Kimkim Trip Reviews

We really appreciated having KimKim and Silvia help us navigate our best options in Iceland while traveling as a family. We were able to see a wide variety of landscapes on our trip through a thoughtfully planned route but didn't feel like we were driving all the time. And it was very helpful to have Silvia on hand when we had questions as we navigated traveling with a toddler and last minute needs. Thank you, thank you, thank you Silvia for a WONDERFUL trip. With our busy schedules we would have never had the time to research Iceland and understand what locations and restaurants and lodging would work well for a family. We have recommended KimKim to others.

We enjoyed every moment of our trip from Bergen to Oslo with stops in Ullensvang and Aurland along the way. Mathia planned every detail of our trip perfectly. It was truly flawless. Highlights included hiking up Mt Floyen and Stoltzekleiven in Bergen, cruising the gorgeous Hardangerfjord to Rosendahl, hopping off and on local buses as we traveled to Ullensvang, hiking the Dronningstein and stopping at the cidery in Loftus on our way down the mountain, more local bus travel and a visit to Aurland before taking the Flåm and Myrdal railways to Oslo for our final weekend. Again, Mathia planned our trip to perfection from the hotels to the travel details, ferry & train tickets, etc. We loved Norway and would happily return. We highly recommend KimKim and will definitely use this company for future travel destinations.

Hotel Reviews

Oslo Guldsmeden

Oslo

A nice hotel, good location. The rooms were small, a bit stuffy and noisy. Breakfast was lovely. Received excellent guidance from the hotel staff about things to do and how to get around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well located to explore numerous parks, neighbourhoods, museums, harbour front. Quick access to transit in the city and to the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

Another lovely hotel with a gorgeous review of the fjord. We enjoyed both the breakfast and dinner at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ullensvang

Lofthus Hardanger

Loved the location on the fjord (even went swimming) and the various pools and decks. Fabulous view rooms and wonderful breakfast. Very easy to access the shuttle bus to the trailhead of the Dronningstein. Enjoyed visiting the Loftus cidery. Two great dinners in town, one at a pizza restaurant and the second at a Norwegian/Thai restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Beautiful superior room. Delicious breakfast buffet. Perfect location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Flåm to Aurland

Norway

Ferry from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Norway

Short Hike with a Local in Bergen

Bergen

Things were handled very well by Terry. We appreciated her input, guidance and staying in contact. Our only item was how long it took for actions from the home office to approve the decision we made and get back to us.
We appreciate KimKim working with our friends the Williamson’s after they had postpone their trip for serious health issues.

Greg & Judy

Both a fascinating and exciting journey through four Balkan nations, Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina , Croatia and Montenegro. After months of planning and adjustments with my excellent local specialist, Anna-Maria, the trip very much lived up to what I hoped for, getting to see most of the places I had planned to see and activities I had been interested to do including the hiking in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Learned a lot of history of the region from the guides, including Marko in Belgrade and Suzi in Sarajevo. In a region divided by recent conflict, what was so good about the guides was the different perspectives of the recent history. The highlight being a guided tour of the Siege of Sarajevo by Adnan Hasanbegovic, a veteran of the siege who showed me the tunnel of hope dug under the airport. Having been involved in the conflict as a both a civilian and a soldier, his account was so vivid, including the struggles he and many other experienced. From a conflict out of which so much hatred arose for the different nationalities involved, what was so impressive about Adnan's tour was how he had sympathy for those who he fought against, including the Serbs, as to how they were drawn into the conflict and for what they also suffered. Something which he said he found helpful in his work post-conflict focusing on reconciliation, during which me met many others who had survived conflicts.

Sarajevo itself was probably the highlight of my trip, being so full of diversity in terms of architecture and food, bringing together the best of its legacy being at the crossroads of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I especially enjoyed the Turkish areas and most of all, the Bosnian Coffee. The hikes in Bosnia-Hercegovina were amazing. I had previously done the Seven Lakes trek through Slovenia with KimKim, which was a fantastic experience. but in Bosnia-Hercegovina though, there was a feeling that the nature was so much more untouched. This was especially evident on the Lukomir trek, visiting Bosnia's last traditional nomadic village where life has changed little in five hundred years.

Some much more natural beauty and historical sites were found in between Belgrade and Sarajevo and in between Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, including Tara National Park (the Lungs of Serbia), the Ottoman bridge in Mostar, the stunning Kravice Waterfalls and the two highlights the Dervish House at Blagaj and a ride on the Sargan Eight Railway. So much fantastic variety with great insight provided by guides Stefan and Abdul.

And the excitement didn't end there, the ride on the replica 16th century galleon Karaka was great fun, seeing the beauty of the Eliphate islands before a trip to Kotor in Montenegro the next day. The crew on Karaka were so fun while Montenegro guide Dejan was so knowledgeable, giving lots of great tips for photographers. All people involved in making this trip were so helpful, from specialist Anna-Maria who did a fantastic job finding great accommodation in all three cities I stayed in (especially the apartment in Dubrovnik's Old Town) , Marko in Belgrade, Stefan between Belgrade and Sarajevo, Verda on the Lukmir trek, Suzi and Adnan in Sarajevo, Abdul between Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, the Karaka crew and Dejan in Montenegro. All were so friendly and so hospitable. Natural feature that best reflected this though, was visiting the heart-shaped lake at Sutjeska National Park on the border of Bosnia and Montenegro, led by guide Jasmin. It truly opened my heart to the region and its people, as well as what they have largely come through following a difficult recent history.

The first two lodges we stayed at, Leroo La Tau lodge and Xugana Island Lodge were fantastic with the staff members delightful, helpful, and providing excellent service. We saw beautiful wildlife and enjoyed the beauty of the Botswana landscape for the 8 nights of our trip. We did book this trip last minute and Lize, our local specialist, worked hard to ensure we had luxury accomodations for 4 adults. However, there was a lot of misinformation provided in the finalized itinerary as if the descriptions were just copy and pasted into our itinerary; thus leading to an experience of unpersonalized trip planning and also confusion when checking into our lodges of what was actually paid for/included. For example, information about one lodge said we were booked for a 4WD safari, but the lodge only does water-based activities. As another example, the finalized KimKim itinerary said "private group" for some activities but we were actually in a "small group" so it was unclear if we paid more for private and yet were put in a small group. More attention to detail in the trip planning itinerary would have been appreciated. Additionally, providing more options with details (e.g., so we could have compared pricing, activities, etc.) before finalizing bookings would have been good. For example, two or three lodge options (with details on each lodge) on where to stay for each night would have been better than just providing one option before booking because we were unaware of which lodges were in the area and who KimKim partner lodges are.

There were 8 of us (my husband and I, our 2 grown children, my in-laws and brother and sister-in-law). We gave Eleni a few suggestions of places we wanted to go and things we wanted to do, and she took it from there. She and Mariliza booked all of our hotel reservations, tours and transportation. From the time we got off the plane in Athens until we departed two weeks later, everything was seamless. Our tour guides were all extremely knowledgeable and friendly, our drivers were prompt and courteous, and the hotels that they selected were top-notch. A few highlights: our stunning view of the Acropolis from the Electra Metropolis hotel, shopping in Hydra, lunches at Safran in Ios, and a sunset catamaran tour in Santorini. It was a perfect mix of sightseeing and relaxation, and Eleni and Mariliza were extremely helpful, flexible and professional. I was originally planning to make the arrangements myself, but I am so grateful that my daughter found KimKim online. It wouldn’t have been the same without their expertise and guidance.

Hotel Reviews

Katikies Garden Santorini

Fira, Santorini

Very unique property (it used to be a monastery) , conveniently located right in Fira. The manager, Lea was so helpful and friendly. The infinity pool area was very nice and had a beautiful view, and the breakfast was delicious and had plenty of options. The fresh-squeezed juice was a favorite for our group.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liostasi Hotel & Suites Ios

Cyclades

Absolutely stunning property! The staff was so friendly and welcoming (Eleni is so sweet!). The sunset views were breathtaking. It was a short walk into Chora, the main town, but very quiet and relaxing. We had a great dinner at Grandma’s restaurant (on property) and enjoyed sunbathing at the infinity pool. The breakfast was amazing. In addition to an extensive buffet, there was also a menu of options that you could order from. We stayed in a suite with a bedroom upstairs for us, and sleeper sofas downstairs for the kids. It worked out perfectly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leto Hotel

Hydra

Quaint boutique hotel, a short walk to shopping and dining, friendly staff and nice breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Electra Metropolis

Athens

Incredible view of the Acropolis from the rooftop restaurant. The pool was nice for cooling off in the afternoons. The location was fantastic - no need for cabs, we walked everywhere! Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

⛵ Private Sunset Sailing & BBQ on a luxury catamaran

Santorini

The highlight of our trip! Evie and Eleni were fantastic. They took us to the red beach and the white beach to swim and snorkel (the water was crystal clear!) and then around the volcano. They made us a delicious dinner on the boat, and then the wind picked up so Evie raised the sails and we sailed around for about an hour before we watched the sun set. It was a perfect way to end our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All time classic Santorini, Private Tour

Santorini

Another awesome tour in Santorini! This day we visited Museum of Prehistoric Thera, and then went to Akrotiri, an active archaeological dig site of an ancient fishing village covered by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. Our tour guide, Tonia, was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the ancient civilizations. From there we visited Perivolos Beach and had an amazing sushi lunch at Forty One. We were supposed to go to Profitis Elias Mountain, but since we had done that the day before, we opted to spend some extra time at the black beach. The restaurant allowed us to use a few of the lounge chairs for free, since we had eaten lunch there, which was really nice. We went to another winery for a wine tasting (not sure of the name, but the views were stunning!) and then back to the hotel.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Sunset Wine Tasting & Dine

Santorini

This was a great way to get familiar with the island. The first stop was Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum. It was a little cheesy, but it was very informative and we learned about the history of winemaking on the island, then sampled a few of their wines. Our general impression was that they were good, but we didn’t love them enough to buy bottles to bring home. We visited the town of Megalochori, walked the cobblestone streets and visited ancient cave dwellings. Our next stop was Profitis Elias Mountain (the highest point in Santorini). There we visited a little church and bought products made by the monks at the local monastery. We tried caper leaves for the first time (delicious!) and bought some sun dried tomatoes to bring home. Elena poured us each a glass of wine and we drank it overlooking the entire island. Next, she took us to a restaurant where we had traditional Greek dishes on a rooftop while we watched the sunset. A perfect way to end the evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis & Flavors

Athens

Eleni was so knowledgeable and friendly! The tour of the Acropolis was great. Because we were with a tour, we were able to enter the Acropolis from the back side and avoid the lines. From there, she took us to a cute restaurant for Freddo Cappuccino and orange cake. We walked around the city, visited a meat and fish market, and sampled olives at the local outdoor produce market. From there we visited Bougatsadiko Thessaloniki restaurant in Psirri for spanakopita. She offered to take us for souvlaki, but we were already stuffed and decided to head back to the hotel. It was a perfect way to see Athens!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ios Highlights Tour

Ios

A driver picked us up in a nice Mercedes van and took us to visit the main sightseeing spots on Ios - Homer’s Tomb, the Odysseas Elytis Theatre, Paleokastro and Mylopotas Beach. It was so beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Agrey, Serengeti Guide was simply the best — knowledgeable, engaging, and patient! Neptune Pwani resort in Zanzibar was fantastic — warm , clear, ocean water with sandbar! Make sure to book the restaurants prior to arrival as limited availability.

Hotel Reviews

Neptune Pwani Beach Resort & Spa

Great facility — clean, spacious, tropical. Beautiful beach with sandbar. Book your restaurant(s) prior to arrival due to limited seating available. Try the spice tour! Be prepared to be invited to visit shops/restaurants along beach.

Authenticity & Character

Tropical feel

Location

Beach!

Staff

Friendly, accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Replaced beach towels routinely

Thorn Tree Camp

Serengeti National Park

Food was good. Tent was spacious. Staff available to walk you from tent to common areas ‘on-demand’. Tent aesthetics were tired.

Authenticity & Character

Tent in heart of Serengeti

Location

Accessible to central Serengeti

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bit dingy — bedding , towels, shower curtains were well worn.

Activity Reviews

Serengeti National Park Game Drives..

Tanzania

Highly recommend seeing animals before 7am !

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zanzibar Beach Excursions

Zanzibar Beach

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Serengeti National Park Game Drives & Hot Air Balloon Safari..

Tanzania

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Serengeti National Park

Tanzania

Agrey , driver/guide was engaging during entire trip, cared about safety, asked for our priorities— custom service at its best!

Quality of Experience

Food

Thoughtful to provide snacks and lunch . Standard box lunch not so great but pitstop was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took quite an independent approach- limited guides (just one morning in Bergen with John who was great). However it was really good knowing Mathia was “there” ready to respond immediately to any queries or to communicate ahead for us such as when one of our scheduled buses was late. We stayed in really lovely hotels, saw amazing scenery, did some big hikes and had a fabulous time. We’re confident travellers but it was so good having initial ideas and guidance from Kim Kim in planning the trip. I’d definitely recommend the service

Duncan was a terrific planner and guide for our first trip to Iceland! He listened to our interests and provided terrific options. The itinerary, restaurant suggestions, and optional activities were all first-rate! When we had a few questions during our trip, Duncan was immediately available & always helpful! Overall a great experience! Thank you Duncan!!!

Dat was incredibly responsive as we were planning the trip, as we went through 4 iterations before settling on a final itinerary. And during the trip when there was a hiccup, he was quick to be responsive and made mid trip adjustments. He was clear about all that was included and set us up with fantastic hotels and guides. We learned so much about Vietnam and the wonderful people who live there.

We are very grateful for a wonderful experience in Tanzania organised by Joseph and his team. Our driver/guide for the safari part of the trip was Agrey who was tireless in ensuring that we had every opportunity to see the wildlife and looked after everything for us. We also enjoyed his company and willingness to share his expertise, experiences and insights. The cultural aspects of the tour gave us an opportunity to interact with the people of Tanzania as much as could be expected in the time we had. We felt that we had some special experiences and not as if we were on a tired tourist trail. The accommodation arranged and the activities were perfect for us and fitted the type of tour we requested. On the basis of this trip, we would have no hesitation in recommending KimKim to others. Many thanks to Joseph and Agrey for a special time.

Tamer was great with local color and super responsive. And our guide Sebastien in Quito/ Cotopaxi/ Otavalo/ Baños was awesome. He showed us all the highlights and provided tons of inside color. Would highly recommend!

Activity Review

Canyoning in Baños – Quito

Ecuador

Our guides were super knowledgeable and genuinely loved what they do - and the feeling was contagious. It was a great day

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Melardo was super high energy but really tuned into how everyone’s comfort level

Transport

All guides and drivers were excellent

We could not have done this trip without Terri and her guidance. The sites were incredible. The guides at each attraction were helpful and knowledgeable, and even accommodated my walking with a broken foot (that was kind of a crazy thing to do but I was determined!). We worked with Terri for 3 years to plan the perfect visit for my son, who has Icelandic roots. We had to cancel and rebook because of COVID and other factors, and she was patient and understanding. The do-not-miss pieces were the trip into the volcano and the zodiac boat to the icebergs, but everything was breathtaking.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Katla by Keahotels

Vík

Fabulous location, great location, excellent staff, outstanding meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laki

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Very comfortable, excellent staff, great breakfast, good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hjardarbol

Ölfus

This was the calibre of a hostel, and we expected better. There were so many deficiencies that could have been corrected: light bulb out in the hallway so we couldn't see to put our key in the door; no daily room cleaning; hard to find staff at the desk; no ice available (I needed to ice my broken foot daily); 2 hot tubs, one of which was not very hot and both were dirty, including a rusted out canister that probably held the chlorine for water cleaning; no screens on the windows at a time when we were told not to open our windows because the midges were biting; and more.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Great location, nice room, helpful staff, excellent breakfast.

Staff

very helpful and understanding

Cleanliness & Comfort

great room

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Lovely way to relax at the end of the trip, especially after all of the driving we did.

Quality of Experience

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour

Iceland

beyond my wildest dreams to see glaciers up close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Inside the Volcano Tour

Iceland

Breathtaking

Quality of Experience

Reykjavík Classic Whale Watching in the Midnight Sun

Reykjavík

We saw whales and dolphins dancing at the back of our boat. Our guide said that was very fortunate - and amazing.

Quality of Experience

the guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Actually we had our own car to get there.

We planned this trip inspired on the movie Encanto and it paid off! Our group included two seniors, 2 adults and 2 kids (7,8 y/o). We started in Medellin and then visited the Eje Cafeteo. Everything was taken care of. All tours were gear to both adults and kids. My daughters loved the visit to the Silletera Farm. Don Nacho showed them how to build their own flower arrangement. The coffee tour was also super interesting and the whole process kept the seniors and children engaged. It was a little difficult for my mom due to mobility issues but overall Hacienda Combia was an excellent choice. We also went to a chocolate farm (El Turpial), where we learn how to make our own bar of chocolate from scratch, a wonderful hands on experience. We also planted palm trees at Cócora Valley and made baskets in Finlandia. The meals that were included were delicious. Communication was excellent. Overall, I highly recommend going to Colombia. It was an unique lifetime experience for my kids to enjoy w their grandparents.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

I would consider this luxurious. Because it is an eco g friendly hotel it does come w some bugs, but nothing that would stop me from staying again. Rooms were clean, beautiful and spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostería Mi Mónaco

Armenia

Family own and away from the noise. Peaceful. Well kept.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little tricky to come and go from but if you plan ahead or if you have a car it would be perfect.

Staff

Always willing to help w a smile!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bh El Poblado

Medellín

Close proximity to all and very convenient to access food and entertainment.

Location

Next to Santa Fe shopping Mall

Staff

Breakfast was served with delight!

Activity Reviews

Cacao Experience - Finca El Turpial

Colombia

We love the Turpial. Mr. Pierre was wonderful and the experience was amazing for all ages. Not only we were able to enjoy making chocolate from scratch but also other fruits from his farm.

Quality of Experience

Visit of Cocora Valley, Filandia & Salento

Salento

Carlos, our tour guide, was amazing. His knowledge of the fauna and flora of the area was very educational. The views were stunning. Planting a palm tree was one of the highlights for my children

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We love Carlos and Guillermo. They made our experience fun.

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Beautiful sightseeing. Some of us were unable to do the hike to the top but were able to enjoyed the views from the Mirador while enjoying snacks. The boat was a surprising experience that we were not expecting. The boat guide was very entertaining!

Quality of Experience

Food

We enjoyed our lunch. We met the owner and chef of the restaurant and were very please with his offerings. He went out of the way to please our picky eaters.

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

A most do. Bringing to my children the aspects of different ways of living in other countries was refreshing and educational for them. We really enjoyed the art and the culture behind Comuna 13.

Quality of Experience

Pablo Escobar History Tour

Medellín

Without glorifying Pablo Escobar, the story behind the recovery after the damage he did was interesting and enlightening. From a historical and educational point of view, we enjoyed learning how Medellin grew to be the city it is now.

Quality of Experience

Lina, our guide was very knowledgeable and was always attentive to our needs. She adjusted the tour based on our preferences and capabilities

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Both Fabian and Lina made the tour interesting. We felt comfortable and at home with their grace and kindness.

Transport

Visit to Parque del Café

Colombia

A most do if you have kids. Following the recommendations from our tour guide Carlos, we got there early and were able to do w/o lines. The cafe show was very colorful and professional.

Interactive Coffee Tour in Hacienda Combia

Armenia

The tour and experience were amazing. Very informative and engaging. The walk is not for anybody who has mobility issues though, but for those able it is a most do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Silletera Culture & The Flowers of Santa Elena

Medellín

Amazing! Don Nacho was one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Streetfood Experience

Medellín

Our experience was limited due to my mom’s mobility issues . What we had was great. We wish we would have been able to do more.

This was our first time using KimKim, but it won’t be our last. Thomas was excellent and was in top of everything throughout our trip. And the app he sent us was excellent. It even worked offline for all of our hikes through the mountains.
Highly recommend KimKim and Thomas.

Mathia was fantastic. He found places and recommendations we would not of known on our own and each one was perfect. His level of service was outstanding. He was proactive and responsive. Everywhere we turned was another beautiful view and friendly face. I can't wait to come back and discovery more of Norway.

Thanks to Kimkim we were able to experience yet another amazing vacation! Taking us through the breathtaking Highlands of Scotland, this trip left nothing to be desired! We were able to enjoy every minute of it and are already reminiscing of our great hiking trip on the West Highland Way.

We booked a roundtrip through the Scottish Highlands and were assigned Stephen as our local travel specialist from the High Point Holiday Team. He customized our trip and included all our special requests such as visting the Isle of Skye, taking the Jacobite train and including some cultural activities (e.g. visit Culloden battlefield).

Hiking the West Highland Way was our highlight and gave us the long desired opportunity to really experience the Scottish wilderness and raw beauty.

The accomodations along our journey were very well chosen and also included a brand new hotel, with cute little eco pods, spa facilities and delicious dining options (The Bracken Hide)!

The local travel agency "High Point Holidays" was very responsive and helpful, especially in assisting us in altering some of our travel plans due to a missed flight connection. Here, the emergency number they provided us with turned out to be of crucial help more than once! Moreover, they definitely managed to sweeten our journey along the West Highland Way by providing a great roadbook, a personal hand-written message and a little customized gift. A thoughtful gesture that made us feel very welcome in Scotland.

The Isle of Skye day tour seemed a bit rushed and touristy, leaving us almost little to no time to explore certain places (e.g. 20 minutes at Dunvegan Castle, only a quick pit stop at the Talisker distillery). Thus, we got to see plenty of nice spots, yet, we personally would have prefered to visit less places in order to be able to walk around and have more time to take it all in. The tour advertised whisky tasting and local hikes, but gave us no chance to actually do these activities. Nonetheless, the Isle of Skye was a beautiful place and definitely an absolute must-see!

Our specialist Stephen was very helpful in organizing this amazing trip and always showed interest in our well-being by checking in with us multiple times throughout our journey. A minor point of critizism would be the slight lack of responsiveness to the questions we asked prior to our travel departure. We did make use of the KIMKIM platform by commenting on specific details of the trip plan and posting some questions below the descriptions but often did not receive any answers to those questions. Stephen did, however, initiate a final call to ensure that we were sufficiently prepared for our journey. Worth mentioning is also that all members of the travel team seemed to really care about the successful conclusion of our trip. We very much appreciated this personal touch to our journey and would like to thank Stephen and the team once again for making it such a memorable trip!

All in all this is a travel itinerary that we can highly recommend.
Warmest Regards,

Marc, Nelly & Jessy

Hotel Reviews

Blackfriars Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bracken Hide

Portree

Some ongoing constructions. Tools and nails on the floors of the spa area. Pretty dangerous and also unprofessional

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Restaurant is overpriced and the staff is really young and inexperienced.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Garrison Hotel

Fort William

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the Loch. Plenty of shops and restaurant nearby

Staff

Didn't feel very welcome here. The woman at the reception barely noticed us. During breakfast the crew wasn't very helpful either (e.g. did not notice us or offered us a seat)

Cleanliness & Comfort

MacDonald Hotel and Cabins

Kinlochleven

The manager was really friendly and helpful! Breakfast was also really good. Might be good to have some additional healthy options, like fruit. Facilities were nice and clean.

Authenticity & Character

The Bothy Bar is a truely iconic place.....

Location

Very close to the WHW; Nice view from the restaurant!

Staff

They failed to consider dietary requirements for the lunch package. The sandwiches were soggy and inedible

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kings House Way Inn

Glencoe

Definitely book way in advance to secure a spot in the hotel. The bunkhouse is very rustique and does not offer the same level of comfort some may seek after a long day on the WHW.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bunkhouse was quite hot & smelly. No one told us that we could borrow some towels. The quality of breakfast was not very good and badly organized: Coffee machine needed to be fixed in the morning. Toaster was only brought after asking for it for several times. Only jam was offered but no cheese, no yoghurt, no scrambled eggs or fruit - so no healthy options. The crew was friendly but incredibly slow.

Bridge of Orchy Hotel

Bridge of Orchy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and responsive. Ramona deserves a special thanks for helping us with some special requests made due to our late arrival (after midnight)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience the best of Isle of Skye from Portree - day tour

Portree

The tour was an overall nice experience and offered many beautiful sights such as Neist Point, the Fairy Pools, Fairy Glenn and particularly the Quiraing-formation as well as the notorious Old man of Storr. However, the driver Martin seemed quite rushed and on a very thight schedule, which led to interesting driving manoevers as well as some hasty visits without the necessary time to really appreciate places. The "visit" at Dunvegan Castle for example was meant to be a lunch-break or gift-shop-consumption-stop instead of an opportunity to explore the castle - which we actually did not see at all! The tour was advertised as a "guided tour" which was somewhat misleading, as the guidance offered was merely the drive-around! Martin was friendly and did his best in offering some explanation, but those turned out to be more anecdotal. Personally, we would choose quality over quantity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Less "Need for speed", more time at scenic places such as Neist point

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

The privat tour with our very experienced guide Rhona was a special highlight for us. She really was able to vividly describe the battle of Culloden and patiently answered the many questions we had. She definitely knew all the true and untrue tales and stories about what had happened on this historic field and impressed us with her knowledge of the gaelic language. We highly recommend this tour and especially Rhona as a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was an amazing trip to Iceland and so perfectly planned! Highlights include the puffin tour (including sand dune slides!), dog sledding, and horse back riding!!! And all the amazing waterfalls and natural wonders!!! We and the kids loved it! The only note - the ice caves were too much for half of our family - not for the height challenged. Thanks to Eric for all his help in planning!

Activity Reviews

Horses and Hotsprings

Iceland

We had a great time. We’ve gone horse back riding on other trips - this was too on the list. Beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV to the Black Beach and Plane Wreck

Iceland

So fun!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were great

Transport

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

My daughter loved it despite getting soaked. It was very challenging - walking over boards suspended above rushing water. I’d call it a challenging activity

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dog sledding on dry-land

Iceland

We loved it. Our guide was adorable and so fun even when the dogs were a little naughty. Lolz We all had a great time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

It was really great. Puffin were adorable! And added bonus of sand dune slides - kids didn’t want to leave!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was really easy to plan our trip with Nick and he made everything seamless. Even at the last minute when our flight was disrupted, he managed to change our Orangutan trip so we didn't miss out.
We wouldn't stay at the Ranee Boutique Hotel again. The room itself was OK but the breakfast is very average - weak orange juice, weak filter coffee, only bananas if you wanted fruit for breakfast (most other places at least have watermelon, pineapple or papaya.
It also advertises that there's a bar but there isn't. We wouldn't want to stay in a Hilton or Pullman but somewhere with a bit more ambiance and better breakfast would have enhanced everything.
On the plus side, all our organised tours were great. John was an excellent guide, as was Farhah who took us on the cycle tour and we felt very lucky to see proboscis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys and the orangutans (though no dolphins).
All in all, I'd definitely recommend Kimkim and we would book with them again as the itinerary felt well balanced and still gave us free time to explore on our own.
Some other companies like yours do suggested other things to do while in an area and some recommended restaurants so if you were to enhance anything then this could be something to add - just a suggestion based on our experience in the tourism industry.

Hotel Review

Ranee Boutique Suites

The rooms are fine for a short stay with a safe and daily bottled water. We thought the breakfast was very average with a poor selection of continental options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location on the riverside in Kuching near the Chinese and Indian area - good access to a variety of restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Departure Transfer to the Kuching Airport

Kuching

All good - John dropped us directly to the airport after we'd seen the orangutans

Arrival Transfer from Kuching Airport to Hotel

Kuching

All good. John was at the airport to welcome us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mangrove & Dolphins Cruise

Kuching

We really enjoyed being out on the water for this tour. You will join a small group to do the trip even if you start out with a private guide. We didn't see dolphins or crocodiles but did get a glimpse of a proboscis monkey and a group of silver leaf monkeys. A snack - fruit, cake and biscuits along with water are provided on the trip which was good as we didn't get back to Kuching until around 8:30 pm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really enthusiastic and vey informative about the local fishing village and the area we visited. They so wanted us to see the wildlife, even if it was a bit elusive on our trip

Transport

Bako National Park Daytrip

Kuching

Loved our trip to the National Park. John is really informative. We were able to see proboscis monkeys and do an add on trip around the shore line to see the rock erosion and rock stacks nearby.

Quality of Experience

Food

John took us for an authentic noodle lunch - very inexpensive

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Kuching Cycling Tour

Kuching

Farhah was an excellent guide and took us around a great variety of areas. Being able to have good e-bikes made it easy for us to experience this trip although it is pretty much all on the flat so we needn't have worried. We had plenty of time to get off and take photos while she explained the history and significance of each of our stops. We visited back lanes, the spice market and the local produce market as well as historic places which made for an interesting variety. Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E bikes were good quality and easy to use

Semenggoh Orangutan Centre Visit

Kuching

Loved this trip and seeing the orangutans. It is quite commercialised with a lot of people visiting at the same time, however, seeing these amazing animals in the wild was a wonderful experience. There are set feeding times each day so you have to fit in with these for a chance to see the orangutans and the park does warn that you are less likely to see them in fruit season. We saw 6 orangutans in all including a large male and a mother with baby.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rangers had walkie talkies to communicate where the orangutans had appeared

Transport