Kimkim Trip Reviews

We loved our trip to Croatia and Slovenia! Bruno made it all easy, suggested great things to do, and touched base with us daily. I highly recommend working with him!
Highlights of our trip: Dubrovnik-what a charming, beautiful town; I would definitely go back; walking the city wall was amazing. Winery tour and wine tasting at Milos Vineyard-lots of fun. Plitvice Lakes-incredible scenery! Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj-so beautiful, like a fairy tale. Driving through the Alps-amazing vistas and our driver provided so much interesting information.
Marijana in Dubrovnik, Mia in Split and Irena in Zagreb were wonderful walking tour guides. They each knew so much history-both ancient and recent-about their country and respective cities.
Mario drove us from Zagreb to Bled and spent the day with us touring Bled and the castle, and hiking at Lake Bohinj; he was really interesting and shared stories, history and current information about Croatia and Slovenia.
Oliver spent the day with us, driving us through the Alps and ending the day in Ljublijana. He showed us not only the typical well-known places, but often took us off the beaten path to beautiful less visited sights. He shared so much history and current event information which we found so interesting.

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

The most "American" of all the hotels in which we stayed. Very comfortable. Great breakfast with friendly staff and nice outdoor seating available.

Grand Hotel Toplice

Bled

What an amazing setting! Looking out at the castle and the island in Lake Bled. By far the best view of any hotel on our trip. The hotel was clean and comfortable.

Esplanade Zagreb Hotel

Zagreb

An incredible hotel! Beautiful and elegant. One of the nicest hotels we've stayed in. Very friendly staff. Nice outdoor terrace where we spent the evening with a glass of wine.

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

Such friendly staff! Definitely a highlight. Nice hotel with some "character"-felt quaint and cozy. Clean and comfortable.

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

The hotel is well-maintained, beautifully landscaped and the food was wonderful. Probably one of our favorite dinners during our trip. The rooms are simple and basic, but the setting more than makes up for the basic rooms. We enjoyed sitting in the gazebo, sipping wine, and looking out at the amazing landscape.

Authenticity & Character

Location

rural setting...nice to get out of the city; amazing scenery

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ljubljana - Departure

Croatia

Walking City Tour of Ljubljana

Ljubljana

This was the only activity on our whole trip which was disappointing. We all left the tour agreeing that our knowledge of Ljublijana was no greater than when we began. Our tour guide, Claudia, was not able to answer basic questions such as "what's the history of the castle?" She continually asked us where we'd like to go and what we'd like to do, rather than leading us and providing information. Our tour was to last 2 hours, but after wandering about for 1.5 hours, she acted like there was nothing left for us to do, and our tour ended early.

One-day trip to the Alps

Croatia

Wow! Amazing, jaw-dropping scenery. Every turn revealed more and more beautiful vistas. Oliver was our excellent driver and he showed us not only the typical tourist scenes, but also took us off the beaten path to less visited areas. He pointed out a local restaurant for our lunch which was fun, and he shared so much ancient and recent history of the area.

Bled and Bohinj.

Croatia

Wow such a beautiful place! Mario drove us from Zagreb and provided so much interesting information about the region. We visited the castle, then he hiked with us at Lake Bohinj-just beautiful. That afternoon we visited the island on our own. While I think everyone should visit the island once, I would not go back should I visit the area again. The best part of the island is viewing it (and the church) from afar, it's fairy-tale beautiful.

Private guided walking tour of Zagreb

Zagreb

Irena was such a great tour guide. There are many sights to see in the city and so much interesting history. Irena spent an extra 1/2 hour with us beyond our alloted tour time...she was willing to answer all our many questions!

Leaving Plitvice lakes - Rastoke visit- Zagreb

Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes was in our top 3 favorite days of our trip. Although we had some rain during our hike, it was still worth it. The most incredible scenery! Rastoke was a fun stop along the way. A pretty stroll around the falls and river.

Krka National Park - Zadar

Croatia

So pretty! Definitely worth the stop!

Split Walking Tour with a visit to Diocletian's Palace

Split

Our guide, Mia, made this day. She was fun, full of knowledge, and entertaining. We were glad we had a day in Split, although we spent 2 nights (just because of logistics) and we all agreed that a shorter time would be enough.

Pelješac penisula and Ston + wine tasting

Dubrovnik

Highlight was the wine tasting. It was relaxing and interesting. Stopping in Ston for a bit is definitely worth it-we walked the wall, it doesn't take long, viewed the salt fields, and had lunch.

Private Guided Walking Tour of Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik

Marijana gave us a wonderful tour. I highly recommend her. She gave us so much information about the city and the history of the area. She also recommended restaurants which were very good. We felt that we learned a lot! Dubrovnik is a beautiful town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was the first time I have used KimKim for travel and it was great. All hotels were good other than the last night in Reykjavik (the hotel was under construction, self check in only, did not have 3 separate beds as requested). All of the suggestions on our itineraries were most helpful. My favorite activities were the glacier hike and ice cave, the lava cave, and especially the PUFFINS! I expected to see them on a cliff via binoculars but they were just feet away from us and it was fabulous!

Unforgettable anniversary trip to Athens & Santorini! Thanks to Antonis, Dimitrios and the whole Be a Greek team. We enjoyed being able to create a custom itinerary and the planning and booking process on kim kim was easy. We'd never done private tours before but we loved it--no waiting in lines, waiting for others, or navigating transportation! The guides were excellent, friendly and very knowledgeable. The drivers were timely, helpful, and did a great job navigating the traffic, especially in Athens. Excellent communication from the whole team made our vacation from planning to on-site so fun and stress free. The two hotels we stayed at, Eli Ermou (Athens) and Asha Suites (Santorini) were great choices, recommend both. Greece is a beautiful...the place, the people , the history...the trip exceeded our expectations and we would highly recommend to others.

Hotel Reviews

Asha Suites

Fira

Beautiful hotel with sunset views just outside your door! Great location in Fira, near shopping, restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants/shopping but just outside room is a beautiful view for watching the world go by.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Perfect location and very comfortable rooms, a great place to stay in Athens! The staff were friendly and helpful and we loved having breaking every morning looking out at the Acropolis.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to many attractions, restaurants, shopping!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santorini's Past Private Guided Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Santorini

So fun checking out various parts of Santorini and the wine tour was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Day Trip to Argolis Region

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Goulandris Contemporary Art Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

Amazing collection of art unlike the typical art museum...so cool!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

A must-see in Athens! We had an excellent guide and learned so much about the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was an amazing experience!! Entire trip was awesome. A well organized tour by true professionals.. Friendly, dedicated and well experienced guides and drivers.. Special mention on Mr. Mauricio Carrasco and Ms. Ana Tobar. Awesome guides. Transport team were also very caring and punctual! Special salute to Team KIMKIM and TURISMO MILODON.

Gummi was an absolute gem. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he made sure that each and every person in the group was comfortable with the excursions that we had. His wife Vara came with us too as we were a big group and she added another dimension and took care of the admin.
Gummi's knowledge of Iceland was great and we enjoyed his Trolls and Elves stories on long segments of our travels although I'm not sure we believed all his tales!
Gummi's passion for Iceland was evident as was his pride in his country. That came through loud and clear on many occaisions.
A busy trip but a wonderful one.
Thank you to the Kim Kim team and especially thanks to Vara and Gummi
Gill and Maurice

Hotel Review

Hótel Kría

Vík

Excellent food and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Quite a long walk to the cave but the staff made sure that I was ok. I have two knee replacements so I am not as agile as i used to be! Cave was good but with our large group was a bit full of people

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

Much better than I was expecting! It was busy but didn't feel crowded. The drinks from the swim up bar were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a very wonderful trip to Morocco. Majid was our original contact and responded to our requests regarding what we wanted to see and where we wanted to go. He was amazingly responsive and worked very hard to make arrangements for us. His selections of local guides and Riads was excellent. And Majid made himself available throughout the trip; at first in person, and then after we left Fez, he could be reached via What's Ap. if needed. Mostaph was our excellent driver. He too made every attempt to meet our needs and he was an amazing navigator and driver. We could not have had this trip without him. He was always in fine spirits and again, expert at his job. Moushine could not have been kinder and considerate of all of our needs. He is a lovely man who worked very hard to make certain that we had what we needed. His command of English could have been stronger and sometimes it was difficult for him to explain things to us. All of our local guides were excellent. They all had a strong command of English and of the history and culture of the city. My favorite guides were our Fes, Marrakesh and Essaouira guides. We also had a very lovely and knowledgable female guide in Meknes. I'm sorry that I do not remember their names.

I do have one recommendation. On other group tours I've been on, the guides joined us with many of our meals. Clearly, when we'd go off to restaurants on our own, this would be more difficult. But whenever possible it is very nice to have them join us, rather than go off on their own. Meal time is often an opportunity to engage in informal conversation and share.
Another suggestion..... I understand that guides and support staff deserve to be tipped. It would have been helpful if we could have been more prepared or "tutored" on how much to pay what service. We spent over $800. in tips on this trip. Again, the service fee was worthwhile. I wish I had know ahead of time.
Thank you Kim Kim, Majid, Moustaph and Moushine for the trip of a lifetime.
Linda Glick and Elliot Landes

Hotel Reviews

Le Village du Toubkal

Imlil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Simply lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Mimouna

Essaouira

our favorite! Beautiful rooms with amazing view of the ocean. Loved every minute

Authenticity & Character

This Riad had it ALL

Location

Could not have been better

Staff

Soooo nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful

borj-des-cascades-ouzoud

ouzoud

Absolutely beautiful and luxurious spot and hotel. Pools and accommodation were outstanding. Brand new hotel with many features

Authenticity & Character

Just loved it

Location

Easy access to the Falls

Staff

so nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Yacout

meknes

Beautiful Riad. I wish we had more than one night to spend in Meknes.

Authenticity & Character

beautiful Riad

Location

much construction around the hotel made it difficult to. navigate.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

The Riad was amazing. And the staff was very accommodating and lovely. We enjoyed our stay immensely. This was our introduction to Moroccan hospitality at its finist! Abundance of food fro breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Tile work and decor were beautiful clearly authentic Moroccan works.

Location

Easy walk to the Medina

Staff

Could not have been nicer.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

Beautiful spaces. incredible view from the rooftop. Amazing spot to hang out for a view of the city and mountains. Breakfast was wonderful. Staff very kind and available to help out. lots of stairs to climb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the Medina. Stairs

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Imlil Valley

Imlil

awesome! loved this challenging yet very do-able hike. Thank you Mou

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech – Essaouira ( 2 Hours And A Half Drive)

Morocco

awesome drive

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essaouira Jewish Heritage Tour

Essaouira

loved this city and loved this guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech – Visit Of The City ( No Drive).

Morocco

Excellent guide and food tour. Awesome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

. Afternoon Visit Demnat Jewish town in the Atals Mountains.

Ouzoud

Loved this stop. Our guide was awesome and so very knowledgable about the history

Quality of Experience

Just the right amount of time for our visit

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Ouzoud Waterfalls hike for 2 hours

Ouzoud

It was a must see. Beautiful spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meknes – Azrou – Beni Mellal – Ouzoud Waterfall (6 Hours Drive)

Morocco

Very long, beautiful and dangerous twists and turns on the road. Wow! our driver is a magician! So skilled! It was a long ride

Quality of Experience

I don't know how we could have broken it up. But it was a long day driving

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Meknes

Meknes

excellent local guide. She was so charming and adorable. And a wealth of informatin.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Morocco

knowledgable guide. not very friendly or engaging. He seemed like he was tire of giving this tour

Quality of Experience

This is an amazing site

Transport

Family Hike to Akchour Waterfall Lunch by the river

Chefchaouen

This was probably the most unfortunate part of our trip. We were totally not prepared for the hike and our local guide, although lovely, spoke no English at all. This is probably the most dangerous hike I have ever gone on. The waterfall and the streams are exquisite. But the hike was on slippery sharp stones and no clear path. We hiked over slippery waterways. And it was unclear exactly where we were being taken ( to the Bridge? or to the Waterfall?) We were lucky that no one got seriously injured. Only a few of our very experienced hikers did the entire hike. Three of us stopped along the way and waited by the stream for the others to return. One of our party was guided back and waited by the van

Quality of Experience

Very beautiful, but scary

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaouen Walk and Sunset

Chefchaouen

Our local guid was knowledgable but was very rushed and only spent a few hours with us in the morning

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tranfer from Fes To Chefchaouen

Morocco

we love Moustaph....he was an amazing driver and we could not have had the trip without him

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

outstanding!!! everyone should do this!

Quality of Experience

family was lovely and so welcoming

Food

delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pottery & Mosaïc workshop

Morocco

Very delightful visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes' Jewish Quarter and Medina

Fes

AMazing guide

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a fabulous home visit with a family. We cooked and laughed and had a delightful experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Fes

Morocco

Perfect!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very expert at their job and very engaging

Transport

From the first moment I interacted with Tiago while planning the trip, I knew I was in good hands. The same was true with our larger-than-life guide, Gustavo.

Both were knowledgeable, experienced, and authentic locals, fully committed to ensuring we had the best experience possible.

My uncle and I were very specific in our wants for the trip, and Tiago and Gustavo were always available at a moment’s notice to accommodate us.

Horseback riding along the beach in Comporta was an absolute highlight for me.

I wish both Gustavo and Tiago every success, as they truly deserve it, and I look forward to working with them again in the future.

Thank you, guys!

All of our guides exceeded expectations!!

We had a much better experience than I could have ever hoped for by having local guides take us to the highlights of Rome and Naples. Our guide in Rome for the first two days, Mariapaula, was trained as an archeologist, her knowledge helped us appreciate the history (and her English was easy for us to understand!). We had skip the line tickets for the pantheon and the Vatican. After talking to other tourists who went through the Vatican, a guide and skip the line tickets are really worth it! I added an ebike ride in Frascati, outside of Rome. Our biker is a local and showed us amazing archeological sites..while not strenuous, it’s best if you’ve mountained biked before. We ended the ride with a wine tasting, then lunch at a gorgeous palazzo. Our final day was again in Rome with a private tour of the colosseum. Other tourists we talked to had a hard time figuring out how to get into the colosseum but our guide whisked us in and then took us to the palatine hill where she interpreted the ruins for us. Our hotel in Rome, the antico Albergo del pantheon was our favorite hotel of the trip!
Again we had a great private guide, Lydia, for Pompeii then spent the night in Naples. Walk the pedestrian only street, it’s so vibrant and full of life! Our private guide took us down interesting alleyways and to one of the best pizza places that I’d heard about!
We spent 4 nights in amalfi on the amalfi coast. Amalfi was good for us because it was an easy walk from our hotel to the central piazza, but if you’re willing to walk the stairs there are other beautiful towns to stay at. Our driver, Vincenzo drove us to ravello and Positano, two must-see areas. His English was very easy to understand and he was like a private guide as he was so knowledgeable about his home town. He made a lunch reservation for us at the Garden restaurant which had a picturesque view. We were recommended to go to the isle of Capri. It was our only disappointment. The boat ride stopped at 3 grottos which were not that enjoyable because you’re in line with other boats and all the drivers are vying for spots, plus it was too crowded for the blue grotto ( but no worries, we saw two later- see below). Once on the island we had less than 4 hours to explore. If you don't know beforehand how to get transported away from the hoards of crowds to the other side of the island, it can cost valuable time. We took a half hour walk uphill to the closest piazza, which was a beautiful walk but once in the piazza it was more of the same hoards of people so we didn’t enjoy that. The boat ride back was more enjoyable because we didn’t stop and the driver had Prosecco and aperitivi for us! Our last day I opted for kayaking out of minori. We had a charming guide who took us to the Pandora’s box grotto- amazing! Then limoncello spritzers on the beach! The other grotto that we saw , the emerald grotto was with our driver Vincenzo.
We got home less than 24 hours ago so it’s been fun to write about the highlights and I hope some of this info is helpful!

Activity Reviews

E-Bike ride in the Roman Castles area with winery - Frascati (Private)

Italy

If you’ve mountained or e-bikes biked before you’ll be ready to go on this amazing tour of gorgeous palazzos, views, and ruins of an ancient city. Our guide/bike rider was fun. At the end of our bike ride, the winery and restaurant were a real treat, Tenuta di Pietra Porzia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

Best way to see the colosseum and Roman forum!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Best way to see Pompeii. We had two hours which was a good amount of time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

A private guide helps you see what’s important and you can also go at a pace that is comfortable for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Definitely worth it to skip the line

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nick was quick to respond and always available.

Hotel Reviews

Mabul Beach Resort

Mabul Island

Great food. Everything included. Snorkel/dive on site.

Authenticity & Character

Beach vibe

Location

Beach but trash on beach and in water.

Staff

Snorkel guides

Cleanliness & Comfort

Springs felt in bed

Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort

Beautiful grounds

Authenticity & Character

Grounds

Location

Staff

Guides

Cleanliness & Comfort

Older. Termites.

Sepilok Jungle Resort

Sandakan

Beautiful grounds. Older accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC struggled to cool. Older.

Kinabalu Pine Resort

Beautiful views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Isolated area with great views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Halal hotel so no alcohol allowed in restaurant.

Hotel Grandis Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Very central to market and restaurants. Good food available poolside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mabul to Tawau Airport Departure

Mabul Island

Nick arranged earlier boat for us which we needed or we would have missed our flight. Driver met us at dock and quickly delivered us to the airport.

Kinabatangan River Exploration (River Cruises)

Kinabatangan

Fun. Unfortunately didn’t see any Pygmy elephants. Lots of monkeys, birds.

Afternoon Wildlife River Cruise

Kinabatangan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sepilok Orangutan Centre & Sunbear Centre

Sandakan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yan was amazing guide

Kinabalu National Park & Poring Hot Springs

Kundasang

Chose waterfall rather than hot springs. Hot springs were housed in man made area also it’s so hot you wouldn’t want to soak. Hike to waterfall was great.

Coral Island & Snorkeling Excursion

Kota Kinabalu

Crowded. Very limited area to snorkel. Reef did not look healthy.

Everything went fine with the exception of hotel El Faro in Manuel António which was very bad and is not a 4 stars hotel whatsoever. Even the guy on the reception was very antipathetic (despite many others being friendly)! My recommendation is straight forward: dont sell this hotel!|

Our trip to Croatia was amazing! The scenery is awesome and the people are so friendly and with a crime rate the lowest in Europe, what's not to like?

Roberto and his team could not have been better, keeping us informed and providing updates throughout our stay. The Accommodations were great and the site seeing went without a hitch. In particular I'd like to thank one of Roberto's guides Marco. His time with us was memorable and he could not have been nicer. Definitely an asset to the team.

We and 19 friends had a SUPERLATIVE experience with Gummi. I cannot say in words how effective he was in all respects, as was his assistant Yara. He was great at the outset working with me on agenda. The customized attention he and his team gave from the moment welanded to the last cab ride to airport heading home was great. H em masterfully navigated the bad things that every trip involves, ie Covid case hotel and restaurant reservations that broke down etc.

He also has a great knowledge and sense of humor. All of our group connected with and appreciated him. Kimkim is lucky to contract with him.

Let me know if other questions. Give him a raise

Tayloe Washburn, group leader

This was my first time using Kim Kim, I have used similar services in the past. The trip included my best friend and myself. Overall, the experience was smooth in terms of selecting what we wanted to do and finalizing the booking. Ana was very patient with my delayed responses as well the many changes we had to our itinerary. The trip was memorable and I will definitely want to visit again. I would recommend that you ask as many questions as you need to gain clarity on your activities. I had made some assumptions based on previous experiences with agencies but of course they are not all the same and some tours may have additional costs associated that may not be listed in the description.

Our driver (Eka) went above and beyond for us and would definitely love to have him as our driver again. The cooking class was my favorite activity. The other tours were mostly other drivers taking us from place to place which was nice but would have preferred some additional commentary or explanation of things. The nature of tours can always vary but regardless we had a great time. Would likely use Kim Kim again or recommend to a friend.

Hotel Reviews

La Joya Balangan Resort

Jimbaran

Resort is a nice size and looks beautiful but the food and service at the restaurant was not the greatest. Food is pricey for the flavor - it was either cold or bland but want to note we did not eat any Indonesian food. The rooms are also awkwardly shaped and not well thought out in terms of where one would put their items. Location like most resorts is not super convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Artini 2 cottage

Service was great, loved the staff, they were so kind, helpful and wonderful to talk to. The rooms were clean and met our needs. The food was great - I loved the breakfasts but also the dinner items were great. We did the Indonesian breakfasts. The entire place is quite serene and tranquil and the best part is it's central and close to everything. Would likely stay again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Bali's Most Beautiful Beaches & Explore Uluwatu Temple

Indonesia

We picked two beaches and spent most of our time at one and a little at the other. Again entrance was not covered for this activity. The beaches were beautiful and Eka was our driver (who was our driver the whole trip) so of course that experience was great. We also got to see the kechak dance at the temple (this cost is covered) which was really fun and interesting. We didn't get a chance to explore the temple but caught the sunset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

East & West tour of Nusa Penida

Indonesia

The boat ride there was fun but the time spent at each place is too short. We had about 15-20 mins per place and that's also due to the fact that the island is massive and it takes a while to get around. Perhaps a shorter itinerary might work best - for example, we didn't need to go all the way to the tree house as there were a lot of steps and this took a lot of time. Plus the tree house is actually additional money to go into. Our driver was great when on the road maneuvering next to cars in a tight space, however, he was on his phone on a couple occasions watching videos, and this was concerning while driving. He also did not speak to us the entire time outside of telling us the time we had at places so this made for an awkward and transactional experience compared to our other drivers and guides. The island was beautiful and we were glad to have the opportunity to see it and take wonderful pics even though rushed to do so.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Balinese Cooking Class- Shared

Ubud, Bali

This was my favorite part of our trip. I loved the experience beginning to end - from visiting the market to meeting other travelers and of course, the chef, who helped us make all the delicious dishes. She was funny, engaging, patient and made everything seem super easy to make. I would 1000% percent recommend people take this class. She also told us so much about her life and Balinese culture. Definitely would come back just for the conversation!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Ubud VW Safari Car Tour

Ubud, Bali

Overall really enjoyed this tour - saw lots of things in our first day in Bali and weather was great too. The only thing I was caught off guard with is the fact that none of the waterfall or temple entrance fees are included in the total cost. I didn't see mention of this caveat in the activity details and did not bring as much cash so this was not ideal for me personally. The driver/guide also does not come with you into some of the temples so at times we did not know what we were looking at or what was special about it. It is a car tour after all but I had made the assumption since he was our guide. He did go out of his way to make sure we got all the photos and let us take as much time as we need at places and so that was truly appreciated as we did not feel rushed. Overall, he (Wayan) helped make the tour and our first day at Bali a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joao was amazing. He listened to what we wanted to do and gave suggestions when needed. He put together a wonderful itinerary. Unfortunately we weren’t feeling well for some of the trip and he was so good at listening to what we needed and did it at a pace that was good for us especially on the day we went to Sintra and Cascais and also the day we drove to Porto. Even though we weren’t feel 100% we saw everything that was planned and it was amazing. We had a really good time exploring Portugal. I would definitely recommend him and your company to friends and family.

Activity Reviews

Street Art Tour in Lisbon

Lisbon

I didn’t realize it was a private tour but I really enjoyed it as I didn’t know much about the street art. She was very knowledgeable and explained everything to me with regards to the artists and why they came up with their ideas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pasteis de nata cooking class

Portugal

She was very knowledgeable and very patient with us as she taught us step by step how to make the Pasteis de Natas. Can’t wait to make them at home!

Quality of Experience

We had the most wonderful time in Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Polignano a Mare. Fabio took such wonderful care of us. He was very accessible and informative. Some highlights:
- The boat ride around Capril was wonderful! Our skipper, Luigi, was fantastic
- Our hike on the Path of the Gods was beautiful. It was a little more difficult than I expected, but our guide, Roberto, was great and was patient with us. Our driver that day, Ciro was wonderful.
- One of our favorite days was the road trip, and in particular - Ravello. What a beautiful town! Our driver that day, Marcello, was great!!!
- The cooking class at Chez Barone was so much fun - and yummy! We all had a really special time there
- In Polignano a Mare, the Masseria Aquaterrae was stunning. We were so pleasantly surprised. All of the staff were so kind and thoughtful and attentive. The rooms were beautiful and the grounds were amazing. The whole thing was so peaceful and enjoyable. One thing to note is that the location is not within walking distance of the town, but the front desk is more than happy to arrange for cabs.
- Our bike trip was definitely a highlight! Nico was a wonderful and friendly guide.
Thank you so much for everything!!!

My daughter and I enjoyed our trip very much. It was a great mother/daughter experience. Our hotels were all in great locations, close to the things we wanted to do. As I am 73, I was a little disappointed that some hotels did not have elevators as it was difficult for me to carry my bags up stairs. Otherwise, the hotels were all good, and the staff at the hotel in Bordeaux were particularly helpful and "sympa."

We also enjoyed the excursions arranged by Mathilde through A la Francaise. Two stood out in particular - the wine tasting in Bordeaux with Ben and the prehistoric art excursion with Anne. Both were interesting, well-informed, and simply lovely people. The only disappointing excursion was the one to Cassis, which consisted of a ride to Cassis with little commentary and 2 hours on our own. However, the guide that day told us it was her first week, so the trip may become more interesting. The scenery in and around Cassis was stunning though.

Train travel went well. There were some problems with the car rental because I damaged the car. The deductible was much higher than I expected, but it was noted on the voucher I received right before departure. In future, I think this deductible should be pointed out to the traveler with the option of booking their own car rental separately. That would have saved me a good deal of money.

Overall a very good trip, and I appreciate Mathilde's help with settling the insurance claim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Madame

Bordeaux

Good location near the old city, but very near a bar that stayed open late. Street noise was very loud until the early hours of the morning. Breakfast was disappointing. There was no breakfast area, so a tote with a minimal breakfast was left on the door. However, the people working the reception was very nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast, sound proofing

Location

Very central to the old town, but the area was noisy until early morning hours.

Staff

My daughter left a bag in a taxi, and they tried to help her retrieve it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Tremblay-en-France

The hotel was just average and really had little character. However, it was very convenient for getting to our departure gate to fly home. It was hard to find because there are 2 Novotels at the airport, and we walked the entire length of the terminal to find we had gone to the shuttle for the wrong Novotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

With beautiful hotel and grounds, this hotel was our favorite. It was an easy walk to the center of town, and we had a delicious meal in their restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds, nice room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de l'Amphithéâtre

Nîmes

Great location very near the amphitheater. There was no elevator, but the man at the reception offered to carry up our bags. Good selection at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Donjon – Cœur de La Cité Médiévale

Carcassonne

We liked this hotel that was very close to the castle. The hotel provided staff to pick up us and our luggage at a remote parking area. The service was prompt and available for the return to our car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa des Consuls

Sarlat-la-Canéda

I loved this hotel, but it is not the best choice for older travelers. There is no street access to the hotel, and parking is quite far away, which made dropping off luggage impossible. In addition, there was no elevator. So for me, it was difficult getting my luggage to the hotel and up to my room. For younger travelers, it would be great due to its excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, big room and a pretty courtyard with tables and chairs.

Location

It was in the heart of the city on a back alleyway, where it was quiet. If handling luggage is no problem, this is a great hotel.

Staff

The staff we met were very nice, but there were very limited hours where the reception was manned.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historic City Walk

Bordeaux

This was a good excursion, but it was pouring rain during much of it. Our guide Margot was a great sport and tried to make the experience enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

The problem was the pouring rain since it was a walking tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

n/a It was a walking tour.,

Cassis Day Trip with Calanques Boat Cruise (Ticket not included)

Aix-en-Provence

The area was beautiful, but the tour was really just a ride to Cassis with one stop at an scenic viewpoint.

Gourmet Food & History Walk

Aix-en-Provence

Good tour that ended with a cheese and wone tasting at the end. Tour guide was competent but not extraordinary,

Paleolithic Art of the Dordogne Shared Full Day Trip From Sarlat

France

Our guide Anne was a great guide and fun person. She answered all our questions and offered suggestions about places to see and wines and foods to try. Rouffignac was not as impressive as Font de Gaume, which I have visited before. However, Rouffignac offers a train while you have to walk at Font de Gaume.

Two wine regions within a day - Saint-Emilion and Medoc

Bordeaux

Fun day; lovely picnic; and Ben was a phenomenal guide. He was knowledgeable and personable.

Pont du Gard (Entrance tickets)

France

The site and the museum were very impressive. Highly recommend.

There were multiple agents we worked with besides Tomaz. In general many of the guided trips we booked had time to walk or drive by sites but did not allow sufficient time to go inside structures to experience them. My brother Dan submitted a more detailed review by email and I added comments. We received responses from KimKim indicating our comments would be reviewed.

Our family of four just returned from a fabulous trip to Portugal! Kimkim connected us with Pedro who, from the start, was excellent to work with. We spent 9 days in Portugal...starting in Porto and working our way to Lisbon stopping for a night in Alcobaca and Cascais. Pedro's suggestions were spot on. The overall itinerary he developed, drivers (Ivo, Carlos, Claudia), guides (Taisa, Sarah, Sarah, Margarid), tours (e-bike, port tasting, walking, wine tasting, fado dinner), hotels, restaurant recommendations, etc were all excellent. The service and value we received was first class. As an example, my daughter was very disappointed for forgetting something in the hotel in Alcobaca...I asked Pedro if there was anything he could do...he worked his magic/network and the item was reunited with my daughter on our arrival in Lisbon. Simply amazing. He was connected with us throughout the trip and we tweaked a few things along the way...no request was too much! We had a wonderful family trip with fond memories that will last for a long time! Pedro had a huge part to do with that and we all are very grateful. So glad to have worked with him and his company. Thank you, Pedro!

We had never used KimKim previously and this was a test run for my husband and me. I hired KimKim because I did not have the time to devote to planning a trip. My understanding was that we were paying a premium to an agent so that they could do the hard work of planning our trip and we could rely on our agent to create an itinerary, provide vetted hotels, guides etc., answer questions and provide detailed information so that I would not have to devote too much time to the planning process. This did not work out exactly as I thought it would - details below.

Overall I thought KimKim was good, but it was too expensive for the amount of service that was provided and the ultimate result should have been great rather than just good given the price we paid. Let me start with what they did well - the web portal was easy enough to learn to use and our specialist Aleksandra was responsive to changes in our itinerary and to follow up questions. Aleksandra was also polite and professional. KimKim did a good job with providing good guides. Our guide for the City of Edinburgh and for a day trip to St. Andrews were both very good, and I would recommend them to others. The bookings for hotels and guides were organized and we had no problem with the hotels saying they didn't have our room, or guides not showing up on time, etc. The hotels where we stayed in Edinburgh, Inverlochy and on the Isle of Skye were all very good choices.

KimKim did not do a good job with some things. For instance, they were not great with booking restaurants - the places they recommended were quite touristy and we were clear that wasn't what we wanted - we ended up booking nearly all of our restaurant reservations ourselves. A much bigger issue is that they did not mention anywhere in our itinerary or in any correspondence with us that we needed to advance book the ferry from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye. This was an important detail as the ferry books up in advance during the high season, and we could not get onto the ferry and therefore ended up driving an extra 80 miles, missing the ability to sightsee on parts of the Isle of Skye that we had been planning to do that day. Needless to say, this was hugely disappointing and I think is a basic job of our booking company where they dropped the ball. This made me think that our agent was not a local and clearly did not know this and did not think to ask anyone with more local knowledge. Our expectation was that we were getting advice from a local and clearly that was not the case. The other thing that was spectacularly badly was that the last hotel we stayed in was absolutely atrocious. It clearly hadn't been renovated in a very long time and smelled musty and was just plain disgusting frankly, and the dining options were beyond awful. It was not a place where anybody would want to stay, and I have absolutely no idea why Aleksandra booked us there. Most of the trip was wonderful, but that was a terrible way to end and unfortunately it is the last thing we took away from our time in Scotland.

My recommendation is to be very hands on: (1) make sure to independently review the hotels to make sure that they meet your satisfaction, and provide detailed guidance as to what you're looking for, (2) make sure to doublecheck your itinerary and ask the questions that you would ask if you were planning the entire trip yourself. This of course means that you're putting in much more time in the planning process, which kind of defeats the purpose of hiring KimKim in the first place. I might be willing to try the service again, but in a much more active manner.