Kimkim Trip Reviews

My local specialist, Minh, is very patient in organizing the trip according to my needs. She provided the valuable guidance in picking hotels. All the hotels are centrally located. Thuy Vu was the local coordinator who was always checking and updating on local drivers/ guides. Local guides assigned in all towns ( Lee in Hoi An, Benny in HCM city and Borey in Cambodia) are amazing. Customer service is unparalleled. Assigned drivers are extremely professional and always on time.

Everything was very well coordinated between the activities and the drivers between cities. They were always on time and we found the naturalist guides to be very informative. The lodging options worked for us and we loved being able to refer to the one single itinerary. Also when our flight was cancelled and we had a day delay, our kimkim contact was helpful and responsive in making changes.

We had great excursions in all the areas of Costa Rica we visited. Some of the highlights were Luis guided walk through Manuel Antonio Park. We wouldn’t have seen 90% of the animals without him. Street art in Joca was also a great stop on travel day. Monteverde night hike was a great chance to see insects, bats and sleeping birds. Sky Adventures zipline in Arenal was amazing. The Mistico Hanging bridges with David was phenomenal. He was great explaining the different climates and spotting animals (vipers, coati, howler monkeys and sloths).

Hotel Reviews

Villas Sol Hotel And Beach Resort

Playa Hermosa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Shuttles or a car are recommend for getting around as the grounds are steep and roadways narrow for pedestrians. But the hotel does have a good shuttle service that addresses this. Great sunset views from the hotel/pool area overlooking the bay.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We needed to ask housekeeping to clean the room at checkin, the floors were still dirty and had leftover hair ties from the previous guests. But the bathroom and bedding/towels were fresh. No cleanliness issues aside from this. The lighting in rooms should be improved. There are small overhead led lights (2 above the bed headboard, and 1 in the entry) but I needed to use a flashlight to find items in my luggage after sunset. The hotel does not have an elevator, this was not an issue for us, but could be for others.

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

Check in was easy and the staff was helpful in explaining how to get around town and in setting up a trip to a hot spring. Their spa, pool and breakfast were also great.

Authenticity & Character

The spa is excellent, there is a pools, multiple hot tubs, and small hiking trail on premises. The landscaping is also very nice and makes you feel more secluded from the other guests

Location

Near town for restaurants and night life and they had two great restaurants (Chante verde and Dona Liz Pupuseria) walking distance. The rainforest chocolate tour is excellent and also walkable from the hotel.

Staff

Very helpful in making recommendations for activities and helping setup reservations

Cleanliness & Comfort

The only negative was being able to hear our upstairs neighbors through the ceiling.

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

The hotel was nice and staff were great, but everything does feel a little run down. The pool wasn’t fully operational and wifi was spotty or out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Access to the park can’t be beat and it is walkable to the beach. I would feel unsafe taking the access tunnel to the beach alone. But it might be better to stay closer to Quepos for restaurants and excursions outside the park.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The staff kept everything cleanly but the hotel feels a bit rundown. The pool fountains and hot tub were broken, the room door had large gaps, the patio door can be opened even when locked and a lot of visible tile/caulking repairs in the bathroom

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Everything was amazing. The room, the view, the staff, the food…. The only negative is we didn’t stay long enough to explore the grounds, restaurant and pool

Authenticity & Character

Views are unbeatable, the spa is also amazing.

Location

Sunset views from the room and top of the property were great. Centrally located in town to access stores and restaurants

Staff

Friendly, courteous, helpful, friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was excellent at keeping the group organized, engaged and has an incredible talent for spotting animals and explaining their habitats and actions

Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ian has an incredible knowledge of the forest, particularly the plant life. Would have preferred if he was a little more professional towards other guides/groups (they’re walking too fast and missed this orchid, he always takes groups too big to experience the forest, etc.)

Transport

Morning Sailing and Snorkeling Adventure

Costa Rica

The crew was very nice, informative, and quick to offer drinks/snacks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Zip Lines

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great experience on the zipline, helpful guides and ground staff. Great views of the volcano and lake from the deck.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

You can stay for lunch at the cafe and enjoy the views. There is a schedule with shuttle times to plan your return.

Night Walk: Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

It was nice to see and hear animals that are normally not visible during the day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Pleasant kayak and snorkeling experience with a snack and lunch included.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kudos to our driver making pickup/dropoff on the other side of the bay where the roads were narrow, winding and full of traffic.

Thos was our first trip to South East Asia as a family group of 5 and as I was the one putting the trip together, was unsure as to where to go or what to do as we realy wanted an authentic experience of life in Vietnam.
Huyen and I put together an exceptional itinerary that accommodated all our needs
Going on a large group tour was not what we wanted, as we had slower members in our group, also we normally do a self planned holiday, so a private tour was the perfect solution.
Our drivers and Guides where exceptional!
Gavin, Jerry and Han qickly became friends that where super knowledgeable and caring and patient with our group. Our guides where also generous in sharing their families stories which gave us an insight to Vietnam's past.
We visited the "mustn't miss" sites but also loved the street food tours and bicycle trips to see how rice paper, rice wine, farming, pottery making and other family run business. These everyday experiences made it for me.
10 out of 10 Huyen and her team.
Will be definitely using KimKim again!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hoa Binh 1 Hotel

Staff

Very helpfull front desk staff with finding dinner options

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoi An Rose Garden Hotel

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

A 20 min walk to town or a quick taxi trip

Staff

Arranged taxis to town, very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swan Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rosaleen Boutique Hotel

Hue

The front desk staff arranged scooter hire for our group and when one of the group backed out they didn't charge us, very kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Long Xuyen Floating market

Vietnam

Very little activity. The floating markets are almost gone. Tiger Island on the other hand was a wonderful experience Tiger temple and local industries with rickshaw and lunch at home stay was delightful

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh- Ben Tre - Long Xuyen

Vietnam

We realy enjoyed visiting the brick works and the coconut product area and mat weaving, lunch was spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour

Ho Chi Minh City

I realy enjoyed hearing about the ingenious ways in which the inhabitants of the tunnels survived and outsmarted the invaders.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An - Cam Thanh Coconut Village - Tra Que Village

Hoi An

When we where approaching the Cam thanh coconut village it looked like a cheesy tourist activity. Jerry assured us it would be fun and he was right. We had a lot of fun and our boat guides looked like they where enjoying their jobs. An absolute blast!! The bike ride through quiet countryside and the visit to the farm with lunch was a huge highlight for our group. Perfect day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Loved the cooking class

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue City tour full day

Hue

Found the Imperial citadel and the tomb of Khai Dinh fascinating, if you love history. Mind you the gothic architecture and the lavish main room of the Khai Dinh tomb must be seen to be believed!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda - Thuy Bieu Village

Hue

Lovely relaxing lunch and foot massage. Loved the bike ride around surrounding village and local industries

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoa Lu & Trang An Grottoes - Ninh Binh Train Station

Vietnam

We where blown away with the beauty of Trang An. The boat rides through the extensive cave systems and the landscape is breathtaking. Don't miss it!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most amazing time thanks to Anna Marie and her team! Steph with Earthstompers was such a fantastic guide as well. All of the activities selected were such fun. The pace of the trip was perfect with blocks of free time scattered throughout. It was a treat to get to meet Anna Marie in person at one of the wine tastings. The ebiking was a bit of a challenge for me but I appreciated the opportunity. I loved Gold restaurant and getting to try so many different kinds of food. Each of our accommodations were perfect and so cute. All the rooms were clean and beautiful. The one in Hermanus had the most amazing view and Oude Werf was a palace! Overall it was a phenomenal first taste of Africa!

Hotel Reviews

Umkumbe Bush Lodge

Sabie Park

This was such a neat experience! First time staying in a place like this and it was great! Had everything needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tree House Boutique Hotel

Cape Town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One Marine Drive Boutique Hotel

Hermanus

The view here was incredible!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oude Werf Hotel

Stellenbosch

The room was gorgeous and palatial! I really enjoyed the dining area as well!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayak with Penguins

South Africa

This was such a neat way to start the trip! The weather was perfect and it was a cool outing in the water and being so close to seals and penguins.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Biking in the Winelands

South Africa

The activity itself was a good challenge. It did seem more of a mountain biking activity-a little tougher than expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Wine Tour

South Africa

The full day wine tour was a good time. The three wineries we went to were absolutely gorgeous. The wines were delicious. The restaurant we went to for lunch in town wasn’t the greatest but it was a nice view.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stanford River Cruise

South Africa

This was a nice leisurely activity, very low key. I do think it was for more of a mature crowd but we still had a good time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at GOLD Restaurant

Cape Town

This was such a neat dinner. The food was delicious and the entertainment was so fun!!

Our trip was fantastically planned by Connie. Connie was amazingly fast to respond and had answers to every little question that my wife and I had.

The events that had been planned were a blast and we got as much in as we could. The only thing I wish was that I had planned to be there for more time.

If you need help organizing a trip, Connie was absolutely amazing. I'm sure we'll be using Kimkim again and will reach out to Connie in the future!

Thank you Ana for the great support and planning for our trip to Patagonia. We had expressed some concerns regarding mobility and she was very responsive in arranging a personalized tour for both of us at El Calafate and Natales. The sights were amazing and the local guides were very well informed and accommodating. Overall a great experience and one we would recommend.

We just got back from our amazing trip Renata helped plan and book. We thank her for organising the cakes at the hotels so we could celebrate my partner's Birthday. It was truly special. All the transfer and accommodations were excellent as well as the guides in the city's. It was really seamless for us to get around as the guides were very helpful with tips and suggestions. THANK YOU! Brazil is a beautiful country which we hope to visit again sometime and see more of it, and will definately book with Renata again.

Hotel Reviews

Asalem

Angra dos Reis

Stunning Views, Amazing food and services. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We Loved every minute of our stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Saint Paul

Manaus - AM

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazon Turtle Lodge

The lodge was much better than we expected. The staff was friendly, and the room and bathroom were comfortable and nice. The views are beautiful. The staff go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. Our guide was awesome and very knowledgable. The food was also good and hearty. Overall an excellent stay at the lodge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Caiçara

Angra dos Reis

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely because its close to the stores and restaurants and its beachfront, but its very noisy at night, due to the bars around it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Panamby Guarulhos

Guarulhos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour Halfway Around Ilha Grande (Group Tour)

Ilha Grande

Quality of Experience

Snorkelling in the lagoon was amazing! they give enough time at each place to enjoy it. The beach we went to was also beautiful!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos was amazing and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed the trip with him.

Transport

Excellent

Full-Day Tour Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer + Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf)

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were Excellent!!!

Transport

Excellent Condition of Car used.

Tijuca Forest, Parque Laje & Santa Teresa

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was fantastic! Overall everything went extremely smoothly, from planning to traveling to moving around the country. The experiences were great and the guides were very helpful. Hotels were as advertised.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Rooms were great and the grounds were super nice. Beautiful views. Not super close to the beach if that is important to you (need to take a shuttle to a public beach, which only runs 4 times a day). Food was good and pool was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Belmar

Monteverde

Views were incredible, staff was extremely nice. The food was great and the grounds were great. Only downside is it's not walking distance to town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel grounds have everything you need but walking to town is difficult

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Country Inn

La Fortuna

Very basic rooms that are quite small. Walking distance from town is a big plus. Pool is nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super close to town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are very small

Activity Reviews

Private Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Not worth doing a private tour of the volcano hike or waterfall as these are extremely public areas to begin with. Easy to do both in a self guided fashion but our tour guide was still great and the transit was timely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Absolutely must have a guide as Manuel Antonio is a zoo (literally and figuratively). Lots of people, spend the extra time at the beach as it is not as crowded as the public beaches.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate & Night Hike Experience

Monteverde

Guide was absolutely incredible and the chocolate part was great. Also included coffee tour for people who want to do that as well (no reason to book an extra coffee tour). Saw great and unique wildlife

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was incredible

Transport

100% Aventura Zip Line Monteverde

Monteverde

Everything went super smoothly, zip lining was great. Unlucky that it was too windy to do to the biggest line but definitely recommend doing the superman zip line at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk & Tabacón Hot Springs Visit with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Hanging bridges guides were great, helped see lots of wildlife. Got very lucky that it was sunny and you could see the volcano. Tabacon hot springs were incredible although meal was not provided. Absolutely worth the extra money for the Tabacon resort.

Quality of Experience

Food

Was not included as part of our tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Little mix up with the tour group and transit back from the hot springs not showing up until much beyond the agreed time.

An incredible adventure! Kim Kim were super easy to use and listened to everything we wanted. Definitely get involved in the planning process so you get the most out of your trip. All the tour guides were fantastic. I felt very safe and looked after my whole trip from start to finish. Thankyou KimKim 10/10 will use you again!

Hotel Reviews

Cozy Boutique Cruise

Halong,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunline Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoa Binh 1 Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

New Livitrans Train

Had a fantastic adventure with this accomodation. Definitely worth doing. I would bring your own pillow case. the food was good. there was charging stations with each bed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luông Natura Bungalows

Incredible views! incredible destination! very welcoming beautiful staff. Made friends with everyone. Even had a little bonfire one of the nights with the hotel patrons and staff, so lovely!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hoi An Memories Show

Hoi An

I enjoyed this performance a lot. It was a little bit 'disney' vietnam. 'touristy'. So was good to see but didnt feel authentic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Culture & Walking Tour

Hanoi

Our guide made this activity exceptional! So much great food and great to get in amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. I wouldnt have known where to start or what to try. Was nice to have someone guide us. The guide also tailored it to suit flavours that we would enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was AMAZING

Transport

From beginning to end. We had wonderful service, great guides and accommodations. Starting in the Galapagos was a sheer delight and ending up in the Amazonian rainforest just added it to the thrilling adventure that we had in Ecuador. Thanks so much to Kim, Kim and Luis and Kevin the guides who were so professional knowledgeable And personable.

We had an amazing trip in Australia. everything was well planed and fitted our requests and budget. We saw lots of new animals, we tasted wonderful wine and food, we dipped in the ocean and in some beautiful waterfalls and we snorkelled the Grate Barrier Reef. Gary was very responsive to our requests and fulfill them very well, while surprising us with some extra tips and special upgrades that we greatly appreciated once we arrived at a venue. It was a stress-free trip and all we had to do is to enjoy Australia and the company of each other. Strongly recommending using KimKim and especially Gary - THANK YOU

Hotel Reviews

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

amazing location and very comfortable room , bed Nice and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

right on the Main Street in Sydney. Close to everything

Staff

very helpful and friendly - especially the young guys opening the doors

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Melbourne Southbank

Southbank

this is not a 5 stars hotel but is it very well maintained. the rooms are comfortable and large. the coffee at the Lobby Bar was amazing. the location is AWSOME and the staff are nice and friendly. I used the laundry facility - it was very appreciated to have one after 10 days of the trip.

Authenticity & Character

nothing special about this hotel but it is nice and amazingly located. It was decorated for the AO games which added a lot to the vibe.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Cairns

Cairns

this is more like a hostel not very much a hotel. the rooms are very big but empty. no decor, not a dresser to put your cloths, not a table - nothing. The was no remote to the AC unit so the room was freezing. Two towels were provided for 4 nights and no cleaning service. Carins gets lots of rain but they do not provide any umbrellas. The breakfast looks miserable, for the some cost we ate at The Novotel next door and enjoyed a wonderful variety of food and drinks. But the worst were the staff - they were so NOT friendly that we were actually laughing . Its like they were trying to avoid making eye contact with us so they don't need to greet us. The desk is literally next to the elevator and they were pretending to be on the computer or immediately went to the back room without saying simply "Hello". Very weird.

Authenticity & Character

no Character what so ever

Location

The location is OK - it is not as closed to the beach as the other hotels but it is still ok

Staff

the attitude MUST improve. They need to be friendlier and more approachable. They should greet their guests and not let them feel unwelcome as we did

Cleanliness & Comfort

its a very clean hotel but the rooms and showers/bathrooms are not serviced at all and its a bit too much for a stay of 4 nights.

Activity Reviews

Yarra Valley Wine Experience

Melbourne

Yarra Valley is SOOOO much nicer than Hunter Valley (the wine is better too) - but don't tell the ppl of Sydney I said that ...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day Tour Experience

Sydney

Our tour Gide was amazing, the group was so friendly and the vibe was very fun. we loved visiting the farm on the way to the mountain.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Tour

Melbourne

I wish we could go Stright to Phillip Island. We LOVED LOVED LOVED the Penguins parade part and being in the "Penguin PLUS" experience made a HUGE difference for us. The day trip itself was a waste of time for us as by now we saw million Koalas and Kangaroos ....

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Melbourne Foodie Culture

Melbourne

Probably the highlight of the trip - we learned SOOOOOOO much about Melbourne and Australia that day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour

Melbourne

nothing to add - the view said it all

Kuranda Deluxe Tour - Skyrail

Australia

it is defiantly a MUST do while in Carins. The view from the gondola was outstanding I think that we were a bit tired that day - it was a slow moving and a bit too commercial for our test but, still, a MUST DO

Day trip to the Great Barrier Reef

Australia

We were taken by a beautiful Catamaran. The staff on the boat were absolutely outstanding !!!!! they took care of each one of the 80+ passengers as if we were royals. I was not feeling well on the way and 2 staff members looked after me easing my sea sick and making me feel better. When one of the guides saw that I was not comfortable with the snorkelling gear in the water he took me personally on trip to the reef attached to a life saving ring making sure to point every special fish and coral we saw on the way. He made my day and I made sure to tell him he did (I tipped him some extra $) .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfall Wanderers Full Day Tour

Australia

the young guy that took us on the trip was absolutely adorable. it was a very very nice trip

Quality of Experience

Food

I wish the food was a bit better

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hunter Valley Wine Tasting

Sydney

After visiting the Yarra Vally near Melbourne I know that Yarra is better ... HAHAHAH

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Aboriginal Dreaming Tour

Sydney

I think that the idea of this trip was supposed to be much different than what we got. but seriously I have no idea what was this trip about

Half Day Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

our specific tour guid was not the best but the tour itself is important for the first day in Sydney

Sydney Opera House Tour

Australia

a MSUT DO

We recently completed a trip to Lapland Finland with the assistance of our travel agent, Moonika Apart. In our communication I explained what I was interested in doing and accommodations we wished to reserve. She put together a wonderful itinerary for us and in addition she did so, around a photo workshop that I was attending. She planned accommodations, activities and drivers for us before and after my workshop. She truly listened to what we were hoping to do on this trip and gave her professional opinions and suggestions for excursions and accommodations. Everything she recommended and booked for us was excellent. She truly has a good knowledge of Lapland in Finland and what it has to offer. In fact, she traveled from her home town to our accommodation in Rovanemi to meet us and give us an opportunity to ask more questions in person.

Her communication was OUTSTANDING. She ensured our itinerary and accommodations were excatly what we hoped for. While we were in Lapland, she continued to keep open the lines of communication and inquired on how everything was going and if we needed anything just to contact her. I wanted to stop at a gift shop on our way to one of our longer stays and she coordinated this with our driver. There never was anything we requested that she did not provide and she was always on top of everything.

She knew I was interested in photography and 2 of the drivers she scheduled were also amateur photographers who understood my passion for it and gave me several opportunities on our drive to take photos.

I cannot say enough about the service Moonika provided and highly recommend her for any trip you would wish her to plan. I would utilize her service again in a heartbdeat. Thank you Moonika for everything you did to make our Lapland adventure fun, exciting, comfortable, easy and safe. Your are the BEST!

