Kimkim Trip Reviews

Both of the hotels we stayed at in Montreal and Quebec worked well. Our food tour in Montreal was a favorite for all four of us. The guide was exceptional and the food was wonderful and different. Okay, I'm not a pureed liver person, so I passed on that, but that's just me. If I liked liver, I'm sure it would have been great. The ride on the inspirational ferris wheel was fun! The tour we did of Old Quebec was also very enlightening and again, the guide was fun and very informative. UBER and cabs worked great for getting around when we weren't walking. The Five-course dinner cruise was okay, but I think I would skip it on another trip. I enjoyed the food on the food tour more, and while the lights at night were pretty, I'd rather see the shoreline in the day time. We took a cab to the waterfall and enjoyed that. Carl was very helpful and Kim Kim again came through for us.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Le Concorde Québec

Quebec

The big circular restaurant at the top made it easy to find when we have been our walking. The location was conventient to everything we wanted to see. I loved our room. Beautiful view out of two sides since we had a corner window. Looked out at the lights of the city and the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Worked well for us since we like to walk. Convenient for taking UBER or a cab to the Falls, the airport, and whereever else we wanted to go if we couldn't walk that far.

Staff

The staff could not have been more pleasant or helpful, at all levels. One of us dropped a ring down the drain whlle showering because there wasn't a drain cover, but maintenance quickly came up and retrieved it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All the areas seemed well cleaned and taken care of: the entry way, waiting area, restaurants, rooms, elevators.

Le Saint Martin

Montreal

The hotel was located in the downtown area which was a very busy area and hard to find an grocery stores, but it was convenient, clean , very comfortable, and the people at the hotel were always helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's fine, but in a rather busy, trafficy area. Next time, I think I'd like to be closer to the older area.

Staff

The staff were friendly, welcoming, knowledgable, and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Old Quebec Walking Tour

Québec City

Our guide was a fun guy, and we enjoyed being in a group of just the four of us. He had done a group of 45 the day before, and I would. not have been interested in a group that large.

Quality of Experience

Excellent guide, fun activities, educational.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed to know what he was doing and he did it well.

Transport

We walked and it was close enough from our Hotel to work out well.

Old Montreal VIP

Montréal

We enjoyed having some open time to just head out and see what we could see. Stopping by local shops and restaurants was fun. We had a fun time riding the Inspirational Ferris Wheel. Beautiful weather.

Quality of Experience

Just relaxing, hanging out , and walking around discovering the city was fun.

Mile End Montréal Food Tour

Montréal

This was one of our favorite parts of our trip to Canada. The Food Tour included six interesting, tasty examples of local food, and they were DELICIOUS and fun to try. Our guide was exceptional. She was fun, knowledgable, and tuned in to our needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was the best.

Transport

No problems.

Our guides for each of the planned events we fantastic, knowledgeable and very personable. We saw some amazing sites in France. My wife's favourite was Chateau Chambord and mine was the food tour we did in Paris.

The arrangement of transfers to and from hotels, railway stations and airports made the entire logistical experience fantastic. We were fortunate enough to have the same driver multiple times in Paris and he went above and beyond to help me when I left my mobile phone in his car on departure day.

Justine did an amazing job of planning and advising and was responsive and helpful throughout the journey with the few hiccups we had

Hotel Reviews

Le Marquis by Inwood Hotels

Paris

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Hôtel du Rond-point des Champs-Élysées - Esprit de France

Paris

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Provence : Chateauneuf du Pape and Luberon

France

Saint Remy, les Baux de Provence, Pont du Gard

France

Louvre Museum Private Tour

Paris

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

unfortunately we missed this activity as my wife was unwell. We were not able to reschedule it

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

Villandry, Azay-Le-Rideau & Vouvray wine tour - Full Day

France

Mathilde's knowledgeable and instantly responsive communications and advice during the planning, adjustments and coordination of our itinerary and logistics was awesome leading up to and throughout our five day anniversary trip. The kimkim site paired us with the perfect travel professional for Paris and, undoubtedly, anywhere in France.

Everyone on the staff of the "boutique" Hotel Baume where we stayed in the Latin Quarter catered to our every need with amazingly friendly, accommodating and professional service. We couldn't be happier with how this most memorable trip worked out for us and high recommend the kimkim online platform for staging a similar travel experience!

Our vacation in Paris, Versailles and Giverny was wonderful. So much history, so many beautiful sights, and everyone we met was friendly and polite.
Beginning with Thomas, who picked us up at the airport and gave us a mini-lesson in French language and culture, on the way to the hotel. He also gave us the first views of the Arc De Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. We later visited both sites for some amazing views. We were lucky enough to also have Thomas as the driver to pick us up from the hotel for our trip back to the airport.
The Hotel La Bourdonnais was elegant, clean, in a very nice and convenient location. The staff were very polite and attentive. The only problem we experienced was when the air conditioning system broke down on one or more floors, including ours, before our last night there. The staff provided us with a fan which made the room comfortable just the same.
Our private guides, Karim for Versailles, Robert for the Louvre and Alex for Giverny were extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.
The show at the Moulin Rouge was really entertaining and done in good taste.
Finally, the dinner cruise was unbelievable. The food was excellent, the service was very attentive, the live band was exciting and enthusiastic, and the views were unforgettable.
A big thank you to the staff at KimKim for being so helpful and flexible with our needs and preferences.
Hope to visit other parts of France in the future.
Regards,
Claudio

Hotel Review

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

The Hotel La Bourdonnais was elegant, clean, in a very nice and convenient location. The staff were very polite and attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lots of nice eateries nearby, but the best part was that it's only a 10 -15 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower.

Staff

The staff were very polite and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Finally, the dinner cruise was unbelievable. The food was excellent, the service was very attentive, the live band was exciting and enthusiastic, and the views were unforgettable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-day tour to Giverny from Paris

Paris

Alex, our private guide, just like the other private guides, was extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

The show at the Moulin Rouge was really entertaining and done in good taste. Several "circus" acts along with a lot of dance numbers with many glamorous dancers. The show was really entertaining and done in good taste.

Quality of Experience

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

The Louvre museum is one of the foremost museums in the world. It is immense, with 9 miles of corridors. You could spend days, actually weeks, admiring the artwork. Robert, our guide, was a wealth of information. He guided us through several sections of the museum, all amazing. The only let-down was the crowd at the Mona Lisa. You almost have to elbow your way through, in order to get to the front. I wish the curators would take a cue from the curators of The Last Supper in Milan, where only a small number of visitors is allowed to see the painting for a set number of minutes, then they're ushered out and the next small number of visitors is allowed in. That avoid the crowds and everyone has a front row view of the masterpiece.

Quality of Experience

The Louvre museum is like a whole world of masterpieces.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hop-on Hop-off Bus Paris

Paris

The Hop-on Hop-off Buses offer a really good introduction to Paris. Stop or pass by many of the main sights in Paris. Buses run frequently which makes it a very good way to get around. The issue we had was that there was no clear end-time for the buses. Seems that each driver decides when his shift is ending and ends his route at whichever stop is next at that time. So, two drivers could stop working at different times, at different stops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

The Eiffel Tower itself is pretty awesome, also when seen with a miniature of the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. The views from the top are spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Half day guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with priority access in a small group (1 to 15 people)

Paris

Karim, our private tour guide for Versailles was extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.

Quality of Experience

The gardens and the artwork in Versailles are amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Karim, out private tour guide, was exceptionally knowledgeable of Versailles. His English vocabulary is extensive and his pronunciation is superb. Always point out good spots for photo taking and volunteering to take the photos.

Transport

Vehicle was clean and comfortable. Karim, the private tour guide, gave us quite a bit of info about French culture and language along the way.

Helena was always prompt and made the process easy. She made great suggestions and helped us plan a great trip to the Canaray Islands.

Hotel Review

JOIA El Mirador by Iberostar

Costa Adeje

We've traveled a lot and this was one of the best places we've ever stayed. Great location. Wonderful, friendly staff. Set up well. No kids. Just the right size. They thought of a lot to help make the stay so comfortable. LOVED IT!

Authenticity & Character

Everywhere you looked this place was lovely

Location

Gorgeous views. Walk to the beach in 2 minutes if you want.

Staff

Very friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to the Island of La Gomera

Tenerife

Long day but worth it. Only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because it is long, but that's no ones fault.

Massage in SPA Sensations Iberostar

Tenerife

I wouldn't get massages here again. They weren't great. Not much pressure. Climbed on the table (I always think that is inappropriate).

Quality of Experience

Teide Excursion in Safari Jeeps

Spain

What we got to see what great. Our guide was wonderful. Loved Teide National Park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The entire process working with Chris was extremely streamlined and easy. He really listened to our wants and desires and tailored our vacation to what our preferences were. We knew we wanted to spend one week in Italy and one week in Greece for our engagement, but didn’t really know specifically where in those countries we wanted to vacation. Chris, who is from Greece, suggested the amazing island of Naxos, something we never would have considered without his guidance! Our tours and excursions were amazing, and we really appreciated the attention to detail from the time of the tours to the private transfers, which were extremely convenient. We also really appreciated the locations of the accommodations that were just outside of the main, noisy, areas, but close enough for us to walk into town. We can’t imagine doing another large vacation without KimKim.

Sarah, thanks for working with us to organize our trip for 4. You worked with us to tailor the trip to incorporate our interests and preferred accommodations. I appreciate the pivoting you did in response to the weather and your availability and communications. This was our first Kimkim trip and I recommend then without reservation.

Best experiences include Ina, an exceptional guide in Split. I so appreciate guides that can share an understanding of history and current social and political topics that impact the location. She was insightful and articulate. Keep her busy! Also a best was the wine guide Grgl Natkovic. Since we are from California wine region, we were interested in the industry in Croatia. While the local winery we first visited I would not recommend as part of future tours (good ambiance but mediocre wine), the wine we sampled at his family village was outstanding. His enthusiasm regarding H'var and the commentary he provided travelling from H'var city to Stari Grad was great. Here is a young entrepreneur to watch. Positive experiences with Marco for the walking tour of H'var. This walking tour and Marco's knowledge of the local plants was great. The walk through the countryside and "abandoned" villages was excellent. I would suggest an option to visit the interior of one of these houses to see what life in the village would be like. Also, Evo in Dubrovnik, is a guy who can pilot a boat like no body I know.

The accommodation selections were excellent. The drop off in Split could have been closer to the accommodation. The location of the accommodation in Split, H'var and Dubrovnik was convienient and well located.

Well done.

Hotel Reviews

Prijeko Palace

Dubrovnik

Great location and staff. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

While I appreciate the themed rooms, they felt a bit dated and busy. Felt like it would be a very ritzy place in 2000 - even though it was decorated in 2015. The exterior and the balconies are great.

Location

In the heart of the old city.

Staff

Always helpful. Breakfast staff excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well done. Rooms were made up while we were at breakfast often.

Heritage Hotel Dea

Hvar

Good location. Family run but three young brothers and a second family.

Authenticity & Character

While this was a heritage hotel, with well stocked mini-fridge. If you are interested in aesthetics like architect, the authenticity was a little off in the patio and interior.

Location

Great central location. Nice steps

Staff

Run by two families. Both nice. Staff was the best part of this location.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Pellegrini rooms

Split

Great location in Split. Very good aesthetic. You won't be disappointed.

Authenticity & Character

Good aesthetic, modern but a nod to the stone around you.

Location

Practically built into the wall of Diocletian's Palace.

Staff

Always helpful. Thanks for the beach towels.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and tidy.

Activity Reviews

Hike to Lost Villages of Hvar, Croatian Peka Lunch

Hvar

These "abandoned" villages were wonderful as was the walk through the countryside. The native plants we plant as ornamentals in California. The rock walls were astounding and worth the walk.

Quality of Experience

Recommended! With some humor as well.

Food

Very nice food and location

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marco was entertaining and informative.

Free Day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Morning swim at the south end of the walls was great.

Quality of Experience

Hvar Wine Tasting Excursion

Hvar

Grgl, the guide was amazing as was his family village and winery. The commercial winery we visited needs an alternative.

Quality of Experience

Grgl's wine and company was outstanding.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again Grgl was an outstanding guide.

Transport

Comfortable and easy.

Croatian Cooking Class

Split

We enjoyed this. Particularly, the market experiences and fish market.

Quality of Experience

Lots of food to share. Much fun prepping it,

Food

Good easy recipes well handled by our chef/guide.

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

Ina, awesome, articulate, intelligent. Could hang out with her for a day and chat no problem. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Ina, again outstanding.

A Wonderful Family Trip to England & Scotland

Our trip was amazing. We did have a jammed packed itinerary, but it was great! So much to see/do/learn and boy did we! Traveling solo adult with (2) almost teens and we were all happily engaged. A nice taste of both England and Scotland.

KimKim did a fine job of planning my trip and itinerary. My specialist, Rita, is a pro and knows the land, the sights and tours, and the local accommodations. I had a few mishaps, a communication glitch or two, and of course some weather changes and cancellations. However, the responsiveness of Rita and the KimKim team was generally excellent, and I appreciate their assistance with my travel.

Kudos to the team for organizing a truly spectacular trip of a lifetime! From my first inquiry with KimKim to the interactions with the local specialist team, communication was flawless. The itinerary was perfect! Anna-marie checked in with us periodically throughout the trip to ensure all was going well. The accommodations were amazing throughout the trip and the activities were perfect. The first safaris out of Simbavati allowed us to see the big five and many other animals. Our tour guide for excursions out of CapeTown (Wendy) - Peninsula/Penguin tour and wine country - was exceptional! Perhaps one of the most memorable was the Pangolin Photo Safari - and we are by no means photographers. The pictures we captured under the expert guidance of Sara will be treasured memories of our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in South Africa and appreciate all of the efforts by the team to make it so. We highly recommend the KimKim/Elgin Africa team!!

Patrica is 5 star, above and beyond checking in with us

I was very happy with all aspects of our trip. All the excursions were great, I especially enjoyed the private day trip with Kronborg & Frederiksborg Castle, the RIB boat tour and the Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting! All the accommodations were good, but the Zander K Hotel in Bergen was a bit small for three people. All the transportation went well, but I would have liked a little more information, especially with regards to how the trains worked, we got a little confused a couple of times. But, we never missed any connections, so it all worked out. In general, I had a great time and so glad I went. I will definitely recommend you guys to family & friends!
Thank you!
Debbie

Hi Raquel,
We had an amazing holiday and wanted to thank you for all your help. Here is our feedback. We hope you find it useful and would be glad to clarify anything if that would be helpful. Hotels -
Madrid - the Pestana Plaza Mayor was wonderful. It was a great location and not too noisy despite our room overlooking the square which was great for people watching in the few times we were relaxing in the room. The food was wonderful and the staff friendly and efficient. The room was lovely and spacious.

Sevilla - the H10 Casa de la Plata was exceptional. The staff were first rate and very helpful. The room was amazing, particularly the bathroom. The breakfast was first rate and a very pleasant environment (we ate in the courtyard). We also thoroughly enjoyed the rooftop pool and bar area. It also is in a great location.

Granada - the Eurostars Puerta Real was generally fine - a great location and helpful staff. The cleanliness of the room left a bit to be desired, particularly the fact that the two water glasses were dirty when we arrived. This was quickly addressed however. We were very disappointed that the rooftop was closed for repairs throughout our stay but that can happen; we got our great views of the city elsewhere.

Barcelona - The Majestic was a real highlight. A beautiful room in a beautiful hotel. The bathroom was exceptional. The breakfasts were exceptional and the breakfast staff very attentive and pleasant. We also enjoyed the rooftop bar. Staff were generally very helpful and efficient. The location suited us very well though we are sure there would have been other good options in Barcelona (we effectively picked this one ourselves and were not disappointed).

Guides / events

Madrid - Geza - old town - as previously expressed, Geza was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. He was very knowledgeable, but he is also very engaging and an interesting person to get to meet. Highly recommend.

Sevilla -
Raoul - another excellent guide. Charming and very knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. We were sad to have our time together come to an end. Highly recommend.

Nico - Tapas - We had a good time with him. He is a bit “young” which came across as being a bit full of himself (not a big knock on him though and we are much older so we are sure it was a bit of a stretch for him). We suspect he will mature into a wonderful guide and is definitely worth keeping on your roster. Also, he likely would have done better with a bigger group (not just the two of us); the bigger group would have brought more of its own energy. We had a very pleasant evening with him.

Rhonda and countryside towns - Ramon - we had a great time with Ramon. He is on the quiet side in quite an endearing way, but also still very engaging and knowledgeable. Excellent! We would highly recommend him.

Granada - we do not remember the name of our guide at Alhambra and Generalife. He was very knowledgeable and engaging. He had the tough job of trying to get the whole tour done in the prescribed time. We recommend adding at least an extra half an hour to avoid the guide having to be constantly pushing the group a bit.
An incredible and magical place which we saw well with the guide’s help. We would recommend him.

Barcelona -
Caroline - Tapas Crawl - she was delightful and did a great job of getting our group (which was wonderful, fun loving, diverse and interesting) to gel and not to lose any of us along the way ;). It was a great evening and we would highly recommend Caroline.

Dani - Gaudi - Dani (not sure that is the correct spelling) was exceptional. Extremely well informed, passionate about Gaudi, very engaging. There was a lot to cover and he did an exceptional job. The 4 hours flew by and we learned so much from him. Very highly recommend.

Girona - David - he was charming and well informed. This would be a tough guide assignment….you are with the people a long time, have to balance the interests of the group and keep to the time schedule. He managed it very well (though we wish we had had more time in Girona….one of the many reasons we need to come back to Spain). We would highly recommend him.

Transportation
Trains - overall things went very smoothly. The trains left on time and arrived pretty close to on time. We had a bad experience on the trip to Sevilla….the workers at the Madrid station were very disorganized. It would have helped if we had been advised in advance that this was not a direct route and that Sevilla was not the final destination. The workers were only calling the name of the final destination. I think you should try to provide this additional information to clients in the future to avoid stress and the potential for missing the train (which we almost did even though we arrived at least 30 minutes early); we and others got conflicting information from train station employees. Knowing that our stop was one along the way to another final destination would have helped immensely. Otherwise, this was a good way to get around. The final trip from Barcelona to Madrid was great, close to the scheduled arrival time - a great way for us to go. We got to the Madrid airport in very good time.

Flight to Barcelona - very straightforward and uneventful. Worked very well.

Car transport - all of your private drivers were excellent. Right on time, courteous and drove well / safely. Having these definitely enhanced our trip.

We had an amazing trip and our only regret was that we did not have more time…we would have loved to spend more time in each of the cities we stayed, but also that we had had more time in each of the places we went on day trips. Which means we will have to come back. The allocation of time was very good and we thank you for your invaluable help on that front as well as on all other aspects of our trip. Thank you so much for all of your assistance. It has been a genuine pleasure. All the best

Activity Reviews

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

This guided tour is not to be missed! Our guide, Dani (might be Danny), was absolutely amazing. You will take in much of Guadi’s highest works and come to really understand what a true genius he was. A key highlight of our whole trip.

Quality of Experience

You will be moved by the beauty of La Sagrada Familia. The fact that workers are still working painstakingly to complete the cathedral as Guadi had envisioned over a hundred years ago is utterly amazing. Gaudi’s emphasis on nature and light stand in sharp contrast to many of the other cathedral’s in Spain and elsewhere and is truly honouring of God.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dani (Danny) was so passionate about Guadi, so engaging and well spoken you cannot help but be fully enthralled and learn a great deal about Guadi as a person and as a genius in multiple fields.

Barcelona Sailboat Experience & Spanish Guitar Concert

Barcelona

This was an amazing experience. The sailboat was great and not overcrowded. The staff on the boat were friendly and attentive. The food and beverage offerings were good. The views of Barcelona at sunset were wonderful. But the real highlight of the evening was the guitarist…he was truly exceptional. We would highly recommend this sailing experience to anyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Experience

Spain

This was a very entertaining show. We apparently saw two of the leading flamenco dancers in the country. The singers and musicians were also excellent

Quality of Experience

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

This is an excellent tour of the area near Plaza Mayor and the Placio Real and the old city nearby. Our guide, Geza, was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My wife and I had a wonderful time in Jordan. Our driver, Sharif, went above and beyond in making sure our trip was everything we wanted it to be. In addition to driving, explaining the sites along the way, and keeping track of all the logistics, he took care of any problems that came up. We had a snag involving our baggage at the airport and I'm not sure what we would have done without his help figuring it all out. Samir at Enjoy Jordan was also always available if we needed further assistance with anything.

Jordan is a fascinating country with unparalleled historic sites, natural beauty, and friendly people. Sharif's love for the country was plain to see, and the value we were getting was obvious when we compared our experience to that of the dozens of people getting out of the big buses. I highly recommend working with him if you do decide to make the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Feynan Eco Lodge

Dana, Feynan

This was a unique and enjoyable experience, although it was hotter than expected due to the lack of air conditioning. Despite this, the option of sleeping on the roof at night was a nice touch. It's really an awesome place, I'd just advise people to go in the cooler months.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No A/C

Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea Resort

Dead Sea

This was by far the best hotel of the trip. The property was super nice, and while there wasn't much else to do in the area, it was a great place to relax. The only downside was the intense heat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enjoy Desert camp

Wadi rum

This was a pleasant stay. The dinner, cooked in an underground oven, was a highlight. The cabins were nice, and the staff was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rum Valley CAMELS SUNSET RIDE FOR 01HRS

Wadi Rum

The itinerary suggested a camel ride, but it ended up being a four by four tour. The tour was fantastic and was preferred.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking from Dana to Feynan lodge

Jordan

This was a superb experience despite the heat. The area was beautiful, and having a guide who provided lunch was a great touch. It was also private, which made it more enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman - Ajloun (Hiking) - Jarash - Amman

Jordan

Contrary to the itinerary, this wasn't a hike but a relaxed walk around historic sites. Still, the experience was enjoyable and flexible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ioannis was really helpful and patient with us as we keep changing our minds and contact him so often. So grateful for his patience and professionalism. Thanks a million, you really made a difference in making this honeymoon trip go smooth. Sharaf and Salwa

We loved it all! The drivers were on time and very hospitable. Our planned activities were all memorable. The accommodations were perfect! Ian had outdone herself to make sure that every detail had been tended to which made our trip easy logistically. The support team jumped in when Ian was out of the office. There was a rock slide on the Amalfi Coast so they rearranged our itinerary before we knew that there was an issue. I have been singing your praises to everyone!
We think we are either going to do Greece or another part of Italy next year and can't wait to work with you again!

Hotel Reviews

Royal Continental Hotel Naples

Naples

Upon arrival the front desk upgraded us to an oceanview room. They were helpful answering any questions that we had and were interested in how we enjoyed Naples.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved being on the water and across from the marina. This is a lovely place to watch the sunset.

Staff

The woman at the check in desk greeted us with a beautiful smile every time that we had questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was extremely comfortable and the facilities were pristine.

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

We loved the buffet and outdoor dining area. The welcome beverage was a nice perk! We had an issue with our bill and they remedied it quickly. The staff was helpful and very kind!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was located in an area close to everything! There is no need for a car or driver.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

This hotel is located in an area that allows for easy access to the major attractions. The hotel was clean, elegant and hospitable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You can walk to most tourist destinations.

Staff

They were very receptive to our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire hotel is immaculate.

Grand Hotel De La Ville

Sorrento

We cannot say enough about this hotel. We have traveled alot and this was our absolute favorite hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Ever detailed has been tended to, to create a one of a kind experience.

Location

The rooms are gorgeous! The buffet with the outdoor dining area is amazing! The rooftop pool and bar were the perfect place to grab a drink and watch the sunset.

Staff

Everyone from the front desk staff to the cleaning woman were exceptionally kind and helpful. They went out of their way to ensure that our stay was perfect!

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was impeccably clean!

Activity Reviews

Capri Island & Grottos Boat Tour from Sorrento

Sorrento

We loved all of the friends we made on our tour.

Quality of Experience

We enjoyed taking the chairlift up to the top of Anacrapria and hiking down the trail.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff were constantly offering us drinks, hanging out with us and asking for our input to provide the ultimate adventure.

Transport

Private Amalfi Coast Driving Tour

Italy

On the that this was scheduled there was a rock slide blocking the road but our driver did manage to chauffeur us along part of the highway.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He told us exactly how much time we had in each location and where to meet him. This young man made every concession to ensure that we had a memorable trip.

Transport

He was just a very kind, dependable person.

Private Pompeii Tour & Mount Vesuvius visit with light lunch

Pompeii

Having a private guide is the way to go. The area was extremely crowded and we got to by pass everyone as we toured Pompeii.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of Pompeii and her English was excellent!

Food

The venue was lovely. We got a tour of the vineyard, a wine tasting and a delicious four course meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She could answer any of our questions.

Transport

Our driver was prompt and shared lots of information about the area during our commute.

Pizza Cooking Class in Napoli

Naples

We just enjoyed learning about the way to make authentic Italian pizza. The chef was friendly and readily answered all of our questions.

Quality of Experience

Our pizzas turned out to be delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Food Tour & Dinner

Florence

This one of the highlights of our trip. Our guide, Lorenzo, was animated and so knowledgeable about the local restaurants. He made us feel like we were family. We had a group that bonded and shared an evening of laughter.

Quality of Experience

Lorenzo and our wonderful group. We stayed together until 11:00.

Food

Everything we tasted was amazing and the wine was even better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lorenzo had grown up in Florence so he knew all of the authentic, local places to take us to.

Transport

We could walk everywhere.

Our guide in Tokyo as well as our guide in Kyoto/Nara/Osaka were great. Both were very informative and did a great job. Our favorite thing was visiting Nara and seeing the deer and the big Buddha statue. But we really loved the whole trip.

The tours booked through Kim Kim were some of the best tours we experienced. All of the company’s they used were exceptional.

Activity Review

Day Trip to an Olive Oil Mill & Carmona

Seville

Our tour guide Carlos was fantastic and the olive oil tour was a highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos was very knowledgeable and made the experience worthy

Transport

Overall it was a great trip. We were able to visit so many cities within Portugal and have a nice combination of activities as well as relaxation time by the beach. We enjoyed Lisbon, Porto, Évora, Lagos, Algarve, and Cascais were all incredible.

João Branco and his team from AP Portugal did a fantastic job planning an amazing trip. We had an incredible time that we will always cherish. They were readily available for any questions or concerns we had. They followed up every evening to see how the day was and provided a breakdown of what the next day was going to look like. They also gave recommendations on food, desserts, and places to visit during our free time. The planning done prior to the trip was clear and helpful. We had a lot of conversations, which helped us get the exact trip that we were looking for.

To Fei - and all who helped make this such an enjoyable trip with so many memories to keep. (Sorry if I am slow in sending in this review, and if there may be too much here to read.)

Day 1: This was a long day, taking the train early in the morning from Tokyo to Nagoya and then on to Nakatsugawa, followed by bus to Magome. But the walk from Magome to Tsumago was as marvelous as I had heard it would be. Shade on the trail was welcome, and part of the way through I met and joined up with a couple from Japan. I took a leisurely near four hours for the walk, the trail was very well marked, and I arrived at my destination in good time for dinner at 6:00pm. Dinner and the ryokan accommodation were excellent, as indeed they were at the end of each day’s hike. As a result of this exposure I gained a much better appreciation for Japanese cuisine, and how much variation it has - ‘very welcome indeed.

Day 2: The links to maps and timetables in Fei’s detailed itinerary were very good, and gave me the confidence I needed traveling on my own, but I had not been good at downloading them onto my phone in a format that I could use offline, which I anticipated needing when out of cell phone contact on the trail. So, I walked in to Tsumago and enjoyed looking around, then took a slow walk into Nagiso away from the roads along part of the Nakasendo way - I had cell phone contact to do this.
I had picked up a map at the tourist information office in Tsumago beforehand (“Let’s walk the south-Kiso road”) which had detailed maps of the trail sections from Magome to Tsumago and from Nagiso to Nojiri. I could have used this map, but a little tired from the first day and not sure that I could cover the distance to Nojiri in time, I spent a little longer in Nagiso then enjoyed the train ride into Kiso-Fukushima instead. I hope I might take the trail route to Nojiri another time. At Kiso-Fukushima I looked around, then visited the old Fukushima Nakasendo higway station and the Yamamura Daikan Yashiki Museum among other places
At the Kiso Mikawaya accommodation I really appreciated the onsen baths but, even better, I was lucky to have a room where I could hear the Kiso river as I went to sleep and woke up in the morning.

Day 3: I took the train early from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara. At Kiso-Fukushima station I met two sisters, Janis and Joann, from Singapore, whom I had first met earlier while walking in Tsumago. Also at the station I met a couple, Kim and Wah Fong, from Australia who were originally from Singapore and who had stayed at the same ryokan in Tsumago. The sisters took the train on to Narai, and I joined the couple from Australia for the three of us to walk the trail from Yabuhara to Narai. This was probably the best hike of the trip - definitely one to remember, with many things to stop and see along the way. Kim had the trail directions on his phone, which was reassuring, but the trail was very well marked.
The accommodation at Narai was really quite up-market, and the evening’s dinner was perhaps the best of the trip, although that is a difficult choice to make because it was all so good.

Day 4: After looking at the train times, I decided to take the train from Narai through to Matsumato, instead of walking to Kiso-Hirasawa first. I met the two sisters again at Narai station and we travelled, found coffee in Matsumoto, and then went on a guided tour of Matsumoto Castle together. The castle and grounds are well worth the visit, especially with a guided tour which was provide free by the local tourist’s office. The sisters had to leave the castle early to get back to Tokyo for that evening, but I stayed there enjoying the gardens for a while before going back to Matsumoto station - where I happened to meet Kim and Wah Fong again. We caught the same train on to Karuizawa, before going our separate ways to our accommodation. I was looking forward to the next day’s hike, and was lucky to be at a ryokan for the night that was away from the town and close to the beginning of the path. For each night’s stay the hotel staff were outstanding, helpful and welcoming, but perhaps especially so here. The onsen baths and dinner rounded out another great day.

Day 5: I felt that the planned hike from Karuizawa to Yokokawa was on the long side for me to be certain of being back in Tokyo in time for the evening, where I had to cross the city to retrieve my carry-on luggage. Also, it was the first part of the hike, up to the Usui Pass and Kumano Kotai Jinja that looked the most interesting, and it was indeed beautiful. The trail was paved road all the way but was quiet and winded past waterfalls before giving way to magnificent views from the top of the pass. This choice also meant that I could leave both my small backpack and carryall at the ryokan, instead of taking them on the trail. I took the hike at a leisurely pace before returning to Karuizawa station to take the Shinkansen to Tokyo. I had not been in the Shibuya neighborhood before, and it was a very lively place to spend the night.

Day 6: After walking around Shibuya for a while and enjoying some air conditioning at Miyashita Park, I went to Haneda airport on the subway. Although there had been opportunities to see Mount Fuji earlier at times on the three week trip, it had eluded me each time, being obscured by clouds. However my wish to see it came true from the comfort of the window seat I had, just after the flight took off, with the top of Mount Fuji clearly visible some seventy miles away above the clouds as the sun was beginning to set.

Two things I would do differently on the trail next time around, that are definitely on me and not you. I would go in the spring or autumn, instead of August, when I knew the weather was likely to be hot and humid. But I did not have much choice in the timing because this was a side trip arranged around a trip to Japan for my job. Also, I would either take less with me on the trail or take a slightly larger backpack. I took the 10 liter backpack that I usually carry on trips, but I took more clothing than I needed, and that had to go in a separate carryall bag, which was about another 10 liters. If I had known or planned better, the 10 liter backpack would just about be big enough, although a 15 liter pack would be better. I had left my main carry-on bag in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo before going on the trail, and used the local luggage-forwarding services on the trail when I could, but it was not practicable to do this every day, especially on the first and last days of the trail.

Thank you, sincerely.