Kimkim Trip Reviews

Connie arranged an amazing trip covering both the North and South Islands of NZ for me and my family. We decided to use kimkim because of our very busy schedules to do any of the planning ourselves. Connie had to make do with very little guidance from us but still managed to make it an enjoyable trip with just the right pace. The overnight stay on the boat in Fiordland was very special, as were the cute boutique hotels we stayed at most nights of the trip. I look forward to working with kimkim on future vacations given how positive my first experience has been. Thank you, Connie and kimkim!

We had an overall positive experience with KimKim travel on our recent visit to MachuPichu. Our main contact was Johanna. We made plans just a few weeks before actual travel. Johanna was very helpful in helping us plan out our 6 day vacation to Machu Piche, the sacred valley, Cusco and Lima. We had a detailed phone call with Johanna prior to travel and also got good advice about travel to Peru ( our first visit). Kristy was also given as a contact for our trip.

During the trip, everything also worked out great / as planned. Our guides - Richard in Machu Picchu, Jose in Sacred Valley and Sonya in Cusco were all excellent. They were knowledgeable and friendly.

I would have given this review 5 stars had it not been for a scheduling issue. Our final day was supposed to be a nice culinary tour in Lima. We were flying in from Cusco to take that tour. At the last minute, our tour was changed to a different one - more of a city tour, because of a realization that we may be short on time to catch the original tour. Since all the planning was done by KimKim, we feel this change could have been avoided by asking us to take an earlier flight from Cusco. Not sure why this was a late realization. When we expressed our dissatisfaction , they promptly refunded us for this part of the tour. Until this time, we were having a flawless trip.

I do appreciate the good support from the Kimkim team. Both Kristy and Johanna were extremely responsive throughout. Thanks ! Overall excellent communications throughout. Johanna even took a phone call from me on the evening of Christmas Day. She was proactive in advising us to go to the Ministry of Culture on our arrival in Aguas Calientes to check for tickets on a different circuit that we were interested in. All hotels and transfers were great and overall planning was superior.

Ashley helped us plan an amazing trip to Vietnam! She worked with us to customize the itinerary, hotels, tours, and activities to our interests. Once we got to Vietnam, she checked in with us regularly and answered our questions as we went. The guides we had in Hanoi, Ho An, and Ho Chi Minh City really made the difference. We learned so much about local culture, Vietnamese history, and cuisine. We enjoyed food tours in each city, with the Vespa food tour in HCMC being a highlight. Other highlights included cooking classes, bicycling through a village, picking tea, traveling on bamboo boats, exploring markets in each city, and navigating the Cu Chi tunnels. We are glad to have gotten to experience a 2 night cruise in Ha Long Bay and 3 nights at a beach resort in Vung Tau. Those stops offered a nice balance to the busier stops in Hanoi, Hoi An, and HCMC. We capped off our trip with a boat cruise on the Saigon River to experience the New Year's Eve fireworks celebration which was incredible. Vietnamese people were so welcoming and we didn't have any issues with not knowing the language. Highly recommend working with Ashley to plan your trip to Vietnam!

Overall the trip was excellent. Everything worked exactly as expected. Communication at each stage of the trip was really good. Our highlights include glacier hiking and seeing penguins! The vast majority of our guides we had were really passionate, enthusiastic and keen to ensure we had everything we needed to have a great trip. All of the hotels were comfortable and transfers were made easy and stress-free!

There are only a couple of things that were not as expected, or less enjoyable.

Firstly, the trip to Valparasio felt like somewhat of a wasted day. The port itself did not feel like a suitable tourist attraction. The street art is interesting but not worth the length of the drive. We were also supposed to visit Vina del Mar, which the guide merely pointed out from a viewpoint.

Secondly, the two excursions in Ushuaia were essentially the same thing repeated - trekking and canoeing. Again, this felt like a wasted day when there are so many other options for alternative activities in the area.

Lastly, it was not communicated to us in advance that the meeting point for the Buenos Aires cycle tour was a 20 min drive away. It was fine, because we were checking our itinerary thoroughly in advance ahead of time but if we did not have online access this would have been an issue.

Randall planned a trip for me and my family with little notice during high season in Puerto Viejo and everything was fabulous. First, transportation from the moment we arrived at the airport at San Jose up until the last day was handled by professional, prompt, and very friendly drivers. We had wonderful excursions throughout our stay including a Caribbean cooking class, a snorkel trip with hike, and horse back riding on the beach. Randall also made some restaurant recommendations which were spot on. We had a fantastic time in Costa Rica and would definitely recommend Randall and KimKim.

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling & Hiking in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

We had a wonderful time snorkeling. It was definitely an adventure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caribbean Cooking Class

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Ms. Glenda welcomed us into her home and helped us cook a vegetarian Caribbean meal with fruit and vegetables from her garden. It was a highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

The teacher was warm, friendly, and a great cook!

Food

You can't beat homemade food with fresh ingredients. The food was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Over a number of months, we worked with Kristy to plan a 2 week trip to Peru. She was full of helpful advice, and patient as we figured out and changed our plans (a number of times!). The end result was a great trip!

Our local guide and driver were friendly, punctual and engaging. Our Guide, Emilia, spoke terrific English and provided a few days full of information and insight on Peru, the Incan sites and all sorts of other cultural and informational details. She was so passionate about her country, and so excited to share it with us.

We were also really grateful to Kristy for having put together an itinerary that really reflected our interests and preferred way of traveling. We had impressed upon her that we liked to get away from crowds and off the beaten path. As our trip unfolded, it was clear that this request had been taken seriously with our travels designed around this request. We were often the only travelers at spectacular sites, and our guide explained that our itinerary was often timed in reverse of the larger tour groups and buses. it was exactly what we'd hoped and we enjoyed the experience so much.

So many great experiences on this trip - the Hyuana Picchu hike will forever stand out for us! It was spectacularly challenging, and spectacular. Highly recommend for anyone up for a challenge.

Activity Reviews

Train to Aguas Calientes from the Sacred Valley & Afternoon in Machu Picchu

Peru

The train ride was okay, although seating could have been better arranged as we didn't get seats that faced forward or sit on the viewing side despite booking far in advance. There was also a delay on the way back which wasn't an ideal end to the journey. It would have been nice to know beforehand that the bus journey was as long as the train ride.

Sacred Valley Tour: Pisac and Maras

Peru

Another excellent experience. It was very well-organized and not congested. The guide was very knowledgeable and facilitated a unique experience that didn't feel like a typical tourist route. There was a nice balance of history and cultural immersion!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

A must-visit for anyone traveling to Peru. The guide was very informative and it greatly enhanced our visit. The trails leading up to the site present unforgettable views. Definitely a highlight of our trip to Peru! A highlight was the Huayna Picchu hike. Lack of re-entry tickets was a bit of a letdown though. Could use better communication regarding this in the future.

Visit to Ollantaytambo

Peru

A great place to explore with a lot of historical importance. I liked how different the itinerary was and that we were not mixed with large buses or big tour groups. Scenery was beautiful and of course, lots of picture-worthy moments. A recommendation for anyone who loves history and culture!

Quality of Experience

Fly to Cusco, and Sacred Valley Expedition: Exploring Chinchero and Urubamba

Peru

Fantastic part of the trip, it provided an opportunity to get away from the bigger tour groups and explore off the beaten path. The ruins were a highlight, it felt like we were seeing something quite different. Overall, it highlighted the true beauty of Peru!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful vacation in Oaxaca experiencing the culture, art, and food. Rene did an excellent job planning the trip to balance cooking days with more active tours and free time to explore the city. We loved visiting families in their homes to cook with them, and learn about their way of life. The pottery and art experiences were very special and perfect for us and our 12 and 14 year old boys. The simple and wholesome way of life made an impression on us all. My 14 year old already made tortillas from scratch since we returned home a few days ago.

Hotel and restaurants were all fantastic, too. Rene had stayed in the hotel, and eaten at the restaurants he recommended. We are very grateful to have been matched with him.

Hotel Review

Hotel Tabáa Oaxaca

Oaxaca

This hotel is in a great location, walkable to all parts of Oaxaca City but also on a quieter street. The employees who work here are wonderful and keep the hotel running well and looking beautiful. There was always pure water available in glass, reusable bottles for us, and a place to refill our water bottles for the day. The rooms were clean and the linens soft. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet street yet in a lovely neighborhood and close to everything.

Staff

Benito and others were so incredibly kind to us and our boys. They also went out of their way to help us get our clothes cleaned when laundromats were backed up by 4+ days due to holiday closures.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower, bathroom, and bedroom all extremely clean

Activity Reviews

Monte Albán and the alebrijes workshop: an unforgettable experience

Oaxaca

5+ stars for the alebrijes workshop and 3 stars for Monte Alban. Alebrijes- It was wonderful meeting the Jimenez family and learning about the carving and painting of the spirit animals. The 4 of us, including our sons ages 12 and 14, spent hours painting our own alebrijes after we had lunch and a tour of the beautiful little museum which was part of their home. Monte Alban- We appreciated getting there early before the bigger crowds, but this visit felt very touristy and it was hard to follow the stories of our English speaking guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edgar was a very nice and knowledgeable man, but his stories about Monte Alban were hard for us to follow. We wished we would have read more about it ahead of time.

Transport

Experience the culture of Oaxaca: discover textile art, ceramics and mezcal fields

Oaxaca

One of our most favorite days in Oaxaca - we especially loved the pottery and the experience meeting the artist who perfected this craft to sell to her community and eventually worldwide. The weavers were also fantastic and involved my son in finishing a rug that this particular man had been working on for months. A very memorable day.

Quality of Experience

Getting to go to the artists' homes to see them make their craft was a fantastic experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Madai was our knowledgable English speaking guide. Her education was in archeology and she knew a lot about the area.

Transport

Manuel was a great and safe driver.

Traditional amaranth meal with "Alegría de la vida"

Mexico

Loved the cooking experience, especially making fresh tortillas in the outdoor kitchen of one of our hosts.

Quality of Experience

Women were in charge of the experience and such talented cooks. It was wonderful to experience their culture and eat the traditional grains.

Food

Fresh blue corn tortillas were delicious straight from the comal, and the host also made amazing salsa to go with it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Manuel was awesome and his English was great so he could fill in some information for us on the ride back to the hotel and during the lunch.

Transport

Oaxacan Markets: A Culinary Journey through Colors and Flavors

Oaxaca

Ana took us through markets and all around the city to try different local foods. It was a great choice to have this tour on our first full day in Oaxaca. Everything was delicious. Ana made sure we could eat vegetarian - this was not difficult since the traditional Oaxacan foods are plant-based anyway. We are an active family and our only change would have been to make this a walking tour rather than going to each place by van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ana was a fantastic guide, and also gave us other suggestions for places to visit during our week in Oaxaca. She told us about polideportivo - a nearby public track and exercise area - where my 12 yr old son happily played soccer 5 of the afternoons of our week in Oaxaca.

Transport

We stayed within the main city and could have walked everywhere rather than driven. Our driver was great though. It's just our preference to walk more, especially for a food tour!

Biking tour and street art

Oaxaca

Diego took us through 3 neighborhoods on bikes and taught us so much about the city through murals and art. It was a very memorable experience, and we only wished we had even more tours with him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diego was one of the best guides we had on our whole trip.

Transport

Our family is tall so some of the bikes were a little small.

Gastronomic Indigenous Roots

Oaxaca

This was a great dinner for our first night in Oaxaca. We experienced so many different types of food, and it was helpful to have it all prepaid since we hadn't exchanged money yet.

Quality of Experience

Food

Rural cooking workshop in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

We loved going to this market and the cook's home to make lunch together. She was generous, talented and very sweet and we learned a lot and had a great day. My son was so inspired that he's made tortillas from scratch since we arrived back home to California. There was no problem accommodating our vegetarian diet.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used KimKim's services to book a 7 night cruise on the Natural Paradise, cruising yacht in the eastern galapagos islands. Our rep, Mathias, had been helpful at first, suggesting a wide variety of ships that we narrowed our selection down from. Once we booked however, all proactive communication stopped.

As the trip drew nearer, we had to follow up with Mathias repeatedly to obtain any information about the cruise. We were not notified that there had been an itinerary change, and we had to ask repeatedly about inclusions on board. In spite of our proactive outreach on all these topics, it was clear from our time on the ship that we had been misinformed about a number of inclusions. On the one item that Mathias had been somewhat proactive about - wetsuit sizing - he reached out the night before we set sail to advise us that the sizes and suits we had requested weren't available and offer a preposterous solution that involved us being taken to a dive shop to rent our own suits in the hours before we sailed. This information would have been helpful weeks in advance when we could have packed differently or made other arrangements, but this constant lack of information - and misinformation - put a damper on an otherwise great trip.

Once we were on the ship, the crew and guide on the Natural Paradise were phenomenal and did their best to accomodate any need or request. If we were doing it over, we would book directly with them and take KimKim out of the mix.

Hotel Review

M/Y Natural Paradise Luxury Yacht

Galapagos Islands

This ship and the journey on it made for a fabulous week. The ship was a nicer category of vessel than we'd anticipated, and the crew on board were friendly and willing to please. The food was delicious, with great variety. For any special dietary requirements, they were quick to accomodate. Our Naturalist guide, Maria, was AMAZING. She totally made the trip and because of her knowledge and planning, we saw so many amazing and rare wildlife sites and experiences. She was also so willing to chat about the region, astronomy... and just about anything else we might have asked her about. She helped out with anything that came up, and connected a number of people on the ship (my party included) to other guides and experiences for the upcoming parts of our travels. The one caution I'd offer other travelers, is to potentially avoid the split itineraries on this ship. We were on the boat for 7 nights, which was a combination of the 4 night and 3 night eastern cruise. We did find that this many nights in a small geography began to feel a little repetitive, and the feeling was exacerbated by the change in passengers. With new people on board partway through our trip, the staff and guide had to repeat things the existing guests already knew, and spend more time spotting and watching animals that the guests who had been on since the beginning of the week had seen plenty of. It we had to do this over, we'd have done the 4 night cruise and then spent 2-3 nights on Isabella; or, considered a one week itinerary that carried the same passengers and guide throughout. Overall though, we were so happy with our time on the Natural Paradise and a huge thanks to the crew and guide.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Charles Darwin Station & Tortoise Breeding center

Galapagos Islands

The Charles Darwin research station was a fun and interesting stop. Our guide walked us through the various stages of breeding and species of tortoises on site. It was very cool! We also enjoyed watching the saddle-domed turtles and learning about Solitario Jorge. Definitely an interesting stop for travelers wanting to know more about evolution and the foundation of what makes the Galapagos so fascinating.

We had an incredible experience in Nepal. It was obvious that all details were considered thoughtfully - the meals, hotels itinerary, local connections. We especially enjoyed our local guides Ric and Boss, also Chewwan and others, who went out of the way to ensure we had what we needed and enjoyed the adventures. Everyone we interacted with was professional, personable, and genuinely invested in the tour. We had a very positive experience and would do this and many other trips with Responsible Treks in the future.

We were short on time and so we reached out to KimKim to plan our Patagonia trip. It was straightforward and the communication was easy and effortless. There were some kinks in our itinerary that they handled. Camila was very responsive and professional. She suggested a few ways we can maximize our transition days that really made them more smooth and fun. The guides they worked with for Santiago city tour and Perito Moreno were really great. I would recommend using them again.

We have had a fantastic holiday. Our specialist Ana put together a very nice trip after she understood our requirements. When we had questions, she directly addressed them and came up with good suggestions. I rate her a 5 out of 5.
The KimKim platform promises to provide competitive professional-only rates with hotels and activity providers that come out lower than the public price you'll find online. On top of these prices, the platform adds 10%, which is fair. However, when I started checking online prices, the difference between prices was up to 60% lower than what I paid. This needs to be more coherent with their promise. Therefore, I rate the platform a 1 out of 5.

We had a great experience with both, booking our trip as well as enjoying the services provided. The booking went very smooth, our booking agent Liz was happy to fine tune their proposal to our needs and tried to accommodate our special needs. The communication was very clear and we had all the needed information at our fingertips. Overall it was a time efficient and very easy way of booking the trip of our dreams.
Our trip was so well organized too! The drivers were always on time, the guides were one of the best, we got all our entry and train/bus tickets upon arrival from our guide, the itinerary was set up in the most efficient and enjoyable way (you don’t know if it’s good until you experience it). Those who set up our itinerary definitely knew what they were doing! Moreover, we had a trip coordinator though out our trip so if we had any questions we had someone to contact. And Lisbeth was always quick to respond and help, not that we needed much of her assistance as the trip went smoothly from start to end.
Overall: the easy and most efficient way you can get for booking a trip and traveling without needing to do the hard work while on holiday.

Asko did such a great job organising our 3 week trip around the east of Australia, and he was a huge help when we had to make several last minute changes due to severe weather. We had an amazing trip, it’s really hard to name any specific best part as we enjoyed it all so much, a good mix of organised trips and free time to explore the places we were staying. We’d definitely recommend using Asko and Kimkim to plan your next trip!

Lisbeth at Andean Travel was excellent. She stayed in touch every bit of the way on our journey. There were many moving parts & she managed them all beautifully. She was extremely responsive always despite the fact part of our trip took place over a holiday.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Andina Premium Puno

Puno

Really lovely hotel. Just know there are no elevators & lots of steps to climb if your room is not on the first floor, and even then you would have to climb upstairs to get to the main area of the hotel. Also, you are at an extremely high altitude in Puno. Need to be aware of this, as it does become difficult to breathe for some people. Puno is a beautiful town & Lake Titicaca is gorgeous. We watched an amazing storm rolling over the lake our first night, and it was a beautiful thing to see. Good room service!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Our room looked over Lake Titicaca-gorgeous. We had a small balcony to sit on. The room was a nice size everything was modern.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfy.

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Wow!! Great hotel-great staff-gorgeous setting-delicious breakfast included with room. Food excellent at the restaurant. Cool bar & outdoor seating with firepit. I cannot stress how wonderful & helpful the staff are. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful setting.

Location

Close to ATM, pharmacy.

Staff

If there were 10 stars they would get 10!!! Really great staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean & comfy. When we arrived, there was a pot of hot water with a wonderful tea to help you relax and sleep and they brought hot water bottles up and put them in your bed every evening so when you got into bed, you had a nice warm bed to crawl into. It felt so luxurious. If you needed coca tea, you could call at any time and they would bring it to you. I can't say enough about this hotel.

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Rooms are very nice-hotel is lovely-staff are lovely. Unfortunately there is a lot of smoking happening-they have a smoking area right by the restaurant where the doors are often kept open so if you're not a smoker you were subjected to it if you sat in the bottom part of the restaurant. Also the room across from our balcony had 2 men who constantly chain smoked on their little balcony so we had smoke drifting into our room thru the open windows.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not far from train station which was great. Lovely grounds. Comfy beds.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Our issue was with the smoking everywhere.

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Lovely hotel-great location if you are going to take the train to Machu Picchu. You are literally steps from boarding your train. You are in a gorgeous setting-flowering plants everywhere. The only thing we could have used was a ceiling fan or other fan in the room because there was no way to open your window in the evening without leaving your room open to someone coming in as the windows are low and no screens. Food in restaurant was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Lush garden setting. Bathrooms very modern. Comfy beds-nice size rooms.

Location

Right next to train station.

Staff

Super helpful. Got our laundry done there & our luggage stored while we visited Machu Picchu for an overnight stay. Collected everything when we returned. Also the Pachamanka lunch was great! Highly recommended.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

Wow! The lodge is very beautiful but you should know your experience includes sleeping in a room with 3 walls-your room is completely open to the Amazon Rainforest! You must sleep under a very good mosquito net that stops all airflow and when it is hot as it was late Dec-Jan, it is really hot. The solar powered electricity is on from 4am-11pm so your fan goes off. I think they need to find a way to have small rechargeable fans inside the mosquito nets during the hot months. Speaking Spanish will enhance your experience here. I feel I missed a lot since I did not speak Spanish & our guide while lovely often could not properly convey his knowledge to us in English. Food was good & beautifully presented. Staff were very friendly. Loved the carbon neutral visit. Also be aware you have a fairly long cling with about 70-80 steps from the river to the lodge. The area is so beautiful & I did love all the sounds of the rainforest at night.

Authenticity & Character

You are one with nature with a room open to the rainforest!

Location

Staff

I think you need guides who speak better English for visitors who speak only English. The staff overall were lovely & helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean but it was incredibly hot with no air movement once you were inside the mosquito net in the evening.

Holiday Inn Lima Airport

Lima

Staff were lovely-room was clean-beds were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

They start serving breakfast at 4am!!

Location

We needed to stay at the airport as we flew out very early the morning after we arrived in Peru. The free shuttle was great & proximity to the airport excellent.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Titicaca Train from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} NC

Peru

Luxury train ride. Delicious food, beautiful service, gorgeous scenery. The 10 hours went by much more quickly than we could have imagined.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Uros & Taquile Floating Islands tour

Puno

Amazing to see the floating islands & learn about their way of life on Uros. Bonus--be sure to take your passport with you as you can get a passport stamp here. Taquile is beautiful and you have the opportunity to interact with the people who live here as you did in Uros. Nice lunch, boat was very comfortable, just know it's about an eight hour + day.

Quality of Experience

One of the best days of our trip.

Food

Lunch was delicious. You could buy snacks on Uros.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful guide. Very informative.

Transport

Comfortable seating on the boat. Shaded. Bring a rain jacket as it rained off & on.

Overall we are very happy we booked through Kimkim on a recent 7 day tour to Morocco that just concluded before the New Year. For context there were 3 of us on this 7 day journey, my wife, my young adult daughter and myself. We flew out from NYC. All three of us have busy schedules and we were looking for something adventurous but not borderline dangerous (e.g. Egypt or Turkey at this time). We are not into camping, interested in history but not looking for a full blown history course either.
Fast forward to the punchline: Kimkim is good and delivered on its promise. I like their descriptive itineraries. Mostly accurate. But Original Travels led by Abdellah really delivered and we are glad we had Original looking out for us and providing prompt service. Flying in we knew Morocco was a welcoming country but also a lower middle-income country. This meant hotel accommodations could have a wide range. Hence, we picked the "luxury" tier service (not into camping nor campy). We did not expect Four Seasons but a US style Holiday Inn was the expected floor. We stayed in 4 places over 7 days, Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakech. We love the variety of hotels and luxury ryads Original curated for us. Each were unique. La Maison Arabe hotel ranks as our favorite stay. Sofitel in Casablanca was a perfect modern choice after a red eye flight - and has a fabulous breakfast. Lina ryad is so unique, beautiful and private. But there was a glitch at Fes. When we pulled into the parking lot next to Dar Lys ryad after a 5+ hour road trip, we were greeted with a putrid stench. Apparently there was a river near by. After we checked into this otherwise beautiful facility the stench was fainter but unmistakable. We then had the misfortune of facing noisy neighbors and reving motorbikes at night. Early next morning, we were all exhausted and the whole trip experience teetered on the edge of collapse because we needed rest. So I texted Original's Said and he promptly found us a different, modern hotel. No question asked! This is why thou shall not DIY when touring Morocco :-)
Other highlights: desert camel ride arranged and rearranged at the last minute; dinner with a local family at Fes was unique and unforgettable. Thank you, Mohammad and family for your hospitality; our tour guides Sharif in Fes and Hanan in Marrakech were very professional. Our trusty driver Oussama (not Bin Laden he'd add with a smile) loves to say exactly and was always on time and always politely waiting outside. Too many to cover every point, but I would recommend kimkim and Original Travel to friends.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

We were treated like royalty. Got upgraded to the penthouse / roof top unit 287 (yeah, only 2-3 floors in a traditional ryad). The place looked like an ambassador's residence with a walk in closet that can fit wardrobe for a dozen people. I credit that to our guide Said - even though he did not take credit for that.

Authenticity & Character

listening to traditional music and dinning next to the indoor pool was awesome

Location

about 10m walk to the main plaza

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Top quality bathroom and facilities.

Dar Lys - Luxury Riad & Spa

Fes

No go.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Putrid stench outside.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

green mold on the shower head

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Gorgeous view of the Blue City. Extremely private. Lovely dinner.

Authenticity & Character

A porter carries your suitcase after 5 minutes of winding alleys. Need I say more?

Location

Head to the rooftop!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Love the 3 bed set up in our room. The bathroom was really nice.

Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche

Casablanca

Modern amenities. Fabulous breakfast and room service. Just the ride option after a red eye flight.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

super comfy beds

Activity Reviews

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

This trip is surprisingly compact and good. See pictures of multiple sites we visited.

Quality of Experience

Food

Took too long

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Fes to Marrakech

Morocco

Long, exhausting drive. Took 7+ hours and we did not waste time on the road.

Guided Tour of Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Obviously, the country put a lot of work into this mosque and it shows. It's not a museum but an active place of worship 5 times a day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Camel Riding in Marrakech Palm Grove

Marrakesh

We went to Agafy instead thanks to Original Travel's suggestion last minute. Our driver Oussama knew the area very well. The desert landscape is amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oussama (not Bin Laden) is always prompt, exact and polite.

Transport

The SUV is a bit charming but fits the occasion.

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Thank you, Mohammad and family for your hospitality.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Difficult terrain. Our driver Oussama is super skillful.

Ngima was fantastic throughout the whole booking experience. Every time we asked a question he would respond within a few hours with helpful comments.

When we landed in Kathmandu Ngima was there to collect us, take us to our hotel and run through the timings of the trek. Ngima also organised rental equipment for a few bits of gear we didn't have.

We trekked with our guide Ang and porter Lakpa. They were both exceptional through our Langtang trek and we couldn't have asked for anything more from them.

We built up a close relationship with them over the week we were trekking and we're going to miss them now that the trek is over.

Overall it was a brilliant experience all round.

Dat was absolutely amazing from start to finish!

The whole experience was just awesome. It started with Alfonso carefully planning the trip, making lol the reservations and providing us with detailed, day-by-day itinerary. We had great local guides in every city that we visited - Gerardo in Madrid, Helena in Cordoba, Gloria in Malaga, Ana and Lenka in Granada. All of them made sure that this was an unforgettable vacation. And Alfonso kept in touch throughout the trip to make sure we didn’t forget all our connections and trains. I will definitely use kimkim again!

KimKim matched us with Justine Stewart:

We are a mother (62 yo) and daughter (31 yo) who contacted several Travel Services before embarking on our Christmas Adventure to Ireland and Scotland. We chose KimKim because they matched us with Justine Stewart. Justine is the only person (out of five different agencies) who read our initial email and what we envisioned for our trip and truly captured what we imagined from day one. She was a delight to work with throughout the entire planning phase. Justine came up with wonderful suggestions for us. She was informative, responsive, and fun to work with. I was excited every time I received a chat message from Justine. She was effusive, warm, engaging, and down to earth. Her excitement in the planning stages made the trip fun to plan and then amazing to experience. Early in the planning phase, when we realized we needed to change the airport/city we were flying into, which affected our initial itinerary, Justine handled the adjustments smoothly. She was also helpful with my questions about travel insurance and gave me good advice and tips in that area. We traveled during the weeks surrounding Christmas, and although Justine was on holiday herself for part of that time, she still took the time to check in with us to make sure all was well. We feel like we made a new friend in Justine.

Claire and Eva
We were also well taken care of by Claire and Eva at KimKim, who helped us out over the two days we needed assistance due to a snowstorm.

Hotels in Ireland:

Cashel Palace – We pulled in at night to an amazing view of this grand accommodation. We drove down a long driveway and saw the beautiful red brick lit with lights. Once we arrived, we were given a tour and were delighted and amazed at the beauty of this hotel. They have a lovely Drawing Room, a cozy bar, and several wood-burning fireplaces. We took advantage and enjoyed them all. Our room was elegant, and we even had a Christmas tree!

Adare Manor – We felt like we were walking back in time when we entered this amazing hotel. From being greeted by friendly porters in the driveway to seeing the enormous Christmas tree in the reception area to the helpful tips and tour provided by the lovely Anne – we were swept up in excitement from our first moments there. We had a delicious lunch in the gorgeous Drawing Room while sitting next to another beautiful Christmas tree. We enjoyed a fun walk from the hotel into Adare Village, visited charming little shops, and saw the amazing thatched-roof buildings. Our dinner in The Carriage House was outstanding.

Glenlo Abbey – The front desk staff was very friendly. They informed us that they had upgraded our room – and it was spacious and lovely. The grounds around this hotel afforded us a beautiful walk.

Waterloo Townhouse – We had a cute room painted in soft pink overlooking a little backyard.

Hotels in Scotland:

Ness Walk - This is a lovely hotel. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and treated well during our stay. The hotel is elegant and situated on a beautiful river walk along the Ness River. We ventured out and walked down the river and across a bridge into a delightful area of Inverness. We discovered a most incredible place – Leakey's Bookshop.

The Fife Arms is our favorite place we've ever visited. We fell in LOVE with The Fife Arms. They covered the outside of the hotel in twinkly lights, and there was a brightly lit Christmas tree across the street. Every restaurant (The Clunie Dining Room, The Flying Stag) and every room (the Drawing Room, Elsa's Bar, The Tea Room, the Reception area) was an absolute joy to experience. I wished for a wood-burning fireplace on this trip, and this hotel had three amazing fireplaces that were burning and crackling at every moment. The entire experience, the amazing hotel, the afternoon tea, the reindeer parade, the amazing meals, the Christmas stocking on our door in the morning – was all magical. We arrived to find a bottle of champagne chilling in our room and complimentary tastes of whisky and gin with drink biscuits if we desired. The Fife Arms' incredible staff made our Christmas trip truly unforgettable. We greatly appreciated Rachael Henley (General Manager) while dealing with stress and uncertainty due to our car transfer service. She gave us such reassurance that all would be well. We felt safe and taken care of as she reached out to the car transfer service on our behalf and had her team assist with information on weather conditions and snow gates. She and her team assured us we would figure it out. They were able to offer us accommodations for an extra night. All of their hospitality and kindness during our trip went above and beyond.

Hotel Du Vin & Bistro - This was an ideal location for us as we wanted to explore Old Town Edinburgh, which was mere steps away. The Night Manager, Paul, went above and beyond for us. On one occasion, a glass bottle shattered inside my nylon carry-on luggage bag. Paul cleaned and repaired it. On another, we had an airport pickup at the hotel at 5:45 am. Paul had takeaway coffees and croissants waiting for us, along with updated flight details and gate information, making our journey home smoother.

Outstanding Hotel employees:

Adare Manor - Anne
The Fife Arms - Rachael (GM), Sam, Josh, Alex
Hotel du Vin & Bistro - Paul

Great Drivers:

Dermott Coffey – to Cashel Palace – He was fantastic, warm, engaging, and fun!
Tony – to Adare Manor – Tony was great! He had quite a sense of humor.
Frank – Galway Taxis – to Dublin - Frank was professional and provided a quiet ride to Dublin.
Dave – Elite Transfers Dublin – to Dublin airport – Dave was warm, friendly, and funny!
Ahmed – Inverness Taxis - airport to Ness Walk and then to Braemar. He was professional.
David – VChauffeur.com – Braemar to Aberdeen - He was fantastic! David was professional, kind, funny, and compassionate. David's service was unparalleled.
Adrian – Edinburgh Executive Travel – to Edinburgh airport – professional, sense of humor, nice service

Wonderful Tours:

Galway Food Tours - Gina (Regina)
Gina was a delight on our Walking Food Tour in Galway. She was punctual, friendly, informative, and fun. Gina had an easy demeanor and kept the conversation flowing throughout our 2.5-hour tour. We fell in love with Galway, and Gina was a huge contributing factor as she wound us in and around Shop Street, the pedestrianized thoroughfare in Galway.
• We started our morning with a taste of delicious coffee at Little Lane Coffee Company, which showcases Irish Specialty Coffee Roasters.
• Then we stopped in at an amazing French Chocolaterie called Truffle. We enjoyed a raspberry-filled croissant and some divine chocolates. There was an actual wall of running chocolate that was amazing!
• We popped into Ean for wine and two delicious small plates.
• Next on our tour was Tigh Neachtain, a pub that opened in 1894, which we learned was the former home of Richard Martin, an animal rights activist and abolitionist. We enjoyed learning about the colorful history and sat in one of the small, cozy booths known as a "snug." We tasted oysters, mussels, meatballs, soda bread and beer.
• Next was a visit to the upstairs of a fine foods shop called McCambridge's, where we tasted three spirits – Irish Whiskey, Irish Poitin, and Irish Apple Brandy.
• We finished the tour with delicious Murphy's Irish Ice Cream.
During our tour, Gina also recommended three other locations – and we managed to make our way over to all three after the tour. We stopped in and bought some books at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop, which was enchanting. We visited the King's Head, another historical pub, for a pint of Guinness. After a lovely walk to the fishing village in Galway, where we captured wonderful photographs, we went to Gina's final recommendation, Sheridan's Wine Bar. It was cozy and charming!

Dublin Tour Guide - John Caffrey
We felt immediately at ease when John greeted us at our hotel. He was such a warm, friendly, and engaging person. His wealth of knowledge, facts, and fun stories made the day fly by much too quickly. We visited a museum, the National Art Gallery, and Dublin Castle, as well as interesting statues and monuments to Patrick Kavanagh, Oscar Wilde, and George Handel. We passed by impressive government buildings and a war memorial and walked around the Trinity College campus. John treated us to coffee, biscuits, ice cream, and an Irish coffee along the tour! We felt so comfortable with John that we ate dinner with him at a nice pub where we enjoyed Irish stew and Guinness to complete our experience. We saw so much in Dublin in one day and would have missed so much on our own. John created a truly memorable experience.

Inverness Tours – Edinburgh Tour Guide - Scott Guthrie
We originally planned to do a full-day Outlander tour with Scott Guthrie. After the delay in our trip, we decided to cancel the tour since we ended up with only one day in Edinburgh instead of three. Ian, the owner of Inverness Tours, suggested the alternate plan of a walking tour in Edinburgh with the same guide, Scott Guthrie, who could show us some Outlander locations in Edinburgh. We agreed to a 2-hour tour. Scott Guthrie arrived wearing a kilt and a smile. He made our shortened visit to Edinburgh magical, intriguing, captivating, and memorable. We were thrilled to spend this time with him. He was a gentleman and a gem. He took us on an amazing tour that included some of the history and politics of Edinburgh, intriguing sites connected to the Harry Potter books and movies, and a couple of amazing Outlander filming locations. Scott was warm, friendly, entertaining, and fun. We ended up spending almost 4 hours with him and loved every minute. We continued exploring Edinburgh on foot for the rest of the day with a greater appreciation for the city and its fascinating history. We logged 37,351 steps on our walking app!

Restaurants in Ireland:

• Mikey Ryan's Bar & Kitchen – an amazing dinner! Classy and cozy environment.
• Cashel Palace – really nice breakfast
• Adare Manor
o The Drawing Room – fabulous lunch served in a beautiful room next to a Christmas tree
o The Carriage House – elegant and delicious dinner, amazing service!!
o The Gallery – gorgeous, high-ceiling room for breakfast
• Kai – We had an outstanding meal in a cozy environment!
• Glenlo Abbey breakfast room - a beautiful room and great breakfast service
• Aniar – 23 unique tastings! We were amazed as the dishes just kept coming. The Manager and Waiter who served us were beyond attentive and fun!
• The Winding Stair – This was a cozy, warm, welcoming place for dinner. We had a window seat and enjoyed the most delectable food!

Restaurants in Scotland:
• Kitchen Brasserie – We enjoyed a window seat and a delicious meal at this delightful restaurant.
• The Fife Arms
o The Clunie Dining Room – The staff is amazing and attentive. The food is excellent.
o The Flying Stag – It has a fun and funky décor; the food was outstanding!
o Afternoon Tea – They served an amazing assortment of sandwiches and sweets with coffee, mulled wine, and juice in a lovely, multi-windowed room with comfortable chairs and a wood-burning fireplace.
• Scran & Scallie – twinkly lights outside ushering us into a festive, charming restaurant with excellent food!
• A Wee Taste – charming, met the owner, delicious meat and cheese charcuterie board, lovely wine!

We will absolutely use KimKim's services again. They matched us up with an incredible travel agent – Justine Stewart! We were assisted before, during, and after the trip with all questions and concerns. THANK YOU!

Hotel Reviews

Ness Walk

Inverness

This is a lovely hotel. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and treated well during our stay. The hotel is elegant and situated on a beautiful river walk along the Ness River. We ventured out and walked down the river and across a bridge into a delightful area of Inverness. We discovered a most incredible place – Leakey's Bookshop.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

This was an ideal location for us as we wanted to explore Old Town Edinburgh, which was mere steps away. The Night Manager, Paul, went above and beyond for us. On one occasion, a glass bottle shattered inside my nylon carry-on luggage bag. Paul cleaned and repaired it. On another, we had an airport pickup at the hotel at 5:45 am. Paul had takeaway coffees and croissants waiting for us, along with updated flight details and gate information, making our journey home smoother.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, casual hotel in the heart of Old Town Edinburgh. Definitely has charm and character.

Location

Steps away from the Royal Mile and Old Town Edinburgh. It was SO convenient for us.

Staff

The Night Manager, Paul, went above and beyond for us. On one occasion, a glass bottle shattered inside my nylon carry-on luggage bag. Paul cleaned and repaired it. On another, we had an airport pickup at the hotel at 5:45 am. Paul had takeaway coffees and croissants waiting for us, along with updated flight details and gate information, making our journey home smoother.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adare Manor

Adare

We felt like we were walking back in time when we entered this amazing hotel. From being greeted by friendly porters in the driveway to seeing the enormous Christmas tree in the reception area to the helpful tips and tour provided by the lovely Anne – we were swept up in excitement from our first moments there. We had a delicious lunch in the gorgeous Drawing Room while sitting next to another beautiful Christmas tree. We enjoyed a fun walk from the hotel into Adare Village, visited charming little shops, and saw the amazing thatched-roof buildings. Our dinner in The Carriage House was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Every room and space in the hotel was amazing - The Reception area with a fireplace and enormous Christmas tree, the Drawing Room, which serves food, has a bar and looks out over the back of the property, the amazing high-ceilinged Gallery where they serve breakfast and afternoon tea, The Tack Room - a classy bar and lounge.

Location

The hotel sits on a beautiful and spacious property. It is lovely for walks or a horse and carriage ride. It is within walking distance of Adare Village.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cashel Palace Hotel

We pulled in at night to an amazing view of this grand accommodation. We drove down a long driveway and saw the beautiful red brick lit with lights. Once we arrived, we were given a tour and were delighted and amazed at the beauty of this hotel. They have a lovely Drawing Room, a cozy bar, and several wood-burning fireplaces. We took advantage and enjoyed them all. Our room was elegant, and we even had a Christmas tree!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We were greeted by wonderful staff and given a warm welcome and a tour.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were so comfortable!

The Fife Arms

Braemar

The Fife Arms is our favorite place we've ever visited. We fell in LOVE with The Fife Arms. They covered the outside of the hotel in twinkly lights, and there was a brightly lit Christmas tree across the street. Every restaurant (The Clunie Dining Room, The Flying Stag) and every room (the Drawing Room, Elsa's Bar, The Tea Room, the Reception area) was an absolute joy to experience. I wished for a wood-burning fireplace on this trip, and this hotel had three amazing fireplaces that were burning and crackling at every moment. The entire experience, the amazing hotel, the afternoon tea, the reindeer parade, the amazing meals, the Christmas stocking on our door in the morning – was all magical. We arrived to find a bottle of champagne chilling in our room and complimentary tastes of whisky and gin with drink biscuits if we desired. The Fife Arms' incredible staff made our Christmas trip truly unforgettable. We greatly appreciated Rachael Henley (General Manager) while dealing with stress and uncertainty due to our car transfer service. She gave us such reassurance that all would be well. We felt safe and taken care of as she reached out to the car transfer service on our behalf and had her team assist with information on weather conditions and snow gates. She and her team assured us we would figure it out. They were able to offer us accommodations for an extra night. All of their hospitality and kindness during our trip went above and beyond.

Authenticity & Character

Elegant and classy, combined with such amazing charm!

Location

It is situated in the beautiful Cairngorms National Park. Breathtaking scenery! It is an ideal area for walks.

Staff

Sam provided fun, friendly, engaging service in the Clunie Dining Room. Josh was helpful in keeping guests and their car transfer services apprised of the snow conditions and snow gates. Alex helped us with booking an extra night when the snow conditions and our car service kept us from departing. Rachael is an amazing general manager who got personally involved in solving our travel issues.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean, comfortable, and beautiful. The beds were so comfortable.

Glenlo Abbey

The front desk staff was very friendly. They informed us that they had upgraded our room – and it was spacious and lovely. The grounds around this hotel afforded us a beautiful walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a short taxi ride away from the amazing city of Galway.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private transfer to or from the airport

Dublin

Dave with Elite Transfers Dublin picked us up early in the morning to take us to Dublin airport. We were leaving Ireland and flying to our next destination, Scotland. Dave was warm, friendly, and funny! He had some helpful tips for the next leg of our adventure, and he had us laughing on the way to the airport as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Outlander tour from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

We originally planned to do a full-day Outlander tour with Scott Guthrie. After the delay in our trip, we decided to cancel the tour since we ended up with only one day in Edinburgh instead of three. Ian, the owner of Inverness Tours, suggested the alternate plan of a walking tour in Edinburgh with the same guide, Scott Guthrie, who could show us some Outlander locations in Edinburgh. We agreed to a 2-hour tour. Scott Guthrie arrived wearing a kilt and a smile. He made our shortened visit to Edinburgh magical, intriguing, captivating, and memorable. We were thrilled to spend this time with him. He was a gentleman and a gem. He took us on an amazing tour that included some of the history and politics of Edinburgh, intriguing sites connected to the Harry Potter books and movies, and a couple of amazing Outlander filming locations. Scott was warm, friendly, entertaining, and fun. We ended up spending almost 4 hours with him and loved every minute. We continued exploring Edinburgh on foot for the rest of the day with a greater appreciation for the city and its fascinating history. We logged 37,351 steps on our walking app!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christmas at the Fife Arms

Scotland

The Fife Arms is our favorite place we've ever visited. We fell in LOVE with The Fife Arms. They covered the outside of the hotel in twinkly lights, and there was a brightly lit Christmas tree across the street. We arrived to find a bottle of champagne chilling in our room and complimentary tastes of whisky and gin with drink biscuits if we desired. I wished for a wood-burning fireplace on this trip, and this hotel had three amazing fireplaces that were burning and crackling at every moment. On the first day, we enjoyed their afternoon tea, the reindeer parade, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, a drink in Elsa's bar, and a delicious dinner in The Flying Stag. On Christmas morning, we awoke to a Christmas stocking on our door. We enjoyed a lovely Christmas Brunch, which they staggered for guests at different times. We went on a couple of walks around the charming town of Braemar. Every restaurant (The Clunie Dining Room, The Flying Stag) and every room (the Drawing Room, Elsa's Bar, The Tea Room, the Reception area) was an absolute joy to experience. This trip was magical!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Ultimate Day in Dublin - Private Guided Tour

Dublin

We felt immediately at ease when John greeted us at our hotel. He was such a warm, friendly, and engaging person. His wealth of knowledge, facts, and fun stories made the day fly by much too quickly. We visited a museum, the National Art Gallery, and Dublin Castle, as well as interesting statues and monuments to Patrick Kavanagh, Oscar Wilde, and George Handel. We passed by impressive government buildings and a war memorial and walked around the Trinity College campus. John treated us to coffee, biscuits, ice cream, and an Irish coffee along the tour! We felt so comfortable with John that we ate dinner with him at a nice pub where we enjoyed Irish stew and Guinness to complete our experience. We saw so much in Dublin in one day and would have missed so much on our own. John created a truly memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Galway Food Tour

Galway

Gina was a delight on our Walking Food Tour in Galway. She was punctual, friendly, informative, and fun. Gina had an easy demeanor and kept the conversation flowing throughout our 2.5-hour tour. We fell in love with Galway, and Gina was a huge contributing factor as she wound us in and around Shop Street, the pedestrianized thoroughfare in Galway. • We started our morning with a taste of delicious coffee at Little Lane Coffee Company, which showcases Irish Specialty Coffee Roasters. • Then we stopped in at an amazing French Chocolaterie called Truffle. We enjoyed a raspberry-filled croissant and some divine chocolates. There was an actual wall of running chocolate that was amazing! • We popped into Ean for wine and two delicious small plates. • Next on our tour was Tigh Neachtain, a pub that opened in 1894, which we learned was the former home of Richard Martin, an animal rights activist and abolitionist. We enjoyed learning about the colorful history and sat in one of the small, cozy booths known as a “snug.” We tasted oysters, mussels, meatballs, soda bread and beer. • Next was a visit to the upstairs of a fine foods shop called McCambridge’s, where we tasted three spirits – Irish Whiskey, Irish Poitin, and Irish Apple Brandy. • We finished the tour with delicious Murphy’s Irish Ice Cream. During our tour, Gina also recommended three other locations – and we managed to make our way over to all three after the tour. We stopped in and bought some books at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, which was enchanting. We visited the King’s Head, another historical pub, for a pint of Guinness. After a lovely walk to the fishing village in Galway, where we captured wonderful photographs, we went to Gina’s final recommendation, Sheridan’s Wine Bar. It was cozy and charming! Gina helped us to engage with the charming city of Galway. Thank you!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and driver Reda was incredible! My husband and I had a great experience thanks to him and his expertise. Thank you!