Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall we enjoyed the trip thoroughly. ALL the staff including Wendy, Andrea, Andreas, Martin, and, everyone were knowledgeable, kind, caring and very attentive to our special needs. Aside from the physical strains of walking hills where unavoidable, we have no complaints. The hotel in Bogota (Sofitel) was a gem and we loved it. However, the same cannot be said for Park 10 (Medellin). This was one of the WORST places I have ever stayed. It was exactly the opposite of what we had requested. These people were very kind and tried to help, but have no idea how to operate a hotel. We had NO hot water most of the time, no one could adjust the A/C so that we were not cold all the time, no one could get the TV (Direct TV) to produce anything but Spanish speaking channels, numerous technical issues which never were resolved, etc. The original hotel would have been great except the brochure does not mention that most rooms could only be accessed by long, steep, dangerous stairways with no railings. When none of the rooms we were supposed to get were available they were of no help in accommodating us. Really ruined a good part of our stay in Medellin.
So after this long litany of complaints, let me conclude by thanking your entire organization for providing us with a wonderful memory of our anniversary in your beautiful country, with its kind people and welcoming spirit.

Cristina was the best, always attentive to our needs.

We had an amazing trip overall to Chile (Valparaiso, Santiago, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Atacama desert and Patagonia). The trip was smooth, informative, had great guides overalls and very few hiccups.

The few elements I would propose to improve:

1. Our first night in Hotel Fundador was not good. We had a horribly tiny room that gave to the front of the hotel. We were on the 2nd floor and it was extremely noisy. I had never been in a hotel room that small. During our second stay at the hotel for the end of our trip, we told them this and they gave us their standard room which was much better
2. We weren't aware that we could fly directly to Puerto Natales (instead of flying to Punto Arenas which was 3 hours away via bus) - it would be good to have been told that a flight to Puerto Natales was preferred
3. Our tour operator in San Pedro de Atacama would give us intervals for pick-up (for example: between 4-4:30AM) - it would be preferred to have a shorter interval especially when the pick-up is that early
4. Our tour operator in San Pedro de Atacama sub-contracted a tour to the Tatio Geysers without telling us when the tour was meant to occur with them if there were at least 2 people. It was bad because they didn't warn us and the new tour operator had a different pick-up time: instead of 4-4:30AM, it was 4:30-5AM. We lost sleep because of this poor communication. We were very unhappy with this and it was hard to even get a "sorry, this was our mistake"
5. We originally had a rainbow valley tour in Atacama, but it was cancelled due to poor weather. This was fine, but the replacement tour was an "archeological tour". It was not a great tour - very little to see - very little information
6. Following my comment in #5, it would have been better that the tour operator rearrange our schedule to include the full day Pierras Rojas tour. We asked for them to suggest new tours, etc., but they were not helpful.

As you see, we have some feedback but I need to highlight how enjoyable Rapa Nui Tours (guide: Sabrina Tuki Pont), Patagonia Planet and CL Mundo were. Our tour operator in Atacama (Capricornio Expediciones) was disappointing overall such that our experience in Atacama was less enjoyable.

Ana was excellent. We would definitely work with Kimkim again.

Two other comments:
- Maybe include more restaurant suggestions in the given locations
- I would have preferred that the tours be English only, and not bilingual Spanish/English. We felt that we would get less information on bilingual tours than on English only tours.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fundador

Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Our first stay, we had a terribly tiny room. We could not have our luggage open in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vai Moana

Easter Islan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ultramar

Valparaíso

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Fantastic hotel with kind staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lady Florence Dixie

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room could be renovated, but still was comfortable enough for our needs.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Akivi Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Would have preferred an English only tour.

Transport

Santiago Markets City Bike Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset at Tahai

Easter Island

We did not need this activity given our hotel was 5 minutes away by foot. I would recommend another tour instead of this one for people staying in Vai Moana hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Puritama Hotsprings

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Valley

San Pedro de Atacama

We did not have this activity - it was an archeological tour. I would not recommend - it was not informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic excursion to the Torres del Paine National Park (with Box Lunch)

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It would have been better to have an English only tour - not bilingual

Transport

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day - Valparaiso & Viña del Mar

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easter Island Full Day Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Orongo Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise at Tongariki

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

The tour ended up being great, but Capricornio Expediciones was very poor in communicating the time of pick-up (time changed so we lost 30 minutes sleep) and the fact that they sub-contracted the tour without telling us We were also meant to be dropped off at our hotel, but that didn't happen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons - Atacama Salt Flat

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fantastic trip from start to finish! Oslo is a beautiful walking city with such focus on history and art. Tromso a must see and highly recommend overnights to Tromso Ice Domes and Lyngen North Glass Igloos. People of Norway are amazing! Friendly, helpful and very welcoming!

Nepal exceeded our expectations in everything! The trip was just amazing. Sangita helped us to plan everything we want to visit, provided very detailed information regarding everything. We didn't need to worry about anything. All the hotels were really nice and comfortable, the food was so delicious, we are going to miss it a lot! Our Kathmandu guide Bipin told us numerous interesting stories about Nepal and answered every crazy question we had :) Our trekking experience was also amazing, we very really excited with the mountains. And again we didn't have to think about anything as our guide Akaci was taking care of our route, meals, hotels.

I would like to say numerous thanks to Sangita and her team for this experience! Nepal is a wonderful country and we definitely wish to come back!

My sister and I decided we wanted to take a trip to Spain together, however neither of us had the time to plan all of the details. This is where kimkim came in. The travel quiz goes over things such as budget, what your travel style is, what kinds of activities you enjoy, etc. You are able to customize how much planning kimkim does for you. We decided it would be most helpful for us to have our hotels and transportation booked, but that we would like to book our own activities. Then we were connected with our local specialist, Yuri. Kimkim had a curated list of trusted hotels in each city we planned to visit, and we were able to go through and select the ones we liked. Yuri was even able to upgrade us to a nicer hotel for the same price for one of our stays! All of the hotels were excellent. One of the highlights of our trip was a free walking tour Yuri set up for us in Madrid. The guide took us on a custom tour of the city based on our interests and what we had seen so far; his knowledge of Madrid and it's history was remarkable. Unfortunately, a few days into our trip, I left my phone in the car that transferred us to the train station. This is where Yuri really became MVP. He was able to contact the company, and they were able to find my phone and mail it to me at our final destination!! He went way above and beyond, and was so kind and helpful when this happened. Overall, we had an amazing trip to Spain. Kimkim and Yuri made the planning process and the trip itself smooth and seamless. Yuri was invaluable, and we cannot thank him enough for all of his help!!

Hotel Reviews

H10 Corregidor Boutique Hotel

Sevilla

This hotel is in an excellent location, the staff are very friendly and it is beautiful. Our room appeared to be newly remodeled, it was bright and inviting. This was our favorite hotel on our trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cortezo

Madrid

This hotel was in an excellent location, we were able to walk for all of our sightseeing in Madrid.

Authenticity & Character

Location

very walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

bathroom could've been a little cleaner

Hotel Astoria

Barcelona

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Very walkable and close to the metro. The room and bathroom were very spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private City Highlights Walk

Madrid

Our walking tour of Madrid was one of the highlights of our trip!! Our guide, Enrique, did an outstanding job of showing us around the city. He came up with a custom tour on the spot based on our interests, and what we had already seen in Madrid; it completely exceeded our expectations. He even took us up to a rooftop spot for a drink with a beautiful view of Madrid. It made the tour even more memorable and special. After our tour, Enrique gave us a list of bars and restaurants to visit, and even told us what he recommended ordering at each spot. So not only did we get a custom walking tour, but we also got a custom tapas tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful and fun New Zealand Holiday. Tried to see and experience as much as we could in 12 days. Our guides for cruising Aukland Harbor, visiting Hobbiton, ziplining Rotorua , kayaking Franz Josef , biking Lake Wanaka, bus touring Milford Sound were all competent helpful and friendly. The Māori culture and the Queenstown cruise / dinner events were excellent . Thank you to KimKim everything went smoothly.

Our Trek to Langtang Valley and Kyang Ri was amazing. Our guide Dafuri Sherpa was very attentive and knowledgeable ensuring we had a great trek. Ngima arrange all our transportation and sightseeing guide. He responded quickly to any questions we had. I would definitely book with them again

Susan

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio was definitely our favorite. We saw tons of wildlife. Our guides in the parks were incredible, Jeremy and Karla. We saw sloths, monkeys, and tons of birds, even scarlet macaws. On our snorkeling trip to isla del cano, we saw so much. Turtles, sharks, sting rays, plenty of colorful fish, even dolphins jumping on the way back. Our guide Nacho was great.

