Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our time in Argentina was really well coordinated and lots of fun.
We loved our night at El Fogon, our meal at Trapiche. Both were "over the top" and served amazing food. Our food tour of San Telmo was both interesting and delicious. Our guide was interesting and great to tour with. The day trip to Colonia was unexpectedly very nice. Our guide was interesting and the sights were very nice. Lunch at the Bohemia Restaurant was amazing. Our day at the wineries was very enjoyable. We loved the first two wineries, but did not like the third, Andeluna, which we felt was very touristy and the lunch and wine was not to our liking. The staff was also very curt and unfriendly. I have to say that the dinner at Trapiche Winery was fantastic. Food was unique, delicious, served with style. Wines were all very good and the staff kept the wines flowing. This was a great experience. El Fogon was a pleasant surprise and a unique experience. We had a great time. FYI we ate at Don Julio on our own and liked the atmosphere, but found the food way over rated. Not great!
All in all, we had a wonderful experience. The guides and drivers were the best. The activities lots and fun and interesting, The restaurants and the food delicious, except for Andeluna. We would highly recommend Kim Kim to plan a trip to Argentins.

Activity Reviews

Asado Dinner at El Fogón

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Day Trip to Colonia del Sacramento

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porteño Fileteado: An Artistic Journey

Buenos Aires

Interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class: touring four regions of Argentina

Buenos Aires

Lots of fun. Chef was friendly, experienced. Had the best night!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Uco Valley Wine Country

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet Night at Trapiche

Mendoza

Best meal of the trip in a beautiful atmosphere.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Telmo: Private Food Tour!

Buenos Aires

Fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family trip to France was fantastic. Bastien, our local specialist work with my wife, Gina, to customize everything to
us. We have planned tours with guides to amazing Chocolatiers in Paris, Versailles, the Beaches of Normandy , Sainte-Mère-Église, and near by bunkers and other sites of WWII, Mont-Saint-Michel, and Château d'Amboise. All of our Guides deserve their own 5 star ratings. All of our travel, from being picked up at the airport, our tours, the hotels we stayed in were all well worked out . And if we had any concerns, even just to verify what we thought we knew, Bastien promptly responded. Even on Christmas Day!

I believe our tour was actually handled by Original Travels. I'm not sure who Said works for but he was very responsive and helpful. We enjoyed our time with our "guide" Mohamed and our driver Kalifa. Mohamed was very personable, kind, helpful, and had fairly good English speaking skills. The one area he could improve on would be to increase his knowledge of the history and geography of the places we visited, and to share that with us as we traveled in the van. Kalifa was an excellent driver, and we always felt very safe.

The local guides, Mohamed in Fez, Hanan in Marakesh, and Hassan in Essaouira were all excellent and very informative. We also enjoyed our home visit in Fez. Our hostess had excellent English and social skills, her family was very welcoming, and evening was lots of fun. Our time at the Desert Camp was the highlight of the trip. Everyone there was so welcoming and helpful.

Overall we had a wonderful trip. At times it felt that we spent a lot time riding in the van, though I'm not sure I would want to leave anything out. Perhaps another day in Chefchouen would have been good too.

Hotel Reviews

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Perle D'Eau

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Pachavana

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little far from Jmaa El Fna

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Never saw the town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could use some warmers at breakfast.

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Hassan was excellent.

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

We loved California Man at the Merzuga Cafe.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides need a bit more practice and instruction on taking pictures. They took a lot of pictures, but most of them were not usable (cutoff on the ends, into the sun so faces couldn't be seen, etc. Thankfully they did take a few really good shots!

Transport

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Enchanting Essaouira

Morocco

Lunch at the vineyard was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Drive from Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

A few rain showers that day, so didn't get a chance to see much of Moulay Ibris.

Quality of Experience

A short guided tour at Volubilis would have been helpful.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

We didn't see much of Rabat as we went to the Hassan II Mosque in Marrakesh that morning, as many of us arrived late the day before in Casablanca. We also got to Chefchoen a bit late in the evening as a result. Perhaps another day in Casablanca to ease into the trip after arrival would have been good, when we'd have the whole day to visit the Mosque, the Old Medina, and just relax to get over the jetlag.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essaouira to Casablanca via Eljadida & Safi Coastal Route

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Stopped at a roadside gas station rest area. Food was terrible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Sightseeing in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide Hanan. She was very knowledgable, informative, and personable.

Transport

Transfer to Marrakech via Roses Valley, Ouarzazate, Aït Benhaddou & Atlas Mountains.

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Dades Valley via Todra Gorges

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erg Chegaga Desert Adventure

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes: Morocco's Spiritual Heart

Fes

Our local guide Mohammed was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed all parts of our trip to Switzerland! Our travel agents, Tomaz and Zala, did an amazing job helping us to identify different sightseeing options and how to make it all happen.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ambassador - De la Paix

Luzern

Not much of a lobby but the rooms were spacious and very nice. We had an amazing balcony with an awesome view. The location was perfect, right in the middle of where we wanted to be. The breakfast was fine but not as extensive as the other places we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the balcony!!!

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were big and nice.

Hotel Artos Interlaken

Interlaken

It was a good location. The hotel didn't have a particularly nice lobby. It didn't have any ambiance of Switzerland. We weren't told before hand that the hotel is also a place for senior citizens. It was fine, but would have been helpful to have a heads up on that. The rooms were nice and comfortable and the breakfast was fine.

Authenticity & Character

It had no character of Switzerland at all.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Edelweiss Manotel

Geneva

We very much liked this hotel, the lobby was cozy, the location was great, the rooms and breakfast were much to our liking. The hotel staff was very helpful. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 Star is because the bathroom had an unpleasant odor to it. It could have just been our two rooms, I'm not sure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner Swiss Folklore Show in Stadtkeller

Lucerne

This didn't happen. Apparently the show takes places during the warmer montjs

Chocolate tasting

Lucerne

We liked it but not nearly as much as our first Chocolate tour in Geneva. This one was in the back room of a chocolate store. The woman shared with us about the history of chocolate and their company and we tasted delicious chocolate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cheese Tuk-tuk tour

Lucerne

This was another great tour we loved! The guide/driver was very sweet and made sure we're comfortable and had lots of delicious cheese fondue and while we ate, he gave us a ride around the city and shared interesting information.

Guided tour of Montreux

Montreux

We liked our guide, she was extremely helpful in guiding us to the bus and train station and taking care of our luggage on our tour. Honestly, we didn't think the area was that interesting. The lake was pretty and we did like seeing where Queen recorded but that's all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Patek Philippe Museum

Switzerland

We didn't get to go to this museum as it was closed Sundays and Mondays when we were in Geneva.

Chocolate Flavours small-group tour

Geneva

Our tour guide was wonderful! She was so knowledgeable and willing to answer all of the questions of the group. The best part of this tour was of course the delicious chocolate and the shops she took us to but also that with the walking, we got to see a lot of Geneva and she gave us so much history along the way. I definitely recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mohamed was very responsive to all of our many questions and made changes as we requested.

Hotel Review

Riad Perle D'Eau

Essaouira

We had a beautiful room overlooking the ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Ocean view room

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

A once in a lifetime experience. Riding camels through the dunes of the Sahara and sleeping in tents was unforgettable.

Quality of Experience

The dunes of the Sahara

Food

The food at Desert Orient Camp was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Camel guides were very professional

Transport

This was a well organized trip. We worked with Augustina, local representatives, and she put together an excellent itinerary given our short trip and places we wanted to visit. We had issues with our flights out of the US being cancelled and our trip was delayed. Augustina went into action rescheduling our flight and other activities, so we didn’t miss anything despite our delay in arriving in Buenos Aires.

The itinerary was laid out well well and the information provided to us answered all our questions. The local tour guides were excellent (Mariana, Dario, and Sofia). They were friendly, informative and spoke good English. During our trip we visited the glaciers and farm in El Calafate that we amazing. After that we travelled to Iguazu to see the waterfalls from the Argentina and then next day from the Brazil side. Both were amazing and a must. We returned to Buenos Aires to conclude our trip with a special delicious dinner and excellent tango and the next day we did a city walking tour that was perfect before being dropped off to the airport.

Besides Augustina, Nico and Irene were both super responsive via WhatsApp. We had the team organize our drop offs/pickups, accommodations, and local flights.

Great job Augustina/Kim Kim! Thank you!

Activity Reviews

Buenos Aires Walking tour, La Boca & City centre

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gran Aventura Navigation tour

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to the glaciers

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day tour to the Iguazú Falls (Brazilian side)

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day to the Argentinian side of the falls

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pioneros Experience: Estancia Visit & Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango & cena show at El Viejo Almacen

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot speak highly enough about Steve and his exceptional team at Travel Asia A La Carte. Our recent two-week trip to Cambodia exceeded all expectations, thanks to their meticulous planning and unwavering commitment to ensuring our family of four had an unforgettable experience.

From the moment we started discussing our preferences with Steve, it was evident that he and his team were dedicated to tailoring the perfect vacation for us. Our family, including two children, has specific dietary needs, and Travel Asia A La Carte went above and beyond to accommodate them. Every meal was a delightful culinary adventure, showcasing the diverse and delicious flavors of Cambodia.

What truly set this experience apart was our desire for an authentic vacation with a touch of adventure. Steve crafted an itinerary that perfectly balanced cultural immersion with thrilling activities, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Whether exploring ancient temples in Siem Reap, cruising along the Tonle Sap Lake, or engaging in hands-on experiences with local communities, every moment felt like a unique adventure.

The attention to detail in the itinerary was impeccable, ensuring that our family's interests and preferences were seamlessly integrated into each day's activities. The accommodations selected were not only comfortable but also reflected the charm and character of Cambodia.

Steve's team (Horn and Mr Tee in particular) demonstrated unparalleled professionalism and a genuine passion for showcasing the beauty of Cambodia. Their local knowledge, combined with a personalized approach, made us feel like we were in the hands of true experts.

Our private driver service was fabulous; his service was perfection, always on time and accommodating to our every need and request. He is an expert at logistics and keeping our family safe. You should use his services with your all your customers.

The Krystal Hotel in Monterey was terrible. Room 519. No water pressure from hot water in the sink. Shower door was never repaired. Never changed sheets or refreshed sheets by cleaning them off. Room service food preparation was rude with incorrect food orders delivered. The correct order never showed up. Room thermostat only worked on 1 setting. We could not change the temperature in the room. Toiletries are low quality. Fron desk was rude and unaccommodating and were not trained in safety training when we needed a band aid when our child fell on hotel property. Hotel lobby and dinning room were freezing in temperature everyday especially when it was cold outside. No warmth at all within the hotel. Hotel floor on 5th floor never vacuumed. Same trash on carpet every day. Card keys did not work twice in a row; always had to get new ones at from desk. The gym had no sanitizer wipes and the tv did not work. You should never put your customers at this hotel.

The hotel in Saltillo, Quinta Real, was lovely. Our room had some furniture that needed upgrades or repairs. Overall is was a great experience. The dinning room was fabulous. Gym needed mats and foam rollers.

The Monterrey city tour that was pre arranged with a different driver was terrible. The driver himself was a nice and respectful, but his car was uncomfortable and cold because his defroster didn't seem to work. So we were unable to see out the window at the sights. He tried to find us a lunch spot but we ended up having to walk around outside when it was really cold weather in order to find food. We recognize lunch logistics may have not been officially included in the tour. The driver focused on showing us car dealerships and didn't really provide a comprehensive perspective on the history of Monterrey or San Pedro. He tried to please us and even downloaded a translation app because he was not fully bilingual but the app wasnt working completely or properly; he said he didn't speak much English. So for your English speaking customers, you should not use him. For five people, the size of the car was not appropriate. The tour seemed to focus on area of San Pedro rather than Monterrey. One stop on the tour that was early fabulous was a stop at the Little Wine Market. But it wasn't a planned stop; we asked to stop when we saw it. He also offered to stop wherever we wanted to stop so that was a nice feature or option of the tour experience. Overall, this tour was a low point our our trip.

Some feedback on the kimkim team: seems the team members changed frequently, however we were always able to get quick responses to our requests, and they were always willing to hold conference calls which is key to planning a vacation.

Activity Review

City Tour Monterrey

Monterrey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Two families were traveling separately to Argentina to start a joint trip. One arrived on time, but the other almost canceled due to last minute airline issues. Our hats go off to Agustina Gross who persevered to keep our tour and hotel arrangements intact. It was a weekend and she was staying in Uruguay. She oversaw all obstacles including airport pickups and hotel arrangements such that we were able to reunite.
Food: Delicious lunch at the estancia and hotel breakfasts were good
Airport/Hotel transfers: Flawless, and in all cases arrived early
Tour guides. All spoke flawless English and were very knowledgeable historically and culturally. Hats off to Mariana who covered the road trip to the glaciers. Dario (Indiana Jones) who covered Iguazu Falls and ensured our safe passage to the Brazilian side. Sophie who covered our walking tour in Buenos Aires at a manageable pace and assisted us in finding a safe currency exchange outlet . Taking Uber with her sped up the sightseeing. We will return again to Argentina!

Activity Reviews

Buenos Aires Walking tour, La Boca & City centre

Buenos Aires

Walked from Palermo to La Baca with tour guide Sophia. Outstanding information about history and architecture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sophia was very patient and knowledgeable

Transport

we chose to pay for Uber and saw more in a shorter time

Half day tour to the Iguazú Falls (Brazilian side)

Argentina

Glad that Dario escorted us through Brazilian border control

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gran Aventura Navigation tour

Puerto Iguazú

boat ride under the falls was thrilling

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day to the Argentinian side of the falls

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dario was awesome. He wore his Indiana Jones outfit and the women were smitten with him

Transport

Pioneros Experience: Estancia Visit & Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Tour guide, Mariana, provided extensive and interesting discourse on Argentinian history

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to the glaciers

El Calafate

Just stunning. No explanations needed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango & cena show at El Viejo Almacen

Buenos Aires

The tango was enchanting. Dinner before was delicious

Quality of Experience

seeing the show and discovering tango

Food

beef, what else?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Promptness in pickup and dropoff

Transport

felt safe at night

Our Brazilian adventure was amazing! There was a drought in the Amazon that impacted our visit in that it maybe reduced our chances of encountering wildlife but it did not diminish the overall excitement of our experience. Sara was an expert and accommodating specialist (as was her entertaining husband who drove us to our hotel in Rio and greeted us before our final departure). The lodging in the Amazon was great, with decent meals and comfortable (and cool-temperatured!) accommodations. Highlights included piranha fishing, caiman spotting, pink dolphin sighting, a jungle hike and lots of fun boat rides on the river. At the end of our trip, a sumptuous lunch in Manaus and time with a fun local guide left us very contented.
I had high expectations for our time in Rio, and they were exceeded! The hotel near Copacabana was in a perfect location and provided a terrific breakfast. The best part of the trip was spending the day with local guide Albert Cardoso! He expertly led us through the main attractions with the perfect amount of narration and personal descriptions of life in Rio, got us to our exhilarating hang gliding experience, and, after an enjoyable lunch showcasing the best of Brazilian cuisine, showed us other wonderful highlights, sometimes wandering off the beaten path. We finished with an evening ascent to Sugarloaf that was quite a finale. Another very kind guide led us on a hike up Morro Dois Irmaos. A somewhat scary motorbike ride to the starting point and a delicious lunch in a local favela restaurant after our climb made for an adventure that we still reminisce about fondly! I fell in love with Rio and will never forget our trip there. Thank you, Sara, for all you did to assure we had the trip of a lifetime iin your spectacular country!

We planned a trip to Patagonia to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We were a group of four people (two couples) who had lots of requests. Ana was fantastic planning with me on our custom-tailored trip. It was a nearly perfect 14 day itinerary for any seniors. If there was a better local flight from Bariloche to Ushuaia, it would’ve been perfect and my dad didn’t get sick from a long day. Hopefully there’s one in the near future for other tourists!

Julian, Laura, and the team on WhatsApp were responsive all the time whenever we needed. Thank you so much! Because of knowing that you were going to be there for us all the time, we could have a peaceful trip.

Our drivers and guides were all amazing and professional. A special thanks to our private tour guides Chris, Romi, and their drivers. Also, we had a long drive from El Calafate to Torres del Paine, and another one from Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales in one day, and both drivers, Fabricio and Carlos, were absolutely amazing. We can’t thank you enough! Hope you made it safe back home, Fabricio! My family still talk about that ride and you. And, thanks for making few stops for us, Carlos! We had no idea that our full day tour next day wasn’t going there.

Thanks again to Kimkim and Ana for this unforgettable trip especially for my parents. We loved every single place we visited.

In reviewing my travels in Guatemala, I want to give the following backdrop.... Solo male traveler, age 71, 1st timer in Guatemala with only a little command of the language. Despite these limitations I left Guatemala having an appreciation of the culture and the peoples in various locations. From Mayan ruins both popular and off the beaten path, the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan Guatemala City, a River Dulce experience that was mind blowing to even a hot springs experience in two different locations... to a cultural festival that was an explosion of dancing/music and food the care and attention to detail by my in country coordinator Chris was amazing. I always felt he had my back and whenever I reached out (multiple times) he responded and always made me feel safe!
The lodging was a really great mix of up-scale eco camps, to high end hotel rooms to a boutique hotel in Flores right in the heart of the festival. I give each place the highest of ratings!!!
My guides ranged from good to outstanding. Oliver my guide to Tikal changed his whole approach when he heard birding was my passion. I saw 21 taxa in addition to exploring the ruins. Capitan Otilio Morales my guide on the Rio Dulce to Livingston changed his tour and put me on some bird nesting spots that only a seasoned captain could find.
Other guides were ok but my lack of knowing the language was a negative and took away from the experience, but hey that's on me!
The people made the experience and I certainly met many native Guatemalans and have a little understanding of their lives and the struggles they face. One funny experience was getting of the small boat in Livingstone and the ladies were braidng hair extensions and could not believe my braids were real hair and all wanted to rebraid with beads very funny.
Also was able to see 4 churches and attend mass and receive communion in Flores very very special! Also was able to light a candle and place by the statue of Nuestra Senora in Guatemala City in the Cathedral.
Have some real good pictures and could expand but am out of time for now.
Great job to all and a humble thanks to Chris!!!!!

We met with Eduardo, our local specialist, in Antigua.
I believe he tried his best, but he had to deal with an agency in Honduras that did not process requests in a timely manner and that caused unnecessary anxiety.
We had a fantastic time in Copan, liked our hotel and loved our guide ! (Yovan?)
We were disappointed with Roatan (overdeveloped, too many cruise ships) but this had nothing to do with Eduardo.
However, the hotel room at Caribe Tesoro was the least desirable in the whole complex- no privacy, no view, and all day noise from the construction going on in the building. I suspect Eduardo was not properly informed about this while booking...

While they were all good, our tour guides for the marais and the Louvre were exceptional. The cooking class in the chef’s kitchen was also a highlight. The wine tasting was more a history with nice wine and cheese but an interesting evening (next time I would go to a vineyard instead). All in all a great trip.

Miglé helped us plan an amazing trip. The type and pace of activities were perfectly customized to us. Some of the things we enjoyed the were Husky Ride and Floating under the Stars in Rovaniemi and Arctic Fjords in Tromso. We couldn't have selected better hotels ourselves in both locations. She ensured we experienced an Igloo hotel and a Snow hotel which were both incredible.

We appreciate that Miglé was available every time we had a question or concern and even managed to get us a refund for an activity we couldn't do because of the weather.

The trip overall was a good trip. But pick up and some detail communications were good on day 1 and 2 then dropped off to nothing. The pick ups were always late. More than half hour late. Guides often speak poor English.

One Easter island excursion was cancelled last minute. I really think this kind of stuff should not happen. I hated scrambling all day to see what I can do and eventually I ended up with nothing. I should have gone swimming at the beach.

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Comfy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Easter Island Eco Lodge

Hanga Roa

Slightly far from the beach

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They don’t speak english

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nuevo Amanecer

Uyuni

Their smiles are appreciated. I could tell they are trying to provide comfort as much as they can. Having a little WiFi would have been nice, but there wasn’t any.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cordillera Refuge

Uyuni

The refuge charges for toilet papers, water and WiFi. Extremely dour in their expressions. They seem to really dislike tourists.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Don Raul

San Pedro de Atacama

Extremely hot in the room. No ac and no fan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rano Raraku and Anakena Tour

Easter Island

Overall a good tour. Just the group is too big.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Tour to Ahu Akivi

Easter Island

Wish the guide spoke better English

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 4 & Return to San Pedro

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 3

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 2

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Tour to Orongo

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 1

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cejar Lagoon, Ojos del Salar & Tebenquiche

San Pedro de Atacama

Lagoons were interesting and floating in the lagoon was well organized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too many pick up stops

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Not interesting

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too many pick up stops. Wasted too much time

We had one guide named Lewis for our hike to the butterfly sanctuary. He was great. Our other nonguides were drivers who did not speak any English. That was a major communication problem and lessened our experiences to two day trips. One trip was to the tenezcal. It was nice but there were no towels or dressing instructions. They did bring a person who helped to explain the temezcal but he did not stay and we had to decipher the shamans instructions. The other activity was a hike to a high overlook and two women and one child came with us. No English again The hike was changed from the one on our itinerary.

Hotel Review

Cinco Rodavento

Ciudad de México

Wonderful caring staff. Beautiful rooms. Great rooftop deck. Lovely courtyard and room patio. Plush towels and bed linens. We were charged for one day when we were not there and for a spa service that was not wanted. It totaled over $400. Which they gave us in hotel credits. Half of which we found out about one day before we left. I had told our planner that we would device about spa treatments when we arrived but they were scheduled and charged to us without our knowledge.

Authenticity & Character

Rooftop deck

Location

Close to downtown market and lake.

Staff

So friendly and eager to please.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower was amazing with lots of hot water

Activity Reviews

Hike through the forest to see the Monarch Butterflies at the Matlazinca Sanctuary

Mexico

We went to a different sanctuary called Almanalco. It was fantastic but it was a very difficult hike through the forest not on a tail. We had to bushwhack through the glorious forest.

Quality of Experience

In a private sanctuary we were the only ones there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Let med the English speaking guide

Transport

Terrible road to get there .

Sailing at Valle de Bravo

Valle de Bravo

First time sailing. It was a beautiful day on the water. You got a new perspective of Valle de Bravo from the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No staff. We walked to the lake and found the person that had the sailboat.

Head to Amanalco for a unique Temazcal experience

Mexico

I have already said some of the things but will repeat them. They should have provided towels or told us to bring them. They should have had one English speaker in the temezcal to explain things. The shaman and his associate singer was very good. The lodge was nice and there were places to change.

Quality of Experience

The experience with the chants and herbs and gear

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Car was extremely dirty. Again no English speaker. No guide.

Transport

Clean car and car windows.

We really enjoyed our desert trip to Agafay. Beautiful surroundings, nice pool and excellent food. The staff there were always there trying to make it a special experience.

Hotel Review

Inara Desert Camp

Marrakech

Loved the surroundings, pool and food! Beautiful place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They were all fantastic

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Fantasia Dinner Show

Marrakesh

Thought the show and food was just mediocre,

Overall, the trip was outstanding. And Clemens was very helpful and attentive throughout our entire trip. And he was very helpful prior to the trip with all my questions! This was the first time using a travel agent to book everything and Clemens helped us feel spoiled! Below are comments regarding our experiences. In Italy we heard from the travel person that Clemens put us in touch with, via text each day. They were very informative and helpful:

Transportation: All pick-ups and drop offs were so helpful. All drivers were on time, professional, and the vehicles were clean and the right size to carry all our luggage!! The water taxi in Venice was a nice surprise and so fun for us!

Trains: All trains rides were exactly as Clemens said they would be. First class!

Hotels:
• Zurich: Hotel Schweizerhof: We give 5 stars to this hotel. Outstanding rooms and staff. Great breakfast
• Maloja Palace Hotel: not a 4-star hotel as advertised. It is more a 3. Very old and rustic. But clean. A nice budget hotel if that is what you are paying for. Amin the manager was very helpful, nice, professional, and overall, a great person. He made our experience in the area wonderful!
• Hotel Terminus Como: Nice hotel. But the shower in the middle of the room was strange. No privacy for shower or toilet room. 5 star breakfast!
• Milan: hotel was like a conference hotel. Nice rooms but too crowded.
• Venice: Hotel Boutique Santa Croce: Very nice boutique hotel. Small and cute themed rooms.
• Florence: Hotel Gallery Art. Not a 4-star hotel anymore. Needs major renovations. Had a sewer smell throughout the hotel. Front desk and bellman staff were very nice and professional. I would not recommend this hotel again until renovated.

Tours:
• 12/24: Best of Switzerland: Tour guide Anni was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Great tour of everything. Give this 5 stars!
• 12/25: This was advertised as a tour of Lucern. But really it was just a bus ride to get there. When we got dropped off tour guide said he would be back in 5-1/2 hours and left. We had a very nice “self guided” day. But decided to take the train back to Zurich and not wait for the bus. Tour not as advertised.
• 12/30: Walking tour of Como. Tatiana was amazing. The tour was very informative, and we saw so much. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. 5 star tour!
• 12/31: Tour was not that great. She did not show us anything interesting and was not that knowledgeable.
• 1/2/24: Tour guide was 5 star!. She was knowledgeable and entertaining. Diana showed us everything in Venice and the gondola ride was great. Just like in the movies!
• 1/4/23: Cooking lesson was our favorite of the entire trip. Highly recommended this 5 star experience. She was fantastic and the food was 5 star!
• 1/5/24: Tour was 5 star. He quickly changed from a church tour to a Jewish history tour at our request. We appreciated that very much.

Awesome trip. We worked with Gustavo at first, then with Ioannis.
Guides were fantastic! Hotels were very nice and located near the local attractions. All drivers were on time, accommodating and courteous.
Very minor bumps in the itinerary were addressed quickly by the kimkim team.

Hotel Reviews

Carpe Diem Boutique Hotel

Nafplio

Quiet and comfortable and near anything you would want to be near. Breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near anything that you want to be near in Nafplion.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and quiet. We did have 4 adults staying in a "suite." My son's bed/cot was not the most comfortable place to sleep (would work well for pre-teen, but not as well for an adult.)

The Bold Type Hotel

Patra, Greece

Probably the nicest hotel that I have stayed at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There is not a lot to do in Patras, but this hotel is within walking distance to some of the sites that are available

Staff

One of our crew was not feeling well, and the staff made sure they did what they could to help. For instance, the cook made some broth/soup for her for breakfast and they delayed cleaning the room until she felt good enough to get up an move.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arion Athens Hotel

Athens

Clean. The maids were great! Very nice breakfast. Surprisingly quiet for being so near the Parthenon and touristy area of Athens.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are not big, but I think that is the norm for Athens. Again very clean and quiet.

Location

Walking distance (about 20 minutes) to the Parthenon. Many local cafes nearby. Neighborhood looks sketchy at first but I felt very safe once I settled in.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maids were thorough.

Activity Reviews

Private Ancient Olympia Visit

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Helena, was excellent and very knowledgable

Transport

Our driver was very nice and was able to pull over when we needed.

Private Mycenae & Epidaurus Day Trip

Nafplio

Fascinating! Maybe could have used a little more time at Mycenae.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Delphi Day Trip

Athens

We had a local specialist (not a guide), Marcos, drive us to Delphi. Marcos was great! It was a self-guided tour at Delphi and the tickets to enter Delphi were also not included. It was not clear if lunch was included in the price of this part of the trip (it was not)--but we worked this out with kimkim later.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Old Town Food & History Walk

Nafplio

We combined this with the walking tour. Spent about 6 hours with our local expert and about an hour with a guide for the castle. All interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our local expert provided a very nice summary of Greek history covering a couple of thousand years in a broad outline for those of us who don't have great background in history.

Transport

On time, clean vehicle.

Private Old Town Walk & Palamidi Fortress Visit

Nafplio

Combined this with the food tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Temples, Ruins & Museum Visit -

Athens

Quality of Experience

Since our guide had our tickets for the museum, after we parted ways we were unable to access the archaeologic did under the museum.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Poppy, was fantastic

Transport

We had to get ourselves to the spot. We just Ubered a taxi.