Kimkim Trip Reviews

Linda was beyond fabulous- knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating. Keep this woman happy, she is a wonderful asset to KimKim!

5 Stars: Ikala Hotel, Hotel Galapagos Suites, Highlands of Santa Cruz and our guide Daniela, Excursion to Seymour Norte and our guide, our guide Fabricio in Quito and his surprise add-ons to our Quito tour.

Special 10 stars to driver Alejandro and Casa Playa Mann for the biggest hearts and sincerest souls, as well as doing their job excellently. They are wonderful ambassadors for their country.

4 Stars: Kicker Rock. Best suited for true snorkel enthusiasts, which is not us- we are vacation snorkelers. Choppy and cloudy water, some strong currents that really took work to navigate, and while it was cool to see a few hammerheads, not much else to see. Honestly, perhaps the best part of the trip was the spectacular closeup views of the Galapagos birds. Great guide.

Our only neutral-to-negative outing was the Interpretation Center and Tijeretas Hill. These two sites definitely do not need a guide and would have been far more enjoyable exploring on our own. Karen, our guide, was not a good storyteller, and told us little that I hadn't already read in the guidebooks; perhaps if she had turned the walk up Tijeretas Hill into a nature walk, but she made few comments as we walked up this paved and well-signed path. But the truly negative experience was the snorkeling. There was a yellow flag out, and the entrance to the water is on sharp rocks, difficult for nonlocals to negotiate- during our time there, two tourists had to be saved from the big waves/currents and helped back onto the rocks. Karen gave no instruction, but after verifying that we could all swim, jumped in the water and began snorkeling. Only one of the four of us decided to try snorkeling, as the other three felt it too dangerous. My husband lost a flipper, and waited back on the rocks as Karen managed to retrieve the flipper (good for her), but then continued to snorkel as we all waited for her. While pleasant during her guiding, Karen seemed bored with this excursion and I think would be better suited to aquatic excursions only, as this seems to be her true love.

Hotel Review

Casa Playa Mann

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Lovely place run by a lovely and sincere family.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

Tortoises everywhere, need I say more???

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido)

Galapagos Islands

Everything about the day was great- transport, guide, the excursion to a remote beach- except the cloudy snorkeling itself is only worth it for the interesting experience of seeing hammerhead sharks.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Much better experience with a guide than exploring on one's own. Ask for Fabricio!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our transport dropped us off at one end of Old Town and picked us up at the other end, so no backtracking!

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Tortoises everywhere, need I say more? Ask for guide Daniela!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

You all did a great job of putting together a wonderful vacation. The hotels are top rate with great food. Pyha didn't have any food service and there was some confusion on where to meet for the fatbike tour. My wife, Bea was the only one to make it on the bike, Donna Lee gave up in the parking lot, I face planted on the first turn and took the tram to the mine. The consisted of tailing from their mining. It was what we expected but the ride up and seeing the smile on her face from succeeding on the fat bike was worth it.
Being mostly Fin myself, I didn't listen to the guides recommended boots. We really needed crampons for the waterfalls, the trail was pure ice. I fell about 12 time an the guide got us crampons and took us on a different route. He was wonderful for putting up with us.
Any difficulty we had was due to age and not in as good shape as we thought. All the guides are top notch and very forgiving of our short comings.
Moonika was on top of any issues or questions we had, she was great. Her help in putting this together an d suggestions made a memorable trip for all of us. After falling down I could hear my grandfather laughing with me about why he came to the US. Thank you and your staff for making this happen.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Great food and a 5 star all a round. Good location to walk around Helsinki.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Best train trip

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pyhä Igloos

Pyhä

The lack of a on site food could be made up if tourists are remind by driver to stop and shop. Thewalk up to the ski lodge is tough. The hotel room was one of the best we have stayed in. The outside of the hotel isn't fancy but the room was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not near food

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilderness Hotel Muotka & Igloos

Sodankylä

We did not stay in a igloo but are room had a great, private sauna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

Wish we had more time and we were not so worn-out from the two weeks before.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The ferrie was what we need to rest. Thank you Moonika,.

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

Oh boy. We went to a small Cafe on our Wallander it was like we're in her living room. This was the finland we had in mind. Cities have there place but small places have the charm.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gas station donuts are the best

Helsinki City Walking Tour (2h)

Helsinki

We didn't get the library because we where so busy learning from the tour guide about the finish history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Electric - Fatbike Tour to Amethyst Mine

Finland

I give this a 5 star only because wife made it up and back on a bike. The top of the mountain was beautiful but the mining experience was a let down

Quality of Experience

Not much you can do to up grade a tailings pile, all loose rock with frost line about 2 inches down. Hard stand our get up on loose rocks. I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They made it fun

Transport

Aurora Adventure at Lake Pyhäjärvi

Pyhä

We had wonderful Guide an a great walk in the woods. Weather was our enemy

Quality of Experience

The guide made it a great night

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Husky Safari (10km)

Saariselkä

Wow, we all loved it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They love their dogs. We did too

Transport

Sami Culture Day

Finland

My grandfather told me about the Sami .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SnowHotel & Ice Dinner Experience

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

Reindeer

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Arctic Adventure

Rovaniemi

Snow shoes belong on young folk

Quality of Experience

Food

More hotdogs

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Their knowledge and friendliness

Korouoma Canyon & Frozen Waterfalls Adventure

Finland

I gave this a 3 star not due to anything the guides did but because I'm 75 and the ladies are in their 60s. There is no easy way to the falls. The poor guide may have gotten tired helping up a240 pound man with knee replacement. May God bless him

Quality of Experience

Food

Got tired of sausage

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Tour

Rovaniemi

Cloudy day wasn't guides fault no northern light's that nightBe in better shape

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Italy trip was the most amazing, every detail was heard from what we wanted. The hotel in Florence was quaint and perfectly located. The hotel in Levanto was absolutely beautiful and the owner went above and beyond to ensure we were welcomed as if we were family. The hike tour had the most amazing views and the guide was extremely knowledgeable. Once we reached Siena we were greeted by our next guide who taught about the amazing history and culture of the city. After Siena, we drove to the Tuscan valley and the timing couldn’t have been better. The rolling hills were filled with green fields and blooming trees. The hotel and tours here were perfectly planned. The wine tour at San Polo was astonishing and the cooking class at Podere Casale was like a dream. I can’t thank you enough.

Hotel Reviews

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & spa

The owner and staff were extremely kind and helpful. The location is great to get to all that Florence has to offer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Piccolo Hotel La Valle

Pienza

Very great people and perfect location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A' Durmì

Levanto

What a wonderful and memorable stay! We enjoyed having breakfast in the beautiful courtyard, and the owners were so kind and went above and beyond to ensure that we were comfortable. The location is perfect and walkable to all of Levanto’s cute shops and restaurants. We were sad to leave. It felt like home. 10/10 recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking class in a Tuscan farm

Italy

The cooking class was one of the most fun activities of the trip: very entertaining and the food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cheese farm visit and tasting in Pienza area

Italy

The cheese farm visit and cooking class in a Tuscan farm were amazing. The farm was run by a Swedish lady with a fascinating story.

Quality of Experience

Siena guided tour

Italy

The Siena Cathedral guided tour was exceptional. The cathedral was beautiful, and the guided tour provided a lot of interesting information.

Quality of Experience

Enjoy Brunello di Montalcino in Val d'Orcia

Italy

The Brunello di Montalcino tasting with light lunch and winery visit was a wonderful experience. The winery offered great food and hospitality.

Quality of Experience

Where do I start regarding our trip to Japan. Firstly it was so far a trip of a lifetime!!! From the moment we landed to the sad moment we left my son and i could not have had a more memorable experience..

Sandy our local specialist did a great job hitting the high points of each of the 4 cities that we visited. Every reservation went off without a hitch including our tickets on the Shinkansen bullet train and our Universal and Ghibli Museum tickets. The hotels picked were conveniently centrally located allowing us to get around easily either walking or using the excellent subway system.

Each of our tourguides were excellent and really made our trip very informative and helped so much given the language barrier we experienced. Satomi was helpful a helped me purchase kitchen knife from a knife shop in Dotonbori. She had lived a while in the US and knew what we were all about. She balanced touring with shopping and was flexible regarding our schedule. Naoko was a wealth of knowledge in Kyoto and went above and beyond in trying to explain the dense history of the various temples and shrines we visited. Kyoto was one of our favorite cities. The other one being Tokyo. Kyoji was our guide for beautiful Mt. Fuji and even took us to a special local Ramen shop where we were treated to a wonderful customary meal. Keiichi, our guide in Tokyo took us to a Sumo practice session which was a treat to be a part of. Having lived quite a while in Tokyo he was very familiar with the different Tokyo districts and provided us with local knowledge of the areas. Finally, Yuki was both our driver and guide during our trip outside of Tokyo to Nikko and really showed us the beauty and splendor of rural Japan. Everyone was so kind and obliging. It made our trip so much more informative and special.

We especially enjoyed Mt. Fuji and couldn't get over the grandeur and beauty of the site. Kyoto had its own special vibe which was really to our liking. Finally Tokyo was a wonderland!!! The subway system was so easy to use that we had not problem getting wherever we need to go. And did I mention the food! We did not have a bad meal. We tried to try it all and were not disappointed.

This is my second trip planned with KimKim . The first was to Portugal and was a private tour with my wife. This was a trip with my son and although I didn't think it was a private tour it might as well have been. The attention to detail was on point and it was comforting knowing that any problems were only a phonecall or text away to solve. I will definitely be using KimKim again for future trips.

Activity Review

World Heritage Himeji Castle & Kobe Tour

Osaka

Being on of the few original Castles not devasted by war or fire this was a wonderful site to see. You got to see all floors all the way up to the shrine at the very top. The castle itself was beautiful but the grounds were even more beautiful.

Quality of Experience

One of first sites we saw.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I had the pleasure of working with Angela from KimKim to plan my recent trip to Greece, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the experience. Angela truly went above and beyond to curate an amazing itinerary filled with fantastic tours and activities. From the moment I reached out to Angela, she made the entire process seamless and stress-free. Her expertise and attention to detail ensured that every aspect of the trip was taken care of. She listened to my preferences and crafted a personalized journey that exceeded all expectations. The tours Angela arranged were exceptional, offering insightful glimpses into Greece's rich history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes. Each day brought new adventures and unforgettable memories, thanks to her thoughtful planning. I highly recommend Angela to anyone looking to plan their dream vacation. Her professionalism, knowledge, and dedication to providing outstanding service make her the ideal travel agent. Thanks to Angela, my trip to Greece was truly unforgettable, and I can't wait to plan my next adventure with her expertise.

Dear DAT
We wish you a fast recovery;
Note that we keep a great memory, much appreciated from all:
the program, the guides, the drivers, the choice of excursions, the activities, the hotels and restaurants were perfect.

Thanks again
Gilbo, Rolana, Jimmy, Carol, André & Paula

Hotel Reviews

Avana Retreat

Phu Tho

magical, amazing resort, amazing staff,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

fantastic organisation, staff, food, security & clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

bathroom need to be refreshed, bathtub tight and difficult to access

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel des Arts Saigon - MGallery Collection

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cu Chi Tunnels tour by luxury speedboat

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Dinner On Saigon Princess Cruise

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vespa Insider Tour - Half Day

Ho Chi Minh City

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Anan Saigon (Michelin Star Restaurant)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking our Costa Rican honeymoon through Kim Kim and using Nuria was one of the best decisions we made. It wasn’t just a trip; it was an expertly curated adventure. For anyone looking to celebrate Costa Rica, 10 day adventure, which was an unforgettable adventure I cannot recommend Nuria enough. We had day by day itinary with all the information needed, the car rental easy, driving through costa rica was breeze. Customer service was available, ensuring that any questions we had were answered promptly and any minor issues were resolved quickly via whatups. This peace of mind was invaluable, especially being in a foreign country and wanting to focus solely on each other. e found ourselves one day zip-lining through the canopy of Monteverde, and the next, snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Papagayo. booked us into boutique hotels and secluded lodges that emphasized privacy and romance. Each location offered unique charms surrounded by the rich biodiversity of a rainforest.

Had a GREAT time on our trip. Thanks to Gary Topic for putting together a GREAT trip for us to Australia! We had a great itinerary, our hotel locations were always close to where our activities were, our activities were almost always spot on! Gary also guided me several times when I messed up and didn't follow the itinerary and had questions!Job well done!
Our five week trip inclued Port Douglas (scuba diving on the great barrier reef, Daintree, Karunda), Cairns, Whitsundays, Eungella (Glass Mountains, fruit bats, duck billed platypus), Fraser Island, Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Byron Bay, cave diving at Fish Rock Cave, Coffs Harbor, Port Macquarie, Tasmania (Cradle Mt, Bay of Fires), Sydney (opera house, climb the Harbor Bridge, Coogee and Bundi beaches, Blue Mountains tour), Canberra, and Melborne (Phillip Island penguin tour, Great Ocean Road tour). Thanks again - great trip!

kimkim helped us find a hotel that was perfect for our family and in a great location. The full-day excursion to Rincon de la Vieja booked through our kimkim agent was a highlight of the trip. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. We were able to spot a variety of birds and animals. The entire trip exceeded our expectations.

Our 10 day trip to Korea was absolutely amazing. Our travel planner, Jessica, worked with us to cater to our every desire from hotels, private tour guides, private car service, and plenty of recommendations on what to see and do. We spent six days in Seoul, two in Busan and two in Jeju. At every step, from pre-planning, to booking, to checking in with us during the trip, Jessica was checking in to ensure all of needs were being met. Our tour guide in Seoul, Don Lee, was fantastic. Jade Park expertly showed us around Busan. And Suzie was a wonderful guide in Jeju.

We couldn't be more impressed with everything Korea had to offer - it's incredibly clean, the people are friendly and many speak English so language wasn't a problem, the sights are amazing, and the food scene is off the charts. It was a trip my family will remember forever. And I'll look to KimKim to set me up with all of our future vacation plans.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Hyeopjae Beach, Spirited Garden and Green Tea Plantation Tour and Arte Museum

Jeju Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petite France and Nami Island Tour For Families

Seoul

Zero stars for Petite France. 5 stars for Nami Island. Anyone who has actually been to France will likely find Petite France a little silly and not worth spending any time there. Nami Island was absolutely amazing so spend as much time there as possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Manjanggul Cave and Seongsan Ilchulbong Tour

Jeju Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Haedong Yonggungsa and Haeundae Beach Tour

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Experience and Gwangjang Market

Seoul

A must see. Definitely rent the traditional wardrobe for an elevated experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perfect travel, Steve gave amazing advice and made sure everything was organised to perfection. The guide we had in Siem Reap , Dee, was really knowledgeable and engaging, especially with the kids. Will definitely recommend Steve to our friends and anyone who reads this reviews.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Gate Hotel & Resort

Phnom Penh

Hotel needs to be a bit revamped. Service was average, breakfast really average. Not a 5 star hotel

Authenticity & Character

I’m

Location

Staff

Need more training

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room too dusty

The Royal Sands Koh Rong

Sihanoukville, Koh Rong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shinta Mani Angkor

Siem Reap

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Central Market

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Rickshaw (pedicab) tour

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Artisans of Satcha

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

I’m

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Apopo Landmine detecting rats (private tour)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuol Sleng & Russian Market

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Royal Palace

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Destination dining at Villa Chandara

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angkor Thom (morning) by remork

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ta Phrom with optional sunset

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angkor Wat morning visit

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phare, the Cambodian Circus (Seat A , reserved seating)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HAVEN Restaurant

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Eleven One Kitchen

Phnom Penh

Food was average and we didn’t know what we were eating. Different dish was given to my daughter for some reason

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adam was very responsive and made changes at our request without missing a beat. Found great options for us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Plaza Yara

Puntarenas

Very comfortable - nice staff - lovely clean pool - great outside sitting area. Right on a busy road so noisy at times and not able to walk anywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arco Iris Lodge

Santa Elena

Very different from our first hotel but comfortable, right in town, nice breakfast options. Pretty quiet for being in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Silencio del Campo Hotel

La Fortuna

Very Comfortable with yummy breakfast options. Hot springs were wonderful - very clean! Grounds were lovely and we enjoyed the farm. Great organic vegetable garden and lots of animals visiting children enjoyed including milking one of the cows. Staff was helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and helpful - great suggestions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Organic Spice Farm Experience

Manuel Antonio

Wonderful experience with lots of information about the spices and growing them plus excellent snacks! Snacks included home made ice cream and they provided vegan options!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable

Transport

Self-Guided Manuel Antonio Beaches

Manuel Antonio

Nice beaches, a little rough for swimming.

Quality of Experience

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Not good snorkeling but the kayak was nice but short.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Hiking and Birdwatching at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Beautiful private reserve with wide paths, a variety of terrains, cultivated flower gardens, nice views, easy walking, quiet and not ctowded

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Day at the Monteverde Hummingbird Garden

Monteverde

All kinds of hummingbirds but lots of people and the birds were all brought in to feeders

Quality of Experience

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Saw lots of animals and birds but the trail was crowded with other tours. Guide was knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On time!

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wonderful guides, beautiful relaxed float on the river. Great snacks at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knew the animals and plants so answered all our questions. Generally informed regarding the ecology of the area.

Transport

Picked us up on time

Self-Guided Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice hike with lovely views of the volcano. Good signage with a comfy cafe at the finish

Quality of Experience

Chocolate & Night Hike Experience

Monteverde

Very informative but too much time in the gift shop

Quality of Experience

Too much of a canned tourist tour plus too much time in the gift dhop

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I already filled this out elsewhere and think it was a wonderful trip and am still high from it. Thank you. I did want to say a few things that I would keep in mind for future trips. The schedule was great, but it would have been good to have a planned down day in the middle of the trip. I realize this was hard with the Jennifers coming and going. The husband of the woman that did the cooking class was also wonderful. He does food tours and other kinds of tours. It would be great to have include his work as an option to split up the visits to temples and historic sites. Thanks for all. Best, Dorothy

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have given the tour four stars, but as Robert Belafksy reported to you the day spent with Michi, driving two and a half hours each way to see the Edo village (not very interesting; boring in fact) was an absolute waste of time. Michi, as a guide was lack luster at best. The unfortunate thing was that there were so many other things we could have seen in Tokyo, for example the Tsukiji Market, that it was a shame we lost the day.
The hotels you booked us in were fine, though personally having been in the Ginza I would have preferred that upscale atmosphere.
Notwithstanding the one day mishap, I believe that the trip was a good value for the money

We booked a self-guided driving tour of the coast of Ireland. Dean put together a great itinerary for us and the whole experience was amazing.

Excellent trip with great guides and efficient comfortable transfers. All local tour operators did a great job. Highlights were Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

Great location and helpful cheerful staff. Super open air terrace restaurant/bar on 4th floor. Great food and drinks. Industrial feel of entrance and front desk area, and bare tiled floors in room a bit unwelcoming on late evening arrival, but the whole hotel grew on us. Striking bold murals as decor for our room. No mirror. Quirky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to all downtown landmarks

Staff

Great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfortable bed

Hotel Villas Lirio

Quepos

Good pool surrounded by palms. Our accommodation was a huge apartment on upper floor but we didn't use the dining area or kitchen. Hotel a bit dated with lots of mismatched decor/ornaments. Quirky. Lots of steps everywhere. Staff a bit unapproachable and unhelpful. Restaurant/bar a bit messy and staff appeared particularly unprofessional. Prefer staff who don't sit around on the bar counter area singing along to the piped music, or who clear tables with a lollipop stuck in their mouths. 😯

Authenticity & Character

Dated

Location

Lots of restaurants within 5 minutes walk.

Staff

Unhelpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lots of space but also lots of steps and lots of engine noise from the road.

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

Good quality Hilton hotel in great central location. Comfortable rooms with all facilities.

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Extensive gardens and birdlife made up for pretty basic accommodation. Restaurant was not Japanese fusion as described. Hot springs uninviting.

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

On steep hill out of town, so taxis needed for transfers. Family room was large but had a huge bath in the bedroom itself and nowhere to sit indoors. Wildlife in the gardens a big compensation. Coatis and many birds.

Authenticity & Character

Characterless restaurant

Location

Isolated but great views

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Maleku Cultural Immersion Day Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

Really enjoyable visit, made all the better by welcoming hosts and really enthusiastic helpful guide. Amazing insight into language, culture and way of life of indigenous people from 300 years ago. Great chance to try skills needed to live to survive by subsistence hunting, fishing and farming.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mix up between tour operator and KimKim over pick-up time led to rushed start. Good visit though. Helpful guide. Steps down were were more difficult than up. Not much chance to observe wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doka Coffee Tour & Poas Volcano National Park

Costa Rica

Cancelled due volcanic activity - sulphurous fumes.

Day Trip to Doka Coffee Plantations & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

San José

Enjoyed Doka Plantation tour. Gardens not so much. Felt had to move at guide's speed and shere guides personal interest in animals and plants.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Waterfall Adventure

Costa Rica

Something for everyone but mainly for 15-35 age group and those keen on jumping/diving into pools. Spectacular waterfalls and spacious sandy beach to end with. Lunch included.

Quality of Experience

Spectacular waterfalls

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive. Made sure no-one slipped on way to/from waterfalls and pools. Informative commentary on bus but a bit like a group outing with obligatory audience participation.

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Excellent guides. Showed us birds and wildlife we could never have spotted alone. Opportunity to relax on the beaches in your own time. Smallish park but with loads to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary

Manuel Antonio

Great visit. Lovely to talk to people who are so enthusiastic about rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Best ow the two hanging bridge tours we took. Maybe the weather helped. Saw plenty of birds but no sloths. Had chance to walk parts of the trail in our own time without group company. More relaxing experience on narrow bouncy bridges.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

Great visit. Guides were terrific and took good care of us in the dark. Saw loads of tarantulas and other creatures including sleeping birds and butterflies.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

The rain took the gloss of this tour a little. Great views over the rain forest canopy all the same. With guides help spotted poison dart frogs and an eyelash pit viper. Also spider monkeys very high in the canopy. Animals and birds a bit thin on the ground though despite guides efforts to help us find them.

Throughout the trip our family kept looking at each other and saying - I'm so glad we booked this through KimKim. It's rare to take a family trip with a multi-generational, 6-person group and everyone feels like they had a relaxing time because everything was so well organized and taken care of. It would have been so hectic to have booked everything ourselves.

The process of tailoring our trip was seamless with our specialist Caterina. She made great suggestions along the way and we ended up with an itinerary that made sure we got to do everything we wanted. As we did the trip it was clear so many times how well she had understood our travel preferences and how right she was about the way she sequenced everything. The website's trip planning and itinerary process were so easy to use. We knew exactly what we were paying for in advance and what we would have to pay for when we got there so there were no surprises. The itinerary was handy for everyone in the group to know what was coming up.

Our concierge Beatrice was super responsive throughout the trip over whatsapp, clarifying any questions we had about when we should show up to helping arrange our request for a last-minute additional guide. She provided well-organized documents for all the activites when we arrived.

The Drivers were so professional and early every time. The vehicles were high-end, in excellent condition, and comfortable for our short and long drives.

Tour Guides were all engaging for the kids, knowledgeable, and had great personalities that brought all of the sights alive. They were very organized - with backup copies of all our tickets on hand. They also often made great recommendations for us for restaurants at each location. Special mention to Ms. Simona, Chef Max, Mr. Gianni, Ms. Martina, Ms. Giusy, Mr. Alessandro, Ms. Lucia, and our guides in Assisi and the Vatican.

For activities (golf cart tour, cooking class, etc.) very high quality vendors were selected for us and we had great experiences with everything Caterina at kimkim booked for us.

There was an issue in the itinerary, which I figured out 5 days before the trip, that required Kelly to reschedule the Bangkok portion. She immediately responded to my message and reworked that portion of the trip; handling an issue promptly is so important. In spite of that last minute needed itinerary change, we loved every activity that Kelly planned and had an absolutely amazing time.

Each guide was amazing. Nam, Kate, and Feng were immensely knowledgeable, caring, fun, organized, and kind. They were able to answer literally anything we asked and constantly made sure we had plenty of water and were well cared for. Jon and his family at the Raunkaew-Yanon Family Home for the cooking class and culture experience welcomed us into their home and taught us so much. It was a beyond incredible experience. Chi Chi at the Elephant Nature Park was knowledgeable, fun, and a sweetheart. Lily who only transported us from and to the Bangkok airport on our last night and day was caring and sweet.

The activities and guides exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Kelly for putting together the itinerary and setting up all of the activities and guides. The guides from the company in Southeast Asia were outstanding A++.

Hotel Reviews

FCC Angkor by Avani

Siem Reap

Hotel was certainly 5-star for Cambodia, but more like 4-star for more developed countries. Food was good, but not amazing…same each day. Room was small for a 5-star hotel. The lobby and restaurant bar were outage so there was no inside seating to get away from the heat. Pools were small, but warm water, such was nice. There was a singer or dance group each evening which was nice. Located on the river, which was also nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort

Chiang Mai

Hotel was incredible. Room beautiful. Massages were outstanding. We did that twice. Breakfast buffet was amazing. Pool was gorgeous and pool bar was great. Restaurant for dinner and the buffet breakfast was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Bangkok Hotel

Bankok

Absolutely exquisite hotel. The rooms are lovely. The pool is beautiful. The restaurant menu is so good. The morning buffet breakfast was incredible. The gym had everything and there is a beautiful sauna and stream room. Only issue is the location is not great so we did not go outside the hotel when we works get back after our activities. But the hotel was so amazing that this was fine with us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Tonle Sap Lake Tour

Siem Reap

Very moving experience as the people living here have such awful living conditions and extreme poverty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm

Siem Reap

Beautiful sites!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

Feng is so incredible. He shared not only any Cambodian history and Buddhism but shared his personal moving story. We loved our time with him. He took such good care of us. The sites were gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

This was such a beautiful surprise. SO much more than coming. Learn about Lanna history and customs. Walk through property to see the exotic trees and learn. Meet generations from the family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Buatong Waterfall

Chiang Mai

So fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Chiang Mai City Tour with Monk Chat

Chiang Mai

Kate is awesome! Knowledgeable and caring. We really enjoyed each site visited. Rickshaw was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight at Elephant Nature Park (day 2) (Join-in Basis)

Chiang Mai

Chi Chi was so great. We loved our experience with the elephants. Per Day 1 review, huge issue that there is not available staff and first aid 24/7.

Quality of Experience

Same comments about lack of 25/7 staff on site and first aid

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight Stay at Elephant Nature Park (day 1) (Join-in Basis)

Chiang Mai

Elephant Nature Park is so special. Their treatment of the elephants is purely ethical. We learned so much. Overnight experience is a big recommend. Food is same each day and cafeteria quality only. I had a health emergency after dinner after all staff were gone. There was no mention in the introduction of what to do in an emergency. There should be accessible staff on site 24/7 who have first aid training and supplies. I got dizzy and my speech was slurred. It took 30 minutes for us to talk to an RN in the United States. Likely my blood pressure dropped from the heat. I could have been given electrolytes and some basic care. Chi Chi was an amazing guide!!

Quality of Experience

Lack of staff 24/7 is huge safety issue

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were amazing; however lack of staff 24/7 is an issue.

Transport

Half Day Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew Tour

Bangkok

The Grand Palace was beautiful and exquisite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Historical Ayutthaya Tour from Bangkok

Thailand

We loved each temple and site we visited. Nam was so knowledgeable and took such great care of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

These two activities were so unusual and fun. The railway market was a blast. The floating market was such an unexpected treat. We had fun buying different things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was a blast; my partner and I had a great time. Flam was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. The Viking Village was a blast and very educational.

If we could have changed something, it would have been to fly out of Bergen instead of taking an 8-hour train ride the day before when we had to take a 12-hour plane flight. If we visit again, we would love to cruise to all the sites instead of using so much land transportation. While it was beautiful to travel by train and bus, it took up a lot of time.

Hotel Reviews

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Really disappointed in this hotel. The rooms are cold and stale. The area of town it is in, is not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The best part of the stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Great location, so beautiful. The front desk staff was excellent, and we had a great time at the onsite Pub.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Gourgous...

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely loved the room, it was nice a cozy.

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

The rooms were great and the staff was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

The staff...

Location

Super close to all kinds of shopping.

Staff

Super kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

Very interesting and fun. Our guide was outstanding. We lucked out with some great weather.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best guide ever!

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Staff was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

The sauna was beautiful and the water was cold. It was a total blast!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was excellent.

Transport

My wife already wrote a comprehensive review, including the hotels.
Several weeks before our trip, we reached out to Samir and asked what if there is an escalation to conflict. Samir assured us that Jordan, historically, was not affected.

Unfortunately, my worst fear regarding the trip came to pass. We were asleep when Iran bombed the zionist entity. I do not recall Samir reaching out to us to see if we were OK, how we were feeling/doing. That is a big disappointment.

Even while doing the survey, the first hotel was not updated in the survey to the one we actually stayed at. I have no idea why the change was made and wonder if the Strand would have been better than the Sulaf Luxury hotel.

I loved the overall atmosphere of being in Jordan. As Kathy said, we bear some burden of blame because we did not check the hotels thoroughly enough, however the accommodations overall were a big disappointment. To the point where I question whether or not I would book with Kimkim again.