Kimkim Trip Reviews

We're a family of six with teens and a six-year-old, and Liz helped us pack it all into a 12-day trip to Peru! Ninety percent of the trip was incredible.

First, however, here's the part that sucked: A preventable snafu cost us a lot of $$. When we were too sick to hike, we were misinformed about train ticketing restrictions, which led us to lose $500 on rebooking fees. Also, every one of us got sick. Like, fevers, antibiotics, puking, oxygen, and hospital trips sick. Yes, we drank only bottled water, through filtered water bottles. It happens.

Here's the meh: We needed a little more mental preparation for the rigors of the Amazon section of the trip. It was 98 degrees with 90% humidity and swarms of mosquitos and roaches. Reading that is different than being ready for it. We needed different clothes to be more comfortable. Also, pretty much every single one of our flights was changed after we first booked it. We had to get up at 4 am a few times, which led to some grumpy family members later in the day.

Now, on to the great parts: We loved our first few days in Lima. The food tour in Barranco was a delicious introduction to a country filled with flavorful food. Even our picky eaters tried it all. We didn't give ourselves enough time in the colonial section of downtown Lima. Day two was the sea lion tour, which was a grand adventure. The boat trip was gorgeous. As you approach the island, it does smell bad but you get used to it, and swimming with the cuties for twenty minutes is well worth it. In the Amazon, we saw caiman, otters, wild macaws, parrots, four kinds of monkeys, and a ton of cool trees (rubber, cork). Corto Maltes was a beautiful lodge with hammocks and great food, and we loved cooling off in the pool. We flew to Cusco and then drove on to our favorite place, El Albergue in Ollantaytambo. This "boutique" hotel was paradise, with flowers everywhere and breathtaking views. There was a huge farm and a little school behind it. The place was a short (uphill) walk from the ruins towering above the town, the Plaza Mayor, and the souvenir market. The sacred valley ruins tour was ah-mazing for my history teacher heart and Jose was well-informed about so many different perspectives. We loved the llama trek and weaving demo with indigenous women. Since we were too sick to hike, I wish we had skipped staying in Aguas Calientes. Still, our hotel, Hatun Inti, was minimalist and clean. The Vistadome train ride - with party car! - was a highlight of the trip. Machu Picchu is even more marvelous in person and our guide, Javier, was a huge help in answering all of my questions. He did a great job with the Insta pix for the teens and the pacing for our slow kiddo and those of us feeling the altitude. Another train ride and then a drive to Cusco. The elevation here really buried some of us but we were all incredulous at the beauty of this colonial city. We stayed at Casa San Blas, which was super cute and had the perfect location. Situated on a hill, we could see the red roofs of Cusco below. San Blas is an artists' neighborhood and my artistic teens loved seeing the artists at work. From here, we did a pottery experience, a chocolate experience, went to an animal rescue center, and visited many ruins. I also recommend the Museo del Arte Precolombino and visiting the cathedral and church on the Plaza Mayor.

Although a few things went wrong, the combination of support and individual choice made for the perfect way to plan a family trip. Thank you, Liz, Lizbeth, Domingo, Jose, Javier, and so many others. I would recommend KimKim to other travelers in a heartbeat!

Hotel Reviews

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hatun Inti Classic Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corto Maltes Amazon Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

Corto Maltes was a beautiful lodge with hammocks and great food, and we loved cooling off in the pool. Our guide, Mario, was an expert at spotting animals. We saw caiman, otters, wild macaws, parrots, four kinds of monkeys, and a ton of cool trees (rubber, cork). The boat ride to and from the lodge were beautiful and fresh. The massage at the lodge was well worth it. We were underprepared for the sheer volume of mosquitos and the small armies of roaches. Also, everyone stressed that we needed long sleeves and pants (which we did, for the hikes and such) but no one really mentioned that we needed a TON of extra clothing because everything would get wet and nothing would dry in 90% humidity. We could have been more comfortable if we were better prepared. Our littlest one got super sick here with a fever.

Authenticity & Character

The location, architecture and food make this place pretty amazing. I wish there was more of a cultural aspect as well.

Location

Right on the river with a big property filled with cool plants and animals, and a lookout tower.

Staff

We were there over Christmas and there was nothing special about it. Other lodges had cultural celebrations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wellllll - there was no air conditioning, spotty electricity and there were a lot of bugs.

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

A good introduction to Peru, this hotel feels pretty familiar to Americans. Good breakfast and yummy room service. The front desk staff is really helpful. Located in a nice area of Miraflores, right near Kennedy Park.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing was really wrong, it was just pretty normal.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private tour to Sacsayhuaman, Cochahuasi & Pisac

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Mini Chocolate Workshop

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Food

Yummy chocolate

Guides, Drivers and Staff

NA

Transport

NA

Private Inca Pottery Classes (Kutiry)

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Short Inca Trail Trek & Machu Picchu by train 2/2 (Private Guided Tour in Machu Picchu)

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

No food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corto Maltes Lodge 3/3 (Sandoval Lake Program), Flight to Cusco & Transfer to {{end_location}}

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corto Maltes Lodge 2/3 (Sandoval Lake Program)

Puerto Maldonado

Quality of Experience

Food

No food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour to Chinchero & Llama trek with Ancestral Weaving at Umasbamba town Experience

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Food

Only tea was provided. We should have added lunch into our tour on this day because we were starving!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flight to {{end_location}} & Corto Maltes Lodge 1/3 (Sandoval Lake Program)

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

It tasted great but a few of us got sick.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Palomino Islands - Sealions tour

Lima

Quality of Experience

Food

There was no food. Provided snacks would have been great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The boat was broken when we arrived, which delayed us.

Private Peruvian Food Tour in Artsy Barranco

Lima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Margarita did a great job curating our trip, communicating before and during the trip and worked hard to make sure we were well cared for and having a good time.
All of the activities and accomodations met or exceeded our expectations.
A big shout out to Sol, our guide during our time in Medellin. She brought great energy and insights and was just fun to be with.
Thank you!

We booked a trip to Masai Mara in Kenya and Victoria Falls in Zambia and our local guide was Joseph. Joseph handled the bookings and management really well, taking into consideration what all we needed as part of the itinerary. The travel and schedule was planned in such a way that we never felt rushed and also were able to cover the places and experiences which we mentioned we wanted to do.

The safari driver and guide Andrew was also excellent and an expert in game drives because of whom we got to see lions many times, and leopards, which are considered to be a rare sighting, on two consecutive days.

This trip was technically our honeymoon as went right after our wedding. Joseph had conveyed the same to all the hotels where we were staying and they took extra care of us, including a mega upgrade during our stay at Victoria Falls. This was a very pleasant surprise for us and made our experience memorable.

The trip originally had a South Africa leg as well, but we had to cancel that last minute due to unforeseen visa issues. Joseph promptly helped us in getting us the refund of whatever was refundable from the South Africa leg.

Hotel Reviews

Ashnil Mara Camp

Maasai Mara

Excellent serrvies, very friendly and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Camp

Maji Moto

Fantastic experience. The activities were interesting and the staff was very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fair Acres Boutique Hotel

Karen, Nairobi. P. O Box 1121 – 00208 Nairobi.

Good hotel, but with some flaws. Slow food service, and no elevators which is a big deal while carrying luggage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zambia & Zimbabwe Activities

Livingstone

The guide was knowledgeable and helpful

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maasai Mara Game Drives & Hot Air Balloon Ride

Masai Mara

Good new experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Activities

Maji Moto

Very friendly people. Had fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara

Our guide Andrew was an expert in game driving and because of him we saw all the rare animals of the Mara

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks so much Fransisco and Riwal before our trip to give us necessary feedbacks to tune-up our 2 weeks in Chile. We are enough satisfied about the planning and the main things to do.

Riwal was 24/7 was online with us once we have a question to fix it even not related with the tours and their responsibilities party of travel. We never felt alone ourself 12.000 km far from home.

What we like so much that our daily communication was more friendly than customer-client relationships.

Chile was extraordinary country and Riwal/Francisco did everything that we enjoj it. Thanks so much both of them.

Activity Reviews

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

we didn't perform due to wheather conditions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Calama Airport

Chile

Pontcual and good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Not only visit to gaysers but also all surrounding of the area. Absolutely not to miss.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Just wonderful. Very long way to go (4.5-5 hours) but it's worth. Just breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Long way but need to do.

Full Day Tierra del Fuego - King Penguin

Punta Arenas

My heart stay in Tierra del Fuego. More than happy that to realize my childhood dream. Wonderful landscape, extraordinary fauna, amazing views. Don't die before see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very short in English.

Transport

well packed :)

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

San Pedro de Atacama

As we were sick, we missed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They arrived almost one hour before, no earlier communication.

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Nice to see. It could be shorter and later to link with sunset. No need to wait 1.5 hours for sunset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astro Fotografia

Chile

Just amazing. A lot of questions after about our existence. :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very enthousastic people.

Transport

Needs to be on time.

Everything was planned to perfection! Cami was great for every tiny detail. will defenitly use Kim kim services again.

Hotel Reviews

Cauayan Island Resort

El Nido

Authenticity & Character

Location

⁸

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Two Seasons Coron Island Resort

Coron

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shangri-La Boracay

Aklan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Coron Island Tour

Coron

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica. Such a beautiful country with very nice people. We visited, Papagayo, Lafortuna at the base of Mt. Arenal, the Cloud Forest, and Monte Verde. I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Thanks Gustavo!

Michael planned an amazing trip for us! He really listened to all of our family's interests, and found the perfect activities for us. All of the travel he planned for us within the country was seamless and the tour guides were so knowledgeable and interesting. We particularly loved Manuela in Medellin and Jorge in Santa Marta. This was truly one of the greatest vacations we have ever experienced!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Marina Santa Marta (Grand Marina Suites)

Santa Marta

Great view, great location, and the kids loved the pool!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Islabela

This was a fun experience, it was very rustic and beautiful. Lots of fun activities were offered, we particularly liked snorkeling!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Landmark Hotel Medellín

Medellín

Really fun hotel in a great area! The coffee shop in the lobby was really good and they even have a yoga studio!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Market Visit & Cooking Class

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nature, Waterfalls & Coffee Farm in Minca

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Tayrona National Park

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Marta City Tour

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daytrip: Silletera Culture in Santa Elena & La Piedra de Guatapé

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Streetfood Experience

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coconut Workshop

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rosario Islands Snorkeling & Bioluminescence

Rosario Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tayronaka Natural Reserve

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When I started scheduling of my Vietnam trip I found it difficult to squeeze everything with in 10 days. It needed seamless commute between destinations and airports without loosing a day. Kimkim orchestrated trip with very efficient commutes and no time wasted. We are glad that we made the right decision. It was one of the most memorable travel experience that we had. Vietnam is a food paradise and kimkim’s choice of hotel and restaurants made it even more special. Each lunch arranged by kimkim was in one of a kind special restaurant. Hotels they booked all of them were at the heart of the city center. Guides and drivers were not only punctual but also exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable, surpassing our expectations. Kimkim truly elevated our travel experience in Vietnam. Special thanks to Hien for helping us to all the way from planning up to the end. Also special thanks for Hoa for his charming presence and taking all the photos for us during the trip

Was an amazing tip. The travel agent company was available when we encountered couple of very minor problems. The greatness of a company is how you handle problems and they past with flying colors. Thank you again

I typically create our itineraries and was not sure how it would be using an agency. Booking our trip to Ecuador with Kimkim was a breeze because the communication was clear and timely. Pilar took into account our needs and desire when creating the itinerary. All plans were thoughtful and executed well. Thanks to Pilar, we saw and experienced so much in the time we had in Ecuador.

Hotel Review

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

Ivan and Lou have created a wonderful space in which to experience the rainforest. Their staff is hospitable, responsive and caring. Leo, our guide for all our adventures was phenomenal. As a vegetarian, I was blown away by the preparation and p\resentation of the meals.

Authenticity & Character

The space was designed to integrate with its natural surroundings and not to dominate it. You can appreciate the respect for the rainforest.

Location

It was accessible (as opposed to the other lodge we considered which required a flight into the jungle)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day 2 Kuyana Lodge

Archidona

trek ino the jungle to a 2 tier waterfall and lagoon where we could swim

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kuyana Lodge Day 1- Arrival Day

Archidona

it was so creative - the guests were asked to put on a little holiday show for the other guests. wealso decorated xmas cookies before feasting on an incredible meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were two families with teenagers traveling together from different parts of the USA, so lots of logistics. Pilar Albuja helped plan our itinerary. She was very responsive in drafting it, answering questions and finalizing our plan. We had a really nice mix of locations and activities. At the Amazon, we stayed at Kuyana Lodge which was a wonderful experience. With only 7 jungle huts, it is a really intimate experience. Our guide, Leo, was helpful, full of information and easy to get along with -- which was a good thing because we were with him a lot! The food at the lodge is so amazing. We had several vegetarian and other dietary and allergy restrictions and the lodge was able to accommodate everything and were especially careful with the allergy. Chef prepared the best food, we wanted to bring him home and make him our personal chef! He used many local ingredients from the Amazon and we enjoyed some incredibly tasty meals. The food was also presented really well - felt like Michelin star dining! All the activities were interesting, hikes, night hikes, river tubing or simply listening to the sounds of the jungle in one of the many seating areas around the lodge.
In Quito, we had a guide named Nancy for visits to Quito, Middle of the World, Otavalo, and Cotopaxi. Nancy was full of information about history and culture - we learned so much from her. Nancy was energetic, always accommodating to our requests and provided advice when we felt the effects of altitude sickness. She was very friendly and approachable. Our activities were all wonderful including the Quito old town tour, visit to the equator was super cool, the lake at Otavalo and a hike up a volcano near Cotopaxi to get better views. Nancy's insight definitely made for a better experience. We highly recommend kimkim and will definitely use them again in the future!

Hotel Review

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

Lodge is in a beautiful area. The guides are knowledgeable and very caring. The Chef is amazing - most delicious meals! And we loved the pet monkey, Ramona. More details in my main review. The only feedback would be to include a boxed lunch on the visit to the Napo River / indigenous people village / tubing day so that we can eat during the lunch hour.

Authenticity & Character

Wood construction, open air buildings ... just felt reallly one with nature.

Location

surrounded by jungle. I loved my jungle hut sitting on the banks of a creek. Spacious room, beautiful bathroom and a wonderful deck!

Staff

Everyone is so knowledgeable, hospitable ... we were pampered!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything . . leave the shoes at the steps is a wonderful requirement!

Activity Reviews

Conquer the Majestic Cotopaxi: A Thrilling Full-Day Adventure in the Land of Volcanoes- with horseback riding

Cotopaxi

I loved that our guide suggested a hike to a different volcano that has a viewing point to get better views of Cotopaxi. We hiked around a lake and then up to the viewing point. The lake is more like a marsh than a lake due to human consumption of water and climate change. Not sure the 2 hours were worth it for that portion. The hike up the volcano was difficult for altitude, but breathtaking and we did get some glimpses of Cotopaxi! The horseback riding at El Porvenir was surreal. It is such a gorgeous landscape. Even though it rained a bit, they provided us with ponchos and rain ponchos and we stayed toasty warm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Magic of Otavalo: Immerse Yourself in Indigenous Culture and Vibrant Markets and visit Cuicocha Lake.

Ecuador

The Cotacachi Lake is not to be missed. It is stunning. Our guide had lots of information about local plants. If you have traveled to other countries with crafts markets, Otavalo Market is different in that the items are different, but the market itself is not unique.

Quality of Experience

Food

Beautiful 500 year old hacienda ... and food was good too!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Quito's Best-Kept Secrets: A Full-Day Tour of the Historic and the Middle of the World

Quito

Loved that our guide took us to the top of the tower at Basilica del Voto Nacional as we had amazing views. The chocolate tasting at Yumbas was so delicious, and so much variety allowed us to get a better understanding of how flavors of cacao vary. Middle of the World science experiments are super cool ... I learned a lot and it was mind blowing to see!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 2 Kuyana Lodge

Archidona

Waterfalls were beautiful .. everyone should take a dip! Leo was helpful to us in navigating some tricky areas. We loved that Ramona the monkey came with us!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time in Peru!! Our local specialist, Liz, helped us plan the trip to our specifications and made our trip exactly the way we wanted it. We wanted to see historic sites, beautiful views, and experience the local culture and she made it possible! The hotels she selected for us were great, with exceptional service and hospitality. They were knowledgeable about many restaurants (especially vegetarian and vegan!) In Cusco, our local guide Manuel was exceptional - he took us to see some amazing historical sites, salt times, Llama Sanctuary, and to an at home textile production. He made us took us around the city as if we were locals and had great stories about the countries rich history. In Machu Picchu, our guide, Javier, was a joy to hike with. He took us to many great photo-op spots, some of which other guides knew nothing about! He told great stories and taught us much about the history of a wonder of the world. We also visited Lima and were able to explore the city on our own, going to street markets, small homey restaurants, and night time gelato treats! Overall, it was a warm and beautiful country with amazing guides/ locals who made us feel right at home. Already looking forward to our next trip!!

Eight day trip to Casablanca/Fes/Marrakech.

We took a eight day trip arranged via kimkim using ExploreMorocco as our travel partner. The entire trip was extremely well organized. Amal, our travel co-ordinator was always accessible, and provided clear expectations of every day of the trip. She kept us updated about any changes, and was eager to accommodate any of our requests. Mustafa, our assigned driver for the entire journey was a gem of a gentleman. He stayed with us throughout our trip and helped us navigate through the Moroccan labyrinth. We had several tour guides such as Hachim (Casablanca), Zara (Fes), Mehmoud? ( Marrakech), who were extremely knowledgeable about the locale places. It was a pleasure to have known these people, and it was overall an unforgettable and enjoyable experience.

Our trip initially was going to be a short excursion to England to watch a soccer match of my son's favorite team. In starting to plan for the trip my wife decided it would become a full family affair. Having no idea where to start we contacted Kim Kim and were delighted to have Jane become our agent.

Ours was not an easy trip to manage, I am sure. We were flying into Manchester, going to London, returning to Manchester...with 8 people whose ages ranged from 73 to 3. In addition to having a pretty wide age range, we had no idea what we needed to see. Fortunately, Jane did an excellent job of communicating with us. In just a short period of time we were able to develop an outline of our itinerary that we constantly revised and improved upon.

In the end, we have just returned from England and what was absolutely one of the best trips our family has ever had. With so many moving parts, so many transportation and ticketing requirements, having Jane and the team organize everything made it a seamless and wonderful experience. The locations for our lodging could not have been better suited for what we wanted and had asked to have.

Thank you to Jane and the entire Kim Kim team. We will certainly be in touch for our next overseas adventure. I recommend Jane and Kim Kim to anyone looking to travel to Europe, but not having a solid idea of what they want to do.

We had a once in a lifetime experience visiting South Africa thanks to kimkim, our local specialists Bernice and Lucy, and the service providers throughout our 2-week stay! Our trip gave us so many memories. First, I must say that Bernice and Lucy were extremely responsive, helpful, and patient with us (it was our first time using kimkim and going to South Africa). They helped me plan an action-packed itinerary and make short notice adjustments during the trip when needed (be prepared for unforeseen weather, inconsistent Uber availability, or other possible surprises). We saw the most breathtaking landscapes in the Blyde River Canyon Panorama. We observed all of the big 5 safari animals and had a super spectacular team at the Singita Lebombo lodge, especially our host Andrew, guide Solomon, tracker Andrew, and server Victor. We also visited Robben Island, wandered the V&A Waterfront, and had delicious South African cuisine. The Kimkim app design sometimes made it hard to see parts of the itinerary which caused some confusion, but I plan to use kimkim again and would love to work with Bernice and Lucy for the next chance we have to travel to South Africa!

Kim Kim/Active India Holidays lead by Ravi Tickoo put together a great 10-day trip in the Golden Triangle Area of India for my family of 6. The trip was a big success. We had representatives meet from Active India meet us after each flight and always felt cared for and supported on the trip. Our hotels were top notch and our guides were friendly, knowledgeable. This trip would not have happened without them!

I can’t say enough about how great our trip was. From planning the trip ahead of time Dat was incredibly helpful in helping me narrow down the highlights of what we could see in our short one week stay in Vietnam. We were able to see the south, central and northern Vietnam in a weeks worth of time. Our tour guides were all great from Duc in Saigon who has great historical knowledge and insight to Vihn in Hoi An and Victor in Northern Vietnam. We had a chance to see highlights in the big cities and also experience the country side. The hotels that were booked for us were all really nice. I was traveling with two of my kids and we were able to have two rooms always side by side. All the restaurants we went to from little places in the countryside to to bigger cities were great. It was an unforgettable experience! I hope my kids will remember this trip with fondness and as an unforgettable adventure .

My visit to Morocco was spectacular especially thanks to the entire team led by Mr Majid. From the time I was picked up from the airport till the time I was dropped back, was smooth, hassle free, and safe. The driver Mr Abdel, the guide in Fez, Mr Hakim and the guide in Marrakesh, Mr Hamid were all punctual, polite and very adjusting to my requirements. As a single traveller, I highly recommend you go with Majid and his organising. He has curated the entire trip for me which was planned and adhered to very well. I cannot thank all of them enough for the wonderful time I had and beautiful memories I take with me. Till we meet again.

Our trip to Uganda was right out of a National Geographic documentary thanks to Agnes! Agnes is one of the friendliest, nicest, and most capable agents I have come across, having traveled to 28 countries. She is very aware and always answers all your questions and queries and helps put any concerns you have at ease.
Even during peak season, Agnes was able to get us the lodges and hotels we wanted to book and get the timely gorilla permits - the local guides Khalif and Mr Muha were very hands on and answered all our queries on the local Ugandan culture, customs, food, etc.
we had a very enriching experience and I will definitely book with Umoja again in the future for any other countries they plan tours to!

Cheers to Umoja team for a wonderful experience 😊

First and foremost, we are a returning kimkim customers, done about 3-5 trips with them. The local specialist delivered a terrible experience after paying a large amount of 1000's of dollars for this trip. This agency cant seem to retain employees as they seem to leave quick. The local specialist who built our tour itinerary left the company leaving it a rookie, who consistently kept on debating that it is all our fault (customer). We also felt, none of this local tour specialists themselves ever toured/traveled within Sri Lanka, thereby creating a paper itinerary with no actual experience of visiting the locations they are proposing nor seem to understand how long it takes to go from one location to another. This led us to change in itinerary in the last minute as the proposed paper itinerary led to situation where we would not have had the opportunity to see and experience the location they proposed we would spend 2 hours. Also they committed to delivering a 4 star hotels for the payment made, to a surprise we ended booking us at 3 star experience at a tented camp. This tented camp calls itself resort and spa, actually there is no spa. Kimkim operator suggested I schedule it with neighboring hotel for the spa experience. They absolutely have no clue what they are proposing, so beware what ever itinerary they propose to examine it multiple times, read the fine print. They also ended up booking a train journey on a 3rd class compartment after paying large sums of dollars. We strongly feel like bait and switch scheme here. All we received was a sympathy call from a kimkim customer service as our 2 voicemail left to our kimkim contact went not answered to return the call. We cannot believe kimkim has this kind of poor performing local tour operators. Another learning experience is just because we pay what they ask expecting them to deliver a stellar experience is not true. In summary both kimkim & the local operator delivered a 1 star experience. Only saving grace and shining star is the driver - Pathum, who went way beyond to make us happy. Rest of the staff, no care attitude and cannot be trusted.

Hotel Reviews

Flameback Eco Lodge

Weerawila

Authenticity & Character

Flexibility, accomodative

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Santani Wellness Resort & Spa

Kandy

Best place to stay, excellent experience, staff went beyond to make customer happy.

Authenticity & Character

experience,

Location

Serene, quiet, zen

Staff

Went beyond

Cleanliness & Comfort

98 Acres Resort & Spa

Ella

Very commercial and business attitude to customers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Scenic train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella

Sri Lanka

Terrible experience, beware of the tour operator, they will book you into a 3rd class compartment after taking large sum of money.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport