Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had the greatest time in Italy, It started way before arriving. Anita and Rita both help us pick the right places based on what we like (food, culture, cooking classes & local experience) We had several conversation that made our trip unforgettable, down to helping my wife with travel accommodations for her disability and managing a balance between her health issues and allowing us time time to enjoy Italy. They help us with the bringing our daughter from LA and getting her home since she was only able to stay for 2/3 of our trip. All of the tors they set up through LivTours were OUTSTANDING. The tour guides were all scholars of the history of Rome from the tours we took at the Coliseum to the tour of the Vatican. Our Tours were in small groups of no more than 8 people and we moved through security and the long lines with ease. It was worth the money to have these private tour and able to enjoy the sights and not be caught up in lines of tourist, I highly recommend it. We visited Rome, Florence, Levanto, Alba, Milan & Venice. In Alba we had the best personal driver from the area to take us to two well know wine vineyards for wine sampling. There was no worries about driving but just to enjoy the whole day. We also had a tour of the chestnut family who 1st invented what is now know as Nuttelle, which was such a fascinating day. All hotels we stayed at were outstanding. The schedule was even flexible for us to cancel one tour in Milano so we could meet up with my wife's cousin for the day. The train rides were all prepaid for and tickets already validated so there was no panic for us when going from place to place.
I can't thank the experts at KimKim enough for a great trip that we will never forget.

Our trip to Lisbon, Portugal, as arranged by Anita of Kim Kim travels, was excellent and we enjoyed ourselves immensely due to all the advanced planning and guidance we received.

Some highlights included:

On our first day in Lisbon, we had a lovely stroll with our guide Zee who was personable and walked us around the winding streets of the Alfama neighborhood. He was eager to answer any questions and whet our appetites with the number one place for Pastéis de Belém. Yum.

The rest of our trip was as equally successful. Our next day’s outing to Sintra was on a rainy day. Still, our thoughtful and, again, personable guide Nuno drove without hesitation to our various planned itinerary spots. He guided us effortlessly as we navigated the sites we visited — including a modest and tasty lunch place. During our first morning stop in Belem he wisely recommended we eat our pastry warm. Nuno was a pleasure to meet and we appreciated his insights into Portugal’s history and culture.

We also enjoyed two days with Luis who wowed us with his perspective and nimble mind. Quick to anticipate our needs, and answer any questions, he accompanied us on two days travel that included a marvelous winery called Mainova. We really enjoyed the hospitality there. Our charcuterie and wine snack truly satisfied after a morning of site seeing the property and learning about the process of wine making. Luis took our tired but satiated minds back to Lisbon. We couldn’t have been more thankful for his assistance in introducing us to the world surrounding this marvelous city, which included everything from the wind swept peninsula of Arrábida Park to the beauty of Évora’s cathedral, as well as, the spectral Chapel of Bones.

Thank you Kim Kim for this wonderful adventure!

This was the second trip I used KimKim for and I was thrilled again! Monika was super responsive and even called to check in when we arrived. She planned an amazing trip, bringing us to places we probably would have missed if we planned on our own but loved. I will definitely be using KimKim again!!

Hotel Reviews

M Social

Auckland

A great big city hotel with good amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hana Lodge

Rotorua

This renovated mansion is beautiful! The grounds are awesome with some amazing art and even a bamboo forest.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tongariro Lodge

Turangi

This classic fishing lodge is awesome! The staff was super nice and responsive and the food and drinks were amazing. You can’t beat the location for fly fishing or golf.

Authenticity & Character

The fireplaces and decor made for a lovely homey feel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

QT Wellington

Wellington

This hotel is awesome. Eccentric and quirky art, amazing service and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ahi Restaurant - 4 snacks and 4 courses

Auckland

I don’t think I’ve ever had a better meal. It was a culinary trip through New Zealand. We did the blind tasting and tried so many new things.

Quality of Experience

Our waiter was amazing

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wai Ariki Spa "Chiefly Waters" restorative experience

New Zealand

I wasn’t sure what to expect but this experience was incredible. Relaxing and self paced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

What an amazing was to authentically learn about Māori culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

Electric Bays guided E-bike tour of Wellington (includes cycle hire and guide)

Wellington

So much fun! Lots of great info and incredible views. Our guide (Tara?) was super! I was nervous about being able to do the ride as I’m not in the greatest shape but the e-bike solved that problem.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monika was excellent in helping us to plan our trip! She had great suggestions and was very responsive and proactive in the few cases where things had to change last minute.

We really liked using Kim Kim for the expertise and the ease of planning the perfect trip. I built off one of the preplanned itineraries and customized it a fair amount for our desires, which included animals, surfing, beach time, and finding the right balance with a five-year-old in tow. The hotel choices were all very nice and I felt like the quality of the tours that Kim Kim and Amazalia selected were unique and beyond what I could’ve done on my own. (There are so many operators in Costa Rica! On one hand, this would seem to make it easy to do it all yourself. However, there is a difference in quality at least in the number of people on other tours where we had smaller groups). I wish I could’ve understood the pricing of Kim Kim a bit more. That was my only slight irritation. But, I did feel like the overall experience was well worth it, and I would like to book a trip through them elsewhere in the future. The itineraries, tour options, ease, and helping us do everything without a hitch was well worth it to me!

Hotel Reviews

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olas Verdes Hotel

Nosara

Loved this hotel!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Tamarindo Kayak Estuary Tour

Tamarindo

It was neat to paddle up the estuary. It wasn’t very easy to see much wildlife, so I wouldn’t choose this activity if that’s your main goal. However, it was nice to get on the water and experience it at that level. Much better than going on a boat, in my opinion. There had been some miscommunication and they didn’t have a PFD the right size for our daughter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

Well run and fun experience. We weren’t sure if this was a good fit for doing with our 5 yo, but she had a great time. The food, drinks, dancing, views, swimming, and staff were all wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

We saw so many animals! Well run tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We decided to use Kimkim to organise our holiday for us. Having just completed our tour of Norway, we are delighted with the smooth planning of our trip. Our specialist Kimkim guide Mar had been in contact to check everything was going to plan which certainly gave us a lot of confidence. The local knowledge provided by Kimkim has been great, we really would not have been able to have done all this planning ourselves.
We especially loved the chosen accommodation which was always central to where we needed to be. Suggestions for activities while exploring Oslo, Flam and Bergen has been outstanding.
We will always recommend Kimkim to our friends and will be using Kimkim again ourselves.
We love to get around and explore different countries on our own. But Kimkim took away the stress of finding the right accommodation, train schedules, which enabled us to concentrate on simply planning our sightseeing.

Hotel Reviews

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

The accommodation at Flåmsbrygga Hotel was perfect. It was within easy walking distance to everything we wanted to see and do. The hotel contributed to the smoothness and enjoyment of our trip, and we couldn't be happier with the choice.

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Great location and top breakfast. Staff were very helpful. We had a very enjoyable stay.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel

Location

Short walk to the waterfront and the Bergen houses.

Staff

Staff assisted us to find a great restaurant for dinner close by.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We were very pleased with our room

Activity Reviews

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Unfortunately, we missed the Oslofjord Dinner Cruise due to a flight delay. However, the customer service was outstanding. A representative contacted us immediately and arranged a refund, which we really appreciated. Although we couldn't experience the cruise itself, the professionalism and support we received were top-notch.

Round Trip Fjord Cruise & Bus Transfer via Gudvangen

Norway

This was our top pick of our activities while exploring Norway. The scenery was stunning. It was great to be able to step inside to warm up, then to go up to the top deck for those once in a lifetime photograph's. The return bus was waiting and we found the activity ran smoothly. We were pleased everything ran to time, as we had a train to catch later in the day.

Quality of Experience

The gorgeous scenery was simply breathtaking

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were always helpful and answered any questions

Transport

Kimkim had expert experience in providing information regarding our transport needs

We had only 5 days in Costa Rica and the trip planned by kimkim was excellent. We arrived in San Jose late and were picked up for a van ride to La Fortuna. The hotel was very nice and had an excellent restaurant, great masseuses, and several thermal pools. We visited the Arenal Volcano and walked up the 1968 Lava Tube trail. This trail was rocky, slippery and difficult, especially for older people or people not in good shape. This was not mentioned or discussed in planning or by the guides. That being said, the guides were helpful and knowledgeable. The noctural frog excursion with traditional dinner was our favorite part of the trip. The hosts were gracious, the food excellent, and the guides found lots of creatures to point out. We then went by van to Manuel Antonio National Park. The hotel was beautiful with stunning views. Our guide through the park was excellent. We were in a van for many hours getting to La Fortuna and then to Quepos then to San Jose. We often shared with others and 1-2 times were picked up first and drove around picking up others for 1.5. hours instead of moving on to our destination. The trip went on schedule and everything was on time until the last day of our trip. We were supposed to visit a spice farm outside Quepos but the tour never showed up. The number provided to contact the spice farm tour never connected. Our van to San Jose wasn't to pick us up for many hours and we had already checked out of the hotel. We did not want to sit in the heat for many hours so we asked kimkim to get us transport back to San Jose as soon as possible. We did this via their app (we did not have a phone number for direct contact). Kimkim could get transport but not for hours and the hotel told us they could arrange transport earlier which they did. We asked kimkim to reimburse the cost of the transport and refund the spice tour, which they did within 3-5 days after our trip. Our flight was very early in the am and our transport was late. There were celebrations in the city and traffic was horrible at 10 pm at night. Still, the transport van should have accounted for these delays. Overall, the trip was well planned, but we did not enjoy the long van rides or the gaffs with transport. An option would be to rent a car and drive yourself between sights.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Incredible views and service. This hotel limits towels which I have never experienced before. If your towel was wet and you wanted a clean one, you had to turn in the wet one to get the clean towel. The views were stunning from the room which was spacious and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Hot Springs Thermal Water Resort

La Fortuna

This was a very nice hotel and all the staff were helpful and courteous. The thermal pools were either warm or really hot (so hot none of us could get in).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente

San José

Lovely hotel with good restaurants. We never spent time off the property except in a van because we were only in San Jose at night or early morning and were told not to walk around at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Guide was very good and we saw lots of things in the park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Terrific experience all round.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We cannot say enough amazing things about our travel agent, Adeline, for coordinating what was truly the vacation of a lifetime. We have traveled to many places around the world, but this was by far the best vacation we have ever taken. From start to finish, we took full advantage of every single moment of this trip.

The itinerary was perfectly designed, starting in Fukuoka and ending in Tokyo, with every destination, hotel, and experience thoughtfully planned. Everything was meticulously mapped out—from what to see, to how to get there, and even where and what to eat. The balance between culture, food, sightseeing, and free time was absolutely spot-on. We experienced Japan in a way we never could have planned on our own.

While we could have selected the places we wanted to visit, thanks to Adeline, the logistics were flawless. We never wasted time figuring things out, moving inefficiently, or missing opportunities. Her planning ensured we were always in the right place at the right time, giving us more time to see, do, and truly enjoy Japan.

We provided a list of key things we wanted to see and took advice from Adeline (who has lived in Japan) to ensure the entire trip was perfectly customized to our interests and travel style.

We also had full support throughout the trip. For example, when unforeseen circumstances required us to change the following day’s plans, Adeline adjusted the entire itinerary within hours and sent us a complete, updated plan without any disruption to our experience.

Every detail was handled with care—transportation, accommodations, timing, and recommendations were completely seamless. We felt supported the entire time while still having the freedom to enjoy the adventure stress-free.

This was hands-down the best vacation of our lives, and it’s 100% thanks to the expertise, planning, and passion Adeline put into making this dream trip a reality. If you’re considering traveling to Japan, or anywhere… do yourself a favor and book with her. You will not be disappointed.

Highly recommended!

Hotel Reviews

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

A little disappointed couldn't use the onsen due to tattoos so couldn't give full review as we couldn't experience the main point of this hotel. Besides that the room and location is very authentic and gives nice experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

Great experience at this hotel from the location to the staff. They made the experience special

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Sightseeing in Arashiyama

Kyoto

Very nice nature spot but be prepared for allot of people. Recommend getting the guys that run you around on a carriage tour for more vip experience. The monkey park was cool but you need to climb to the top of the mountain to get there. The area in general is beautiful and su much to do

Quality of Experience

Transport

Onsen, Ryokan, and Mt. Fuji Experience in Hakone

Hakone

Couldn't use the onsen because of tattoos and is main selling point of the hotel. Was able to use private onsen in the room which was ok. The room is meant to be traditional which was nice experience. Cable cars were shut down most the day due to wind. Pirate ship was nice. Pay the vip to get more private experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Difficult to move around this area. Used taxi allot not to waste time

Sumo Morning Practice

Tokyo

The Google address to the location is wrong so when you get there they have a sign to go to the right address which made us arrive late to the event which was disappointing since being 30 min late to an event that was only 1 hour we lost allot of time. Besides that was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Google address provided was incorrect causing delay

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

The tea ceremony was very nice to dress up and be explained how the tea ceremony works. The samurai Ninja experience was a bit anticlimactic and more tailored to children. We could have skipped the samurai part and only don't the tea ceremony

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tea ceremony staff was great. Samurai guide not so much

Transport

Easy to find

What a wonderful experience! We traveled to Germany in December 2025 and started planning around March. Lucie, our advisor, was incredible from the start. She listened to what we wanted the trip to be like, suggested itineraries and adjustments to help us make the trip our own. She guided us through logistics including how much we wanted to spend, type of transport (trains, bus, etc), type of hotel, group vs private tours, etc.

Lucie took care of all the logistics and made sure we had all information needed. It was truly a concierge experience where we showed up without worrying about any of the details and made the trip much more enjoyable.

The selections for hotel, guides, etc were perfect based on the information we provided. Every tour experience was educational and enjoyable and Lucie made sure to leave us free time in the evenings, which we requested. I have family members using KimKim for their upcoming trips based on our experience and we will definitely use KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

Haus im Tal

München

This is a club pretending to be a hotel. Rooms are more to make a statement than be functional. Comfortable beds but minimal storage. Noisy. Great location for access to old town, but not restorative. No lobby, check in is in the bar.

Authenticity & Character

It had character, just not one we enjoyed

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Showers smelled, carpets were old

Scandic Nürnberg Central

Nürnberg

Amazing hotel. Truly 5 stars.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dorint Hotel Dresden

Dresden

A little out of date

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

25hours Hotel HafenCity

Hamburg

Amazing character!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Solid, nothing extraordinary

Cleanliness & Comfort

Garner Berlin - Mitte, an IHG Hotel

Berlin

A very simple hotel; one where the difference between American and European ratings was more prominent. The bathroom was basically in the bedroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right near checkpoint charlie

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Munich WWII Combo: Third Reich & Dachau Tour

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nuremberg Combo Tour WW2 + Old Town

Nuremberg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dresden Old Town Walking Tour

Dresden

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour With Licensed Guide

Berlin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Berlin Highlights & History Tour

Berlin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

UNESCO Warehouse District Tour

Hamburg

Incredible tour with local knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

In general, the platform is very good for information, reserving and paying.
There was however, the issue that the information always referred to 6 persons, so it was unclear even after opening the link that indeed there were 7 of us taking for example, the group walking tour in Nürnberg. There was also a delay in your responses before and during the trip.

I only joined the group from Munich to Nürnberg. Normally, I would have never paid 1000,00 Euro + for a weekend in Nürnberg - since the price only included train from Munich to Nürnberg (price is about 30 Euro), the hotel which included breakfast for 2 nights and a short walking tour. I went thru your platform so that I could be with the group, but the price performance was poor.

The group was disappointed that there was no transfer service from the Nürnberg train station to the hotel. It was not a long distance, but with luggage, and walking thru cobble streets and a crowd one day after the majority landed from the USA was to tiring for them.

Your proposal for the 1 Michelin star restaurant was not appropriate. Apparently the group was not familiar with Michelin restaurants. We ended up eating at a restaurant very close to the hotel where we made the reservation, and we were all very happy with the service, and the food.

Hope my constructive criticism is helpful.

Wishing you all a Happy Holidays,
Susan

The Local guide, Natasha(?), in Nuremberg was excellent.
The local guide, (?), in Lucerne was excellent.

Hotels were all nice and staff were friendly.

Tickets issues with train from Basel to Lucerne, boat ride in Lucerne, and maybe others. Kathleen has details. KimKim staff helped to address issues.

The cities we visited were wonderful and the Christmas markets were beautiful.

Hola
Este viaje fue increible , muchas experiencia juntas y toda la familia las disfruto mucho, especialmente nuestra nieta Olivia, para ella fue especial , no esperabamos estan ta cerca de la fauna de galapagos, y Quito muy bonito y muy limpio , Los guias fueron muy atentos a nosotros y nos llevaron a nuestro paso. Gracias por compartir su bello pais con nosotros , se los agradezco , esperamos volver.

Gracias

Hotel Reviews

Ilatoa Lodge

Quito

Unas cabañas bien Lindas, y comodas , una vista preciosa

Authenticity & Character

Lo sencilla y bonita que esta presentada

Location

La belleza y originalidad

Staff

Son super amables con nosotros

Cleanliness & Comfort

No, todo con un detalle especial , y muy tranquilo

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Un lugar muy bonito y cerca de todo

Authenticity & Character

un lugar muy especial y original

Location

cerca de todo, caminando llegas a todos lados

Staff

muy amables

Cleanliness & Comfort

lo recomendaria a otras personas , exelente hotel

El Barranco

Santa Cruz

Cercano, comodo, justo al lado de la Iglesia, muelle, y de todo nos encanto

Authenticity & Character

muy comodo, y centrio

Location

en el centro de todo

Staff

muy amables

Cleanliness & Comfort

todo muy limpio y ordenado

Mercure Alameda Quito

Quito

exelente Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

super centrico

Staff

super

Cleanliness & Comfort

perfect

Activity Reviews

Explore Tortuga Bay & Charles Darwin Station

Puerto Ayora

Fue un lugar hermoso y lleno de vida, mucha vida marina , increible

Quality of Experience

Lo Hermoso que es esa Isla

Food

todo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Muy atentos a nosotros

Transport

El personal muy amables y atentos

Embracing Nature's Giants: Exploring Santa Cruz Island's Highlands

Galapagos Islands

Fue algo muy especial para nosotros

Quality of Experience

nunca habiamos visto algo asi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

el trato, muy especial

Transport

muy atentos

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Private Transfer to Puerto Ayora

Puerto Ayora

Todo exelente

Quality of Experience

lo diferente que es el lugr

Guides, Drivers and Staff

exelente y pacientes

Transport

muy amables

Family Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo - Middle of the World

Quito

fue increible y facinante

Quality of Experience

Es un lugar bien organizado y hermoso

Food

De las mejores comidas de sur America

Guides, Drivers and Staff

exelentes

Transport

fue exelente

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! (Transportation Service)

Galapagos Islands

Grandiosa , No me imaginaba que seria así.

Quality of Experience

Quito y Galapos son hermosos y la gente muy amable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

nuestro guia , Fue muy amable y gentil

Transport

muy comodo y complaciente

This was our first trip to Japan and my wife and I were looking for an active and immersive cultural experience in addition to exploring the traditional tourist destinations such as Tokyo and Kyoto. I had read about the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail network in the Kii Peninsula and thought that would be the perfect choice combination of a challenging activity within a more rural area of Japan. It was quickly apparent that I would need a travel specialist to help me understand the options, logistics and booking of accommodations while on the Kumano Kodo. I heard about Kimkim through a Condé Naste article no thought to give them a try. What a great decision to contact Kimkim! I was connected to Stefaan in their Kyoto office and it was an easy and enjoyable experience to plan and book the trip from that point on. We were on the trail for six nights and Stefaan booked a selection of small hotels/onsen ryokans and guesthouses which were each an amazing experience in Japanese hospitality and cuisine. Kimkim partnered with Oku Japan to book and organize the hiking trail maps, transportation logistics and accommodations and everything was exactly as promised and exceeded our expectations. We hiked a total of 72 km and 3,600 m of vertical elevation gain over five days on the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo and it was a fantastic experience. I unreservedly recommend Kimkim and Oku Japan to as travel specialists to explore this unique and special part of the world!

We started to plan our trip to Pagaonia in April, 2024. We had been to this area before, and I thought it was one of the most beautiful places we had ever been. Having used Kimkim to plan our 2023 trip to South America and other trips, I wanted to use their services again. Having Riwal as our advisor was a wonderful experience. His communication was stellar! He responded quickly and was sensitive to our needs and requests. When our son, Justin, decided to go with us muh later inthe process. we were able to add him to the tours, and Riwal was absolutely wonderful in helping with his hotels and transfers. When a tour was cancelled, Riwal immediately gave us other options and then processed a refund when we decided to spend the afternoon on our own.

We had a fantastic local coordinator named Jose Luis who was so instrumental in making things work. When our morning tour to Magdalena Island to see the penguins was cancelled and then commenced without prior notice(except for a 7am knock on our door when we were sound asleep), Jose arranged for us to join the afternoon tour and to take the 8:00 pm bus to Puerto Natales. It all worked out perfectly-actually better than the original plans.

Probably one of the most determining factor of our trip enjoyment was our private guide and driver, "Nacho". Late in the planning process, Riwal suggested having a private guide on our full day tour of Torres del Paine. This is what I wanted to begin with, so I was happy to do so. Nacho was so good, that we continued to forego the group tours and have us as our private guide and driver the next two days. He was knowledgeable, personable and flexible with our needs and requests. He and our son Justin forged a tight bond and lasting friendship. We absolutely loved our trip to Punta Arenas and to Puerto Natales. Thank you Kimkim, Riwal, Jose Luis and Nacho for making this happen.

Hotel Review

Best Western Patagonia / Hotel Borde Glaciar

Puerto Natales

Our room was beautiful with a stunning view. It is out of town a bit, so a taxi was needed each time we decided to go into Puerto Natales. The cost is only around 5000 pesos($5 USD)

Authenticity & Character

T

Location

The view is beautiful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

The most beautiful place on this earth! Get Nacho as your guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nacho is wonderful!

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tierra del Fuego - King Penguin

Punta Arenas

Absolutely worth your while to go see the King penguins.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was spectacular. Jesse did an amazing job shepherding us through each step of our adventure. She accommodated a number of last minute requests for documents promptly and she made a series of changes to our itinerary as the trip was unfolding with a great "can do" attitude. There is no way we could have coordinated all of the connections on our own. Thank you Jesse!

Can you do it by yourself? Maybe, but if you work with kimkim, you KNOW they'll get it right.

This was my second assisted trip. I didn't have the time to plan my own itinerary, and having gotten myself to the other side of the world, I knew I didn't want to mess around bumbling around and going to beaches that weren't the right vibe. Bella put together the perfect itinerary for me, combining some excursions for snorkeling, rock climbing and sea kayaking with some planned downtime. Without Bella, I never would have known about Koh Yao Noi as a possibility. She was able to troubleshoot minor issues as they arose during the trip and was always there to make sure I got to my next stop safely.

I consider myself a fairly competent and confident traveler and still, it was really comforting to know that Bella was there to backstop me if I needed help with last minute arrangements (like when my solo climbing excursion turned into a two- then three-person outing) and that the people they're connected with are reliable and reputable. As a solo woman traveler, it was reassuring to know that I wouldn't end up with some untried guide.

I think there was a lack of communication once our trip plan was transferred to Emmanuelle.

Hotel Reviews

Cascada Boutique Hotel

Lucerne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Tandem Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was very small. It seems it might have been the smallest room in the hotel.

Karl August - a Neighborhood Hotel

Nürnberg

Wonderful Hotel. Great Staff. Excellent location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Size if the rooms were good. Separate toilet room was a plus!

Activity Reviews

Private transfer to Airport

Lucerne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

History Walking Tour w/ Chocolate & Cheese Tastings

Lucerne

What a wonderful experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private day tour of Alsace

France

This was a disappointment. I don't think it was the guide's fault. I think there was miscommunication between what was originally told to us by Fanny and the tour that was excecuted. We thought we would be touring a Vineyard Estate and instead ended up in yet another town with a Christmas Market. The castle tour was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Very knowledgeable guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Walking Tour of Nuremberg

Nuremberg

Our guide was very knowledgeable and showed us interesting things in Nuremburg.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time visiting Japan. Cory was fully present and extremely helpful from start to finish of our trip. I appreciate her organization of paperwork, bullet train tickets, chronological order of documents, and specific instructions on using each. This made getting around easy. We loved our guides, especially Pam. She is generous and kind and took us to places not on our itinerary. All the food tours were unique and enjoyable. Cory tweaked our itinerary based on our requests and offered unique experiences. I will recommend her services to friends. I appreciate having to ways to see Mt Fuji since Hakone gave us a foggy day when the ropeway wasn’t running. Along our journey people we met often asked about our favorite experience, a question I could not answer because each moment offered something special. That’s a credit to Cory. I do think it would be helpful to tweak itineraries a bit based on seasons as December days are shorter than spring and summer.

Hotel Reviews

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Love the library decor and display of paper products.

Location

An easy walk to a station to catch the train.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suiun

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Hiroshima-ekimae

Authenticity & Character

This hotel is part of a high rise and has exceptional views but is very modern.

Location

Great location in relation to Hiroshima Station but a ways from attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

KAYA Kyoto Nijo Castle

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit off the beaten path.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to major attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miyako City Tokyo Takanawa

Even though the room was small, it was organized well and offered a good view and seating. Love the wet room and efficient use of space.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A good place to start given the Gateway across the street.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

We were the only ones in this tour, and it felt as though the guide was going through the motions. The entire experience was rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Food Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Nara Day Trip with Half Day Walking Tour (Lunch included)

Japan

The deer are aggressive!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with Kimono Wearing (Higashiyama)

Japan

Quality of Experience

You might discover you like matcha tea.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host was fascinated by the size of my husband’s hands. 🤣

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pam is an amazing guide. She knows all the best photo spots.

Transport

Discover the secret gems of Kanazawa - Private Walking Tour

Kanazawa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Izakaya food tour in Shinjuku (14 small tastings)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Max was very knowledgeable and personable.

Meiji Jingu Shrine with Private Guide

Tokyo

Our guide knows a lot about the Shinto religion and made it possible for us to attend a service offered only a few times a year. This was a special day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sumo Show with special, sumo nabe lunch included

Tokyo

Tons of fun and laughs w/ excellent audience participation. Very good food and service, too. They give you a photo and a gift bag.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Dori with Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

Tokyo

Loved visiting the temple but felt a bit rushed by our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide needs to know the exchange rate. I think he gave me the Euro or British pound rate when I asked. I should have checked the rate myself.

Transport

It’s hard to know where to start about the wonderful time we had on our trip to Costa Rica. First it was a pleasure working with Olman to plan our itinerary. We listed the top attractions we wanted to see with lodging and transportation at a reasonable price and Olman really delivered.

The weather was mostly sunny and the landscape was lush and green from the previous wet season. On our well organized tours we saw a wide variety of wildlife and our guides were informative and helped us take amazing pictures we could not have gotten on our own. Our accommodations were clean and comfortable with pools and easy access to townsites and beaches. Transportation to all areas of the country was mostly on time and fairly pleasant. We also had ample down time where we could plan our own activities or just relax. Any issues we had with scheduling were not disruptive or affect our itinerary negatively.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend this service to everyone.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

The hotel itself was very modern and clean with a nice restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Where we were was OK but would not recommend walking around at night in some areas of the downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Best hotel we stayed in. Wonderful pool and cabanas plus very nice bar area and restaurant. We were also within easy walking distance to the beach and national park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dreams Lodge Monteverde

Santa Elena

Hotel was very clean and comfortable and the staff was very friendly,helpful and easy to talk to.

Authenticity & Character

Location

K

Staff

Very nice staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Fantastic hotel with amazing views of the beach and ocean plus an infinity pool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good shuttle service

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arenal Montechiari

La Fortuna

Nice location with amazing landscaping. Would have liked wifi in the rooms not just at the restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auténtico Hotel

San José

Limited stay for only 1 night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

San José City Tour

San José

Our guide took us to many parts of the city explaining the different buildings and history of San Jose. We also learned about the political development of Costa Rica.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Excursion

Manuel Antonio

Quiet boat ride though the mangroves learning about the different types and how they live in salty water. Also saw many species of birds that the guide pointed out and explained.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

This was probably the best guided hike we took as we saw and with our guide, took amazing pictures including a male, female and baby 3 toed sloths. Our guide took us back on a different path back to the entrance were we saw more beaches and flora and fauna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

We saw and took incredible photos of insects and wildlife plus a toucan. I am amazing how the guide found the animals in the dark with a small flashlight

Quality of Experience

Guide helped take amazing photos

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Very tranquil walk though the forest with scenic views of flora and fauna with our guide getting us amazing pictures. We even saw a quetzal which we understand is a rare sight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

I was a bit apprehensive about doing the zip lining but it turned out to be quite thrilling. Guides were very helpful. Very tranquil walk though the forest with scenic views of flora though the mist and hanging bridges were amazing. Some rain on the walk but did not affect the views

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Our guide was excellent in his explanation of coffee, chocolate and sugarcane processing and was also had a good sense of humour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

Beautiful and scenic catamaran ride with good drink and service plus very good staff

Quality of Experience

Views during snorkeling were not good area to murky water

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a very exciting and fun experience. Our guide was very good and described different plants and wildlife

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent pineapple and watermelon

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Hike up to the volcano was nice and our guide was very informative but we could not see the volcano due to cloud. The waterfall was spectacular though the hike back up the steps was tiring for some. Have a bit of rain on both trips

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sitting in the hot springs was very relaxing with good drink service

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emanuela was extremely helpful - we had multiple tours cancelled because of bad weather but she managed to reschedule everything without disrupting our trip and we ended up seeing everything that we wanted to. Thank you so much Emanuela for helping us plan an unforgettable trip and making sure we had the best time!