Kimkim Trip Reviews

I have just returned from an amazing trip to Costa Rica.
Bryan was our local specialist and was on hand to organise everything.
HIs advice, planning, flexibility and response speed was outstanding and I cannot recommend the service enough.....and I am fussy!
Costa Rica was fabulous for our family with a 7 and 10 year old, we had apacked set of activities but it all worked out perfectly.
Any small issue we had, which was frankly minor, the local team addresses within 20 minutes and always responsive.

So all in all thank you Bryan and team....will definitely book again .

All the best Daniel

Our guides Ibrahim in Istanbul, Hatice in Kapadokya and Onder in Ephesus and Pammukale were all excellent. The trip was wonderful over all covering many sites of historical places and we got to taste delicious local Turkish cuisines. Our guides also gave us ample time and very patient with us for our shopping pleasure. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to ride balloons in Kapadokya due to weather and for that we definitely have to come back again in near future!

Hotel Reviews

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hello,

I booked a trip for myself (36), my three children (17, 13, 11) and my Elderly Father (73) for about ten days in Thailand. During that time frame we spent time around Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one day south of Bangkok for "snorkeling".

I think the itinerary on paper was generally well set up, but the delivery and the guide were mediocre at times. I would rate the entire experience a seven out of ten (70%) which is slightly better than 3/5 stars. Had our last final day not been so bad and inefficient, I may have felt differently and given this experience 4/5 stars and not been so critical of our guide.

Our guide on the ground, named Ken, was playful and funny, but often sloppy and did not always listen effectively. For example, on multiple occasions I asked him to slow down and speak about the history of various things to my Father, rather than speaking to my children who were up front when we were walking. I also told him to speak louder and towards my Father, but he rarely listened and I gave up after awhile. My children were not interested in the history, but my Father would have soaked up everything happily.

On another occasion we missed the tour of an old temple (it was closing down as we arrived late) and had to rush through a cool festival because we had spent too much time stopping at coffee shops along the way. When I complained to Ken afterwards, he tried to blame this on us rather than taking responsibility for not communicating effectively; he also spent a bunch of time himself getting free internet at KFC while we were searching for him. A good guide would have spoken to us about the timelines and made sure we understood the consequences of spending additional time at multiple stoppages; a good guide would not have contributed to such delays along the way either. I was very disappointed that we didn't get to eat/shop at the festival and spend more time around the old temple.

Ken also loved singing and often sang the same song about "The train is coming here, Baby!" over and over. And over. It was redundant and annoying each and every day, and when I politely asked him to stop, he seemed to think it was funny and often continued. I wasn't impressed, and days later I can still hear his annoying voice singing this particular song.

On the final full day that we had in Thailand in Bangkok, we were supposed to go skydiving out of town, followed up by snorkeling. We had Ken arrange things with the skydiving business over the phone, who told us it was important to get there a few minutes before they opened around 7:55am the next day. Ken arranged for us to be picked up from the hotel at 6:15am, and we ended up arriving at 9:20am about an hour and a half late. The consequence was that there were 40 people ahead of us upon arriving, and given the other plans we had during the day, it was impossible or us to do the skydiving. What made matters worse was that the skydive area was 1.5 hours out of the way from our snorkeling activity route, so we ended up wasting 3 hours on the road for nothing, getting the kids excited for nothing, and wasting the additional time lining things up and doing research the day before. When I complained to the tour provider on WhatsApp about this terrible occurrence, they offered to take us out for dinner, which turned into a cheap street food meal with Ken later that evening around 10pm (after waiting for Ken more than an hour in a loud market area; we had fun keeping ourselves busy).

In the evenings that we were free after various activities, Ken did not always make meaningful suggestions, and I often found additional activities myself. For example, Ken didn't mention the popular Night Safari in Chiang Mai, which was well-known, popular and excellent. I found this myself, asked Ken about it, and then he joined us. I do give Ken credit for always being willing to go out to evening activities with us, and I was impressed at his stamina when we were hiking and rafting on the one day. He was a good guy and I still gave him 5000 Baht as a tip at the end, but I did this more out of pity rather than genuinely feeling as though he had earned this for being excellent. Had Ken listened more and been more diligent, some key issues could have been easily avoided.

As for the planning itself, the "snorkeling" was terrible. We boated to a single island, then myself and two sons went on a different small boat to a larger boat which had five people and a bunch of gear just a couple hundred feet from the shore. The waters were not clear and began burning our skin immediately. My youngest got out right away, while my eldest son and I tried to make the most of the opportunity for a few more minutes. When we got back on the boat, someone had a green cream there waiting for us because they knew of the terrible water conditions. I still have rashes on both armpits and it still itches and hurts. We wanted to leave shortly thereafter, and all five of those on the snorkeling boat left along with us. I don't want to know how much we paid for this entire experience, but I'm sure it was quite a bit considering the van ride to the first boat (two hours from our hotel), the boat ride to the island (25 minutes), the additional boat ride to the bigger boat (5 minutes), and then the boat ride back (5 minutes) with all the people who were there only for us. Terrible.

The last negative thing I'll say is that I emphasized the importance to Kimkim for us to spend some time with an indigenous group in their local surroundings somewhere, and this wasn't done well. We simply walked through a village of Karen people, they tried to sell us trinkets they didn't even make themselves for five minutes, and we quickly left thereafter. There was no showing us their daily lives or culture or anything meaningful or fun or memorable.

All that being said, the temples throughout the trip were amazing. The hiking and bamboo rafting down the river in the same day was great. The elephant experience was cool, although it wasn't as good as others I had done in the past (in Thailand) where we learned about buddhism and were allowed to ride the elephants (just one person per elephant without a carriage; I don't view this as being harmful to the elephant). Staying at the hotel along the river was awesome; we were the only people crazy enough to swim in the fast current in the morning a few times.

Ken helped us navigate a lot, and we felt like he was a family member by the end of the trip. I learned a lot about Thailand, as this is the first time I was here for more than a week and the first time I had money to pay for a guide and more experiences. The next time I go, I'll use the experience of this trip to be more efficient and will certainly return to Chiang Mai. I think I would fly directly to Chiang Mai and just do three of four sets of tours without going through someone like Kimkim again, unless I went somewhere new and was convinced the experience would be better.

I feel bad being so brutally honest about Ken and some of my negative experiences, but I feel Kimkim really let us down this time and I will likely not use them again if this isn't rectified in one way or another. When I utilized the company in Colombia our guide and experiences were basically flawless, so I had higher expectations to say the least.

We had the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica. Charlotte organised our itinerary to our exact needs, and we had some fantastic local guides including Eddie who took us sea kayaking and guided us through Manuel Antonio. We saw more wildlife in a day than we would see in a lifetime elsewhere.
We were also very lucky with the weather, and the kids showed the adults the way during activities such as white water rafting and canyoning. A first for the whole family.
I can't recommend Costa Rica enough, and if you are looking for further inspiration then Charlotte will be sure to have plenty of suggestions. We will be back.

We loved our kimkim trip! Here are some details:
•El Calafate: Our first hotel, Cauquenes de Nimez, was clean and quiet although the breakfast lacked variety. The two excursions we went in this area were very good. The Mayo Spirit Trek had a wonderful guide and the activities were so fun. The trip to Estancia Cristina was very special. The boat captain made it easy to see and photograph the magnificent icebergs we saw on the way to the estancia. We learned so much history about the estancia when we were there. Lunch was so enjoyable on that excursion.
•El Chaltén: Our hotel, Lunajuim, was comfortable and had a nice lobby with a bar. The restaurant was good, too. We were unable to take the guided hike scheduled for our first day en El Chaltén since I wasn't feeling well and it was pouring rain. We really enjoyed our free days doing short hikes and being unscheduled.
•El Calafate: Our hotel, Kosten Aike, was very lovely and we were sorry that we were unable to stay there upon our first arrival in El Calafate. Our bus ride to Puerto Natales went quite smoothly.
•Puerto Natales: Our hotel, Vendaval, was really good. We especially enjoyed the rooftop bar and deck. We also had a view of the water from our room. 21 de Mayo neglected to inform Dittmar that our excursion would start an hour later than the 7AM scheduled time. We got up very early to stand around for an hour in the cold. The excursion was somewhat crowded and loud. We couldn't hear the guide on the boat. However, the glaciers were beautiful to see and the estancia lunch was good.
•Torres del Paine: Our guide, Andrés, and our driver, Mauricio, were right on time to take us to Torres del Paine. Both of them were wonderful, kind, thoughtful, and always looking for interesting things to show us. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with them. Hotel Lago Grey was the best! The view from our room was gorgeous. From our window, we even saw a condor eat a fish. The excursion to Glacier Grey was quite crowded making taking photos just about impossible. It was my least favorite excursion. Then we had another fantastic day with Andrés and Mauricio. We requested to have Mauricio for our driver and, thanks to Nara, he was our driver again and was our driver to take us to Punta Arenas the next day.
•Punta Arenas: The Hotel Albatros was my least favorite. Our view was a cement wall and breakfast, although good, was served too late at 8:30. Everyone had already left except us and we felt rushed since we were getting picked up at 9. Our driver to take us to the Magallanes National Reserve was right on time. Ademil was very kind and made sure we were registered before we went on our beautiful hike. When we returned, there was Ademil waiting for us. He also drove us to the airport later that night.
All of our transfers went well and everything on the trip went very smoothly. The trip was even better than I pictured it when Erin created the itinerary. It was fun to meet the Dittmar team in Puerto Natales. Throughout the entire process from planning the trip to its execution we had the support of that team. Responses to our requests and questions were always prompt. I felt supported the entire time. What a wonderful experience we had thanks to Erin and Nara!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

