Kimkim Trip Reviews

The local guides are all professional and catered to our needs, even the drivers. They can be very flexible since we’re a small group. Thank you Trang for all the arrangements

I had a fabulous 4 days on San Cristobal, Santa Cruz Islands and day trip to Santa Fe island. The guides were helpful and knowledgeable. I especially liked the boat ride, snorkel and walk to see the blue footed boobies. The day trip on the Galaxy Daily boat, plus the snorkelling, was terrific. Thank you, John, Edison, Mauricio, and Rita for all you help and guidance!!
Sharell from Canada

My wife and I decided to go to Costa Rica for our anniversary fairly last minute. Neither of us speaks Spanish or had much knowledge about the country. Kimkim saved me hours of research by offering a buffet of options for what we wanted to do during our trip and then Gustavo helped us to customize the recommended itinerary to fit what we wanted. Specifically, when he heard that we were interested in bird watching, he added Monte Verde to our itinerary which turned out to be a highlight of the trip. In country everything worked flawlessly. We were picked up on time for each of our rides to new locations or tours. Not having to deal with the stress of driving and getting to just enjoy the country side was almost worth booking through kimkim all by itself. Bottom line, we will be recommending kimkim's service to anyone we know who is considering a trip and doesn't want to do all the research and booking themselves.

We had an amazing time in Portugal thanks to Pedro and his team. Throughout the whole process they were very responsive and all of the recommended excursions were great. During our trip they gave us daily updates and were available with any additional questions we had so we could just enjoy our trip stress free. The country was very welcoming and friendly to us. I highly recommend using Pedro and his team.

Because of a diplomatic situation, we were unable to obtain required visas and didn't think that we were coming until about 4 days before our trip. Ravi was able reorganize our entire trip on very short notice. We were very thankful.

Our guide in Jaipur was outstanding! He knew and shared all sorts of information but also when we asked questions where he didn't know the answers he was honest and said that he didn't know -- rather than make up something. In addition to the regular sight-seeing destinations, he helped us navigate buying a replacement phone charging cord and work out a place to go running the next morning. Our driver was also terrific although at times we felt a little too pampered. At one point he wanted us to get back into the car to drive about 300 metres down the road. I was so tired of sitting (5+ hours already that day) that I insisted on walking. And it turns out that I was faster on foot than he was in the car.

I was less impressed with the other guides. In particular, the guide from Delhi shortened the days from what was promised then asked, "if there's anything else you want to see?" but because we had just arrived, we didn't know what to suggest. So we ended up dumped back at the hotel early and feeling a bit trapped. By the end of the trip, we were more comfortable taking a Tuktuk or the metro on our own, but we needed more structure on the first few days.

I was also particularly unimpressed with the guide from Agra who asked if we wanted to see how the marble inlay work was done by craftsmen and then took us to what was essentially either a tourist scam or abusive labour practices. They told us about how many hours went into creating these beautiful tables (all supposedly by hand by workers from the families of the original crasftmen) and then wanted to sell them to us for quite low prices. They had a huge showroom of tables which would have represented millions of hours of work so either this story was untrue or they are paying some huge number of people inappropriately low (slave labour) wages. When I refused to buy anything at all, the sales pitch ratcheted up a notch and in order to leave we were led through more and more showrooms of items for sale. I would not have agreed to go to this place except that I misunderstood and thought that it was a museum where we paid for admission (not a sales scam).

The safari guides at Ranthambore were ok. The morning guide was great, but in the afternoon the guests in the front seat were from India and we were in the back seat. The guide didn't speak English well (or at least he chose to speak to them in a local language) and the Indian guests ended up translating for us. But they only translated about half of the information and we missed a lot. I kept having to ask what the guide was saying. My advice to other safari riders is to sit in the front seat and ask questions.

All the hotels on the trip were great. The one in Ranthambore and the one in Jaipur were particularly lovely and the staff were pleasant. The food was yummy. We ate most dinners in the hotels and almost always had too much food.

One of my favourite parts of the trip was the cooking class with a family in the Jaipur area. It was very special to be welcomed into someone's home and spend time together. We didn't do the market or henna (as advertised in the itinerary), but I didn't care because instead we spent a long time cooking and talking and then eating together. During our conversations, they gave us instructions and encouragement to take the metro and tuktuks ourselves to explore Jaipur that evening. We followed their advice and found our way.

All in all, it was a great trip and while I've provided some negative feedback (in hopes of helping Active India improve), I am very satisfied. I would recommend Active India to other travellers who (like me) didn't have the time, experience, or confidence to arrange all the details of their trip on their own.

Hotel Review

Dera Rawatsar

Very impressed. The owners were particularly welcoming and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

We had a lovely big room with a seating room and our own balcony.

Location

close to the metro and easy to take a Tuktuk from the bus station.

Staff

Friendly. I felt a bit smothered though. I don't need 3 people to show me to my room and carry up our two small cases.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour

Jaipur

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide was terrific. Best one of the trip.

Cooking Class, and Dinner with Local Family

Jaipur

This was the best part of my trip although we did not go the market at all. But having the time with this family was wonderful.

Food

It was delicious. She said she would send the recipes on WhatsApp and we have already been in contact.

Taj Mahal at Sunset

Agra

We didn't go at sunset as promised. We went earlier and were there for much less than 3 hours.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It wasn't clear what choices we had about timing etc.

Guided Heritage Walk through Lodhi Garden

Delhi

It was a bit too short. The guide skipped the bonsai garden and I agreed to skip it thinking that there were more other things to see. But then when we got to the other end of the garden, he said, "well that's it we'll take you back to the hotel" even though the time wasn't up. We didn't see the Lodi Colony at all either. It just felt like he was keen to dump us and be done.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

car was always clean and driver was terrific.

Ed planned a fantastic trip for me based on both the places I wanted to visit and his own extensive local knowledge.
During the trip Ed and his team provided friendly and efficient service and assistance as needed.
I would recommend anyone to book a trip through the team!

Kim Kim made our trip to Peru a trip of a lifetime. Our travel specialist Liz worked with us with everything that we wanted to do, she was extremely responsive and answered any questions or concerns we had. Our travel specialist during the trip Lisabeth was also extremely responsive and ensured our trip went smoothly.

Gummi did an excellent job planning our Iceland Ring Road adventure. He reviewed the activities we had expressed interest in and proposed additional ideas for our consideration, a number of which we added to our itinerary. Gummy is a native Icelander and has an intimate knowledge of the country and activities, having done them himself. He did a great job preparing our daily itinerary which included when to start and highlights with suggested amounts of time to spend at each location. The inclusion of Google map links made it easy to navigate. We did not think or worry about logistics before or during the trip. Gummi was also available if questions arose. We highly recommend him. Trip highlights- Inside the Volcano, Silfra Snorkel, Porsmork HIke, Katla Ice Cave and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Morocco.

Some things that could have been better: our guide was terrific, but it was impossible to hear him when we were driving. I sat right behind him and could not hear at all. My husband sat behind the passenger seat and heard a little. Not sure how that can be fixed - a microphone, maybe?

The trip to the desert was great as was the stops along the way and the overnight in the desert- top notch, nothing I would change. On the return, we stopped at a kasbah that was closed due to the earthquake. There was no reason to stop there. We then spent the night in a hotel that was about 3 hours outside of Marrakesh. The hotel was in the middle of no where - you could not walk anywhere, so we were stuck in the hotel. The room was in the basement and the prepaid dinner was absolutely awful. The breakfast was fine and the owner was very pleasant. It was truly a wasted day. It would have been much better to drive the three additional hours and get back to Marrakesh later in the evening so we could have had a full day in Marrakesh on our last day in Morocco.

The city tour of Marrakesh was terrific and the Riad that was stayed in on our last night was lovely.

Overall a great experience but I would make some changes in the future.

We had a wonderful honeymoon trip across Morocco where we spent 14 days across many cities and regions. My wife and I joked that we couldn’t handle seeing so many beautiful sights each day and agree that our itinerary was perfect for the trip we wanted. A great mix of relaxation, adventure, and appreciation of a culture different than our own. Our guide and driver throughout the trip was Said, and we couldn’t recommend him enough. He was very informative about all the locations we visited, made us feel safe and welcome, and went above and beyond to make sure we had a positive experience in Morocco. We came to Morocco as visitors but luckily after meeting Said, we left with a friend. Would absolutely recommend Kimkim, MOTB and Said to whoever is thinking about taking a trip to Morocco.

Hotel Reviews

72 Riad Living

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Great experience in the desert, staff was fun and friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Great food and ambiance!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Meziana

Chefchaouene

Very nice, intimate setting. A great place to say in the picturesque city of Chefchaouene

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Absolutely stunning Riad, my wife and I greatly enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fez + Food Tour

Fes

Our food tour was in Marrakech not Fez, but we had an absolutely wonderful time. Donuts, Harrira, tangia and more! Left full and happy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback or Camel Riding on the Beaches of {{pick_up_location}}

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Ourika Valley: Hike to a Waterfall

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide went above and beyond to make sure we saw all that we could!

Transport

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I don't know where to start but I will say this. If you are on the fence about using a service like this to help you put together an amazing and memorable trip, I'm here to tell you to just book it!! Let all your worries be taken care of from beginning to end for you by this incredible team. This was me and my husband's first trip to Asia so we wanted some assistance in putting together an itinerary as opposed to doing it all ourselves. We had an idea of the parts of Thailand we wanted to go but as far as hotels, excursions and inter-Thailand flights we were a bit overwhelmed by the idea of doing all of that ourselves. Kelly was our trip planner and I have to say she exceeded expectations by a landslide. From the start, her response time was so fast once we filled out the shell of what we wanted, she had an itinerary back to us within days. Within a few tweaks, per our request we had everything buttoned up and done within a week in terms of the trip plan. My husband is very tall so we had a couple requests with regards to leg room on the flights within Thailand and she took care of that no problem, we were in the front of the plan on all our flights she booked. Once we were in Thailand we had guides that picked us up at the airports and took us to our hotels as well certain excursions. Our favorite guide was in Chiang Mai and her name was "Toy: Tantawan". She took us on our journey to the elephant sanctuary and stayed there all day with just just taking photos and videos of the day which we did not expect at all. The next day she took us to the most beautiful temples and took so many more pictures and we learned so much history about Thailand. She was such an amazing person, we truly enjoyed our time with her. All of our guides were amazing - Golf was our guide in Bangkok and he was so great as he picked us up super late at the airport with no issue once we arrived from the states and he also took us on a tour of the Grand Palace and taught us so much as well - we were a bit jetlagged so we didn't get to do all the things he recommended but he was so personable. Honestly I could go on and on about the entire team at KimKim, but I will say the excursions and the memories we created were because we did these things with the help of this service. Thank you for a wonderful wonderful time KimKim! Can't wait to use you again!

Our travel planner, Shehara, was amazing! We asked to do very "out-of-the-ordinary" requests for our trip, and he was so very helpful and flexible and accomodating. He also helped find a driver/guide, who was also amazing, Mr. Laki, also known as "Lucky". When Air India lost Craig's suitcase, Mr Laki made numerous calls to Air India, and helped coordinate the rendevous with the courier from Air India, to get Craig's suitcase, when it finally made it from India to Sri Lanka. Both Shehara and Mr Laki were extremely instrumental in making our trip to Sri Lanka truly a dream come true!! We are really indebted to both for our most wonderful time in Sri Lanka!!
Best regards to them both!!
Rani and Craig Milldrum

Hotel Reviews

Kumbukgaha Villa

Sigiriya

Authenticity & Character

Location

Little out of the way, but worth it!! Very nice!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tembo Cottage Wilpattu

Wanamalgama

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful hosts and great food.

Location

Just outside of Wilpattu National Park

Staff

Always smiling and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice A/C room.

Activity Reviews

Visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temples

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An afternoon jungle safari ride at Wilpattu National Park

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angel was prompt at picking us up and arranging the daily events.
Eduardo was a great driver and very knowledgeable.

Our family had a fantastic time visiting the magical Christmas markets in Germany, and enjoying all that this beautiful country has to offer at this festive time of year!

Hotel Reviews

Leonardo Royal Hotel

Nuremberg

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flemings Hotel München City

Munich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse

Berlin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Day Trip to Dresden from Berlin

Berlin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nuremberg Private Guided Walking Tour (Private/2Hours)

Nuremberg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Munich Private Guided Walking Tour

Munich

Salzburg and Salt Mines Private Tour

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Premium Tour

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Berlin, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Potsdam

Berlin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Berlin Introduction

Berlin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

1) Several transfers had been arranged for us, of which 4 were to get us to airports in time for flights. Two of those were so late we found other ways to get to the airport. Kimkim did refund the cost of those two missed transfers, but that didn’t restore our confidence in their ability to provide timely transportation to airports. See also comments on communication below.

2) Communication was good before the trip. Agustina was our contact. When we arrived, we were assigned Nicolas as on-site contact. We met him over coffee and asked many questions. He named the person who would be our contact for the coming Saturday and Sunday when he was off. But we never were told who our contact was for our final day (Friday, a week later). That day, when our transfer was 15 minutes late, we tried in vain to contact Nicolas. Even later, we got a text from the previously-named weekend person (now working on Friday). By then we had hailed a taxi and had barely enough time to get through all the lines at the airport for our departure from the country (we’d allowed 4 hours). So, while it was helpful to have a local contact person, it was disturbing to be unable to contact him when we needed help on our last day.

3) We would have appreciated a more helpful description (i.e. what the different price ranges would be) between their strata of “comfort,” “mid-range,” and “basic,” rather than planning the whole itinerary before realizing that the total cost would be beyond our comfort zone. They did adjust things in response to our requests for less expensive accommodations and fewer arranged tours. So, we made our own lodging arrangements and chose our own activities for half the trip. We were disappointed that they didn’t give much help deciding where to splurge and where to save on our itinerary. On our last night, we were in a hotel room (booked by them) where the toilet ran continuously every time it was flushed. That hotel’s concierge, on the other hand, did an excellent job of communicating with the taxi driver we’d hailed, so that we were able to pay with the funds available to us. In the end, we had a good experience, and wish that others would be given more clarity about the prices of different options than we were.

4) The tours kimkim arranged were good, and we had a better time with the smaller groups than the large ones. For example, kimkim had scheduled our Milonga night right before being picked up in the morning for the airport at 5 am. That activity was just our guide and us, and she accommodated our request to leave the festivities at 10 pm instead of 11:30 or later. The other extreme was a boat full of people (100+). It made two stops and for each, we were told we must all be back on board at a specific time. For one of us, 50 minutes was not enough time to relax and enjoy the 0.6-mile loop path in the Bosque de Arrayanes (Myrtle Forest), much less the snack bar at the end of the path.

5) One more thing: kimkim knew our preference to communicate in English, and for the most part, paired us with competent English-speaking guides. However, the tour of Victoria Island in Lake Nauhuel Huapi was led by a Spanish-only speaker. The boat that took us there had some commentary in both languages and some only in Spanish. For the Island, we were given a firm time to return to the boat and cautioned to stay with the guide so as not to get lost (it is a larger island and has more paths than the Bosque de Arrayanes). We would have enjoyed that day better if we’d understood what was said both on the boat and on the guided tour of Victoria Island.

Hotel Reviews

Infinito Hotel

Buenos Aires

This is the third hotel that was assigned to us, but it changed at the last minute. It's too bad that kimkim doesn't have our actual hotels available to rate.

El Pueblito Iguazu

Puerto Iguazú

I can't rate this, since our booking was changed at the last minute to a different hotel.

Hotel Nevada Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche

Again, this hotel was listed as our place to stay, but at the last minute, we were shifted to another hotel. Therefore I cannot accurately rate this hotel.

Activity Reviews

Boat trip over the Nahuel Huapi lake and Victoria Island

Bariloche

This is long because there are a lot of points to be made. -We were anxious when the bus didn’t pick us up soon after 12:30, though it did eventually come. We had been switched to a different hotel and pick-up point that wasn’t written down and didn’t know who to call or text to check our information. -We had more confusion in the boat launch area because we already had our boat ticket, but needed to get a pass (the English signs said everyone needed to pay entry tax) for the park entrance later in the day. -The catamaran boat was crowded and slow, though it was equipped with a snack bar and restroom facilities. -The cruise aspect would have been more enjoyable if it had been easier to see the scenery around us (beautiful lake with mountains in the distance) out the windows but they were somewhat obscured by spray from waves on the lake. Options for clearer viewing were on a deck above the majority of passengers, reserved for some special subset, and the top of the boat which was so windy as to be unbearable for long. -Time at the two stops was shorter than we would have liked, -At one stop (Victoria Island) it was strongly suggested that we stay with the guide rather than risk getting lost. But the guide spoke only Spanish, so we missed a lot. Also, we were encouraged to stop at the snack bar there, but it took a very long time to get our order (pizza) filled, which left no time to eat it. -The amount of time on the boat felt very long compared to the short times at the two stopping places. The day was listed as 8 hours, and we spent 50 minutes at the first stop and less than 1.5 hours at the second; the rest was riding in the bus to and from the boat launch area and on the boat. -The two stopping places were disappointing, mostly because we couldn’t understand the guide who was pointing out things of interest on Victoria Island, and because we’d already seen some Arraynas trees the day before (though the Bosque de Arraynes stop this day did have more trees, we were in a hurry to be sure we’d be able to get back on the boat).

Kayak in Moreno lake

Bariloche

We did this on our last morning in San Carlos de Bariloche. The weather was sunny and not too cold or windy. It was wonderful to be inside the beautiful scene of the lake and mountains we’d been seeing from shore for two days. We were outfitted with gear including water booties, a spray skirt, and a life jacket. The kayaks were very stable, and we were given basic instructions. This activity was a great contrast to walking and driving tours. However, some of us had sore arms by the end, not being accustomed to the movements of kayak paddling. We had a nice break on a tiny beach where we were served a variety of snacks and teas. Our guide, Leticia, was very helpful and shortened our outing to enable us to get changed into dry clothes and back to our hotel in time to meet our airport pickup.

Bird's Park

Argentina

This was amazing. Wonderful! Loved it, and wasn’t prepared for how much we would enjoy wandering into the birds’ spaces. Some were protected from us, and others were allowed to fly right past us. It’s a refuge, so there are displays about various aspects of conservation and concerns with ecology. We were very pleased that we'd visited the Bird's Park (Parque das Aves).

Half day tour to the Iguazú Falls (Brazilian side)

Argentina

This half-day tour with Dario as our guide and Diego as our driver included quite a bit of walking with more wide panoramic views of the falls than on the Argentinian side. It was a wonderful complement to the views from Argentina. We stopped near the entrance to the park for refreshments and saw a chameleon in some rocks along the path. We got wet on walkways that went out over parts of the falls, and that was exciting! There was also a souvenir shop conveniently placed near the end of our walk. After we left the falls themselves, we visited the Birds Park (reviewed separately), and a large souvenir shop before heading back across the border. We were also given the option to take a helicopter tour over the falls which we declined in favor of more time in the Birds Park. With all the time that the border crossings took in both directions, it was more than a half-day total, but fortunately, we didn't have anything else scheduled.

Full day to the Argentinian side of the falls

Argentina

This was a long day which, for us, was interrupted by the Gran Aventura Navigation Tour. We followed our guide Francisco to many viewpoints of the falls. Looking at photos or a map ahead of time didn’t prepare us for how much walking up and down would be involved, nor did the photos prepare us for how large an amount of water we’d be close to. It was thrilling! The handrails were quite slick at times, making it feel a bit less secure, though the area is designed to keep people safe. We saw capuchin monkeys cavorting in the trees, and toucans just being themselves. If I had it to do again, I’d wear a waterproof hat with a brim over the waterproof poncho to better keep my head dry. The poncho hood I had didn’t provide enough cover. Fortunately, the air temperature was warm enough that getting wet wasn’t too uncomfortable, while the drizzle kept the sun from roasting us.

Gran Aventura Navigation tour

Puerto Iguazú

This was a very exciting (and wet) boat ride into the water splashing up from the bottom of the Devil’s Throat. We got very close to rocky shorelines and saw animals like capybaras and caymans on small beaches on the way. There were a lot of steps down (and back up) to get from the rest of the paths around the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls, and the logistics of putting everything into a dry bag, and changing into dry clothes afterward were tricky (no real locker room or place to change). It was almost warm enough to wear a swimsuit for the whole experience, but it still would have been tricky to dry off and change into dry clothes afterward. Our turn to do this boat ride was in the middle of the day, and the rest of the day was walking around on walkways where the drizzly weather and mist from the falls combined to keep us wanting our ponchos on, as well as a lot of walking that wouldn’t have been comfortable in water shoes. They managed to give a lot of people the experience, and it was fun, but we’d have appreciated a neater way to change clothes.

Milonga night

Buenos Aires

Melina met us on foot at our lodgings, then led us to our car and driver for the evening. First, we went to a dance studio where we had a private lesson in the basic tango step with her. As expected, I didn’t feel at all confident when the lesson was over, so when we got to the milonga (it appeared to be a hotel ballroom where the dance floor was surrounded by tables), I was filled with fears of not doing well, not being graceful, and not fitting in. Melina made things easy for us by introducing us to another tour leader, Martin who graciously agreed to dance one dance with each of us. We were grateful that Melina was willing to leave much earlier than planned (10 pm instead of 11:30 pm) because we were scheduled to leave for the airport the next morning at 5 am. The evening did leave me with more appreciation of where to start learning to dance the tango.

Valle Encantado trek

Bariloche

We can't review this because we didn't do it; our itinerary was changed because of the timing of our flights into and out of San Carlos de Bariloche. Instead, we did the Chico Circuito which did allow us to see some of the sights in beautiful Bariloche.

Walking tour: Palermo & Recoleta

Buenos Aires

At the request of our guide, Sandra, we met for this tour an hour later than scheduled. This is another of the small groups (just us three and the guide) that we appreciated for their individuality. Palermo and Recoleta is a large area, so we didn’t know what to expect. We did walk by highights that Sandra told us about, then went to Recoleta Cemetery. The cemetery was impressive, and Sandra drew our attention to some areas of special interest. Part of the tour, for us, was two brief rides on the subway, so we were able to see some of the art we’d heard about in the Subte system.

Day Trip to the Pampas & Estancia Lunch

Buenos Aires

We appreciated our driver who negotiated everything from busy Buenos Aires traffic to the bumpy and very dusty last mile or more to the estancia with aplomb. The visit and tour of San Antonio de Areco was lovely, though it seemed a bit brief since we had to leave to get to the estancia in time for horse riding before lunch. The church, museum, and inside view of some workshops (silver, and braided fine strips of rawhide) in San Antonio de Areco were worth seeing. Our guide, Laura, was proud of her local history. At the estancia (El Ombu is not as prominent in the tourist literature but was really wonderful, and we credit Agustina for steering us to this estancia), we had lovely weather for lunch outdoors, shaded by large spreading trees. A typical asado has very little in the way of vegetables, but this one included a couple of very nice salads. A highlight of the afternoon was being invited to learn a simple dance and dance with the live musicians after their performance. The last performance of the day was a young man and a horse who performed quietly and impressively with only gentleness (aka horse whispering).

Pema, our guide, was as knowledgeable, flexible, helpful and keen to cycle&hike as any guide we've ever had. He also gets five stars.
The routes were all scenic and reasonably challenging.
All of our drivers were really good.

Hotel Reviews

Wangdue Eco Lodge

Wangdue Phodang

nice place but I don't agree that no wifi in our room is eco-friendly as they suggest

Tashi Namgay Resort

Paro

beautiful place

Soednam Zingkha Heritage Lodge

Ha

Room was not well sealed and was therefore cold, but staff was very accommodating and even put in an electric mattress heater which helped a lot! I believe that we actually stayed in a place nearby with a similar name

Lingkhar Lodge

Trashigang

Beautiful place, large unit. helpful staff, nice to have a bath in the unit

Mountain resort

Jakar

Beautiful hotel

Red Fox by Lemon Tree Hotels, Delhi Airport

New Delhi

Decent place, really good breakfast

Wangchuck Hotel

Mongar

Beautiful hotel and location, Great, helpful staff.

Trogon Villa

Yonkola

Took a few tries to get a room with hot water, but otherwise was a reasonable place

Ura Homestay

Ura

interesting experience, great breakfast. It would have been better if they could have conversed with us

Chumey Nature Resort

Chumey

nice place but worst breakfast of the trip (everything was cold including the instant coffee)

Yangkhil Resort

Trongsa

really nice place. We would have enjoyed an extra night here

Dewachen Hotel

Phobjikha

nice place

Bhutan Suites

Thimphu

really friendly and helpful staff

Activity Reviews

From Trongsa to Chumey (partly cycling)

Trongsa

Another nice ride

From Chumey to Jakar (partly cycling)

Chumey

Another nice ride

Ha Valley hike

Ha

We did the hike up the ridge from Chele La, the panorama hike and the hike over the pass towards Paro during our few days in Ha Valley, The latter two were in mostly pine forests. We did see a sambar deer. The views from the ridge above Chele La were great - could see Jomohari quite clearly

From Yonkola to Mongar (cycling)

Yonkola

A good ride, with warm weather the whole distance. It felt good to walk into the great hotel and enjoy the views

Trongsa Dzong & Museum

Bhutan

The museum is interesting. We didn't have time to see the dzong. Would have enjoyed an extra day here.

Paro valley hike to Dzong

Paro

Nice short hike to the museum and dzong which are both worth seeing.

From Phobjikha to Trongsa (partly cycling)

Phobjikha

A nice ride with a lovely descent into a warm valley

Punakha - Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten & Punakha Dzong

Bhutan

Punakha Dzong was one of the nicest ones to see

Trying out bicycles

Thimphu

It was good to ride a bit to see that the bikes were working fine

Paro - Hike to Tigernest Monastery aka Taktshang Goemba

Paro

Amazing place. We were well acclimatized for the hike after our 3 weeks in Bhutan. We hiked up to the next temple as well which was worth it for the views and additional photos

From Mongar to Trashigang (cycling)

Mongar

The descent in the middle portion of the ride was surprisingly chilly, but otherwse it was yet another great cycle route. Nice to see monkeys along the route.

Visit Trashigang Dzong

Trashigang

Another well built and scenic dzong

From Ura to Yonkola (cycling)

Ura

Another nice ride with an amazing descent into warm weather

From Jakar to Ura Valley (cycling)

Jakar

Another nice ride

Cycling in Phobjikha Valley

Phobjikha

We walked instead of cycling. Nice to see the cranes

From Wangdue Phodrang to Phobjikha by car and bicycle

Wangdue Phodrang

Lawa La pass is a tough climb. It gets steeper near the top. Need to be careful going into the blind corners as sometimes oncoming vehicles are trying to pass... The road down into the valley is mostly paved.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From Thimphu to Wangdue Phodrang by bicycle

Thimphu

Dochu La pass was a good one to start with

Thimphu City Walk

Thimphu

It was good to have a look around. Best done on foot

Let me start by saying this, and i said this to my partner at least once a day during our trip, I will NEVER plan another trip WITHOUT KimKim ! I have been the trip planner for all of our vacations for years, every flight, transfer, transport, adventure, experience and meal, and of course , I then felt completely responsible for their success or failure! This is the first time in years that I have felt like I was actually completely on vacation and in the moment! I know that I did the planning with KimKim and chatted with Gustavo and Jessica and set up the plans, but I was totally along for the ride this time! We were never disappointed, absolutely AMAZING!
The KimKim team, Gustavo, and Jessica (thank you Jessica for handling things in real time !!) really listened and heard what we were looking for in out Costa Rican experience. Thank you to Christian at Relax for the best start to our trip, what a wonderful host and amazing place to stay! Thank you to Jorge and Diego at Jacamar for our adventures in La Fortuna! Thank you to both Hugos (great driving and sharing) and Alex (Tortuguero). Also, all boat rides were incredible, and the snorkeling in Cahuita and surfing in Puerto Viejo (best surf instructor Misael!!!! )I could gush all day! I know i have forgotten some names but not the experiences!!! Thank you for making our trip Absolutely Unforgettable!

Hotel Review

Relax Natural Village

Puerto Viejo

Cristian , thank you so much for making our stay so wonderful! You have created a magical place to stay in Puerto Viejo! Thank you for your hospitality, comfy beds and rooms, the delicious breakfast and coffee every morning and for every suggestion you made! We will only stay with you on any future trips to Puerto Viejo! Absolutely fabulous !!

Authenticity & Character

Cristian is just the best host and the cabins are absolutely beautiful !!

Location

Walking distance to everything we wanted to do and see!!

Staff

Breakfast was delicious every morning and staff was kind and attentive !

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cabin was spotless and comfy, outstanding!!

Activity Reviews

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

Junior is the best ! We learned so much and had an amazing time! We have a new friend in Monteverde for sure!!

Quality of Experience

Junior's passion for coffee makes this the best experience! He is a coffee expert and a great teacher!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

thank you, Junior! for taking so much time to share your world with us!

Transport

Junior picked us up and dropped us off at our lodge and shared his love of coffed with us from start to finish!

Private Surf Lesson at Salsa Brava

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Great lesson !! so patient ! great instruction , we really learned a lot and enjoyed every moment!! Thank you Misael!! and the lunch suggestion was one of our favorite meals of our entire trip !!

Quality of Experience

Great lesson, Misael really understood how to explain body mechanics so that we could make progress and make adjusments ! thank you !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unnecessary for us, we could have walked and instead paid two cabs we did not need , but we did not know final meet up so now that we know we would have walked instead of taking cab to school and then back tracked to beach

Horseback Riding on the Beach

Costa Rica

We loved this day !!

Quality of Experience

Saw so much more than we expected!! Jungle and beach !!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was so great ! we learned a lot!

Transport

On time and kind!

Our guides and driver were great!

Overall wonderful arrangement by Kim Kim. . We had a great trip. Cape Town hotel and sightseeing was excellent. The Safari experience at Tambamati reserve was outstanding, Khaya Ndhvu was very good, and Rhinopost was OK.
All Vooma Transfers and drivers were outstanding.

Hotel Reviews

Khaya Ndlovu Manor House

Hoedspruit

The facility is an interesting lodge, combining traditional features with modern touches. The rooms were somewhat faded and earned in my opinion 3 stars, not 4 stars. A standout was the food which was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

The food

Location

Staff

Very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The infrastructure needs updating and in some cases repairs.

Rhino Post Safari Lodge

Facility Not well maintained. Staff was very average Rangers was good Food was great Overall experience- just Ok. Would not recommend to friends

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cabins need major update and maintenance

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

Outstanding facility. Warm hospitality and Great game viewing really up close.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Southern Sun The Cullinan

Cape Town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near convention center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day City Tour, Robben Island & Table Mountain

South Africa

Excellent driver and tour guide, Henryk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henryk

Transport

Game Drives at Rhino Post

Kruger National Park

Andrew and Marika were good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Game Drive in Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park

Andrew and Marika were good. But not going into the bush diminishes the overall game viewing experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Panorama Tour

South Africa

Guide and Tracker were very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thabamati Luxury Safari Camp Safari Days

Timbavati Game Reserve

Excellent in every respect. ranger Charlie and Tracker Oscar were outstanding and a delight and a wealth of information and knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula Tour

Cape Town

Guide and Driver Hendricks was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A++ - A Trip Beyond Expectation... We owe a heartfelt 'Thank You" to KimKim & Ms. Kelly Lu our coordinator and specially to our many local expert tour guides in Thailand and Japan:

Our recent three-week trip to Thailand and Japan, was planned and executed flawlessly by KimKim and Ms. Kelly Lu, and exceeded every expectation at very reasonable price. From the initial consultation to the final farewell, the experience of visiting multiple cities in each country was flawless and fun and a testament to KimKim's professionalism and Kelly's exceptional attention to detail and responsiveness to our last second changes during out trip.

Kelly listened carefully to our desires, and the places we wanted to visit and why.... She then crafted different distinct itineraries that captured the essence of our interests. Her knowledge of both countries and ability to hire exceptional local tour guides was impressive, and her suggestions were invaluable in shaping what turned out to be an almost perfect adventure that my daughter and I will never forget.

Once we chose our itinerary, Kelly took care of everything. All you need to do is arrange your plane fare there and back. They tale care on everything else. For example, plane and train tickets inside Thailand & Japan that she seamlessly coordinated, Kelly, thru the local agent Kate, secured access to sold-out events like the enchanting Chiang Mai Light Festival, which my daughter will remember all her life adding magical moments to our trip.

Kelly meticulously curated a complex comprehensive timetable, including hotels, transportation, and chose exceptionally talented local guides local guides. like "Kate" (Whose Thai name is Por-kaew Limlimtrakul) in Chiang Mai who was able to get tickets to the sold out and coveted Chiang Mai Light Festival. Kate also arranged for a private visit to an elephant sanctuary where my daughter interacted with the rescued elephants and their keepers. Lastly Kate arranged for my daughter to take a Thai cooking class from a respected Thai chef. Mr. Luk in Phuket who took us in one of his new speedboats to dive, snorkel and tour the PiPi Islands where many scenes in the James Bond films were shot. Each guide was a delight: knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about their respective fields, be it sushi-making or history of their country or religion, local customs, local delicacies, out of the way restaurants where we had exquisite meals. The drivers were also talented and we felt very safe in their large new vans that we were transported in. They enriched our experience with fascinating insights and genuine hospitality. I wont forget any guide; Kate in Chiang Mai, Mr. Noon in Bangkok, Ryoji in Tokyo who took us on a wonderful all day trip to Mt. Fuji and found a tiny country restaurant with only four tables, run by an elderly local grandma, who prepared an exquisite "Hoto" pot for our lunch, Yakuso Nagal who found out of the way shops, with unique, fascinating clothing for my daughter to sample and buy, The knowledgeable and funny Mr. Son in Kyoto who was a senior executive at a large hotel chain before retiring and becoming a guide, Ms. Yumi Takahasiin in Tokyo who knew the lay of the Tokyo extremely well and was flexible and fun to be with, Hiroko in Kyoto, who was knowledgeable and explained things extremely well and last but not least, Mr. Patrick Noon in Bangkok, who taught us much about the history of the many temples we visited and the history and customs of Thailand.

Throughout the trip, Kelly remained a constant presence, via email or text, ensuring our comfort and satisfaction. Her responsiveness and proactive approach were truly remarkable. She anticipated our needs and addressed any concerns promptly and efficiently.

The trip itself was a journey into wonder. We explored bustling cities, serene temples, and breathtaking landscapes, all with a sense of ease and enjoyment. KimKim and Kelly's meticulous planning, and their indispensable local guides, ensured that we didn't miss a single beat, maximizing our time and allowing us to truly immerse ourselves in the local culture.

Beyond the impeccable logistics, the most significant impact was the genuine care and dedication Kelly demonstrated throughout the process. She treated us not just as clients but as valued guests, crafting a personalized experience that we will cherish forever.

We wholeheartedly recommend KimKim and Ms. Kelly Lu and the guides mentioned (and any I may have forgot to mention) above to anyone seeking an exceptional and unique travel experience. Their expertise, professionalism, and genuine warmth transformed our dream vacation into an unforgettable reality.