Kimkim Trip Reviews

Trip was planned very well. Every detail was looked after by Valentine. Even when there was a mi or issue with a transfer, it was resolved right away.. would definitely recommend Valentine and Kim Kim and would use them again

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia

Venezia

Staff are excellent and hotel is close to everything in Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel am Mirabellplatz Salzburg

Salzburg

Very nice hotel in great location Staff are very pleasant and helpful Breakfast staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Munich Beer Tour and Bites

Munich

Our guide was excellent and very informative Showed us lots of fun places

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very happy with all aspects of our Morocco trip facilitated by Morocco Immersion. Maryem, our local specialist, was always responsive and informative, and our pre-trip Zoom with the agency head, Sharon, was very helpful. We were also grateful for the advice sheet, especially tipping hints. A good driver/tour manager is crucial to a successful tour, and ours (Abdessamad or Samad) was superb. He was always cheerful, on time, and very knowledgeable; his driving excellent, and his English sufficient, if not fluent. Our guides were uniformly on time and informative; the Fes guide (Sayyid), an American citizen returned home, was outstanding.
Now for more specifics on our tour plan. We liked staying in riads, and all were good. In Rabat, Riad Kalaa was atmospheric, though the shower sometimes only gave cold water. We really liked the Chellah Gardens (an alternative to the closed Royal Palace). The Al Makan in Fes had an excellent location and helpful staff (esp. Zakariyah). The high point of the medina tour there was the Al-Attarine madrasa.
We had a long but interesting drive down to the Sahara through the Middle Atlas mountains. It rained most of the way and we arrived to a torrential downpour in the desert, but we did get to see the sunset and we enjoyed “glamping” overnight. I took a nice walk in the dunes early the next morning. We then drove to Tinghir and the Dades Valley, which was beautiful as promised. We had a short tour of the city due to the earlier rain, and our (male) guide was also the rug seller at the women’s co-op (we saw no women there), which had been recommended to us by Morocco Immersion. There was a big choice of carpets; I got one we really like, and I assume it was cheaper there than in a big city, but I took their word and didn’t bargain anywhere else. We liked the Tiziri Kasbah riad there, and it had an exceptional view from the roof.
We then crossed over to and through the magnificent High Atlas mountains, reminiscent of our own Colorado Rockies. They were a literal high point of our trip. We spent our last days in Marrakech at the pleasant Riad Nesma, very centrally located and quiet but our room was small. We found the Bahia Palace and Madrasa Ben Yousef impressive, as were the medina and central square Jamma el-Fna, though the latter were a bit overwhelming. We also enjoyed the Majorelle Gardens, despite the crowd. We visited the lovely Ourika Valley our last day, and were happy to dodge the weekend crowds; we liked seeing the Anima Gardens on the way back, and I found a hammam refreshing the day before we flew home.
Again, kudos to kimkim and Morocco Immersion for a wonderful trip.

Our Morocco vacation was amazing and memorable! Our driver/guide Faissel was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ He made our vacation run smoothly and was thoughtful, easy to be with and made sure my husband, son and I had everything we needed! We would never have been able to have the vacation we did without Faissel!!
The whole Kimkim experience was excellent and I look forward to using them to plan another vacation.
The private tours, accommodations and recommendations were all on point. We really had a wonderful time!

It was an amazing trip. My needs were taken care and beyond!

Hotel Reviews

Casa Balthazar

Lisbon

The service was outstanding. The room I stayed in was exceptional. Loved the antique setting.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the setting and decor of the hotel.

Location

Close to good restaurants, museums and shopping.

Staff

Very helpul and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was kept tidy and clean.

Mercure Porto Centro Aliados

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's a bit hard to get into by car or planned pick up. I have to walk to the meeting point for any planned tours.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Posada del Peine

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was hard to get to the hotel. My private transfer had to parked the car for a distance. It took at least 10 - 15 minutes to get to the hotel.

Staff

The staff were helpful and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

The location of hotel was great. Close to good restaurants and shopping. Easy access to and from the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and very accessible.

Location

Good access to all amenities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Half-Day Sintra Trip

Lisbon

It was a wonderful visit; the guide gave you a deep insight of the history of the place.

Quality of Experience

It was a wonderful visit and was able to appreciate the history of the place.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very knowledgable and the service was outstanding. He was on time!

Transport

The vehicle was very clean, comfortable and of course the type of car he was driving. It made you feel safe.

Douro Valley Day Trip with Wine Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

The trip going to Douro Valley was exciting even though it was a rainy day. The guide who was taking us to Duoro described and explained histories of different places you come accross before reaching the valley. Getting on the river boat was an exciting experience. However, I was hoping there will be a river boat guide to show and described the different areas you see as the boat cruise the river. The wine tastings were outstanding. I learned about different grapes and wine produce on the 2 diferent vineyards.

Quality of Experience

I learned a lot about different types of wines.

Food

The food served was outstanding especially if you are a "pescetarian diet".

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide gave us a great insights of the trip. He was also easy to chat with and have a very good sense of humour.

Transport

It was a very comfortable trip and was on time.

Malasaña Flamenco Experience

Madrid

It was a good show. The singing and dancing were great. It would be good if there's a write up of what they were singing and dancing about. The food was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I had to walk to the place.

Transport

I had to walk to the place.

Fado Show with Dinner & City Viewpoints

Porto

It was okay to listen to the singing. I would have appreciate it more if there was a information about what "Fado" is. I would give the audience an overview of whave being sung especially if you are visiting and perhaps in English. Also, if you are in a group the seating should have to been prearranged. I had to sit alone by myself away from the group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver showed us the city views and even had a tast of porto wine served in a chocolate cup. That was a surprise!

Transport

The ride was comfortable and feel safe.

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família Experience

Barcelona

An amazing and wonderful visit for both the Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia. Both places were picturesque and the histories told by the guide were very educational, exciting and memorable.

Quality of Experience

It was a very memorable and educational visits.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I had to take a taxi to go to the place.

Transport

I had to take a taxi to go to the place.

Prado Museum & Cultural Walk with Lunch at Botín

Madrid

The museum was outstanding. Lots of information and very educational. It was a short visit and could have seen more artists. Lunch at Boitin was exceptional. The visit to this restaurant was something that you will remember. The history of the place was very educational. The guide was very knowledgable and the restaruant were very good and caring.

Quality of Experience

It was a wonderful and educational trip to both the museum and the restaurant.

Food

Gave you the options to choose what you can eat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide gave us a good insights of both places.

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

It was an exciting adventure riding on a Electric Tuk-Tuk. The guide showed the different places to see and describe the history that respresent those places. She's also very good and make you feel safe with the vehicle.

Quality of Experience

The guide gave me an educational tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was polite and punctual.

Transport

It was comfortable and you feel safe.

Royal Palace Visit

Madrid

It was educational. You learned about the history of the different rooms, how it made and who inhabited it. The decor were exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I had to walk to get to the place. The guide showed and gave a good descriptions and knowledge of the place.

Transport

I had to walk to get to the place.

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

This was a very good experience. The guide gave a good description of the area and the types of local food to enjoy. It was also very accomodating in what types of food each travelers, what they can eat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide walk you through all the different areas, the history of the place and the type of foods to taste.

Transport

Self-Guided Walk in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter

Barcelona

Lots of places to see and shop.

Quality of Experience

It's very nice to get to see other places on your own. Even though I travelled solo, the places recommended to see by my travel consultant and the locations gave you the assurance of being safe.

Penedès Vineyards, Wines & Tapas Day Trip

Barcelona

These were an exciting and memorable visits. I have learned the different types of wines the vineyards grow and produce. You had a chance to get closer to the grape vines travelling in a 4wheel drive vehicle. The vineyards were picture perfect. The staff were very hospitable and gracious.

Quality of Experience

These are trips one should never be missed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip made you feel comfortable, safe and on time. My only comment you wished the driver gave you an insights of places you come accross before you get to the vineyards.

Transport

You feel safe and comfortable.

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

The market visit was very exciting. Shopping for your ingredients to cook was great. The chef gave you an insights of the history of the market. The chef was very "funny" and guided you an how to create a good tasting food. I left the class knowing I will be able somehow to replicate the recipes. Of course, I had to acquire the recipe book.

Quality of Experience

It was an amazing experience.

Food

The food was fantastic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The chef was very kind and have a good sense of humour.

Transport

I had to take a taxi to get to the place.

Ancient Bath Experience

Spain

This is an experience should never be missed after all the activities from shopping, eating and sightseeing. This is a great way to end your memorable and exciting holiday.

Quality of Experience

It was a very relaxing moments.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff made you welcome.

Transport

I had to take a taxi to go this place.

This was a very well planned and executed trip by Helena/Kimkim! Thank you!,
Both hotels (particularly Mercer in Barcelona) were excellent.
Guides particularly Farhan and Danny were SUPERB!
Danny( Barcelona walking tour guide)in particular was among the best we have ever had.Very Knowledgable, interesting, friendly and patient.
All pick ups and drop offs were seamless. Thank you for a WONDERFUL trip!

Hotel Reviews

Mercer Hotel Barcelona

Barcelona

Great location, superb ambience, fantastic breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Villapanés

Sevilla

The Hotel Palacio de Villapanés in Seville was good, but not great. The valet and general service were nice, though.

Activity Reviews

Flamenco Experience

Spain

Shabby venue, performance was unexciting and did not feel authentic. No introduction or explanation of performance given..

Quality of Experience

Private Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Amazing experience with guide Danny! He was so well informed, witty and made the history very interesting.he kept the tour engaging from start to finish. He made La Sagrada Familia come alive. Highly recommend!,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Had a wonderful experience with our guide,Ferran. Had great insights and answered all our questions and kept tour engaging.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset Live Spanish Guitar & Sailing Experience Barcelona

Barcelona

The Sunset Live Spanish Guitar & Sailing Experience in Barcelona was a great experience. The service was very friendly and caring, with blankets provided for comfort. While the food wasn't exceptional and could possibly be skipped, the overall experience was lovely and highly enjoyable.

Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting

Barcelona

The Day Trip to Montserrat was a wonderful excursion to a beautiful place. Montserrat itself is stunning and well worth a visit. I would highly recommend this destination to others.

We were especially pleased with our guide, Gary. He was especially great working with our 17 year old grandkids. We were a little disappointed with the hotels in Kyoto and Osaka. We were also disappointed that we did not have the last part on the itinerary with the culinary adventure. Also we did not have the yen allowance mentioned.
Overall we all agreed that it was a thorough view of Japan, just as we requested.

1. The standard of tour guides were very high, we were very pleased with all 3. They were very informative, flexible and made the most of the time given.
2. In Tokyo we visited the fish market (not in our plans, but suggested by our guide) it was amazing. We went early morning and saw the hustle & bustle of the market, while stopping at several to sample items for our breakfast. Maybe a good suggestion, if you didn’t already know about it.
3. As you know we had issues with the 1st pick up driver, but we also had similar issues with another driver who did pick up on our second to last day, when he picked us up from Tokyo station to take to the hotel. Again we were wondering around the station looking for him, while he sat in the car texting directions. Not ideal with 2 kids and 5 suitcases. Also my younger daughter had to sit on my knee in the car because the rear seat belt was faulty. His suggestion was that he would drive slow!! Stewart also questioned his driving skills. But noted all the other drivers were reliable and safe.
4. We liked all the hotels we stayed in, maybe the first one in Tokyo and the Kyoto one could have been a little closer to the centre, to save on taxis.

Thank you for your help and we look forward to book our next trip with you.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Roppongi Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Blossom Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gion District and Nishiki Market

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo City Tour with Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kids-Friendly Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was absolutely AMAZING! Lacey, the Kim Kim team, and all our tour guides in each location were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Lacey was on top of things from day one of planning the trip; she always responded quickly and clarified all our questions. Ron, our guide in Bangkok, was the best. He made the most of our time together each day, adding in extra stops to eat freshly picked lychee from local vendors, getting us on the train to take to the Maeklong train market, and showing us the best food spots.

Everything went as planned, other than a last-minute cancellation of our yacht trip to Phi Phi Island, due to unexpected boat issues. Lacey was great at presenting alt activities, and when we ultimately decided to hang out at our resort, she quickly processed the refund for that activity.

The only thing I wish we'd discussed a bit more during planning was the proximity of our hotels to certain areas/activities (mainly in Phuket). Our hotel was great (we loved our private pool villa), but it may have been nice to be closer to Old Town Phuket (it was an hour away) to experience more of the island.

Overall, I would highly recommend using Kim Kim for planning you Thai adventure!

Activity Reviews

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

The railway market was awesome! Our guide Ron, also timed the start of our day so that we could pick up the train and actually take it into the market. So we got to experience walking the market and taking the train through it. The floating market was ok, but after the first stall or two, it felt repetitive. It had a lot of good food options.

Quality of Experience

Food

The green curry, Tom Yum, fried bananas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ron was a great guide, very personable and took tons of pics for us!

Transport

They always had cold water and air conditioning blasting for us.

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

This was one of our favorite activities of the whole trip. We roamed the flower market with Chang and Leos in hand, trying things Ron (our guide) said he would seek out. He also took us China Town which was fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip was amazing. Our family had such a great time, we loved the people, the food, the culture. Both Paul (Bangkok) and Jackie (Chiang Mai) were incredible hosts/guides. They took us to places were we could learn about the local culture, food, and history. All the restaurants we went to with them were out of this world, and we could not get enough of the Mango sticky rice!!!
The elephant experience is hard to describe. Is beyond amazing, such beautiful beings. Our 8 year old says is the best thing she's ever done!
This trip will be forever in our hearts and we will make sure to visit Thailand again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Maitria Hotel Sukhumvit 18

The place is located strategically. There's easy and safe transportation, and plenty of places to get food. The hotel itself was very comfortable and service was good. The food (breakfast) was pretty good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Smile Lanna Hotel Chiang Mai

The place is in a vary good area, you can see a lot of things to do around. There's easy and safe transportation. The rooms were very comfortable and clean. The food (breakfast buffet) was extremely good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

Excellent experience. The fact that you get to enjoy so many things in one trip makes the journey pretty quick and easy. The markets were something that is a must see. The food.....the food is so so good.....

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Bangkok City Tour with Canal tour

Bangkok

Great experience, got to see many sights and discover a lot of the culture

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful adventure in Italy! All of our tour guides and drivers were personable, knowledgable and professional! We were a group of 5 and we each loved something different the best! My favorite was the day trip to Tuscany with Alexandro. I loved the cooking class with Dante and the wine tasting and visits to Siena and San Giamano. My husband loved the visits to Pompeii and the Colosseum. My 15 year old son loved seeing the David and all of the art in Florenece while my younger son (age 12) loved the whole city of Naples the best. My father (in his 70's) enjoyed all of the tour guides and history but probably enjoyed the foodie tour the first day the most! We went back to several of those restaurants in Rome while we were there because they were so delicious!

The accommodations were top notch and the breakfasts were outstanding. We enjoyed all of the art and history as well as the shopping and just everything! We had an unforgettable visit and would highly recommend it to anyone!

Working with Kim Kim and Lucie was a real pleasure. This was our first trip to France and having someone to work with to help navigate the area gave our group and our kids back home real piece of mind. Our tour guide Bridgette was an absolute delight! We spent a full day with here for a Lueberon Tour and one day on a great wine tour. When we arrive in Paris, we have a slight glitch at the 9Hotel Opera! The elevator was out of order when we arrived and being on the 5th floor was a tough climb, but we forged ahead. The elevator was repair the next day so it all worked out. The bed was very very comfortable and the staff was very nice. The daily breakfast which was included with our stay was excellent!!!!
We had a wonderful tour of Nortre Dame. Our guide Laurent was the best, very knowledgable and personable. The whole France experience was wonderful!!! Thank you Kim Kim and Lucie

Hotel Review

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

I would have given it 5 stars, but when we arrive the elevator was out of order and we had climb 5 flights (92 stairs) to get to our room the first night. The room was small, but that is unusual for the type of hotel.. Very clean and the beds were very comfortable. Great shower!!!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enchanting Luberon Experience: A Journey Through Provence’s Most Beautiful Villages

France

Fabulous! very enlightening. Great tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chateauneuf du Pape & Gigondas Wine Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We arranged a 10 day trip to northern Vietnam w Kimkim for our family of 4 from San Francisco. Planning was a breeze with hien. Took a bit of advice around preferences and timing and turned it around to an incredible itinerary within a day. Adjusted to changes we requested. Saw prior reviews around transparency of pricing- which I get - though our pricing was very reasonable so i didn’t feel the need to run the numbers against if I’d planned myself. In country experience (coordination, local guide, driver etc) was superb. Our guide kc was absolutely tremendous- knowledgeable, flexible, knew how to adjust to and engage our 6 and 9 year old. Just a wonderful experience all around, we will recommend and likely use again on our upcoming travel.

We had a blast on this trip and the planning process was extremely easy. Michael designed an itinerary that nailed exactly what we wanted -- lots of nature, culture, and hands-on activities. We loved both hotels where we stayed (Senda Watapuy near Tayrona, and Bastion in Cartagena). All of our tours and guides were fantastic. My 7 year old daughter loved tubing on the Rio Don Diego, swimming under a waterfall, exploring the fort in Cartagena, and making her own jewelry. We appreciated that our activities each day finished early enough for us to enjoy some pool/relaxation time at the hotel before dinner. Michael was super responsive via WhatsApp whenever we needed anything. Thank you for helping us plan such a wonderful trip to beautiful Colombia!

Hotel Reviews

Senda Watapuy

Santa Marta

Incredible experience in the jungle and a great value. The scenery around the hotel area is stunning, the pictures online do not do it justice. The bungalows are very comfortable. The only thing to note about the bungalows is that (at least in ours) the bathroom was not very separated from the rest of the structure so anytime someone wanted privacy to use the bathroom, everyone else had to go outside. But we made it work. The beds were comfortable and there is air conditioning and fans, so along with having the windows open at night we were very comfortable even though it was pretty hot. The food at the restaurant was delicious and the drinks were great, especially the mojitos. If you're a wine drinker, note that the availability was hit or miss - but Colombia is not really a wine drinking country, so better to have a beer or cocktail anyway! The staff were extremely nice and helpful, although not all of them spoke English.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Spectacular scenery, right outside the entrance to the national park

Staff

They checked in on us often to make sure we had what we needed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bastión Luxury Hotel

Cartagena

We enjoyed staying at this hotel a lot. The location is great, right inside the walled city of the old section of Cartagena. The room was comfortable with good air conditioning. The only issue with the room was that the water in the shower never got hot, but a cool shower actually felt pretty good after a hot and sweaty day walking around outside. The breakfast buffet was very nice and there was also hot food made to order. The best part of the hotel was definitely the rooftop pool with a great view of the city, and the delicious cocktails we enjoyed up there. It was a great way to end the day and cool off before getting dressed for dinner. The staff at the hotel were all super nice and helped us with various requests including dinner reservations.

Authenticity & Character

Interesting old building (with modern updates)

Location

Walkable area

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Market Visit & Cooking Class

Cartagena

The visit to the market was very interesting and we loved our guides, including the chef. The food was absolutely delicious and it was fun to help prepare it. Our only complaint would be that the chef and her assistant did almost all the cooking and didn't explain to us what they were doing, so it wasn't really a "cooking class" as we did not learn how to prepare most of the food (with a couple of exceptions). That said, it was a fabulous private lunch so we couldn't complain! It was also a bit hot on the rooftop area where we were cooking/eating, so it might have been even a bit better if it were in an indoor location with air conditioning.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coconut Workshop

Cartagena

The women leading the workshop were wonderful and we had a great time making crafts. "Coconut workshop" is a bit of a misnomer as this is really a jewelry/accessories making workshop with polished colorful beads. You can't even tell they're made from coconuts. The finished products were all lovely and we can't wait to wear them. The setting of the workshop was also very nice, right on the beach with a cool ocean breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Tayrona National Park

Colombia

Spectacular! The park was very crowded because we were there during Easter week (Semana Santa) but we made the bets of it and considered it part of the experience. Our guide helped us spot lots of birds, monkeys, and lizards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tayronaka Natural Reserve

Colombia

We absolutely loved tubing on the Rio Don Diego all the way to the ocean. The indigenous ruins and museum before the tubing portion of the day were also interesting although it would have been even better if we had been able to spend a bit more time learning about the indigenous culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nature, Waterfalls & Coffee Farm in Minca

Colombia

We enjoyed the tour of the coffee farm, it was interesting to see the traditional way of processing the beans. It would have been nice if we could have seen it in operation but we weren't there at the right time. It also would have been nice to see more of the area where the beans are grown, which was not part of the tour. Hiking to the waterfall where we were able to swim in the pool beneath it was very nice - our guide recommended that we go to Pozo Verde instead of the more popular one (Marinka) because of crowds, and that was a good idea. The lunch we had at La Casona with the hummingbirds was memorable. Overall we had a nice day, but the drive to Minca was quite long and it would have been nice to see more of the town/surrounding area to make the long drive more worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nueva Venecia and the stilt villages of the Ciénaga Grande (On the Way to Cartagena)

Colombia

It was very special to see the stilt villages and learn about the culture and history. We were invited into a resident's home for lunch, which was wonderful. They accommodated the vegetarians in our group. Our guide was very nice and also helped us identify the birds we saw on the way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Our guide Roberto gave us a fantastic tour. Most of the time was spent at the fort because that was particularly interesting to us. Afterward, we walked back through the park with the sloths (!!) and through the old city back to our hotel. It was a very hot day and our daughter was tired, so Roberto very kindly adapted the tour to be a bit shorter. He made sure we had umbrellas to keep the sun off of us as well as cold water to cool down. It was a very good experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

The mangroves were lovely and we saw a lot of birds. It was very special to help plant a baby mangrove in a reforestation area as well as to get a demonstration of the traditional fishing methods. The cold coconut water at the end was a bonus!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Drum & Dance Safari at the Beach of La Boquilla

Colombia

Our schedule changed and the drum workshop was not at sunset, so we can't comment on that aspect of it - but we had a great time watching the performances and learning the drum rhythms ourselves. We were given some very nice refreshments (appetizers and a mojito) as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena and team planned an exceptional vacation for us in Greece. She carefully listened to our interests and provided great options. We had a hard time deciding on which island in Greece to go to and her choice of Crete was perfect. We particularly loved the seven villages tour. All the guides and drivers were on point.

Hotel Reviews

Gatsby

Athens

Funky hotel in a great location. If you're sensitive to noise, it's not the best option as it's on a narrow street. The hotel itself has live music 5 PM to 12 AM Friday through Sunday and the bar across the street is blasting music seven days a week.

Authenticity & Character

It's funky and a fun vibe

Location

Walkable

Staff

Nice staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean but people smoke on the balconies and in the alley so the hallway and room would fill up with smoke once in a while.

Casa Delfino

Chania, Crete

Lovely and unique hotel in the heart of old town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's quite a nice ambience, but the air conditioning doesn't work well and the room was hot

Activity Reviews

History & Foodie Walk in Old Town

Chania

Fun and yummy tour. Lots of food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Athens Acropolis and Mythology Walk

Athens

I'm glad we did the mythology focused tour because it made the whole experience more entertaining. Tour was a bit long though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Apokoronas Villages

Chania

This was quite a charming experience. I don't think the tour description does it justice. We were able to visit different villages, see local life, eat some good food. We did not visit any museums.

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Transport

The trip planning was easy and Lucie was very prompt with her service and very courteous.
The guide was also excellent. And the hotel chosen was perfect.

Overall a great trip.
We had a bit of back and forth about our planned accommodations, but after that, we had three great hotels- resorts and nice trips to attend.
Manoa Hotel in la Fortuna has the most beautiful gardens and a ton of birds- tucans, wild peacocks, and a ton of egrets and small birds. We had a hiking trip around the Arenal volcano forest and we had a great guide named Carlos. Very knowledgable about nature and history and geology. Then we went to hot springs spa- totally not worth it, unless you enjoy to share a warm, crowded small body of water with a bunch of strangers who are served drinks and never leave to pool to go to the bathroom. They had a very nice buffet restaurant. one downside- our driver forgot about us and it took the front desk to call and investigate before someone showed up 30 minutes later to get us to our hotel. He appeared surprised that he wasn't tipped.
Poco A Poco in Monteverde- nice, compact hotel, with its own trail into nearby jungle. I arrived there with a bad stomach issue and they had a room for us in 10 minutes, even though the check-in wasn't for another 3 hours.
All the trips we booked- cocoa plantation, night jungle trip and the canopy bridges the next day were enjoyable, in my husband's view ( I was sick for 2 days, so I didn't participate)
And then Shana by the sea near Manuel Antonio National park - forget the sea. water is not clear, nor blue. No surprise, it is on a Pacific side. The path- very steep-takes you to the secluded beach with dark colored gravel. But first you have to wade thru a dark murky pond with water coming out of Mongrove forest. Not big, maybe 25 feet wide, but enough to make you not trust the water. Don't bother to go there, better spend time at the pools. Beautiful pools and gorgeous views make up for no beach. The staff, especially Carlos in the front office, are extremely helpful and nice.
We had added attraction of Capuchin monkeys visit the hotel every afternoon. Nice but they steal stuff- keep your balcony doors closed. Again, lots of colorful big and small birds .
And Views to die for.
I highly recommend a tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. We managed to see both kinds of sloths, an anteater, monkeys, birds, inland crabs, deer, the famous colorful frogs, lizards ,even a tiny snake.
Downside- we visited in a week before Easter so all locals had time off and the park was beyond crowded.
I was pleasantly surprised that Eli, our guide, managed to find animals for us to see. I imagine that any less busy time of the year only adds to the allure.
Overall, a nice trip, well organized,
To those who expect a real jungle experience- you may be surprised . The trails and paved with gravel, there are water stations along the trails. Very civilized.

I just concluded a 10-day trip in Morocco, the itinerary and actvities were organized by Ali and then supported by Said. Overall I had an awesome experience as we traveled from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert areas followed by visits to Fes, Tangier, Rabat and eventually, Casablanca. Each place had their own distinct character and culture. Our local guides were fanstastic and I learnt a lot about the Moroccan history and they ways of life. I do have to mention the delicious Tangia and Tagine preparations; the likes of which I have never experienced before. A special mention about our driver, Rachid. I travel a lot and have worked with many travel tour operators, guides and drivers. Rachid is exceptional at what he does. Not only he is a great and more importantly, a safe driver, he went above and beyond his job and took care of every requirement of ours. I have to mention an incident where our vehicle suffered damage on account of flooded road conditions on our way to Merzouga desert. It was past sunset and all of us were worried about getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. Rachid organized the locals to get a hold of a mechanic and with the help of ordinary citizens managed to get our vehicle to a driveable condition. What was the most important aspect of this episode was the calmness and control that Rachid demonstrated. I did not see him getting flustered or in panic; he calmly went about the process of getting the vehicle restored. I and all others in my group were really impressed by this.

The entire trip was a success, all of our guides at different points were amazing and knowledgeable. Special mention to Thuy on our Vespa tour in Saigon as well as Sandi in our food tour in Hanoi.
Long was amazing, the communication was brilliant, I could not have asked for more. Thank you so much for making our holiday in Vietnam the best one it could be

Hotel Reviews

San Premium Hotel

Basic hotel, but lovely staff and more importantly a great base to explore Hanoi old quarter on foot.

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Aspira Cruises

Ha Long, Quang Ninh

Beautiful boat, great cabins. Lovely food

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Coco River Resort & Spa

Quang Nam

Lovely appartment , swimming pool was great. Free shuttle to town was a nice addition.

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Eldora Hue

Hue

Nice hotel, swimming pool was a nice touch but sooo cold !

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Sala Danang Beach Hotel

Danang

Amazing Hotel, good location by the beach. great swimming pool, and nice breakfast

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Acnos Hotel

Smaller rooms than other hotels and no swimming pool. Location however was great.

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Activity Reviews

Day trip to Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu & Trang An & Mua cave)

Vietnam

Hanoi City tour - Joint in tour

Hanoi

Hanoi Street food walking tour

Hanoi

Great to have on your first day, especially if you stay a few days in Hanoi. Sandi was lovely

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Cycling in Cam Thanh & Thanh Dong Organic Farm Visit

Vietnam

This is a must, Tham was wonderful, everything was great, the cycling, the boat, the cooking class, the eco Garden...a must

Disembarking the cruise

Ha Long Bay

Hoi An Local Market, Basket Boat, Fishing & Cooking Experience

Hoi An

The cooking class was great !

Saigon Vespa After Dark

Ho Chi Minh City

We absolutely loved this, would highly recommend, the drivers and our guide was amazing, we had such a great time.

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Food

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Transport

This was our first time planning a trip with a travel agency and we had a great experience. Anita and her colleagues were incredibly responsive and helpful at every stage of the process. We really appreciated being matched with a travel company local to Spain and with specialists who live in the areas we visited. We did find it hard to not have a good handle on how much individual aspects of the trip cost, but at the same time were able to identify a budget we could live within and let our specialists handle the details.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

We really loved this hotel. Service was excellent all-around and the hotel was very clean and well-kept. We had a Top Havana room, which was awesome for our family of 4.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very centrally located in the Eixample neighborhod.

Staff

Housekeeping staff and front desk staff were excellent. The front desk arranged for a doctor to come to the hotel when one of our children was sick.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping was very attentive .

Hotel Meninas

Madrid

We really liked Hotel Meninas. It has a lot of charm and is in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Situated near the Opera, the hotel is in a lovely historic district close to Mercado San Miguel and the Palace.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a large room on the 5th floor that provided plenty of space for our family of 4. It was very quiet and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Flamenco Night

Madrid

We loved the Flamenco show at Las Carboneras. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Madrid for Kids - Walking Tour with Activities & Snacks

Madrid

This walking tour was a great activity for our first day in Madrid. Rosa, our guide, was excellent and really made a connection with our tween and teen daughters (12 and 14). We were worried they'd be too old for a tour like this, but they really loved it.

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Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Family Visit, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

We loved visiting Toledo. Elena, our tour guide, was great. We learned so much about the history of this incredibly special place that we would have never learned without a guide. Highly recommend.

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Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

As non-Spanish speakers, we found the tapas scene a bit intimidating and really appreciated this 3-hour guided tour that took us to 4 different stops.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All local guides were great and speaks reasonably good english. They have a good knowledge of Local as well as Moroccan history and answered all our questions and queries.
A special mention to our fulltime driver Rachid, who was outstanding in his job and is great in conversation. There were really long drives and it is not easy to keep a bus full of people happy. He did that and also resolved all issues to our satisfaction.
He became just like our friend. Love him.

Hotel Reviews

Riad El Yacout

Fès

The room was smelly and very shabby. Hot water was not working and had to call maintenance to fix it.

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Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

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The floor carpets were all wet

Riad Mokhtar Tanger

Tangier

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Le Casablanca Hotel

Casablanca

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Activity Reviews

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-guide

Morocco

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Transfer from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert via Ouarzazate

Morocco

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Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Moroccan Dinner and Fantasia Show at Chez Ali

Marrakesh

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Desert Adventures around Merzouga

Merzouga

The ATV and Camel Ride experience was the highlight of the tour

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