Kosten Aike is a really nice hotel with a great downtown location. The rooms are spacious and the bedding is very comfortable. The hotel has a charming look and feel, and the huge breakfast is a great way to start the day. We wished we could have stayed here longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Our hotel, Vendaval, was really good. We especially enjoyed the rooftop bar and deck. We also had a view of the water from our room. The connected restaurant was also a convenient feature.

Authenticity & Character

The view of the port from the window was nice and the rooftop bar was the highlight.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Hotel Lago Grey was the best! The view from our room was gorgeous. From our window, we even saw a condor eat a fish. Lago Grey is an amazing hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing mountain views. The dinners were excellent we ate here all three nights and the breakfast had a large spread. We loved our stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Albatros

Punta Arenas

This was not our favorite hotel, if you would like a room with a view I would make sure to request it! The location was great, very close to restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Admire the Famous Perito Moreno Glacier [Mayo Trek - Alternative Excursion]

El Calafate

The Mayo Spirit Trek had a wonderful guide and the activities were so fun. It was a perfect distance with a great guide who was knowledgeable and very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

The kayaking experience at Perito Moreno Glacier was fantastic - Dan absolutely loved it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Upsala Glacier & Estancia Cristina [Upsala Program]

El Calafate

The trip to Estancia Cristina was very special. The boat captain made it easy to see and photograph the magnificent icebergs we saw. Despite the windy conditions, this tour was wonderful The captain even showed us a flipped iceberg and drove slowly for everyone to see. The lunch was amazing. The restaurant was very quiet and comfortable and wine included!

Quality of Experience

Food

Very quite and comfortable restaurant, wine included)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

It was fun to meet the Dittmar team in Puerto Natales. Throughout the entire process from planning the trip to its execution, we had the support of that team. Responses to our requests and questions were always prompt. I felt supported the entire time. What a wonderful experience we had thanks to Erin and Nara!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Bernardo O Higgins National Park, Serrano & Balmaceda Glaciers

Puerto Natales

The tour started an hour later than expected, but the free whiskey shots were a hit. The included lunch was nice and the tour allowed us to roam around on our own. The glacier was beautiful and had a huge lake to view.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Boat Tour

Chile

The weather was not great for this tour, it was a bit rainy but the glaciers were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Chile

Met the Dittmar team, in this town, and everyone was so fun and caring looking out for the exciting stuff and making sure we stopped for everything. Really good photographs from that trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Private Photography Tour in Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

The guides asked what we wanted to do and we said to take good photographs as my husband is a photographer so they took us to all the best photography spots! Best box lunches - lamb and beef sandwiches which were the best on the trip. Mauricio the driver was the best too! We personally asked for him again because he was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Magallanes Nature Reserve

