Kimkim Trip Reviews

Ashley did a fantastic job planning our trip and customizing it to align with our needs and interests. On the trip itself, we loved having private transfers everywhere we went - it made the entire process so easy and stress-free. We especially loved our guide in Vietnam. For more experienced travelers like ourselves, I would recommend scheduling more self-guided days than you think you need. By the end of the trip, we were eager to explore on our own more without guides. Overall, we were very happy with our KimKim experience.

Hotel Reviews

Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rimping Village Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Pandora Cruises

Hai Phong

Cruise ship rooms were in poor shape and food was mediocre. Activities on-board were just okay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soleil Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Great service! Rooms were a bit small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was a bit small

Activity Reviews

Lan Ha Bay – Viet Hai Village – Van Boi Beach (La Pandora)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore The Beauty of Hanoi - Full Day Sightseeing

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day elephant care at Baan Chang Elephant Park - Join group tour

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Evening Walking Street Food Tour

Hanoi

This was one of our favorite parts of the trip! Our guide Jade did an amazing job.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Leisure day

Chiang Mai

Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok City tour with Join local Ferry Public cross Chao Phraya river

Bangkok

Chiang Mai full-day city tour by KT

Chiang Mai

We enjoyed seeing the temples and market but didn't care for the local factory tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dark and Bright Cave - Ha Long Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved our family trip (with adult kids) to Costa Rica! KimKim did a great job with our hotel recommendations and organizing our tours for us. As first timers to the country, it was really helpful to have their assistance. The game changer was getting a driver from the airport to Arenal and from their down to our next location, Manuel Antonio. Our driver was Alex and we learned more from him about the country and wildlife than any tour guide could have provided.

Stayed at the Hotel Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs! Loved it! The rooms spacious and the breakfast was wonderful. We had a beautiful view of the volcano from our room. Our little house was in the back of the resort so it was A LOT of walking. The grounds were lovely and enjoyed seeing and hearing wildlife there as well.

First tour was with Sky Tram, Sky Walk and Sky Trek with Sky Arenal Park. the Zip Lining was awesome and we followed it up with a forest hike and tour. I would have done a different forest hike maybe rather than just using the same company. Not that our guide was not knowledgeable, just that I had heard a lot about the 7 bridges hike and thought that was what we were doing. We split up for second day. Two did the Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall. They were given a lot of free reign with the horses and said the waterfall was stunning. Two did the Rio Celeste and Tenorio Volcano Guided Rainforest Hike. The highlight on this trek is to see water that is literally two different colors where two rivers merge, but it was raining so water was brown. We do think the guide at Rio Celeste Nature could have let them know before the hike, just so that they could decide it that was still he tour they would choose. My husband and I did the Safari Float on the Penas Blancas River. It was a rainy day, but still enjoyed the trip. Saw some Cayman, Howler Monkeys, a tree porcupine and many birds. Be prepared to paddle, not just float! After the tour, we were surprised with a snack, some moonshine and then followed up with an education about chocolate farming. Enjoyed it!

Second part of our trip was to Manuel Antonio. We stayed at the Mariposa Hotel which had an absolutely stunning view of the ocean. The pool and outdoor restaurant was lovely. Rooms were big, a bit outdated, and many stairs there. The area itself not really walkable as hotel not close to much and road are very narrow to walk along. I still would recommend this hotel though for the view alone. Breakfast was good and had dinner there one night which was delicious.

Went down the beach where we could rent chairs and shade. Was a little surprised by the aggressive approach of venders, people trying to sell you a seat and restaurant promoters. Once we were in our seats though, we were still asked to buy, but things were much quieter.

Did the Catamaran Adventure from Ocean King. Stunning views, fun atmosphere. No reefs, but can still snorkel and look for fish, The boat is BIG. Maybe 200 people. Took a bit to get there because they stop halfway and everyone has to get off bus and then pay and get back on the bus.

KimKim was responsive when we needed to make any changes to our itinery. I did have a few changes to my travel agent there which did make things a little confusing for me at times. Shout out to Wilman who kept up with us on What's Ap and made any changes.

Overall, I would use KimKim again!

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

Did the Catamaran Adventure from Ocean King. Stunning views, fun atmosphere. No reefs, but can still snorkel and look for fish, The boat is BIG. Maybe 200 people. Took a bit to get there because they stop halfway and everyone has to get off bus and then pay and get back on the bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

This was a fun activity for everyone. Not too strenuous, saw lots of spiders, poison dart frogs, cayman, turtles and butterflies. Felt safe while doing it. The only thing that I would have preferred would be for our tour group to be a little smaller.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

My husband and I did the Safari Float on the Penas Blancas River. It was a rainy day, but still enjoyed the trip. Saw some Cayman, Howler Monkeys, a tree porcupine and many birds. Be prepared to paddle, not just float! After the tour, we were surprised with a snack, some moonshine and then followed up with an education about chocolate farming. Enjoyed it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

First tour was with Sky Tram, Sky Walk and Sky Trek with Sky Arenal Park. the Zip Lining was awesome and we followed it up with a forest hike and tour. I would have done a different forest hike maybe rather than just using the same company. Not that our guide was not knowledgeable, just that I had heard a lot about the 7 bridges hike and thought that was what we were doing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing trip! Everything was so well planned, from start to finish. Realistic Asia is a great tour company that gave a wonderful, customized experience for our trip to Bangkok and chiang mai.

A special shoutout to the local guide in Bangkok, Tipa!!! She really made the entire trip in Bangkok so amazing! She was so thoughtful, and was the BEST guide I've ever had. She made traveling to Thailand for the first time such a comfortable experience. Not only did she give great information at each excursion and give a great tour, she was really observant and thoughtful. It was so many sweet little things like getting water or snacks for us, finding the best fruits because she noticed my mom really liked them, and helping us make plans and appointments even for things not on the itinerary. She was kind, helpful, and so sweet. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Hien, the local specialist, helped plan a wonderful 7 day trip with every detail thought out, and the best part was that even during the planning process, we could make adjustments and changes for every part including what experiences/excursions we did, which hotels, etc. she also checked in on us throughout the trip and was so helpful throughout.

Chiang Mai was also great, super nice guide Tas, comfortable as well.
All Around this tour had great service, great experiences, could not recommend more!

Hotel Reviews

Conrad Bangkok

Gorgeous, convenient

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Chai The Colonial Hotel & Spa

Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Evening Wat Umong Temple and Chiang Mai City by night

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok evening street food tour

Bangkok

Amazing! Such good food

Quality of Experience

Tipa was the best guide

Food

ALL DELICIOUS

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tipa helped find the best food and fruits!!

Transport

Half day Chiang Mai Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Join tour

Chiang Mai

Such a cool experience and elephants seemed to be very relaxed and happy

Quality of Experience

So special. Elephants were so nice

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Ayutthaya

Bangkok

Very pretty, cool history

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful guide Tipa and very nice comfortable driver

Transport

Bangkok - Floating Market– Train Market - Bangkok Half Day Tour

Bangkok

So great, very cool unique experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Great food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very comfortable

I can't thank Chelsea enough for the trip that she had planned. When i first spoke to her, i basically gave her an outline of what i was interested in and the time frame i had and pretty much said... 'show me your best'

And she did...

The way the trip was planned, in terms of time in the different places was well thought out and the activities that she arranged were so diverse and varied that i can't begin to choose which one was my best. I feel that i have seen an array of New Zealand and experienced some of the top activities that it has to offer. I was able to see the vast landscape in all its beauty and also witness the natural wildlife in their own surroundings, which is something that will last with me for a lifetime.
Chelsea has been great from the start and her communication to me throughout the journey of planning (which started back in 2021) all the way through the trip and even after i have returned home is fantastic.
Would i come back ... yes of course i would. I would certainly repeat some of the places i have been to and the activities i have taken part in, but i also know a few more places that i would really like to see as well in this beautiful country that i would certainly look to add on to my itinreary.

Thank you once again, i am still in awe of this amazing experience and had such an amazing time.

Hotel Reviews

Fable Christchurch

Christchurch

good location, room was good breakfast was good - although there was an issue with it 'apparently' not being booked on their system

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

not really helpful during check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aoraki Court Motel

Aoraki/Mt Cook Village

fab location in the area - ease of access to a lot of things where we were room was fab breakfast was disaapointing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

only saw 1 person during check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Highfield Mews Motel

Oamaru

great room, location a little off the main drag but for us a walkable distance appreciate it was a motel but breakfast was disappointing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

only saw the 1 person during check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Copthorne Hotel & Apartments Queenstown Lakeview

Queenstown

great location from the airport and also good location - just outside of the main centre but not too far to walk. room was fantastic, breakfast was good we had a turn down service each day we had an issue with breakfast nit being on our booking and had to remind them each day as they never made a note.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The White Morph - Heritage Collection

Kaikoura

great location for everything staff were lovely during check in we had a turn down service breakfast was disappointing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

only saw people on check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima Lake Rotorua

Rotorua

Great location for access to the main area For the main activities (canopy tour & thermal wonderland) we still had to drive. but in general it is a great location for accessing the town itself. booking all good breakfast was absolutely fine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oaks Auckland Hotel (Prev. Nesuto Stadium Auckland)

Auckland

The hotel was in a good location of the city with plenty of things available in walking distance. The breakfast selection was excellent. We did have a bit of trouble checking in when we arrived late at night - that was sorted by the morning. We were there for 3 nights (well technically 2 and a half) but did not have a turn down service at all whilst we were there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We didn't have a turn down service at any point when we were there

Activity Reviews

Return your car to the Airport

New Zealand

suzuki swift - north island took a long time to get the car but all was fine with it once we had it. GPS system worked fine and the car did what we needed it to do south island we were supposed to get a mitsibushi but ended up with another suzuki (similar size as planned) car drove fine and got us where we needed the GPS / sound system was an issue throughout our time and we were fortunate that Matt's was able to use his mobile phone. the system kept on disconnecting and restarting which meant that the GPS system was not working for most of the time we needed it. we informed the depot when we returned the keys and they will check it out

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

south island car - GPS kept going off and restarting or losing signal

Transport

Swim with the Dolphins Tour

Kaikōura

save the best til last this experience was amazing - i was not quite expecting what happened. i thought maybe 3 or 4 dolphins. but to enter the water and see that many - so close up to me... UNREAL to be able to swim with these amazing animals in their own habitat was just so precious and i am so glad that i did this. i wasn't that confident in snorkeling but the staff were supportive and gave some great guidance for both that and how to interact with the dolphins

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Explorers - Mount Cook

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

magical to see something like that was just out of this world. as well as the main glacier there were some icebergs on the lake as well that we were able to get close to and touch. the staff were very good at making sure that both sides of the boat got the experience and they spoke very well about the history of the glacier as well as provided some great information about whats happening and what will continue to happen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony Premium Evening Viewing

Oamaru

it was disappointing that no where in Oamaru was open prior to this activity. however, the experience was so much fun it was great to see these animals in their natural habitat. the staff were very knowledgeable and also answered any questions that you had. it was great to see some fur seals as well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

made our own way there

Dart River Safaris - Wilderness Jet

Queenstown (NZ)

absolutely awesome easy to find - a nice drive out to Glenorchy the staff were great and spoke really well about the area and the adventure. made the experience so much fun, got involved with the guests in terms of conversing and provided opportunities for photos etc

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TSS Earnslaw Farm Tour & Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

the whole experience was great the steamer was great fun and the information provided whilst on board was fab the farm was just out of this world. the best food we had all holiday - unbelievable. the fun parts after food with the farmer were an added bonus - sheep shearing and herding everything about this night was fab

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NZONE Skydive Queenstown 15000 ft jump

Queenstown (NZ)

absolutely amazing experience from start to finish the communication from the team in prep for waivers and also updates on weather was good safety briefings were very good and the quality of transport to the drop zone was decent the staff were very helpful and made sure that everything was ok. the tandem master was great fun and made you fee at ease throughout the whole experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Sound Full-Day Adventure

Queenstown (NZ)

the driver was fab - very knowledgeable and good humour, keeping us entertained throughout the journey the weather was not on our side so we did not get the full effect of the size of the gorge. however, we saw some amazing waterfalls instead the boat trip was wet and windy but good fun and the lunch provided was suitable. the let down (because of the weather) was that we did not get to take our plane ride back to queenstown. we were going to try for the helicopter option instead - but that was also unavailable when we returned from the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Pā Tū Māori Feast & Performance

Rotorua

the whole experience was amazing the information and history provided by the bus driver both on the way there and back was extensive and really interesting. the experience and knowledge gained from the people in the village was great and it was such an amazing thing to watch when they were performing. really enjoyed getting involved in all of the activities the only let down was the food - whilst it was amazing and delicious, the quantity was limited and i expected more of a buffet style as there were only small portions available (1 each) because i only eat chicken, i ate very little that night

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rotorua Forest Canopy Tour

Rotorua

absolutely amazing experience the guides were fab and they made the whole experience even better along with the zip lines, we learnt a lot about the forest and also the wildlife and support systems in place which was an added bonus. in future - when booking for people, ask them which option they want as i would have loved to have done the 'ultimate' canopy tour but we were only booked on the original one

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland

Rotorua

it was very warm. able to view everything at your own pace the scenery was great and the information on the boards provided for you to read was great there was an issue when we went to get our tickets as they had no knowledge of our booking on their list we still got in but we had to write down the information provided to us from you and i presume they made further checks

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Auckland to Rotorua with Waitomo Caves

New Zealand

caves were absolutely amazing, the staff were great and their knowledge was fantastic

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Auckland Harbour Dinner Cruise

Auckland

the weather was a bit of a let down which meant most of the time was spent below deck. the boat wasn't what i expected and equally the way we were eating our food was not as expected after seeing other boats in the harbour that looked more suited. staff were helpful in providing water coats to help keep us dry.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This has been a special and an amazing way to spend our honeymoon. Everything went so smoothly and was so easy.

Our favourites:
- We loved Hoi An, the old city was so special and loved cycling around it. The hotel was also superb - the best one we stayed in.
- All the trips and tours were great but Ms An definitely stuck out and she was wonderful.
- The vespa food tour in Ho Chi Min was brilliant, we really tried some different foods and Vic & Whiner were very funny and joined us for our meals which made the experience so much better.
- Mekong Delta has been incredible, we've learnt so much & Mr Duc was superb. He is a very funny man and the next tour group is lucky to have him. We did ask him to come to Cambodia with us haha.

Overall we're extremely happy with everything on our trip and Ashley did a fantastic job pulling everything together for us so perfectly, we would thoroughly recommend it to friends and family.

I'll start by saying I really enjoyed using the service. We decided relatively last minute (October) to have a family trip to Costa Rica in December (peak season). We promptly were given an itinerary that seemed very good with a total trip price that was much better than I had seen even for small group tours (and group tours was not our first choice). So we booked right away and then made some changes here and there to our itinerary, for example to include a coffee and chocolate tour based on some recommendations. Working with the travel specialist was nice; she made the changes, made suggestions, answered questions etc. There was usually a one day delay to questions/messages etc so I would write, the next day she would respond, I would write back, the next day she would answer etc. I know some of my colleagues had more prompt responses but this was adequate. As for the trip, our hotels were nice, our transfers were seamless, and our tours/activities all were great.
The only negative I have is that while we got a total trip cost, there was no breakdown by hotel, activity, etc. On the one hand this was somewhat liberating; not knowing how much each thing costs allowed us to just experience the trip as planned. We had already agreed on the package price so we didn't need to know the details nor try to attribute value to each experience. Until we did...
One of our days was plagued by pouring rain and we were told that our kayak tour was cancelled but they booked us on a boat tour which was still running. We did not wish to do the boat tour and our son gets motion sickness on boats so we declined (we were never asked nor told about the change...we learned about it when our hotel receptionist called the tour company to check in on the status for us). We asked for a refund for this which was initially declined because they said the tour wasn't cancelled. It took several back and forths and escalation to supervisors to finally be told we could be refunded the cost, which they said was $167. And herein lies the issue. It is very hard for me to believe that a 4-hr guided kayak tour with lunch for 5 people is only $167 ($33/person). The website says $75 per person. It is possible that they are able to offer a discounted rate but I have no way to verify this because of the lack of price breakdown. So, we will take our refund and just have to be okay with it.
So all-in-all, I will probably be willing to use this service again for the ease and convenience of planning a trip to an area with which I am unfamiliar. The planning and adjusting was easy, the platform is aesthetically pleasing, super informative, and user friendly. Having a contact person to help navigate is very helpful as well. Just be aware that you will not know exactly how the total cost is derived.

Activity Reviews

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The zip lines were so fun and we loved it.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour in Monteverde

Monteverde

My whole family (kids 9, 18, 20) loved this tour. Our guide was fun, funny, informative etc. We learned a lot and enjoyed the hands-on activities.

Quality of Experience

Educational and fun

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julio was a great tour guide

Transport

Doris Bùi is an incredible travel consultant. We changed our plans several times and nothing was too hard for her. She worked within our budget and offered alternatives when we needed to change plans. She even met us on our first day and surprised us with a lovely gift. Her organisation skills are fantastic, she checked in with us all the time and arranged wonderful guides and drivers for us.

Thank you Doris! You’ve been amazing and gone over and above with our travel plans.

Hotel Reviews

Thanh Lich Royal Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Really friendly and knowledgeable reception staff, in particular Hoai and Huong. Also restaurant staff were great, in particular Hang. Thank you

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swan Cruise

Great hospitality, very clean, food fantastic and scenery was stunning. Our host Mike was fun and interactive.

Authenticity & Character

Small and personal

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Dibi Villa

Authenticity & Character

Building works next doors disturbed the peace. Ended at 6pm

Location

Staff

We had to leave before breakfast and the staff prepared us something to take with us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Building works next doors are disruptive

Activity Reviews

Ninh Binh - Lan Ha Bay Cruise - Overnight on Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Such stunning scenery apart from the hazy skies that are prevalent in winter. We went to a quieter part of the bay so there was a cap on the number of boats in the area. The kayaking was fun and took us to a small beach. We stopped at a cave too which was interesting. It’s a truly outstanding area of natural beauty but there is sadly a lot of rubbish in the sea and on the beaches which is a real shame. Swan cruises were really great - a small ship.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Polite and helpful.

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Mua Cave - Tam Coc Boat Trip

Ninh Binh

Thoroughly enjoyed our day, including a hike up many stairs to a stunning view, fabulous lunch off the beaten track and a 1.5 hour boat trip which was pleasant and fairly peaceful.

Quality of Experience

It was something we had not experienced before, a small negative is that there are loads of people doing the same thing. It’s difficult to enjoy the scenery when people all around you, if you’re after serenity, perhaps go really early.

Food

Variety of food and really loved it that our guide Mr Long joined us for lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street Food tour

Hanoi

The locals know best and we were in Mr Long’s very capable hands. This was a fun and interactive tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi City tour half day morning

Hanoi

Mr Long made our tour interesting and engaged really well with our children. Was more than happy to adapt plans as required. Thank you Mr Long

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It is going to be difficult to name all the people involve in this trip who made the experience unforgettable. This is the third time I've booked my trip through kimkim. I typically book via kimkim when I am running short on time to plan my trip or to book accommodations and activities. This time, I had my 5 days in Dominican Republic filled with activities all throughout and then some. All the people involve in the trip were some of the nicest people I've met, but I'm only going to limit my review to 2 people that made the trip even better.

I had the most amazing driver in Mr. Cochi. There were many times he would stop along the way and had me sample some of the country's best snacks and if the ride was going to take hours he'd ask me if I want a cup of coffee for the trip.

And the other person who I'd like to give a proper thanks is the awesome trip specialist who planned my entire trip, Marina. Although I didn't have time to create an itinerary for myself, I still had very specific preferences for the trip to the Dominican Republic. Marina was patient with me throughout the weeks of trip planning. She made sure that the activities I wanted to do were tailored with the distance and time to my accommodation and the limited days I had. Each day was perfectly executed, but it wouldn't be possible without Marina's recommendation and detailed trip planning. Kudos to her and kudos to everyone else who made the trip unforgettable.

Really good trip. Chris did an excellent job organizing

Hotel Reviews

Casa Encantada

Antiigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falling Leaves Lodge

San Ignacio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mayan Princess Beach & Dive Resort

Roatan

Very good staff. Poor facilities

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Try greeting guests

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Victoria House Resort

Belize

It was okay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves day tour

Belize

Wow, amazing, awesome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monika did a great job thinking through the pacing of our trip. This was a last minute decision to go to New Zealand, we only had a week, and we were pretty tired so not up for a lot of driving.

Because it was high season Monika told us from the start that she couldn't book a South Island trip for us since their service providers were already booked up. While we had to limit ourselves to the North Island, we wish she had suggested some off the beaten path options such as going North from Auckland for a day or two. The advantage of booking with an agent is that you are all set and don't need to think about it when you travel - the disadvantage is that you are all set, and it's hard to adjust when you learn about things that you might rather like to do. That said, Monika was mostly available throughout the trip and made some effort to try to accommodate us.

There were some snafus with the trip:

1. The instructions that Monika provided to us once we booked the trip were difficult to decipher. There were two PDFs: One had the vouchers with the times and the location for pick up and the second was the "Travel Book" with day to day activities and descriptions, but no times or pick up locations. In order to figure out what we were doing, we had to toggle back and forth. Also neither PDF gave us an indication of how far the activity is from our hotel, leaving us to figure out on our own how much time to leave. With the extra surcharge that KimKim charges, I had expected better.

2. Because of the difficulty in making sense of the logistics of the itinerary, we didn't realize until the last minute that Kim Kim had failed to provide transport to our evening kayak trip in Rotoura which was 35 minutes from our hotel. I had to figure it all out on Google maps and when I did I called an Uber. Only when we were in the Uber did Monika get in touch to say that there was a mistake and that she would reimburse me for the Uber. But that again made for unnecessary stress.

3. We loved the evening kayak trip and our guide, but the description had some errors. Besides not arranging for the service provider to pick us up, the Travel Book (or Voucher) told us to arrive at the launch spot 20 minutes early. When we got there 20 mins early we didn't see anyone - they arrived at the start time instead and told us they never stipulate arriving 20 mins early. Finally, the even is billed as providing a "gourmet BBQ with special Kiwi dessert." It was a basic BBQ with no dessert.

4. Monika didn't ask me during the planning whether we are into adventure sports. The Mt. Tawarera crater walk near Rotoura is very cool, but as soon as we got the launching spot and I saw what it was, I decided not to do the walk. I am afraid of heights and not at all interested in walking on the ledge of steep crater in the wind and rain. My daughter went ahead but was only able to get through it by holding on to the back of the only guide. So a little more communication from Monika around our adventure tolerance level and what is involved in each activity would have been better - this turned out to be a wasted day and a wasted expense.

5. For the final day Monika had not planned anything and provided no options even though we had all morning until about 2 pm to do something. When we saw the problem we let her know and she created an option, but told us that it would be an extra expense. We learned, unsurprisingly, that the amount she would charge is 50% more than had we booked it on our own. That's a steep price for this kind of service!

6. Also on the final day, Monika had the car come about an hour early to pick us up which made us have to wait nearly 3.5 hours at the airport for our flight.

All in all, while we were relieved not to have to do all the research on our own and are mostly pleased with the activities Monika set up for us, we are not sure we'd book with Kim Kim again.

Hotel Reviews

Sudima Auckland City

Auckland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Prince's Gate Hotel

Rotorua

We liked it a lot - good location and nice atmosphere. Our room was small though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Most of the people were great, except for one woman who's name we don't know.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ahi Restaurant - 4 snacks and 4 courses

Auckland

The food is overrated. Two of the dishes were bad, a few were okay - only one was actually very good. It's located at the end of a cheap food court in a mall, which is odd.

Quality of Experience

Food

Mt Tarawera Crater Walk Experience

Rotorua

This is a great experience if you are not afraid of heights and like adventure. Tour agents should be clear with clients about what this is before booking it.

Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

It was okay - Kim Kim billed it as a gourmet BBQ dinner. We were expecting more.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jamie, our guide, was fantastic.

Transport

Kim Kim forgot to set up travel from our hotel

We could not have had a better time on our trip to Thailand. Lacey from kimkim was so patient with us and planned the perfect trip for us. Our local guides in Bangkok and Chiangmai were kind, knowledgeable, and warm. We missed them when we left! We will use kimkim for all trips going forward and we recommended kimkim to others! Thank you kimkim!!

Hotel Reviews

Cape Panwa Hotel

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thai Akara - Lanna Boutique Hotel

Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

JC Kevin Sathorn Bangkok Hotel

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Full day)

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Alms Giving & Jungle Temple

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Touch of Nature

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

True Colors Of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Encounter oriental gastronomy in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's sea canoe - Hong by Starlight - Joining excursion

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

COSTA RICA is magical. Lush, green, full of birds and monkeys and sloths and butterflies. And each excursion was different. 5:00 am to see birds, 5:00 pm for an exploration in the dark. The Arenal Volcano and the area around La Fortuna was exciting to explore— hiking, waterfalls and more green and more animals.
Alec, a driver on 2 legs felt like a friend after only a few minutes. And Andrea’s ‘Socio’, our guide in Manuel Antonia National Park was brilliant in his knowledge, passion and his ability to communicate his love of his surroundings.
A great 8 days. Wish we could have stayed longer

Hotel Reviews

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Hot spring pool Great service at the main desk for every need Spread out without being too spread out Great happy hour Delicious dinners

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sukia Nighttime Nature Walk

Manuel Antonio

Our guide His passion for protecting animals

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching in Arenal Mundo Aventura Park

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AMA Extreme

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

If I could give the team at Original Travels 6 stars I would. Everything about our trip was nothing short of amazing. Morocco as a country and its people have a lot to offer, but working with a travel agent that made the process so easy was what made it so enjoyable. Ali and Said helped us plan an itinerary that had something for everyone in our family of five, from cultural immersion to cooking class to ATVs and sand boarding in the desert. Our guide Yasser was a phenomenal travel companion, giving us great tips along the road and making everything run smoothly. And the local guides in Fes and Marrakesh were well informed, very pleasant and made us all fall in love with the history and culture.

I've been back from my trip for a few days, and have already recommended them to all of my friends. Morocco is definitely a bucket list destination, and the team at Original travels is the best way to explore it.

Fab trip with amazing helpers/guides overall. With some corrections from us they were able to put together an unforgettable experience. Watch out with the number of days allowed to visit Vietnam without a visa. We got caught out and had some issues during the ultimate departure.

A Direct, Comprehensive Approach to Planning a an Unforgettable Week in Costa Rica

Olman and Graciela at Amazilla travel were thoughtful, courteous, and prompt in responding to our queries and walking us through the process of planning a lovely week in the La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio areas. I'm usually on edge during travels that I book myself concerned that I've selected the best sites, tours, and accommodations. That concern was lifted by the team at kimkim, allowing me to fully enjoy my three daughters as we experienced the mix of sightseeing, adventure, and relaxation on this journey. I look forward to arranging further travel through kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Expensive and crowded.

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy shuttle ride to the airport.

Staff

Very welcoming at the reception desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

The view from the newly refurbished interior rooms exquisite!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mountain Paradise

Fortuna

A lovely campus with a friendly, responsive staff. Individual units were spacious and well appointed, perfect for families, couples, or solo travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Unique units that blended so nicely into the exterior environment.

Location

Situated within access to all major attractions.

Staff

Daniel at the front desk and Gabriel and his colleagues in the restaurant were attentive and social.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Whilst it was lovely to be on the ocean, the snorkeling was very disappointing. Also, the restaurant visit added time to the trip that was unnecessary. We were the first to be picked up and the last to be dropped off. We would have preferred to return to our hotel and visited one of the many lovely restaurants near our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

One of the highlights of the trip! Our guide, Jorge, was knowledgeable, energetic, and very proud of his work.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

This is one of the most delightful hot springs I've visited around the world!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful environment. Clean and well designed! Friendly staff.

Food

A vast spread of fresh foods that were identified for vegetarian and vegan diners.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

The guide was knowledgeable to seemed to really enjoy his work.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Please clarify to travelers the following: Pick up from the hotel could occur within a window--we arrived on time but the bus almost left because there were people from three other hotels who were sitting waiting for 15 minutes for us. We had no idea. Furthermore, it was not clear that the same but would drive us to the hot springs afterwards.

Fantastic experience for our first trip to Ireland- the accommodations were excellent, all of the suggested locations, excursions, and travel itinerary were outstanding- Dean listened to what we were looking to do, and really came through with excellent recommendations that made for a memorable vacation and lifetime memories- Thanks again - highly recommended ! We will book our 2024 trip soon- this time to Italy

Our trip to Ecuador was great. The mainland/Ecuador portion was exactly what we expected it to be. Mindo was a pleasant surprise and loved that portion. The hotel in Quito was wonderful. As for the Galapagos, everything was great except we would have liked for our guide to recommend Los Tuneles in Isabela on the Galapagos. We heard that those were great, but we were not told about those. Otherwise, I would highly recommend everything else we did in the Galapagos.

Activity Reviews

Exploring Antisana Ecological Reserve: Trek to Laguna de la Mica

Quito

Seeing the world's 2nd largest volcano was awesome. Would definitely do this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest

Quito

This was probably the best day of our trip. Our guide Ximena drove us to Mindo and she was great in bringing us to these places. We did 6 or 7 activities all in one day and had a great time. This included zip lining, tubing, seeing hummingbirds and making chocolate from cacao.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family of 4 had a fantastic trip to Colombia. Margoth and her team were terrific to work with. From the first moment we corresponded and throughout the trip they were a delight to deal with. We visited Cartegena and Medellin over 8 days. Each day was well planned and the recommended activities, hotels, restaurants, tours, etc were all to our liking. They stayed close to us throughout the trip and all our requests were handled promptly without issue. I would highly recommend Margoth and her team!

We had an amazing trip in Vietnam. Minh and Thuy were extremely helpful in planning our honeymoon, which spanned 5 cities in 2 weeks, from the North to the South of Vietnam.

Minh helped us customize our itinerary while planning our trip, booking local guides at each destination to make sure we got the best experience.

Minh and Thuy were our points of contact during the trip and were super responsive to get us sorted out logistically, including rescheduling some of our activities last minute.

We particularly enjoyed our village tour of Hanoi with Daniel and our night foodie jeep tour with Jenny.

Daniel was super knowledge and took us on a tour of villages outside of Hanoi. We made bun cha at a villager’s house and rode bikes to explore.

Jenny took us to several food stops across Ho Chi Minh where we tried the freshest seafood and local dishes off the beaten path.

We would highly recommend Minh’s services to anyone looking for a once in a lifetime Vietnam experience!

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Hoi An

We came to Hoi An during rainy season so unfortunately we didn’t get to experience some of the hotels amenities to their fullest. This hotel had several pools that would have been nice in the summer. Our honeymoon suite was beautiful ans had a private tub and sauna. It was nice, though the layout might seem a bit awkward to people used to staying in more traditional hotels. Our favorite part about this hotel was the spa. La Spa at the hotel gave us the best massages we’ve ever gotten. The entire experience was thoughtfully curated, and we would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of whether or not you’re staying at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hermes Cruises

We did the 2 night cruise with Hermes for our honeymoon and had a great experience. We stayed in the presidents suite and had a semi private balcony and jacuzzi. The room was beautiful and roomy as was the rest of the boat. Note that the jacuzzi though heated was too cold to get in during the winter. Also note that the wifi was extremely spotty. The guides and staff on the boat were very welcoming and entertaining. The food and cocktails were decent for a cruise. We particularly liked the departure brunch. We did hiking, swimming, and kayaking excursions across the 3 days. Since we had a full day on the second day, we were able to cruise out to a neighboring bay and do a beautiful kayaking trip where it was less crowded. I’d highly recommend this tour to experience Ha Long Bay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Night Foodie Tour on Jeep Car

Ho Chi Minh City

We went on a jeep foodie tour with Jenny and had an awesome experience. Jenny curated several food stops for us, including seafood, local dishes, and desserts. We went to several districts during our couple hours on this tour. Jenny was really entertaining and energetic and planned very memorable stops. We had a lot of fun driving through the city in the open air. We were not bored because we went from restaurant to restaurant at a fast pace with our tiredly guide throughout. We would highly recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Sightseeing Full Day

Ho Chi Minh City

This tour felt a bit cookie cutter and we just went to sights that were on TripAdvisor’s top 10 list, which we felt like we could have done ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the local life in Hanoi, streed food tour

Hanoi

We loved this tour and Daniel was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about Hanoi and the village he was taking us to. With his knowledge, he crafted us a very intimate tour with the community. We biked to a food market, temple, and made bun cha at a villager’s house. He told us a really interesting backstory about the owner of the house we were at. We also visited a flower farm and a lady who makes tofu out of her house (so delicious!). We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hanoi!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucy helped us to plan a wonderful trip to Vietnam. She was most accommodating to all of our requests and questions. I cannot recommend her services enough. She was there for us from the beginning until the end of our trip and made sure that my family and I were well taken care of. I had her revise our itinerary many times, and she never had any problems doing so. Having Lucy there to support us throughout our entire trip to Vietnam was such a blessing, as it helped to take the stress out of not knowing what to do, where to go, or who to contact. Vietnam is a country that would have been difficult and stressful to navigate without her. The accommodations that she recommended for us were all spectacular, particularly the Amiana in Nha Trang and the Stellar of the Seas Cruise in Ha Long Bay. Having her as a point of contact helped me to feel at ease during the trip and her responsiveness to all situations was outstanding. My family and I are so grateful for her help in planning and ensuring that the travel adventure that we had went smoothly. I wish she could be our travel agent for every country! Thank you so much Lucy, you provided our family with memories to treasure for a lifetime! :)

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Classic Hang Thung

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amiana Resort Nha Trang

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Majestic Saigon

Ho Chi Minh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

The ship was clean and the rooms were beautiful. The staff was amazing and I am so glad that my family and I were able to stay on this cruise. I highly recommend, 10/10!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Biking in Viet Hai Village & Relaxing at Ba Trai Dao Area 3D2N (Stellar Of The Seas)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Teh Dar Show

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycle to Kim Bong Village - Tra Nhieu

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leisure Time & Disembarking cruise 3D2N (Stellar Of The Seas)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onboarding - Visit Dark & Bright Cave 3D2N (Stellar Of The Seas)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc (Ninh Binh)

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport