Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall, great experience. In hindsight, would have planned the trip for Patagonia first and then Santiago toward the end to break up the extensive traveling from Puerto Natales --> Punta Arenas --> Santiago --> Atlanta --> Knoxville. The international flight is our fault because it was cheaper to purchase a connecting flight. Additionally, the city tour of Santiago was good, but our tour guide did not give as great of a history lesson of Santiago as she could have in comparison to our other tour guides who were excellent. Our favorite hotel was Bidasoa. Liked that all of our transfers were pre-booked for us. Saved us a lot of time and made the traveling seamless.

Activity Reviews

Valparaíso & Wine Tour

Santiago

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

History lesson wasn't great. Very repetitive. Somewhat slow. Felt we didn't see as much as we could have.

Base Torres Hike

Chile

Kim Kim did an amazing job of planning, organizing, and communicating both before and during our trip to Japan. Myaen was always in contact wanting to ensure that we were prepared and understood our timetable. We would absolutely use Kim Kim again in the future.

This was our first time having someone help us with planning a trip -- and it was an amazing experience! Kadri was not put off by the fact that we started planning on Wednesday night when... our flight was going to be that Saturday! She put together a fantastic draft itinerary, was very responsive to our feedback, and even turned the whole trip from "Oslo to Bergen" to "Bergen to Oslo" in the last minute, as we changed our flights. What a good sport!
The activities she chose for us were perfect, and we especially appreciated the walk with a local in Bergen (this local is a certified guide and a historian! wow!) and the food and alternative culture tour in Oslo (the food was traditional Norwegian, and our guide Katerina was fantastic -- the tour was a perfect blend of culture, city scape, art, history of the people behind the food, and urban nature). But really, everything was great. It was a 1 week trip all in all, and we loved everything we did. We also really appreciated the 24/7 help just a whatsapp message away (even in the Easter holiday) as we did have to use it once. Julia (our emergency contact) solved the problem we had with the hotel, and when we got back from dinner we had the correct room :). Amazing. We are so sold on this whole idea of locals planning our trip -- for sure we will use kimkim again in the future.

Rita was amazing and very attentive. Thank you!

Fantastic trip! Very easy process. A little pricey for the content but an overall great experience.

Guides:
- Marta in Porto was amazing. Incredibly knowledgeable and great interaction. Definitely our favorite!
- Pedro on the Duoro Valley tour was also fantastic. Appreciated his insights throughout the day. (Side note, the tour and tour guide at the second winery were not impressive. Although the meal was good.)
- Fabio was a wonderful driver. Really appreciated him accommodating the lunch stop at Nazare. (Side note, we had lunch at Maria do Mar in Nazare. Recommended by the hotel. Great seafood and great staff down a side laneway.)
- Last trip was with Roi. He probably had the most stress to deal with the timing and the crowds at the palace. But the best part of the tour was when he seemed to go 'off script' and walked with us down through the trees/vegetation and ponds. Really appreciated his willingness to show us that part of the area.

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to the Douro Valley & Rabelo Boat Ride

Porto

Great experience to see the valley via car and the short boat ride. Port and the tour were best at the first winery. Tour guide, wine and port were not great at the second.

Historic Porto and Port wine lodges

Porto

Amazing! Great port and amazing lunch. Also appreciated the tour, as our first introduction to porto.

great agenda and tours and experience.

Charlotte was a pleasure to work with. She made thoughtful recommendations and consistently emphasized the importance of tailoring the experience to our family's preferences. She was also responsive in answering questions, etc.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Bocana

Huatulco

This is a beautiful boutique hotel. We would go back in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Noria

Oaxaca

The common areas of the hotel were amazing, particularly the small pool in the courtyard, and the location couldn't be beat. The rooms themselves were a bit sparse, but had lots of room and were very clean. The staff was very friendly and accomodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private car with Spanish speaking driver

Mexico

We loved Alberto! He was an excellent driver and incredibly thoughtful person. We recommend him to others without reservation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucha libre in Mexico city

Mexico City

This was a highlight of our time in Mexico City. While we aren't wrestling fans, it was a highly entertaining experience and we particularly enjoyed the fact that it was a bit off the tourist path -- most of those in attendance were local families.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Teotihuacan site with and English speaking guide

Mexico

This was an amazing site and our guide, Isabelle, was fantastic. We wouldn't have enjoyed the experience nearly as much without her knowledge and insight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rita planned a fantastic trip for us to Portugal, including the amazing Azores. All the logistics worked perfectly, including internal flights, car rentals, and multiple guided day trips. The accommodations were fantastic, and we loved staying in unique hotels that we likely wouldn't have found on our own. All in all, it was a perfect trip.

We really enjoyed our 11 day tour of Crete, seeing small villages and big cities. Our guides and drivers were superb, and flexible when we took more time than usual at the historical sites. Angela, our coordinator, was always responsive to questions. Our hotels were well-chosen and rooms in Chania and Iraklion exceeded our expectations.

Dear Emma,

I wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible experience we had during our recent trip to the Netherlands. It was truly a journey filled with unforgettable memories, and we owe it all to you.

Your meticulous planning, attention to detail, and kind gestures throughout the entire preparation process made our trip seamless and enjoyable from start to finish. From the moment we began discussing our travel plans, it was evident that you were committed to ensuring that every aspect of our trip was tailored to our preferences.

Your insightful comments and thoughtful recommendations enriched our itinerary and allowed us to discover hidden gems and experience the true essence of the Netherlands. Whether it was exploring the charming streets of Amsterdam, indulging in delicious Dutch cuisine (French Fries were amazing...already missing them; also the mini pancakes), or admiring the picturesque landscapes, every moment was magical.

Your dedication to ensuring that our trip was stress-free and enjoyable did not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for all that you did to make our vacation a success. Your passion for travel and commitment to excellence are truly commendable, and we feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with you.

Once again, thank you, Emma, for your exceptional service and for going above and beyond to ensure that our time in the Netherlands was nothing short of extraordinary. We look forward to planning our next adventure with you.

Warmest regards,

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Royal Bridges

Delft

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Public transport pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Keukenhof & tulip experience by bus tour

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is my first time booking with Kim Kim and by all means it WON'T be the last. Heidi did an excellent job on making sure everything was in point, answering all the questions and always be there when needed.
Heidi THANK YOU so much for such outstanding job. my family and I brought all these great memories from the trip and in a great part thanks to you.
we'll talk again very soon...
Julio Cesar.

My family group of 4 booked a 9 day tour of Vietnam through Hien at KimKim. Hien was responsive and professional. She put together a wonderful tour schedule based on our requests. The guides and drivers were timely, polite and very informative. We started in Hanoi, proceeded to Ha Long Bay, then Hue before finishing in Go Chi Minh City. Our itinerary at each stop was a mixture of city tours, museums, food tours, historical points of interest, and a two day/one night cruise on Ha Long Bay. Hotels and food met our requested levels. We couldn’t have asked for more for our first trip through Vietnam.

Hotel Reviews

Caravelle Saigon

Stayed here two nights. Located in district 1, the hotel is right in the middle of downtown and close to restaurants and many historical attractions. Rooms were clean and comfortable and staff was very attentive and helpful. Breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silk Path Grand Hue

Stayed here two nights in Hue as part of a 9 day Vietnam tour. Hotel was beautiful, centrally located, and clean. Staff was very helpful and buffet breakfast was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elite of the Seas

Rooms were spacious, crew was very attentive, and food was awesome. We had a two day , one night cruise which was a bit rushed but fit our schedule.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Sinfonía Majesty Hotel and Spa

Stayed 3 nights as part of a Vietnam tour. Staff was friendly and helpful. Breakfast was included in our stay and was delicious. Hotel was clean and centrally located in the historic district close to restaurants and the local street scene.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visiting Dark and Bright Cave - Disembarking Elite of the Seas (2D1N)

Ha Long Bay

Uniting from the cruise ship. A small boat took us from the cruise ship to a platform where we got on a 6 person raft with a local lady rowing the boat to the caves. Relaxing ride with beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A O Traditional Vietnamese Culture Show with Dinner

Ho Chi Minh City

We loved this show. We didn’t know what to expect. It was more like a culturally based acrobatic show. Very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onboarding Elite of the Seas Cruise (2D1N)

Ha Long Bay

This cruise was top notch. Ships rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable. Staff was friendly and helpful. Food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Half Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

We enjoyed our half day tour of Ho Chi Minh City. Loved the history of the old post office, the Presidential Palace, and Ho Chi Minh memorial. Our guide brought all the historical sights to life with his detailed descriptions and ability to answer all questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Hue Citadel City Tour Full Day

Hue

Loved the historical aspects of the Hue tour. Our guide was very informative. Visited two emperor burial sites which were very different but both very impressive. Had a great set menu lunch inside the citadel. The tour of the imperial palace was great. The food market tour is underwhelming.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

This was a walking tour leaving from our hotel in the historic district. Some of the stops were better than others. Loved the rice noodle dishes. We stopped at a food stall in a dark alley that served fried fish in broth. While we are very comfortable with street food, this stop on the tour was a little uncomfortable even for us in terms of cleanliness and quality. Bahn Mi stop was also a little disappointing as it was a vegetable sandwich instead of pate or other protein.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

Tour was about 90 minute drive from downtown hotel. Guide was very knowledgable. Tour was very informative about the history of the VC tunnels.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Beauty of Hanoi Capital with experience the Water Puppet show

Hanoi

Our tour guide was very informative. Loved the cultural museum. The water puppet show was unique but hard to follow the story.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Melanie was super helpful in helping us plan out our first trip to Italy on relatively short notice; most book nearly a year out but we booked a couple months prior to our trip. In particular, she helped organize a hotel in Sorrento, tours, and transportation from arrival to departure. She was also kind enough to recommend and book certain restaurants for dinner. The tour guides were good but Rich, an American living in Rome, was extremely knowledgeable for guiding us through the walking tour of Rome hitting all the major sites as well as a tour of the Vatican on a second day. All drivers were very procession and special shout out to primary driver Andrea who covered us for several days. I couldn’t get a precise breakdown of the service costs and was willing to pay the slight premium for the attention and safety of having a team help us navigate during our first trip and Melanie did a very nice job in making for a wonderful and memorable Italy vacation for our family. I would highly recommend her and am sure others can get more out of their spend with a bit more time to plan out the hotels in particular.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel De La Ville

Sorrento

During my three-night stay at Grand Hotel De La Ville in Sorrento, I found the rooms to be okay, but the front desk staff were not particularly friendly as I expected. The food was decent, but I may explore other options if I visit Sorrento again.

Hotel Le Meridien Visconti - Marriott

Rome

I stayed at Hotel Le Meridien Visconti in Rome for four nights. The front desk experience was great, and the room was comfortable. The breakfast was the best, and the staff were friendly and professional.

Staff

Activity Reviews

Ravello, Amalfi & Positano

Sorrento

Exploring Ravello, Amalfi, and Positano in a private group tour was a fantastic experience. The views were breathtaking, and the lunch near Sorrento was delightful. I highly recommend this tour.

Historical Rome walking tour and Colosseum guided Tour

Rome

The walking tour in Rome with Rich was excellent. His knowledge was impressive, although more suited for older kids and adults rather than younger children. I enjoyed the experience!

The itinerary was well thought out , allowed us to have diff experience and cuisine.

Traveling was painless and the guides were very helpful and attentive to our needs and requests .

Berat has done an amazing job !

I don't remember the last time I had such a smooth vacation. Everything from Mar helping me plan things out the way I wanted it to be to in Norway to getting really quick responses to some questions that I had. I was impressed how well things moved along. I enjoyed all of the excursions we had. Everyone was nice and really tried to make us feel as comfortable as we could. In Norway it was nice really nice being able to communicate with the KimKim team with any questions I had, their response was very quick. I overall would give this vacation a 5/5. Can't complain. Also it was a nice touch with the food plate when we arrived at Thon Hotel in Bodo and being able to stay at the hostel longer than usual so we didn't have to find a way to kill time before the cruise ship. Thank you all so much for a great experience. We really enjoyed Norway.

Our trip to India went very smoothly from the time of inquiry through our return home. Ravi was very responsive to questions and feedback as we finalized the itinerary, and the Active India team was responsive while we were traveling as well.

Our drivers were fabulous - kind, considerate, extremely safe. They went above and beyond to make sure our family was comfortable.

The guides in each city were knowledgeable and flexible to the interests and needs of my family.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Mercure Agra

Agra, UP

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located - we were able to walk to a store for some shopping.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Greenwoods Resort Thekkady

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to some stores in our downtime.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fragrant Nature Munnar

Munnar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location but not near anything else.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Francis Residence

Location

Difficult to find, driver could not drop us at the door.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A/C was only in bedrooms so the common space was not comfortable.

The House of MG

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not a great neighborhood to be able to walk and explore

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cockroaches in our room.

The Lalit Hotel, New Delhi

Delhi

Our family was amazed by this hotel - the buffet was extensive, the staff was helpful, and the rooms were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not much in the vicinity to walk to

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Houseboat

The houseboat facilities were not great - no hot water, wet bathroom, a/c only in bedrooms. When the boat wasn't moving, the heat was uncomfortable. Staff was very kind and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Better facilities - bathroom in particular

Activity Reviews

Experience a different world at Elephant Junction in Thekkady

India

Early morning Jungle Walk in Periyar National Park

Periyar

Spice Plantation Walk in Periyar

India

Full Day Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Chandni Chowk - spice market was a bit overwhelming for our first morning. Restaurant for lunch was just ok.

Cochin sightseeing

India

Cruise through the backwaters of Alleppey

Alappuzha

Half-Day Ahmedabad Tour 

Ahmedabad

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so flexible to meet the needs and interests of our family.

Transport

Explore the marvelous and historic monument : Agra Fort

Agra

Participate in Cooking demonstration activity at a Local Family House

Cochin

Great experience to cook with Rosy, but it was very hot!

Quality of Experience

Boat cruise in the lake and experience the wilderness.

Periyar

Taj Mahal at Sunset

Agra

Perfect timing for our visit - wasn't too crowded and the weather was perfect!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We cannot thank Doris and KimKim services enough! Doris made our honeymoon to Vietnam spectacular and incredibly special. Her attention to detail was second to none, and her attentiveness throughout the planning and whilst we were there was brilliant. She really went above and beyond for us.
From start to finish the trip was just the best! With knowledgeable tour guides, friendly drivers and beautiful places to stay. We especially enjoyed our time in Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An (anyone looking to explore Vietnam these are not to be missed!)
We will, without doubt, come back to Vietnam and contact Doris to help us again.
Thank you Doris! You are an absolute star!

The Borneo 15 day plan was amazing.
We had some great guides and saw some wonderful places that we wouldn't have known about if it wasn't for our planner Nick.

Kuching cycle tour is definitely worth a go, not too strenuous but a great overview and our guide Kelvin was brilliant.

We were very happy to have done 2 nights at Bako national park as there was so much to see that would be missed in a one day visit. Beautiful fauna, lots of monkeys and other animals to see.

A highlight was the Saloma homestay. The place is beautiful, people were a joy and the experience as a whole is truly unique.

We had our trip to Bangkok organized with KIMKIM agent Kelly who did an amazing job with the itinerary as per our requests
Often being in contact before and during the trip to make sure all was going well.

Our guide Lily was outstanding. Very personable and very knowledgeable on all things that were in our itinerary.
The best thing while using KIMKIM is that the agent is in your time zone, so communication and changes are in real time with no delays.

We can recommend Kelly from KIMKIM and Lily the Bangkok guide as very professional both delivering an amazing and pleasurable time.

Our Guide was very good but his English was difficult to understand.
I asked for an SUV but we didn't get one. The car we had needs servicing. No suspension.
The distance between accommodations on some days was far to long. the last day we were 3.5 hours away from the airport for a morning departure. I changed the plan and paid extra.
Accommodation on the whole was good except the first night. The hotel was terrible and well below luxury. I had to ask for a change. This was the first impression we had of Sri Lanka and it was not very good.
Wild Grass accommodation was not good and again way off the main track of places we were visiting

Activity Reviews

Free Day at the Beach

Sri Lanka

We were glad of a free day ( there should have been more in the itinerary ) However the day was filled with a drive for 3.5 hours to a hotel closer to Colombo Airport for early morning departure. We paid extra for this but were so glad we did it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galle Dutch Fort Visit

Sri Lanka

Poor experience. Drove around only.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sinharaja rain forest, The biodiversity hot spot in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

enjoyed the walk in the Rainforest

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Diyaluma Waterfall

Sri Lanka

Very ordinary and not worth the walk. Again too crowded at the place picked for lunch

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Ella

Sri Lanka

Nothing here except busy town in the hills

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Lipton's Seat & Tea Estate

Sri Lanka

Did not do this as again there was too much on the itinerary. In stead our driver added a visit to a tea plantation and factory on the way to our final destination. This was excellent as no crowds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Kandy: Temple of the Sacred Tooth visit

Kandy

Did not do this as we were very tired from so much driving

Elephant Safari in Minneriya National Park

Sri Lanka

We got to see elephants in the wild

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Pidurangala Rock (Rock Temple) mountain

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Refreshing Snack at a Roadside Food Stall

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Negombo

Negombo

The Hotel we were booked into was terrible and I had to ask for a change which we got. It left a very bad first impression.

Quality of Experience

Accommodation and better managed itinerary

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Improved English speaking

Transport

Check the car before travel. Our car had bald tyres and no suspension. It was not an SUV which I had booked