Kimkim Trip Reviews

Thank you to all of the team at kimkim and salty travel for a truly memorable holiday, each and every interaction with the staff was very prompt and thorough and all planned with just a few short weeks notice!! No question was ever too much for Stephanie during our planning / discussions and she was always helpful to give us further information or suggestions. Every detail was taken care of and made our vacation very easy for us when in South Africa, from transfers to hotel bookings and our excursions, all was taken care of. Safari was our first stop and a truly incredible time, two different lodges gave us the opportunity for different experiences and each time the staff were so welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable and made the experience that little bit more special. After this we headed to Cape Town and were met by the lovely Ben. He was our transfer, taxi driver, guide, friend and more!! It was so nice to explore his home town and get all the additional information as we went on various excursions, and he was always on hand to help or adapt to our needs. We had such an amazing time during our holiday and throughout this process that we are already talking and looking to see what our next adventure could be!!

This was our second time planning and booking a trip through kimkim. We had a large group of 11 people and overall we had a lovely trip. The planning was a little more onerous for this trip, partly I suspect due to the size of the group and a busy time of year but I think also there were points where communication from Chris could have been better and possibly the information/communications he was receiving from local partners. In particular, it was hard to understand the details of the Lake Como planning and there were points where information had already been discussed or sent but was overlooked. While on the trip, the Lake Como and Venice portions of the trip were great. Donatella was a good guide in Lake Como (although we felt like we were being rushed through in Bellagio and Villa Carlotta only to end up with extra time on the back end of each location). Luccia and Caterina in Venice were wonderful and so great with the kids and our transfers in Venice were also wonderful. We enjoyed Hotel Centrale in Cernobbio and the town of Cernobbio was lovely. The hotel in Venice was mediocre - the A/C did not work in 2 of the 3 rooms we had, there was likely mold issues , and we kept finding dead bugs/mosquitoes on our beds, and the water in shower would unpredictably become scalding hot requiring one to step out of the water every few seconds and creating a dangerous situation with young kids. The location of the hotel in Venice was great.

We had a lot of frustrations and poor experiences in Florence with poor communication, issues with transfers to and from the train station, issues with transfer to one of the activities (a cooking class), and the cooking class itself was not what was described. Our day trip to Sienna, San Gigamano, and Pisa with guide Silvia was great and Silvia and the driver Vladimir were both wonderful.

While on the trip, Chris really came through in problem-solving and communicating to help smooth over the problematic parts of the vacation. The central number we had additionally been provided for more immediate service was terrible and incredibly frustrating to deal with.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Alfani al David

Florence

Lovely apartment style accommodation directly across from Accademia, 5 minutes from Duomo and near great restaurants. Host Francesca also lovely and easy to communicate with.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ca Dei Conti Venice

Venice

Hotel is perfectly located with a 5 minute walk to San Marco Square, the main walking strip along water, and a 10 minute walk to the Rialto Bridge. However the cleanliness/comfort of the hotel as well as the breakfast were mediocre. 2 of the 3 rooms we had did not have working A/C -- one of the rooms we had changed and then did get working A/C. In at least one room, we kept finding dead mosquitoes on the bed and there was mold in the bathroom. In all rooms, the water would suddenly become scalding hot requiring one to step out of the water in the shower every few seconds and being very dangerous with kids.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

functioning a/c, water temperature fluctuations to dangerously hot, mold/mosquito/bug issues

Hotel Centrale Cernobbio

Cernobbio

Clean, spacious hotel with nice staff, great location near bus station and short walk to ferry terminal and near restaurants in a charming town. Breakfast was also good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore St. Mark's Basilica and The Doge's Palace, Gondola ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tuscany Grand Tour - Best of Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti and Pisa

Florence

It would have been helpful to know the length of each walking tour and options for alternate routes to accommodate oldest/youngest members of family both in the planning portion and on day of tour. Siena was beautiful but the tour was a bit long for members of our group. Silvia was amazing in accommodating people and being considerate of the grandparents and young 5 year old.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Lake Como Tour

Italy

Donatella was a lovely guide, engaging kids and adults while on the ferry. Once in Bellagio and again at Lake Carlotta, the communication of plan and distribution of time were less clear and we felt rushed through both locations only to then end up with a lot of extra time in both locations that we would have preferred to use to explore a little more. The amount and difficulty of walking in all locations was also not clearly provided in planning the trip which would have been important given we had a 5 year old and two adults in their mid-70s.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza & Gelato Making - Cooking Class

Florence

While we had a lovely time with the couple who provided the class in a beautiful location -- there was no gelato making which was a huge disappointment as we had been telling the kids all day we would make gelato. In addition, the class was nothing like described on the itinerary - no culture/history was discussed and no traditional oven was used.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

terrible experience with drivers and poor communication about who would be picking us up and where leading to confusion. I was not given phone numbers and drivers were not given my number. Also, the walk to host house was uphill and not well communicated when I had two adults in their mid-70s in our group.

Transport

A little background about my family to help give a perspective as to why we chose this trip. I traveled with my husband, my sons age 25 and 22 respectively. My youngest son achieved the rank of Eagle at 15 in 2015. My oldest is an officer in the Army. My husband and my boys have been in outdoor fanatics since elementary/primary school. While in college, both boys served in various roles as Wildland Firefighters. Me however, not even close. My minimum requirement for any outdoor activity must have running water and a flushable toilet. With this background, the family chose the trip titled "Thailand Off the Beaten Track". Two family members would go into anaphylactic shock with food containing crab and peanuts, and none of us can read or speak Thai, we elected to have a private tour with a guide.

I worked with Hien Do, the Local Specialist from Realistic Asia, back in October, and we finalized the trip in February. Needless to say that Hien was very patient and understanding throughout this process, and was very accommodating to my family's circumstance since October. When my husband could not fly with us on the actual travel date, and had to take a separate flight to Thailand, Hien arranged to have my husband picked up at the airport and dropped off where the rest of the family were located at day 2 in the trip, which was a 3 hour drive and a 20 minute boat ride to the River Kwai Jungle Rafts Floating Hotel. Now that's customer service done right!

We had 2 sets of guides and drivers, one in Bangkok (Kun Thim and Run Joie), and one in Chiang Mai (Kun Arty, Kun Johnny, and Kun Sompong). Both guides are very good in their jobs, very knowledgeable of the history and tribal knowledge of each location. When we wanted to take extra excursions, they found ways to fit them into the already packed itinerary, and they did so with great efficiency and always with a smile. With food allergies that could send my family to the hospital, they were on top of it like an eagle - always speaking to the restaurant staff to make sure that there are no crab or peanuts in any of the dishes. While at the Movenpick Hotel, Kun Thim requested for an allergy card for each of my family members, in the event that both guides were not available, we could just show the allergy cards to the restaurant staff to make sure that there were no crab or peanuts in the food.

If you ever go to Thailand and require a guide in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, I HIGHLY recommend using their service because, man alive, they are super at their job, but more importantly, they are good, honest, hard working folks who are patient, accommodating, kind, and understanding of you or your family's needs. Big shout out to both guides and drivers! Our trip would not be successful without them, they were really amazing, warm, and welcoming people.

The rest of the review will be to focus on notable events that happened during the trip beginning with a stop to the Hellfire Pass Museum, fully funded by the Australian government, this put a lot of perspective throughout the rest of the trip, and we were all so grateful for the opportunity to visit such a place rich with history. We proceeded to head towards the River Kwai Jungle Rafts Floating Hotel. What a beautiful floating hotel, the staff are very kind, patient, and polite. We stayed for 2 days, and each morning, we had the good fortune to meet the village elephant by the restaurant, who gladly took the fruit and vegetable scraps from you. She had such a funny personality and the family had great fun feeding her. We also toured the Mon Village and got a better understanding of Mon history and culture, the Buddhist Monk's way of living, and the seamlessness of the people to the monk's co-existence. Note to others: There is no electricity, except for the kitchen and dining area. Although a LED lamp and battery operated candle are provided in the room, might be good to pack a head lamp to navigate in the room for better light. While in the River Kwai, we visited the National Park, where we had the opportunity to explore various trails. Note to others, bring plenty of water, avoid using sunscreen with mineral content (somehow it attracts the mosquitoes, and other biting insects), wherever skin is exposed, and on your back, slather on loads of citronella or bug spray with Deet, and wear appropriate footwear. Depending on the weather, wet or dry, makes a difference in footwear. Some hiking trails can be quite slippery.

Lawa Cave, caught us by surprise, in a good way, because of the healthy bat population living in the stalactites and stalagmite formations. We've gone to caves but not had the experience of bats residing in the caves. This is a great sign of a health eco-system.

On our way to Ayutthaya, we rode on the historic Thai Burma Railway (aka: Death Railway), the experience made it more rich since we visited the Hellfire Pass Museum a few days before. This is a must to experience, to ride on a train and the track built in the 1940s with the knowledge of the circumstances that took place during construction made the experience all the more remarkable.

We took a side trip to the Maeklong Station (aka: train market), and that was quite the experience to watch the vendors pack up their stuff to make way for the train to pass. We also took another side trip to the oldest floating market, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, the boys truly enjoyed the experience of watching how food was cooked on the boats and served, as well as haggling with vendors on the side of the canal.

We took the bike tour in Auytthaya, the guide was fantastic, and honestly can say that biking in temperatures between 90 F (32.2 C) and 97 F (36.11 C) with almost 100% humidity was not fun. Although the guide provided water, we froze water the night before and packed it with us. The temperature stifled the enthusiasm of the great history that was told by the guide, and we cut the trip short by an hour because of the sheer heat and humidity. Our guide was fantastic and bought more water for us, but whoo geez, it was super hot.

We flew to Chiang Rai and met up with another guide, Kun Arty and driver, Kun Johnny. We stayed at the beautiful The Riverie Chiang Rai hotel overlooking the Kok River. The food, accommodation, and service were unbelievable. Our guide, Kun Arty took us to an Akha village, specifically to her good friend's home to meet her and to get to know Akha life from her perspective. What a special treat that was to meet a special, old-time friend, and to get to understand Akha life. While in Chiang Rai we visited the tea plantation and was able to understand the process from growing, harvesting, packaging, and selling tea. Most notable during the tour, was the presence of the Akha women during harvest, they wear their traditional outfits. Although we did not see the harvest process, Kun Arty's friend informed us that she too goes to the plantation to pick tea leaves wearing her traditional garb.

From Chiang Rai, we headed to Chiang Mai, where we stayed at another beautiful hotel, Na Nirand Romatic Boutique Resort. Just as in the Riverie hotel, the accommodations were fantastic! We took an additional trip to the Silk Factory. Well worth the trip! We walked through the process of mulberry silk making and purchased beautiful scarves and clothing. What an experience.

The highlight for my husband and the boys was the bamboo river raft experience. This is the portion of their trip in their element: long hike (8 km, normally 12 km) through the jungle, villages, and rice patties. I paid to ride on a motorcycle to get to the village. We stayed in very rustic, provincial accommodation at our guide, Kun Suwit’s home. We helped cook dinner with Suwit’s family and watched LOADS of fireflies near the house, and in the darkness, watched the countless number of stars above. The toilet and shower are a few meters away from the house, so we did our business before retiring for the night. The next day we met and fed a very friendly elephant within the village owned by Kun Suwit’s friend, Kun Salam. He spoke no English and did not understand English, so he went through Kun Suwit to relay messages. We did not go to Elephant EcoValley, but enjoyed private time with Kun Salam’s elephant, Mabutsi. So special, to experience first-hand in a quiet setting to getting to know Mabutsi. Before meeting Mabutsi, several local villagers prepared the bamboo raft. Amazing to see how the bamboo raft was put together in a matter of a couple of hours that can easily hold 6 people. The raft floated right on top of the water, so every rapid we went down, we were easily under water a few inches, then popped back up to the water level. We stopped by the Lahu Hill Tribe briefly, nothing notable, then proceeded down the river to the Shan village to have lunch. This was the last stop before heading back up to Chiang Mai to head back to Bangkok.

This was a story, not a review, of our family’s experience in beautiful Thailand, with fantastic guides, all coordinated by the patient and helpful Ms. Hien. A highly recommended trip for those that love adventure with all the riches of history, temples, museums, monks, hiking, biking, and to experience the jungle, raw, rich with foliage, and filled with people in villages that are so kind and accommodating. We are looking forward towards our next visit in years to come.

Hotel Reviews

The Riverie Chiang Rai

What a spectacular hotel. We arrived and was greeted by this beautiful lounge area overlooking the Kok river. The staff were just lovely and accommodating and the rooms so pristine. Our room overlooked the river and was just wonderful to just sit next to the window and relax.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

River Kwai Jungle Rafts Floating Hotel

Arriving by boat to be met by thatched roof accommodations was very special. The staff were very polite and accommodating. The food was delicious, and in the mornings between 7:00 am - 7:30 am, were greeted by the village elephant! What a magnificent surprise. One thing to note, there is no electricity in the rooms, however, there is in the kitchen and dining areas. LED lamp and a battery operated candle are provided in the rooms so that you can navigate to the restroom at night. Other than not having electricity in the bedroom , this was a very nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

The accomodations was just wonderful. Right outside of the room is your own hammock and deck to just just lounge. Super relaxing.

Location

Only way to get to the hotel is by boat ferry. What a fun way to get to your hotel. Note, there isn't very much room to put your luggage. So we kept our luggage in the outside patio behind the bathroom. The hotel felt super safe and felt comfortable leaving the luggage in the back patio.

Staff

Super nice and warm people. Most, if not all, are from the Mon village, which is located above the raft hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We stayed 2 nights, and upon returning after a long day of excursion, came back to a room that was cleaned and the beds turned.

Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort

What a beautiful resort! The room, service, and food was fantastic. Just a few minutes from the night market, a fun place to grab local food, and experience the culture. Will definitely come back to this resort at our next visit.

Authenticity & Character

The room had this kind of SoHo vibe, relaxing, beautiful, and very comfortable. We had fresh fruit on the table, a complimentary post card, and the room smelled of jasmine.

Location

In a maze of buildings, we arrived greeted by beautiful buildings, a gorgeous pool, and friendly staff.

Staff

The staff were always very polite and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No dust bunnies! Super clean. There was even a citronella lamp to keep mosquitoes at bay. Details, they matter.

Activity Reviews

Karen Hill tribe village - Bamboo raft - Lahu Hill tribe Village - Shan Village – Chiang Mai

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chiang Rai – City tour – Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ayutthaya biking - Transfer to Bangkok

Ayutthaya

The guide, Bella, from Recreation Biking Tour, was absolutely amazing! The downside was that the temperature by 9:00 am hovered around 90 F (32.2 C) and hit 97 F (36.11 C) with almost 100% humidity by 10:30 am. Biking in such warm conditions was not fun by any stretch of the imagination, but Bella was super nice and very informative. We cut the tour short by an hour because of the heat, it became remarkably unbearable, but other than that the everything was fantastic. We went to a restaurant, where Bella informed the restaurant of the food allergies, for which the restaurant was sure to not present any food with crab or peanuts.

Quality of Experience

Food

We went to a restaurant where Bella helped us out by explaining to the restaurant staff that we had crab and peanut allergies. The food was fine, but coming from a hot ride under the sun, eating was not really our priority.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Under the circumstance, Bella was remarkably patient and made frequent stops to be under the shade during the tour.

Transport

We rode the bikes, popped them onto a boat ferry, and made shortcuts around town. It was great!

Chiang Mai – Local Market – Karen Hilltribe Village – Elephant feeding and bathing

Chiang Mai

This is an experience for those that truly love to hike and be connected to nature. This is a truly provincial, rustic experience of trekking 8 km (should have been 12 km, but the rice patties were dry so an alternate route was taken) through rice patties, jungle, other villages, close encounters with water buffalos, and crossing creeks to get to the village. Once there, it's basic accommodations where the toilet and shower are meters from the main living quarters. We stayed at our host and guide, Kun Suwit, home. We helped prepare dinner with his wife and kids. The best part after a long day trekking, preparing and having dinner, was to watch in the darkness, the millions of stars, the quietness broken by the humming of the cicadas, and being entertained by the hundreds of fireflies next to the house. The next day we were greeted by a beautiful, 50 year old elephant named Mabutsi. We didn't head to the Ecovillage where the other elephants were staying, but had a private, wonderful encounter with Mabusti. Then we witness how a bamboo raft was built within a couple of hours that safely can carry 6 adults down the river. Shortly we bid Run Suwit's family goodbye and headed down the river until we landed in the Shan village.

Quality of Experience

Food

Our family helped Kun Suwit's wife prepare dinner, which was pretty special.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

To get to Kun Suwit's home stay we traveled by truck, which was appropriate to get through rugged terrain.

Chiang Rai - Golden Triangle

Chiang Rai

Wow! We were so close to neighboring countries, Laos and Myanmar. We definitely were able to get a better appreciation of Thai history. We also were treated to meet our guide's best friend in of the Akha villages. That was quite an experience to hear the story of daily living in the village.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

River Kwai Jungle raft - Ayutthaya

Kanchanaburi

This was a man made fall but still very nice to visit. Visitors were able to get to the top portion of the water fall, which was greatly appreciated on a very hot, humid day. Visitors are highly encourage to remove their shoes before ascending to the top.

Quality of Experience

Sai Yok Yai waterfall - National park – Lawa cave

Kanchanaburi

The National Park has loads of trails with lots of history with some of the trails. We went at the beginning of rainy season, and the terrain in some of the trails can be a bit slippery.

Bangkok – Kanchanaburi – River Kwai Jungle Rafts

Kanchanaburi

What an experience to ride on the train and the track built in the 1940's. Having a brief understanding of the history, enriched the experience even more.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kun Thim, the guide, and Kun Joie, the driver were absolutely a joy! We enjoyed all the history and perspective throughout the trip.

Transport

Air conditioned van, clean, and was provided cold water after an excursion. That was so appreciated in the sweltering heat and high humidity.

The care and professionalism of KimKim staff and guides were evident and much appreciated! Our first guide, Lina, was personable, patient and informative. We really enjoyed her energy and passion for us to learn about Colombia. Her suggestion to visit district 13 was an excellent suggestion! We are an antistatic family, so it was a memorable experience! We wish her all the best with her future endeavors; she has a gift! on our next destination, we briefly met Jhovanny who was briefly filling in for Juan. He was awesome with his bird knowledge and leaving a great impression on us for such a brief moment with him. Out final guide, Juan was personable and humble. He was also knowledgeable about the part, the horses (which he helped us to feel comfortable to touch one!) He and Anderson were very helpful with us arriving to the airport.

My family's biggest gripe was having to get up at 3am, so we would be ready for our pick time. When we arrived to the airport, we waited nearly an hour to check in. It appeared that we could have arrive later since the airport itself wouldn't even be open until 6am! Having to get our children ready for such an early departure was frustrating since we waiting once we arrived.

All in all, the hotels were really beautiful, but please keep in mind that two bathrooms makes far more sense for a family of four.

Hotel Reviews

Quinta Ladera

Medellin

A bohemian vibe that was fun to experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The lack of space for a family of four was not desirable..

Hotel Terasu Salento

Salento, Quindío

such a beautiful place, great host and relaxing experience overall

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were walking distance from market square.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The pillowcases were damp, but everything was clean and tidy

Activity Reviews

Colorful Colombia: Hike to Guatapé Rock, Guatapé & Peñol-Guatape Reservoir

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cócora Valley, Salento & Coffee Farm

Colombia

The best part was learning about the high quality coffee and touching the horses that roam free.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Comuna 13 and Medellín's Public Transformation

Medellín

We were very happy to support such a creative neighborhood.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just came back from our trip to Italy. ‘Sonia’ was the organizer for our trip. She did a fantastic job preparing the itinerary and arranging guides and transport. ‘Daniela’ was our point of contact. She was super, went above and beyond to make sure that we had a smooth and pleasurable experience. Guides were local and had plethora of knowledge about focal points to take pics and shop around. This was our 2nd trip with ‘Kimkim’ and we continue to be impressed. A big ‘thank you’ to Sonia/Daniela and their team. We are already thinking about our next adventure with them.🙏🏼

Carl planned a food tour, bike tour, and Ferris wheel experience for our family of five while visiting Montreal. The tours were superb and memorable. Specifically, the food tour in the mile end neighborhood provided a history of a multicultural section of Montreal and delicious sampling of food from five different local restaurants. The bike tour was led by an expert in architecture and we learned many interesting architecture and historic facts about Montreal. The guide was attentive and catered to what we wanted to see. Our trip to Montreal was more than we expected and Carl did an excellent job in planning these experiences for us.

Activity Reviews

Bike Tour in Montreal

Montréal

Our tour guide was an expert in architecture and led us on a fascinating tour of Montreal where she shared history and architectural insights. The ride was interesting and well paced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

High quality bikes, well paced tour.

Mile End Montréal Food Tour

Montréal

Memorable tour of a multicultural section of Montreal. The food tour helped us understand the history of the neighborhood while enjoying delicious food from local restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Well paced walking tour

We booked our recent 2 week trip to Vietnam with KimKim. It was a fantastic experience from the beginning to the end. First we filled out an online questionnaire, then spoke to a KimKim person by phone to make sure what we were looking for. We were then connected with Alex from Realistic Asia, who works with KimKim to design trips to Asia. Alex patiently went through 3 separate versions of our trip before we finalized the itinerary. Our trip included all lodgings, internal transfers, at least one meal per day, and private tours. We visited Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City.

We cannot say enough good things about the entire experience! Every hotel was superb. And our private guides and drivers in each location took exceptional care of us, with every need taken care of! They were all knowledgeable and personable. We felt that they were our best friends. Special shoutouts to Cương in Hanoi, Dong and Tai in Hoi An, and Vinh in HCMC! And our drivers were punctual, friendly, and safe. Our dietary preferences were addressed in every location.

The selection of excursions and tours was superb. We had time on our own in each location, and our guides treated us to wonderful tours to make sure we hit the “must-sees” and got oriented. And in every location we included a fantastic cultural experience. We went to Ba Vi and had lunch with Mrs Chin and her wonderful daughters, and partied with the local rice wine distiller. We rode bikes through the rice paddies in Hoi An, visited with a grandmother who was part of an organic farm collective, and had some custom clothing made by one of the local tailor shops. In HCMC, we spent a fantastic day touring around the Mekong delta by boat, TukTuk, and canoe.

Last but certainly not least, we need to say that Vietnam is an extraordinary travel destination! The cities are vibrant, the countryside is beautiful, the beaches are exquisite, the food amazing, and the people are charming and welcoming. Every single person we met was happy to see us, and more than once we were stopped on the street by a stranger who said hello and wanted to shake our hands.

First of all, Angela our specialist went above and beyond our expectations. We were planning a big family trip (3 seniors, 2 young kids and 2 adults) and she thoughtfully planned every detail to meet everyone's needs. We had some ideas of where we wanted to go and timing but Angela truly brought our vision to life. Always providing knowledgable expertise and guidance on the final details.
We started our trip in Naxos which was perfect to adjust to the time change. It is an amazing laid back, easy-going island that isn't too busy, great restaurants and beautiful beaches. Naxos is a great hub spot if you want to do day trips to other islands. We stayed on Agios Prokopios - the most popular beach on the island and it was great.
Next my husband and I went to Mykonos - splurged with a beautiful hotel called My Aktis which was gorgeous and close to the beach clubs. This was our first time in Mykonos and I would suggest to stay in the old town as it's easier to rent or hire a car to get to the day clubs vs. the other way around. It was costly to use a hired car and not as seamless as I had initially thought. I had asked to stay closer to the beach clubs but I should have listened to Angela.
We then went to Santorini and stayed in a villa near Kamari beach for 3 nights which had a similar beachy vibe as Naxos. Drove into Oia and Fira as you need to see the views but 3 nights was enough. Black and pebble beaches are not practical for families but glad I went. I would consider staying in Perissa next time as the beach is more sand like but it's still hot.
Lastly Crete over delivered on our expectations. We stayed in the old town of Rethymno and it was absolutely beautiful. Pedestrian streets all around us with restaurants and shops. Stayed in a boutique hotel called Rimondi which was gorgeous and visited the famous elafonisi beach with pink sand (a must!). The island is huge - you can easily spend 2 weeks here and roam from town to town because it's so big.
Overall - each island provided something unique and different then the others - great blend of relaxing by the beach/pool, shopping and experiencing different tours, the people from Athens to every island were so friendly and don't forget about all the food which was incredible. Greece was a dream come true - thanks to our specialist Angela who was always there for us even during the trip when we needed to make some updates/modifications. Will use this service again - 100%!

Hotel Reviews

Liana Beach Hotel & Spa

Naxos

Location was perfect - across the street from the beach plus had a pool. Our room had a big hot tub in it which was so fun. Staff was incredible - almost turned into family.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful decor

Location

Across the street from the beach!

Staff

Super friendly and accommodating. Always checking in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioners worked great, wifi was a bit on and off and the room damp I think because of the hot tub

Rimondi Boutique Hotels

Rethymno

Dream hotel! Romantic, charming and beautiful. Staff was great. The location was perfect - had a pool plus close to a small beach, near all the shops and restaurants. Couldn't have asked for anything better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Secret Earth Villas Santorini

Santorini

Location was great to host a large family or multiple couples. It is close to the airport which could be a bit annoying but you're ever really back hanging at the villa that much. We didn't mind it or hear it at night but I could see others complaining. The staff was incredible - super friendly and accommodating. Replying to messages at every hour of the day/night. Villas are close to Kamari which is a great spot that isn't as touristy as Oia and Fira.

Authenticity & Character

Goregous

Location

15 -20 min walk to Kamari but close to the airport so you can hear/see the airplanes

Staff

Always there to help no matter the time of day

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nimbus My Aktis Luxury Suites & Villas

Mykonos

This hotel is a dream - gorgeous setting, friendly staff and amazing view and food. We didn't realize our initial booking was at the Lumen Building which is a 5 min walk to the central location - this building is new but the rooms are smaller, view isn't great plus its actually not a great walk to the main building because it's all uphill. We upgraded to the main building after the first night.

Authenticity & Character

Can't complain it was perfect!

Location

Great if you want to hang out somewhere quieter... away from the old town but you will need a car or to hire a car to get back and forth

Staff

Everyone was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Hotel was in a great location, clean and our room was updated. The staff were not that friendly - very picky and had a lot of rules that seemed odd i.e. can't throw out garage from other restaurants within the lobby.

Authenticity & Character

Charming decor

Location

perfect spot to explore

Staff

Kitchen staff was amazing - made my kids whatever they wanted during breakfast. The front desk was odd - they kept commenting on what our kids should/shouldn't be doing (they forget that kids can be loud/a bit wild) also they wouldn't take our garbage that we acquired from the local bakery. We had to find a garbage can outside - it was just odd their rules.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had all the amenities you need.

Activity Reviews

Luxury Culinary Journey to Lassithi Plateau. Land of Gods & Food Artistry (only from East)

Greece

Wasn't really a culinary journey rather learning about the culture which includes food but it wasn't the main focus. Needed to drive a far distance to get to experience from our hotel - wish we knew in advance

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Your Tailored Elafonisi Escape: Cretan Dream Where Time Doesn’t Exist from West

Greece

Driver was awesome, punctual and very knowledgable. Didn't realize the drive was 2.5hrs from our hotel which limited the length of time we spent on the actual beach. Wish I knew this in advance and would have tailored our timing on when to leave a bit better. Not enough time on the beach because most of the time was in the car ride to and from our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Myth of Santorini

Greece

Need to have food provided - 6 hrs in the heat is a long time. Didn't say anything about being a strong swimmer - wouldnt recommend for families with seniors or young kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was the first time I used a company such as KimKim to help plan our holiday. - it will not be our last!! I had a family member use another agency for a trip to France (same region I travelled to) who suggested I look into it - I contacted her recommended agency and after a few correspondence and Zoom calls - I felt more confused and unheard.
I reached out to KimKim just so see what the experience was like... I was connected with Josee, who after a couple of correspondence, sent me suggestions and recommendations tailored exactly to what I shared with her.
Josee arrived private car service between hotels and train stations - this is a must! Her hotel suggestions were fantastic.
Highlights were our Segway tour in Nice, such a fun way to explore.
In Avignon, we lucked out with no one else on our tour for the morning - Josee had us with the company, A La Francaise Provence, the Highlights of Provence: Les Baux & Chateuxneuf du Pape tours. - the best day. In the quarry - Carrieres des Lumieres - unforgettable!!
Hotel in Avignon.. Hotel de l'Europe - unbelievable! gorgeous!
In Paris, at Josee's recommendation we had a guided wine and cheese tasting workshop - at La Ferme du Faubourg - on our own, we would never have booked this - it was one of the best things we have done!!!
While in France... I already started plotting my return trip next year with the help of Josee and KimKim.
A service highlight of KimKim was - initially I had shared a budget that I wanted to fall into - along the way.. my wishes got more and more grand.. and Josee always insured that we stayed within... delicately she kept on budget!

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Favart

Paris

After figuring out the Metro - this hotel is perfectly situated. Close enough to access everything by a short Metro ride. Room was small - smaller than expected for Paris. But beautifully decorated and fully of character. The small Wellness Centre in the basement is a gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel d’Europe

Avignon

Loved everything about this hotel. It was gorgeous. Room was inviting, comfortable and sizable! Our room had a small balcony overlooking the courtyard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Victoria

Nice

Very good location - courtyard is beautiful. Lovely to have breakfast in! Sadly the room was a little bit of a let down. Granted, size wise for Europe it was a good size! Bathroom was also very sizable. But the room itself was not comfortable. The location is very good - close to Old Town, train station and the waterfront! All walkable within 10 mins.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A full day Tour in the Alpilles : Les Baux & Châteauneuf du Pape

France

My favorite day of the trip!!! Loved everything about it! Les Baux and Carrieres des Lumieres - unforgettable! In the afternoon we had the wine tour of Chateauneuf du Pape - we visited two wineries, both delicious wines.. but educational. The second winery was were we had a little wine class.. learnt so much!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the same guide in the morning and afternoon - he was very very kind. Knowledgeable, attentive - excellent.

Transport

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

This exceeded our expectations - it was a fabulous way to end our holiday. The food was delicious, wine even better... service was superb!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour Private Tour

France

This was not our favorite - we changed the private tour to be Eze and Menton - this was prearranged with KimKim and the travel company. When we were driving to Eze the driver was talking about a perfume tour that EVERYBODY loves... so he dropped us off there - with many other large coach buses. He said he would wait for us and then we would go to Eze. We decided not to do the tour and when to carry on to find the driver. We looked for over 20 mins for him. When we located him - we started on our trek to Eze. With the tour we had tickets for the gardens at the top. - so our tour guide walked us directly up there - it was a step trek.... we walked around the gardens (while he waited for us) we then walked straight down. - we did not see Eze.. it was a mission to the top then to the bottom. When we arrived in Menton - the driver parked close to the old town area and said we had 10-12 mins... once my husband and I headed into the old town - we decided that we wanted to stay - and had the driver leave us there. We spent the afternoon strolling around and took the train home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Nice on a Segway!

Nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bryan and his team were great. They made planning our Costa Rica trip easy and fun. When we were there all of our guides, and transportation were on time, very nice and professional and very knowledgeable of the towns we were staying in. The adventures we booked were so much fun and run by reputable companies.
When we had questions we messaged the kimkim team and someone responded very quickly with an answer. Using this company literally took all of the stress out of traveling with a 2 families and kids.
We will definitely use this company again to help with our next adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Perfect location on our last day to get us close to the airport for traveling home. The restaurant staff was the best and bent over backwards to have food options for picky kids.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Altos Resort

Manuel Antonio

Wow. This was our favorite hotel by far while we were in Costa Rica. Location, views, food, access to walk to some local restaurants, shops and bars was the best. The rooms were very nice and the view of the ocean from the balcony was superb. Location of hotel restaurant and pool was spectacular and monkeys visiting periodically was the icing on the cake! Would 1000% stay there again and recommend to friends and family!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

The location was amazing and the pool area and bar were fun, although the pool needed a few repairs. The staff and van drivers were very nice and at your door as soon as you called for a shuttle. The restaurant food was pretty good and the views from every location was stunning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

The hot springs were amazing and the kids loved the slides. The pizza at the restaurant was amazing and the swim up bar was fun. I would recommend this place for sure!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sport Fishing Inshore

Manuel Antonio

Deep sea fishing is always one of those experiences that is unpredictable. We staff and captain was great and the views from the boat were very nice. We went out for a half day and only caught 3 fish. So it was an expensive boat ride but we made the best of it. The rooster fish that we caught was huge and put up one hell of a fight, so that was our highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

This was fun but the kayak was no joke and a lot of work. We definitely felt like we had accomplished a great work out when we were back on shore. The snorkeling was pretty good for this time of year. The food for lunch was good and one of our favorite chicken and rice dishes we had in Costa Rica.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park

Costa Rica

Our guide was amazing and very passionate about the wildlife in the park. We got to see sloths, monkeys, lizards, butterflies, spiders, dragon flies, hummingbirds, crabs, grasshoppers……… The beautiful beach at the end of the guided tour was wonderful and the icing on the cake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

This was so much fun and full of adventure. All of the kids ranging from 9-15 years old loved it. The staff was great and made everyone feel safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

The waterfall was seriously unbelievable and so amazing that we could get in and swim. This was one of my favorite experiences while we were in Costa Rica.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

We were in Costa Rica for 12 days and did many adventures. This rafting adventure was the absolute favorite of all 5 of our kids!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

The visibility was very bad and one of the guides was not very experienced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

We had rain and thunder and had to turn back and leave after 10 mins….. this was no fault of anyone obviously…..just Mother Nature and bad luck

Used KIMKIM to plan a trip of Budpest-Bratislava-Vienna

I had used KimKim this time because we'd used them in the past and were able to get the lodging and activities that were off-the-beaten path.
This time around, most of the value-add came in the form of the tours, inter-city transport and transfers, and activities. The lodging portion could more easily and efficiently be done by using other popular tools like Hotels- or Booking.com. In fact, you get visibility and transparency to the pricing by using those tools, whereas with KimKim everything is bundled into one price.
I ultimately did book almost everything with KimKim, because I didn't want to use them for just ideas, and then book direct myself--that feels a bit dishonest. After all, these are real travel agents doing real work.
Best tour--Wolfy's adventures in Vienna for a City Food tour. Can't be beat for authentic experience of the city.
Best hotel: Marrol's Boutique Hotel in Bratislava.

Communication between the agent at Grand Cuvee Tours and me was quick (be mindful of time zone differences).
The whole process was fairly efficient.
If you like everything tied into a neat bow, then KimKim is great. They know the regions from first-hand experience so that helps.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel President

Budapest,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central, near the Parliament buildings.

Staff

Well,

Cleanliness & Comfort

A bit run down in areas. Breakfast is in the basement and kind of dreary. Selection was fine, servers looked a bit tired.

Marrol's Boutique Hotel

Bratislava

A boutique hotel, with all the right touches. Lovely library with a bar, great location as well. Rooms were impecable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central, yet very quiet.

Staff

Check in Times at 3pm are silly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vienna's Sweet and Savory Food Scene

Vienna

Absolutely, positively a must-do while in Vienna. This takes you a bit off the beat and path, and you experience Vienna like a local, in different neighborhoods around the city. Best of all--it's all centered around food--a true foodie tour, where you taste local cuisine in the company of other great people. Try to get Maria as the tour guide--she's wonderful. This walking tour also gets you on the metro system for a short ride. Dress appropriately 'cause you will be outside. You will love the people you meet, and lots of photo ops as well. Highly recommended. Save the museums for another day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Biking in Wachau Valley

Vienna

Meh. You really have to like wine to go on this tour. Unfortunately for us the biking part was rained out...so we bussed to different wineries. The little towns we went thru were okay, nothing really stood out. The lunch had limited choices. The boat ride up the river was 90 minutes wasted. I would not recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim matched us with La Paz on Foot in Bolivia. We were well taken care of by La Paz on Foot every step of the way. We spent the first two nights in La Paz, then one in Island of the Sun, then one in Tuni, and then back to La Paz, then one night in Uyuni, and one in Villa Mar, then two nights in San Pedro Atacama. We had our own guide and/or driver who patiently explained much about the Bolivian history, current situation, natural history, and any random questions we had. We were grateful for the opportunity to have visited Bolivia.

Mathia was incredibly organized and knowledgeable about Norway. We had a rough itinerary in mind and he made wonderful recommendations to create the perfect trip. All of our guides were friendly and well informed. Highlights were in Balestrand where we met Lars and Captain Tor who took us kayaking and on a scenic boat tour of the fjord. Accommodations throughout were wonderful. Thank you, Mathia and KimKim for helping make our trip to Norway very memorable! We highly recommend your services!

This was an amazing trip for a family of 22. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of our visit - Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Santorini and Crete. Our trip guides, hotels, locations were all selected carefully and it was really really good. We take back memories from this trip for lifetime. Thanks Angela for specifically organizing this wonderful trip.

Overall the experience booking with KimKim was excellent. Everything was taken care of from the moment we boarded the plane to the time we got home. We did an 11 day tour from Toronto to Barcelona with return flight from Lisbon to Toronto. We are a family of 4 with 2 boys aged 16 and 18.
1. Barcelona- We were picked up from the airport by private car and transported to our hotel in Barcelona. We stayed at Silken Gran Havana Barcelona. It was in a good location. The hotel was clean. It had breakfast included and small gym which we used. That night we went to the Barcelona Tapas Culinary Experience in a small group. The Tapas tour was fun. We went to 4 restaurants all within walking distance. We were given food and drinks at each restaurant. The food was good and there was plenty of it. We enjoyed the tour.
2. Barcelona - We did a 3 hour bike tour with Born the next day. It was a good amount of time and we saw most of the major sites of the city. Our tour guide had fair knowledge but she was actually from Paris so was not a Barcelona local.
3. Barcelona - We did a private Montserrat visit and hiking tour with Ramon. This was definitely a highlight. Ramon was very knowledgeable. He was a proper tour guide. He had samples of local food for us to try on our hike and he provided much insight on the tour of Monserrat and on the hike.
4. Barcelona -We had a free day in Barcelona. We probably could have skipped this day. We saw most of what we wanted to see on the bike tour. I wish we had more time in Lisbon.
5. Barcelona to Lisbon. We had a private air port transfer from our hotel to Lisbon airport. Felip was very nice. He was the driver. The Lisbon airport is quite small. We were there 3 hours ahead for our flight but they would only check us in 2 hours before since other airlines use the space. The flight was longer than we expected - 2 hours. We were picked up by private car and taken to our hotel Casa Balthazar. We loved this hotel! Very private and secluded. It felt more like a bed and breakfast than a hotel. Breakfast was included. It had a private spa with steam room, sauna, hot tub and cold tub. It was in a great part of town. That night we went on a Tuk Tuk tour. The tour was 4 hours and went over time. I think a 1-2 hour Tuk tuk tour may be nice but 4 hours was too long, especially considering we had flown in the day time. It was also difficult to hear the tour guide with all the traffic and noise. We could have skipped this.
6. Day trip to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril - This was an 8 hour tour in a car. Paulo was the tour guide. Paulo was great and quite knowledgeable. The car was slightly cramped for our family of 4. The tour was also long being 8 hours. Plus we ended up stuck in traffic so it was more like a 10 hour tour. We learned a lot and enjoyed the tour but it was maybe one tour too much since we did not have much free time in Lisbon to explore.
7. Lisbon to Algarve - We picked up a rental car at Europcar. They ended up giving us a van. At first we were not happy because the streets in Lisbon are so narrow we did not know how we would be able to get a van to our hotel. We were able to do it and after we left Lisbon the van was nice to have since it was spacious to travel in. It took us about 2.5 hours to travel to the Algarve. We checked in to our hotel Tivoli Lagos Algarve Resort. Breakfast was included which was nice. The resort was slightly dated and very full of tourists. The hotel had a happy hour and karaoke. Some guests seemed to love it but that is not really what we enjoy. We visited our friends who stayed at a different Tivoli Resort which was in a nearby town. It was beautiful since it was on the water and overlooking the rocks. We would have preferred that hotel over the one we stayed in. It was closer to the Bengali caves. That said, Lagos was a bigger town with more shopping, a marina. and a festival going on. There was also a Mexican restaurant called the Green Leaf at the bottom of the hill near our hotel that we loved! We ate there every day that we were in the Algarve! There was also East Indian cuisine and shopping.
We did the Algarve Sunset Experience. This was a 3 hour tour but didn't need to be. The guide drove us through neighbourhoods in a run down jeep. He talked about the vegetation, trees, figs, almonds and then we watched the sunset. We were supposed to have bread and chorizo but he forgot to get it so we had almond cakes instead. This tour also went over on time. I would skip this tour and simply drive our rented car to the outlook spot if we did it again.
8. Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Cave - This tour was with Secret Algarve and was the highlight of our trip. I would highly recommend this tour. The guides were professional. The sights were beautiful. It is quite busy since there are a lot of tour groups going out to see the caves but we really enjoyed it.
9. Algarve - We had a free day in Algarve. We went to see some of the sights Ponta da Peidade. It was beautiful but very hot. We ended up just strolling the streets for souvenirs and shopping which was nice.
10. Algarve to Lisbon to Toronto - We drove back to Lisbon. Dropped our rental car at the airport and flew back to Toronto.

Overall we truly enjoyed our trip. It was the family trip of a lifetime. If I had to change anything I would do one or two less tours or at least shorten them because I found them too long. The highlights were Monserrat and hiking as well as the kayaking in Bengali caves. But we are a very active family so we enjoyed being outdoors and exploring nature.
Helena was great. She had every thing planned perfectly. But I may have chosen a different hotel in the Algarve and booked shorter tours.

The trip to Turkey where we enjoyed Istanbul and Cappadocia was very good. Our guide in Instanbul Burak was the best who was so knowledgable about the culture that made our trip the memorable. The balloon ride in Cappadocia was really memorable for us. Our group of 18 family members each enjoyed the trip to the maximum. Thanks for organizing the trip and getting things in place

Audrey has changed the way I will plan trips for every. Audrey organized a trips for my extended family of 6. Each with different expectation, ages, etc. Miraculously within a few days working with us, she created an itinerary that pleased everyone! I couldn't even do that. Audrey saved us so much time and so many discussions. Audrey was patient and very knowledgeable about the area. She made us discover some of her secret destinations that only the locals would know. Once we confirmed the itinerary, Audrey made all the bookings and reservations. On top of that Audrey continued to inform us of the next event, transportation, etc during the trip. She handled changes, issues, etc as well.

I just cannot say enough good things about Audrey and KimKim.

Hello Irene and Team!
We are very grateful to all of you for your support and careful planning while we were in your beautiful country. We have fallen in love with the islands and all the places we visited.
We felt supported and cared for every step of the way. A special thanks to all our guides and drivers. You all did an exceptional, professional and beautiful job. Thank you, thank you!!!
Irene, thank you so very much for meeting with us in Athens and for putting together this exceptional trip. May we be in touch again for another adventure!

The trip was well structured throughout. Mar and Julia were my main points of contact and were always accessible. I missed my connecting flight in Paris on the way over to Norway. They were on point to rearrange our activities in our first stop, Bergen and we didn't miss a beat. We spent 3 nights in Bergen which was quaint and beautiful and what I envisioned Norway to be. It had a broad range of restaurants, shopping and hiking. I would highly recommend. My daughter and I surprised ourselves with navigating the hiking trails on top of the mountains. Gorgeous. Mar and Julia arranged a ferry ride through the fjords to a small community, Ballestrand, for 3 days. A great contrast, with a slower pace, fjords surrounding us everywhere. They arranged some adventure for us with a RIB tour deep into the fjords for some magnificent views you wouldn't see from a ferry. Super fun. They also coordinated electric bike rentals for us to get up close and personal with the fjords. Again, a great experience. The train from Flam to our final destination of Oslo was something out of the movies. The whole trip went flawlessly. I would highly recommend KimKim travel agency. Julia also went the extra mile after the trip. We had bought Norwegian sweaters in Oslo, but didn't have the room to pack them. We have not received them and I wasn't able to get through to the store. She has jumped in to assist and reach out to the store directly. We are making progress. Thank you so much Julia. You are a gem.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo

Oslo

We were only in Oslo for a short time. Radisson Blu Hotel is very nice. We had a beautiful view of the fjords from our room. It was convenient to restaurants, shopping, sites and the bay area. Rooms are a bit small, but to be expected given they are in a premium area of the city with limited real estate. They have a fun rooftop bar with a gorgeous view of the city. Recommend

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

The view from this hotel was magnificent. We looked out at the fjords from the deck connected to our room. Ballestrand is a smaller community, so the hotel was very convenient to everything. The hotel's decor is beautiful with nice Norwegian decor throughout. Food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

This was a boutique hotel with beautiful woodwork throughout. They had a cute bar area in the lobby area of the hotel. There was a wedding the night we were in the bar, so great music to enjoy as well:) The location was fantastic and accessible to restaurants and shopping.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

It was a very nice, relaxing ride on a beautiful day at the end of our Norway trip. We met some nice people on the boat. It would have been great to learn more about the area from the guide, but I don't think that was the intent of the cruise. Nice ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike Rental Balestrand

Balestrand

This was a pleasant surprise. For $5 extra dollars, we upgraded to an electric bike. It was great. It was raining the day we went. We put on our rain jackets and went anyway. We had the best time riding along the fjords up close and personal. We would have rented them again the next day, but ran out of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

So fun!! It was rougher water the day we went, which made it even more exciting. You could tell the driver knew what he was doing, so no concerns. We were able to get in deep into the fjords and see some magnificent waterfalls as we were there in May when the snow was melting. I was looking for something adventurous to do with my 20 year old daughter. It was perfect. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Gorgeous ride up to the top of the mountain. Hiking and restaurant at the top were amazing. We spent the afternoon on a fantastic hike and relaxed after at the restaurant/bar to take in the view of the city and fjords.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

I always appreciate a walking tour to give you a lay of the city early in your trip. The guide provided great insightful things about the history of the city as well as the culture. It was well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Fantastic food and a beautiful location.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was fantastic. We had an amazing trip with many experiences, but also some downtime to explore and do a few things on our own. Luis was wonderful to work with, as well as the rest of the team. The only suggestion we have about any improvements would be related to the way that the information was viewable related to our customized tour. The website interface was wonderful about the details of each day's experience, but that view lacked some of the necessary details that we needed to stay organized; not all information is in one place. For example, we needed to get to the train station to pick up our rental car. One view stated "0900" but somewhere else it said "0900 to 1100". It wasn't clear to us that there was a time limit on the arrival time for this; I assumed we booked it and it was paid for, so why would there be a time limit? Adding a few details such as that would be helpful. In Santiago, our wonderful hotel was in a section where no driving was permitted. We did not know that ahead of time and got frustrated trying to figure out where to go, where to park etc. Small details like this would have been an enhancement to the experience. Perhaps it's a limitation when you leave the logistics to visitors and not the seasoned locals! Everything that was NOT reliant on our limited logistical coordination skills was expertly organized. All of our local guides in the different cities- Alberto in Barcelona, Mirko for the Barcelona e-bike tour, Ivan in the Rioja region, Sandra in San Sebastian pixto tour, Gorka in Pais Basco, Joaquin in Galacia, Maria Jose in Santiago, Simon in Madrid tapas tour, and Hernan for our Madrid city and Prado tour- were wonderful! Truly, we can't say enough about how great the diverse experiences were and the overall luxury of the trip was phenomenal. Thank you for all that you did to organize a wonderful experience. I will use your services again when planning my next Spain trip.