We probably could've spent one less night in Monteverde. It is green and beautiful and the town of Santa Elena is very walkable. Many restaurants and coffee shops. We enjoyed learning about the different environment in the cloud forest. Our guides on the night and day walk were excellent, very passionate about the ecosystem they were showing us. The zip lining was a very unique experience.

Tamarindo was probably our least favorite part of the trip. We stayed about a half hour north in Playa Flamingo, which is a beautiful beach. However, I wonder how our experience would have been different in the surf town. The area is very Americanized, it did not necessarily feel like we were in Costa Rica. We did an estuary tour and turtle watching, which was with the same guide. Moses was very knowledgable and prepared. We saw nine (!!) turtles on the beach.

Snorkeling in the Catalina Islands was very disappointing compared to what we saw before. The conditions were very windy, which made the water rough and currents strong. I was surprised that we were not required to wear lifejackets - especially as it was easy to drift away quickly. The water was cold - which is not their fault, they offered us wetsuits. But if I had known how many jellyfish were in the water, I would've taken them up on it. Thousands, though most were small but still did not feel good if you happened to be stung. I was twice and I know others on the boat were. This was with Pacific Coast dive company. We could've skipped this outing and stayed at the hotel beach.

On our final day we went to Sensoria, which was gorgeous. Our guides Rod and Jesus were excellent. The pools were incredible and like nothing I have ever seen before. This place is truly a gem. However, if I had known how far this was from our location, I would not have chosen to do this excursion that day. We spent 5-6 hours in the car on our last day in Costa Rica.

That is the only thing I wish I knew before booking the excursions - how far they were from the hotel/location. If I knew some of them were 2+ hours, I might have chosen a closer activity. Costa Rica is a gorgeous place with much diversity, so much to see and do. I highly recommend exploring this country. Also - whoever says rent a car and drive, don't listen to them. Would have been so much more stressful. Thank you Jessica for all the planning and the transfers were stress free. I only wish on the downloadable itinerary it said the lengths of the activities. That was only online, but as I had minimal access to wifi/no cell service, I downloaded the itinerary and referenced that.

Activity Reviews

Scuba Diving at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Manuel Antonio

This was probably the best activity of our trip. Can not recommend enough.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sensoria: Land of Senses Full Day Tour

Costa Rica

This place was incredible. Truly special. Our guides were great, really enjoyed the area and knowledgable. Taught us about costa rica and let us customize the experience to what we wanted. Food was good also.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San José City Tour

San José

Oscar was great. It was a great start to our trip - we learned so much about Costa Rica. And had a great dinner!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

We saw so much. Really made the most of our time in the park. Jeremy was well prepared and knowledgable. Beach was gorgeous, as described.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carara National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Karla was very passionate and excited about what she was showing us. Her enthusiasm was contagious. We saw a lot of cool birds.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

As I mentioned in our full review, we probably could have skipped this experience. The winds were very high, making the water conditions difficult. Life jackets were not required, and a family got into the water, realized they were not strong enough swimmers, and the boat had already drifted away. We had to help call for attention to them and get lifejackets and assistance. The water temperature was cold, they offered us wetsuits. I did not mind the temperature as much as the jellyfish. Thousands, unavoidable. I would have taken a wetsuit for extra protection had I known. The sting was not unbearable, but not pleasant. I was not the only one to get stung. Also there was not much to be seen, a few pufferfish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Did not offer much about them - if they were from costa rica, how much experience they had. More interested in interacting amongst themselves.

Transport

Nighttime Pacific Green Turtle Nesting Experience (Seasonal)

Costa Rica

I had never done an experience like this. Moses was in contact with our groups, giving us the best chance of seeing turtles. We saw nine. It was great. He was very respectful of them, teaching us to be as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My mom and I wanted to take a trip to New Zealand but we were really overwhelmed with where to start and how to plan to see as much as we could in a 10 day period.

Kimkim was a really cool website that was visually appealing and helped us easily select options of preferences from what kind of stay to activities and things to see. It gives a “like to do” and “must do” option so your specialist can get a really good idea of how to plan the perfect trip.

After Liz reviewed our preferences she came back with an awesome proposal! It had beautiful hotels and so many really cool activities. We had a couple suggestions on taking some out and adding in others and Liz was so quick to respond and accommodating everything perfectly.

Our trip was really SOOO amazing and unforgettable! Having everything planned out made the whole trip flow so smoothly and I have to say it was SO nice having transportation pick up to and from the airports. Transportation was always so friendly and on time :). We did have one activity that cancelled unfortunately due to weather concerns. When I called the local office for customer service they got back to me within 30 minutes and had another activity moved and substituted which worked out so well!

We loved our specialist Liz! The printed itinerary booklet was beautiful and such a good memory keepsake and we appreciate all the help and follow up before during and after the trip. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Kimkim and our specialist liz to anyone planning a memorable vacation :)

Our 16 day trip through Portugal was fantastic. This could take some time as everything was as close to perfect as you could expect. We started in Lisbon and finished in Porto. Every detail was considered and taken care of by the KimKim team. James laid out a great itinerary, Chaima and Sam handled things when we arrived. From early check-in to prearrange transportation, all was perfect. Tour guides were always on time, prepared and well informed and all provided amazing recommendations throughout or tours. Every arranged pick up was perfect. Ana Filippa was amazing through the walking tour of Lisbon and was very helpful with recommendations for our other stops through Portugal. She answered every question and was able to anticipate most. Filipe was full of information throughout our food & wine tour in Lisbon. He also had many recommendations for the rest of our trip. He was as pleasant and interesting a person as you would want to meet. Next, Joao took us on our day trip to Sintra and then on to Cascais where we spent 2 nights. What a beautiful place. Again, all the information you would expect and more. We did make him run a little as we left our hotel a little early and just hopped into our ride without checking if the driver was our actual guide. He quickly caught his breath and was perfect for our day trip. We then spent 2 glorious nights in Evora and had a winery tour in Alentejo region which was fantastic. Highly recommend the winery tour with the private, home cooked lunch at the winery. Just amazing food and wine. Then it was off to Coimbra for 3 wonderful nights. Sara took us out for our walking tour of Coimbra - a great university town with a tremendous history. As a previous student at the university, she had all the insider information on the area along with some wonderful stories about attending a school that was founded in 1290. She also recommended a wonderful place to listen to Fado music. It was amazing. We then headed to the Douro Valley for 2 glorious nights at Quinta da Corte Estate winery. Breathless views, amazing wine and port, great food and one hang on to the holy sh*t handle drive on some steep and narrow roads to get there. First time can be intimidating but it gets better the more you drive around. From the moment we arrived to the when we left, we were made to feel at home. Our guide through the Douro Valley was Francisco. Again, full of knowledge and interesting facts about the region. Francisco was also helpful with suggestions for us as we would be heading to Porto next. We had Miguel as our walking tour guide and our bike tour. He was amazing. Especially through the rain filled bike tour. We were all drenched and still, Miguel made it wonderful. From the market to the fish lunch. All things considered, this was one of the best vacations we have taken. Thanks to All who helped make this happen.

Hotel Reviews

Altis Prime Hotel de Apartamentos

Lisbon

Perfect location. Clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Everything in Lisbon is a short taxi ride or walk from this location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Cascais

It is inside some very high walls. Quiet and comfortable. Breakfast is awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

It is an old Convent. Filled with history and a beautiful church.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sapientia Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

It is located downtown. Walking distance to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Lisbon with a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Food & Wine Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Trip to Sintra & Finishing in Cascais

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alentejo Vineyard Visit with Traditional Lunch

Évora

Quality of Experience

Food

Home cooked meal. It was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Evora

Évora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Missed many things as sites were closed or closing as we arrived.

Wander the Historical Streets of Coimbra with a Private Walking Tour

Coimbra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Trip in the Douro Valley - Wine Tour & River Cruise

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Private Walking Tour of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Take a Tuk-Tuk Tour to Spectacular Lookout Points

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Take a Bike Tour of Porto & Visit the Fishing Village of Afurada

Porto

Quality of Experience

Even in the pouring rain this was Amazing!

Food

The food was great. The staff even let us borrow some umbrellas so we could walk to the market. Above and Beyond.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In regard to our tour to Romania and Bulgaria : February 27 to March 20 2023. It was a most wonderful experience. I enjoyed a lot been able to know in depth two spectacular countries with so many varied activities including views to palaces and castles, roman architecture, spectacular art paintings in orthodox churches, citadels, walking in the snow in the Carpathian Mountains ( for my first time ), rural houses in an amazing life museum, a supper in the home of a Romanian rural family, Romanian wine tastings and even two days in an amazing Black Sea resort ( massages included ) in Constanta. All the credit for the success of this trip was due to Florin Preda, our travel guide ( with the useful attendance of travel guide Bogdan Pistritu ), not only for his excellent selection and modification of activities (due to weather problems), but also for the remarkable sensitivity he always showed to attend our special needs during the tour. You shall always keep his services as a remarkable guide to guarantee the success of KimKim in Romania.
I know this feeling is shared with all group members : Ivonne, Edward, Gabriel and my wife Maria.
My apologies for this late call.

Francisco J. García
[email protected]

Overall, a very positive experience working with Kimkim organizing and executing my 6-weeks "bucket list" trip across Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay
Ana - the planning specialist - has done a great job designing the initial trip and then adjusting it based on my feedback - I think we went through ~15 iterations of the plan
If you plan on travelling across multiple countries - I would highly recommend Kimkim, as most (all?) local travel agencies only operate in their own countries. Kimkim did organize the entire trip, including 'handovers' between local tour agencies, local and international airfare, hotels, and, of course, tours
You pretty much deal with 3 layers: Kimkim that hires a local travel agency, which, in turn, hires your actual tour provider. Kimkim will develop your detailed itinerary and most of the daily communication is done via WhatsApp. You will have an emergency contact # (across all countries) and a day before you will receive a WhatsApp reminding you of the next day activities - works pretty well!
We opted for a combo of group and individual tours and, in retrospect, I would highly recommend individual tours - you'll learn so much more, although, they are, of course, more expensive
Choice of hotels by Kimkim was pretty good - most in great, "walk to everything" locations, some even with swimming pools? (we opted for budget hotels)
In terms of highlights: Iguazu Falls, Atacama desert, Vina del Mar, El Calafate glaciers, Ushuaia, Mendoza horseback riding + wine tasting, Montevideo and Punta del Este. Personally, I wasn't that impressed with Bolivia/Uyuni salt flats or Bariloche
Obviously, Kimkim service comes at a price - but you pay for the convenience of Kimkim organizing everything for you

Hotel Reviews

Patio de Piedra

La Paz

A unique / antique looking hotel in the heart of La Paz - walk to everything!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Takha Takha

San Pedro de Atacama

Outdoor swimming pool! A bit of a walking distance to main attractions

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Nobody spoke English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fundador

Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Great location - walk to everything. Hotel is a bit dated. Very helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ultramar

Valparaíso

Very far from everything and very dated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Brand new hotel in a good location. Helpful staff. Rooms quite small

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esplendor Cervantes

Montevideo

Great location - walk to everything! Helpful staff. Hotel somewhat dated. Indoor pool + sauna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Awa Boutique + Design Hotel

Punta del Este

Great new boutique hotel with indoor/outdoor pools and spa. Very helpful staff. A bit far from everything

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half day Puritama Hotsprings

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Big bus group tour - you learn a bit and take some pictures

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Antonio de Areco & Estancia el Ombu

Buenos Aires

Somewhat interesting, but not much to see. Group horse riding not exciting. Lunch just OK

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brazilian Falls - Half day

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinean Falls - Full day

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Adventure - Boat trip

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

LA PAZ CULTURAL CRUISE - LA PAZ FD

La Paz

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience city tour - half day

La Paz

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

UYUNI SALT FLATS + RESERVE & LAGOONS ESSENTIAL 1/3

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

UYUNI SALT FLATS + RESERVE & LAGOONS ESSENTIAL 2/3

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

UYUNI SALT FLATS + RESERVE & LAGOONS ESSENTIAL 3/3

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Valley

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso Half Day Walking City Tour

Valparaíso

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic excursion to the Torres del Paine National Park (with Box Lunch)

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion 🗻

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nautical Safari

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tierra del Fuego National Park (Half day visit) 🌲🌿

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Island and Arrayanes Forest Sailing

Bariloche

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Horse Riding

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

High Mountain Experience (Aconcagua Mountain) 🏔️

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montevideo City Tour

Montevideo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Tigre & Delta of the Paraná

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

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Leisure Day in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip was amazing! Chhiring greeted me at the airport and we had tea on a rooftop with Chhewang. From there I started my short hiking trip and Chhiring was an amazing guide! I stayed in beautiful hotel selections thanks to their planning and they were both very helpful. I’m forever grateful to them for the amazing trip they planned and the beautiful spots and culture in Nepal they showed me! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Our family and friend did the Gokyo Lakes region trek with Kim Kim. It was a fantastic but challenging trek for this guy coming off some knee and ankle sporting injuries. The trip was extremely well coordinated by Ngima and his team. Our guide, Angelu Sherpa, was very attentive and helped us stay safe, keep us on track logistically including through some steep, cold, snowy and icy trails while helping us get the best views and photos. The porters Kunga and Shiring Sherpa were part of team as well and very helpful our group. I give the Kim Kim Nepal team the highest recommendation and would recommend them without hesitation. One thing that I would encourage people to think about is that it can get very cold so layers and good sleeping bags and cold weather outerwear is essential and some sections of icy / snowy trail can benefit from micro-spikes. Sincerely, Chris Daniel

The guides in general were friendly, funny, accommodating and helpful in giving us information on restaurants. We got to see sloth bears, few snakes, monkeys, hummingbirds, toucans etc.

However, towards the end of the trip we found out that many of these guides are not well informed about the subjects they are talking about. For example the guide from Don Juan tours (coffee, cacoa and sugarcane plantation tour) explained how caffeine is removed from coffee and that chemicals are used to do this. I researched this information only to find out that chemicals are no longer used but newer technologies that are much safer are being used.

I also asked another guide who was with us on the cloud forest tour if he was trained in identifying species of animals and birds. He told me that he was not trained. We got to speak to another tourist who told us that he requested a guide who was trained as a bird watcher and knew about the different species and their habitats and got to see the elusive "Quetzal" bird. We then realized that it is important to request for guides who are trained in their job.

We were happy with the transport service as they were prompt and accommodating.

Hotels were clean and tidy.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

Great views, spacious and clean rooms and comfy beds. The hotel looks like a chalet built in dark wood. Good restaurants close by. Not an ideal hotel for people with reduced mobility as it quite steep to get anywhere around the complex.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5-7 mins away from town center by car.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lavas Tacotal

Fortuna, San Carlos

Beautiful views of Mount Arenal. Clean, spacious rooms with comfortable beds. There is a great restaurant next door to this hotel that serves delicious Korean and Japanese food. This was a break from eating beans, rice and plantains for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Further away from town and costs $15-$20 per trip to town and back.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Spacious, clean with comfortable beds. Free shuttle service to and from the airport with Denny's next door that is open 24/7.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport

San Jose

Clean and spacious rooms with comfortable beds. Breakfast was good too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Denny's is right next to the hotel which is open 24/7.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Horseback Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our horses were a bit out of control and poorly trained. For somebody who has had multiple horse riding experiences, my horse was either galloping or stopping for a chomp. It was the same for most horses in our group. Scenery was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Saw howler monkeys, snakes, spiders and other critters. Our guide Maria seemed to be in a hurry to return home and did not continue with us to the waterfall (half of the tour). Nature was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float

Arenal/La Fortuna

We got to see iguanas, an elusive animal called Tira and birds. We had a very informative guide. This float was on a raft. It had rained heavily the night before and the river was quite full of water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

Cave is on private property with a river running through it. Expect to get drenched. You are told to expect snakes in the cave in the rainy season. We saw lots of spiders and bats. Water was about 1 feet deep with narrow passageways good enough for a slim person to crawl through. Our guide spotted a toucan. Pineapple snacks were bursting with flavor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Road to and from the caves is graveled and uneven. It was a long tedious ride.

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Saw sloth bear with baby, frogs and lots of other creatures. It was good experience. Important to note that night walks are similar in Arenal and Monteverde so doing both was a bit of an overkill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Children's Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

Children got to see a huge Tarantula and bioluminescent beetle. Overall a great tour. Only recommend doing one night walking tour if you are visiting Arenal and Monteverde.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Great hike. Was extremely busy with bus loads of tourists everywhere on the trail. If possible book a tour at 6 or 6:30 am with a knowledgeable and trained bird guide. We could hear the legendary but elusive bird "Quetzal" but couldn't see it. The group that went earlier in the morning saw it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience (English Tour)

Monteverde

This is a good tour if you are traveling with children. It is packed with activities and information about cacao, sugarcane and coffee. Many of the guides have outdated information so doing a little research and reading on these before you get there helps. They have a wonderful store at the plantation but we had very little time to taste the different varieties of coffee, teas and chocolates.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim and specifically Ashley really came through for me on my trip to Vietnam. I had planned to do a biking tour with another organization and they cancelled 2 days before I was leaving. I was in a panic but then remembered that a friend of mine told me she always uses Kimkim for all her trips. I reached out, filled out a simple form to indicate what I wanted to do and when I woke up in the morning my whole trip was planned! We made some minor adjustments in the morning and then I was off. I did this trip solo for the first time and loved having someone on the other end to help recommend local places to eat or things to do during my down time. I also loved having a driver to meet me at every event I did - got me to the airport, picked me up at the airport, took me on tours - it was amazing! And it's so great to have someone who knows the country. I will be using them for all my trips going forward (I told everyone on my trip about them!)

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

What a great place to stay. The staff was so helpful and were always there for me when I had questions, needed to store a bag or even wrap my bag before going to the airport. And I loved the food at the restaurant! Great location, great bed and great staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cat Cat Galerie d'Art

Sapa

Such a beautiful hotel. I took the stairs every day so I could see all the art they have on every floor. The staff was super helpful and kind. Bed was very comfortable and the food amazing - would definitely stay here again

Authenticity & Character

Love the art - so beautiful

Location

Staff

Always willing to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Halong Aquamarine Cruise

Ha Long

Such a fun experience. The rooms were really lovely - bed was so comfortable, I had my own balcony and the bathroom was huge! Really enjoyed the whole experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silkotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Loved my stay here. My room was huge and the bed very comfortable. The staff was also so helpful and kind. And the location could not be beat. Close enough you could get to the shops but far enough away that you couldn't hear anyone. Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town but also quiet

Staff

Great staff - very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

This is a must do when you go to Vietnam. It was just my guide and I - we did a 5 mile trek through the Mnong countryside - right through farms, rice fields, people's homes and villages. My guide was very knowledgable. I loved the local woman who joined us for the last 2 miles - she helped me stay upright so many times. Such a memorable experience that I would definitely do again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

This was definitely beautiful but unfortunately a foggy day. Still worth the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My Son Sanctuary Luxury Tour - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Very interesting and beautiful tour. Our tour guide, Michael, was the best part. He made the tour not just interesting but fun with his quirky style.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Biking trip Cam Thanh Village - Joint in tour

Vietnam

This is a must do when visiting Hoi An. An easy bike ride through the rice fields and villages. Then a fun boat ride on the river where you can catch a crab, throw a fishing net and spin in a boat. Great for pictures. Food was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour

Hanoi

I wish I would have done this early on in the trip so I could better undetstand the food I like. I learned so much and can't wait to go to a local Vietnamese place to try some new things!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay (Aquamarine Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

This was a lot of fun and an easy kayak day. We also got to get up close to some wild monkeys.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi (Aquamarine Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

A must do when visiting Vietnam. I was so surprised at the rooms on the ship - so roomy and comfortable. I had my own deck outside my room which I loved. The staff was so nice and I met some really great people. Highly recommend doing this

Quality of Experience

Food

Great food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi City tour - Joint in tour

Hanoi

I learned so much about Hanoi and some about the Vietnam war. Great way to get introduced to Vietnam and Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an absolute blast during our 5 days in Morocco, thanks to Hakim's excellent planning and our driver Rachid's knowledge, humor, and wonderful personality! All of our requests were met in the planning process (locations, extra pit stops, tours & dietary restrictions) and the Riads & Hotels that were picked were absolutely stunning, centrally located and exactly what we our travel weary bodies needed. We did both a food tour & guided city walk through Marrakesh, both of which were expertly conducted by our local tour guides and we walked away incredibly full (food tour) and absolutely amazed at the history & culture of Marrakesh/Morocco (guided tour). It is definingly extremely helpful having someone walk you through your first day at the Souk in Marrakesh!
We truly enjoyed our experience and can't wait to come back!

Hotel Reviews

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Absolutely stunning locations, once you get up all of the front steps you have an incredible view of Chefchaouen. Room was beautiful and had everything we needed for our 1 night stop.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

Once you find the hotel (a little difficult, but everything is a touch hard to find when you've never been before) it's a beautiful little oasis in Rabat. Staff was very helpful, breakfast was delicious and dinner at their sister Riad was delightful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chergui

Marrakech

Stunning Riad with good sized rooms, great staff & a beautiful pool right in the courtyard! We stayed 2 nights and had a wonderful time - it was a nice, tranquil atmosphere, which was especially lovely after the busyness of Marrakech!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Rabat to Marrakech

Morocco

Our driver Rachid took us on a quick tour of Casablanca since we were driving from Rabat to Marrakech and didn't want to drive right passed without a little stop. He made sure we had time to visit Hassan II Mosque & take a tour, as well as drive us around the city. It was a perfect stop on our 3.5hr journey!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

Our food tour was delicious! We tried plenty of food we would have never thought to try on our own - our guide was extremely knowledgeable and was very accommodating of my dietary restrictions, making sure we added an extra stop so I could experience more options.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Morocco

Definitely in the top 5 of our experience in Morocco - our tour guide was so knowledgeable, and did an amazing job of giving us the history, background and cultural significance of so many spots throughout Marrakech. The 3 hours flew by and we both walked away with a lot more knowledge of Morocco/Marrakech because of this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot express how wonderful our trip to Italy was. We stayed in a small region since we only had 8 days - Sorrento/Almafi Coast, Rome, Abruzzo region. Francesca was a pleasure to work with - she took all of our desires and turned them into one in a lifetime experiences! Everything was planned with the most thoughtful details - from private transfers, private tours, private cooking class, and even a last minute private mountain picnic. We are so grateful and so happy we trusted Francesca with our trip!

Activity Reviews

CAMPANIA: AMALFI COAST SCENIC TOUR WITH PRIVATE DRIVER

Sorrento

Our driver, Giuseppe, was wonderful. He knew the right places to stop and have us plenty of time to explore. Such an incredibly beautiful area!

Quality of Experience

Food

Trattoria dei Carni

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class experience

Sorrento

Incredible! The home/b&b was exquisite… lovely outdoor kitchen and views! Chef was very knowledgeable and so much fun. This was the best experience I’ve ever had on a trip and would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SORRENTO-POMPEII-ROMA: PRIVATE TRANSFER TO ROMA; POMPEII 2-HOUR TOUR WITH A PRIVATE GUIDE

Italy

Our private guide was very knowledgeable and informative. This was definitely a highlight - I didn’t know much about Pompeii.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good morning. I wanted to provide some feedback.
Firstly, all the drivers and tour guides were lovely, knowledgeable and accommodating. The country is beautiful and hotels have been good.
In terms of the activities, we have mixed reviews.
Rafting and zip lining were great. I will add though that the transfer from our private van to the group van which took us from rafting to lunch was a bit chaotic. Too many people crammed into the van and we easily could have left something behind in the first van. We didn't even have a chance to say goodbye and thank our driver or raft guide.

The horseback was ok. The waterfall experience was pretty although packed with people. I would explain in the description that the 500 meters distance to the waterfall is very steep and quite tiring to climb back up.
In the afternoon we followed Chris' (local emergency contact) advice and did the Volcano hike. It was a very nice hike. We opted out of the hot springs as when we arrived, there were hoards of people lined up. I later ran into someone who said it was awful- super crowded, dark, and dinner was bad. Needless to say, I’m glad we skipped it.
On to the sunset cruise, which was advertised as a small group. First of all, once we got to the marina, we all had to line up, check in, present passports(which we did not have- fortunately we had driver’s licenses), and proceed to wait for 45 minutes before boarding. There were about 100 people on the boat and by the end, half the people were drunk and acting inappropriately in front of our kids. The music was blaring the entire time (and not lovely Latin music but party music). It was basically a party boat or booze cruise. This was a major disappointment.
The surf lesson was great! The instructors were super friendly and prioritized safety for the little ones.
Overall, we’ve enjoyed our visit, but next time we’d appreciate more authentic experiences (read:less touristy) with fewer people. Also, the descriptions of activities are too vague. For example, they need to include the timing of things. Thank you. I hope this information is helpful.