Kimkim Trip Reviews

In spite of it raining every day of our trip, Portugal was amazing! Our vacation, perfectly and expertly curated by Pedro, unfolded seamlessly from Lisbon to Cascais. Pedro's planning ensured a perfect balance of cultural immersion and personalized exploration. From the walking and tuktuk tours with Margarida and Guilherme, our tour guides, to the charming Fado dinner in Lisbon, the exclusive Douro Valley experience, and the beauty of Porto, every detail was thoughtfully orchestrated, creating a stress-free and memorable adventure, complete with best in class drivers, like our favorite, Luis.

A noteworthy aspect of Pedro's exceptional service was his compassion and flexibility when unforeseen circumstances arose; I became ill during the trip. Pedro was quick to modify our itinerary to accommodate our needs. He provided a thoughtful excursion and paired us with another exceptional private driver, Ivo. This additional excursion allowed me to recover comfortably while ensuring the rest of my family continued to enjoy the sights. Pedro's understanding and empathetic approach made a bad situation more manageable, highlighting his commitment to ensuring every traveler's well-being and enjoyment.

The added excursion with Ivo was magical! More than a driver, he was kind, fun and very knowledgable. He provided a different perspective of the Duoro Valley, showing us the beauty of not only the valley's landscape, but the beauty of the local people. Ivo took us to a small restaurant in a small village where he introduced us owners Anabel and Ceasar, who also own a small, local winery. They were the most gracious hosts! Anabel fed us fresh bread with cheese and butter. You could taste the love. She, along with Cesar and Ivo, sat with us as they shared a bit of their family's story. After a walk through the village, we all crammed into the cab of Cesar's truck. He drove us to his winery where we were gifted a private tour. Back at the restaurant, we were showered with love and lots of wine. We ended our visit with a drink and a toast to new friendships. Our time with Ivo was by far the most memorable of our trip!

Pedro's attention to detail, commitment to unique experiences, and compassionate response to unexpected circumstances made our vacation in Portugal truly exceptional. We wholeheartedly recommend Pedro for his outstanding travel planning services, considering not just the trip's logistics but also the well-being of every traveler. Muito obrigado, Pedro! Your friends in the US - Taña, Alfonso, Nyah and Willie

Activity Reviews

Authentic Small Group Portuguese Cooking Class in Lisbon

Portugal

Such a fun experience! Delicious food, great company and Chef Paolo was the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

Guilherme, our tour guide was fantastic! I only gave 4 stars because many of the roads in Belem were closed due to a cycling event. I feel like we maybe missed out on some of the sights and didn't get to truly experience Belem. However, Guilherme navigated the detours with ease and a great attitude.

Quality of Experience

Many roads were closed. Prior knowledge of this may have dictated a different selection of experiences.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Our tour guide, Margarida, was amazing! So knowledgeable and full of pride for her country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Intimate venue and breathtaking performances.

Quality of Experience

The powerful, heartfelt performances made Fado a truly remarkable experience.

Food

We had a great experience from the personalized and customized planning process, to the ongoing interaction leading up to the trip to ensure that all of our questions were answered, and the near perfect execution. All of the accommodations suited our style, except for perhaps in Ushuaia and Bariloche (which was a bit dated). The tours were excellent. The guides were very professional overall. The Vamoos app was extremely helpful to keep us on track since this was a long trip. A learning for us, and perhaps for future clients, would be to explain in detail what some of the tours entailed, since we had scheduled a private tour that included 6-8 hours in a car. Fortunately we were able to amend this with the local guide. Overall it was a great experience, and we have recommended KimKim to many of our friends, and one of them has already booked their next trip through you! Thank you. Paul & Hélène

We utilized this service for first time travel to South America. It was convenient and saved a lot of time we didn't have researching and booking. Not knowing the cost of each component of the trip made it hard to make decisions. Not knowing the fees of the agency makes it difficult to know whether there is value in this service for next time. More communication on where to spend/save money would have been needed to use this service again. There was one major mistake that we had to scramble to fix ourselves. The agency did what they could to make it right, but just didn't have the local knowledge or influence to make it happen. It had to be done by us at the locale and with our airlines. It all worked out, but was effort by us with the airlines and hotel we booked directly. Overall, the trip was amazing and there was some time saved and convenience from the service. If money is no object and you have no time to do any self planning or you simply have no idea about the place you're going. this may be the way to go, otherwise a well plotted trip utilizing hotel concierge service may work as well and cheaper. Getting what we needed from KimKim on the Wtrek i feel made it worth it this time. Kristy stepped in about halfway through our trip and was awesome.

Hotel Reviews

Refugio Los Cuernos

Torres del Paine - W trek Circuit Reserva Cerro Paine

Refugio Paine Grande

Puerto Natales, Chile

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Torre Central

Parque Nacional Torres del Paine Pedro Montt

Kau Yatun Hotel Boutique & Estancia

El Calafate

Great cute hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Del Calafate

El Calafate

Just ok.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Cerros del Chalten Boutique Hotel & Spa

El Chalten

Felt like we had best room in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants and trail

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Drive to El Chalten

Argentina

Visit the Penguin Colony on Isla Martillo, Explore Puerto Almanza (non-walking tour)

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Food

Nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walter = Awesome

Private transfer to Torres del Paine/Natales from El Calafate

El Calafate

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trekking & Canoeing in Tierra del Fuego

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minitrekking Ice Hike on Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

I

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to El Calafate

Argentina

This was our first experience with kimkim and it was SPECTACULAR. Our specialist Veronika was an absolute gem. Communications were always timely and she made this trip! My wife and I both agreed this was the best trip we have ever experienced. Iceland itself is possibly the most beautiful place on earth. Our 11 days were filled with so many natural wonders that it was over in a blink of an eye. If you are considering going to Iceland, or using kimkim, please do it. We can not express our gratitude enough. This was the best trip we have been on...EVER.
Thank you Veronika and kimkim.

Planning in underway for our next kimkim adventure.

Mike & Ruth

Hotel Reviews

Albert Guesthouse (Hotel Hvammstangi)

Hvammstangi

Nice clean stop. Nothing overly special but clean and comfortable, Even saw northern lights. Fun area to walk around before and after dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

Great first night stop. Friendly informative staff. Excellent dinner and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arnarstapi Cottages

Arnarstapi

Super quaint cottages and they are settled along the coast great spot!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

Have the wild game dinner. The venison and goose were amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Guesthouse Nýpugarðar

Hornafjördur

Loved this place. Owners are fantastic and the lamb was amazing. Great location...very private!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Kría

Vík

Newer modern hotel. Had good breakfast options. Easy access and very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava Apartments & Rooms

Akureyri

Very clean and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little difficult to figure out parking but once we did no issue! Easy access to various attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Freyja Guesthouse and Suites

Reykjavik

Amazing location in the HEART of Reykjavik. Easy walk to great restaurants and shops!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the history of this building and location!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Krauma Spa

Iceland

Our first spa and wow I now see what the big deal is all about. So relaxing and peaceful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Icelandic Lava Show Reykjavik

Iceland

Very interesting…worth doing if you have some extra time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

Do this at sunset…spectacular! The 7 step ritual was something I’ve never done before but wow was very relaxed and glad we did it. Even got northern lights afterwards!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Beer Spa

Iceland

You relax in a wooden vat of beer and drink beer 🍺. Yes I think life is complete!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

You walk on a glacier and ice cave. Seriously what else needs to be said😀

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour

Iceland

The iceburgs are simply breathtaking. So cool to see them up close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching Tour

Iceland

So much fun seeing the humpback whales. Staff were all 1st rate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seaside Horse Ride

Iceland

Highlight of our trip in Iceland the horses staff and the scenery were absolutely amazing. Thank you for a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

This was super interesting a very awesome experience. Fascinating to learn and see how the lava created this amazing wonder.

Jimena did a great job sleuthing the various alternative ideas we wanted to consider and overall provided excellent guidance on how many places we should stay and how many days we should allot to each one. We were very happy with the trip and grateful to Jimena for her help in organizing it.

Michael was great! We weren’t sure exactly what we wanted to do, but we had things we had already done and he made it work from there. We need one change and he made it happen!

I had an amazing trip! Rita did a good job of booking exactly what I wanted, and it all worked out in the end. I specifically stated that I wanted Hilton hotels to take advantage of my Diamond status. She did what I asked and all of my Hilton hotels gave me free upgrades to incredible rooms. It only elevated the luxury that I requested.

Starting from my pickup from the Lisbon airport. Marcus arrived to take me to my hotel. He was very nice (5-stars!) and got me to the hotel on time. He and I had a wonderful chat; he was new to Portugal (from Brazil) and so he had a lot of insight as newer person living in Portugal. I was able to meet up that night with a local for a homemade dinner. This is a highlight of the trip. Sofia and Carlos were so nice and welcoming and I had a great night with them. I almost wish that could be done in other cities like Porto. The meal was bacalhau a Bras and it was so good! I thought about it days later.

My tour guide Filipa took me around lisbon, gave me my first taste of Ginjinha and Eduardino. It was a nice walk around the city. I also got an escorted tour to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril. Paulo Pires was my driver. We stopped at his wife's cafe for a little breakfast that was delicious, and from there the tour went well. I sat in the front seat with him and we just had a ball. He is a must use in the future for others. It was great to have a one-on-one guide so that things were at my own pace, including lunch.

Porto was great. My tour guide walked me around to all the great places I shouldn't miss. I walked that route she showed me two more days. I had the delicious francesinha with my friends I met up with who live in Porto. The Se Catedral Hilton was a lovely hotel. The room was great. I would like a screen on the window so I can open it without worry about bugs coming in. Otherwise everything was good. The staff remember me instantly, and the room service was great.

Driving was a panic for me initially, but it went well. Gave me a chance to see myself driving around the country. I want to do that again. I visited the Duoro Valley, and stayed in a winery with the food. Qunita do Tedo has a great restaurant. The serveres are very nice. The steak was so delicious I had to eat it twice.

I also visited Evora and had a great tour of a vineyard. I returned home with over 1,000 euros worth of wine.

This adventure was just what I wanted. Rita did such a good job. I recommended this to other, and I will likely be back to plan another trip. Please make sure I am made aware of the countries you support.

Hotel Reviews

Quinta do Tedo

Douro Valley

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

DoubleTree by Hilton Lisbon - Fontana Park

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Évora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sé Catedral Hotel Porto, Tapestry Collection By Hilton

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Porto to Douro Valley stopping in Amarante

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Évora Food of the Gods Experience

Évora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taylor’s Port Wine Experience with Tasting

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner With Locals: A Homemade Portuguese Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing trip! Rachel did a wonderful job helping us plan an extraordinary trip to Brazil, including Rio, Salvador and the Pantanal. The logistics were perfect -- everything went as planned. In Rio, we had to make some changes because of weather (rain and lack of visibility) and Rachel helped us adjust our trip plan and guides so that we had the Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer on the sunny, clear day. All of our hotels were well-located and very nice.

The highlight of the trip was the Pantanal with incredible jaguar sitings every day and extraordinary birds. Our guide in the Pantanal, Julio, was wonderful.

Thank you!

Kate, the local specialist who helped me plan to trip, did a lovely job picking hotels that fit my specifications and finding guides for the different local adventures. She was very responsive to my questions and helped me make changes to the trip itinerary when it turned out the Kamikochi National Park was already closed for the winter. Amy, the local guide in Nagoya who hiked the Nakasendo Way with me, was truly amazing - I would HIGHLY recommend working with her for future travelers. The guide (Layla) and driver for a morning of sightseeing in Nikko area were timely and followed the itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Nishitetsu Hotel Croom Nagoya

Grand hotel in great location in downtown Nagoya (10min walk from Nagoya station, main metro station in city). Beautiful views, clean, friendly staff. Breakfast buffet was unparalleled. Room was smaller (not as small as most Tokyo hotels though), but efficient and well appointed. Very nice onsen. I would definitely recommend to future travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryokan Asunaro

Takayama

Amazing ryokan. Friendly staff who were aware of your personal preferences and spoke some English. Best onsen I visited in Japan. Many fun craft activities (paper making, soy bean grinding, coaster weaving) offered by staff. Beautiful, unique and extensive meals with local ingredients. Rooms were spacious with traditional ryokan set ups. Just be aware this hotel is in a very remote location, with a small village down the street with a few restaurants/shops - it was hard to see much without a car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very remote - but valuable if that is what you are looking for

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full day Tour by Private Car with Guide: Transfer from Takayama to Kamikochi National Park to Nagoya

Takayama

These activities are completely incorrect- Dec. 2 was taking metro from Nagoya to Magome to hike Nakasendo Way with guide Amy, which was truly amazing. I cannot say enough good things about Amy or the Nakasendo Way hike. Dec. 4 was a private car and driver around Nikko. That was definitely less amazing. I never went to Kamikochi because after I had put down the kimkim deposit the local guide told me the park was closed for the year. Review for Dec. 4 private car with guide around Nikko: Guide Layla sent me WhatsApp messages in advance, but never introduced herself, explained the itinerary or confirmed pick up location. Also, she never vocalized plans on the day of the trip either (I'm not sure if this was a cultural or personal issue). Trip was billed as a "full day tour", but in fact was only 2 hours of sightseeing and 2 hours of driving from my hotel. There was no discussion or inquest about getting food before dropping me off at 2pm. Also, the driver seemed very tired and I was a bit worried about his driving at the beginning of the trip. I am a very active person and thought there was supposed to be some hiking/walking on this day trip, but at most we spent 15min meandering around the lake. The most interactive part of the trip was walking around Toshogu Shrine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was extraordinary thanks to Tasos and his team really listening to what we wanted (and making recommendations for things we wouldn't even know about). We ticked off all the touristy spots my kids insisted on - but with Tasos' help did them at times and with tour guides that limited crowds and other headaches - and then we enjoyed really unique experiences I never would have found on my own. When we had hiccups (which is to be expected on a 16 day excursion across multiple locations with a family of five) Tasos and team were immediately responsive and helped to resolve the issue. They were available 24x7 and extremely responsive the entire time. I have referred KimKim and Tasos specifically to several friends who want to go to Greece or Italy (and he was referred to me by a happy customer). That says it all.

Michael was tremendously responsive and creative in putting together our trip to Colombia, very much last minute, and yet somehow incorporating everything that we wanted to explore - and more.
Thorough, professional, and knowledgeable, with the kind of advice that you knew was authentic and reliable. The accommodation was excellent, our guides were exceptional in their knowledge of, and passion for, Colombia. Our experience of this beautiful country was fantastic, and we would definitely return! Thank you for the care you took in helping us craft our first visit to Colombia! Gracias!

We thoroughly enjoyed our Patagonia trip in Chile and Argentina. Planning it beforehand was such a positive experience because Erin and Nara's responses were immediate and their advice so helpful. They were exceptional. There were many logistics on this trip because of the vastness of Patagonia and everything went very smoothly. Our activities and locations were nicely varied and we had a really good balance of scheduled and free time. Valparaiso was such an interesting city - we loved the street art, the Hotel Fauna and especially our Chilean cooking class with Sebastian. One of the best days was the trip to Estancia La Peninsula outside Puerto Natales. There was horseback riding, barbeque, sheep sheering and just general good cheer - such a blast. Yurt "camping" at Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine was a super high point. Our hikes were stunning, the facility beautiful and the staff superb. We were sad to leave. In El Calafate in Argentina, we liked the dining - great restaurants and food - and also the Hotel Kosten Aike. Seeing the Perito Moreno glacier so close was remarkable - a worthwhile day trip. Our day trip to Upsala Glacier and Estancia Cristina was OK but not outstanding - the weather was partially to blame for that. Overall, we were blown away by the beauty of Patagonia and appreciative of the great planning through Kimkim. It is a trip we will remember forever.

Christina was amazing. This was our first time booking with a tour company and it was way beyond our expectations. Christina was so prompt with responding to all our needs it was just a great experience! I will definitely use Kimkim again. All the tours Christina sent us on were perfect! We went on a walking tour in Oslo, Stig was great! We took a train to Flam. The scenic train ride was picture perfect! We also took a boat ride through the Fjords. Unbelievable! Then off to Bergen by train. We went on another walking tour. That was more of a hike because of the hill but was very picturesque. We spent 2 nights in Bergen. Then took a plane to Tromso. We went on a Chasing the Northern lights tour and that didn’t disappoint either! The last thing we did was Dog Sled Ride and that was a blast! I think we have to go back in the summer to see all these wonderful views with out snow.
Everything went so smoothly, Thank you Christina for a trip of a life time!

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

This was probably my favorite hotel on the trip! It was so warm and cozy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow. What an amazing experience. Sangita, Bipin, Rabin, and the entire Namobuddha team made our first visit to Nepal outstanding. The communication, logistics, pace, and friendship really sets apart this team from the rest. They were really easy to work with, followed through, and were very professional all while being friendly and approachable. My entire family (wife and two young boys 11 &13) had an amazing time.

Hotel Reviews

Traditional Stay

Mangalbazar, Kathmandu

Great location in Patan. Really close to durbar square and local shops and restaurants (If, for whatever reason, you get a bit tired of delicious Nepali food, try the Ramen place right across the street. Yum!) Comfy rooms. Amazing bathrooms! Nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Locally Run Lodge

These were perfect. The beds weren't the most comfy but having a bed and warm blanket at the end of a day of trekking was fantastic. The shared bathroom was better than expected and most had an option of toilet-type. The food at all of them was amazing! It took a long time to get the food (because they were literally making it from scratch!...which is awesome) so bring some games or a book or something. The walls are thin and it's basically a hostel so earplugs might be helpful for some. In my opinion, though, this is the way to see Nepal!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Landmark Forest Park

Sauraha

WOW! Beautiful grounds. Comfy rooms. Great restaurant. Friendly staff. This hotel was really nice and was definitely our most comfortable stay in Nepal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Yukhang

Kathmandu

Great location and friendly staff. Overall we really enjoyed our stay here. We had a small issue with one of the rooms but it's was remedied almost immediately. The included breakfast was nice and filling and the rooms were cozy and relatively comfortable. The location is what really made this work for my family and I. Close enough to all the action but off the path enough that we couldn't really hear the sounds of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Junbesi to Thuptenchholing Monastery ( 3200 m / about 4-5 hrs)

Junbesi

For us this was optional but it's so worth doing! There's an entire day of rest after the previous day's hike and this short trek up to the monastery is optional. So if you need to physically recover you have the option but if you're feeling okay this is strongly recommended. It's pretty much straight uphill for about 1.5 hrs but once you're up there it's beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Patan walk

Patan

There's nothing better than exploring a new place with a passionate local person...and Bipin is that person!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Salleri to Patan(7-8 hrs)

Salleri

Trek from Junbesi to Salleri(2500 m/ About 4-5 hrs)

Junbesi

Morning, Trek to Pikey Peak (4060 m) and Trek to Junbesi (2700 m/total 8-9 hrs)

Junbesi

Ok real talk. The views from the top of Pikey Peak will stay with you forever. We had perfect weather and though it was COLD and windy up there I was shocked by the panoramic beauty on display...and of course you know that pics don't do it justice!...BUT...there's a looooooot of hiking on this day. We were not mentally prepared for it. We had trained and stuff but on this day you wake up EARLY (4:30a) to summit by sunrise (which is worth it) but after you summit you go back down for breakfast, then back up for lunch, and then waaaaaaay back down for Junbesi. Our legs were toast by the end of this day. Junbesi is a great little town and the accommodations were really nice. I'm not sure there's a way to shorten this leg because of how remote you are at this point in the trail so just be prepared. It's waaaay worth it though....and the way to Junbesi takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of the trail.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek from Jhapre to Pikey Base Camp (3600 m/ about 5-6 hrs)

Pikey Base Camp

This leg was a bit longer and a lot more uphill! The elevations are real out here and at times the grade was between 30-45%....but you cannot beat the views already! Though a longer and more strenuous day it seemed to go by quickly and knowing there was a warm meal and horizontal bed waiting for you helps a lot too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek from Dhap to Jhapre (2920 m / about 4-5 hrs)

Jhapre

Loved this. This was an easy short day. We made it to Jhapre by lunch and then just rested and chilled out the rest of the day. You've got an immediate view of the mountains and at times it felt like we were hiking straight to Mt Everest. So cool. Our guide Rabin and two porters were fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Kathmandu to Dhap (2850 m)

Kathmandu

This was rough....not because anyone did anything wrong though. The road to the Dhap from Kathmandu is just long, chaotic, slow, bumpy, windy, steep, and loud, etc. It's just a long uncomfortable car ride. On the bright side, there were multiple stops and the places we stopped for food was always delicious....and on the even brighter side...after you climb out of the valley you can almost immediately see the mountains and some of the views are amazing! The mountain views did get me and my family even more excited to get out there and start hiking them! Bipin and Sangita did change some things around for our drive back and that helped make a big difference for us. Thank you.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Jungle Activities in Chitwan

Chitwan National Park

OMG Chitwan is amazing. The jeep safari was neat but the highlight was the canoe ride down the river. We spotted crocs from the boat. Beautiful National Park.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market walk(about 2 hrs)

Kathmandu

This was a welcome treat. It doesn't matter how much you study before you go somewhere, there's nothing that compares to having a local show you around. This was great. Bipin was patient and knowledgable in his explanations and helped us feel welcomed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked.

Welcome Dinner

Kathmandu

We loved this! Bipin is awesome and immediately helped us feel at home and welcomed. His knowledge of Kathmandu and Nepal and his many years of experience with tourists was evident. The restaurant was really good too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Matias was very flexible and did a fantastic job of incorporating our feedback in order to arrive at the vacation plan that best fit our needs. He brought numerous alternatives for consideration based on our input.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Mansa Wine Hotel

Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo

Nice hotel but odd in that it is in an area surrounding some redevelopment and is a bit far from Mendoza city center.

Authenticity & Character

Cute hotel with nice aesthetics

Location

Pretty far from Mendoza

Staff

Staff were very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel

Puerto Iguazú

Beautiful hotel. Nice pool areas and quiet locations with nice balconies for each room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Ponchos Hotel Boutique

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

Really cute B&B style hotel with amazing staff

Authenticity & Character

Amazing character

Location

A bit away from main strip of El Calafate

Staff

Incredible staff. Very welcoming and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Poincenot

El Chalten

Beautiful hotel in El Chalten. Nice location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

CasaSur Recoleta

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Horseback riding at Estancia Cristina

El Calafate

Amazing experience. Highly recommend the horseback riding as it is legitimate experience on well trained horses. Not the “trail ride” with poorly trained horses. The food prepared at the bbq was fantastic. What a truly enjoyable day and experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minitrekking Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Amazing experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great engagement

Transport

Estancia Gaucho Day

Buenos Aires

After experiencing a real ranch in Patagonia this was a bit of a letdown. A lot of idle ti e and do not need to have a guide with you the entire time.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Laguna de los Tres Trek

El Chaltén

Weather impacted our trek but a great experience regardless.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nativo Experience - Lakes and Caverns

El Calafate

Too cold for this experience. Not super interesting from our perspective

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipu Valley

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguazú Falls Great Adventure

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Argentine Dinner Experience

Argentina

Very fun experience and highly recommend. Great way to meet other travelers and have fun experimenting with food and drinks

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Brazilian Falls

Puerto Iguazú

Our guides were amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Food at the national parks is okay

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing in all respects

Transport

Buenos Aires Barrios Tour

Buenos Aires

Good to get perspective on the areas but our guide seemed more interested in her own perspectives and ideas than inquiring about our interests.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was great but tour guide was a bit much for us

Transport

Dinner and Tango Show at Rojo Tango

Buenos Aires

Fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Condores & Aguilas Viewpoints

El Chaltén

Uco Valley Wine Country

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Argentine Falls

Puerto Iguazú

Our guide was simply the best. Highly recommend the boat trip into the falls

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I wouldn't have planned a trip to Costa Rica any other way than using the Serendipity team and KimKim to organize and help us with all the logistics. Everything ran smoothly and we had wonderful experiences in three or four different provinces, visiting La Fortuna, Monte Verde and Manuel Antonio. The pre-planning team of Fio, Charlotte and Nancy was fantastic and I greatly appreciated their responsiveness to our questions and requests. They adjusted the trip plan and itinerary as needed and even changed hotels for us when we wanted to do something a little unique. We were really happy with their final recommendations and everything from the accommodations to the activities, transportation arrangements and all else was phenomenal. I will absolutely use them again for our next trip.

While in Costa Rica, we were so impressed with the guides. I hate to name them as I will undoubtedly miss some, but Mariano Salazar was particulary incredible with his knowledge and experience as well as his sense of humor and we all became fast friends. Alvaro (spelled incorrectly I believe) who transported us from Monte Verde to Manuel Antonio also stood out- he recommended sights and stops that we never would have known about, including stops for food and much less expensive souvenirs. There wasn't a single guide or driver who wasn't extremely knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and they all went out of their way to make sure that we were comfortable and had our questions answered thoroughly. Can't wait to get back and use Serendipity and KimKim again. It's a great business model and experience. So much better than if we had done the planning and organizational work on our own and the value relative to the cost was extremely high. Thank you so much to the entire team for making it a wonderful experience for the four of us in our group. We have many memories and many of those were thanks to you and for making it such an easy vacation.

My husband and I used kimkim to plan the honeymoon of our dreams at the place of dreams, New Zealand! The entire process was absolutely seamless. Franck and his team at Once Upon a Trip were amazing! I communicated with Franck for 8 months before our trip started and he answered all of my questions in an extremely timely manner and gave incredible advice. He booked us for all the best hotels and excursions and we had the most amazing time in New Zealand. We are hoping to return to New Zealand soon, and we will definitely be using kimkim and Once Upon a Trip again! Thank you so much Franck!

Hotel Reviews

Eliza's Manor

Christchurch City

I loved this manor! The location was in a perfect setting in Christchurch. The hotel was decorated immaculately and the room was extremely comfortable. The food is also delicious and the staff there were extremely friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

The decor was extremely unique!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dunluce Bed and Breakfast

Te Anau

This bed and breakfast was in the perfect location! There is a village closeby with stores, restaurants, and gift shops! It is also about 2 hours away from Milford Sound, and the drive there was the most beautiful and picturesque drive my husband and I have ever been on. The host Hannah is incredible! She made sure that everything we needed was taken care of and then some! She was extremely knowledgeable about the area and had great advice for our journey to Fjordland. Thank you Hannah for being so great to us during our time there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Te Anau is an amazing place and I would love to live there one day!

Staff

Hannah is an incredible host, she made breakfast for us and it was delicious every morning!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ahi Restaurant - 4 snacks and 4 courses

Auckland

The food here was INCREDIBLE! I love the storytelling behind each dish and it was the best tasting food I've had. The drinks were also delicious, and the staff were friendly and inviting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glowworm Paddle Board Tour

Rotorua

This was one of the best things we did on our trip! The guides were very informative and friendly. The drive to the lake and the lake itself were beautiful. Seeing the glow worms in the caves were out of this world!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pō combo (Guided Experience + Indigenous Evening Experience)

Rotorua

This whole experience was amazing! It was so wonderful to get an education about the Maori people and culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was delicious and there was a lot of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

This was a bucket list dream come true for me and it was an experience I will never forget! Not only was the set so incredible, but the general scenery was breathtaking! It was also awesome to try the ginger beer at the Green Dragon Inn. The Shires rest cafe also had delicious and fresh food (I had the fish and chips along with the salad).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All agents were really professional, very friendly and helpful. Special thanks go to Said and Abdeljalil who made our experience memorable!

Overall our experience with KimKim was wonderful...though it did not start out that way.

We first were assigned Moreno, who while kind and seeming eager to assist, was not as attentive as I expected. There were numerous times where he failed to respond to my questions in a timely fashion, and one time where I asked some questions, only to not hear back in well over a week. At that point, I questioned KimKim as to whether I should receive a new local specialist. The result was that Moreno would remain with us. Once the trip was secure, we failed to hear from him. While that may be "normal", I didn't feel good about the complete lack of communication.

About 8 weeks prior to our trip however, Melanie came on the scene to "assist" Moreno. She contacted me, introducing herself and well, she was AMAZING!!! She was engaging, provided me plenty of opportunities to get excited about the trip. She communicated with me about a variety of topics regularly. She was extremely prompt with her responses, when I had questions as the trip grew closer. I felt as though she was a member of our TEAM ITALY trip!! She even told us about her favorite cake from Pansa, an Amalfi paneterria. Once she took over for Moreno, it was truly the first time I felt that KimKim deserved a 5 -Star rating....and I messaged that to Melanie via What's App.☺

Most of our guides were amazing including Ina...our Pompeii tour guide and especially Nino, our Path of Gods tour guide!!! Antonio, our driver for our Amalfi Coast tour (which was added to our trip after Melanie contacted us, sharing that the boat company had canceled their tours to Capri due to 'angry seas'), was delightful, kind, and drove those very windy roads with immaculate care and caution. He took us to some special spots along the drive to soak in the "perfect" views of the coast!!!

Our hotels were fabulous...situated in wonderful parts of their perspective cities. We definitely indulged in the fabulous food, drink and culture of the people that surrounded those hotels.

I have already shared Melanie's contact info with one couple friend of ours and plan to pass her name along to others as they ask about our journey. SHE was TOP NOTCH, always available and attentive, and truly excited for us to experience her homeland!!

Grazie mille a Melanie and KimKim for our new family memories!!

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrento City Hotel

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Charme Spagna Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Capri in a Day

Italy

CANCELED DUE TO ANGRY SEAS.....

Panoramic trail nicknamed The Path of the Gods + Transfer from Sorrento

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nino was incredible and our surprise lunch on the trail with Antonio the local herder on the mountain was simply THE BEST!!!

Transport

Our driver back from Amalfi to Sorrento was with Mario...who also happened to drive us from Naples Airport to Rome upon arrival. He was awful. He drove incredibly fast, making all 5 of us feel nauseous. We had done the same drive the day before with Antonio (as our trip to Capri was canceled) and none of us were nauseous with that driver. I honestly prayed that we would arrive back to the hotel safely. Please do not use him again!!!

Wine Tasting Lunch

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure + Vatican museum

Rome

It was a LONG day of listening (830-4pm minus an hour for lunch) Our guide was brilliant, but she didn't seem to notice whether all of us were listening or not. I would have preferred a guide who also could meet us where we were...asking what our interests were regarding the Vatican and Colosseo, so as to have been talked WITH rather than talked TO about what we wanted to know.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We planned a shorter trip to Italy in October for a November departure and were expertly handled by our specialist, Fabio. Or should I call him Fabulouso? :) Our trip was effortless, fun, interesting, and so full of some of the best of Italy in 5 short days! We had great accommodations in three wonderful hotels, transportation, tickets, and two awesome experiences - a food tasting tour in Rome and a cooking class in Sorrento. Fabio was available all the time via text or whatsapp, and was super responsive throughout this whole process. It was a little nerve wracking book all of this online, but the experience was top notch. If you want to go explore the world and looking for something other than a tour bus or cruise ship, I would highly recommend KimKim. It was conceirge level service and made the vacation just a breeze.

Thank you, Fabio!! Shelly & Chris

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Barberini Roma

Rome

Nice hotel, the room was smaller and it was noisy at night with traffic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Marziale

Sorrento

Beautiful small hotel. We were in the Youth Room. Big comfy bed and nice bath. Sorrento is walkable and we loved this location.

Authenticity & Character

super neat place !

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Nazionale

Rome

Great hotel. Central location and QUIET for Rome. Not on a busy street at night. Loved it. Staff was awesome. Room was nice and bed comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to everything

Staff

very helpful as we arrived early in the morning from our overnight flight

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything perfect

Activity Reviews

Self Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum | Skip-the-Line Tickets

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza & Pasta Masterclass in Sorrento

Sorrento

Fun time in Sorrento at the most beautiful location! We made pasta, pizza and tiramisu. Great time!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flavors of Rome | Food Tour with a Local Foodie

Rome

We learned about Rome, Italy and FOOD! Armando was an awesome guide and we visited some fun locations!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the transport staff were really nice. Prompt, Clean vehicles. Awesome