Kimkim Trip Reviews

Arianna did a great job understanding what we wanted in our trip to Italy and we saw and did so many things while we were there, from truffle hunting to dinner with a cesarine. During the trip, Jessica and Barbara from Storywalking made sure we where we needed to be when we needed to be there. Having drivers to take us to from the hotels to the train station was a real convenience. The drivers were always there right on time. Even the rental car (we drove around for part of the trip) was easy and convenient. There were five of us on this trip and I think we all agreed that using KimKim made the trip special - getting us to places we would never had known we wanted to be.

We used KimKim earlier on a trip to Norway and found the same type of thing - easy, convenient, and finding unique places and activities that we would have never found on our own.

Anytime we go to a new country (or back to countries we've already been to), KimKim will be our first call.

Thanks Arianna, Jessica, and Barbara !!

Hotel Reviews

Metropolitan Hotel Bologna

Bologna

Very nice - right in the middle of everything. Rooftop bar with great views. Modern and old at the same time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You can't get any closer to everything than this. Wish we had more time here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vannucci

Città della Pieve (PG)

Wow, this is a luxury hotel right where you want to be in Citta della Pieve. We only had one night here and wish we had more. Grounds were beautiful with easy parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect for walking around town - near restaurants and sights to see.

Staff

Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agriturismo Il Cerreto

Pomarance

Prior to Agriturismo Il Cerreto, we were in the hear of the cities. Now we're out in the country. What a wonderful change. Did a tour of the farm and then to San Giimignano - this is a very special place. Il Cerreto was a bit hard to find (we were driving on our own at this point in the trip), but worth it. A very unique experience. Once again, there was a set of steps to walk up to get to our rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds. Wish we had another day here.

Location

A bit out of the way, but it is a working farm.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful. We knew rudimentary Italian and they knew rudimentary English, so communication was a fun problem to solve.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Davanzati

Florence

Hotel Davanzali was great!! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast and happy hour every day. Th only negative was you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby. Some in our group were a bit out of shape, so they had a bit of trouble with this. That said, I'd stay here again next time I'm in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

We really enjoyed this hotel - happy hour every evening before going out to dinner.

Location

So close to everything !!

Staff

Staff was the best - Leonardo

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was great - only negative for comfort was that you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby.

Hotel Marina

Monterosso al Mare

Small boutique hotel right in the middle of things. Can't get a car all the way there (narrow roads), but the walk isn't far. Near great restaurants, bars, and paths.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

Lancaster Hotel was very nice with a few quirks. The keys were like heavy Christmas ornaments that you had to leave with the front desk anytime you left the hotel. Staff was great and friendly. Breakfast included everyday. The only negative is that the location is a bit far to places you want to see such as the Duomo.

Authenticity & Character

Great old building. Some of the bathrooms were "unique".

Location

Not much to improve - location was ok, but a long walk to sites, especially in the rain.

Staff

Very friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cooking Experience at Local's Homes

Italy

Went to the home of the cesarine, Christina Rossi. Met her husband and daughter and the cooked our dinner with Christina's guidance and supervision. This was a lot of fun and great conversations and moments to practice our Italian.

Quality of Experience

What made this a quality experience was the personal touch. Felt like we got to know Christina and vice versa.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christina is obviously knowledgeable, but also comfortable with herself and us, which made for a great evening.

Transport

We walked the 4 minutes from our hotel. KimKim always had us in great locations.

Wine Tasting & Cooking class in a Castle near Montalcino

Italy

A bit out of the way, but worth it. Took a tour of the castle and winery. Follow that up with a private chef for a cooking class to make bruschetta, tagliatelle Bolognese, a second main dish that I can't remember the name of, tiramisu and then eating everything al fresco overlooking the vineyards with th wine produced onsite. A really nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Made for an enjoyable day

Food

Freshly made by us with coaching by the chef. Fun and delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff, especially the chef, was friendly and fun.

Transport

We drove ourselves.

Florence in a Day | Semi-Private

Italy

This was an amazing day. A long walk but worth it. Our guide was just the best. Very knowledgable and open to all questions. You see so much in a day its can be overwhelming in the best possible way.

Quality of Experience

David, Uffizi, Duomo - so much. Was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgable, answered all questions. The best.

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel - KimKim got us in the best hotel locations.

Wine tour from Florence: discover vineyards, olive groves, cellars and wineries

Florence

This place was a true experience - in a great way. Grounds are beautiful and KimKim added truffle hunting to this experience. Truffle hunting was one of the highlights of the trip. After truffle hunting we had wine tasting and lunch - everything was top notch. Food was wonderful - especially the lasagna. Wines were great - we ordered several bottles and they ship home for no additional charge.

Quality of Experience

This was our favorite activity - and we had lots of good one's.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Family owners really take care of you. Learning about and truffle hunting was the best.

Transport

We drove ourselves - since my wife was driving, I better give this a 5 star review

Florence Traditional Food tour

Florence

Easy to find the guide from the hotel. He was personable, knowledgable, and took us to places we have never known to go to. Food was delicious. Great insights into traditional Florentine food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide knew what he was talking about and took us to great places.

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel and this was a walking tour.

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

Well it rained the whole tie we were I Cinque Terra. Weather happens. So we didn't really get to walk the trails. We did use the train - easy walk from the hotel. Lots of restaurants and shops.

Quality of Experience

A four only because of the weather. Otherwise a five.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers were always there on time.

Transport

Cinque Terra trains are easy and each town has a unique character.

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Very crowded, but worth it. The location to meet our guide was just a few blocks from the hotel. Our guide took us through the skip the line and the museum was amazing.

Quality of Experience

This was our first experience in Italy and it exceeded expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

We walked and it was a great!! Things to see everywhere.

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

This was not really worth the effort. Because of the rain, we didn't get to walk the vinyards. Staff was nice, but this was at a restaurant and not really setup for a wine tasting. They poured the wine, but no real insight given. Almost seemed like they were doing the minimum needed to meet their obligation.

Quality of Experience

Looking forward to this, but did not meet even minimum expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff at the restaurant was nice, but no information or insights into the wine we tased.

Transport

We walked and this was the best part of the experience. Its very steep to get there and we needed that after our drive to Cinque Terra.

Long was incredibly professional, helpful, engaged & respectful from start to finish
He helped us create the perfect Thailand adventure for our specifications & budget.
He knocked it out of the park!
Our local guides & drivers were all fabulous. Available to answer questions, help with directions/requests/last minute activities. They all made us feel special at every turn.
Thank you Long, Saiyamarn, Kai, Noot ❤️

I wanted to do a trekking in the Himalayas for quite some years, and finally chose to book with Kimkim. From the beginning to the end, Amanda is very helpful in answering questions, helping us getting ready for the trip, helping resolving problems and ensuring everyone has the best experience possible.

My guide Chhiring was very knowledgeable and professional. He introduced a lot of knowledge about the history of Tsum Valley and Manaslu Circle to me. He made sure I'm properly taken care of each day and the pace is a one that I'm comfortable with. He helped modify the schedule a bit so we have an extra day on the main circle, which is very helpful with resting and acclimation. He arranged with other teams to make sure I stay in the same hotel that my newly-met trekking friends stays at, which makes the trip more fun to me as a lone trekker. The great attention to detail that he has made this trip an outstanding experience.

My porter Ngima is also very helpful in transporting my luggage, helping me with meal orders, preparing fruits for every meal and marching to hotels with my heavy luggage in fast speed to ensure I get the best room possible. What he does is not easy, and I greatly appreciate all the effort to make sure my experience is an outstanding one.

I'll definitely come back for more trekking in the future, now that I have been amazed by both the beauty of the himalayas and how helpful the trekking staffs are!

I had the pleasure of traveling with Ayoub as our driver and guide during our journey through Morocco, and I must say it was an unforgettable experience. Ayoub not only took us to all the major Moroccan cities, but he also became a great friend in the process.

Ayoub's knowledge of the country was truly impressive. He shared fascinating insights about the history, culture, and local traditions of each place we visited. His recommendations for the best local cuisine and hidden gems were spot on, making our trip even more special.

What truly set Ayoub apart was his warm and friendly personality. He went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction. We shared stories, laughter, and moments of genuine connection that made this trip more than just a vacation. Ayoub became a cherished friend, and his kindness and hospitality left a lasting impression on us.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Ayoub as a driver and guide for anyone exploring Morocco. He not only knows the country inside out but also has the rare ability to turn a journey into an adventure with a new friend by your side. Thank you, Ayoub, for making our Moroccan adventure so incredible!

The team and Chhiring went above and beyond to help us out during difficult times. We really soothe prompt help and support they provided us. We’ll definitely come back.

We did a two-week couples trip to Morocco in late October 2023. Our driver was Auyub who very quickly became more than just a driver to us! He took his time to explain the culture of the different regions, their language, their religion, and we shared lots of laughs the entire two weeks! He didn't even mind our constant need to stop for snacks and sometimes rather bizarre questions! Or pulling over on the side of the road to take quick pictures. Informative, informational, but most of all just a wonderful person. I cannot express how much we enjoyed a two week road trip with our new and lifelong friend!

As for the individual half day tour guides that were provided by the company, they were all literally amazing. It could just be that the Moroccan people themselves are super warm and generous people, but having said that we were not disappointed in literally any guide we had. Very knowledgeable, local, and more than happy to share everything they knew about their city. Including stopping for coffee or tea, breaks and chitchatting with us with no subjects off-limits!

A couple tips. First, the Riads. They are wonderful and amazing when you have a nice one. Our one in Fes was not up to our expectations. In fact, it was disappointing. The other Riads were beautiful, but remember these are former houses, so do not expect all the modern amenities that you would get in a typical American hotel. Still, so glad we stayed in these rather than hotels.

Second, the Sahara desert. We stayed in the luxury camps with luxury tents. However long you plan to stay there, add an extra day! We stayed there two nights and a third night would have been just fine with us! The people in the camps live together during the tourist season and are clearly very close and it's almost like being invited to a brotherhood. The Nomad people were incredibly warm and inviting and we were surprised how kind they were in sharing their home with us. Even providing food which we know for them is a great expense. But they have a great deal of honor in showing you where they live.

Just as a reminder, you are traveling to a beautiful foreign country, where the people have lots of pride even if, and maybe even especially if, they lack financial means. Be kind to them. Be generous in your tips. Be humble. Remember that they do their very best to speak English, so be complementary to their abilities. At the hotel, we saw a very nasty fellow American citizen, very upset that the clerk could not understand his English. There's just no need to act like that when in someone else's home in my opinion.

Overall, zero regrets and going to Morocco and zero regrets for going for two weeks! If you take the plunge, be sure to ask for Auyub, and prepare for one of the warmest and fun two weeks of your life!

Our trip to the Galapagos was fantastic. The KimKim team, Tamer and Nick, did an excellent job in planning the itinerary and checking in with us throughout the journey. If an issue arose, they were quick to address it and resolve it. The excursions on the various islands were excellent and worthwhile.

Hotel Review

Napo Wildlife Center

Quito

The Napo Wildlife Center is located in a remote location in the rainforest. The cabanas are nicely appointed and clean. The staff and food were excellent. The goal of the team is to make sure you enjoy yourselves and the jungle experience. They deliver in all aspects. The guides were knowledgeable and were able to point out amazing birds, animals, insects, etc. that we would never have seen. I highly recommend Napo.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Otavalo and Cuicocha Lake: A Day Trip from Quito

Quito

We did not really care for our trip to Otavalo Market....... It was a long drive to see a very average touristy market. Due to the long drive, we were not overly impressed with Cuicocha Lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Colonial City tour was good and the guide was knowledgeable. Cooking class was disappointing as the chef did a majority of the cooking instead of letting us participate. Food was good good, however. Our visit to the Middle of the World Monument was good and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Adventure to Teleferico Cablecar

Quito

We really enjoyed the cablecar ride and the great views of the city and various volcanoes from the top.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Rainbow Mountain - Vinicunca

Galapagos Islands

We really enjoyed the trip to Rainbow Mountain. The scenery is very good however the hike is very difficult due to the elevation. I think it is critical to advise your customers that this is a very difficult hike due to the elevation. My wife was not able to make it up to the top and we saw many others having great difficulty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exploring The Salt Mines of Maras & The Ruins of Moray

Cusco

The guide was excellent and the sites were very interesting. Great scenery throughout the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Sacred Valley!

Cusco

The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and the scenery is absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Deborah Hartnett
Date: Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 11:08 AM
Subject:
To: Deborah Hartnett

Hi Samir
I want to thank you for all the expert help, guidance and advice you gave me in planning our trip to Jordan. What an amazing country with so much history! The arrangements, timing and tours were perfectly coordinated from the time we were met at the airport with our visas until the time we left with so many incredible experiences in between like floating in the Dead Sea, exploring Petra by candlelight and sleeping in a yurt or bubble tent under the stars in Wadi Rum. We had a wonderful driver for the entire time - Abed Al Salam Alhaleq- and I think the very, very best guide in Jordan - Mutaz Moghrabi. You were wonderful to work with. You were always responsive and always giving insight into your country. Because of all your help, we had a wonderful trip. I Thank you so much. I would recommend you and KimKim to anyone who wants to travel to Jordan.
Debbie

Sharon, I'm sorry it has taken so long to get back to you since we returned from our trip on October 5. We had a wonderful trip to Morocco (and Spain); I tell my friends that it was "challenging but fun." Morocco was very unique; the highlights were the camel ride and dune camp; learning from Hicham about the Boumaine Dades area and its interesting people, history, topography and clay-colored structures that blended with the local landscape; and beautiful Chefchouen. As a wildlife biologist, I also loved the stop Hicham made on the way to Fes to see the Atlas monkeys in their native habitat. All the riads were nice and my favorite food was at Chez Ichou where we had a delicious dinner, and the stop for lunch (while driving to Rif Mountains) where I loved the fresh trout from a nearby lake. We ended up walking about 5 miles/day on this trip and in retrospect it was a bit tiresome for someone in my age group when combined with the long drives and many tours (although highly educational). Hicham was a great driver and very hospitable and patient with our many questions but I believe the many hours of driving were at times stressful and we should have at least added an extra day between Merzouga and Fes. My main recommendations are that the instructions for tipping tour guides should be clearer because we were confused with our first guide Mohammed (where we first tipped too little and then too much) so that was disconcerting, and a better understanding of distances between desired sites so that the pace of the trip could be better scheduled. Ruth Pratt

We feel that the trip gave us a good overview of what makes Morocco tick - and unique!
We were satisfied with our guides but did feel that more historic sites should have been covered in Marrakech. We only visited Bahia Palace and the Medersa. Disappointing.
We would have liked a little more "protection" from our guide when persistence from artisan shop sales people in the souk walk in Fes became too much. As a knowledgeable guide however, Mohammed was great!

Our driver Yassine was fabulous and really made us feel safe in his van and he kindly drove us past the Meknes sites that were closed because of construction but were on our itinerary for us to see. Expectations were not met as regards that part of our itinerary.

Barbar, our host at Riad Farouzi should get a special mention as he really epitomised the friendly Moroccan people and tried his absolute best to see to our needs. For the rest, our accommodation, though very different from what we are used to ( natural light! ) was interesting and more than satisfactory.

As much driving as there was, we felt it gave us a much more thorough Morocco experience than traversing the distances differently. Seeing the physical land and topography from a car definitely made the country more real to us.

Doing this trip with driver and guides was the only way to do it ! We're seasoned travellers but each country has its own challenges, starting with the language barrier of non English-speaking countries, and we could not have managed Morocco without your team.

Thank you! We will spread the word!

Activity Reviews

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Got here late in the afternoon so only a little browsing in the medina to get a superficial feel for the blue pearl.

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Just too many persisitent sales people trying to get into our pockets. We are NOT Brits with pounds or Americans with dollars. Very sadly.

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We really feel we should have covered more in this city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were really courteous, friendly and helpful people!

Transport

Petru was a great source of knowledge helping us navigate South Africa. Everything was conveniently arranged to free us from any worries. The tourist companies she used were the very best in the business and we felt comfortable. We enjoy our trip to the fullest from Johannesburg to the rustic camps for ours game drives -And from Franschhoek and Cape Town touring the major attractions. We went from experiencing rustic camps to 5 stars hotels. It was an epic experience for mother/son trip. Thanks Petru 🙏🏼😊

Our Nepal tour exceeded all our expectations. From the very start, Amanda (our Kimkim rep) impressed us with her meticulous planning and responsiveness. She was very knowledgeable and addressed all of our queries and concerns, helping us curate the exact experience we were after.
The Himalayan Trails team in Kathmandu was equally impressive, responsive, and accommodating - adapting seamlessly to our evolving needs. Their commitment to ensure we had the best journey was evident every step of the way, making us feel genuinely welcomed.
The highlight of our adventure was the Pikey Peak trek. Even though we needed to slightly adjust our plans, Tendu (our trekking guide) made sure we got the most out of our trek and displayed exceptional thoughtfulness throughout - which made it a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Moreover, our guides in Kathmandu and across Nepal were not only highly knowledgeable but also passionate about sharing their insights - enriching our understanding of Nepal's culture, history, and landscapes. Therefore, we would definitely recommend Kimkim and Himalayan Trails , which will no doubt ensure you too will have an unforgettable journey.

Our trip to Italy proved to be almost trouble free. Kikkim set us up with drivers and guides throughout our trip and not having to worry about how to get somewhere was wonderful. We had a little glitch when we first arrived when we flew into one airport and Kimkim driver was waiting for us at another airport. A quick call to Maria's team was made and another driver at our airport was quickly found. Problem solvers were readily available and they always took care of things quickly. Our biggest mess up was of our own doing. We were unaware that more then one train company operated at the train stations and on the same tracks. We ran to a train that was loading on our specific site , got on it, and miles down the track we were told we were on another company train. That cost us $50 for another ticket and a fine of$50 for being on the train without a ticket. If we would have paid attention to the train number that wouldn't have happened. Our train was a few minutes late and I think the train we boarded was late leaving the boarding spot.

The reservations worked out great. When I passed the lines going into the coliseum that were probably 2 blocks long we were very grateful we had that reservation. We also saw how important it was to have drivers pick us up at our hotels when we tried to hail a cab on our own in Rome and no one would stop. All our guides were outstanding . When one of our tours had to be cancelled due to weather conditions Kimkim came up with a great alternative and a wonderful driver to drive us down the Amalfi Coast.

My favorite place to see was not on the regular tourist list of must sees. We reserved a hotel in Verenzo (a small city near Verona) In the old section of Verenzo there is a theater called the Olympica. It is the oldest indoor theater in Italy and it was built in the mid 1500's. It has an amazing permanent back scene. If you like theater you will want to see this. No crowds in this city. Our guide to the Rome Coliseum was so well informed as was the guide in Pompeii

The reason I give the overall planning experience only an average rating is because I would have liked an idea what each part of our trip was going to cost rather then throwing out a dollar amount we were willing to pay and not knowing if we were spending our money wisely.

Hotel Review

Atelier Inès Arts & Suites

Napoli

Quirky but lovely. We got a tour of the sculpture workshop, and enjoyed a comfortable room. The hotel was in the heart of the city!

Authenticity & Character

Villa with artistic sculptures and a lovely garde/patio area.

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Bathroom was amazing.

Activity Reviews

Cooking class at farm

Italy

The chef was delightful and patient with us. We were surprised to have made such a delicious meal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Our tour guide was a hiustory teacher who made the ruins come to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lake Maggiore Tour from Milan with its Borromeo's Islands

Milan

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and delightful. Isola Bella was amazing and beeautiful. Our guide was an expert in naming the plants!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My mother, Gigi, and I had a spectacular time on our South African adventure. We were very happy with KimKim as the entire process and planning was made simpler for us. It gave us a peace of mind that everything from accommodations and attractions were taken care of by the planning and execution of the staff at KimKim.

Petru was our superstar planner. We were very happy with her service as she was extremely patient and thorough with us. We were very confused and disoriented with the planning process before hiring KimKim (Petru) as our planner.

The staff at Tangala Safari Camp at Thornybush and Timbavati Game Reserve were delightful. Our accommodations and attractions planned for Franschhoek and Capetown were top notch. We enjoyed every step of the experience. The animals! Wow! Watching anything on the National Geographic channel will never be the same as it'll always come second to our up-close experience with every animal we had encountered.

Our favorite part of our trip was experiencing the amazing and beautiful South African people. Everyone was so genuine, kind, charming and welcoming. A giant thank you goes out to everyone from every step of the way who made our trip that much more enjoyable and memorable. We even learned a few words in Afrikaans.

Thank you, Petru! You made it an exciting trip and we'll always remember how good you were to us.

Until next time!

Joe Gilani

Planning and Booking are ok. Our expectations and what we got are very close. After the trip we understood that something could be changed, but not much, that is very personal, hard to predict, especially for first-time visitors.
Communication with Sandy was excellent. The Tokyo guide - Yumi, and Kyoto guide - Noriko, are very knowledgeable and provided lots of detailed information. Additional thanks to Noriko for helping with booking tickets back to Tokyo.
The last trip to Kobe and Himeji left mixed fillings. The visit to the Sake musicum was interesting, and Kobe meat restaurant at lunch, reserved by Yasuko, was excellent. The afternoon trip to see White castle was difficult for us due to lots of steps climbing and 2 hours took to get back to Kyoto. Thanks for having a private van.

Hotel Reviews

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Newly renovated hotel with excellent location in the hart of the city. 4 stars only due to size of the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel

Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa

The rooms are very small and have steps inside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too far from city center. Taxi doesn't want to service

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba

Minato-ku, Tokyo

Very good hotel, convenient located near train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Samurai fighting equipment in the museum is very old but in excellent condition. We got additional historical facts. The Kimono Tea ceremony was so unusual for us. Besides the tea itself, we learned Japanese tea tradition and etiquette.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove & Arashiyama Tour

Kyoto

Very nice temple surrounding by garden, pond and bamboo grove. Travel guide - Noriko is excellent. Lake water tour very nice with amazing views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Arakurayama Sengen Park Tour

Tokyo

Very nice trip and boat tour with a view on mount Fuji. Excellent ride on cable way up to the hill to view mount Fuji again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Hakone from Tokyo

Japan

Must use the local bus due to lack of taxi service.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo city tour (Asakusa )

Tokyo

Very good, amazing view from the radio tower.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Very informative. Thanks to the guide for navigating via underground transportation

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour From Kyoto with Fushimi Inari Taisha

Kyoto

Very unusual experience with the deers in the Nara park surrounding the shrine. We feed them from hands and they bow in response. The shrine is absolutely amazing, especially gates.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kobe Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum and Himeji Castle Tour

Osaka

The Sake museum is very informative, but may be not for every one, we think, mostly for men. The Himeji Castle is gorgeous outside. For going inside we have to climb over very steep stairs. That wasn't easy for us. Since we spend too much time for travel, it wasn't enough time to see the beautiful garden next to castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim Australia Tours October 2023

First of all, Kerrie and Gary were great to work with to make our dream vacation to Australia a reality. My first contact was with Kerrie. Gary took over when Kerrie was not available. Their quick response to our needs and questions was great. Kerrie designed our vacation to encompass all the aspects of Australia we were looking for in a 9-day whirlwind vacation, most of which ended up being totally different from what we had in mind. Kerrie took what we wanted to experience and used a more user-friendly trip itinerary than we had envisioned. We had two hiccups with our transportation but they both worked out ok. The tours were all great, over all the transportation was what we needed, the hotels were great, everyone we encountered was helpful and friendly.
We used Uber to get from the cruise port to our hotel – Rendezvous Hotel Sydney, The Rocks. This was a quaint hotel about 2 blocks from the cruise port. The only bad thing about our first night there was getting to the room. They had us on the first floor – which sounds great except we had to pull our suitcases up 10 steps to the first floor, go down 2 steps in the hallway, up two more steps and immediately down 2 steps to get to the room. Same thing going back to reception at check out the next morning. This would not have been bad except we had 2 big suitcases and 2 carry-ons to get to the room. The room was more of an apartment – with a steep flight of stairs to the bedroom/bath. Since we were just staying the one night, we left our suitcases downstairs in the ‘living room’. – This was something Kerrie/Gary would not have known when booking the hotel and it was a nice change from the ship stateroom and regular hotel rooms.
In the afternoon of our arrival, we had a half day Panoramic Sydney Sights tour with our tour guide, Tom, with AEA Luxury Tours. This was a good overview of the city and Tom was great with the history of the city and what we saw.
Transport to Sydney airport was uneventful and though delayed, the flight from Sydney to Cairns was also uneventful. Our transport to Port Douglas from Cairns airport was uneventful.
Our stay at Meridian Port Douglas was delightful. Mini apartments surrounded the pool with walkouts to the pool. The staff at the Meridian was great, giving us information on the city, and the locations of different shops, restaurants and post office. Amanda was the main person at the Meridian that we talked with during our stay. She even showed us to our room and explained how the a/c worked and where the washer/dryer was. We did not have cell phone service while in Australia. Amanda arranged transportation for one of our excursions as well as helped us with our first mix-up with our scheduled transportation from Port Douglas to Cairns. Amanda contacted Hughes Chauffeured Cars, our scheduled transfer company, to inquire where our driver was. When, after an hour, our driver still had not come, Amanda contacted a transfer company the Meridian advertises to inquire about transportation for us to Cairns. Everyone at the Meridian was gracious and very helpful. The Meridian was very well situated for walking everywhere in Port Douglas and transportation. We were about 2 blocks from town and the beach. Our first tour in Port Douglas was to the Great Barrier Reef. We were picked up in front of the Meridian and driven to the dock. Everything we wanted to do – semi-submersible, mainly – was included in the tour price. The only things we had to pay for were drinks while on the tour and souvenirs. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
Our second tour ‘Ngana Julaymba Dungay’ – We all Going Daintree’ ended up being a full day tour instead of half day (which turned out to be great). We were picked up and dropped off in front of the Meridian. Once again a highlight of our trip. Our tour guide, Juan, a local Aboriginal of the Kuku Yalanji people, was great. He took us to a coastal region near Mossman where members of our group found a sand crab, mud crab, scallops and mud snails in the Mangroves on the beach. Juan cooked what we had found on the beach to go with the wraps and fresh fruit for lunch. He also explained the vegetation in the Mossman Gorge, showing us a tree that had been bent into a directional arrow. We learned a lot about the Kuku Yalanji people from Juan.
Our private tour of the Tropical Animal Rehabilitation Center in Port Douglas was another highlight of our trip as we were able to hold a Koala (for a picture) and feed kangaroos and wallabies. We even had 2 parrots join us for lunch. The information on wildlife and how they rehabilitate them was invaluable.
The Pacific Hotel Cairns was in a good spot for walking around the port area and getting transportation to the Outback for our tour. The hotel staff was good about getting us a taxi to the bus terminal for our tour as well as holding one of our bags until we returned.
We took a coach from the transit station in Cairns to Undara Experience Resort near Mount Surprise. This was a great experience for us as it was a ‘semi-local’ coach from Cairns to Mount Surprise so we were able to see different towns along the way.
The coach driver, Dave, asked if we had transport from the bus stop to the resort as it was a 15 KM road to the resort. Dave was kind enough to contact the resort to verify if we had transportation and arrange it for us. He was also the coach driver on our return to Cairns the next day and inquired about our stay there.
We went on the Wildlife at Sunset tour seeing lots of kangaroos on the property and bats at one of the lava tubes. The next morning, we went on the Archway Explorer tour which took us further into two different lava tubes in the Undara Volcanic National Park. Our accommodation was half of a train sleeper car, and the dining/bar area was made up of antique train cars.
Back to Sydney from Cairns with time to explore the Harbor. Dinner on the pier and another 2 nights at the Rendezvous Hotel Sydney the Rocks.
Our last tour was a day excursion to the Blue Mountains National Park with our guide Paul, with AEA Luxury Tours. Our first stop was at Calmsley Hill, a working farm home to farm animals, Kangaroos, Emus, and Koalas. We were able to pet the Koalas. We had several stops at lookout points of the Blue Mountains, including a beautiful waterfall at Govetts Leap and the last stop at Eaglehawk Lookout for a view of the 3 Sisters. Our final stop of the tour was at the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens.
I can’t thank Kerrie and Gary enough for making our dream vacation to Australia a reality.

Habiba made the whole planning and booking process extremely easy. She gave us a lot of great options and suggestions and took into consideration the things we did and did not want to do while in Egypt. Overall, the whole planning and booking experience was great. While we did still greatly enjoy the trip and our visit to Egypt, there were a few things that we weren't so happy with.

Our trip began in Cairo. After we landed at the airport, we were able to find our guide easily and he and our driver took us to our hotel. The guide (sorry I can't remember his name!) was very friendly and knowledgeable and told us a lot about Egypt and its history during the one-hour drive to the hotel. We were very impressed with our driver, as well. Cairo traffic is no joke, but he navigated it like a pro.

Our hotel was NOT what we were expecting, though. Great service, but the place simply was not done. Our itinerary said we were staying at the Great Pyramids Inn in Giza which, if you look it up on Tripadvisor, is a beautiful (completely built) hotel with a restaurant/bar on site. The hotel photos that were provided in our itinerary were extremely misleading. A completely different hotel. We were brought to the Royal Great Pyramids Inn (or something like that, Royal Pyramids Inn, I can't remember), which is still under construction. The first 4 floors are still being built and there was construction going on the whole time and there was a lot of dirt and dust from the construction. It looked nothing like the photos. Our room was very pretty and well decorated with a great view of the pyramids, but again, it wasn't finished. There were no towel racks or bars or hooks, nowhere to hang anything. Lots of hangers but no place to hang. We had to set our towels on a small table to dry them. 10 bottles each of shampoo and body wash, but no other toiletries (conditioner, lotion, etc.). The power went out for a little over an hour on our second day. That happens; not a big deal. It made us very hesitant to take the elevator in the building, but the staff insisted that we take the elevator anyway (I think because of all the construction mess on the stairs). The staff was incredibly kind and friendly, so that made it not quite as big of a deal that the hotel was totally different from what we were expecting. We were under the impression that there was a bar and restaurant on site. They did feed us the first night and breakfast was provided, but I would hardly call it a bar/restaurant. They were also surprised to hear that I am a vegetarian, even though I made that clear in our questionnaire before we started planning the trip.

A different guide took us to Cairo Tower the second night for dinner. We were expecting a nice romantic dinner, just the two of us, but our guide actually sat with us the whole time at dinner, and didn't eat anything. He was perfectly nice and pleasant, but it was a bit awkward. It also seemed like there were lots of issues with us getting into the tower and getting dinner because the guide kept having to get up to talk with the restaurant staff, and it took about 20 minutes for him to get our tickets into the tower. We weren't given a menu and were told that our options were chicken or beef. We were told that there were no vegetarian options, even though we noticed on our way out that the menu had plenty of vegetarian options. This was frustrating since I had included the fact that I'm a vegetarian in our questionnaire before we started planning the trip, so I would have hoped that some arrangements would have been made in advance. We also weren't offered any drinks or anything and had to ask for water after we'd been sitting there for a while. We saw after the fact that there were lots of drinks/wine/cocktails, etc. on the menu.

There were a few instances where our guides took us to places that weren't on our itinerary and which we would have expressly declined if we'd known in advance. Eg., we went to a papyrus store to "learn how papyrus is made" but it was really just a high-pressure sales pitch to get us to buy something. We were also taken to a jewelry store and a perfume store. Towards the end of the trip one of the guides pulled up to the front of an alabaster store. We said "we're good here, we don't need to go in" knowing that we'd just be pressured to buy something. I have no problems with these businesses or their sales tactics and I understand they're all just trying to make a living, but I would have appreciated a heads-up that we would be visiting these places. Because we would have said "no thank you." Our trip was jam-packed with sightseeing and we had very little downtime to begin with, so we would have preferred to skip those extra little outings that we didn't ask for.

It also seemed there wasn't clear communication with the timing of our itinerary at times. For example, we took a 3-night Nile Cruise and our itinerary said we would have lunch onboard on the last day before we departed on a 4-hour drive to the next destination. But we actually had to check out of the cruise at 8am that morning so we had to ask our guide to take us somewhere so we could buy lunch before we left.

None of that ruined the trip by any means. We still had a great time and got to see and do all the things we wanted to see and do. All of our guides and drivers were friendly and kind and helpful and, with the exception of the Cairo hotel, our accommodations exceeded our expectations.

From the start in planning our trip, Sharon from Morocco Immersion Tours & Adventures, helped plan our itinerary to include important places we wanted to experience and to make the most of our time while in Morocco. The guides we had were amazing! We did a bread making class in Fez, where we made five different breads. Then while in Marrakech we did a tagine cooking class. Both well worth it! Our riad accommodations throughout were comfortable and impressive. There was one glitch that was immediately dealt with by Sharon and Sallam, our guide.
At the outset, we were met at the Casablanca airport by Sallam, with whom we made an immediate connection. Jamal, our driver, quickly became part of our Moroccan van family as well. Over the two weeks and some long days driving, Sallam and Jamal shared their love and passion for Morocco. Sallam shared his Berber heritage which gave us an even deeper understanding of Moroccan life and culture. The hours sped by as we all laughed together sharing stories and joking. Because of Sallam and Jamal, our trip in Morocco has become one of the top three favourite places we’ve ever experienced.

As an overall comment I have to say that working with KimKim and its agents, Carmen and her colleagues, was outstanding. Not only were they able to suggest and arrange a fabulous trip in foreign lands for us, but they were extremely flexible and helpful during our planning process, which required many changes due to family circumstances, time constraints and specific criteria that we specified.

In addition, with the App that they supplied, along with a detailed daily trip plan they provided a very useful chat program that allowed us to request assistance and to change plans on the fly when encountering the inevitable issues that arise during any trip. We were able to get quick and successful resolution to several matters thanks to their friendly and effective attention.

We were so impressed that we recommended KimKim to several fellow tourists that we met along our way. We have no hesitation in recommending KimKim and will be sure to use them again if we make another tour. Thank you for everything, KimKim team!

Sincerely,
Paul and Lesley Sagar,
San Diego, California

Berat organised our trip at quite short notice and did an excellent job. Cappadocia was amazing and our visits to Ephesus and Pergamon were very interesting. Our guide Volkan was very well informed and driver Aly was good. And cats!

Hotel Reviews

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Charming character-filled hotel. Absolutely brilliant breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kale Konak Hotel

Very interesting rooms. The breakfast is amazing. And cats!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

It’s balloons. It’s Cappadocia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Wine + Romance in Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Very pleasant time. A nice way to watch the sunset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Goreme is an intriguing place. The natural formations are extraordinary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport