Kimkim Trip Reviews

Monika was extremely helpful in ensuring we had a wide-ranging, fantastic experience on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Whether it was horseback riding, hiking, and overnight cruises through the Fiordland; movie studio tours, and winery excursions, and whale watching; and everything in between, we were always paired with tour providers and accommodations that were clearly high quality and dedicated to providing meaningful and memorable experiences. In the infrequent times where there were any logistical hiccups, Monika was immediately responsive to get us back on track. All told, our three weeks were absolutely memorable and magical.

Katsu Okada-San of KimKim helped to create lasting memories on our first trip to Japan.

This was our first visit to Japan; my ancestors are from Kumamoto-Ken. I daydreamed about Japan for years, cherry blossoms, Mt. Fuji-san, sashimi and being enveloped by the culture.

The experience changed my life and my family’s lives, and I owe this to Katsu Okada-san. He tailored our needs with definite care and excellent communication needed for a family traveling across the ocean to unfamiliarity.

Upon arrival at Kansai airport in Osaka, he arranged for a driver to take us to our hotel. He helped to arrange guides in Osaka, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Hakone and lastly, Tokyo. Detailed instructions were sent by email and tickets sent to our hotels in advance with handwritten, step-by-step itinerary to travel to and from places. He set us up with lovely Japanese-native, mostly English-speaking guides in each city. Here are their names and memories of them:

Sachi Oguchi-san in Osaka - she was kind, patient and flexible, and took us off course to the Osaka Natural History Museum. She encouraged us to try the foods Osaka is known for.
Noboru Narukawa-san in Kumamoto – He was the kindest and sunniest person; he reminded me of my Japanese family in Hawaii. We communicated with Google Translate.
Akiko Tonomura-san in Kyoto - She was just as wonderful as the other guides, fun, enjoyable to learn from and kind, kind, kind.
Eriko Ishiguro-san in Tokyo - So filled with tender care for our family and really got to know us personally. She helped us to get familiar with Tokyo’s transportation system; I’m envious of its efficiency.

Through continued correspondence with Okada-san before, during and after Japan, I got to know him almost as a friend, sharing stories and emotions evoked by them. That’s the part of this writing I wanted to emphasize, how someone so far could have so much impact across the miles.

Thank you, Okada-san, from my and my family’s heart, for doing what you do so well and for helping to change our lives and viewpoints of the world.

Rita was wonderful to work with for our trip to Italy! She was extremely responsive and open to any/all suggestions and questions I presented. Working with Rita and the kimkim team made our vacation abroad seamless and stress free.

Activity Reviews

Italian Cooking Class at a Local Ristorante

Rome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Gondolier wasn’t interactive and it was obvious he didn’t want to take our family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was quiet and didn’t interact at all

Transport

Guided Visit of Florence Including David and Duomo

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gelato Making Class

Florence

This was my daughter’s favorite activity of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of the Colosseum & Ancient City

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a lovely time in Costa Rica — saw so many animals and got to really experience the culture! Gustavo suggested some amazing dining spots in Monteverde and Manuel Antonio and we thoroughly enjoyed the tours that he picked based on our preferences. The drivers and guides were always on time, courteous, and helpful! Would definitely go again :)

However, we had a very disappointing start to our travels. When we’d arrived in Monteverde after a long day (several flights and a 3-hour drive), the hotel we’d booked was fully closed and locked — no staff member was there. We tried calling the hotel, but no one was picking up.

KimKim and I called the hotel the day before just to make sure they kept our room open late and were present to greet us, so them not having the room and staff prepped was definitely on them.

However, it was quite disturbing that KimKim did not have an active emergency line to help us find accommodations. It was 11pm in a sleepy mountain town where we did not speak the language.

We called the only assistance number we had from KimKim, but the agent could only take a message and get us in contact with someone on the KimKim team the following morning (which obviously was not helpful at the time).

If it weren’t for our incredibly helpful driver, who spoke great English and Spanish, happened to know a security guard who worked for multiple hotels, and got us a spot at a different hotel, my mom and I would’ve been totally stranded in a foreign country.

Though KimKim did comp two hotel nights and a birthday dinner — which was very generous and much appreciated — it was still a scary experience. The team at KimKim has let us know that they are looking to work with their third-party emergency line provider to make sure this doesn’t happen again and we hope it doesn’t.

Hotel Review

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Lovely and helpful staff - super clean and pleasant!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Axel was super knowledgeable about birds and other wildlife in Monteverde. We especially liked how he’d take pictures with our phone over the scope he brought - they turned out great! Even though we didn’t see as many animals on this tour as we did in Manuel Antonio, it was still well worth it to hear all about the history of Costa Rica and the Curi Cancha reserve. We still did see a bunch of birds, a tarantula, butterflies, agoti, and coates, which was exciting! Thank you, Axel for a great tour :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Saw a ton of fish (parrotfish, puffer fish, tons of others) and lobsters snorkeling! We had a little bit of a struggle kayaking in the ocean, though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Though he told us he was newer to this job, Jorge was a pro! His English was excellent and we had a wonderful and educational tour. Really interesting to hear about the coffee roasting process, drink the traditional cocoa people used to back in the day, and eat some great chocolate and sugar cane juice samples. Would definitely recommend going on this tour!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

This was our FAVORITE tour. Ariel had great energy and an even more positive mindset — and we saw a TON of amazing animals on his tour. He pointed out 2 types of monkeys, 2 types of sloths, a rare anteater, tons of lizards/basilisks, crabs, bats, deer, birds, you name it. He was such a fun, funny, and informative guide and we would highly recommend doing a tour with him!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a truly memorable trip for all three of us. We especially enjoyed the cooking class with Chef Dominique. He was very informative and great letting us all have a chance to participate. Also special was the view of the Eiffel tower from our room on the 6th floor of our hotel. We watched it lit up every night! Saw the usual iconic landmarks, the tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the cathedral with the beautiful stained glass windows. Some of us saw King Louie's castle and were underwhelmed with the Hall of Mirrors but were really wowed with Claude Monet's home and gardens. All in all a great trip. First time in Paris had to see all the major attractions. Lines were long even though we had timed tickets. Some of the venues (the Eiffel tower in particular) did not have signs to direct you where to go. We were trying to get to the second floor restaurant for lunch and had to walk totally around the building to find the access. Thanks to KimKim for all their help in getting this trip together. Will definitely use your services again if we make another European trip. I don't think we contacted Valentine while we in Paris although she was very receptive to our requests to organize the itinerary.

Hotel Review

Hôtel Lorette - Astotel

Paris

We stayed in an apartment on the 6th floor and could see the Eiffel Tower from our skylight. What a bonus! Enjoyed the treats in the lobby and the beverages in the room. Breakfast was great,,,plenty to choose from. (Would have liked soft boiled eggs.) Clean establishment with beds made and clean towels every day. Good working elevator which was important to me as I have a breathing problem and do not do stairs well. Would highly recommend this establishment.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Metro stop and cafes.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

French Cooking Class

Paris

We really enjoyed this activity. Chef Dominique was great in explaining everything and letting all of us have a chance to contribute to the meal. It was delicious. I would recommend this activity to any travelers over the age of 10.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palace of Versailles & Giverny Day Trip

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena and Lea were amazing through out the entire planning of this trip. They were very professional, flexible and took all our requests into account when planning our trip. We had the best time in Thessaloniki and Athens, where the local tour guides were amazing!
Thank you both for the thoughtful planning and for answering every question in a timely manner.

Our we have used KimKim on several trips and it's a very easy process, the local companies they partner with are very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. On this latest trip to Italy Melanie and her team were nothing short of AMAZING. Our family was quite large (11 to 19, depending on which day) Melanie was attentive and accomodated our request to breakdown prices per person amongst other things. We had some seasonal challenges travelling to the Amalfi Coast but Melanie provided alternatives that worked out very well. She listened to our requirements and we were able to really enjoy the trip without having to stress of what to do next. Everyone from the driver to our guides were incredible. We had some elderly family members that they accomodated and paid extra attention to. Knowledge of local restaurants and the wines... OMG... this was a memorable trip because of Melanie and her team!

Hotel Review

Art Hotel Galleria Umberto

Napoli

The location of this hotel was great. Close to shopping and restaurants and it is inside the Galleria Umberto. Unfortunately the room quality is not really 4 stars.

Authenticity & Character

Its inside Galleria Umberto

Location

Close to all the action

Staff

Small staff, friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms felt dated and was not maintained well.

Activity Reviews

Naples walking food and historical tour

Italy

It was raining! But our guide was able to accomodate and was able to lead us through it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

The site itself is amazing, but it was our local guide that made this place even better. We were able to navigate the ruins in the rain and the entire group was engaged the whole time because of how the guide shared the site's history and highlights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Napoli Pizza Making Class

Naples

This was a highlight... who does not LOVE Napoli Pizza??? Learning how its made from scratch in Napoli is a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day excursion along the Amalfi coast with private driver

Italy

There are no words that can describe the beauty and charm of the Amalfi Coast. Our guide and driver were locals that knew the areas very well and knew the spots to visit. It was a wonderful day excursion, we will be back to stay in the Amalfi Coast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We actually visited Dubai and Jeab was our specialist. It was a great trip. Dubai is an amazing place with a mix of modern and old cultures. Our dinner cruise, city tour and desert safari gave us an insightful and inspiring introduction to Dubai. I wish we had more time.

We had a very diverse adventure that started in Hanoi for a few days and then proceeded to Ba Be, Cao Bang, and Lang Son. Victor Tran was our guide for the north along with a very careful driver. Victor did is best to be flexible and do what we wanted to do and provided significant insights into the culture. We did an outing to a tea farm, cooking and walking and visited the street food scene in Hanoi along with the Temple of Literature and a general tour of Hanoi. This leg required a lot of time in the car to reach remote areas but the landscape with the karst mountains was amazing sometimes hidden in the mist and a bit of rain. Driving to Ba Be and doing an outing on the lake in the same day meant that the outing was limited since we got a bit of a late start. The Ban Gioc Waterfalls were enjoyable, and we considered the Nui Thung- God eye Mountain very impressive and should not be missed. We were less impressed with Lang Son though the hotel was very nice. One of the highlights of the trip was the Dragon Legend Cruise on Bai Tu Long Bay with cruising the iconic limestone islands, kayaking, beach lunch and visit to the floating village. The boat, rooms and food were superb. The visit to Ninh Binh, though it is a very tourist-oriented town, the boat trips through the caves and hills was pleasurable and the LeClos Du Fil hotel was excellent. Also, the Cuc Phuong park was steamy but the visit to the primate center was memorable. From there we proceeded by air to Phong Nha to visit the amazing cave there, another very memorable experience along with a walk in the Botanic Garden with waterfall. Hue and the Imperial City tour, Tu Doc Royal Tomb, lagoon visit and staying at the incredible Ancient Hue Garden Houses hotel. The last stop was Hoi An, exploring the city, visit to My Son and the incredible dance group performance. All the guides were great, some better than other but very professional and very knowledgeable.

Great Itinerary and and we really enjoyed the trip. Eleanor was really helpful throughout our trip and could always rely on her to respond to any questions or queries we had.

Our experience was exceptional. From beginning to end. It was clear, right from the start that Anna Maria had paid very close attention to details. Our first day we toured Zagreb with Doro, brilliant. Her knowledge of the city was detailed and she had many personal stories that made our experience even better! From Zagreb, we drove, we were driven, we ferried and we flew. Along the way we stayed in amazing hotels, had incredible guides and ate some of the best food I’ve ever had. Croatia is a beautiful country with friendly people. I loved it.

Our Zagreb, Croatia native consultant, Anna-Maria, was intelligent, friendly, helpful, thorough, patient and always willing to answer questions concerning our trip through Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Bosnia.
We felt very prepared for our trip, as our consultant Anna-Maria was a great travel consultant—a local who was knowledgeable of the counties we wanted to visit.
Communication with her was top notch prior to the trip and during! She designed a great itinerary and the booking process was seamless!
We were so happy with our accommodations, tour guides, rental car, and appreciated all of her suggested activities during our first trip to these countries. We stayed in some lovely hotels, very conveniently located and that provided some very nice breakfasts. Her itinerary allowed us the flexibility of visiting sights along the way, or taking diversions and exploring areas. The itinerary was filled with plenty of activities to do, but with time to rest. The activities she scheduled were well planned and timed. We did not feel rushed at anytime as she insured we had a good balance between activities and free time. Her Itinerary provided such beauty and diversity around every turn. Anna-Maria and all the tour guides she booked at each location were extremely helpful and prompt at answering our emails/texts and providing us with answers to any of our questions.
Our trip was a success from the moment we arrived. We did not have one issue at all with our time in these countries. Our trip was educational, fun and memorable.
We will definitely be using KimKim in the future for any travel they offer to other various locations that interest us.

The trip was amazing! We wish we had more time. The highlight was Mu Cang Chai - definitely want to return during the rice harvest. The Garry Mu Cang Chai was a fabulous place to stay. We also loved the Hanoi Market and Street Food tour. Our guide Truang was fantastic and we loved spending time with him in Mu Cang Chai.

Lucy was exceptionally responsive and tailored our tour to give us a flavour of the many different people and places to see. Thank you!

Tommy was great at finding us a wonderful accommodation and transfers just as we requested. The cabin suited our needs perfectly, close to grocery and town and most importantly great access to the awesome ski trails at Ylläs. Since we were late in the season we were unable to partake of other things that may have interested us since they had closed. Tommy was responsive with some questions we need answered during the trip and was very helpful before the trip with helping us prepare for a different culture. We've never done a trip with a personal travel agent before and we were pleased with the excellent service provided by Tommy and his local contacts.

Our recent trip was truly unforgettable, thanks to the exceptional service and attention to detail provided by everyone involved. Amelia from Cusi Travel was not only incredibly knowledgeable but also genuinely caring—her passion for sharing the culture and history of the region made every part of our journey more meaningful. Our driver, Alex, was equally impressive. He was always courteous, punctual, and attentive to our comfort and needs, ensuring we traveled safely and stress-free throughout.

We’re also deeply grateful to KimKim and their wonderful team, especially Johanna and Kristy, who handled all of our hotel and airfare arrangements with remarkable precision. Their meticulous planning and responsiveness made the entire experience seamless and enjoyable. Every detail, from accommodations to logistics, was perfectly executed.

We wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone looking for a well-organized, enriching, and personalized travel experience.

Hotel Reviews

Refugio Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

Amazing staff, wonderful location and extremely clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

We enjoyed the location and the beautiful decor of this hotel. This hotel is walkable to many sightseeing and nice restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Cusco

This hotel is basic in every angles. Nothing to brag about and nothing to complain about.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

This hotel has beautiful architecture and decor however, due to its design and structure, the rooms are noisy. Most tourist have to leave early in the morning for their tours and you will definitely will hear their departure in early hours of the morning like 4 AM.The staff are amazing and they accommodate everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aranwa Sacred Valley

Urubamba

Amazing Hotel for restfulness and meditation. Our Rooms was dark even during daytime. Beautiful gardens and plant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Excellent choice of restaurants and foods with knowledgeable guides.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were a little late in getting to plan our family vacation (for 6) to Costa Rica. We had a rough outline, and Elena and her team helped us make our dream a reality and took a lot off of my plate! From our initial call, Elena had a plan the next day and had planned everything we wanted, with effective communication and clear instructions for when we landed. Once we got to Costa Rica, Serendipity Adventures responded quickly to all our questions and reminded us of the times and what to bring to our excursions. It made planning and going on our trip so much easier! We had a blast ziplining, on our safari boat tour, and catamaran sunset tour. Our first hotel was amazing as an off-grid Ranch with fun yoga classes, horseback riding, and beautiful grounds to explore. Overall, I am really glad we went with Kimkim and Elena at Serendipity Adventures to help us plan and execute our family trip. It made things so much more enjoyable and relaxing! We loved Costa Rica! Pura Vida!

Hotel Review

Rancho Margot

La Fortuna

We LOVED this hotel. The food, the horseback riding, the bungalows, the grounds itself- all of it was so much fun to explore and learn about! The road was bumpy for the last leg to this hotel but it is worth it!

Authenticity & Character

Outdoor yoga classes, outdoor dining, horsebacking riding, the handmade furniture, all of it was so cool to explore!

Location

The road to the hotel was bumpy!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Zip Lines

Arenal/La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful hike with amazing views!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Catamaran Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We'd like to thank KimKim and Jenny for organizing a fantastic trip! We got to see things that we had previously only dreamed of. Jenny was very prompt and would help us fix any problems that arose. Because of her and KimKim, we had a blast! I highly recommend KimKim for future travelers. It's a hassle-free experience and we truly enjoyed every minute of our trip.

Charlotte was very receptive to what we were looking for in our trip, and planned our itinerary very thoughtfully. We had regular video meetings and calls with her before the trip, and she was always very helpful.
The hotels she booked were amazing. She gave us very clear instructions about all that needed to be done while going from one place to another.
Except for a couple of activities at the beginning of the tour, things were spaced out and not rushed.
Monica, who was our contact from KimKim while we were in Mexico, was also very receptive and helpful. On one occasion, we found it a little difficult to reach her, but other than that, she was always available and responded to our texts and questions very promptly.

On the whole, we had a wonderful mix of beaches, historical sites, cenotes, old historic towns etc. Kimkim played a big role in make our trip to Mexico so memorable.

Activity Reviews

Snorkel in Akumal

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tulum site with an English speaking guide

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour in the Natural Reserve of Sian Ka'an

Mexico

Phenomenal. If you love the cenotes in Yucatan, you will be blown away by your experience here. A must-do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Punta Laguna

Mexico

The cenote here was next-level scary! What an adventure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chichen-Itza site with an English speaking guide

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed a fabulous three weeks in New Zealand thanks to Monika's guidance and efforts to develop an itinerary that met all of our requests.

It began in Queensland and a memorable flight and cruise to Milford Sound., definitely a "not-to-be-missed"! It continued through small towns - Clyde, Lake Tekapo, Kaikoura, Taupo, Raglan, Coromandel - and cities - Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland - and included a variety of activities - cycling, a cultural food tour, surfing, hiking, sailing. Unfortunately, due to weather, our kayaking and stargazing were cancelled.

For us, the highlights were the Milford Sound flight and cruise, bike ride in Clyde, Hulbert House B&B in Queensland, Hapuku Lodge accomodations and dinners, surfing with Green Wave Raglan Surf School, and the Koru Lodge in Raglan.

Thank you Monika.

John & Wendy

Hotel Reviews

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

Kaikoura

Luxurious, comfortable, lots of amenities and activities.

Authenticity & Character

The tree houses are very authentic

Location

Nice hiking, biking and beach opportunities nearby

Staff

Couldn't be more helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Great Ponsonby ArtHotel

Auckland

Located in a wonderful neighborhood with good access (walking or bus) to the center city, great staff, and wonderful breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ranginui B&B

Lake Tekapo

The B&B host is warm and welcoming, and a great advisor for activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A nice quiet neighborhood not too far to walk to town

Staff

The host is very friendly and welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belle Vue Boutique Lodge

Taupo

Comfortable, great views of the lake, beautiful home.

Authenticity & Character

The owners have done a wonderful job restoring the lodge, and they take great pride in it.

Location

While outside the center city, the lodge is located in a attractive neighborhood with nearby amenities.

Staff

Friendly and very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hulbert House

Queenstown

Wonderful staff, very comfortable accommodations, great location. And delicious breakfasts!

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy 5-minute walk to the center of town, though not as easy a walk back (uphill).

Staff

Very friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George

Christchurch

Great location and a very comfortable and clean hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy walk to town center and across the street from a wonderful park

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bolton Hotel

Wellington

In the center of the City within easy walks of key spots. Very comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

We were not surprised with the authenticity and character when we learned that The George is a related property to Hulbert House.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lord Clyde

Very helpful and friendly staff, and a great location.

Authenticity & Character

An original building from the town's gold rush days

Location

Right in the center of Clyde within easy walk of restaurants, sites and activities.

Staff

Very helpful in guiding how to best enjoy Clyde.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Raglan

Raglan

The highlight was the Green Wave Raglan Surf School which caters to all ages and ability levels. They had us surfing (for a bit) and made it very fun and enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bing Lyons, our instructor, continued to encourage and instruct. He was so positive I thought I was an expert surfer.

Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound by scenic flight

Queenstown (NZ)

Flying over snow-capped mountains and glaciers with mountain peaks as far as you can see, landing on the sound, dolphin-escorted boat cruise, sailing up to waterfalls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andy is a tremendous pilot

Transport

The flight gave us a great view of mountains, glaciers, the sound, and it was smooth. And the cruise was wonderful as well

Cultural Food Tour - Kai Bites

Christchurch

Very informative of the Maori history and culture with a delicious lunch of local foods.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We planned a 15 day trip for our family group of 4 adults with Sharon's help. She helped put together an itinerary that would suit our group. Our overall experience in this trip was wonderful and we learned so much about the Amazigh (Berber) culture and traditions and about the history of Morocco. The warmth of the welcome we got felt special - and we got this from all the people whom we interacted with: our tour manager, the drivers and the staff at the Riads where we stayed. We wanted cultural immersion and indeed that was what we got.

A highlight was our "day with the locals" in Boumalne Dades, where we had Abdou Idrissi (owner of Moroccan Immersion) as our very knowledgeable guide to Berber culture, architecture, life, cultivation and irrigation. It was a treat to be in the kitchen with our hosts Malika and Khadija as they prepared a tagine and couscous in the traditional way. They and their children were so open and welcoming and we surprised my husband with a birthday cake. Definitely the most unique birthday he has celebrated!

Each of the cities we visited gave us a chance to experience medieval towns by staying in Riads in the Medinas of these towns. Our local guide Mohammed in Rabat, a different guide named Mohammed in Fes, and Salaam in Marrakesh were all excellent - knowledgeable and personable.

While in Fez we found out that our wonderful tour manager and driver, Salaam could not accompany us for the rest of the trip, due to circumstances outside anyone's control. We cannot say enough about Salaam as a guide and chaperone for our trip: he is fun to be with, incredibly knowledgeable about history, architecture, culture and more and he made sure we were comfortable as we made our way through our first three stops. To Moroccan Immersion's credit, they made sure that they had good drivers for us at short notice in a busy season, so there was no interruption in our programming. Even though he could not be with us for the rest of the days of the trip, he kept track of where we were, communicated with the drivers we had and made sure things went well for us. Abdou was of course, in the background, making sure things went well.

The other drivers we had were very good but they did not have the same level of knowledge and ability to guide and inform us as Salaam did. This did impact our tour experience - and we understand that it was because of something beyond anyone's control.

Our favorite stop was as Kasbah Tiziri in the Valley of the Roses. Our hosts Michelle and Hussein were wonderful and gave us delicious food and their own insights into life in Morocco. The Kasbah has a beautiful garden, has been modernized beautifully while maintaining a traditional identity.

All along we had beautiful drives - between Rabat and Fez, Fez to Merzouga and then from the desert camp in Merzouga to Marrakesh. There had been rain after a four year drought and the countryside was green (except of course near the desert area). We got to experience spectacular views as we drove through the low, the mid and the High Atlas mountains (many peaks with snow). Our drivers negotiated the challenging drives smoothly and safely.

We ended by spending a day in Essaouira which was a nice relaxed ending to our trip in this charming seaside town.

We covered a lot of ground, physically, and learned a great deal during our trip all while experiencing a feast for the senses and a sense of warmth and welcome!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Dar Chrifa

Rabat

A beautiful Riad with excellent service - great start to our Morocco adventure. We had a lovely dinner there as well as breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

The architecture and the rooms were beautiful, traditional, yet comfortable

Location

Easy to get to once we got oriented to being in the medina

Staff

Welcoming and warm

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad El Palacio

Chefchaouen

A beautiful Riad. The staff may have been a little over their heads, though Fatya was working hard to make us comfortable and was a lovely hostess. We were two couples traveling together and the rooms we were assigned were quite different - one quite spacious, and the other rather small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Can't say enough good things about Fatya - but she did not have enough support.

Cleanliness & Comfort

As mentioned above the rooms were strikingly different.

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

We enjoyed our stay here. A beautiful Riad, great breakfasts and good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean. Some features of a historic building were a challenge.

Riad Merzouga Dunes

Merzouga

This was a comfortable hotel and served well its purpose as a jumping off point for the desert camp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

This was a gorgeous camp. Our rooms were comfortable and attractive - amazing to have plumbing and hot and cold water in the desert. The dining room was beautiful and we had amazing meals at this camp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Ali was very attentive and kept track of everything and made sure we were comfortable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad La Croix Berbère

Marrakech

Good location near the main square. We were able to find our way through the maze of streets using Google maps. We were here for 3 nights

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We got great personal attention from the staff here over our stay of 3 nights.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The riad was clean and well furnished. The discrepancy between the two rooms was noticeable - one was a suite and the other was a standard room. When traveling with another couple that doesn't feel great.

ONOMO Hotel Casablanca Airport

Nouaceur

This served its purpose as a place near the airport so we could make our morning flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

A rave review for this Kasbah and for Michelle who refurbished this historic building with authenticity and elegance. The hospitality, food, beauty and comfort of this place were a stand out.

Authenticity & Character

The attention to architecture, especially the brickwork on the facade were special.

Location

The views from the rooftop and from the terraces, as well as the garden were lovely

Staff

Wonderful hostess and wonderful staff. Hussein as well as the young man who helped him were warm and chatty.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais des Remparts

Essaouira

Charming hotel. Great rooftop terrace with ocean views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and good. The incense smell in the rooms and the riad was a bit overwhelming.

Activity Reviews

Orientation Walk & Free Afternoon in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

We did not have an orientation walk. However when we asked, Salaam was able to make suggestions about what we should try to see and also about places to eat.

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Volubilis is a wonderful site located in beautiful countryside. We enjoyed the mosaics which are in pretty good condition , the baths and the remains of a temple. Our guide was helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Mohammed, our guide for Fes, was the best site specific guide we had. He grew up in the medina there and seemed to know everybody. This was an extensive tour, which took us to a great viewpoint for a panoramic view of Fes, and also included the palace, the medieval university and the madrasa as well as a visit to the jewish quarter and a synagogue, also the souk. The famous tanneries where leather is dyed was interesting also. We also got to see how the tiles for the amazing tile work were made. We really enjoyed our guide and the tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Azrou and Midelt

Morocco

Our driver Mohammed was the nicest man but perhaps was not someone who usually functioned as a guide. He did his very best, since he had been assigned to us at short notice. Getting to the hotel on a rainy night (not usual in a desert region for sure) was a challenge and it was a good thing we had phones with service so we could help with online maps and navigation. Next morning we visited Rissani, a kasbah, and also enjoyed the Gnawa musicians. All enjoyable.

Camel trek to your Camp

Merzouga

One couple from our group of four rode the camels to the camp. The others took the suv. The handoff from our driver to the camp personnel was a bit chaotic and it was hard to understand exactly what was going on. The sunset ride was beautiful and a unique experience made more unusual by the fact that it was raining in the desert!

Tour of Desert Region

Merzouga

I think I covered this in the previous review. We also visited a workshop where we learned about the fossils from that region and saw the artifacts they made incorporating the fossils. Very unique!

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

We had this tour on the morning before we drove to Chefchaouen. We were a bit tired the first evening and just enjoyed walking around a bit on our own. The next morning we had a wonderful tour with our guide (so sorry not to be able to pull up his name). We also visited the ancient necropolis of Chellah where we got a sense of what an amazing city it must have been. We also got to see the amazing black and white storks who have built enormous nests. We had requested a visit there and it has a history going back to the Phoenicians and the Romans prior to being used by Muslim rulers. Spotting the stork nests became a feature of our whole trip - they often they build nests at the top of a mosque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

We had set up a group Whats App chat with Salaam prior to our arrival. This made our arrival go smoothly despite the fact that one couple arrived in Casablanca a few hours after the other couple. Salaam made sure the other couple was comfortable and got coffee and water before we got there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salaam was an exceptional tour manager/driver

Transport

Very comfortable brand new vehicle - an eight seater van for four of us and the driver.

Rabat to Chefchaouen

Morocco

Beautiful drive with good and informative conversations with Salaam. We stopped in Volubilis, an ancient Roman site. The guide there was good but not a stand out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was good but not a standout compare to other guides we had on our trip.

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

We had a different driver for this segment of our tour who was a very good driver but was not a guide. Again, he was doing this at short notice and did his best. The Todgha Gorge was gorgeous as was the drive to Dades valley. Very lovely countryside!

Hiking the Road of 1000 Kasbahs

Morocco

Please note: There seems to be no way to indicate that we did not do this activity. I couldn't proceed with the review without giving it some star.

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our original driver/tour manager Sallam was able to be back with us for this extended tour of Marrakesh. Visiting the Palais Bahia, an old madrassa with a long history, and of course a tour of the medina were done really well by Sallam and we enjoyed it all very much! We stopped at a government certified herbalist shop. Sallam also filled in info about Ait el Benhaddou for us. We said good bye to Sallam after this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

We had a guided tour of a kasbah which involved also understanding cultivation inside a kasbah. This road is spectacular and the kasbahs are amazing to see - the way in which they mimic and blend into the countryside is interesting. Ourzazate was interesting with an entertaining tour guide of this big movie studio where many movies were filmed from westerns to historical and biblical movies. At Ait el Benhaddou we were dropped off at the wrong place to enter - this necessitated crossing a stream on stepping stones. When we contacted our driver he came back and got us to a bridge which seemed to be the more normal way to enter. Lack of signage and aof guide at this site made it less enjoyable.

Visit Anima Gardens

Marrakesh

We enjoyed our visit to Majorelle and Anima gardens. Majorelle gardens are a tour de force of color and garden design meeting amazing plantings especially of succulents. The little museum of Berber clothing, ornamentation and life was also gorgeous. The Anima gardens are a bit outside the city but were worth a visit for another unique garden which incorporates colorful artwork and sculptures. It had a good outdoor cafe which was a good and relaxing lunch spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport