Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was a fabulous trip. I loved how we had a healthy mix of historical and fun. There were a few minor issues with the quality of hotels and Antonis has made it right with a credit to our account. We very much appreciate the effort.

We deeply appreciate the plans that you made for us.
The Kviknes motel was a high point of our experience. We stayed for the evening seafood buffet that ranks #1 in my mind so far of any place that I have been in the last 15 years, and I told the maitre'd this.
The opposite end of the luxury spectrum was at the Eidegard in Sjkolden. What a wonderful place, staying in a very old house. The kitchen was wonderful for the 4 meals we made there.
Our trip to Fortun to visit my grandmothers birthplace was breath taking both in scenery and physical exertion to go up 300 meters on foot.
Our stay at the Laerdal Motel was also very good. We got in before the 3 tour buses both days. Food was very good.
Going to the Bogrund stave church was amazing. Going to the Hauge church and finding 6 tombstones with my last name was bitter sweet. Good to find my roots. Visiting the city hall and library was very informative. Folks knew my family name and the farm they came from.
Tunnels-did I mention tunnels and ferries? Those people knew what they were doing.
The Voss Gondola ride was so much better than we anticipated. The weather really did cooperate at the top for us to wander around for an hour. We should have stayed in Voss.
Returning Bergen, the Food and Culture tour by Mateus was very good. It again exceeded our expectations.
We then went to the Cornelius. Another amazing place with amazing food, wine, ambience and just fun.
Our stay at the Augustin worked out. The original address was closed for cleanout and renovation. The "new" place was half a block away and that worked out very well. Luckily they had a single parking spot for our rental car. We did not know that breakfast was included. Very good! We were 5 minutes from the city center mall and the harbor and fish market.
We spent a day exploring west of Bergen, before returning our rental car.
We give Kimkim a rating of 10 out of 10 and highly recommend using them. A little investigation would have prepared us for the wonderful side trips.

In Split, Salvadore was a great guide through the Roman Palace and introduced us to local jeweler. Dora was amazing in Vis and we will be keeping in touch with her.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Room Kaliopi

Hvar

Perfect but like the area, lots of steps

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved the waterfront action

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the breakfast in the morning

Apartments & Rooms As

Vis

Close to everything

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Desideria

Split

Amazing and close to beach and waterfront, all staff was fantastic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lapad

Dubrovnik

Unfortunately there was construction in front of hotel and was not great for taxis to get in and out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Split

Croatia

Salvadore was very good

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drivers, transport were great, took the worry out of moving luggage. All were very friendly

Private Half-Day Island of Vis Tour

Vis Island

Dora was amazing, we are definitely keeping in touch with her as far as family history, driver and Dora were very informative, had the best day ever

Quality of Experience

A

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Small Group Speedboat Tour: Blue Cave, Vis Island, & Pakleni Islands

Hvar

Absolutely fantastic day, overall great day, I didn’t care for our waiter at restaurant I thought he was very rude.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing adventure in Norway. Mar and Fenne were both fantastic. They responded to all our questions and concerns almost immediately. The accommodations and guided tours were perfect for how we wanted to spend our time. We did almost everything on the itinerary they suggested. Each guide, Maximo in Stavenger, Connor in Flam and our guide for the glacier hike was extremely knowledgeable, easy to communicate with and really, just a lot of fun. The cider tasting was very interesting and the food and cider was delicious.

Thanks you for putting together a memorable and exciting trip. We will definitely use KimKim for our next adventure.

Karen and Dave

From the minute Dimos became our travel specialist he was amazing. He listened to the type of trip we were looking for and then customized our trip to our wishes.
The 2 weeks in Greece was exactly what we were looking for. From the moment we were picked up from the airport in Athens and taken to our hotel until the last transfer back to the airport we had the perfect amount of tours , sightseeing and down time .
One of the many highlights of the trip was when Dimos showed up at our hotel to take us with a tour guide up into the Lasithi mountains on a private tour. Including a lunch in a small village Taverna which we helped to make ( a little bit )
I would not hesitate to use Dimos to plan our next adventure to Greece and very highly recommended him .
Thanks so much Dimos and Kimkim for an incredible trip .

Overall we found the trip to be a very positive experience, both of our guides Justino & Ale were excellent and provided us with a unique experience of the countries we toured. The planned excursion trips met all of our desired goals and were both very interesting and interactive. The accommodations for the most part were okay some locations were not particularly well kept and lacked internet access. That said the trip was well planned and put together, we had a very good time and can say with confidence that it was a memorable experience for the both of us.

Cole & Ray

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Laguna

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda La Cienega

Cotopaxi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada J

Baños

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bird Garden Guest House

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eureka lodge ( former Kuychipunku)

Ollantaytambo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terrazas del Inca

Aguas Calientes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Unuwasi Hotel & Villa

Calca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Llipimpac Guesthouse

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee and cacao

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike into the Lares Valley

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pisac and try Cuy in Lamay Village

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival and explore Cusco

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We deeply appreciate the plans that you made for us.
The Kviknes motel was a high point of our experience. We stayed for the evening seafood buffet that ranks #1 in my mind so far of any place that I have been in the last 15 years, and I told the maitre'd this.
The opposite end of the luxury spectrum was at the Eidegard in Sjkolden. What a wonderful place, staying in a very old house. The kitchen was wonderful for the 4 meals we made there.
Our trip to Fortun to visit my grandmothers birthplace was breath taking both in scenery and physical exertion to go up 300 meters on foot.
Our stay at the Laerdal Motel was also very good. We got in before the 3 tour buses both days. Food was very good.
Going to the Bogrund stave church was amazing. Going to the Hauge church and finding 6 tombstones with my last name was bitter sweet. Good to find my roots. Visiting the city hall and library was very informative. Folks knew my family name and the farm they came from.
Tunnels-did I mention tunnels and ferries? Those people knew what they were doing.
The Voss Gondola ride was so much better than we anticipated. The weather really did cooperate at the top for us to wander around for an hour. We should have stayed in Voss.
Returning Bergen, the Food and Culture tour by Mateus was very good. It again exceeded our expectations.
We then went to the Cornelius. Another amazing place with amazing food, wine, ambience and just fun.
Our stay at the Augustin worked out. The original address was closed for cleanout and renovation. The "new" place was half a block away and that worked out very well. Luckily they had a single parking spot for our rental car. We did not know that breakfast was included. Very good! We were 5 minutes from the city center mall and the harbor and fish market.
We spent a day exploring west of Bergen, before returning our rental car.
We give Kimkim a rating of 10 out of 10 and highly recommend using them. A little investigation would have prepared us for the wonderful side trip

We had a wonderful trip. Vaseem was very responsive to our questions during the planning and throughout the entire ten days. The pastry tour, cooking class, Champagne tour and D Day beaches were the highlights of the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Edgar & Achille

Paris

The hotel was very lovely and decor was ultra modern. Bathrooms are very small. The breakfast was across the street at the restaurant and was really an amazing breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Did not love the location. Very far off the beaten path.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chateau de Bellefontaine 4*

Bayeux

This was a very charming chateau. They let us order room service the night we arrived as we were quite late. The breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Pasino

Le Havre

We stayed here just one night but the staff could not have been more accommodating. The breakfast was delicious as was the complementary drink and dinner that evening we arrived. We also enjoyed the pool and hot tub.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HOTEL CAMPANILE REIMS CENTRE - Cathédrale

Reims

This was a lovely hotel. The staff were very accommodating and the breakfast was adequate. Really great coffee station. Rooms were clean but a little warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Place du Louvre - Esprit de France

Paris

This was our favorite hotel! The staff and breakfast were amazing! The rooms were smallish yet very clean and comfortable. Can’t say enough about the staff. They were more than willing to help us with our many questions about getting from one point to another.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discovery tour of Paris by vintage 2CV car

Paris

We loved this tour! Our driver was awesome and answered our many question along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Audio-guide visit of the Eiffel Tower with access to the summit

Paris

I loved the visit to the Eiffel Tower at night. It was just magical.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro and Tiago did an absolutely fantastic job. We didn’t know anything about Portugal before we arrived but left very conversant with the geography, culture and history and such a well planned holiday. We asked not to stay in 5 star hotels but to get to know grass routes Portugal which we certainly did.
A very pleasing holiday.
Thank you for all your help.
Glyn and Di Denison

Hotel Reviews

Carvi Beach Hotel

Lagos

This was first class. A great location and we loved the stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ozadi Tavira Hotel

Tavira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Noble House

Evora

Starting to look a bit dated. Full of tourists and not easy to find

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dom Dinis Marvão

Marvao

This was fantastic and a terrific location in a quaint village

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thomar Boutique Hotel

Tomar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Internacional

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta de la Rosa

Pinhão

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bairro do Casal - Turismo d'Aldeia

Vila Nova de Foz Côa

Just fantastic as a remote small hotel in a Portugal village

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zenit Lisboa Hotel

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Pedro was a great host for the day. We learnt a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

An excellent night out with good food. Very enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

Pedro was excellent and gave us good background to Portugal. We very much enjoyed his company

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a trip of a lifetime. Gummy made it so easy. Everything was planned out, but we still had a choice if we wanted to go see something or not. Anytime something occurred with our arrangements we reached out to Gummy and he was right on it. All of our hotel arrangements were great places.

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Fransiskus Stykkishólmi

Stykkishólmur

Very interesting hotel that it used to be a nunnery.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants and was able to walk to.

Staff

The front desk guy was amazing and very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean and bedding very comfy

Hótel Húsafell

Húsafell, Borgarbyggð

Very lovely location and the rooms were awesome. Very spacious room and bathroom.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern and new

Location

Love it was out of town.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sand Hotel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Cool place, located in the middle of the downtown area. The only downside is the parking if you have a car. Have to find your own parking.

Authenticity & Character

Love this lovely boutique hotel. Our room was very unique.

Location

Nice to be close to shopping and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was spotless

Hotel Isafjordur Torg

Ísafjörður

Very old feeling hotel. The elevator wasn’t functioning one day.

Authenticity & Character

Needs to be updated

Location

Good location to downtown shops

Staff

People were amazing to work with. Had our laundry done, which came back the same day.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Berjaya Hotel Akureyri

Akureyri

We had an end room with a view, but unfortunately it rained really hard.

Authenticity & Character

Nice restaurant

Location

Easy access to downtown and shops.

Staff

Great staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hvammstangi Hill Homes

Hvammstangi

Very clean and a great view. Plenty of parking.

Authenticity & Character

Felt new and very roomy

Location

In a very small town with very little amenities.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. The place didn’t supply coffee, so we had to leave what we bought.

Gistihúsið - Lake Hotel Egilsstadir

Egilsstöðum

Perfect location to grab a bite to eat. Food was amazing at this restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Charming hotel with blankets and nice place to just hang out. Room was roomy with extra chairs and couch.

Location

Easy access to main road

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Mývatn

Myvatn

This place was amazing with a view out of the window to the lake.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern and new looking

Location

Perfect location for spending 2 days to be able to use as a home base.

Staff

People were helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room with clean and bedding super comfy

Hótel Kría

Vík

Beautiful new looking hotel. The view to the mountains was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful modern hotel

Location

Great location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Höfn

Hofn

Not my favorite. Room was small.

Buubble Hotel Ölvisholt

Selfoss

This is a wonderful experience to feel like you are sleeping outdoors plus the Northern Lights are right above you. The whole experience was our favorite.

Authenticity & Character

Who gets to sleep in a bubble.

Location

It’s out in the middle of nature

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was super comfy plus a nice feature having a electric heating pad.

Activity Reviews

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Very interesting experience. The guide was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was funny and informative

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

I understand this is a natural pool, but I’m not a fan of pools with lots of moss.

Quality of Experience

Krauma Spa

Iceland

Very nice and clean spa with all the different aspects of a spa. Different temperature pools, wet, dry saunas. This place was a bit of a drive from our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Spa is outdoor in nature with clean pools

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

The ride out to the glacier is very unique in an old van on a very bumpy road. The trip was very cool to be able to climb on a glacier and feel very safe. Super cool experience.

Quality of Experience

Super cool to be able to go into this glacier. Wasn’t actually a cave for us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Extremely safety conscious

Transport

Very old van

FlyOver Iceland

Reykjavík

This is a very cool experience to be able to see these places after we just experienced several of them.

Quality of Experience

The organization was run by another member of our group, but we were cc’d on everything and the response was quick
Out tour guide for the Laugevegar, Emma, was fantastic. The only concern was the guide to client ration, 16:1. On the first day one of our group suffered from a near sun opal episode and could not continue- only Emma’s quick thinking and the luck of her knowing another guide avoided the need for our entire group to abort our trip- this is not ver safe and also does not represent the cost of the trip-which was not budget ( nor consistent-different people paid different prices-up to an $800 difference. It worked out, but not because of any system for safety built into the system. Also, trh amount of work born by a single guide cooking and cleaning for 16 people made Emma’s job more difficult and longer than was reasonable. A lot of participation in meal prep and cleaning was not consistent with the marketing for the guide service. I cannot express enough how commentary is not a reflection of the actual guide, Emma. She was outstanding: knowledgeable, positive, attentive, and a boundless source of energy. The ratio was not safe and made for a more rustic experience of cooking and cleaning for ourselves ( with alarmingly variable participation by other hikers, which is not a great situation) than was expected.
I just want to let KimKim know what went on with the tour, as they seem to outsource things and Kimkim seems very focused on outstanding service. The trip was great because there were some great folks and the country is beautiful. But that 16:1 experience makes me rethink any group trips in the future. This is my first guides group tour and I thought it would be easier/cheaper than a private guide or sled planning (both of which I have done fairly extensively). It ended up not being easier and honestly not much cheaper either
I gave the stars for KimKim. I wrote
The review for the trek. I do not need to see the written review in public-it was written strictly for informational reasons, not to publicly air grievances. Everything is a learning experience in life. I learned this type of tour is not in my sweet spot. Thank you

I usually do all my travel planning using a variety of websites but stumbled upon KimKim as I was planning a trip to the Azores. Our contact, Tiago, was very helpful and quicl to respond to questions. Every hotel we stayed at was incredible. The recommendations of things to do closely aligned with our interests. I will definitely use KimKim again.

Overall our trip to Iceland was superb! So many wonderful things to see. Weather is always an unknown and even though a couple of our scheduled events were affected , we were able to reschedule with minimal hassle. Hanna ( our kimkim planner) made this very easy and promptly communicated any updated itinerary.
I didn’t realize that we would be issued a mobile router device to take with us throughout the trip. That wifi access proved essential to guide us throughout the trip, especially while driving.

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

One of the most unique ecological environments I’ve ever seen. Constantly changing, and mysterious 😀.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jokulsarlon Glacier Kayaking Adventure

Iceland

Definitely a must-do adventure.

Quality of Experience

Unique ecological environment.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angela helped us find an itinerary that matched up with exactly what we wanted - and without much back and forth somehow! The food/wine/culinary experiences we had were truly unique and made our trip extremely memorable.

Hotel Reviews

33 Solonos Suites

Athens

Clean and comfortable - large room.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like any nice accommodations in a large city.

Location

Near enough, but not in the crowds.

Staff

No staff present. Process went fine - but didn't see anyone in our short time there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and nice common areas and rooms.

Dunes Hotel Plaka Naxos

Naxos

The hotel was clearly not finished in construction - it had the needful - but left some things to be desired. If this was a year from now, I bet I'd give it a 4+ star.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast was good and Greek oriented, but lunch/dinner type food options were extremely lacking. We didn't want a sandwich and chips or salad, but some authentic Greek food options so had to walk to nearby restaurants to order take-away. The overall vibe will be great someday - music a bit too loud though.

Location

As beachfront as you can get - excellent sandy beach and chairs/umbrellas were provided.

Staff

Beach staff probably could have been more helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean, very nice aesthetic and space. Unfinished areas reduce this score a bit, maybe a year from now better. Also, with wanting windows open and no screens, we did have more bugs in the room than I'd prefer. But, the reason is obvious - we wanted the windows open.

Caldera's Memories

Santorini

Excellent staff and accommodations. Location was great if you like to be a bit away from the crowds - possible just the time we were there but it felt like a windier part of the island, but that didn't detract us from the enjoyment. The view was amazing - perfect for relaxing and enjoying the sunset in your space while others crowd for best views in other parts of the island. Hotel was in great condition.

Authenticity & Character

The large pool and relaxation area were a huge plus. Also the rooms all overlooking the amazing view was a bonus.

Location

A bit away from the crowds.

Staff

Professional - friendly - very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, very comfortable.

Activity Reviews

The Delicious Athens Food Tour

Greece

Awesome individual experience - local guide who was knowledgeable and personable - it felt like we were making a friend. Very authentic way to learn about the city and food scene. If I was to do one activity in Athens, it would be this. The rest you can see self-guided easily enough, but the food in Greece is so good that this is just an awesome way to experience it.

Quality of Experience

Went to a couple places I never would have made it to - a bit off the normal tourist path. So good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Like making a friend - wonderful.

Transport

Met guide at hotel, then walked as expected and wouldn't want it any other way.

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Great information and good guide - but just took too long of our limited time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's a walking tour.

Naxos Culinary Tour

Greece

The most authentic thing we could have done - it was like going to a distant relative's house to have a nice meal and conversation with cooking class included. The guide and host were outstanding - even with a language barrier to the host we could tell they genuinely enjoyed being able to give us such an experience. Only downside was the description again - we didn't get to do to an olive oil factory tour which we had really looked forward to. The things we did were amazing though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local tastings 2024

Greece

At the top of our favorite list - the ambiance was wonderful, the cooking class was extremely fun to get such an interaction and the very good wine was flowing heavy with a tremendous amount of good food to eat at the end. For obvious practical reasons (we are drinking a lot of wine), the level of cooking that we did was pretty simplistic. But, that left me able to watch and talk to be engaged and learn without having to focus on my hands. Description needs updated a bit - no cellar tour, and the menu was slightly different but still delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The wait staff and chef were outstanding - our guide from the tour company (not the winery) was just OK - gave some interesting information but took too much time to do so.

Transport

HS Catamaran Sunset Cruise MD

Santorini

Wonderful experience all around - just what you want - amazing how the vantage point from the sea feels strikingly different despite having been on the high caldera rim for 2 days prior. A must do thing once you have explored the island on foot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was the second time I booked my trip with KimKim and I got not disappointed at all after the expectations were super high because of my Vietnam, Cambodia trip earlier this year. So, thumbs up for the amazing concept and how KimKim manage to implement it worldwide!
First of all I want to thank Ravi Tickoo from Active India for planning our trip... Wow, that was not an easy task and he did an amazing job. After several weeks of fine tuning, we got it and where ready to go. During the whole trip, Ravi and his team where always there for us 24/7 and we really had a lot of extra wishes and tasks to fulfill.
Second of all we want to thank Sanjay our driver who was with us the entire time... What a great soul and perfect driver. He was not only our driver but gave us many insights in culture, politics and what's going on in daily life in India.
The guides...
Mr Yogi in Delhi, a perfect start for our journey exploring secret places in old town - just amazing. His personality and guidance style where exceptional.
Arriving in Agra, Mr Love showed us the hidden gems and the magic of the Taj, no question was unanswered - amazing. Moving on to Jaipur Mr JC couldn't have been a better guide to show us around and we would have loved to stay another day but Dharamshala was calling.
Mr Sonu was awaiting us with his love for nature and culture of the place where he grew up. We spent amazing days in Dharamshala and Dharamkot. Arriving in Manikaran we did some nice sight seeing and hiking with the young guide from our hotel, Jagut, which was organized on short notice by Active India thanks to Ravi. Our last leg of the journey was Rishikesh, where laid back Mr Dev was showing us around the busy pilgrim cities including Haridwar.
Heading back to Delhi by train Mr Aman, the very kind representative of Active India, was awaiting us for a comfortable transfer to the hotel - like always, all went smooth and perfectly organized.
We could have mentioned so many more things but after this long review I can only say... Book your trip with kimkim and Active India and you will have one of the most amazing trip ever!
Cheers, Susanne and Volker

We were very happy with our decision to use Kimkim and would do you again. Valentine understood what we had in mind and came up with a program that was perfect for us. She told us we would need a rental car, which we hadn't realized but was really essential, and she organized a perfect small car for us, an automatic, a hybrid, very easy to drive. She suggested excursions we could do, all of which were great, as was the guide (Anne) with that company. And she, Valentine, was very responsive to all queries. There was one small glitch when we checked into the hotel, but she quickly sorted that out. All in all, a great experience and we would recommend Kimkim to others.

Hotel Review

La Maison des Peyrat

Sarlat La Canéda

This is a lovely hotel, 14th century building with lots of charm, as well as (in our case at least) a 21st century bathroom! The owners are delightful and very helpful. My only hesitation is the location. One needs to know that the hotel is up a very steep hill and there's no food available at the hotel in the evening, so one either has a steep climb up after dinner or the problem of finding parking every evening. Apart from that, we loved the hotel and would recommend it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rocamadour Half-Day Trip From Sarlat

France

The Rocamadour half-day trip was a wonderful experience. We had a different tour guide for this trip, and while he was good, he didn't quite compare to Ann. Nonetheless, the trip was enjoyable and the views were stunning. I would recommend this tour to future travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paleolithic Art of the Dordogne Shared Full Day Trip From Sarlat

France

The Paleolithic Art full day trip was another enjoyable experience. Being in a small group allowed us to ask more questions and get more out of the trip. Our guide, Ann, was exceptional and greatly enhanced our experience. I would highly recommend her and this tour to future travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarlat Market Visit & Dordogne Gourmet Culinary tour

France

The market visit and culinary tour in Sarlat was a fun experience. We enjoyed the mix of being on our own and also having guided tours. The small group setting was appreciated and made the experience more intimate. Our tour guide was fantastic and made the experience enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages of Dordogne Valley Half-Day Trip From Sarlat

France

The Dordogne Valley Half-Day Trip from Sarlat was a delight. We enjoyed touring the villages and the experience of being in a small group was ideal. We were guided by an excellent guide named Ann for the majority of the time. She was knowledgeable and engaging, and I would absolutely recommend her to future travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just had an incredible 11 days in South Africa and cannot say enough good things about the process, our guide (Liz in Cape Town) and the accommodations and people at the Thabamati Luxury Tent Camp. Even our guesthouse in Franschoek was incredibly cute and convenient. We would 10000% recommend this exact trip for anyone visiting the country. Our only swap might be cutting a day in Cape Town to spend an extra night in wine country or safari.

Hotel Reviews

Avondrood Luxury Guest House

Franschhoek, Western Cape

Such a cute guesthouse steps from downtown Franschoek. It had a cozy feel with a fire and honesty bar, great rooms, and a lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Such a cute main house with a fire each night and lovely, spacious rooms.

Location

Steps from the wine tram and downtown Franschoek

Staff

They went above and beyond d throughout, even packing us take away breakfasts for our early morning trips.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the warm bottles they used to heat up our beds on the cold nights.

The Commodore Hotel

Cape Town

The Commodore was a great hotel in a nice location. Nothing g fancy but a clean place with great staff and amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by V&A waterfront

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and cozy

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

This place is amazing. The food, the staff, the accommodations are all first class. We only spent four nights here but my wife cried on our last dinner as she never wanted to leave. Courtnee, Brett, Mish, Sips, Oscar, Caswell, Zona (I know I’m misspelling this one) and all others were so great and helpful throughout.

Authenticity & Character

Just an amazing place

Location

It has its own watering hole that is always vibrant with wildlife!

Staff

If I could give them 10 stars we would

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable, luxurious

Activity Reviews

Days on Safari

South Africa

The safari was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We were in the middle of nowhere and got up early for the safari. We wished we could have done a few more bushwalks but it was too hot. We spent our days reading and watching the animals come and go from the watering hole.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Winelands Tour

South Africa

This was unexpected. We had Liz as our guide again and she provided us with great recommendations for wineries and restaurants. The wineries were incredible, especially the Ernie Els Winery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Hermanus tour including Whale Cruise

South Africa

The whale cruise was a unique experience. My wife is a big nature and animal lover, so it was a treat for her. It was a bit crowded but still an experience worth having.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Private Table Mountain and City Tour

Cape Town

Our guide, Liz, was amazing. She was extremely knowledgeable and flexible when the weather got in the way of our plans. We felt like she was a third traveler with us rather than an intrusive guide. We didn't get the best weather for our Table Mountain visit, but Liz was able to shuffle things around for us and the experience was still remarkable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, we were pleased with the advice and guidance that Nancy of Japan Travel provided. We saw places that we would not have otherwise experienced.

However, the itinerary did not seem to take the actual traveler experience in mind. Some examples include:

Obtaining Transportation Cards
• Because our JR Rail vouchers were delivered to our Tokyo hotel, we were not able to pick up our Japan Rail Passes while we were at the arrival airport, so a few days later, we had to take time from exploring Tokyo to get to and navigate Tokyo Station to get our JR Passes.
• One of our surnames (Walker) was misspelled on the JR Rail voucher, which we discovered as we got to Tokyo Station. Upon messaging Nancy of Japan Travel, she informed us that we would have to go back to our hotel (on the other side of Tokyo) to meet an operations team member from Japan Travel to get a corrected JR Rail voucher, again taking time out of our day to handle administrative tasks that should have been done by Japan Travel. During our Metro ride back to our hotel, Nancy called to tell us to return to Tokyo Station, use the vouchers with the typo, and call the Japan Travel Operations team if there were any problems. So, back we go to Tokyo Station to get the actual JR Rail Passes. A significant portion of our days was devoted to getting our JR Rail Passes, which is not how we wanted to be spending our holiday.
• Had JR Travel arranged for us to pick up our JR passes at the airport and told us to get a Pasmo or Suica card at the airport, it would have alleviated much of our frustration with this matter.

Timing of Tours and Travel
• Tours and experiences seemed to have been set up without regard to travel times or overlapping timetables. Two examples include:
o The tour of Hakone was scheduled to last until 5pm, which allowed very little time to enjoy the ryokan experience since we had only a few minutes to soak in the onsen hot springs in order to get to dinner at the appointed time. The next morning, we had to leave the ryokan very early – missing the breakfast experience – in order to get to Kyoto in time for our appointment at the Kimono Tea Ceremony, which could have easily been scheduled for later in the day, if Japan Travel had thought through the actual travel schedule. We had to figure out the early-morning local bus and local train schedules since taxis did not come to the ryokan at that hour. What should have been a highlight of our trip – a relaxed afternoon, evening, and morning at a traditional ryokan – turned out to be a “rush in-rush out” experience, all due to timing of the Hakone tour (lasting until 5pm) and the need to leave early the next morning. Japan Travel should have provided adequate time for these experiences, taking travel and tour times in mind.
o The tour of Osaka was scheduled to begin at 10:00am, which would have meant we would have had to take a 6:20am Shinkansen train from Hiroshima to arrive in Osaka and get to our hotel for a 10:00am tour. Consequently, we decided to cancel the Osaka tour and take a Shinkansen train at a reasonable hour.
• Had JR Travel provided suggestions on travel from one city to another, perhaps they might have avoided these issues of tight time schedules

Tours
• Both guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and professional, but seemed to feel that we had to experience everything on a “checklist” of activities, even though we weren’t interested in everything of their list.
• Some of the tour plans were inordinately long for the limited number of sights to see.
o For the Nara tour, 2 hours were planned for Nara Park and visiting the Tōdai-ji Temple, 2 hours were planned for visiting the Isuien Garden, and 2 hours were planned for shopping. We had to be firm in stating that we didn’t enjoy visiting gardens all that much and that we did not want to shop at all.
o We cancelled going on the Osaka tour because of the aforementioned travel timing, but the proposed tour would have included 2 hours of shopping and 1 hour visiting gardens.
• While we knew that we were responsible for local transportation, we were not informed that we would have to pay for long-distance taxis in Nikko (from the Oawakudani Volcanic Valley to the British Embassy Summer Villa and then to the Hakone train station). Fortunately, we had the ¥17,000 ($117 USD) in cash, but would have preferred knowing in advance that the transportation would be that price.

Quality and Location of Hotels Varied Greatly
• The Tokyo Center Hotel is a mediocre hotel, at best. Our assigned room was so tiny that there was not space for us to put clothes, store luggage, or even sit at the small shelf that served as the desk. One of us had to move to the bathroom or get on a bed in order for the other person to get around in the room. Simply put, it was an unacceptable room. Fortunately, one of the front desk team members was able to move us to a larger room, and we paid for the “upgrade.” Breakfast was unexceptional, with below-average food quality. The hotel is located in a business-centric neighborhood, so there are few restaurants that are nearby and even those close early.
• The Kijitei Hoeiso Ryokan in Hakone was wonderful, but, as stated above, we couldn’t enjoy the experience because we were rushed, due to the tight schedule planned by Japan Travel.
• The Kyoto Takasegawa Bettei was a nice hotel, but a bit remote from sights.
• The Hiroshima Hilton was superb. Room sizes were large, with many amenities. The breakfast buffet was excellent. The location was fairly central.
• The Hanshin Osaka was run-down, with a limited-choice, low-quality breakfast buffet. While the Hansin Osaka’s location was OK, a modern hotel in the Osaka Station area would have been a much better choice.
• Many of these hotel experiences could have been avoided, if the itinerary discussions included the level of accommodations, Accommodations were, in many locations, below our expected standards.
• with a discussion of the level of accommodations being part of the itinerary discussion.

In summary, we were glad we got to see all the sights that were on the itinerary, but the experience was marred by the poor timing of tours and transportation. We would not recommend that friends use Japan Travel.

Guides made the difference. They are caring, proud of their heritage and offered unique experiences. Loved Daniel- he was as informative as he was witty and fun. Loved Victor’s stories, and couldn’t say enough about Rui. Wished we had skipped boat ride in Duoro to have enjoyed more time in the hotel as it followed our 4x4 adventure. Overall I’d plan another trip with kimkim and loved the ease of communicating and the app and outlines of the trip plans

Hotel Reviews

Quinta de Casaldronho Wine Hotel

Lamego

Loved the views , sitting areas, cozy bar area, and dining room. Rooms were well appointed having closets etc and bathrooms were well sized and designed to handle two people. Loved coffee in the room and view over vineyards

Authenticity & Character

Unique design - modern but kept some of old character

Location

Views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Charming Hotel

Porto

Wished we had spent more time in Porto and hotel to give more input but staff was great, location good and area safe

Authenticity & Character

Rooms and views were nice- loved being able to open a window and feel fresh air and hear local sounds

Location

Staff

Friendly, helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

MeraPrime Gold Design Hotel

Lisbon

Loved rooms, breakfast, and most of all the friendly staff. Good location as it was central to what we saw

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could walk to any of the areas north, west or east, train station etc closeby

Staff

Walked in at 5:45 am from early flight and Pedro went out coffee his way to make us an espresso- what a great first impression

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, loved coffee in room, lighting was great, beds comfortable

Activity Reviews

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Loved seeing the market ( personal interest in those places) the area below/by the Luis the 1st bridge- wish we had seen more and added time to this but honestly my feet hurt at that point

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Excursion: Alentejo Wine Experience

Lisbon

Loved the ride out and views of different areas we didn’t expect to see- cork farm/factory was interesting and the winery was beautiful. Lunch in Evora was well timed and loved the simplicity of the place chosen- authentic

Quality of Experience

M

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

Didn’t know what to expect which may have good and bad. Hiking was the right amount and the added swimming holes were amazing and I should have better prepared for them. Lunch with the group was memorable and I got more out of this than just hiking. I’d always recommend- the group we had really made it better than a private tour

Quality of Experience

K

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Was my least favorite- nothing special

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Portuguese Cooking Class at a Chef's Home

Lisbon

Paolo had a nice way of involving everyone and we really learned some techniques as well as dishes. Drinking while cooking made the class lively and had a great feel for those who might not be serious cooks- I’d do this again and again

Quality of Experience

Food

Kept the recipes to snake for friends when I return

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Liked all the facts that didn’t kind like they came from travel brochure- made me appreciate the city and helped us navigate the area and entice us into coming back on our own

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liked we could end tour at a point where we could explore more there vs being back to hotel

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Daniel was so much fun and so was the group- good size, food amounts were perfect and variety of dishes was interesting- loved covering different parts of city and ethnic groups

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marina was excellent. Thanks to all of her insights and help we enjoyed a trip we’ll never forget. Marina put us with outstanding guides who made places come to life in food, history, art, photos and stories we’ll remember forever.

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Staff was very kind and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Our guide, Paola, was outstanding. Fun, friendly, engaging and very knowledgeable. He showed us the highlights of course but it was all the out of the way authentic places he took us to and his personality that made this day so special for us. Hands down the best guide we had in Portugal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Our guide was so knowledgeable about the history and neighborhoods of Lisbon. We came away with a much greater understanding of Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Olive Oil & River Cruise

Porto

Roi, our guide, was very knowledgeable and engaging. Really helped us understand the area well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Clara, our guide, was outstanding. Fun, friendly and high- energy which was infectious. Her pride of Porto was clear and really engaging

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Great guide, great food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport