Kimkim Trip Reviews

Had an incredible trip to India! Jay was very attentive and listened to my needs to build an incredible itinerary for me. He was even able to include a celebration on Holi for me to attend (when people would normally not be working) which was much appreciated and a once in a lifetime experience! My trip overall was the perfect balance of activity highlights and downtime. As a solo traveler I felt safe at all times. Had great tour guides and drivers and attentive staff greeting me and making sure I had everything I needed at each new destination. Absolutely an effortless and seamless experience! Can’t wait to book another Kim Kim adventure soon :)

My husband and I booked a pretty last-minute trip to south Africa and we were not easy customers! Lize was so incredible patient and helpful, and communicated well, and quickly. This trip wouldn't have happened without her, and it really was glorious! Tangala Lodge was perfect for us, even though it wasn't originally where we were planning to stay. Amenities were basic and clean, yet service was absolutely 5 star! And not a trivial detail--the transfers our stay involved we're SO smooth they were easy to forget! My husband and I never had to wonder how we were going to get from point A to point B.

We went to Morocco with our family friends - total of 4 adults and 4 kids ranging between 7 and 1yo. Megan was excellent in answering our questions and preparing us for our travels.

Once we arrived we met our tour guide Yassine who was phenomenal and exceeded our expectations

Overall an excellent trip , I would highly recommend.

Except for few glitches which were due to small non communication all other arrangements were great and we enjoyed our trip.

We wanted to plan a memorable family vacation to Costa Rica, but felt daunted by the task. We decided to use KimKim and were connected with Fio who helped turn our ideas of areas we wanted to see and things we wanted to do, into a manageable itinerary.

Some of the highlights were the guided tour at Manuel Antonio National Park with our guide, Socio (with Endemic Bird tours). We ended up being the only family on his tour so we had a very personalized experience. His knowledge and ability to spot wildlife in the jungle was extraordinary. We also enjoyed our hotel Costa Verde - we had wonderful ocean views from our balcony and saw toucans and macaws, as well as monkeys and sloths. The room was nice and the grounds were enjoyable - beautiful views from the Anaconda restaurant for breakfast. We also enjoyed evening dining experiences at Cafe Milagro and Claro Que Si. Wonderful food and atmosphere in both.

We were glad to have a rental 4x4 vehicle for the trip - which made it easier to see more areas and definitely needed 4x4 as the roads were not easy in many of the out of the way places like Monteverde.

We enjoyed zip lining in Monteverde at Selvatura Park, but unfortunately we had our first attempt at doing so canceled due to lightning. So one thing we learned is to plan activities for the morning hours to avoid potential rain and maybe storms in the afternoon. The morning weather mostly seemed to be predictably clearer than the afternoon. Selvatura let us reschedule our zip lining tour for the next morning, so we were able to squeeze it in before leaving for Arenal Volvano the next day - and we thoroughly enjoyed the zip line experience so it was worth it to squeeze it in. We enjoyed our hotel - Fondo Vela (again we were glad for the 4x4 as it was tough to get there). It was beautiful, peaceful and the rooms were very nice. We also enjoyed St Elena and Taco Taco restaurant there. We wished we had more time to spend there as it was a very beautiful area with just the right amount of tourist action (didn't feel over touristy).

Our hotel in La Fortuna was nice - it was right off the main road through Fortuna so it was a little underwhelming location wise....but the grounds were pretty and they had a nicely maintained pool and we at at Puira, the adjacent restaurant which was very good. It'd a nice view of the volcano. Fortuna is very touristy feeling - more so than Monteverde and St Elena - but we still enjoyed it. Put your guide Kenneth and driver Roy were fantastic for our La Fortuna waterfall guided hike and the hanging bridges (again we were wishing that we'd had these activities scheduled in the morning as it down poured through out our hanging bridges tour (we consequently didn't see much and we were soaked thru), but it was interesting to be in the middle of the rainforest in the middle of torrential rain so our guides helped us make the best of it. We also thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate and coffee tour while in Fortuna at Don Juan (our guide Yen was very knowledgeable and it was a great tour). We also did our own hike at Arenal Volcano National Park (nice views and easy hiking, pricey entrance fee though for our family of four). Lake Arenal is really pretty and we were once again grateful for the car as we took our time as we drive toward Bijagua, and stopped a few places along the drive around the lake. Unfortunately our son left his iPad at the hotel (Arenal History Inn) in La Fortuna so we had to make the drive twice to go back and get it (I messaged Fio and Nancy thru KimKim and they very wonderfully made the connection with the hotel management to help us get the iPad back from the hotel room he had stayed in). They definitely went above and beyond to assist and it was comforting to feel that they had our backs if something came up that we needed some help with.

