Kimkim Trip Reviews

Going to the Galápagos Islands was the trip of a lifetime! We would have been lost without our travel agent, Paul Cisneros from Kim Kim. Paul arranged excellent accommodations for us. He arranged for drivers to pick us up and take us to where we needed to go every step of the way. Paul arranged all of our tours and tour guides. We felt safe and reassured by his planning and expertise. Paul even helped to troubleshoot when we experienced translation problems and website glitches with the TCT cards. Everything ran so smoothly because of the planning and arrangements that Paul made.

As for the trip itself, we were in awe of the wildlife experiences that we had. Both land and sea adventures were unique, informative and amazing. Land animals that we saw in the Galápagos Islands included sea lions (not seals as we learned!), Galapagos and Saddleback tortoises (many sightings!), blue footed boobies, frigate birds, many other birds, Sally Lightfoot crabs, lava lizards, land iguanas (lots of them!). Marine animals included sea turtles (my personal favourite!), a sea horse, different kinds of rays (eagle rays, sting rays, maybe a marble ray), sharks, puffer fish, and so, so many colourful fish (like in Finding Nemo). On the mainland, our cultural tour of Quito felt like we were stepping back in time to an older world from days gone by. The Middle of the Earth tour was fun and interesting. We love our pictures from standing on the line of the equator.

We loved each and every hotel that we stayed at. The Ikala Quito Hotel had well appointed rooms and the staff were lovely. Hotel Fiesta in Puerto Ayora was spectacular! The pool area with bar was so nice to relax at and the gardens were gorgeous! We were travelling as an adult family and our room had a main room with a king size bed and a side room with two single beds. It was quite spacious. The Albemarle in Puerto Villamil was right on the beach and had a roof top terrace looking east, south and west. You could catch both the sunrise and the sunset. It even had a communal clothesline on the roof where you could dry your swimsuits (a small thing but something I really appreciated!). Lastly, we stayed at the Wyndham Airport Hotel in Quito on our last night. It is in the shape of a condor, which makes it an interesting piece of architecture. It is quite a posh hotel and the restaurant there is excellent. The shuttle service is under 5 minutes to the airport.

In summary, this was the trip of a lifetime for us and was everything we had hoped for. We are so grateful for the experience!

P.S. The following people were excellent as tour guides/coordinators (in no particular order): Robert, Ricardo, Michael, Alexis, Diego, Salome, Julio. There were others along the way who played a more minor role in our trip but each one was competent, friendly and helpful. In fact, my husband and I commented that Ecuadorians cultivate a culture of excellence not always seen in other parts of the world.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

This hotel is quite interesting architecturally because it is in the shape of a condor. It is only minutes from the airport by shuttle and you have a beautiful view of the mountains. The restaurant is excellent and there is a nice gym/hottub/sauna area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

We loved this hotel. It's right on the beach in Puerta Villamil. There is a courtyard inside with a small pool and lovely garden. The walkways to the room overlook the courtyard. Besides being on the beach, what we loved most was the roof top terrace. We spent lovely evenings up there watching the gorgeous sunsets. There are tables and chairs there to relax and have a beer. One small thing that I really liked was that there was a communal clothes line on the rooftop terrace so you could hang your wet swimsuits there to dry. A small thing but I really appreciated it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very attentive to our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fiesta

Puerto Ayora

We loved this hotel! We felt like we were staying in a tropical paradise. We booked a family room and had a spacious room with a king bed with a smaller room off to the side with two single beds. Outdoors, there are beautiful gardens, a lovely pool and hot tub area and even a bar attended by a staff member. The availability of cervases were much appreciated! They even had ping pong tables. Breakfast was delicious. Staff were friendly. Overall, we loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is close to the main street.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

This was an excellent hotel to stay at. The rooms were unique and spacious. Breakfast was delicious and staff were excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

The land tour of the island was very interesting. We saw land iguanas, frigate birds (and many other birds), sea lions, sally lightfoot crabs, lava lizards. The terrain was very rocky and the vegetation was desert like. For 3 of the 5 of us, snorkelling was a new experience. Ricardo, our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. We saw so many beautiful fish! Sea turtles swam by us and we even saw reef sharks (which we were glad to hear are not interested in humans because they have plenty of fish to keep them happy). In were in awe of our experience.

Quality of Experience

The flora and fauna were amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ricardo was engaging and very knowledgeable.

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

This was really interesting. Glad we visited. Quite amazing how they continue to ensure the existence of the tortoises through their breeding program. Salome was an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Everything ran very smoothly. We really enjoyed seeing the tortoises at the "ranch." We even saw one put the moves on his girlfriend but she was playing coy. Quite hilarious at tortoise speed, lol. The lava tunnel was cool, as was the sinkhole.

Quality of Experience

It's just awesome to see animals that live nowhere else on earth!

Food

We enjoyed our meal at the "ranch."

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salome was knowledgeable and helpful.

Transport

Visit the "Middle of the World"

Galapagos Islands

This was so much fun and very interesting. We learned a lot about the unique features of being on the equator.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Galapagos Islands

Our guide Robert was very knowledgeable. He gave us an excellent tour of the city, and in particular, the historical parts of the town and churches. We also stopped in at an Ecuadorian candy maker with "surprising" candies and a chocolate maker where we had a chocolate tasting experience. Quite delicious! Continuing on to the Middle of the World was exciting and fun. We thoroughly enjoyed our experiences there. Robert speaks excellent English and by the time we were done, we considered him to be a friend.

Quality of Experience

Very unique!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Robert was an excellent guide and we felt safe with our driver Guillermo.

Transport

We had an excellent experience working with KimKim Travel as our travel consultants for our Costa Rica trip. From start to finish, their team was incredibly responsive and flexible, crafting a thoughtful one-week itinerary that was well suited overall for our family of three—traveling with a 24-week pregnant wife and a one-year-old is no small task. All on-the-ground logistics were seamless, including airport transfers and daily tours, which made the trip feel very stress-free. Highlights included the Sloth and Chocolate tours in La Fortuna, where we loved seeing sloths, snakes, butterflies, and frogs, and our time in Monteverde, which was beautiful despite some limitations. As constructive feedback for the future, while certain activities may technically be labeled as infant-friendly, we would caution against recommending experiences like the Hanging Bridges in the Cloud Forest and Treetopia to families with pregnant travelers or babies—weather conditions, lack of stroller-compliant paths, and wind made these activities challenging and, in the case of Treetopia, distressing for our baby. We don’t hold this against KimKim, but hope it’s helpful guidance going forward. We’re especially grateful that they were able to move our trip up by an entire month due to unforeseen circumstances, with special recognition to Bryan and Nancy for their support and flexibility. We also appreciated Adrian from Serendipity Adventures, who proactively reached out via WhatsApp before our arrival and was extremely responsive in managing and adjusting logistics while we were in Costa Rica. Overall, it was an excellent trip, and we would absolutely work with KimKim Travel again.

Monika at Kim Kim did a wonderful job putting together a vacation with the places and experiences we had prioritized. She was available when we had questions. She also placed us in great hotels. The cities we went to included Queenstown, Wanaka, Auckland, Christchurch, and we spent time hiking and boating at the Franz Josef Glacier and hiking in Arthur's Pass. Milford Sound is a must see and flying over it is spectacular. I would recommend time in all of these places. We were only in Auckland 1 day b/c our plane landed there. The countryside in New Zealand is diverse and beautiful. Our outfitters and guides were universally excellent. We also visited the glow worm caves which is a unique and wonderful experience. You need to be able to kayak to do this. Wanaka winery tours gave us a wine tasting experience we will never forget. I would also recommend the Trans Pine train ride across country. Be aware if you want to hike Arthur's Pass the trailheads are between 10-12 kilometers away. We ended up hitching to get there and back. Our visit was 2 weeks and we spent time on both North and South Islands which I would recommend with their unique aspects.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfectly Planned, Stress-Free Family Adventure

We just returned from an incredible family trip to the Philippines that Cami planned for us, and it was one of the most seamless travel experiences we’ve ever had.

We’re from the United States, and flying halfway around the world with a 9-year-old and a 21-year-old felt overwhelming at first. But Cami provided clear, step-by-step instructions for the entire trip, which made everything feel easy. All we had to do was follow the plan and enjoy the adventure.

Cami’s communication while building the itinerary over several months was fantastic. She really listened to what we wanted — an action-packed trip — and offered great recommendations that fit our travel style perfectly.

While I handled the international and inter-island flights myself, every other detail was flawlessly arranged. Every airport pickup, hotel transfer, and excursion transport was perfectly timed and waiting for us. We never had to guess what to do or where to go.

Once we arrived, Ana from Uncharted Philippines became our in-country contact and was amazing. She responded quickly anytime I had a question. It truly felt like we had a personal vacation coordinator in our pocket the entire trip.

The itinerary was full of unforgettable experiences that worked wonderfully for both kids despite the age gap. If you want a perfectly planned, stress-free trip where you can just show up and enjoy, I can’t recommend Cami enough.

Activity Review

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Philippines

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing and Safe Family Adventure Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls was unforgettable! We each had our own guide, which made us feel very safe and well taken care of the entire time. They helped us navigate slippery rocks, encouraged us through every jump and swim, and made the whole experience fun and stress-free. A perfect mix of adventure and safety — highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi Bella,
We often find ourselves saying that this was truly the best trip of our 19 years of enduring friendship. Our group had an absolutely wonderful time, and we can genuinely call it a magical journey.
One of the most memorable experiences was our stay at the Koh Yao Island Paradise Hotel, along with the island hopping excursions. Each day brought new levels of fun and excitement. The train market and floating market experiences were unique, enriching, and unforgettable. Visit to Ayutthaya Temples was also a unique experience.
Your hotel recommendations were excellent, Seashell Krabi and Paradise Hotel exceeded our expectations. The entire trip was thoughtfully curated to match our preferences, and we sincerely appreciate your patience in answering every query and accommodating all our requests.
The transportation arrangements were seamless, and the team was outstanding. Mr. Tee in Krabi took exceptional care of us. The boat transfer to Koh Yao Island and the island hopping crew ensured our comfort and safety at every step. In Bangkok, Mr. Leo (Our guide) was exceptional—he felt like a part of our group and made sure we were comfortable and enjoying every moment. His communication skills were excellent, and we especially appreciated his efforts to speak in our local language on several occasions. He also had a good sense of humor.
All credit goes to you for organizing such a memorable and perfectly executed trip. Thank you once again for giving us memories that we will cherish forever.

Hotel Reviews

The Quarter Hua Lamphong by UHG

Bangkok

The hotel location is good. Overall service and ambience is OK. The hotel need renovation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel rooms need renovation.

Paradise Koh Yao Resort

One of the most memorable experiences was our stay at the Koh Yao Island Paradise Hotel, along with the island hopping excursions. The staff in restaurant took good care of us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The location is magical

Staff

Special thanks to Mr. Oz for giving good suggestions for food

Cleanliness & Comfort

The ShellSea Krabi I Luxury Beach Resort & Pool Villas

Krabi

One of the most memorable experiences was our stay at the ShellSea Krabi resort, the location is wonderful and the beach is awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Car disposal for before your international Departure

Bangkok

Visit to Ayutthaya Temples was a different experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Bangkok City Tour

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

The train market and floating market experiences were unique, enriching, and unforgettable. Thanks to Mr. Leo our guide and Driver Chin for reaching on time for train market. Guide Leo is very knowledgeable, friendly and has excellent communication skills.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Phuket and visit Phuket highlight Half-Day City Tour

Phuket

This visit was OK experience. Instead of visiting the Cashew factory we should have visited beach. For shopping the guide (Ben)suggested us a private big shop instead of main market. The shopping experience in the shop was not great.

Quality of Experience

The guide (Ben) was rushing us for all activities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wandering aournd Ko Yao Noi by private transportation

Ko Yao Noi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Islands Hopping and Snorkeling around Ko Yao Noi

Ko Yao Noi

Island hopping was the most exiting and memorable experience for our friends.

Quality of Experience

Food

The arrangement of food and specially veg food. The location ( a small beach) was perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Krabi Greetings Tour

Thailand

Hike to the top of the mountain was a thrilling experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is one of those trips that will forever stay with me. The beauty of the land, the vast differences in experience from one place to the next, the cleanliness and consciousness in environment, and the kindness of the people everywhere is what really made this trip stand out. Our guides, as well as our drivers were fantastic! Highlights: Mulford Sound (beautiful waterfalls, seal and dolphin sightings), and a highly recommended plane ride over the mountains when returning to Queenstown. FYI, -The drive is long (winding roads that could impact a weak stomach), but well worth the trip. Also, Mt. Cook, the Tasman Glacier Cruise, the Glowworm Caves (near Rotorua), Wai-O Tapu’s geothermal activity/mud pool, and the very scenic TranzAlpine train ride from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, are all well worth seeing. If you like hiking, Arthur’s Pass has some great trails, but beware, the distance from the train station to any of the well known trails is quite a hike in itself (and not too scenic by the main road), so plan on getting a ride to the trail if possible.

Kudos to KimKim (and more specifically, Monika), for customizing this trip in a way that hit all of our specifications and needs. If NZ is on your bucket list, go for it while you can. You won’t be disappointed!

My family said that this trip was a fantastic experience.

Had a wonderful time in Costa Rica. Grateful for the local guides who set us up with seamless transportation to and from every location and exploring some adventures, we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise like Whitewater wrapping for six hours hikes to waterfalls and birdwatching in the cloud for us. Would highly recommend.

I can’t thank Kat, Kate and the rest of the great team at Kimkim enough for the incredible job they did creating our Costa Rica vacation! From the fabulous hotels to creative adventures to all the minute details each day involved, they did the best job imaginable, always available to answer questions, even on weekends and at night! Each location they booked for us was amazing, from La Fortuna (volcano! Frogs!) to Montverde (Santa Elena cloud forest! Coffee, chocolate and sugar cane tour!) to Nosara (swimming in the Pacific! Private kayak tour! Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary!). The hotels were all wonderful, with excellent food, friendly and helpful staff, and lots to do. Every driver was on time, every tour guide friendly and knowledgeable. I could never have created this amazing trip without Kimkim! Thanks to you all!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Lagarta Lodge

Nosara

We had a lovely suite, with separate bedrooms for my son and me. The view from the main bedroom was of the ocean and the rain forest, and the sound of birds was a delight. There are two infinity pools on the property, and the ocean is a short walk away - swim in the Pacific! They also offer night tours, kayak tours, and other fun adventures. They have two restaurants, both with great menus, even for vegetarians. The front desk staff was always there to help with transportation, to set up a tour, or to answer our questions.

Authenticity & Character

It felt comfortable from the moment we arrived. It is a fun property to explore, and there are hiking trails right there.

Location

Right on the beach, amazing sunsets every night!

Staff

We were treated so well by all the staff, from the front desk to the wait staff to all of the drivers and tour operators.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and so comfortable! They make their own toiletries, so no need to bring shampoo, conditioner or body soap!

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Lovely grounds, great views, a friendly and helpful staff, and our room as comfortable (and large!) Also, the food is gourmet-quality, just fabulous, and the chef deserves kudos for his creativity!

Authenticity & Character

The main building has character, with its indoor, patio and outdoor seating, allowing diners to watch the two hummingbird feeders and the bird feeder, to get great views of lovely tropical birds.

Location

We wanted to explore the cloud forest, and this hotel is perfect for that.

Staff

Everyone went out of their way to be helpful, and the dining room staff were all very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was large and comfortable, the bathroom too, and all very clean, with toiletries provided - you can leave your shampoo, conditioner and body soap at home! Theirs is made with local products and is terrific.

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Individual, private bungalows were a plus, as well as the friendly and helpful staff. The grounds are gorgeous, and the pool was lovely. We enjoyed the food at both restaurants, as well as the hiking trail on the property. I would stay there again!

Authenticity & Character

The attention to detail was notable - everything is very clean and inviting.

Location

Located in a rain forest, where we could take a night tour to see amazing frogs and other animals.

Staff

A huge thank you to Alejandro and Joseph! You were so helpful, and so friendly! Thank you both! ♥️

Cleanliness & Comfort

The whole place was spotless, the beds were very comfortable and the shower was great!

Activity Reviews

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

What a fun tour! Our guide, Mario, was funny, friendly and very knowledgeable. We got to see first-hand how coffee beans grow, the process for roasting them, and the various kinds of coffee produced (I did not know that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee! (Well, quantity plays a role.) We got to taste seeds of the cacao pods, watch them turned into paste after roasting, and learned that chocolate is literally the blending of cocoa and milk: choco-latte! Sugar cane was also fun to learn about, and you can help press the cane to express the liquid if you’re strong enough! Getting to see coffee beans, cacao pods and sugar cane as they’re grown on the farm was so educational - and delicious.

Quality of Experience

Couldn’t have had a better guide!

Mangrove Kayak & Standup Paddle Board Adventure

Nosara

What a wonderful kayak adventure! Just us and our guide, David, who was knowledgable, funny and patient. He pointed out gorgeous birds we might have missed, provided us with a snack of ripe pineapple and coconut water during our break on the beach, and made us feel comfortable in our surroundings. Thanks so much for a great kayak tour, David! ♥️

Our local specialist, Gummi, created the most amazing itinerary for our honeymoon. After our initial call, he tailored the trip to be perfect for us. Every stop was organized, timed perfectly, and completely worthwhile to see! We can't even pick the most favorite activity or waterfall or site we saw. He also checked in with us during the trip to make sure we were okay, and gave us heads up for the Northern Lights forecasts. We also overslept one morning and he rearranged our activity to give us some more time. We are unbelievably grateful to him for the trip and had the most amazing time.
10/10 recommend Gummi. 10/10 recommend Iceland.

We had a fantastic time in Morocco! Our itinerary was Tangier-->Chefchauen-->Rabbat-->Casablanca. KimKim and our local contacts (Yassine-planning, Soufiane-driving) put together an excellent trip exactly as we envisioned it. Specifically for us we wanted to have time to explore places and not rush from place to place. Our Riad in Tangier was well located for exploring the medina, and we were less than a 5 minute walk from a well known brochette (kebab) place. The coastal views just outside of town at the Lighthouse and where the Mediterranean/Atlantic come together are great. In Chefchauen - do the Spanish monastery hike at sunset - you can even get great views only walking part of the trail - and then you can save energy for the Akchour Waterfall hike which was probably our favorite day of the trip! Rabbat is a much bigger city and fun to explore - many of the museums are excellent. One favorite was the Musée National de la Photographie.

Altogether it was a great trip, and all of the planning and guidance we received made it happen!

Everything Kimkim touched in preparation for our trip was flawlessly arranged and executed.
Our long standing hotel accommodations, transit connections, and air and rail tickets made for seamless enjoyment and ease of travel flow.
The availability of Shona to assist or answer questions was a given and much appreciated when we received her help managing a luggage transfer between hotels.
The four days of guided excursions were flawlessly executed and so easily accomplished thanks to the expert handling of the local guides and professional drivers. Even our day in Kyoto where we relied on mass transit to visit multiple locations on every side of the city were incredibly easy thanks to the excellent transportation infrastructure of the city, prefecture and country.
Shout out to Ayumi and Sochi for insight into both the history and current lifestyle of Japanese culture. Guide Ian’s perspectives provided a good contrast as a western expat living the dream in Japan.
Lastly, we arranged our ski portion of the trip mostly independently and it went really well thanks to the most excellent service provided by Hokkaido Nomad car rental in Sapporo. The camp car service was flawless. We had engine trouble on New Year’s Eve and Suzuki (our rental lead) delivered a brand new camp car to our location in less than an hour, ON NEW YEARS EVE. Amazing.

Liz created the perfect itinerary for this quick business trip. She helped select a couple of cool experiences on our free day and found us the perfect boutique hotel. If only every business trip was this smooth, easy and fun!

Hotel Review

Hôtel Fior d'Aliza

Paris

Loved this hotel. It's small, has a very cozy and nicely designed lobby and the rooms are comfortable, and spotlessly clean. Location is great, with many small local restaurants and coffee shops within a few minutes walk. Metro is around the corner and you can walk to Montmartre and Opera in about 10 - 20 minutes through nice neighborhoods. The best hotel I've stayed in Paris.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Super friendly and helpful front desk staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Iconic Paris Views from Galeries Lafayette Terrace

Paris

Great views from the top of galleries Lafayette the reason i didn't give this 5* is that it feels a little touristy, and the restaurant is a bit of a food court. That said, great stop of you are nearby.

Quality of Experience

Saint Germain Gourmet Food Walk

Paris

Very cool food tour. It started a bit slow for my taste with a focus on Paris history and layout of the neighborhoods, but it got progressively better and ended with a very good dinner in a small Basque restaurant. We connected really well with our guide Duniya and shared lots of laughs over food and great wines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Exploration of the Opera Garnier

Paris

Very engaging tour. Our guide Sylvanie took us through the history of the planning, architect selection and other historic context of the Opera house. It's an impressive building with lots of beautiful spaces.

Just returned from 12 days in Costa Rica. I was overwhelmed trying to plan it on my own and KimKiim was fantastic. We had to make some last minute changes in terms of pick up times and Serendipity Tours, the local Costa Rica team, was super-accommodating and always available through WhatsApp, even after hours and on weekends. Everything went seamlessly. We stayed in four spectacular hotels - Tabacon Resort in La Fortuna, Rio Celeste Hideaway, Korea in Monteverde and Capitan Suzan in Tamarindo. Never thought that we would try zip lining but Treetop in Monteverde was fantastic. We felt safe, the team told us what to expect and we spent more than an hour and a half zip lining with an option to Bungee jump afterwards. Fantastic trip.

Excellent trip and allowed for us a lot of flexibility. The hotel El Bock in Vieques was excellent and highly recommended for comfort, close to action ie beach and restaurants yet quiet and comfortable with a great spot to relax in the lobby area. Snorkeling was fun. Kim Kim staff were very responsive to questions though we didn’t have many since trip was smooth. The people of PR are ‘muy amable’. Now back in MN awaiting a winter storm.

I cannot say enough good things about Moonika and the trip she planned for us. From the beginning stages, Moonika was engaged and responded quickly to all messages. She really tailored the whole itinerary around the things we wanted to do and see. She also gave great recommendations for activities and accommodations. It was incredibly easy to plan our trip thanks to Moonika. Once we arrived in Tallinn, our first destination, everything ran incredibly smoothly. All of our transfers arrived on time, all our tickets/passes had been pre-loaded in the app and ready to go, it was all so easy. Moonika checked in during our trip to make sure everything was going well and communicated with us about any disruptions or changes. We had such an amazing trip to Tallinn and the Lapland region and Moonika played an integral role in all of it. If you’re thinking of traveling to the Baltics or Lapland, you should definitely work with Moonika. You will not be disappointed and will be rewarded with an awesome trip.

Hotel Reviews

Aurora Village

Ivalo

We really enjoyed our stay at the Aurora Village. The igloo was roomy and comfortable. The staff were all incredibly nice and helpful. They provide you with a set of thick, warm overalls for any activity you might do. The restaurant and bar had great food and service. There is a little lounge area that was perfect for playing games during our down time. The hotel has lots of activities that they are happy to arrange for you. If you want to into town, the hotel has a shuttle available for a small charge or they will call you a taxi. When we were done in town, I called the front desk and they contacted a taxi to pick us up. We will definitely be returning!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Schlössle Hotel

Tallinn

This hotel was incredible! It had a ton of charm and was so nice and cozy. It is conveniently located in the old town and within walking distance to many tourist areas and restaurants. The staff was great, especially Patrick who made us smile every time we saw him. The room was one of the nicest rooms we have ever stayed in, perfectly combined old world charm with modern conveniences. We only ate breakfast at the hotel, but it was very good with lots of options and great service.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the old style combined with modern conveniences

Location

Central to anything you want to do

Staff

Patrick made us smile everyday The entire staff was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Long Husky Safari

Finland

This is easily one of the coolest things I have ever done! We loved dog sledding! This location actually raises and trains dogs for actual competition sledding so the dogs are very well taken care of and looked after. We received thorough instructions on how to control the sled prior to heading out. The trails go through some really spectacular scenery and it’s actually pretty quiet and smooth on the sled. The tour stopped at a cozy hut where our guide prepared soup and hot beverages. During the excursion, she gave plenty of guidance on difficult areas of the trail, downhills, uphills, sharp turns, etc. the dogs are also really friendly and you have an opportunity to pet them. This is definitely a must-do activity if you go to the Ivalo area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Levi Fell Snowmobile Adventure

Levi

This was such a fun experience! Emmi was our guide and we had a blast with her. We were fortunate in that the schedule worked out so that it was just my wife and I on the adventure. Emmi tailored the whole experience to us and it couldn’t have been more fun. The scenery was stunningly beautiful and the stop at the cafe was a nice, cozy break. Emmi even talked to other guides about the conditions of the trails for the return and picked what she felt would be the safest and most picturesque way back. Thank you Emmi for a great snowmobile adventure.

Quality of Experience

Emmi was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, Emmi was great , the driver picked us up from our hotel on time, staff was friendly and made the experience very easy.

Transport

Hoa was amazing at putting things together and was very prompt with everything. We did not provide much time to plan and had a great trip. One thing I would change would be the Thailand party if the trip. It would've been good to spend more time in Bangkok and only a few hours exploring the temples in Ayutthaya before heading through to Khao Yi. This was more our personal preference but realised we didn't provide much when we signed up. But my cousin and I agreed how great Hoa did with everything and we were very happy

Christina was wonderful and planned an amazing experience. We were able to fulfill a bucket list wish and see the northern lights in full splendor. Amazing trip and recommend to anyone wanting to experience Norway and the lights.

Thank you for all the help and making this trip unique for our second trip. Really helped curate a special itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Lagarta Lodge

Nosara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ti-fakara Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna

Amazing location near the waterfall great customer service and very cute boutique hotel room rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Party Catamaran Sailing

Nosara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Isla Chora Private Boat & Snorkeling

Nosara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure (Class II-III)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful experience working with Sandy to put together our trip to Japan. We had 3 couples traveling both together and separately which made the trip quite complex. Sandy listened carefully to the parts of the trip where we knew what we wanted and then made excellent suggestions for hotels, tours and transportation where we didn't have specific ideas. We had particularly wonderful tours in Kanazawa for the artisan tour and Michico's Sumo Championship tour through Sunrise. The trip went perfectly every day, every tour, every transfer, every train ride and every hotel. Sandy was very responsive for the year of advance planning and then she was in touch with us every day of the trip. She answered our questions quickly, sent ongoing information on time and made sure everything went smoothly. This was independent travel at its very best. We were so fortunate to have been able to work with KimKim and Sandy to create our incredible trip to Japan.

Hotel Reviews

BYAKU Narai

Narai

BYAKU Narai was a standout on an international level. It was just an extraordinary place, and it is such a lovely location.

Onsen Ryokan Yuen Shinjuku

The Ryokan Onsen in Tokyo was a fantastic choice, thanks to my son-in-law. The onsen on the roof, despite being only on the eighteenth floor, offered a great view of Tokyo. Watching the sunrise and sunset while in the onsen was an incredible experience.

Gora Kansuiro

Hakone

Gora Kansuiro was a place filled with history as it was the first in the entire area. While a little funky, we really enjoyed it. The people were fantastic, and the food was incredible. Nestled in a garden, it offered a unique experience surrounded by nature and history.

The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa by Hulic

Kyoto

We absolutely loved the Gate Hotel in Kyoto. The location was terrific, situated in the middle of everything, making it easy to get around. The hotel has a wonderful history as it was an old school before being transformed. Everything is based on the eighth floor, from check-in to the bar and breakfast – offering a spectacular view of the hills with temples. Witnessing the sunrise and sunset from there was magical.

Activity Review

Private Snow Monkey Tour

Nagano

The Private Snow Monkey Tour was our first tour and it was utterly charming despite the cold weather. Learning about how the monkeys adapted to use the hot springs from watching humans was fascinating. The area is managed, and the monkeys thrive in a well-cared environment. It's exciting seeing them up close without barriers, and our tour was perfectly timed to witness the monkeys descending for their morning routine.