc. They pre-stocked the fridge with complimentary soft drinks, soda water and snacks. Wine, beer and liquor are available from an honor bar with the prices reflecting retail cost.

Authenticity & Character

No detail is overlooked in this stunning, Craftsman style home. The guests live upstairs in one of three rooms with a spacious shared living room. The owners live down below.

Location

Very close to the river from where you can grab a local City Cat or Kitty Cat river transport to get around. The pricing is like taking a bus

Staff

Bryce and Lindsay are first class hosts who really care about your experience

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was spotless

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Wilderness Experience

Auckland

We really enjoyed the walk and tour in the forest. The visit to the beach was OK. The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly. The bus was comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Auckland to Rotorua visiting Hobbiton with lunch

Auckland

We didn't know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised with how charming this village is. I would recommend it to Hobbit and Non Hobbit fans alike

Quality of Experience

Food

For a tourist buffet, the options were surprisingly delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was friendly and funny and chose a great location for a rest break with really good food options

Transport

Very comfortable bus ride

Mitai Cultural Experience & Dinner

Rotorua

This reminded me of a luau Maori style. A bit too touristy for us

Quality of Experience

Overall this was a bit "disneyesque" I prefer experiences which are more educational. I felt like I was on a school field trip

Food

The food was 'meh' I think it lacks in quality when it tries to serve such large volumes of people

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver and staff were very friendly

Transport

transport was on time and was fine for a local visit

Half Day Kahukiwi Experience

Rotorua

A must-do if you want to understand Maori culture from a Maori who has lived it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Other than being late, due to a miscommunication, Harry was a great driver and guide

Transport

Twilight Glow Worm Kayak Experience - 3 hour guided

Rotorua

This trip was magical. People do need to know they will be in small spaces in 2 man kayaks. They will be provided with wetsuits and will get wet. Some kayaking experience is useful but not 100% required.

Quality of Experience

small respectful group vs. a large crowd who can ruin this particular experience in a cave

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TE Puia: Te Ra (Day Pass) Guided tour (90 minutes)

Rotorua

A very interesting viwsit to the thermal springs with an additional look at a kiwi sanctuary and the Maori experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very informative

Transport

There is no transport, this must be arranged separately

Museum entry and 1 Hour Highlights tour

Auckland

We had a great overview of this fantastic museum. There are several very interesting historical exhibits. New Zealand has done a great job with this museum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There is no transport to this museum although it is centrally located and easy to get to by UBER

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

A great tour that shows you all of the spaces and gives a great historical background on the architect and many challenges in designing and building this structure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There is no transport for this tour It is walkable from any hotel near the Harbor

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

The blue mountains are pretty but it is a long day on a bus. I would have preferred spending an extra day in Sydney. The best part was the visit to the animal farm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Big thanks to Angie at Guayabo along with Wilman...great experience. Able my guide in tortuguero was also great. Jason and Bryan on the hanging bridges did their best....very busy and crowded. Andreas (Andy) was amazing...great tour of the Cloud Forest reserve. Roger in the Manuel Antonio national park was super. All around great guides.

Hotel Reviews

Laguna Lodge

Tortuguero

Super

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great private spot

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

Great spot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exceptional clean

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Superb.

Authenticity & Character

Lots of options for food

Location

Self contained

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Studio Hotel

San José

Not much to do

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not sure

Staff

Nice folks

Cleanliness & Comfort

No

Casa Turire

Turrialba

Boutique and very remote if that's what you like... excellent ground and view

Authenticity & Character

Unique

Location

Volcano

Staff

La Foresta Nature Resort

Quepos

Service lacking....had to find help.

Authenticity & Character

Ko

Location

Out of the way of anything to do.

Staff

Activity Reviews

Archaeological Tour of Guayabo National Monument

Turrialba

Excellent...tour guide Angie was very passionate and taught me a ton.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tortuguero Village Visit

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Transport

A little rough on the way back....low waters.

Guided Boat Tour through Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Very cool

Quality of Experience

Great views

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Able

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloudforest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

Andrea (Andy) was super.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Roger was great.... excited experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

spent 8 days in Costa Rica. serendipity adventures was the local company that KimKim referred us to. we had an amazing trip. bryan and wilman from serendipity helped us plan out the trip. we went with a private driver/guide option. our guide was Vladimir if you hire a driver request Vladimir he was best driver/guide ive had. got private tours for us and looked out for us all the time. excellent restaurants recommendations. driving in CR can be challenging and do a driver if you can. we did the white water rafting. really enjoyed it. we r older in 70’s. it was a challenge but worth it. did the tree climb. actually got pulled up. had a great lunch made by a guide. its a really cool activity. out in the evergreen forest. we also did the Selvatura Park. Valdimir arranged private tour of reptiles and butterflies. did hike to first 3 hanging bridges. this was a really cool activity. recommend doing the park. we loved the 3 different hotels. really nice rooms and great views with all 3. serendipity set up a really nice trip. no issues or hiccups. all went smoothly. i highly recommend both kimkim and serendipity for travel to Costa Rica

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

Fortuna

the view of the volcano is really cool. nice room restaurants r good. shuttle service downtown close. recommend staying here

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

had a great room and view. pool area very nice. restaurant is very good. close to downtown. recommend staying here

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

unbelievable porch.great view of ocean had monkeys all around. very cool grounds. required lots of walking or use shuttle service good restaurants. would recommend staying here

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet your Dedicated Guide

Costa Rica

Vladimir was an excellent driver and guide. excellent english. great background on CR as we traveled around the country. always looked out for us. got us private tours. vladimir made the trip so easy and enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River, Class II-III

Arenal/La Fortuna

first time for us. harder then we thought but really worth it. we r older in 70’s. hike to and getting in boat was hard. something u should do at least once in your life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tree Climbing on Abraham

Costa Rica

one of most unique activities we have done. its remote in a evergreen forest. we didn’t climb. we have the guides pull us up in a chair. had an excellent lunch on the platform. its 150 feet top of the tree i. put this on your list to do

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip Lining, Treetop Walk, and Fauna Exhibition at Selvatura Park

Costa Rica

this is a must do. very cool location. vladamir got us a private tour of butterfly and reptiles location s did first 3 hanging bridges. saw lots of monkeys on walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was our first experience with this company and we were pleasantly surprised, the trip was planned very well and the local assistant was fantastic. Highly recommended!!

Activity Reviews

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the National Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Authentic Mexican Cooking Class

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared biking experience through Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First of all, Olman was wonderful. The planning of the trip was so easy and the hotels he chose were awesome. Our questions were answered quickly and helpful. We would never have had such a great trip if not for Olman's insight to Costa Rica.

Hotel Reviews

Park Inn San Jose by Radisson

San José

For a one night stay is was good. Room was clean and roomy, and had a great view of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

To begin a trip around Costa Rica's center and Pacific side, it is a great starting point.

Staff

When we had a question at checkout, the gentleman at the desk was so helpful in checking our pickup in Spanish for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

What a beautiful hotel with individual cottages. Your own private world :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was away from town so quiet ........ but it was too far to walk.

Staff

From the reception staff to the breakfast staff so very pleasant :)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

This hotel made you feel you were right in the forest with all the birds. Very quiet and easy to walk to Monteverde.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location from downtown Monteverde. An easy walk :)

Staff

All the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

This hotel had the most beautiful views of the ocean.

Authenticity & Character

This is a twofold answer. It has a lot of character because it is older..... but that is also why we did not give it a 5 star. Just needs a little updating in the bathrooms.

Location

Staff

We wish we had gotten his name, but the gentleman who was at the reception was wonderful. Has been at the hotel for years, and his knowledge of everything was great :)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Guided Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a wonderful guide (sorry we forgot his name). You could tell he loved his job.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip Lining in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was a lot of fun, but wished I had added the one with the superman canopy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Our guide was wonderful but the day was hot and no clouds, so the experience was not perfect. No one's fault except mother nature.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great.

Transport

Night Tour at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

First of all the guide was great, but because it was so hot and humid the experience was not the best for us. And for a straight walk, there were a few high steps and short hills to maneuver. Being in February we were told it might be cool...... but that was not the situation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling - Ocean King

Manuel Antonio

This was a plus after spending some days in hot weather (February is not cool in Costa Rica), at least for us it wasn't.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff were a lot of fun and the music was great.

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

First off our guide was great (wish we wrote his name down). This was a nice hike as all the trails were flat and easy to walk. It is a wonder how the guide was able to find location of critters in the trees.

Quality of Experience

Transport

The trip was absolutely perfect! The staff, food, excursions, boat etc were the best. We loved every moment. Thank you

Guatemala: The guides were knowledgeable and shared much that I didn’t know about the Mayan culture. I especially enjoyed going to the mountain indigenous villages and interacting with the people. The home stays and visits were insightful to seeing the integrity of family life, which seems to be very strong. The artistic cratsmanship of the weavers, was colorful and impressive. I would have like to learn more specifically about the different weavings and traditional dress from each of the villages that we visited. I bought a few weavings which I don’t know their origin. The Guatemalan people are very friendly, and sometimes wanted to take pictures with and of us. The extreme cold at night in the mountains was unexpected. I had to buy an extra layer at the Mipaca thrift store in Toto. This part of the trip overall was jam-packed, sometimes we had to skip lunch to make it through each day’s activities.

Tikal was spectacular and Flores Island was pleasantly relaxing and had good restaurants, bakeries, and cafes.

Belize: was a new and delightful experience for me. The nature we visited was awesome, from cave canoeing, the hike and waterfall massage at the Jaguar preserve, and the snorkeling in the reefs near Hopkins. It was great to relax after the busy first part of the tour.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Blanca Inn

Guatemala City

There was -a miscommunication on where to meet the taxi driver from the hotel, so that was a bit stressful. Hotel was Adequate. No hot water after midnight. The staff was attentive and helpful. The young man helped me with a problem I had with my suitcase.

Authenticity & Character

Fie

Location

Close to airport. Gated and secure.

Staff

See above.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Muchá

Quetzaltenango

Beds comfortable. Shower amazing! Very cold at night.

Authenticity & Character

Adobe made it very cold.

Location

Convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cold—bring warm clothes for sleeping.

Totonicapán Homestay!

Totonicapán

Family was wonderful, kind, and very attentive. Very cold at night, I didn’t take a shower because it was too cold to get undressed.

Authenticity & Character

Carolina, Heidi, Melvin and Carlos were sweet and helpful in explaining home life and studies. It was very interesting to see Carolina’s jaspe dying process and Carlos’ sewing piecework. Carlo’s also demonstrated taking corn from the cob and grinding it.

Location

The walk around the property and hearing about the planting and processing of the corn for tortilla, and fresh beans, was absolutely wonderful.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and Beds were clean, but communal bathroom was rustic, toilet need to be flushed with a bucket.

Casa Antigua El Chalet

Santa Cruz Del Quiché

Everything comfortable. Less cold at nights. I enjoyed sitting in the outdoor living room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Enjoyed the town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Mil Amores

Cobán

Beds were comfortable. Showers were a bit hot and cold the first night, but they arranged alternate shower the next night.

Authenticity & Character

Dining room for dinners and breakfast was lovely and rustic. It was nice to meet and chat with other visitors one night.

Location

Beautiful setting. However, we decided to take rooms away from the stable, since the cow smell was strong.

Staff

Accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Homestay in Chichicastenanago, Casa Diego Ignacio, EN.

Chichicastenango

Great to spend time with Miguel , Juana, Patricia and Sandra and their children. Food was homemade and very delicious. We saw how difficult it is to make tortillas, when we tried to make them. Miguel is a leader in his community and has a lot to share with visitors. Their store had wonderful weavings and masks for purchase at decent prices. If you intend to buy weavings, don’t buy elsewhere. I had already bought a lot before Chichicastenango, so I couldn’t buy much there though I was tempted.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Peten

Flores

Comfortable, but small rooms. Our room was facing the street where a bar had loud reggaton music. It made it hard to sleep.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of the lake, convenient location. See comment about the loud music above.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Midas Belize

Cayo District

Room was large, but mattresses were too soft. Loved the pool. Great for swimming laps. Breakfast was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit of a walk to town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parrot Cove Lodge

Placencia

Wonderful rooms, great restaurant, good breakfast. Beachfront very comfortable. Dock where they picked us up for the snorkeling. Great to have a pool as well as the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the water, but a bit far from the village.

Staff

Very helpful when my companion was not feeling well. Maritza was great in rescheduling our snorkeling.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Coningsby Inn

Belize City

Adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Historical landmark.

Location

Staff

Helpful in suggesting an excellent restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small room, but adequate to be close to the airport.

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Guatemala

Guatemala

Hot water after midnight.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Pick up from airport was confusing.

Visit Cantel and its Women's Textile Cooperative

Quetzaltenango

We walked around the town. Happened to coincide with a funeral. Nice walk around the town. We did not go to the textile collective.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luis was always early for pick, knowledgeable, and a safe driver

San Francisco el Alto

Guatemala

Saw a tradtional market. Few tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Georginas Hot Springs

Guatemala

We got there late so we didn’t have much time to enjoy the hot springs. Met interesting people there. Hot springs temperature could have been hotter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Totonicapán Handicraft Workshops

Guatemala

I wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t attend weaving demo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Cruz del Quiche.

Santa Cruz Del Quiche

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore and Learn About Santa Cruz Education

Santa Cruz Del Quiche

Private relifgios school was very accommodating, giving us a tour of the school, classrooms, and a brief opportunity to speak with the teachers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chajul, El Quiche.

Acul

Interesting meeting the backstrap weaver family

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Andrés Sajcabajá

Guatemala

Long drive to get there. Not sure it was worth the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichicastenango Mayan Market

Chichicastenango

The family and market were the highlights of this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tikal Maya Ruin

Guatemala

Guide was excellent. Impressive temples. Interesting to know about 25% has been excavate so far. Good lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Xunantunich

Guatemala

Not as incredible as Tikal. The excavation was at time reconstructed, with facsimiles, rather than real ruins. Tremendous vistas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Barton Creek

Guatemala

Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maya Cacao Belizean Experience

Guatemala

Seeing a cacao plantation that is struggling due to not having the right conditions shows the difficulty of producing a healthy crop of cacao beans. Chocolate making workshop w,as interesting.; Nice to meet Hob’s father.

Quality of Experience

I had seen this demo in Costa Rica so. It wasn’t that new for me.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leisure Day

Guatemala

Rest, eating well.

Quality of Experience

Jaguar Preserve

Guatemala

Hiking was great. We learned a lot about flora and fauna, waterfall swimming was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barrier Reef Snorkeling

Guatemala

Safety was primary in postponing the day we went. Water was so clear. Great to see fish, corals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat ride was GREAT!

Belize City Tour

Guatemala

It was short since we arrived late.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Short and sweet!

Transport

Thank you!

Guatemala

Our trip was amazing from the hotel and day spent in Quito to the 5 nights onboard the Eco Galaxy. Our guides were knowledgeable and fun our excursions were amazing. This was a trip of a life time to Equador and the Galápagos Islands. Mathias had every detail perfectly planned out. I look forward to using Kim Kim many times in the future o explore the world

Thank you so much for making our trip to Japan memorable and fun. Our guide Lay-la in tokyo, mt. Fuji was also nice to work with. Dennis in Kyoto is very informational too.
Our accomodation locations are also great right in the center of the city.

Activity Review

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour at dark

Osaka

Okini Osaka! Aina-san is the best guide in this tour. She is so jolly and educational which made our trip enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flor was extremely available and accommodating. She listened to what the 4 of us expressed we wanted and really put together a wonderful itinerary. She responded to our questions immediately and was readily available to speak with us if necessary. Our problem was not realizing that the last 6 days were essentially 1 all day travel alternating with1 day at a fantastic location. We didn’t realize just how long the travel times between areas would be. My only suggestion is including that in the proposed itinerary. But everywhere we went, as well as the accommodations, were perfect. The guides at Remota and Mallin Colorado were amazing. Thank you for such a wonderful trip