Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our group could not have been happier with our two week trip to Portugal and Sao Miguel Island! The hotels, transfers, and guides were all excellent. In Lisbon, our guide was Filipa for two days and she was very good. I would definitely recommend Palacio Ludovice Hotel as well - great location, rooms, and customer service. We loved the day trip to Sintra, Estoril and Cascais as well - another great guide and Nortada restaurant for lunch was a great recommendation. Evora was lovely but I would not necessarily recommend the Pousada de Evora, Convento dos Loios hotel. The rooms were generally sparse and they had very limited staff. However, Telma (our guide for two days) was outstanding and we loved the Olive Oil Estate tour and lunch - definitely a high point. Quinta Nova Winery House was in a spectacular location - but the trip up and down the mountain was nerve racking for those with fear of heights! Our dinner at their restaurant was delicious and the boat trip down the Douro River was wonderful. Would not recommended the picnic lunch at Quinda da Roeda Winery and it was a LONG, uphill walk from the dock (not 10 minutes - more like 30 minutes). Torel Palace in Porto was another high point - beautiful rooms and excellent service in a great location. The trip to Sao Miguel went as planned. However, we did not need the two rental cars. The hotel was only 10 minutes from the airport, so a taxi would have worked fine and we didn't use them the rest of the trip (I think we would have needed them if we stayed in the original hotel at the botanical gardens and probably should have rethought them after we moved to the waterfront). The Hotel Marina Atlantico was nothing fancy but nice with a great view and central location. We loved the Sunset Boat ride, the whale watching trip, and the Food and Wine Walk was wonderful. Natacha for Sete Ciudades and Furnas could not have been better - please recommend her for all of your clients; they will not be disappointed! All in all, we had a fantastic trip and were so happy with Marta and the Kimkim team as always. Thank you again! Karen Friedrich and Team!

Turkey Trip:
ISTANBUL: has some beautiful sites of such historical relevance. We appreciated the tours by Hatice, who was very friendly and knowledgeable. The hotel selected by Berat was substandard, DINGY, and in desperate need of refreshing and updating. The Staff were great.
The food tour was lacking; the market was pretty but touristy and monotonous - are there no "real" markets for locals that would be far more intriguing?
CAPPADOCIA: was amazing. We were pleased with our hotel although it lacked some additional things like a soap dish and only one towel each. The only coffee in room and at bkft was Nescafe Instant - yuck!
ANTALYA: stop over for a night was a nice stay in a modern hotel. Then off at 6AM for a flight to get to Kas.
KAS: delightful town. The HOTEL THAT WAS SELECTED FOR US WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. We complained to Berat who thought it would be alright to suggest one of our two couples could move to a larger room. After much emphatic dialogue on our part, she came up with another hotel that we visited before approving. It was fantastic.
WE BELIEVE THAT BEFORE ANY TOUR COORDINATOR SUGGESTS ACCOMMODATION, THAT THEY CHECK THEM OUT FIRST-HAND/IN-PERSON. OUR LOCAL GUIDE HAD NEVER VISITED EITHER OF OUR HOTELS.
All-in-all it was a wonderful trip, but some quality aspects left us disappointed.

Dalia organised a fantastic itinerary which covered all of the sites/places we were keen to see across northern Spain. The tours and hotels were all very good, and made for an enjoyable holiday.

I had a great time on the trip that Terry helped set up for me throughout Iceland. She was very responsive to my questions, had a lot of insider knowledge of the locations and activities, and made the process very easy. I'm generally an independent traveler, but having someone with local knowledge is invaluable. I got to see many sights that I would never had known about otherwise. The hotels selected by Terry and KimKim were very comfortable and, as much as possible, conveniently located. Here are a couple of tips from me for future travelers: If possible, spend more than one day in Akureyri. It's a great small city and a jumping off point for other activities in the area. Also, be prepared for any kind of weather at any time - pack accordingly. The whale watching tour was great and Husavik is beautiful town to visit. Definitely partake in the nature baths in any part of the country; they are very soothing after driving (and some days driving will be long and tiring). Overall, this was a great trip and kimkim made planning so much easier. I will use them in the future for other travels.

Activity Reviews

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

This is a very nice facility and the staff was great. They have the main pools, plus 2 floating pools in the river. It is possible to jump into the freezing river and then climb back into the pools. It was a unique experience. A nice touch is also a corridor where you can walk right into the pool without having to brave the cold outside air. Of course, I learned that too late.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

I highly recommend this activity. But check the time of year vs whale populations in the harbor. I was there when the whales were in abundance and got to see many. But it may be different at other times of year. The boats can accommodate many people and even though there were lots of people, I never felt crowded. There was always room to move about the vessel. Also, they were nice enough to give everyone hot chocolate and a cinnamon roll on the way back to port.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The boats felt safe, sturdy, and fit lots of people comfortably.

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

This was a nice large natural bath. It was very soothing and had a swim up bar that was very convenient. It has great views overlooking the water like an infinity pool. Viewing the sunset from the water was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bjórböðin Beer Baths

Iceland

This was a cool experience. It was fun and the place is very nice. I didn't eat at the restaurant but the menu looked good. The room with the beer bath and tap is private, clean, and you should definitely try it out, since you came all this way anyway.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cannot say enough about the entire experience. Enjoyed every aspect of our amazing adventure in Greece. Christos, is a wonderful person and experienced which really helped us on our travels. His team is top notch. He connected us with so many delightful people to numerous for me to mention today. Everyday was well planned for me and of particular note the Argolis day trip, catamaran cruise on the Caldera Lagoon, lovely Naxos it truly was all wonderful. It was also a delight to meet Christos in person. Thank you all once again!!Sincerely, Dorothy

Hotel Reviews

Scala de Faro

Chania

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Christina went above and beyond! They are very lucky to have her!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mykonos Theoxenia Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Location

Staff

All the staff were outstanding!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Very clean, centrally located, safe. Near all things you might want in Athens. The Placa, restaurants, groceries, Acropolis, shopping, kitchen well equipment. Very nice experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The owner met us and helped us with whatever was needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

A lot of fun, we’ll worth it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olive Farm Visit & Lunch in Archanes

Heraklion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Food Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Very nice woman who led the tour. Helpful and knowledgeable.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Delphi Day-trip

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Ok, stopped for pit stop.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rave reviews for Christos and the Travel 12 team. They were there any and every moment of the way during the 30 days in Greece. Every detail went as planned… well, almost. One private tour had a misunderstanding with the guide which was resolved quickly. We also had to extend our trip by 5 nights and they came through within 48 hours, booking everything from accommodations to cooking class and drivers. I can’t thank you enough for the professionalism from you and your entire team.

Hotel Reviews

Volcano View Hotel

Santorini

Great view of the sea. Nice and friendly staff. Quiet location 10 minutes ride into Fira. Beautiful breakfast and restaurant services. Room was clean and well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 minutes outside of Fira. Made for a more private and quieter place. Amazing views of the caldera.

Staff

Very nice and friendly. Made last minute spa reservations for 2 of us at their sister hotel across the street. GREAT hot stone massage!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bedding, great bed, small room but had a lovely balcony overlooking the caldera and sea.

Scala de Faro

Chania

LOVED this cute boutique 9 room hotel. Staff was GREAT, location was GREAT, the rooms were all unique in a historic 16th century building. Beautifully done!

Authenticity & Character

Totally remodeled 16th century building. So authentic in the choices of materials and design. No elevator from 1st to 2nd floor. Cars cannot drive up to the front door, but drivers figure out how to help.

Location

Right in old town!

Staff

Thank you thank you for all your help with everything from airline issues to restaurants, to early breakfast box!

Cleanliness & Comfort

FABULOUS! Great bedding and beds. I had the jacuzzi room and used it one day… perfect! Everything clean, very clean!

Aquila Atlantis Hotel

Heraklion – Crete

Just okay. Adequate. Good location to walk to the square and close to the port.

Authenticity & Character

Just okay.

Location

Close to the port from the ferry. Quick walk to the square for restaurants and shops.

Staff

Just okay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean. Just okay on comfort.

MONTANA VILLA NAXOS

Naxos

Did NOT like this ‘Villa.’ The word villa is an overstatement. Odd layout of the house for bedrooms. Leaking living room roof and bathroom floor. The owner was defensive over issues when we had to call him to fix the electricity that went out in the living room (probably due to water in the ceiling). He suggested we overloaded the system. Really????? We were out the entire day!!! It was not very clean in the cabinets and too much evidence of someone living there. Yuck. The oven was not set up so no way to use it. No toaster… when we asked about it 2 days later, the comment back was “you can’t expect me to make sure everything is working.” Really??? Beds were not comfortable, bedding in downstairs bedroom didn’t fit, exposing the mattress, yuck. I slept on the blanket. Downstairs tub was so high it was dangerous to get in/out. Towel bar was rehung at about 6’, impossible to reach. The holes were remaining from being moved up. The best thing about the property was the pool and view. That’s it!

Authenticity & Character

A remodeled mess.

Location

Very far from town. A 20 minute walk to a small beach restaurant area down the hill.

Staff

Explained in description

Cleanliness & Comfort

Explained in description

Mykonos Theoxenia Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Great location, right next to the windmills. Old hotel that’s been renovated. It was very luxurious yet not stuffy. Beautiful pool area with views of the sea.

Authenticity & Character

Modernized but with character in the choice of materials.

Location

Just on the edge of town, so very quiet yet a short walk into the cute town.

Staff

Over the top hospitality! Aimed to please at every turn.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bedding, great mattress, clean as a whistle.

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Wow, love this apartment! Direct view of the Acropolis out the beautiful living room windows. Clean, newly and beautifully remodeled. Owner/manager was available anytime. Bedding and bed was great. Kitchen well appointed. Location wonderful, in the heart of the Plaka district.

Authenticity & Character

Old building totally remodeled in a modern way, but still authentic.

Location

In the heart of Plaka district.

Staff

Available anytime!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bedding, and very comfortable beds. The entire apartment was clean as a whistle.

Electra Palace Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Great location, nice hotel. Good value for the money.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day-Trip to Delos Island

Mykonos

This place was HUGE! There were lots of groups, and we were thrown into one with headsets to listen to the guide. The audio wasn’t working well and there was so much overlap between groups and guides walking around, that the frequencies kept getting mixed up. I abandoned my set and just tried to listen. I would have preferred to walk around, self guided as there were plenty of placards around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides do their best, but I think they jam in way too many people at the same time to the same area.

Olive Farm Visit & Lunch in Archanes

Heraklion

We loved this family farm. They were so passionate and eager to teach us about olive oil and olives. It was great experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

Our guide was great. He was knowledgeable and friendly. We learned so much about the history of the island. We walked through iconic areas for the best photo opportunities. We were dropped at the winery while he waited outside. Wine tasting was at Artemis Karamolegos. There were 3 tastings and we talked them into 2 more! Very generous (we bought a bottle!). We got little nibbles for 2, even though they knew there were 3 of us. We had to ask for more food! They were very nice about it.

Quality of Experience

Organized and professional.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide!

Transport

Perfect!

Private Delphi Day-trip

Athens

We all enjoyed the visit to Delphi. It was in a beautiful location. Even though there were lots of tourists, there was plenty of room to explore and not feel crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Meal in Nafplio

Greece

Our google map link for this restaurant was facing the water with a beautiful outdoor setting. The owner (assuming) rudely told us we need to go to the ‘other one’ and pointed in the direction to go. Apparently they are owned by the same family. The ‘other one’ was on a back street so we ate inside (nothing special). The food was fresh and good but we didn’t appreciate how we were handled.

Athens Food Tour

Athens

Only 6 of us in the group tour (3 were us). We went for Turkish style coffee, olive oil tasting + cheese, a quick souvlaki at her favorite place, and then lunch. Lunch was sharing traditional Greek dishes. The guide was also a therapist who was on a cleansing fast. So, she did not share any of our food. 🙃 She was very nice and included the fish and meat markets, and a spice store as we were walking around. All in all, good tour.

Quality of Experience

Organized, friendly guide who knew her way around and chose good stops.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pella & Vergina Guided Tour

Thessaloniki

It was quite a drive, but beautiful countryside. Both museums were done very well and worthwhile. We stopped for lunch in Pella at a local family restaurant. It was typical Greek dishes in sharing style. It was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Organized, guide was experienced, passionate, and communicated very well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Naxos Paths

Naxos

One of my favorite experiences of the 30 days through Greece. Walking through 4 villages was a special experience. I highly recommend doing this! It’s not difficult, but it is 4 hours (or a bit more).

Quality of Experience

Local knowledgeable guide…friendly and personable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GREAT!

Transport

All on foot.

Private Naxos Food & Culture Tour

Naxos

Loved this tour with our local guide. We had an authentic Naxos meal at a family restaurant in her village. Food was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Friendly and knowledgeable guide, as local as you can get.

Food

Local wonderful lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was great!

Transport

Comfortable car.

Salonica Jewish Heritage Tour

Thessaloniki

Well, we realized 1/2 way into the tour that it was NOT a Jewish tour but a Classic Tour. They did their best to make up for it and added extra time. We let the Travel 12 know….handled very well. Next day on the way to Pella, the driver took us to an amazing old Synagogue to make up for the goof.

Quality of Experience

Make sure and confirm the tour you’re on before starting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Make sure you’re on the right tour and going to the right place.

Transport

Comfortable Mercedes car, friendly and accommodating driver and guides, even with the initial tour issue.

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Be prepared to be among 1000 people touring at the same time. It was like Disneyland. BUT, it was the amazing Acropolis! The tour guide was professional and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

We walked.

Overall, the trip was wonderful and amazing. The experience of a lifetime.

Angel was great to deal with from start to finish. In planning the trip, listening to my wants and needs, and then providing tours accordingly. During the trio he was readily available and responsive whenever a question came up or problem occurred.

The big thing for me which would have made the trip go more smoothly and be more enjoyable as a result is more communication ahead of time about what’s next. Whether that would be in the form of a much more detailed itinerary before departure, or at the very least, detailed information the evening before each tour. This should include vouchers for lodging and tours, tour operator names and contact information, pick up times and locations, what to bring, required park admission fees, etc. I felt like I was flying blind on several occasions throughout the trip. Maybe this is not unusual, but it hasn’t been that way for me on other international trips, including ones to Chile.

The other thing which could have really been a problem but fortunately wasn’t, was the lack of advance information provided to me about the border crossing from Chile into Bolivia for the Uyuni Salt Flats tour, where I was notified late of some requirements and not told about $160USD tourist visa (which I did don't have when I arrived at the border). As my travel agent, KimKim should have known necessary requirements for a client who is a US resident who is traveling between Chile and Bolivia. This problem could and should have been avoided.

There were other smaller missteps along the way, including problems with transportation to and from SCL to my hotel, some inaccurate tour descriptions (for example, the hike to Puribore Hot Springs - they’re not really hot springs and the water is not even hot), concern for safety as well as comfort on the ride back from Uyuni to San Pedro, miscommunication or lack of communication from individual tour operators about pick up times and/or what to bring. I have provided Angel with detailed explanations of all of the above.

In the end, despite the fact that this was without question the trip of a lifetime, and Angel was there whenever I needed him and responded right away, I am not sure if I would book another trip with KimKim as I definitely feel many of the problems I encountered along the way could have easily been avoided. If I were to book again with KimKim I would at least know going in what potential problems to be on the lookout for.

Hotel Reviews

Colcha K hostel

Salar de Uyuni

This hostel was actually nicer and seemingly newer than Villamar. It was clean and comfortable with a nice dining room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Diego de Almagro San Pedro

One should not go to San Pedro expecting 5 star accommodations. This hotel was fine. It was clean and spacious and located only minutes from the center of town. It is a big property with a pool (though water was cold and I didn't see any one swim during my 6 day stay). Food in restaurant was good. Staff helpful and generally bi-lingual.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Velazquez

Santiago

Hotel was fine. It was clean and centrally located in a good neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostel Villamar

Uyuni

By US Hotel standards this would probably be considered a one-star hotel. It is a hostel, though, and was clean and comfortable with hot water and decent food. That's all we really needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

This was a great day. I wish it had been sunny (we had overcast/cool weather) but the tour was good in spite of the weather. Only complaint is that I did not get any advance text or information from the tour provider about pick up time or what to bring. I (and others) had to purchase hat and gloves along the way, which I would have brought with me had I known we might encounter snow at the higher elevation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Valle de La Luna was a highlight of the trip. It is a "must do" if you are visiting Atacama, but I found the tour (as did everyone I spoke to) to be a little bit of a tourist trap. You are on the bus most of the time. You stop, get off the bus, snap pictures and move on. While on the bus you are driving past amazing spots. I could have spent an hour at any one of them taking pictures and enjoying nature. The tour was described as 6 hours. It was 2 1/2 start to finish, including a snack break. I wish it had been longer. Felt like a little bit of a rip off. Tour guide Carolina, who was also my guide for the Geyser tour, was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Baltinache Hidden Lagoons and Vallecito(magic bus).

Chile

This was a nice tour at an off-the-beaten-path site. It is definitely not a "must do" but I'm glad I got to see it. The water was very cold, and it was a cool morning, so I (and many others on the trip) did not end up floating in the salt water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Trek to Puripobre Hot Springs

Chile

This tour was a bit of a letdown. I've done a lot of hikes in the US and around the world, and as a hike it was fine, but nothing special. The description made it seem like a real great place - a "must do" type of activity. It was not. Also, the hot springs were not hot. They not really even hot springs, but rather pools in a river that is a combination of a thermal and a mountain river, which is why the water is only Luke-warm. For my needs on this day, a regular hike was fine. But I had expected it to be much more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide didn't really offer any insights into the region. He seemed to be there only to tell us where to go.

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning tour

San Pedro de Atacama

This was one of the highlights of the trip. Our guide, Carolina, was terrific. Very knowledgeable, moved people along so we could get to the "best spot" just as the sun came up, spoke good English for those who did not know Spanish.

Quality of Experience

I've been to Yellowstone Geyers and this was better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carolina A+

Transport

Uyuni to San Pedro Atacama Day 4

Chile

This was really just about the return trip, sitting in the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser and a two hour border crossing. It would have been great to have more information ahead of time to know what to expect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very cramped, no AC in our vehicle.

Uyuni Saltflat and Cactus Island - Uyuni Tour Day 3

Chile

This was the reason for the whole trip. It was pretty great. We spent too much time in Cochoni Town at the end of the trip and would have liked to spend more time in Uyuni itself. Train Graveyard was fine, though nothing special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petrified City and Altiplanic Lagoons - Uyuni Tour Day 2

Chile

Felt like we were building and building to the climax of reaching our final destination - the salt flat itself. Sights along the way were all good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Goodbye Atacama transfer to Rea National Park - Uyuni Tour Day 1

Chile

The tour itself was great and the sites along the way to Uyuni amazing. The reason for my lower rating is because of border crossing issues which I detailed in my general review comments.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David Cruz, our driver and guide, was fantastic. Especially at the Salt Flat. He knew exactly how to set up "perspective" pictures and brought a lot of toys along which made the experience extra special.

Transport

As noted in my general trip comments, transportation from Uyuni back to San Pedro was cramped and was the only time on the trip where I felt somewhat unsafe due to driving off road at night in the middle of nowhere with no cell service.

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

One of the highlights of the trip. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were very knowledgeable and spoke good English for those who didn't understand Spanish. Only reason I didn't rate this a 5 is because the driver got lost en route to the desert while trying to locate guests who weren't where they were supposed to be. We wasted a lot of time (like about 30 minutes) driving around at night on narrow dirt roads in a bus.

Transport

Thank you for being quick to respond at every moment. We appreciated all your advice and checking up on drivers and guides.

H10 hotel and the cooking class in Sevilla was our absolute highlights. We could not have found either without your help so thank you!! The improvements - The hotel at Las Ramblas and Ronda was a let down in comparison. I think we would have appreciated more preparation in what to expect. Ronda staff were very rude- maybe they really dislike Americans? And Las Ramblas…it felt like a budget motel. Clean, but lacking in amenities or style. Perhaps you picked it for the convenient location- I think I would have been fine if our documents said that.

That being said, there was overwhelmingly more good than not so good. Pacing was great, places visited were awesome and the detailed itinerary gave enough info for me to plug in a few items from my own research. It was an amazing experience and we appreciate all that you did to help create it.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

I can’t say enough good about this place. We loved everything and every one. The front desk person even made a restaurant recommendation “off the list” which I know is not common- and it was outstanding! Also, the room was incredibly well designed- lighting furniture placement, amenities and bathroom… every detail was intelligently thought out and we appreciated it. On top of this they delivered iced Cava and a desert tray?! We felt like royalty for a day.

Authenticity & Character

So much character. And, we appreciated the playful art

Location

The view from our room was amazing

Staff

The best. Really.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless.

Arc La Rambla

Barcelona

A serviceable place that is clean but feels like a budget motel. Zero amenities but a vending machine on every floor. Active jackhammering just below our room when we checked in. Management did try to help out but 🤷‍♀️ what can you do?

Authenticity & Character

Budget is budget, I guess.

Location

Might be great for the young interested in the action on Las Ramblas. Not so much for us.

Staff

They were mostly occupied with watching to 12 surveillance screens so… 🤷‍♀️ they were nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I disliked the noise- both construction noise and general location noise, but I don’t think it’s bad. Just not my preference.

Hotel NH Collection Granada Victoria

Granada

Great location and charming view.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the view and the breakfast

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was not clean- the tub had not been cleaned and there were hairs under the sheets. Management seemed responsive, but we were too tired to complain.

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

Not the best experience. The parking was ridiculously complicated, the staff never seemed to have what we needed (and didn’t care) and the restaurant staff was beyond insulting- claiming they had no way to seat us until 10 pm… it was 7 pm and the place was completely empty. A senior staff took pity on us and sat us (with no apology or explanation ) and we proceeded to order and eat… and the restaurant never got more than 30% full during the entire meal. I’ve never been so insulted in my entire life. The room was as dark as a cave. Very unpleasant. We do not recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms are like dark caves. Aweful.

Location

It is what it is

Staff

They seem to hate tourists (or Americans, or non-Spaniards?). Every request was impossible and no indication they were sorry about the denial. Really rude people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super dark room was like a cave- not sure that could be changed.

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Excellent and welcoming staff and an amazing location that is close to everything yet still quiet and intimate. We loved this hotel and highly recommend it it!!

Authenticity & Character

Nothing. This has lots of authenticity and unique personality, but it isn’t (and shouldn’t be) a old world Spanish hotel

Location

It is just enough off the Main Street to be quiet yet still very convenient

Staff

They were warm and had great suggestions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean!! Well designed room. Our only complaint- we had to sign into the Wi-Fi every single time, and sometimes even multiple times during a session.

Activity Reviews

Private Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

You get so much more out of the visit with a knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Our guide was a great teacher

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

Awesome I’m every way. Totally recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Leo was adorable and a great teacher

Food

I never understood paella until this class.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniela was also awesome.

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Loved the “special guest” treatment

Quality of Experience

Food

Half the places were outstanding a couple were “normal”

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

It was informative.

Had the most wonderful 2 weeks in Peru! Would highly recommend booking through Miski Travels - the whole itinerary was incredible. Definitely a trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Puerto Maldonado

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Paracas, Ballestas Islands, Winery Tour, and Desert Adventure Day Trip from Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Food Tour - (PM Tour)

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just wanted to say Hara did an Excellent job in helping plan out trip to Greece. So many fun sights and activities that we’ll never forget. Truly thankful to Hara and kimkim. Will certainly use the service again. Thanks!

Everything about my experience with kimkim was perfect. They designed the trip with what I liked, and adapted it to my liking. Anna Maria was the perfect guidance through everything. I was traveling alone, and being a young woman in a foreign country with a foreign la guage was scary, but having all my tours and transport beforehand made me feel very safe and able to just enjoy. Communication was great. One of my flights was cancelled and Anna Maria was able to rearrange my itinerary so I would not miss anything.

I have no words to describe my trip. Whatever you see in the photos, it is way better. Overwhelmingly beautiful country, beautiful people and beautiful memories.

The full day boat trip from Hvar to the Blue and Green Caves was the best. Our captain Joseph and guide Mario made sure we got even more than we signed up for, avoided crowds and even signed up to dance the Macarena with us on the boat.

The food tour in Split was also great, you get to know a lot about Croatian culture and have a delicious meal as well. Definitely recommend.

All my tours were small groups which is a good thing since you get to see more things and get the most out of the experience.

All in all, this trip exceeded my expectations. Definitely want to come back. Eternally grateful with Anna Maria, kim kim and all my tour guides. 🤩

Hotel Reviews

Hotel More

Dubrovnik

Good hotel, but not a great one. Has wonderful amenities, the cave bar is awesome and the restaurants as well, delicious food. Rooms are small and bed not so comfortable for a 5 star hotel. Staff was friendly and helpful, everyone in Croatia was 😅

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendida Palace

Split

Splendida Palace has the nicest staff I have ever met. They even give you a cellphone i case you need any advice or help while touring the city. Breakfast is delicious, the rooms are huge and comfy bed. And the welcoming Rakija was the best I had.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel

Hvar

Nice staff. Arrived early jut they let you use facilities and guard luggage until room is ready. Wonderful views and perfect location. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Nice tour. It seemed quite fast paced, but the tour guide made sure I got some nice info and pics. Lasted less than 2 hours probably because it was only me, and I had no questions. Very interesting stories and tips.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue and Green Caves: Full-Day Speedboat Tour from Hvar

Hvar

The best tour in my whole trip. I will just upload the photos, they speak for themselves. 20/10

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Plitvice Lakes full-day visit from Split

Croatia

Photos do not do this place justice. Our guide was very nice, explained evrything and made sure we got the pest pictures and spots. Going with a larger group sometimes ir hard, but our guide managed to respect everyones’ wishes while still being on time. Would definitely recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Split Food & History walking tour

Split

Delicious food, small geoup made it way better. Everything was very organized and it helped save time. They made adjustments in case there were food intolerances or allergies.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the trip was amazing. The places were incredible and unbelievable. I’ll book again from kimkim

Extremely satisfied with KimKim Travel for our trip to Italy. Maria Grazia was fantastic throughout the entire booking process. Before departing for our trip Maria had us download an app to keep all of our trip details, train tickets and tour vouchers readily accessible on our phones. The app also allowed us to message each other and our local travel representative, Jessica. Jessica always replied promptly to our questions and requests.

The hotels in Rome and Florence were well located and although our Sorrento hotel was not walkable to the city center they did provide a shuttle. Our tours of the Vatican and the Colosseum in Rome were fabulous as was our Pompeii tour and e-bike trip through Tuscany.

We did experience a couple of rainy days in Sorrento which resulted in our boat excursion being cancelled. Our credit card was refunded for the cancelled tour within 48 hours.

I highly encourage you to use KimKim Travel for your next worry free vacation!

We recently returned from a fabulous trip to Croatia which was arranged by Sarah and Ivan Cosic of Royal Croatian Tours.

We are seasoned senior travelers who have been on all kinds of vacations and excursions around the world with many types of travel companies and travel specialists. Sarah and Ivan arranged a complete tour of Croatia built to our specifications while fulfilling all of our requests and requirements.

Sarah was very responsive and helpful throughout the entire planning process. Her expertise was evident as no details of our experience were overlooked. Every part of our personalized itinerary was executed to perfection.

We would recommend Royal Croatian Tours without reservation.

Hotel Reviews

Amadria Park Hotel Capital

Zagreb

The Amadria Park Hotel Capital in Zagreb was a nice hotel with a good location and comfortable rooms. The overall experience was enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

The Hotel Degenija in Plitvice Lakes was nice and what was expected for the area. The overall experience was enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

The Bastion Heritage Hotel in Zadar was a lovely hotel with a great restaurant and atmosphere. The experience was very enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Hotel Fermai

Split

The Hotel Degenija in Plitvice Lakes was nice and what was expected for the area. The overall experience was enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Great hotel. Good location. Excellent accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to the old town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zagreb - walking food tour!

Zagreb

The walking food tour in Zagreb was very nice and enjoyable. It was a great way to get acquainted with the city and its culinary offerings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-drive from Plitvice Lakes to Split (stop to visit the charming town of Sibenik on the way)

Croatia

The day trip to Sibenik was great, with the lunch in the countryside being an excellent experience. The food and atmosphere were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

The walking tour in Split was well chosen, knowledgeable, and on time. The guides were great and the experience was enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peljesac Wine Tasting Excursion + Ston

Dubrovnik

The wine tasting excursion was okay, but not as impressive as expected. The wines tasted were not the best, but the overall experience was still enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

The walking city tour in Dubrovnik was great. The guide was knowledgeable, on time, and well chosen. Everything went smoothly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Trip to Cavtat & Family Farm Day for Traditional Lunch or Dinner

Croatia

Authentically cooked traditional Croatian meal in a wonderful farmhouse setting. Divo Vukorep was the perfect chef and host.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first trip to Europe and we sought out a travel organizer to help us stay organized and lean on a local expert for recommendations on what to see and do. This was an excellent service experience which we would definitely do again and recommend to friends!

Hotel Reviews

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

I can’t say enough about the amazing experience at this hotel. Everything from the view to the staff, the food, the Jacuzzi, the location, sunsets and all of the wonderful memories - everything was absolutely unforgettable.

Authenticity & Character

So very Santorini- on the caldera- it felt slightly like the cave style but also modern, clean and uniquely special

Location

This is the optimal location for visiting in the month of May to see a perfect sunset. Even in other months of the season I’m sure it is absolutely spectacular. It’s very convenient to walk and find restaurants and the bus station and shops in Imerovigoli.

Staff

All of the staff at this hotel were so eager to make our experience perfect. They are very proud of what they do on the island of Santorini and we were grateful to experience that. When we checked in and out, there was staff readily available to carry our luggage up the 125 steps to and from the street!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The staff is so attentive to cleanliness. Someone came around every morning to check the Jacuzzi to make sure it was clean and we had everything we needed.

Acropolis Hill Hotel

Athens

Very clean, good location, amazing view of the Parthenon, awesome rooftop patio.

Authenticity & Character

It was a business vibe as opposed to authentic Greek which was fine for our one night stay

Location

Convenient if you want to visit the Parthenon.

Staff

Very attentive and eager to please guests. “Anthony” at the front desk went so far as to order our take away dinner because we didn’t have the app we needed. That kind of service is hard to find in the states!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything well tended to.

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

This hotel was so iconic Italy. Impeccably clean, service was absolutely perfect and the location is optimal to enjoy the sights of Sorrento. Delicious breakfast and coffee as well. Nikola at The front desk was super helpful when we had questions about restaurants, directions, and whatever we needed for the room.

Authenticity & Character

Iconic Italy. Architecture, decor, charming

Location

Central, convenient, beautiful view from our balcony

Staff

Nikola!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were small which we now know is typical in Europe. That didn’t matter to us because we were not there most of the time. The rooms were super clean and although the king bed was actually two twin beds pushed together it didn’t really bother us… maybe because we were so tired from travel adventures!

Activity Reviews

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

This is a must do in my opinion for anyone going to visit Santorini. It really does cover the whole entire island on a high level and then travelers can decide where they’d like to spend additional time. Our guide was absolutely amazing. He knew this island extremely well, and was able to give us lots of awesome information about the history, the highlights the best places to see the sunset, and even brought us to a secret place that the travelers and most tourist didn’t know about. It was a really great experience for us.

Quality of Experience

Amazing overall quality of experience. If there was anything at all that we would change, we found ourselves definitely anxious to wrap up the day after 5 1/2 hours. If the company had offered a bottle of wine to watch the sunset with that would have enhanced the experience but all we had was a bottle of water, and we started feeling very hungry and ready to get back.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent driver and tour guide for this experience!

Transport

Very safe and efficient driver in a very comfortable van

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

What a cool experience, this was!

Quality of Experience

We had perfect weather. The crew was impeccable, and very good hosts. The music was great, and all of the stops we made were perfectly timed and educational.

Food

The mail on this boat was actually one of the best meals we had on our entire vacation. It is so impressive what they can do on a catamaran!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything that we did in Santorini reminded us that tourism is a very important industry that helps this island Thrive. They go out of their way to make sure that your personal experience is absolutely perfect.

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

This experience was canceled for us due to poor weather

Capri Island & Grottos Boat Tour from Sorrento

Sorrento

We had a pretty rainy day for this tour, but our host on the boat made the experience absolutely amazing regardless of the weather. He was very talented, negotiating the waves while bringing us into all of the most amazing grottoes around the island of Capri

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip exceeded our expectations. Our planner Lise was absolutely terrific. All of our excursion guides were informative, helpful and very nice. We would highly recommend KimKim again to friends and hopefully for another European vacation in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel West End

Nice

The 4* Hotel West End in Nice was amazing. The location and accommodations were perfect, making for an incredible experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Our stay at Hotel de Cambis in Avignon was very nice. The accommodations were lovely, and we had a great experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Tardif Noble Guesthouse

Bayeux

The Noble Guesthouse in Bayeux was beautiful and exceeded our expectations. Our stay was comfortable and enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Food and Wine Tour!

Nice

The food and wine tour in Nice was enjoyable, but it was a bit crowded due to a last-minute change in the group size. Nonetheless, the tour guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

The D-Day beaches tour in Normandy was terrific. Our tour guide was very accommodating and made sure we got everything we wanted from the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont-Saint-Michel day Tour

France

The Mont-Saint-Michel tour was incredible. The transport was impressive, and the experience was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day guided tour of Versailles with private transfers

Paris

The Palace of Versailles tour was fantastic. Our guide was very informative and engaging throughout the visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Latin Quarter Gourmet Tour

Paris

The food tour with Carol in Paris was great. It was a unique experience to go on a food tour with a food critic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

The private tour of Ile de la Cité was informative and lovely. Our guide was knowledgeable and showed us around San Chappelle and Notre Dame.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

The Eiffel Tower summit tour was busy, but it was definitely worth doing. We had to wait early in line, but it was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the dreamiest trip planned for us across Italy. Everything exceeded out exceptions! Every tour and activity planned out was done with amazing companies and family owned operations. I could’ve never booked the same trip on my own. One of the days we messed up by thinking our tour for the colosseum started at a later time. Because of this we were fifteen mins later and the colosseum has a hard start time. We thought we missed it and there were no more tickets for the colosseum available for purchase but Jessica, Barbara, and Maria were able to still get us in with our tour we just joined a little late. We were over the moon and so grateful! I have never used a travel agent to help plan a trip but after this trip I’ll never do another trip without the help of KimKim.

I really can't say enough good things about our trip to Greece thanks to Chris and the travel 12 team. everything was done for us, which made the trip extremely easy and enjoyable. Chris really took into account the form we filled out about what type of experience and vibe we wanted for our trip and suggested a different island over one of the ones that we initially were interested in (we thought* we wanted to go to Mykonos, but Chris suggested Naxos after we filled out of form), and it was our favorite stop on the trip! if you want to travel with ease, and explore what you want and how you want, then Chris and his team are a must!

I'm so glad that we found KimKim to help us with our trip to France. We wanted a customized experience and KimKim and our travel agent Amandine really stepped up to provide a once in a lifetime trip. After I explained to Amandine what we were looking for and gave her our budget she provided suggestions for tours and accommodations. We went back and forth for a while until we nailed down all the specifics. She organized amazing tours that we would have probably missed if we had tried to plan this trip on our own. All the tour guides were punctual, extremely friendly and provided a ton of information about the places we visited. We had so many wonderful tours and experiences - here are a few highlights.

Paris -
We enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Seine River on our first night. It was an amazing meal with live entertainment and very friendly and informative servers and we loved seeing Paris lit up a night from the Seine River.
For our Louvre visit Amandine arranged for a personal tour guide David. He is fantastic with so knowledge and passion of the art and the museum. He made our visit to the Louvre fun and informative. I would definitely book him again on our next visit to the Louvre.
For our visit to Versailles we had a "skip-the-line"and self guided half-day tour from Paris. Versailles is a must see although very crowded. We would have liked a little more time to visit the gardens but overall we enjoyed the museum and learned a lot about French history.
While in Paris we took a small group tour to Normandy to visit the D-Day Invasion beaches and the American Cemetery. Our tour guide was informative and provided a thorough tour of the beaches and museums and cemetery. He also took us to a nice restaurant for lunch and was a pleasant guide throughout the day.

Avignon
We took the high-speed train from Paris to Avignon which was a real treat. The train is clean and a relaxing way to travel though France. Amandine pre-booked the train tickets so we had no issues navigating the journey.
We arrived in Avignon around noon and joined a small group tour to the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine region. Our tour guide was amazing - she was informative about the wine growing process in this area and its history. We visited two wineries for some great tastings.
After a relaxing day to ourselves in Avignon we went on a "All of Provence in One Day" tour. This was a great day - we visited Roussillon, a photo stop of Gordes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Port du Gard, Les Baux and Saint Remy.

Aix-en-Provence
After an amazing time in Avignon and the surrounding region we took a train to Aix-en-Provence. That afternoon we did a Gourmet Historical Walking tour of Aix with our tour guide Lucy. She helped us navigate the streets of Aix and we visited some amazing gourmet shops for some local sweets and wine and cheese. We learned a lot about the history of Aix and its wonderful charm.
The following day we had another small group tour to visit Arles, Saint Remy and Les Baux villages. While this tour somewhat overlapped with the All of Provence in One Day tour we took from Avignon we enjoyed having more time to explore Saint Remy and Les Baux villages. There was a market going on in Saint Remy when we arrived so we enjoyed exploring all the stands and experiencing the French market day. We had a tasty relaxing lunch in Les Baux at a restaurant that our tour guide Thomas suggested. Thomas was a lot of fun and very knowledgeable of the villages we visited.
Next was our Gourmet Stopover in Marseille. We took to train from Aix to Marseille and our tour guide Sebastien met us at the train station - he went out of his way to collect us from the train station because initially we were supposed to meet him at the start of the tour. Sebastien guided us through the historical part of Marseille and we visited several gourmet shops that provided some tasty treats. We first visited a wonderful chocolate shop that makes chocolate with olive oil. The host was friendly and informative and she provided us with variety of products to taste. Then we visited a biscuit shop to taste their excellent cookies shaped like sardines. We visited a great wine/cheese shop and had a good time visiting with the owner and learning more about the cheese and wines in the region. We also visited an ice cream shop and tasted some awesome ice cream and visited with the owner who herself is a real treat. We visited the beautiful cathedral in Marseille and ended our tour at a shop that provided a Pastis tasting as well as local artisanal tapenades. Sebastien was a delight and we really enjoyed our time with him and the owners of the shops we visited.

Nice
We took to a train from Aix-en-Provence to Nice for our final few days on the French Rivera. We spent our first afternoon on a small group tour to Monaco, Monte Carlo, and the village Eze. Our tour guide was great - she took us through some beautiful areas and stopped to let us take in the amazing views. We had some free time in Eze, Monaco and Monte Carlo. Monaco was preparing for the Grand Prix race which was exciting to see.
The next day we met Rosa Jackson for a market tour, cooking class and lunch. This was one of our highlights of the trip. Rosa is passionate about the food available at the market in Nice and she guided us through the market as she purchased food for our cooking class and lunch. Then we went to her kitchen and our group prepared a wonderful lunch using the ingredients she purchase at the market. It was a relaxed and fun time. Once our meal was prepared we enjoyed the fruits of our labor and a little wine. If you're into food this is a "must do" while in Nice.
We also did a small group tour to Port-Grimaud and Saint-Tropez. Our tour guide gave us the option of getting from Port-Grimaud to Saint-Tropez via her van or the local ferry. Most of our group took the ferry which was a unique treat. We had enough time in Saint-Tropez to do a little shopping and had a great lunch at at Le Bagatelle Restaurant.

Overall this trip to France was beyond our expectations. Amandine arranged our transportation from Charles de Gaulle airport to our hotel in Paris and our transportation from our hotel in Nice to the Nice airport for our trip home. Both drivers kept in touch with us and were punctual, friendly and had comfortable/clean cars. Amandine also arranged all the train transportation tickets which really helped eased our anxiety around navigating strange train stations. Our hotel accommodations were great - we told Amandine our requirements and she delivered. All the hotels were comfortable, clean, quiet, and the included breakfasts were great.

We will definitely use KimKim for our international trips again.

I didn’t have time to figure out what to do and Maria and the team made this trip perfect. Super easy to switch out activities and more importantly they came up with things I never would have known about - even the locals were impressed! Thank you so much for helping make this trip so amazing.

Activity Reviews

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Food was amazing and the staff were fantastic. Very unique experience that I wasn’t expecting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The boat ride was great- and you can get a drink!

Transport

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Very difficult hike in the snow, but amazing views. Guide company was fantastic and kept it fun.

Quality of Experience

Amazing views!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very personable and fun to spend a day with.

Transport