Punta Arenas

Our driver to take us to the Magallanes National Reserve was right on time. Ademil was very kind and made sure we were registered before we went on our beautiful hike. When we returned, there was Ademil waiting for us. He also drove us to the airport later that night. Magallanes was beautiful with the fall colors and a perfect way to end our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In order to celebrate her birthday, I invited my lovely daughter Sarit to a week long visit to Florence and Venice. It was very well planned and organized by Stephania from KimKim based on our requests and preferences. I must say it was close to 100% to our expectations. Every detail and guide/driver/museum visit went smoothly and the persons guiding us were always on time. That includes the cars from and to the airport, the hotels, the walking guide Irene in Venice, the boat taxis in Venice, the round trip train tickets from Florence to Venice, the morning breakfast offered in the hotels, the hotel locations and the kindness of the car service drivers. Food: the breakfast was prepared well and was pleasing. I am allergic to gluten therefore I can eat only gluten free which is not easy to find. I must point out that the Florence as well as the Venice hotel had a variety of gluten free items including bread, muffins, donuts and cookies. Disappointment: I would like to point out that the Florence hotel room was dignified located on the river with large windows but the television did not work; the sound when fixed came out of the bathroom (!) and the technician needed assistance as he did not know how to repair it. And there was only one channel in English. In addition, the heated towel racks in the modern bathroom did not turn on at all so all week our towels were cold; here too a technician came, claimed he had repaired the racks but no… they never turned on to warm the towels. The Venice hotel suite for one night was beautiful; there were only towels but no bathrobes. Strange to me….
I would like to complete my review with a huge compliment to Stephania and KimKim for granting us such a high level vacation! We will definitely recommend your services to all our friends. Kind regards, Bella Klein

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balestri

Florence

Great central location. Great breakfast even for persons allergic to gluten. Very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Al Theatro Palace

Venice

Location good. Close to stores and other hotels, restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Private Evening Stroll with Gondola

Venice

The English guide Irene was lovely. Spoke well, had a lot of knowledge . She was open, friendly, smiling and we walked and saw different sites we would not have noticed without her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tuscany Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

Italy

Large beautiful automobile, very clean and well taken care of. The female driver was friendly and knowledgeable. Two locations we enjoyed.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a lovely time during our trip! Jessica was very patient with our indecisiveness considering the protests situation in Peru and provided us with periodic updates on the situation proactively.
Our guide Edy was exceptional- we were very fortunate to have him during the trip, our trip wouldn’t be the same without him.
Thank you!!

Hotel Review

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Great staff and the hotel ambience and convenience with the train station was so helpful!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenience to the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Picnic & Paint in Maras

Peru

Best part of the trip!! Highly recommended!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks to Yuri and KimKim Travel, our trip to Spain was fantastic. We had a great selection of activities so every day was different. Our favorites were the Winery tour in Rioja, the day trip yo Montserrat, the Tapas tour in Madrid and the Vermut tour in Barcelona. Yuri was very responsive throughout the planning process and even when we had questions during the trip.

Activity Reviews

Evening Tapas, Taverns & History Walk

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Local Wine Experience in Rioja

La Rioja

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montserrat & Lunch at a Farmhouse

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Private Vermouth Experience

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AMAZING! Working with Randall to plan the trip was only the tip of the Iceberg of Awesomeness! He listened to what kind of trip we were looking for (Birding) and gave it to us. Having never been to Costa Rica I depended on Randall to set us up in the right places with the right guides. And he did! This was a completely flawless trip. The lodging was great. Each place was very comfortable and welcoming. All the transfers were on time, safe, comfortable, and friendly! The tour and birding guides we ended up with were all friendly and knowledgeable. Every one of them were able to answer all our questions, about birds, animals, plants, and Costa Rica in general. I will recommend working with Kimkim and Randall unconditionally!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

This is a nice conviently loacted hotel. The shuttle to and from the airport were very dependable - every 15 minutes! Breakfast was included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Every person was very friendly!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amor Arenal

La Fortuna, San Carlos

This was one of the most amazing hotes I have ever stayed in

Authenticity & Character

The food and drinks were all local and the location can NOT be beat!

Location

Staff

Friendly, amazing and helpfull

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

We really enjoyed this lodge. The location is amazing. There are a lot of trails and birding on the property. The food was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is an easy walk to town!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Issimo Suites Boutique Hotel & Spa—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

A beautiful hotel in a beautiful setting. The rooms are very comfortable. Walking to the beach was easy! Everyone was very friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a really fun 2 part hike. The first part was up a bit on the sholder of Arenal Volcano. The second part was though a meadow and forest area. We were there in March and the bugs were not an issue! The trail was rough and uneven. That is not a problem - just FYI.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano - Unique Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

This is a Must! The number of different birds, animals, and plants we saw was incredible. The knowledge of the guide and boat driver was unbelievable.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Ronald was an amazing guide. He really knew his birds. The area was beautiful.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Eco Garden Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

So many frogs and a few snakes. The knowledge the guide had of the different frogs in the area was amazing. I learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Twilight Hike in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

Oscar was a really good guide. He knew where to look and how to explain where the frogs and snakes were. We were able to see quite a lot on this hike!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

What a beautiful area! Henry was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about the birds and he was able to point them out to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching Half-Day Tour

Monteverde

Kevin could find the most hidden of birds! He was then able to explain where they were. We had a blast wandering about looking for birds. There were times when we could not keep up with all the different birds around us! What an experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Snorkeling Tour

Manuel Antonio

This was a fun way to spend a morning. All the gear was provided and fitted for us. The boat was nice and roomy. We were taken to 2 different places to explore. Lots of fun fish an octopus and a couple eels! We ended with a tour of the mangroves!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Transfer Hotel - Pez Vela Marine - Hotel

Manuel Antonio

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Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

What a beautiful park. There is a lot to see, the guide was knowledgeable and friendly! The beach is beautiful and there is time for a quick swim if you want. There are a lot of people in the park and lot of groups.

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Karim was an amazing guide. He explains the journey in detailed with patience and takes care of our safety. The journey has been great! Especially love the blue city, ride w camels to Sahara desert. Another guide Ali that brought us through Skoura was amazing. It was an educational session for us about the Kasbah. Another guide Abdel was really friendly and warm in Marrakesh. Overall it was a wonderful tour. Thank you for the enjoyable holiday!

Thank you Liz for our recent adventure in Australia. The Sydney Harbor Bridge walk was phenomenal. Very intimidating when viewed from afar, but quite achievable and exciting when being done. Once in a lifetime experience. The Sydney City tour with Graham was awesome, very knowledgeable. The Blue Mountain tour was excellent with many beautiful views. The Sydney Opera House tour was unforgettable. Our side trip to Cairns with the snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef as the highlight was exceptional. Floating and hiking the Daintree River and Rainforest was the ultimate experience. The raucous birds and traveling bats were like nothing we had ever seen. Again, thank you for helping us to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Australia.

Activity Review

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

Although intimidating at first sight, the bridge walk is a must do for anyone traveling to Sydney. Once on the bridge, the views are breathtaking and with all the safety gear and excellent guides, we never felt unsafe. We were accompanied by a 90 year old woman celebrating her birthday with her daughter and she MOTORED through it. Put the rest of us to shame. Easily the highlight of our entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago and Joel did a fantastic job showing us all that Lisbon and the surrounding areas have to offer. They were fun and informative.

Activity Reviews

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Évora Guided Day Trip

Portugal

Quality of Experience

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winery visit with wine tasting

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time on our trip! We spent four days in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris and four days near the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Some highlights of Paris were the motorcycle/sidecar tour, and the pastry tour were both top notch. We greatly appreciated already having the tickets for the train, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Seine River cruise. One thing to consider with the river cruise is that while it is a great perspective from which to see the city, it was hard to hear the descriptions of the sights. We basically needed to use our phones to know what we were looking at, leaving us underwhelmed. That said, the dusk tour did present us with some beautiful views of the lights coming up over the city. Our hotel in Montmartre (Hotel Terrass) was lovely with a comfortable room and both hot and cold breakfast options and afforded us easy access to sights, restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and the Metro for further exploration. The top floor dining room was super for views of the city. We could even see the Eiffel Tower off in the distance from our room! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful (one staff member even gave us some extra Metro tickets she had which was really nice). They also helped us with information about the strikes with respect to transport. The highlights of Nice were certainly the gorgeous beach and promenade. We also had the opportunity to explore some of the medieval hilltop towns, including an impromptu visit to a museum with a small, but intriguing collection. Our driver for this tour, Giorgi, was very informative and personable, helping us to get a better understanding of the culture. We highly recommend the e-bike tour as you can really see so many parts of the city efficiently, but at a comfortable speed. Lucie, our travel coordinator, was very responsive to emails and did a fine job helping us to craft our itinerary. We would highly recommend her!

We began in El Calafate with a quiet afternoon. We took a boat excursion to Perito Moreno recommended by our kimkim agent, Erin. It was perfect! My first site of this glacier brought tears to my eyes. The next day we returned to kayak in front of the glacier. Perfect! An iceberg turned over right in front of us and moments later, a whole side of ice came down off the wall. We went on a multi day horse ride with Niebepo Aike and rode through rain, fall colours, snow and brilliant sunshine. Our guide, Juan was amazing! The program also included a hike to the Hidden Glaciers. All breathtaking views. Thank-you to Erin for helping us plan such a wonderful holiday. Unforgettable! I only wish Kimkim would also include flight bookings as part of the service.

Hotel Reviews

Estancia Nibepo Aike

Colonia Francisco Perito Moreno

We took the multi day horse riding program. The Estancia is very comfortable and the outposts we rode to were rustic as advertised. An amazing experience.

Authenticity & Character

The outposts were authentic

Location

The views are incredible

Staff

Our guide Juan attended to us with such care!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The second outpost was a little more comfortable

Hotel Amado

El Calafate

A very well-located hotel right in the middle of town. The room was clean and comfortable and the staff was great. A simple breakfast is included, but nothing was fresh and it was bad.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central location

Staff

Very helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The first room had a better bed

Activity Reviews

El Calafate to Estancia Nibepo Aike [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 1]

El Calafate

The first day started at 5 pm and was just transport to the Estancia and dinner

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Juan....our ride guide!

Transport

The transport is at the convenience of the outfit, not the customer. The first day was not really any kind of activity day other than dinner and the last day, we felt rushed to meet the shuttle schedule.

Admire the Famous Perito Moreno Glacier [Mayo Trek - Alternative Excursion]

El Calafate

Great choice of boat company....not too large a group. The guide was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Well equipped and lots of fun. I felt safe even when a nearby iceberg turned over right in front of us. Don't get too close to the icebergs!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Estancia Nibepo Aike to Puesto Rosada [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 2]

El Calafate

We rode about 6 hours to an outpost. It was very rustic. We had all weather and an incredible experience. Be prepared for weather changes as always when in the mountains. It was just my husband and I and the guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Juan was a great cook!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing horses and comfortable saddles with huge pieces of foam for added comfort

Transport

The horses!

Puesto Rosada to Laguna 3 de Abril [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 3]

El Calafate

Another great day that began in snow and ended in sunshine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the "Glacier Balcony" [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 4]

El Calafate

We were expecting to ride, but the horses were only used to meet the boat. This was an unexpected 5 hour hike, but it was beautiful just the same

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Southern Face of Lago Argentino, Return to El Calafate [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 5]

El Calafate

Beautiful ride back to the Estancia followed by a tasty BBQ. Felt rushed off the ranch to meet shuttle schedule

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shuttle schedule

Catherina put together a great trip for us and was very responsive to our feedback and worked super hard to give us a unique trip within budget. JJ our guide was helpful, friendly and able to accomodate small changes in plans along the way. Thanks for hooking us up with Go Wild for the Acentenago trip. They were great and it was awesome to know we were supporting the local Acentenago community

Hotel Review

El Recreo

Lanquin

Great hotel but a little out of Lanquin which meant we didn’t get to see the town itself. Rooms were tidy, but basic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Somewhere more central so that we could look around the town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ram Tzul

Guatemala

This was a good activity to do to break up a long trip. However, the waterfall itself was not that impressive and there were not many orchids. This was an ok thing to do, but would not necessarily recommend

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

Semuc Champey

Guatemala

Walk was good and the pools beautiful and lots of fun. The experience of riding in on the back of the truck also added to the experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driving on the back of the truck was fun and made the trip feel more authentic

Acatenango overnight

Guatemala

The hike was hard but the journey was well managed with regular breaks. The base camp site was great and Benjamin made amazing hot chocolate. The small group format was awesome, glad we weren’t with one of the bigger companies

Quality of Experience

Great product and well executed.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Benjamin was so helpful and provided excellent service. Once he found that we enjoyed running down the loose dirt he found more sections and then ran in front clearing the path when the kids were running down the hill at the end of the hike

Transport

I am speaking for my whole family when I say this was a 5 star experience. The lodging and activities planned by the Kim Kim Group from initial selection to the actual experience were excellent. What was particularly amazing was how well everything was coordinated and how prompt all the guides/activities were. It would have been very difficult to put such an itinerary together especially when visiting a location for a first time. We look forward to using Kim Kim again in the near future.

Pura Vida

BOB

Amazing trip of a lifetime!! Herve did a wonderful job planning and activities were fabulous! Sandra a great tour guide in Buenos Aires! Pablo a great guide in El Calafate! The indigenous tour guide was wonderful as well! Thank you!!! Made many great memories!

We are still basking in the afterglow of this spring break trip to Greece. Our local specialist Chris started things off by customizing the itinerary to suit our needs - 9 days total, not too hectic, get to see key sights/sites, not too expensive but not cheap (the Goldilocks itinerary), etc. So, what we decided on was 3 nights in Athens (main attractions: Acropolis and museum and Delphi), 2 nights in Heraklion (main attractions: Palace of Knossos and museum), and 3 nights in Santorini (main attractions: Akrotiri prehistoric excavation site, sunset, scenery). There were 3 of us on this trip - father, mother and teenager. All the transport (to/from airport, between cities, to/from sites) was taken care of by Chris and his team and there were no issues.

Note 1: We visited Greece in the first week in April which I think is the right time to visit. The temperatures were in the mid 50's - mid 60's Fahrenheit, and though there were a couple of rainy days, the weather was generally very good. Besides, though it seemed crowded, we were told that the crowds in summer dwarfed what we saw in spring. I think that would explain why the prices in spring were reasonable. Pack some water resistant jackets/umbrellas, sweaters, comfortable walking shoes. We took sunscreen but didn't need it.

Note 2: Tips, though not mandatory, are encouraged for the guides and drivers. Ask your planner what they recommend. We tipped about 5%-10% in restaurants.

Note 3: The carry-on bag allowance for Aegean Airlines is only 8 kg (less than 18 lbs), and they check at the counter and gate, so pack accordingly.

Athens: Seamless pickup from the airport to the hotel (Athens Manor Houses), check-in and find the room to be clean, spacious, and wonderfully located. Guide for Acropolis was Christina - knowledgeable and friendly young lady - got our steps in visiting the Acropolis and Acropolis museum. What can I say - the Parthenon is amazing as is the Acropolis Museum! I only wish we had time to visit the National Archeological Museum because it is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of Greek Antiquity artifacts worldwide. C'est la vie - maybe next time. We also took a day trip to Delphi - and even though it was a rainy day, it was wonderful. Our driver was Giannis - informative and friendly. Our guide at Delphi was George who was very helpful. Giannis then took us to a fantastic restaurant in Delphi called Taverna Vakhos - superb food and great views! We then stopped at some scenic spots on the way back to Athens. Back at Athens, one small food joint stood out - "Not Just Falafel" - great, inexpensive food. Athens reminds you of big cities such as New York - lot of people of the go, noisy, never sleeps, etc.

Heraklion (Crete) - The land of the Minotaur, the Labyrinth, Theseus, etc. We wish we had stayed here for more than 2 nights. The people were very friendly and laid back. Food was out of this world - I highly recommend a restaurant called Peskesi in Heraklion. We stayed at the Olive Green Hotel - fabulous room, great location, helpful staff. We were able to walk around in town (less than 10 minutes from hotel) and get some shopping in besides the dining. Btw - there is a laundry service about 2 minutes from the hotel - very efficient - drop off up to 5 kgs (11 lbs) of clothes for cleaning, and it is ready for pickup in 2-3 hours for 7 Euros. Any way, back to the sights. We spent half a day or so, visiting the Heraklion Archeological Museum and the Palace of Knossos. Our guide Lina met us at the Museum where we spent about 90 minutes taking in the amazing history of Crete - artefacts from as early as 2700 BCE. The Minoan Civilization was the first advanced civilization in Europe, leaving behind a number of massive building complexes, sophisticated art, and writing systems. Mind blowing! Our driver, Alex then drove us to the Palace of Knossos. You really have to see it - the palace itself seems to be a labyrinth - wonderful frescoes, advanced architecture, running water, sewage system, etc. Lina was a wonderful guide.

Santorini (Thera)- yes the scenery is like in the paintings we see in some Greek restaurants. Outstanding. We stayed at a place called Above Blue Suites in a town called Imerovigli - and were provided a suite that would probably be frightfully expensive in summer - had a Sauna, private pool/jacuzzi, spacious rooms, etc. Please note the check-in time though. We got to the hotel at around 10:30 am, but had to wait until almost 2:30 before they checked us in. We did leave our luggage at the hotel while we found a place to eat. We liked a couple of restaurants in Imerovigli - To Anogi, and The White Lounge. Imerovigli is a few miles from the capital Fira (30 minute walk), and several miles from the more touristy Oia. We loved where we stayed - the sunset over the Aegean Sea was truly amazing. Anyway, we spent a few hours visiting the Akrotiri prehistoric site and Museum. Our driver, Konstantinos, and guide, Hara, were great. We decided to add a visit to the Lost Atlantis Museum for an additional Euro 40 to the transport company, and additional for the museum tickets. The next day we hired a car (Euro 200 for 3 hours) and driver, Thakis, to drive us around to some scenic spots, visit Oia, and finally stopped off at Taverna Kritikos for a simple and tasty Greek lunch, I highly recommend this restaurant - it's run by an elderly lady and the food is superb and inexpensive.

All things must pass - and so did our Greek vacation. Kudos to Chris and kimkim.com for planning such a great trip - everything was as promised. This is the first time we tried kimkim out, and quite understandably, I was a bit nervous. Thankfully, they were the real deal! Thank you Chris and kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Olive Green Hotel

Heraklion

Fabulous room, great location, helpful staff. Wonderfully located. We were able to walk around in town (less than 10 minutes from hotel) and get some shopping in besides the dining. 5-minute walk to restaurants and museums. This is a newer hotel and it had spacious rooms and a nice balcony. Btw - there is a laundry service about 2 minutes from the hotel - very efficient - drop off up to 5 kgs (11 lbs) of clothes for cleaning, and it is ready for pickup in 2-3 hours for 7 Euros.

Authenticity & Character

The balconies were nice and big

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

The staff and people here were very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was a newer hotel with spacious rooms

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

Seamless pickup from the airport to the hotel (Athens Manor Houses), check-in, and find the room to be clean, spacious, and wonderfully located. Walking distance to one small food joint stood out - "Not Just Falafel" - great, inexpensive food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Above Blue Suites

Santorini

We were provided a suite that would probably be frightfully expensive in summer - had a Sauna, private pool/jacuzzi, spacious rooms, etc. Please note the check-in time though. We got to the hotel at around 10:30 am, but had to wait until almost 2:30 before they checked us in. We did leave our luggage at the hotel while we found a place to eat. We liked a couple of restaurants in Imerovigli - To Anogi, and The White Lounge. Imerovigli is a few miles from the capital Fira (30 minute walk), and several miles from the more touristy Oia. We loved where we stayed - the sunset over the Aegean Sea was truly amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff let us leave our luggage at the hotel before checking into the hotel

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Guide for Acropolis was Christina - knowledgeable and friendly young lady - got our steps in visiting the Acropolis and Acropolis museum. What can I say - the Parthenon is amazing as is the Acropolis Museum! We received a gift from the driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Knossos & Museum Tour

Greece

We spent half a day or so, visiting the Heraklion Archeological Museum and the Palace of Knossos. Our guide Lina met us at the Museum where we spent about 90 minutes taking in the amazing history of Crete - artefacts from as early as 2700 BCE. The Minoan Civilization was the first advanced civilization in Europe, leaving behind a number of massive building complexes, sophisticated art, and writing systems. Mind blowing! Our driver, Alex then drove us to the Palace of Knossos. You really have to see it - the palace itself seems to be a labyrinth - wonderful frescoes, advanced architecture, running water, sewage system, etc. Lina was a wonderful guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historical Santorini Guided Tour

Santorini

We spent a few hours visiting the Akrotiri prehistoric site and Museum. Our driver, Konstantinos, and guide, Hara, were great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were knowledgable

Transport

Emanuela was great every step of the way! Response time was impeccable and to me that’s the most important sign of excellent service.

All the guides including Barbara. Iliara we’re superb and professional