Kimkim Trip Reviews

Kate, the local specialist who helped me plan to trip, did a lovely job picking hotels that fit my specifications and finding guides for the different local adventures. She was very responsive to my questions and helped me make changes to the trip itinerary when it turned out the Kamikochi National Park was already closed for the winter. Amy, the local guide in Nagoya who hiked the Nakasendo Way with me, was truly amazing - I would HIGHLY recommend working with her for future travelers. The guide (Layla) and driver for a morning of sightseeing in Nikko area were timely and followed the itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Nishitetsu Hotel Croom Nagoya

Grand hotel in great location in downtown Nagoya (10min walk from Nagoya station, main metro station in city). Beautiful views, clean, friendly staff. Breakfast buffet was unparalleled. Room was smaller (not as small as most Tokyo hotels though), but efficient and well appointed. Very nice onsen. I would definitely recommend to future travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryokan Asunaro

Takayama

Amazing ryokan. Friendly staff who were aware of your personal preferences and spoke some English. Best onsen I visited in Japan. Many fun craft activities (paper making, soy bean grinding, coaster weaving) offered by staff. Beautiful, unique and extensive meals with local ingredients. Rooms were spacious with traditional ryokan set ups. Just be aware this hotel is in a very remote location, with a small village down the street with a few restaurants/shops - it was hard to see much without a car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very remote - but valuable if that is what you are looking for

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full day Tour by Private Car with Guide: Transfer from Takayama to Kamikochi National Park to Nagoya

Takayama

These activities are completely incorrect- Dec. 2 was taking metro from Nagoya to Magome to hike Nakasendo Way with guide Amy, which was truly amazing. I cannot say enough good things about Amy or the Nakasendo Way hike. Dec. 4 was a private car and driver around Nikko. That was definitely less amazing. I never went to Kamikochi because after I had put down the kimkim deposit the local guide told me the park was closed for the year. Review for Dec. 4 private car with guide around Nikko: Guide Layla sent me WhatsApp messages in advance, but never introduced herself, explained the itinerary or confirmed pick up location. Also, she never vocalized plans on the day of the trip either (I'm not sure if this was a cultural or personal issue). Trip was billed as a "full day tour", but in fact was only 2 hours of sightseeing and 2 hours of driving from my hotel. There was no discussion or inquest about getting food before dropping me off at 2pm. Also, the driver seemed very tired and I was a bit worried about his driving at the beginning of the trip. I am a very active person and thought there was supposed to be some hiking/walking on this day trip, but at most we spent 15min meandering around the lake. The most interactive part of the trip was walking around Toshogu Shrine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was extraordinary thanks to Tasos and his team really listening to what we wanted (and making recommendations for things we wouldn't even know about). We ticked off all the touristy spots my kids insisted on - but with Tasos' help did them at times and with tour guides that limited crowds and other headaches - and then we enjoyed really unique experiences I never would have found on my own. When we had hiccups (which is to be expected on a 16 day excursion across multiple locations with a family of five) Tasos and team were immediately responsive and helped to resolve the issue. They were available 24x7 and extremely responsive the entire time. I have referred KimKim and Tasos specifically to several friends who want to go to Greece or Italy (and he was referred to me by a happy customer). That says it all.

Michael was tremendously responsive and creative in putting together our trip to Colombia, very much last minute, and yet somehow incorporating everything that we wanted to explore - and more.
Thorough, professional, and knowledgeable, with the kind of advice that you knew was authentic and reliable. The accommodation was excellent, our guides were exceptional in their knowledge of, and passion for, Colombia. Our experience of this beautiful country was fantastic, and we would definitely return! Thank you for the care you took in helping us craft our first visit to Colombia! Gracias!

We thoroughly enjoyed our Patagonia trip in Chile and Argentina. Planning it beforehand was such a positive experience because Erin and Nara's responses were immediate and their advice so helpful. They were exceptional. There were many logistics on this trip because of the vastness of Patagonia and everything went very smoothly. Our activities and locations were nicely varied and we had a really good balance of scheduled and free time. Valparaiso was such an interesting city - we loved the street art, the Hotel Fauna and especially our Chilean cooking class with Sebastian. One of the best days was the trip to Estancia La Peninsula outside Puerto Natales. There was horseback riding, barbeque, sheep sheering and just general good cheer - such a blast. Yurt "camping" at Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine was a super high point. Our hikes were stunning, the facility beautiful and the staff superb. We were sad to leave. In El Calafate in Argentina, we liked the dining - great restaurants and food - and also the Hotel Kosten Aike. Seeing the Perito Moreno glacier so close was remarkable - a worthwhile day trip. Our day trip to Upsala Glacier and Estancia Cristina was OK but not outstanding - the weather was partially to blame for that. Overall, we were blown away by the beauty of Patagonia and appreciative of the great planning through Kimkim. It is a trip we will remember forever.

Christina was amazing. This was our first time booking with a tour company and it was way beyond our expectations. Christina was so prompt with responding to all our needs it was just a great experience! I will definitely use Kimkim again. All the tours Christina sent us on were perfect! We went on a walking tour in Oslo, Stig was great! We took a train to Flam. The scenic train ride was picture perfect! We also took a boat ride through the Fjords. Unbelievable! Then off to Bergen by train. We went on another walking tour. That was more of a hike because of the hill but was very picturesque. We spent 2 nights in Bergen. Then took a plane to Tromso. We went on a Chasing the Northern lights tour and that didn’t disappoint either! The last thing we did was Dog Sled Ride and that was a blast! I think we have to go back in the summer to see all these wonderful views with out snow.
Everything went so smoothly, Thank you Christina for a trip of a life time!

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

This was probably my favorite hotel on the trip! It was so warm and cozy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow. What an amazing experience. Sangita, Bipin, Rabin, and the entire Namobuddha team made our first visit to Nepal outstanding. The communication, logistics, pace, and friendship really sets apart this team from the rest. They were really easy to work with, followed through, and were very professional all while being friendly and approachable. My entire family (wife and two young boys 11 &13) had an amazing time.

Hotel Reviews

Traditional Stay

Mangalbazar, Kathmandu

Great location in Patan. Really close to durbar square and local shops and restaurants (If, for whatever reason, you get a bit tired of delicious Nepali food, try the Ramen place right across the street. Yum!) Comfy rooms. Amazing bathrooms! Nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Locally Run Lodge

These were perfect. The beds weren't the most comfy but having a bed and warm blanket at the end of a day of trekking was fantastic. The shared bathroom was better than expected and most had an option of toilet-type. The food at all of them was amazing! It took a long time to get the food (because they were literally making it from scratch!...which is awesome) so bring some games or a book or something. The walls are thin and it's basically a hostel so earplugs might be helpful for some. In my opinion, though, this is the way to see Nepal!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Landmark Forest Park

Sauraha

WOW! Beautiful grounds. Comfy rooms. Great restaurant. Friendly staff. This hotel was really nice and was definitely our most comfortable stay in Nepal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Yukhang

Kathmandu

Great location and friendly staff. Overall we really enjoyed our stay here. We had a small issue with one of the rooms but it's was remedied almost immediately. The included breakfast was nice and filling and the rooms were cozy and relatively comfortable. The location is what really made this work for my family and I. Close enough to all the action but off the path enough that we couldn't really hear the sounds of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Junbesi to Thuptenchholing Monastery ( 3200 m / about 4-5 hrs)

Junbesi

For us this was optional but it's so worth doing! There's an entire day of rest after the previous day's hike and this short trek up to the monastery is optional. So if you need to physically recover you have the option but if you're feeling okay this is strongly recommended. It's pretty much straight uphill for about 1.5 hrs but once you're up there it's beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Patan walk

Patan

There's nothing better than exploring a new place with a passionate local person...and Bipin is that person!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Salleri to Patan(7-8 hrs)

Salleri

Trek from Junbesi to Salleri(2500 m/ About 4-5 hrs)

Junbesi

Morning, Trek to Pikey Peak (4060 m) and Trek to Junbesi (2700 m/total 8-9 hrs)

Junbesi

Ok real talk. The views from the top of Pikey Peak will stay with you forever. We had perfect weather and though it was COLD and windy up there I was shocked by the panoramic beauty on display...and of course you know that pics don't do it justice!...BUT...there's a looooooot of hiking on this day. We were not mentally prepared for it. We had trained and stuff but on this day you wake up EARLY (4:30a) to summit by sunrise (which is worth it) but after you summit you go back down for breakfast, then back up for lunch, and then waaaaaaay back down for Junbesi. Our legs were toast by the end of this day. Junbesi is a great little town and the accommodations were really nice. I'm not sure there's a way to shorten this leg because of how remote you are at this point in the trail so just be prepared. It's waaaay worth it though....and the way to Junbesi takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of the trail.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek from Jhapre to Pikey Base Camp (3600 m/ about 5-6 hrs)

Pikey Base Camp

This leg was a bit longer and a lot more uphill! The elevations are real out here and at times the grade was between 30-45%....but you cannot beat the views already! Though a longer and more strenuous day it seemed to go by quickly and knowing there was a warm meal and horizontal bed waiting for you helps a lot too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek from Dhap to Jhapre (2920 m / about 4-5 hrs)

Jhapre

Loved this. This was an easy short day. We made it to Jhapre by lunch and then just rested and chilled out the rest of the day. You've got an immediate view of the mountains and at times it felt like we were hiking straight to Mt Everest. So cool. Our guide Rabin and two porters were fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Kathmandu to Dhap (2850 m)

Kathmandu

This was rough....not because anyone did anything wrong though. The road to the Dhap from Kathmandu is just long, chaotic, slow, bumpy, windy, steep, and loud, etc. It's just a long uncomfortable car ride. On the bright side, there were multiple stops and the places we stopped for food was always delicious....and on the even brighter side...after you climb out of the valley you can almost immediately see the mountains and some of the views are amazing! The mountain views did get me and my family even more excited to get out there and start hiking them! Bipin and Sangita did change some things around for our drive back and that helped make a big difference for us. Thank you.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Jungle Activities in Chitwan

Chitwan National Park

OMG Chitwan is amazing. The jeep safari was neat but the highlight was the canoe ride down the river. We spotted crocs from the boat. Beautiful National Park.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market walk(about 2 hrs)

Kathmandu

This was a welcome treat. It doesn't matter how much you study before you go somewhere, there's nothing that compares to having a local show you around. This was great. Bipin was patient and knowledgable in his explanations and helped us feel welcomed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked.

Welcome Dinner

Kathmandu

We loved this! Bipin is awesome and immediately helped us feel at home and welcomed. His knowledge of Kathmandu and Nepal and his many years of experience with tourists was evident. The restaurant was really good too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Matias was very flexible and did a fantastic job of incorporating our feedback in order to arrive at the vacation plan that best fit our needs. He brought numerous alternatives for consideration based on our input.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Mansa Wine Hotel

Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo

Nice hotel but odd in that it is in an area surrounding some redevelopment and is a bit far from Mendoza city center.

Authenticity & Character

Cute hotel with nice aesthetics

Location

Pretty far from Mendoza

Staff

Staff were very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel

Puerto Iguazú

Beautiful hotel. Nice pool areas and quiet locations with nice balconies for each room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Ponchos Hotel Boutique

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

Really cute B&B style hotel with amazing staff

Authenticity & Character

Amazing character

Location

A bit away from main strip of El Calafate

Staff

Incredible staff. Very welcoming and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Poincenot

El Chalten

Beautiful hotel in El Chalten. Nice location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

CasaSur Recoleta

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Horseback riding at Estancia Cristina

El Calafate

Amazing experience. Highly recommend the horseback riding as it is legitimate experience on well trained horses. Not the “trail ride” with poorly trained horses. The food prepared at the bbq was fantastic. What a truly enjoyable day and experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minitrekking Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Amazing experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great engagement

Transport

Estancia Gaucho Day

Buenos Aires

After experiencing a real ranch in Patagonia this was a bit of a letdown. A lot of idle ti e and do not need to have a guide with you the entire time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna de los Tres Trek

El Chaltén

Weather impacted our trek but a great experience regardless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nativo Experience - Lakes and Caverns

El Calafate

Too cold for this experience. Not super interesting from our perspective

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipu Valley

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguazú Falls Great Adventure

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Argentine Dinner Experience

Argentina

Very fun experience and highly recommend. Great way to meet other travelers and have fun experimenting with food and drinks

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Brazilian Falls

Puerto Iguazú

Our guides were amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Food at the national parks is okay

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing in all respects

Transport

Buenos Aires Barrios Tour

Buenos Aires

Good to get perspective on the areas but our guide seemed more interested in her own perspectives and ideas than inquiring about our interests.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was great but tour guide was a bit much for us

Transport

Dinner and Tango Show at Rojo Tango

Buenos Aires

Fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Condores & Aguilas Viewpoints

El Chaltén

Uco Valley Wine Country

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Argentine Falls

Puerto Iguazú

Our guide was simply the best. Highly recommend the boat trip into the falls

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I wouldn't have planned a trip to Costa Rica any other way than using the Serendipity team and KimKim to organize and help us with all the logistics. Everything ran smoothly and we had wonderful experiences in three or four different provinces, visiting La Fortuna, Monte Verde and Manuel Antonio. The pre-planning team of Fio, Charlotte and Nancy was fantastic and I greatly appreciated their responsiveness to our questions and requests. They adjusted the trip plan and itinerary as needed and even changed hotels for us when we wanted to do something a little unique. We were really happy with their final recommendations and everything from the accommodations to the activities, transportation arrangements and all else was phenomenal. I will absolutely use them again for our next trip.

While in Costa Rica, we were so impressed with the guides. I hate to name them as I will undoubtedly miss some, but Mariano Salazar was particulary incredible with his knowledge and experience as well as his sense of humor and we all became fast friends. Alvaro (spelled incorrectly I believe) who transported us from Monte Verde to Manuel Antonio also stood out- he recommended sights and stops that we never would have known about, including stops for food and much less expensive souvenirs. There wasn't a single guide or driver who wasn't extremely knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and they all went out of their way to make sure that we were comfortable and had our questions answered thoroughly. Can't wait to get back and use Serendipity and KimKim again. It's a great business model and experience. So much better than if we had done the planning and organizational work on our own and the value relative to the cost was extremely high. Thank you so much to the entire team for making it a wonderful experience for the four of us in our group. We have many memories and many of those were thanks to you and for making it such an easy vacation.

My husband and I used kimkim to plan the honeymoon of our dreams at the place of dreams, New Zealand! The entire process was absolutely seamless. Franck and his team at Once Upon a Trip were amazing! I communicated with Franck for 8 months before our trip started and he answered all of my questions in an extremely timely manner and gave incredible advice. He booked us for all the best hotels and excursions and we had the most amazing time in New Zealand. We are hoping to return to New Zealand soon, and we will definitely be using kimkim and Once Upon a Trip again! Thank you so much Franck!

Hotel Reviews

Eliza's Manor

Christchurch City

I loved this manor! The location was in a perfect setting in Christchurch. The hotel was decorated immaculately and the room was extremely comfortable. The food is also delicious and the staff there were extremely friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

The decor was extremely unique!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dunluce Bed and Breakfast

Te Anau

This bed and breakfast was in the perfect location! There is a village closeby with stores, restaurants, and gift shops! It is also about 2 hours away from Milford Sound, and the drive there was the most beautiful and picturesque drive my husband and I have ever been on. The host Hannah is incredible! She made sure that everything we needed was taken care of and then some! She was extremely knowledgeable about the area and had great advice for our journey to Fjordland. Thank you Hannah for being so great to us during our time there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Te Anau is an amazing place and I would love to live there one day!

Staff

Hannah is an incredible host, she made breakfast for us and it was delicious every morning!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ahi Restaurant - 4 snacks and 4 courses

Auckland

The food here was INCREDIBLE! I love the storytelling behind each dish and it was the best tasting food I've had. The drinks were also delicious, and the staff were friendly and inviting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glowworm Paddle Board Tour

Rotorua

This was one of the best things we did on our trip! The guides were very informative and friendly. The drive to the lake and the lake itself were beautiful. Seeing the glow worms in the caves were out of this world!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pō combo (Guided Experience + Indigenous Evening Experience)

Rotorua

This whole experience was amazing! It was so wonderful to get an education about the Maori people and culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was delicious and there was a lot of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

This was a bucket list dream come true for me and it was an experience I will never forget! Not only was the set so incredible, but the general scenery was breathtaking! It was also awesome to try the ginger beer at the Green Dragon Inn. The Shires rest cafe also had delicious and fresh food (I had the fish and chips along with the salad).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All agents were really professional, very friendly and helpful. Special thanks go to Said and Abdeljalil who made our experience memorable!

Overall our experience with KimKim was wonderful...though it did not start out that way.

We first were assigned Moreno, who while kind and seeming eager to assist, was not as attentive as I expected. There were numerous times where he failed to respond to my questions in a timely fashion, and one time where I asked some questions, only to not hear back in well over a week. At that point, I questioned KimKim as to whether I should receive a new local specialist. The result was that Moreno would remain with us. Once the trip was secure, we failed to hear from him. While that may be "normal", I didn't feel good about the complete lack of communication.

About 8 weeks prior to our trip however, Melanie came on the scene to "assist" Moreno. She contacted me, introducing herself and well, she was AMAZING!!! She was engaging, provided me plenty of opportunities to get excited about the trip. She communicated with me about a variety of topics regularly. She was extremely prompt with her responses, when I had questions as the trip grew closer. I felt as though she was a member of our TEAM ITALY trip!! She even told us about her favorite cake from Pansa, an Amalfi paneterria. Once she took over for Moreno, it was truly the first time I felt that KimKim deserved a 5 -Star rating....and I messaged that to Melanie via What's App.☺

Most of our guides were amazing including Ina...our Pompeii tour guide and especially Nino, our Path of Gods tour guide!!! Antonio, our driver for our Amalfi Coast tour (which was added to our trip after Melanie contacted us, sharing that the boat company had canceled their tours to Capri due to 'angry seas'), was delightful, kind, and drove those very windy roads with immaculate care and caution. He took us to some special spots along the drive to soak in the "perfect" views of the coast!!!

Our hotels were fabulous...situated in wonderful parts of their perspective cities. We definitely indulged in the fabulous food, drink and culture of the people that surrounded those hotels.

I have already shared Melanie's contact info with one couple friend of ours and plan to pass her name along to others as they ask about our journey. SHE was TOP NOTCH, always available and attentive, and truly excited for us to experience her homeland!!

Grazie mille a Melanie and KimKim for our new family memories!!

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrento City Hotel

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Charme Spagna Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Capri in a Day

Italy

CANCELED DUE TO ANGRY SEAS.....

Panoramic trail nicknamed The Path of the Gods + Transfer from Sorrento

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nino was incredible and our surprise lunch on the trail with Antonio the local herder on the mountain was simply THE BEST!!!

Transport

Our driver back from Amalfi to Sorrento was with Mario...who also happened to drive us from Naples Airport to Rome upon arrival. He was awful. He drove incredibly fast, making all 5 of us feel nauseous. We had done the same drive the day before with Antonio (as our trip to Capri was canceled) and none of us were nauseous with that driver. I honestly prayed that we would arrive back to the hotel safely. Please do not use him again!!!

Wine Tasting Lunch

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure + Vatican museum

Rome

It was a LONG day of listening (830-4pm minus an hour for lunch) Our guide was brilliant, but she didn't seem to notice whether all of us were listening or not. I would have preferred a guide who also could meet us where we were...asking what our interests were regarding the Vatican and Colosseo, so as to have been talked WITH rather than talked TO about what we wanted to know.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We planned a shorter trip to Italy in October for a November departure and were expertly handled by our specialist, Fabio. Or should I call him Fabulouso? :) Our trip was effortless, fun, interesting, and so full of some of the best of Italy in 5 short days! We had great accommodations in three wonderful hotels, transportation, tickets, and two awesome experiences - a food tasting tour in Rome and a cooking class in Sorrento. Fabio was available all the time via text or whatsapp, and was super responsive throughout this whole process. It was a little nerve wracking book all of this online, but the experience was top notch. If you want to go explore the world and looking for something other than a tour bus or cruise ship, I would highly recommend KimKim. It was conceirge level service and made the vacation just a breeze.

Thank you, Fabio!! Shelly & Chris

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Barberini Roma

Rome

Nice hotel, the room was smaller and it was noisy at night with traffic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Marziale

Sorrento

Beautiful small hotel. We were in the Youth Room. Big comfy bed and nice bath. Sorrento is walkable and we loved this location.

Authenticity & Character

super neat place !

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Nazionale

Rome

Great hotel. Central location and QUIET for Rome. Not on a busy street at night. Loved it. Staff was awesome. Room was nice and bed comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to everything

Staff

very helpful as we arrived early in the morning from our overnight flight

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything perfect

Activity Reviews

Self Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum | Skip-the-Line Tickets

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza & Pasta Masterclass in Sorrento

Sorrento

Fun time in Sorrento at the most beautiful location! We made pasta, pizza and tiramisu. Great time!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flavors of Rome | Food Tour with a Local Foodie

Rome

We learned about Rome, Italy and FOOD! Armando was an awesome guide and we visited some fun locations!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the transport staff were really nice. Prompt, Clean vehicles. Awesome

We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Canary Islands. Marta, our travel agent, did an amazing job of planning the trip for us. We had flights to take, cars to rent, and tours to take and everything went very smoothly.

Hotel Reviews

La Palma Princess Hotel

Fuencaliente de la Palma

Very nice hotel. Took about 45 min to arrive at the hotel from the airport, but the drive was amazing along the coastline. The hotel was nice, clean, beautiful surroundings, and good food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Secrets Lanzarote Resort & Spa – Adults only

Puerto Calero

Amazing, adults only hotel. Beautiful hotel, good buffet, great drinks, great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

La Graciosa by Sea: Luxury Catamaran Cruise with Snorkel & Kayak

Lanzarote

This activity was a blast! We took a short ferry ride to La Graciosa were we were able to explore on our own for about an hour. Then we boarded a catamaran and sailed around the island, stopping for lunch and a swim. This was a perfect day that I will not forget!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Lanzarote Island's Volcanoes & Vineyards

Lanzarote

Perfect day with our awesome, private tour guide. I would definitely recommend this tour. Our guide took us all over Lanzarote, and explained to us all about the volcanoes as well as the vineyards. He even stopped at a couple different beaches at the end of the tour so we could see those sights. He packed us a delicious, local to the Canary Islands, picnic lunch which we enjoyed in a lava tube!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Stargazing Excursion to Roque de Los Muchachos

La Palma

Amazing tour! Would definitely recommend this tour to others. We saw the sunset above the clouds, and then we experienced stargazing like I've never seen it before. Definitely a once in a lifetime tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very steep, winding roads! The driver was awesome.

Transport

FANTASTIC!!! That's the one word I would use to summarize the service, the trip and the awesome KimKim team.

My wife and I loved our Jordanian vacation and have dozens and dozens of photos to cherish the wonderful memories created from the experience.

Ahmed made the undertaking of such a vacation manageable and easy. He answered all of our questions, tailored the package to exactly what we wanted and was always considerate of our request and needs.

Fahad was our personal guide and always made sure we arrived on time while educating us on Jordanian culture and traditions.

It truly was a magnificent trip that created wonderful memories we'll have for the rest of our lives!!!!!

Our first guide was Ping. Loved his enthusiasm and knowledge. I enjoyed the hotel in Bangkok definitely a 5 star place. Did not enjoy the Tree House place. I have issues with my knees so climbing once into the room was it. The room itself was fine and I was brought dinner. Enjoyed the National Park Lake and the bungalow. Got to see an elephant in the wild. Great spotting by our guide. Koh Phi Phi was nice place and enjoyed it. Boats were a challenge again due to my knees Phuket was hot. There were a lot of walking tours so didn’t do them. Did visit some of the Buddahs. The Boathouse Hotel was great. Wonderful food. Saw a show “FantaSea” and had a great time there. The star of the trip however, was Chaing Mai. That city wss great. Saw the city gates and all the prep for their festival of lanterns and lights. Visited a silk factory and learned a lot as well as buying some silk. I think the best thing in Chaing Mai was Happy Elephant Home. Helping with and feeding the elephants was great. I would like to go back to Chaing Mai aagain.

Hotel Reviews

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

Very quiet hotel with outdoor space to just sit relax and congregate as a group for planning group activities. Within the old city walls. Everyplace was walkable if you wanted or you could get a taxi, tuk tuk or uber like taxi. Right outside the doors there were shops. restaurants and massage places.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Boathouse Phuket

Phuket

Beautiful hotel. Wonderful food. The chef would come out to see if all was to expectation and just talk for a bit. No other hotel had this during our stay They gave us a tour of the hotel amenities as well. Also a first for us. Breakfast watching the beach day begin and supper watching people walk the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Phi Phi The Beach Resort

Krabi

I enjoyed staying here. It was basically a rest break without a lot of dight seeing. Beach was great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lanta Casa Blanca

Ko Lanta, Krabi

This place had beautiful rooms. The food was great. The sea was right there or the pool if preferred. The food was a buffet and delicious. The evening event was spectacular

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our Jungle Camp - Eco Resort

Tambon Klongsok, Ampur Panom, Suratthani

If you’re fit and able to climb stairs to your room it is great. We had asked for a lower room as I can’t climb stairs well. We ended up with a flight of stairs. I stayed in the room until the next day when we left for the National Park Service lake.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

When asked for a room with zero to few stairs would appreciate compliance with request

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Beautiful place. Friendly helpful people. Super great food buffet. Close walking distance to city. Right on the river so able to watch the river traffic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park

Beautiful park and lake. The boat tide takes you through and around the lake.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spend a Day with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

A great day spent with the elephants. We fed, washed, mudded and played with the elephants. All the elephants were rescues but the only eay to describe them is as gentle loving giants.

Quality of Experience

The elephants themselves

Food

Made our own soup with a little instruction

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Omo was great

Transport

Took a van from hotel to Happy Elephant Home

Cheow Lan Lake Explorer

Khao Sok National Park

Saw a wild elephant! A highlight for the trip. Also saw some birds

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ayutthaya Historical City

Bangkok

We arrived about noon so those that rode bikes got them. I rode in a motor tuk tuk. As it was noon we asked the guide to feed us before going to the old city. He complied and took us to a wonderful restaurant (Trip review rated) Then we went yo the old city. A lot of ruins but still had a reclining Buddah.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Saw many temples, a native craft center and all mostly by boat. Boats for me were a challenge but it was a fun day

Quality of Experience

Food

Small restaurant but quick service

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was great

Transport

Not a fan of boats but all were helpful getting me in and out without falling

The quality of the tour guides really made this trip special. I had private or very small group tours, and this made for some amazing conversation and learning. My guide in Santiago and Valparaiso, Dominique, provided lots of knowledge and was simply fun to hang out with and talk about differences in Chilean and American culture. The private dinner was the highlight of the trip with fantastic food, wine, and conversation. The Andes hike was also a highlight with only the small group being on the trail--we had the mountains to ourselves! There was a great snack served at the end. The wine tours were of course incredible with high quality wine and a beautiful hotel at Santa Rita. And Rapa Nui was a wonderful experience--I loved the personal touches especially breakfasts at Hotel Taara and the guide was excellent at changing the itinerary when the weather was not great my first day of touring. I loved having a week to spend on the island. The people there are friendly and welcoming and the ceviche the best I have had anywhere!

Unfortunately our trip was not as excepted (or promised in the planning phase). First of all, our booking consisted a 14 people carrier, whereas we ended up with a 6 people carrier. Our driver was not as expected also. He was not very friendly, and he was very against air conditioning resulting us to sit in hot in the back since the car also didn't have any curtains.
But biggest surprise came when we reached to our accommodation, they booked 1 room less than what we paid for. Fortunately in the first one there was empty room, after talking in the phone for half an hour, it settled, and then ensured that this was a one time mistake that never happened before and will not happen again. But, in the next city it was the same thing but this time hotel was full. So 2 of us had to stay in other place which was 2 levels down that ours. This continue in next cities. Half of them had places so we stayed there. the other half did not, so they changed our hotels so that we can stay together. The most unpleasant thing was they make the changes as a gesture, an upgrade they say. But you can easily check the prices online, where we found out that new places were cheaper than our original agreed ones.

We could have than this trip ourselves for 25% cheaper price. but we didn't, because we wanted to have free mind, just have fun. But in the end, I had to deal with many problems on the way, and although Said solved them in a sense, I couldnt relax like I should. And because of this unnecessary stress, we coulnt get the best of our vocation. And whatever good parts were, they were shaded under these unforgivable mistakes and extra efforts we had to take to overcome them.

Raquel and the KImKim team truly planned a wonderful trip of a lifetime for our family. Our accommodations were fantastic, our excursions were amazing and everything went seamlessly. Raquel was very helpful and informative during the planning process and was always responsive when needed. All of our guides were timely and friendly and very good. I would highly recommend KimKim and Raquel if planning a trip to Portugal. We couldn’t have been happier and were very pleased with the trip itinerary app which was so easy to use and informative during our travels. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to get to everything by walking.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda

Lagos

Beautiful accommodations and view was fantastic from our room. Restaurant was also superb.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Detailed walking tour with an informative guide. So much to see in Lisbon and our guide did a good job of hitting the major highlights.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Boat to Benagil Cave & Carvoeiro Beach

Portugal

This was another favorite part of our trip. The views from the Catamaran were amazing. Best way to see the beautiful landscape, cliffs and caves from a water view. Also it was very relaxing and comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

One of our family’s favorite outings. Loved the river cruise and wine tasting with lunch in a private vineyard with the owner. Our host Rafael was wondeful and our driver Fernando was friendly and informative. Also, he went out of his way to make our outing special by stopping along the way to show us scenic overlooks, a dam, and a special port tonic wine tasting on the way home. Highly recommend this excursion. We can’t wait to get the wine we ordered while at the vineyard!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experienced and friendly driver.

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Perfect way to end our trip with a wonderful night of authentic Portuguese food and music. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Loved the 3 course meal with wine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

This walking tour was very good and our guide was informative and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip itself was very good.we got to get the highlights of all places we visited.lily and Ning were spectacular.their knowledge of the area and history of the places we visited,their communication ,recommendations everything was spectacular. The few things that could have been better are ondays when we had just the driver with no guide, and the trip was lo g,we wished they could communicate in english.im sure that would have made the trip more enjoyable. We chose hotels in the 3 and 4 star categories. All hotels were decent but for the one in kanchanaburi. The walls and bathtub were all breaking apart. The hotel looks good in the reception area but really bad and dingy rooms. The lantern festival was awesome and what an experience! Tiger kingdom was not our cup of tea as it was difficult to see large tigers in small enclosures.on the whole we had a very good trip.Tina took care of all the needs and bookings for us accurately. The communicated regularly and checked in often to keep us posted of the schedule for next day etc.the local guides did that as well.

Everyone of the drivers and guilds were amazing.