The Berrys

Hotel Reviews

Wilderness Hotel Inari & Igloos

Inari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nova Skyland Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Skylight Lodge

Äkäslompolo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Reindeer Ride

Inari

The reindeer ride was really enjoyable. So relaxing through the winter wonderland. Truly a ride in an absolutely beautiful landscape. Afterwards, we enjoyed stories from the Sami reindeer herder in a traditional Sami teepee, along with hot berry juice and cookies. Great experience.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Aurora Camp

Inari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Snowmobile Tour to Wilderness Hut

Finland

Our two guides, Jana and Annina, were excellent. They outfitted us in snowmobile gear and gave us information on what the excursion entailed. I was apprehensive in driving the snowmobile since I hadn't done so in over 25 years. They had me drive the loop of the parking lot to get comfortable with the machine and assured me if I didn't want to drive after trying it we would switch drivers. Driving was easy and enjoyable. Throughout the 45 minute ride to the Wilderness hut, they had us stop a few times so the guides could check on our comfort and how did I feel about driving. They also stopped and pointed out the Aurora in the sky. Once at the Wilderness hut we enjoyed tasty reindeer soup, hot berry juice and a melted cheese and brown sugar dessert. Overall this was an excellent excursion; truly enjoyable and we always felt safe as there were two guides and two snowmobiles. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Ice Restaurant

Sinettä

The Ice Restaurant is unique and truly an experience to have. The food was very good, but we were just too cold to enjoy it. We both couldn't wait for the next course to come quickly so we could finish eating and leave. We also stayed overnight in the Snow Hotel and would definetly recommend it - we were warm in the snuggly sleeping bags they provided and we loved the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ice Fishing by Snowmobile Sleigh

Finland

Our Guide Anita was very knowledgeable and skilled at ice fishing and she made good conversation. We didn't catch any fish, but the experience was still worth the time. On the way to the fishing location, we saw a few reindeer roaming the frozen lake. In the warming hut we had delicious reindeer soup, grilled sandwiches, cookies, hot berry drink. We enjoyed the excursion.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Hunt by Car

Finland

Our guide did his best to drive us to clearer skies and we were able to see the aurora. It wasn't real dramatic but that is not the fault of the excursion or the driver - it is what Mother Nature provides or doesn't provide at any given time. The vehicle was clean, warm, comfortable and easy to get in and out of when we stopped to take photos of the Aurora. The guide was very conscientious in providing us the best experience possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Safari

Finland

Absolutely a fabulous experience. Highly recommend. The husky mushing was fun and so beautiful through the winter wonderland. After the ride we had an opportunity to take photos of the dogs and pet them. We also had hot berry juice and cookies in the warming hut. Would definietly do this again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Camp by Sleigh Ride

Inari

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sauna Experience at Arctic Skylight Lodge

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snowshoeing Tour

Finland

Awesome guides! Helpful and considerate. They took us on a beautiful snowshoeing adventure through a snowy wintery woodland and onto a lake/swamp where we enjoyed cookies and hot berry juice. A great 3 hour experience. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Ranua Wildlife Park Visit

Rovaniemi

Our guide and driver, Krista Kuu, was so pleasant and accommodating. She not only was an excellent guide, but we enjoyed her company - she is a very nice person. We had fun!

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Finnish Legends and Stories Around the Fire

Rovaniemi

Our guide was very informative and presented many interested stories about Finland and the Sami Culture. The time in the teepee in the wilderness was very unique and we loved it. He served us hot berry juice and made pancakes served with fresh jam - delicious. Highly recommend.

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Hannah was beyond amazing in planning our trip and working out an adjustment on the fly when our arrival was delayed! Iceland is incredible and we’re already starting to think m about the next trip - and hoping KimKim can help us plan it!

Our Australia/New Zealand trip was such a wonderful, memorable trip! Liz’ activity suggestions were all great! We appreciated the small group tours ( no more than 12 people) and the tour guides were top notch. All of our airport and tour pick-ups were on-time/ early. It was so nice to see someone greet us at the airports and not having to arrange our own transportation. Even though we had intentionally selected mid-range hotels, they mostly exceeded our expectations and we had some amazing views from our room. The complementary breakfast at each hotel was also nice. We will certainly recommend Kimkim and Liz to our friends and family!

All in all we had a great trip. Everything was well organised and ran very smoothly.
Our guide Emelia in Cusco was so good and when Machu Picchu was shut down she handled the new itinerary etc very well. Also a big thank you for the refunds processed so quickly. The highlight of the trip for us was the train between Cusco and Puno. 5 star service and amazing scenery.
The guides who helped us through the land border Peru/Bolivia were amazing as was the guide who assisted me with getting the Bolivian visa. We would have struggled to do this all ourselves.
We loved the personal service and private tours and being able to connect with KimKim any time via the email link was excellent.
All the hotels were great, just to our liking especially Antigua Casona San Blas in Cusco.
Thank you.

Pros - most of the guides who looked after the group were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. (Though we were not very happy with the local food tastings in Mexico City and Oaxaca, they could have been of a better quality. )
Cons - hotels were pretty average, some of them have certainly seen better times.

The van provided was a total disaster! With tiny windows that you cannot look out from and enjoy the sightseeing. BUT above all the van was insufficient for the group luggage and daily it was such a struggle to fit ourselves and the suitcases in! When 18 of us reached Oaxaca airport, the suitcases could not fit so we had to hire a taxi on our own initiative and till date have NOT got reimbursed for that. This is not acceptable because we had warned you that Indian women will travel with the maximum luggage possible and to provide a vehicle accordingly, but this never happened, though you were aware of it right from day one . BTW this was a commitment and not a favour.
The driver for an airport transfer on the last date turned up more than 20 minutes late! Once again this is not acceptable, besides there was far too much follow up required on a daily basis.
So the overall Mexico experience is rather disappointing, I am sure you will understand why.

My mother had wanted to see Angkor Wat in person for 70+ years--ever since she wrote a middle school paper about it. Time flies and it seemed like she might miss her chance. But then in early 2023 we found KimKim and Travel Asia A La Carte. Steve quickly responded to my inquiry and created an interesting trip in Cambodia for us that would accommodate an 82-year-old who struggles in the heat, walks very slow, and needs help getting up and down steps. All throughout the planning process, Steve was quick to respond, friendly and accommodating. He organized a fantastic trip for us that included enriching experiences that highlighted Cambodia's history and culture. Ra was our driver throughout the trip, Pich was our guide from Phnom Penh to Battambang and Siem Reap and Kin was our guide throughout our time in Siem Reap and back to the airport. These people are outstanding and made our trip The Best. The activities, accommodations and meals were all super--loved every one of them and everyone we met--but what made the trip great was Steve and his team--Ra, Pich and Kin--and the care they gave to us and especially my mother throughout our time in Cambodia. They were always friendly and respected my mother's slow walking pace, accommodated her when she needed to stop and rest, and never tried to rush her. They helped her up and down steps and in and out of boats and challenging seats and strategized ways to get her to see as much as possible without having her walk more than necessary or miss anything interesting or important. Any they were always friendly and joyful about it. This trip would have been impossible without these wonderful, loving people. Thank you to all.

Hotel Reviews

Treeline Urban Resort

Siem Reap

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

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Maisons Wat Kor

Battambang

Authenticity & Character

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Palace Gate Hotel & Resort

Phnom Penh

Loved it!

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Activity Reviews

Additional airport transfer

Phnom Penh

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Ta Phrom (afternoon by remork)

Siem Reap

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Half day countryside local industries by remork

Battambang

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Banteay Srei, Landmine Museum, Banteay Samre & local noodles

Siem Reap

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Tuol Sleng & Killing Fields

Phnom Penh

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Dinner at Eleven One Kitchen

Phnom Penh

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Phare, the Cambodian Circus (Seat A , reserved seating)

Siem Reap

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National Museum & Royal Palace

Phnom Penh

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Dinner at Jaan Bai

Battambang

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Phnom Sampeau sunset

Battambang

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Sunrise (and return to hotel for breakfast)

Siem Reap

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Bamboo train ride

Battambang

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Traditional dance performance and dinner

Siem Reap

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Phnom Penh to Battambang via Ondong Rossey & Floating Villages

Cambodia

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Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Airport (for Christian & Vanessa)

Cambodia

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Afternoon introductory Phnom Penh City Tour

Phnom Penh

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Paul was excellent and the resulting itinerary was what the group wanted. However, when we arrived at some of the locations, the itinerary was not what we had planned with Paul. It would seem that local people did not get information from Paul or ignored information from Paul/Kim-Kim. Transfers were handled well except at Las Torres Hotel.

Atacama: Thoroughly enjoyed the stay in Atacama. One of my favorite parts of the trip.

Punta Arenas: Enjoyed the Magdalena Island tour from Punta Arenas. However, the hotel room was awful - small for two people in twin beds. Window did not open, AC did not work. Others on the trip had much better rooms. Also did not have good information on options for dining.

Patagonia: Long trip by van to Hotel Las Torres. This part of the trip did not go well. We had communicated with Paul about each of our desires for activities during our stay. But the excursions were not personalized according to each of our requests. The following were problems:
(1); Horseback riding for Martha was approved after many exchanges via email before we arrived. However, when we arrived she was told that she couldn't do horseback riding. Martha has been horseback riding for over 40 years, owns her own horse and rides every week. I had to get firm and somewhat aggressive with Chris and eventually Martha got her rides. But it was a bad start to the time we had there.
(2): Hikes and other excursions: Again, the group had worked together and each of us had our preferences for activities. However, I question the sensibility of assigning myself and Richard to two 13km hikes in one day for people who were 74 and 85 years old! While I can do a single 13 km hike - two in one day was not possible. That left me with a free afternoon and not much was offered in terms of activities.
(3): The transfer from Las Torres Hotel to Punta Arenas Hotel was initially supposed to be in late morning - providing us time for a leisurely breakfast and some exploration around the hotel (including an easy hike). However, at the last minute that morning we were told that we had to leave right away because another couple had to get to the airport. That left no time to enjoy the park that morning. In addition, the van was crammed full, a flat tire had to be repaired in route, and there was no plan for what we were going to do with the 6-7 hours we would have had at the airport. Fortunately we worked with the driver to get us transferred into town at a hotel that kept our luggage, provided an opportunity for a nice lunch, and found a van to take all of us back to the airport at the appropriate time. What frustrates me is that 7 hours could have been spent at Las Torres enjoying more of the area.
Overall I was disappointed with the arrangements in Patagonia.
Easter Island: Amazing! Great guide, interesting history, wonderful hikes. Great hotel. So glad we added this to the trip.
Santiago: Wine tasting tours were excellent and the Santa Rita tour of the garden was an unexpected treat! We arranged a separate tour of the city on our final day - great tour guide.

This trip was extremely well-planned by Columbus Travel in Antigua. Catherina and her team worked hard to understand exactly what our goals were and why we were coming to Guatemala. We had very specific requests and they listened intently to us, making sure we would have the experiences we were seeking. Many of the villages we visited had few to no tourists, and we really were able to see up close and personal the way the Maya K'iche' and Ixil people live their daily lives. We had many, many conversations one-on-one and were able to ask and answer questions, take photos, and dive deeper into the culture than any other type of travel could have provided for us. There were, of course, changes in schedule and plans due to unexpected opportunities or weather shifts, but Columbus Travel was always there to accommodate our needs and make it work for us on the spot. The guides and drivers were always in communication with Catherina and she with them, making managing the trip very smooth for us. The second part of our trip was the fun, more touristy, part, but even during that part, Catherina made sure we kept our cultural focus and were always met and guided by Mayans and visited Mayan sites. It was a true pleasure to work with such travel professionals who were also quite personal with us and got to know us well. I highly recommend this organization and this mode of travel planning. Kim Kim is lucky to partner with Columbus Travel!
GUIDES
Our primary driver and guide for the first half of the trip was Luis Medina. He was absolutely the best choice for our trip! He was informed, open, helpful, patient, and fun to be with. We had many speed bumps (literal and figurative) along the way and his mild temperament always came shining through. On many occasions, he saw opportunities for us to have unique experiences and he always moved forward to make them happen for us. The success of our trip was largely due to his on the spot, professional trip management skills.
Our K'iche' guide, Carlos Chaclan, also provided us with a homestay in Totonicapan and was a gracious host. We so enjoyed spending time with him and his family. They were all so sweet and relaxed with us and made us feel at home. On the road, Carlos never failed to connect us with our mission - to get to know the Maya K'iche' of Guatemala. He helped us engage with them; he taught me useful phrases so that I could begin speaking directly with them; he made suggestions about what we might want to do and experience that was authentic; and he was informative in providing history and meaning when we asked him about specific places and historical markers along our route.