Bijagua was very peaceful and felt very authentic- not very touristy. Our tour guide, Freddie, on our Rio Celeste hike was also very skilled at locating animals and spotting things in the jungle including some varieties of beautiful birds and a tapir! We all noted that many of these hikes can be done without guides, but the guides do offer a significant benefit to seeing all sorts of wild creatures and have so much knowledge to offer so it really was worth it to go with guides. We loved our bed and breakfast accommodations in Bijagua - Sueno Rio Celeste (the owners - Marci and Bryant were so hospitable and kind - they recently purchased the Inn but had many valuable suggestions for us including a visit to a jaguar sanctuary about 30 min drive away). If they hadn't told me they'd only been there less than a year, I never would've guessed with how seamlessly they ran the B&B and the wonderful wealth of knowledge they had to share about the area. The grounds are gorgeous - I did yoga and qigong on their newly built yoga deck and was surrounded by monkeys and birds and lovely jungle views. It was so peaceful and another place we wished we had more time.

Our last full day in Costa Rica we spent driving to and exploring Tamarindo - it was very busy and lots of beach/surfer action and tourists. We are at Ocean right on the beach which was nice. Our hotel and overall experience of Tamarindo was underwhelming- our hotel Pasatiempo was just okay - the pool area was nice and the beds were comfortable, but there was bass thumping and music from adjacent bars into the very early hours - lots of partying and tourists which is what some want, but it's not our scene so we were left underwhelmed by Tamarindo. We did thoroughly enjoy our Turtle Night Viewing Tour with Reynolds and Bernie. They drove us to the National Park/protected beach at sunset and filled us with an exceptional amount of information about turtles in our way there. This was our absolute favorite part activity/tour in Costa Rica - they guided us on the dark beach with red lights only and we witnessed baby turtles hatching and several turtles coming out of the water in various stages of digging and prepping their nests for laying eggs. We even saw one turtle laying eggs. It was amazing and a must do activity (but it seemed that having a knowledgeable guide was essential - Bernie and Reynolds seemed to know much more than many of the other guides and so our experience was better - we were the only group to see the turtle lay eggs - the others had all left before this occurred...we felt very fortunate to have Bernie and Reynolds as our guides). Our turtle experience is something none of us will ever forget! Pura Vida!

Overall our trip was fantastic and it was very helpful to use KimKim and have Fio and Nancy's assistance. It was a memorable trip for sure and we appreciated the hassle free planning and organization from Fio.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME…Until I return!

Silvia found the perfect guide in Gummi—one who took special time and attention to make sure we all had an unforgettable experience. Not only do I feel like I saw the landscape and majestic beauty of the land, but I also saw the kindness of the Icelandic culture and community. Iceland has captured my heart and created the most cherished memories.

I have already recommended the KimKim team to all that have asked!

Gummi & Silvia—thank you! This trip was magical!

We experienced a 6 day 5 night holiday with Olman's planning. It was perfect. All transports were perfect. Most were private. The ones that werent were small group. We did not pack light because of extension of cruise at the end. The transport across Arenal lake was a bit of a effort lugging suitcases across muddy embankment but the lake approach to Arenal was fabulous and the first view of volcanoe was truly special. Recommend packing light! We had asked for nature and animals and we got to see all. The hotel choices were all perfect. Thankyou to all who made this trip memoriable. A slight change in itinery was adjusted and we were well taken care of. Advised to check emails last and first thing of the day in case adjustments have been made by the company and an earlier pickup than scheduled has been planned. Would recommend KimKim travel. We have travelled extensively and we were very impressed.

Hotel Reviews

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Beautiful authentic hotel close to airport but in the hills looking over san Jose. Room was lovely!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ficus Sunset Suites

Monteverde

Close to restaurants and small mall. Beautiful grounds comfortable rooms. Traffic noise in early morning but because of Monteverde's hilly geography it was hard to avoid.

Authenticity & Character

Nice wood. Clean and comfortable.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Our room was at the top of the hill facing the mountsin. Lots of wildlife right outside our door. Staff were so kind. Bathroim a bit dated but bed was comfortable and clean. Has it's own hotsprings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Need a car or rely on cabs to go to other restaurants.

Staff

My cleaning lady was so helpful. She found me a needle and thread to sew my back pack.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The ziplines were top notch. Quite an exelerating experience. Need to be somewhat fit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an amazing time. Our tour guide Robert was amazing. He kept us busy every day and when we had down time he assisted us in making other arrangements. The accomodations were excelent, the van was perfect. I don't know who Eloise is but Franck did a great job.

Panama was an epic trip. We were looking for a beach vacation and wanted to see the Panama Canal. The itinerary and service provided by Reyna was excellent. Reyna checked in with us throughout the tour. The trips/transfer to and from the Pearl Islands and to Bocas del Toro were arranged by Reyna and her team and we had no problems at all. She communicated with our hotels and drivers throughout the trip. The drivers were helpful and informative. One of the tours Reyna recommended was a rain forest boat tour of Gatun lake- which is entered via the national park in Panama City. This is a real treat and not to be missed and gives a real perspective of Panama canal's history and geography. Our guide for Gatun Lake and then a visit to Colon, Jenny who is a local, was excellent. I really appreciated her enthusiasm and she clearly knew area well- not to mention where to get the best raspado in town. We spent two nights at Oro y Mar on Isla Contadora which was the most elegant hotel on the island with a beautiful private beach. This was a quiet stay as the island is small. We stayed at Island Plantation in Bocas del Toro- I can't say enough about this place- beautiful with a pool, private beach and far way yet close enough to the town to go into town. We took day trips from there with Kawi Voyage Eco-tours and our guide Sophie Garcia was fantastic. We packed a lot into this trip but it never felt like too much. Thank you Reyna and your team!

Elisa was very responsive and easy to work with. She had great suggestions for things for us to do and was open to moving around our itinerary to fit our specific interests. We saw a lot of this beautiful country in just a few days with her help. We would love to visit again and work with KimKim again.

We just finished our 9 day trip to Norway for our family of 9 (5 adults and 4 kids) and had such an amazing time. Julia was so helpful in every part of the planning. Even when we had questions alon gthe way she was always so responsive. We loved the experiences in Kierkenes at the Snow hotel - the husky sled ride, king crab hunting, northern lights spotting and overnight stay in the snow hotel was so memorable. Oslo, Flam and Bergen were also awesome. Just such an amazing time. Thank you KimKim (and Julia) for helping with this trip! Memories for a lifetime!

We had an absolutely amazing time on a one week tour of Morocco with our two children. Our trip planner and booking manager, Ali and Said of Original travels, did a fabulous job planning our trip and selecting activities and accommodations and went the extra mile to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. Our driver Ayoub was the best! He was warm and friendly and welcoming, had a wealth of knowledge about all the places we visited and went out of his way to help us with our children. We were touched by the warmth and hospitality of the Moroccan people.

What a spectacular anniversary and adventure trip! We want to return & explore further with Gummi when we are able to in the late summer/fall of a year. From start to finish the experiences of traveling to Iceland was made simple & efficient with Silvia! Skól! Salud! Cheers! Drink! Thank you! Gracias! Our accolades & appreciation for Gummi & Silvia are infinite.
Gummi proved to be the perfect guide and ideal travel historian/explorer/caretaker/leader for the 5 of us. His temperament, attitude, insights, perspectives, transparency, frankness, humor and constant support were priceless! Just a cool f*ck*ng VIKING that helped us discover Iceland in unique and unparalleled fashion. Everyone, including the five of us loved & was amazed with the SuperJeep. So many tourists kept posing for pictures with it when we were both in & out of the mammoth Goliath. Gummi & Goliath the duo will fondly be remembered. Next time in Iceland, we will have Gummi drive a 6-door, 13-washing machine long x 5-washing machine tall, 56" tire real-VIKINGJeep. We will explore the rest of the island, visit more hot lagoons, spend a few more days in Rekjavik, enter the Artic Circle, and learn more from Gummi, while being catered to & cared for like toddlers. The accommodations were stellar. The perfect timing & ease of doing laundry was spot on! We got to see the Aurora Borealis twice. Once the evening we arrived at Hotel Strattca, after 36-hours of traveling & immediate adventure with Gummi & the 2nd on a remote night at Laki Hotel! From Geysirs to Ice Caves, a City Food Tour, the Valley of Thor, including two awesome hikes to experience glaciers from a majestic peaks & valleys, delicious fancy dinners, and Kiki for a Drag Show on St. Patrick's Day capped with tasty hot fries from Mandi, our time was packed with fun & excitement. We had tasty breakfast each morning at our hotels & dinner on-site each of the first 4-nights. All of which were convenient & yummy! I am not sure how this trip could have been improved. The weather was perfect, aside from the strong breezes that persisted for all our outdoor explorations! Luckily we all came prepared & pulled out every accessory & layer to ensure we were remained warm enough & protected from the harsh breeze. Hot feet & hot hands were great items we packed. There is so much more to add that explains how awesome & perfect this experience with Gummi & Silvia proved to be worth every cent. We extend our deepest gratitudes, huge hugs & a hearty VIKING roar with a joyful f*ck you in our appreciation.

Hotel Reviews

Stracta Hotel

Hella

We enjoyed the drinks & dinner each night! The hot tub & sauna were awesome on our second night. As it was very cold & during the week, we have these two our small group. We got to see the Northern Lights one the first night & the awesome glassed wall & roof tunnel with easy access doors, made this all the more spectacular. We loved the radiator geothermal heaters & it was nice to have a refrigerator. Vlad was very helpful, responsive & accommodating of our requests. The breakfast was huge & diverse with something for everyone. Even filter coffee! We enjoyed our stay here!

Authenticity & Character

Glassed wall/roof tunnel were excellent! We enjoyed the hot tub & sauna. Easy access to Aurora Borealis which was an amazing sight to experience.

Location

We had a tour guide & this place was located nicely for our adventures along the way.

Staff

Vlad was awesome!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laki

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

We enjoed Maga. She gave us our first fermented shark experience & enjoyed it with us. The bar was perfect & even had playing cards for us to enjoy during our stay. The 2nd night we enjoyed playing cards, drinking & stepping out on the bar balcony intermittently to take photos & pose with the Aurora Borealis! It was beautiful as it danced across the sky! The morning breakfast was diverse & tasty. I think we all enjoyed the Skyr here the most of the 3-hotels. The dinner buffet was delicious each evening & the ease of use of much appreciated. We are so glad we used the laundry service, which was flawless.

Authenticity & Character

One of a kind! The bar & balcony were so much fun! The remote location gave a pitch black night were the Northern Lights & stars were on dynamic display. Thanks for the playing cards!

Location

As we had a private guide, and this location was excellent for him to help us have unique & remote adventures.

Staff

We saw Maga every morning & evening! She was ever-present, personable & memorable. We adore her. The other ladies supporting the bar & meals were excellent too. The chef was nice & present for each meal.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was not filthy, but it could have been cleaned with a bit more attention to detail. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator.

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

This place was fabulous! We were able to walk everywhere & explore many parts of Rekjavik from the Skuggi. From the Sun Voyager, to Harpa, the Rainbow Road, Kiki, Bravo, 3 Frakkar, Fish Mrkt, Mandi, the Iceland Phallological Museum, the Bar at the End of the Rainbow, the lovely Sky Lagoon, and everything in between we loved Rekljavik & the Skuggi was the perfect location. Here again we loved the radiant geothermal heat.

Authenticity & Character

We talked about the black & grey motif with the Behind the Mountains theme everyday. It was conveniently located & unique. Almost hidden in this one-of-a-kind city.

Location

Was perfect for our exploration of Rekjavik.

Staff

Everyone was pleasant. The front desk staff were impeccable, kind, gracious & positive with every interaction. The breakfast staff kind & fast. We felt rushed with the ending of breakfast each morning. We were disappointed that things as easy as the coffee were whisked away & dumped down the drain right at 1000. We appreciated the ice cold water that was available 24/7.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This place was lovely ! We appreciated the small window that remained open during our entire stay. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator.

Activity Reviews

Reykjavík Food Walk

Iceland

Lily Bjork was amazing! Her positive energy & vibrant presence were perfect for a terrific exploration of the food in Rekjavik. I had my first horse, enjoyed fermented shark with Brennivin and adored the perfect Icelandic Hotdog with chocolate milk. Our private tour guide Gummi treated us to this exact hotdog place upon arrival in Rekjavik. The atmosphere & experience facilitated by Lily resulted in 12 of us, most of the tour group, enjoying drinks at the Jungle afterwards. We went briefly to see Lily perform on 3/17 at the Irishman Pub.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone loved Lily!

Transport

Easy & nice walk around Rekjavik.

Gullfoss Waterfall – Iceland's Mesmerizing Natural Wonder

Iceland

It was quite cold & windy this day. However, the brief time we spent walking around & enjoying this massive waterfall was spectacular!

Quality of Experience

Geysir Geothermal Area – Iceland's Natural Hot Springs & Geysers

Iceland

We were awe struck by this & enjoyed it very much. It was very cold, very windy & rather early an experience as we arrived in Iceland early & this was on our way to more adventure.

Quality of Experience

Easy, nice & rather quick!

Taxi to KEF Airport

Iceland

Arnar was excellent in his beautiful black Mercedes van. His kindness & expertise were much appreciated. He took us to & from the Sky Lagoon & to the hotel for our departure. All were seamless & fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arnar was awesome!

Transport

100% perfect & appreciated!

Caves of Hella - The Underworld of the South

Iceland

This place was so cool, unique & insightful about Iceland. We adored Stefan, our private guide, & greatly appreciated him staying late & giving us our own private tour. I will forever remember his kindness, humor, & classic Iceland wool sweater.

Quality of Experience

High-quality, personal, intimate & full of unique history.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We adored our private tour from Stefan, the guide. We appreciated his staying a little late & his flexibility.

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Ragnar was rejuvenating, energetic, hilarious & clear! This experience was facilitated 100% of the time by Ragnar. His direction, simplicity, personal touch with unique insights and delightful presence were much appreciated. He made this a unique experience that we all loved the most of all aspects of this trip! We felt like every part was awesome, but this one was once in a lifetime for sure. The ice caves are change regularly with the seasons of Iceland. It was amazing to walk on & in a glacier! That largest glacier in Europe.

Quality of Experience

100% MUST DO, when available & in season.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ragnar Rocks! Hilarious historian & expert!

Transport

This was a nice all-terrain well-equipped vehicle. Ragnar knew how to expertly drive it.

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

This place was magnificent! From start to finish you never feel like you are near buildings or in something man-made. The entry from the dressing room is awesome. The 7-step ritual is a must do experience. The lagoon is lovely & we enjoyed much time just chilling, relaxing, rejuvenating & enjoying some drinks. This was a great way to spend our last afternoon in Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Transport

We appreciated Arnar taking us there!

Taxi to and from the Sky Lagoon

Iceland

As noted in the other transport activity, Arnar was awesome! We loved his black Mercedes van. The trips were excellent. He was prompt, courteous & kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arnar was awesome!

Transport

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

This activity was neat, but the tour group was too large in my view. The experience was straightforward & rather quick. The hard hat & crampons were much appreciated. This was a unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was nice & funny. The group was just too large to remember her name or even hear her sometimes.

Kvernufoss

Iceland

This walk & waterfall were fabulous! We loved the site for pictures & our private guide even got some cool group shots with the waterfall in the background. It was too slippery for me to get too close to the waterfall or behind it, but this would have been cool.

Quality of Experience

Journey Through Time & Tectonics – Thingvellir National Park Exploration

Iceland

With our private guide Gummi this experience was unique & unparalleled. We enjoyed the sites, stories & exploring the national park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gummi was terrific!

Transport

The SuperJeep was a must & with Gummi driving the experience was stellar!

Þórsmörk & Eyjafjallajökull - Private Superjeep Tour

Iceland

This adventure was amazing & left us speechless at times. Between the hike to the top of a mountain, unique views of glaciers, seeing an artic fox in the wilderness, crossing a flowing river twice, walking in the Valley of Thor & getting pictures with beautiful views, this experience was 100% awesome! This private SuperJeep tour is the way to explore these sites & enjoy your remote adventures in Iceland. Gummi was stellar & we have only positive praise to celebrate our time with him. Aside from the Jeep on this tour, we had it for the first 5 days of our trip. This proved to be one of the best decisions made for this trip. Gummi & Goliath as we named the vehicle made this experience one of a kind & great in every way!

Quality of Experience

Food

Hotel Strattca made us a sack lunch for the day! The wrap was delicious & we loved Prince Polo treat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gummi f*ck*ng rocks!

Transport

The SuperJeep was awesome in every way!

Hunting the Northern Lights with a Guide -Private tour

Iceland

We were able to view the Northern Lights at both Hotel Strattca on night one & at Laki Hotel on night four. So we never had to hunt much for this experience. One slight regret is that we did not expect to see the Northern Lights while in Rekjavik, However, on our first night their, night 5 of the trip, the lights were bright & visible throughout Rekjavik. We sadly did not even look for them that night. That night may have been a great night for a evening hunt north of the city to see the bright lights one last time.

Quality of Experience

I had a wonderful time with my two young adult children in Cartagena and the islands. From the very beginning, I worked with Michael to plan a trip that had something for everyone -- some culture and insights into Colombia as well as some rest for the family. The choices of hotels were great -- the Cartagena hotel was in Getsemani, a very cool area and outside some of the crowds of the Centro, and had a great rooftop pool. The hotel is Isla Mucura was also fantastic. We had pretty much one driver who had lived in the US and was very knowledgable about the area and gave insights into Colombian life. The young ladies who were our tour guides were both very enthusiastic about Colombia and where they lived and we very much enjoyed touring with them. We had a few excursions, including a bike tour of the old city, an evening dinner cruise and a tour of the mangroves outside of Cartagena, all of which taught us various aspects of the region. Thanks to Michael and the team he assembled for a memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

Nice accommodation with a great rooftop pool and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

About a 10-15 minute walk from the Centro, a short taxi ride away.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Punta Faro

Isla Mucura

I loved every minute of the resort -- perfect for a very quiet few days away. The facilities were nice -- not too fancy but felt like you were at one with the nature around you. It is a decent sized facility with a lot of opportunity to walk and do water sports right off of the beautiful beach. My family did a bioluminescent plankton tour and said it was incredible as were the spa facilities. The 2 hour ride was very pleasant there -in the hotel's boat - the return was through rougher waters so be mindful if you have issues with boats. Every night, they moved the location of the dinner outside and it was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barranquilla Express Tour

Barranquilla

The guide was absolutely fantastic and told us many many things about the city and its history. The town was nice enough and had some lovely parts but the main attraction was the museum of the Carnival - the biggest event in the city every year and one of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the world. Aside from that and the architecture of the area, I am not sure it warranted a separate day trip from Cartagena -- would have been a good tour on the way to the national parks from Cartagena.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great and had wonderful energy.

Transport

The was a demonstration which required us to detour on the return -- made it a 3 hour trip one way. Not the drivers fault of course.

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

It was a good introduction to the area and the surrounding fishing culture.

Quality of Experience

I felt as if I was getting a local experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caribbean Dinner Cruise

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

I thought it was great -- think it could have been a little longer to give us more information. Our guide Carolina was very knowledgable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time using KimKim to see Jordan! Samir did a great job tailoring the trip to our wishes, and the hotels selected all worked out well. Getting through customs was smooth, and our driver, Wasef, got us to every destination safely and on schedule with a few extra photo opportunities thrown in. Getting to see the Holy Sites in Jordan was great, and Petra and Wadi Rum are must-sees. I would happily recommend using KimKim as an ideal way to see Jordan if privacy and flexibility are priorities for you!

This was our first time using a service like kimkim, and we are very glad we did!! Without their service, we wouldn't have been able to do all the things we wanted to do during our trip. We're also glad we were chauffeured by professional drivers in streets of Italy. Eleni and her local counterpart were extremely responsive to our questions and requests. All the drivers and guides showed up almost precisely 10 minutes before our agreed times. A huge shoutout to all the guides, who were extremely professional and added so much to our trip--in particular, we truly enjoyed our time with Antonella in Firenze, Giuseppe in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, and Sabrina in Rome!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Alessandra

Florence

We had a family room with beds for 4. Worked out great. Tucked in a street near Ponte Vecchio with small artisan shops. Delightful!

Authenticity & Character

The owner and his staff were delightful hosts.

Location

Close to Ponte Vecchio. Small shops and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best shower during our entire trip.

Maison la Minervetta Sorrento

Sorrento

Truly a splurge! The views from our rooms were breathtaking. Unique and original decor. Lovely breakfast spread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view, the view, the view!

Staff

The front desk staff were professional and welcoming. We didn't feel particularly welcomed in our interactions during the breakfast, but it could have been due to the language barrier. It took time for our coffee orders to arrive and they were variable in quality.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendor Suite Rome

Rome

This hotel was a bit disappointing because all other hotels during our trip to Italy were wonderful. It felt like an airbnb as opposed to a hotel--self check-in outside regular business hours. We were traveling with our two teenage sons. We found out we didn't need a second room, because there was a sofa bed in the family suite that they could have used, which was not clear from their website or when we were presented with the proposal. More to our frustration, we were woken up a few times during the night because of the hallway noise. Our room (106A) was adjacent to 106B, from which we could hear everything, and the occupants in 106B were unpleasantly loud late at night. Since there was no one at the front desk in the evening, we could not ask for timely intervention. Perhaps, they should have given 106B as our second room to avoid this. At least one time, the noise source seemed to be the staff; in the morning, there were bags of laundry right outside our door.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff didn't come across as if they were interested in making the guests feel welcomed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Antonella, our guide, was fantastic. She laid out the basics of the city's history first, which made the other explanations logically hold together. Her love of her city made it all the more special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Pompeii Tour & Mount Vesuvius visit with lunch and wine tasting

Pompeii

The Pompeii tour was fascinating--thank you, Natalia! There is travel distance between Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and the lunch site, so we were glad we had the entire day arranged and coordinated. The view of Bay of Naples from Mount Vesuvius is very worth it!!

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant/winery seemed all catered to the tour groups.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Grazie, Natalia and Fabio!

Transport

Private Amalfi Coast Driving Tour

Italy

The highlight of the driving tour was the stop for us to hike the Path of Gods trail. It was fantastico!! Because we fit the hike in, things got quite late in the day, and by the time we got to Ravello, everything was closed. The weather was gorgeous during our hike and by the time we were leaving Positano, it started to rain and the visibility fell. We're so grateful that Giuseppe drove us safely throughout our tour, because the road is curvy to say the least. He was also extremely knowledgeable about farming in the region, which we appreciated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were lucky to have Giuseppe in charge of us! So professional, knowledgeable, and pleasant. Thank you for everything!!

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Wow, the inside of Colosseum was facinating beyond our imagination. There was so much to learn about Roman Forum, too. We feel so lucky to have done this tour with Sabrina. Her explanation painted vividly how the lives in Colosseum and the Forum might have been.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabrina with LivTours was fantastic!!

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

With so many visitors and so many things to see, it was a very full three-hour tour. We gained much knowledge about Vatican and the artwork that adorns their buildings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giovanna with LivTours was extremely knowledgeable!

Trang was very helpful in planning Vietnam trip. She is always available in chat Or what's app to answer all the questions and doubts..

Overall she managed all bookings and services well. It was hasslefree and a memorable vacation

We had a fantastic time all-around and appreciate Lacey's services putting together an excellent itinerary.

All of the activities booked were great, we wished we had a little more time in Bangkok to experience more (maybe next time). Our guide A in Bangkok was awesome - she thought of everything but wasn't overbearing, we will miss her dearly. All of the transportation (cars/flights) booked were great, everyone was punctual and was easy to find. Our favorite hotel was Naka Phuket - we would absolutely stay here again, it was serene and the views were amazing and it wasn't too far from Bangla Night Market. We enjoyed SO in Bangkok and Melia in Chang Mia as well - we would stay here again but would also be open to staying at other places. In regard to Novotel, while we can appreciate the proximity and convenience - we would not stay here again. The room had a very bad smell, the mattress was uncomfortable, and mosquitos/bugs were everywhere.

High-level of things that were booked for us: railway market, floating market, street food tour, temple visit, yacht to phi phi islands.

Would 100% utilize KimKim services again - Lacey was very responsive before and during the trip.

Michele did an incredible job organizing a jammed pack itinerary (at my request) for our 8 day first visit to Iceland. He asked for my input, stuck within my budget, offered suggestions I never knew were possible. He replied to me very quickly when I reached out during my trip with a question. We had an amazing time because of his guidance. I cannot begin to thank Michele anc KIMKIM enough. What a wonderful experience and I will use KK again for another trip, no question. Highly recommend the company and Michele!!

Hotel Reviews

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Room was basic but slept 5 people and had a private bathroom. The breakfast buffet was decent. The staff were super friendly. The location is awesome.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were nothing special.

Location

Perfect location in Reykjavik, within walking distance to all the inner city things we wanted to check out.

Staff

Super pleasant, friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean for sure. Room was lacklustre but slept 5 and had a private bath so bonus for that.

Hotel Kanslarinn

Hella

Overall nothing to look twice at. More verging on hostel territory than hotel but the staff were great. Restaurant on site looks like a complete dive, but it was probably one of our best dinners. We tried the horse steak and it was pretty good! The included breakfast was just okay.

Authenticity & Character

clean with private washrooms but that’s about it.

Location

It was on our route around the country so the location fit that requirement.

Staff

Food in the restaurant was great. All staff we crossed paths with were super friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laki

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Nice enough hotel. We got to see the northern lights here. Dinner buffet was not good, and cost us about $60 CAD per person because there was no other option for food. The dinner was a huge disappointment. They had the rooftop area closed because there were too many Filipinos staying at the hotel. Yes, that was the exact comment to us. We were told we could go up on the roof by one staff member and then another staff member was so rude and ignorant when we asked for directions to the roof top viewing area. The same staff member was a complete witch the next day as well when we crossed paths with her. When I mentioned her behaviour to some awesome staff members it was confirmed she was the owner so ya…wouldn’t recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

How about letting your customers have access to the things you advertise instead of closing stuff off to punish other customers.

Staff

Everyone with the exception of the tall skinny European looking Olive Oyl were great. She was rude and ignorant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Árnanes Country Hotel

Höfn

We loved this hotel! It was clean, fresh, updated and had good personality. Pinny (?), the owner (?) was so fun to talk with. Great man. It was a great location on our road trip. He offered restaurant suggestions as the restaurant onsite was seasonal, not opening until May.

Authenticity & Character

fresh, Clean updated little cottage line rooms.

Location

Perfect out on road trip route. Dark enough around to help see northern lights.

Staff

Pinny, I hope I spelled that right, was AWESOME!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Berjaya Hérað Hotel

Egilsstadir

Beautiful, modern hotel. Very helpful and friendly staff. Good location, good views from our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Modern and clean hotel. Good location with beautiful views.

Staff

SO helpful and informative. Really liked those we interacted with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laugarbakki

Laugarbakki

Friendly staff, decent rooms (ours slept 5 people, clean, and they had 3 hot tubs for guests to use outside which was a nice bonus. The restaurant didn’t have many good options for our family so we had to venture offsite for food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Langaholt

Stadarstadur

Newer building and older building combined. Incredible location with views of mountains and the ocean. Front desk lady was helpful and pleasant. We were in the new part with a mixed view of mountains and ocean as well as a balcony do that was lovely. But it seems they shouldn’t be renting out those rooms as they aren’t done yet. We had no TV, no hairdryer, 1 towel and bath mat for two people and no wash cloths. The barbaric “art” of decapitated cow/pig’s heads was questionable. The breakfast buffet was by far the worst we had all week.

Authenticity & Character

Three stars only for the view. 1 star for everything else.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean yes, comfortable? Not with a bunch of missing comforts.

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

BEAUTIFUL hotel. Modern and up to date. Amazing decor and ambiance. Outdoor hot tub for guests to use. Good restaurant. Such super friendly staff across the board. Offered norther lights wake up calls as well.

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous building throughout.

Location

Easy to get to/find.

Staff

So kind and helpful. Our front desk gentleman was lovely! Sven in the restaurant was accommodating and hilarious. We really liked both of them!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Very beautiful place. Had high hopes for this and I wasn’t disappointed but it wasn’t as jaw dropping as I thought it’d be. We went early in the morning so it was less busy. Started to get busy around 10:30 am. The one staff we mainly interacted with seemed to have zero personality. The change rooms, showers, etc. were clean. The springs themselves were beautiful and lived taking that all in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Langjokull glacier snowmobiling

Golden Circle

Amazing, amazing, AMAZING! Highly recommend. Our tour guide and all the staff we dealt with were incredible. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get our main guides name because he was hilarious and kind. I truly loved this excursion; genuinely every single thing about it. I would do it again.

Quality of Experience

A+. I can’t rave enough!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were all incredible. Seriously.

Transport

A cool bud on the biggest wheels I’ve ever seen. Harrowing roads up the mountain but I had full confidence in our guide’s abilities.

Solheimasandur Plane Wreck shuttle

Iceland

This was a fun jaunt off the beaten path. Our driver was fun and efficient. This was a cool stop for photo ops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Beautiful, less busy natural spa. They had natural hot tub, hot pool, cooler pool and natural saunas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skaftafell Ice Cave Tour & Glacier Walk

Iceland

Beautiful but strenuous. This is quite the hike up a mountain so be prepared for a work out for sure. Stunningly beautiful. Our guide Caroline was incredible and hilarious. The ice caves were humbling and beautiful. Our driver was hilarious as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This was another awesome tour! So breathtaking and awe inspiring once inside. Our guide was awesome! I think his name was Andre.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The team was very accommodating. We were traveling with our adult children and two grandchildren under three. They helped us know what was suitable for the various interests and abilities. When we requested a last minute change they were able to do that or without any issues. Travel provided by the Three Monkeys was exceptional and drivers accommodated extra stops when asked. We were able to get groceries on the way to our villas from the airport! I would highly recommend using this site to plan a trip to Costa Rica.