Kimkim Trip Reviews

Dear DAT
We wish you a fast recovery;
Note that we keep a great memory, much appreciated from all:
the program, the guides, the drivers, the choice of excursions, the activities, the hotels and restaurants were perfect.

Thanks again
Gilbo, Rolana, Jimmy, Carol, André & Paula

Hotel Reviews

Avana Retreat

Phu Tho

magical, amazing resort, amazing staff,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

fantastic organisation, staff, food, security & clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

bathroom need to be refreshed, bathtub tight and difficult to access

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel des Arts Saigon - MGallery Collection

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cu Chi Tunnels tour by luxury speedboat

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Dinner On Saigon Princess Cruise

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vespa Insider Tour - Half Day

Ho Chi Minh City

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Anan Saigon (Michelin Star Restaurant)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking our Costa Rican honeymoon through Kim Kim and using Nuria was one of the best decisions we made. It wasn’t just a trip; it was an expertly curated adventure. For anyone looking to celebrate Costa Rica, 10 day adventure, which was an unforgettable adventure I cannot recommend Nuria enough. We had day by day itinary with all the information needed, the car rental easy, driving through costa rica was breeze. Customer service was available, ensuring that any questions we had were answered promptly and any minor issues were resolved quickly via whatups. This peace of mind was invaluable, especially being in a foreign country and wanting to focus solely on each other. e found ourselves one day zip-lining through the canopy of Monteverde, and the next, snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Papagayo. booked us into boutique hotels and secluded lodges that emphasized privacy and romance. Each location offered unique charms surrounded by the rich biodiversity of a rainforest.

Had a GREAT time on our trip. Thanks to Gary Topic for putting together a GREAT trip for us to Australia! We had a great itinerary, our hotel locations were always close to where our activities were, our activities were almost always spot on! Gary also guided me several times when I messed up and didn't follow the itinerary and had questions!Job well done!
Our five week trip inclued Port Douglas (scuba diving on the great barrier reef, Daintree, Karunda), Cairns, Whitsundays, Eungella (Glass Mountains, fruit bats, duck billed platypus), Fraser Island, Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Byron Bay, cave diving at Fish Rock Cave, Coffs Harbor, Port Macquarie, Tasmania (Cradle Mt, Bay of Fires), Sydney (opera house, climb the Harbor Bridge, Coogee and Bundi beaches, Blue Mountains tour), Canberra, and Melborne (Phillip Island penguin tour, Great Ocean Road tour). Thanks again - great trip!

kimkim helped us find a hotel that was perfect for our family and in a great location. The full-day excursion to Rincon de la Vieja booked through our kimkim agent was a highlight of the trip. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. We were able to spot a variety of birds and animals. The entire trip exceeded our expectations.

Our 10 day trip to Korea was absolutely amazing. Our travel planner, Jessica, worked with us to cater to our every desire from hotels, private tour guides, private car service, and plenty of recommendations on what to see and do. We spent six days in Seoul, two in Busan and two in Jeju. At every step, from pre-planning, to booking, to checking in with us during the trip, Jessica was checking in to ensure all of needs were being met. Our tour guide in Seoul, Don Lee, was fantastic. Jade Park expertly showed us around Busan. And Suzie was a wonderful guide in Jeju.

We couldn't be more impressed with everything Korea had to offer - it's incredibly clean, the people are friendly and many speak English so language wasn't a problem, the sights are amazing, and the food scene is off the charts. It was a trip my family will remember forever. And I'll look to KimKim to set me up with all of our future vacation plans.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Hyeopjae Beach, Spirited Garden and Green Tea Plantation Tour and Arte Museum

Jeju Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petite France and Nami Island Tour For Families

Seoul

Zero stars for Petite France. 5 stars for Nami Island. Anyone who has actually been to France will likely find Petite France a little silly and not worth spending any time there. Nami Island was absolutely amazing so spend as much time there as possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Manjanggul Cave and Seongsan Ilchulbong Tour

Jeju Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Haedong Yonggungsa and Haeundae Beach Tour

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Experience and Gwangjang Market

Seoul

A must see. Definitely rent the traditional wardrobe for an elevated experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perfect travel, Steve gave amazing advice and made sure everything was organised to perfection. The guide we had in Siem Reap , Dee, was really knowledgeable and engaging, especially with the kids. Will definitely recommend Steve to our friends and anyone who reads this reviews.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Gate Hotel & Resort

Phnom Penh

Hotel needs to be a bit revamped. Service was average, breakfast really average. Not a 5 star hotel

Authenticity & Character

I’m

Location

Staff

Need more training

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room too dusty

The Royal Sands Koh Rong

Sihanoukville, Koh Rong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shinta Mani Angkor

Siem Reap

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Central Market

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Rickshaw (pedicab) tour

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Artisans of Satcha

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

I’m

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Apopo Landmine detecting rats (private tour)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuol Sleng & Russian Market

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Royal Palace

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Destination dining at Villa Chandara

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angkor Thom (morning) by remork

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ta Phrom with optional sunset

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angkor Wat morning visit

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phare, the Cambodian Circus (Seat A , reserved seating)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HAVEN Restaurant

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Eleven One Kitchen

Phnom Penh

Food was average and we didn’t know what we were eating. Different dish was given to my daughter for some reason

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adam was very responsive and made changes at our request without missing a beat. Found great options for us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Plaza Yara

Puntarenas

Very comfortable - nice staff - lovely clean pool - great outside sitting area. Right on a busy road so noisy at times and not able to walk anywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arco Iris Lodge

Santa Elena

Very different from our first hotel but comfortable, right in town, nice breakfast options. Pretty quiet for being in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Silencio del Campo Hotel

La Fortuna

Very Comfortable with yummy breakfast options. Hot springs were wonderful - very clean! Grounds were lovely and we enjoyed the farm. Great organic vegetable garden and lots of animals visiting children enjoyed including milking one of the cows. Staff was helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and helpful - great suggestions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Organic Spice Farm Experience

Manuel Antonio

Wonderful experience with lots of information about the spices and growing them plus excellent snacks! Snacks included home made ice cream and they provided vegan options!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable

Transport

Self-Guided Manuel Antonio Beaches

Manuel Antonio

Nice beaches, a little rough for swimming.

Quality of Experience

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Not good snorkeling but the kayak was nice but short.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Hiking and Birdwatching at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Beautiful private reserve with wide paths, a variety of terrains, cultivated flower gardens, nice views, easy walking, quiet and not ctowded

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Day at the Monteverde Hummingbird Garden

Monteverde

All kinds of hummingbirds but lots of people and the birds were all brought in to feeders

Quality of Experience

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Saw lots of animals and birds but the trail was crowded with other tours. Guide was knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On time!

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wonderful guides, beautiful relaxed float on the river. Great snacks at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knew the animals and plants so answered all our questions. Generally informed regarding the ecology of the area.

Transport

Picked us up on time

Self-Guided Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice hike with lovely views of the volcano. Good signage with a comfy cafe at the finish

Quality of Experience

Chocolate & Night Hike Experience

Monteverde

Very informative but too much time in the gift shop

Quality of Experience

Too much of a canned tourist tour plus too much time in the gift dhop

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I already filled this out elsewhere and think it was a wonderful trip and am still high from it. Thank you. I did want to say a few things that I would keep in mind for future trips. The schedule was great, but it would have been good to have a planned down day in the middle of the trip. I realize this was hard with the Jennifers coming and going. The husband of the woman that did the cooking class was also wonderful. He does food tours and other kinds of tours. It would be great to have include his work as an option to split up the visits to temples and historic sites. Thanks for all. Best, Dorothy

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have given the tour four stars, but as Robert Belafksy reported to you the day spent with Michi, driving two and a half hours each way to see the Edo village (not very interesting; boring in fact) was an absolute waste of time. Michi, as a guide was lack luster at best. The unfortunate thing was that there were so many other things we could have seen in Tokyo, for example the Tsukiji Market, that it was a shame we lost the day.
The hotels you booked us in were fine, though personally having been in the Ginza I would have preferred that upscale atmosphere.
Notwithstanding the one day mishap, I believe that the trip was a good value for the money

We booked a self-guided driving tour of the coast of Ireland. Dean put together a great itinerary for us and the whole experience was amazing.

Excellent trip with great guides and efficient comfortable transfers. All local tour operators did a great job. Highlights were Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

Great location and helpful cheerful staff. Super open air terrace restaurant/bar on 4th floor. Great food and drinks. Industrial feel of entrance and front desk area, and bare tiled floors in room a bit unwelcoming on late evening arrival, but the whole hotel grew on us. Striking bold murals as decor for our room. No mirror. Quirky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to all downtown landmarks

Staff

Great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfortable bed

Hotel Villas Lirio

Quepos

Good pool surrounded by palms. Our accommodation was a huge apartment on upper floor but we didn't use the dining area or kitchen. Hotel a bit dated with lots of mismatched decor/ornaments. Quirky. Lots of steps everywhere. Staff a bit unapproachable and unhelpful. Restaurant/bar a bit messy and staff appeared particularly unprofessional. Prefer staff who don't sit around on the bar counter area singing along to the piped music, or who clear tables with a lollipop stuck in their mouths. 😯

Authenticity & Character

Dated

Location

Lots of restaurants within 5 minutes walk.

Staff

Unhelpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lots of space but also lots of steps and lots of engine noise from the road.

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

Good quality Hilton hotel in great central location. Comfortable rooms with all facilities.

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Extensive gardens and birdlife made up for pretty basic accommodation. Restaurant was not Japanese fusion as described. Hot springs uninviting.

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

On steep hill out of town, so taxis needed for transfers. Family room was large but had a huge bath in the bedroom itself and nowhere to sit indoors. Wildlife in the gardens a big compensation. Coatis and many birds.

Authenticity & Character

Characterless restaurant

Location

Isolated but great views

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Maleku Cultural Immersion Day Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

Really enjoyable visit, made all the better by welcoming hosts and really enthusiastic helpful guide. Amazing insight into language, culture and way of life of indigenous people from 300 years ago. Great chance to try skills needed to live to survive by subsistence hunting, fishing and farming.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mix up between tour operator and KimKim over pick-up time led to rushed start. Good visit though. Helpful guide. Steps down were were more difficult than up. Not much chance to observe wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doka Coffee Tour & Poas Volcano National Park

Costa Rica

Cancelled due volcanic activity - sulphurous fumes.

Day Trip to Doka Coffee Plantations & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

San José

Enjoyed Doka Plantation tour. Gardens not so much. Felt had to move at guide's speed and shere guides personal interest in animals and plants.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Waterfall Adventure

Costa Rica

Something for everyone but mainly for 15-35 age group and those keen on jumping/diving into pools. Spectacular waterfalls and spacious sandy beach to end with. Lunch included.

Quality of Experience

Spectacular waterfalls

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive. Made sure no-one slipped on way to/from waterfalls and pools. Informative commentary on bus but a bit like a group outing with obligatory audience participation.

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Excellent guides. Showed us birds and wildlife we could never have spotted alone. Opportunity to relax on the beaches in your own time. Smallish park but with loads to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary

Manuel Antonio

Great visit. Lovely to talk to people who are so enthusiastic about rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Best ow the two hanging bridge tours we took. Maybe the weather helped. Saw plenty of birds but no sloths. Had chance to walk parts of the trail in our own time without group company. More relaxing experience on narrow bouncy bridges.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

Great visit. Guides were terrific and took good care of us in the dark. Saw loads of tarantulas and other creatures including sleeping birds and butterflies.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

The rain took the gloss of this tour a little. Great views over the rain forest canopy all the same. With guides help spotted poison dart frogs and an eyelash pit viper. Also spider monkeys very high in the canopy. Animals and birds a bit thin on the ground though despite guides efforts to help us find them.

Throughout the trip our family kept looking at each other and saying - I'm so glad we booked this through KimKim. It's rare to take a family trip with a multi-generational, 6-person group and everyone feels like they had a relaxing time because everything was so well organized and taken care of. It would have been so hectic to have booked everything ourselves.

The process of tailoring our trip was seamless with our specialist Caterina. She made great suggestions along the way and we ended up with an itinerary that made sure we got to do everything we wanted. As we did the trip it was clear so many times how well she had understood our travel preferences and how right she was about the way she sequenced everything. The website's trip planning and itinerary process were so easy to use. We knew exactly what we were paying for in advance and what we would have to pay for when we got there so there were no surprises. The itinerary was handy for everyone in the group to know what was coming up.

Our concierge Beatrice was super responsive throughout the trip over whatsapp, clarifying any questions we had about when we should show up to helping arrange our request for a last-minute additional guide. She provided well-organized documents for all the activites when we arrived.

The Drivers were so professional and early every time. The vehicles were high-end, in excellent condition, and comfortable for our short and long drives.

Tour Guides were all engaging for the kids, knowledgeable, and had great personalities that brought all of the sights alive. They were very organized - with backup copies of all our tickets on hand. They also often made great recommendations for us for restaurants at each location. Special mention to Ms. Simona, Chef Max, Mr. Gianni, Ms. Martina, Ms. Giusy, Mr. Alessandro, Ms. Lucia, and our guides in Assisi and the Vatican.

For activities (golf cart tour, cooking class, etc.) very high quality vendors were selected for us and we had great experiences with everything Caterina at kimkim booked for us.

There was an issue in the itinerary, which I figured out 5 days before the trip, that required Kelly to reschedule the Bangkok portion. She immediately responded to my message and reworked that portion of the trip; handling an issue promptly is so important. In spite of that last minute needed itinerary change, we loved every activity that Kelly planned and had an absolutely amazing time.

Each guide was amazing. Nam, Kate, and Feng were immensely knowledgeable, caring, fun, organized, and kind. They were able to answer literally anything we asked and constantly made sure we had plenty of water and were well cared for. Jon and his family at the Raunkaew-Yanon Family Home for the cooking class and culture experience welcomed us into their home and taught us so much. It was a beyond incredible experience. Chi Chi at the Elephant Nature Park was knowledgeable, fun, and a sweetheart. Lily who only transported us from and to the Bangkok airport on our last night and day was caring and sweet.

The activities and guides exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Kelly for putting together the itinerary and setting up all of the activities and guides. The guides from the company in Southeast Asia were outstanding A++.

Hotel Reviews

FCC Angkor by Avani

Siem Reap

Hotel was certainly 5-star for Cambodia, but more like 4-star for more developed countries. Food was good, but not amazing…same each day. Room was small for a 5-star hotel. The lobby and restaurant bar were outage so there was no inside seating to get away from the heat. Pools were small, but warm water, such was nice. There was a singer or dance group each evening which was nice. Located on the river, which was also nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort

Chiang Mai

Hotel was incredible. Room beautiful. Massages were outstanding. We did that twice. Breakfast buffet was amazing. Pool was gorgeous and pool bar was great. Restaurant for dinner and the buffet breakfast was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Bangkok Hotel

Bankok

Absolutely exquisite hotel. The rooms are lovely. The pool is beautiful. The restaurant menu is so good. The morning buffet breakfast was incredible. The gym had everything and there is a beautiful sauna and stream room. Only issue is the location is not great so we did not go outside the hotel when we works get back after our activities. But the hotel was so amazing that this was fine with us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Tonle Sap Lake Tour

Siem Reap

Very moving experience as the people living here have such awful living conditions and extreme poverty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm

Siem Reap

Beautiful sites!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

Feng is so incredible. He shared not only any Cambodian history and Buddhism but shared his personal moving story. We loved our time with him. He took such good care of us. The sites were gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

This was such a beautiful surprise. SO much more than coming. Learn about Lanna history and customs. Walk through property to see the exotic trees and learn. Meet generations from the family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Buatong Waterfall

Chiang Mai

So fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Chiang Mai City Tour with Monk Chat

Chiang Mai

Kate is awesome! Knowledgeable and caring. We really enjoyed each site visited. Rickshaw was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight at Elephant Nature Park (day 2) (Join-in Basis)

Chiang Mai

Chi Chi was so great. We loved our experience with the elephants. Per Day 1 review, huge issue that there is not available staff and first aid 24/7.

Quality of Experience

Same comments about lack of 25/7 staff on site and first aid

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight Stay at Elephant Nature Park (day 1) (Join-in Basis)

Chiang Mai

Elephant Nature Park is so special. Their treatment of the elephants is purely ethical. We learned so much. Overnight experience is a big recommend. Food is same each day and cafeteria quality only. I had a health emergency after dinner after all staff were gone. There was no mention in the introduction of what to do in an emergency. There should be accessible staff on site 24/7 who have first aid training and supplies. I got dizzy and my speech was slurred. It took 30 minutes for us to talk to an RN in the United States. Likely my blood pressure dropped from the heat. I could have been given electrolytes and some basic care. Chi Chi was an amazing guide!!

Quality of Experience

Lack of staff 24/7 is huge safety issue

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were amazing; however lack of staff 24/7 is an issue.

Transport

Half Day Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew Tour

Bangkok

The Grand Palace was beautiful and exquisite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Historical Ayutthaya Tour from Bangkok

Thailand

We loved each temple and site we visited. Nam was so knowledgeable and took such great care of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

These two activities were so unusual and fun. The railway market was a blast. The floating market was such an unexpected treat. We had fun buying different things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was a blast; my partner and I had a great time. Flam was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. The Viking Village was a blast and very educational.

If we could have changed something, it would have been to fly out of Bergen instead of taking an 8-hour train ride the day before when we had to take a 12-hour plane flight. If we visit again, we would love to cruise to all the sites instead of using so much land transportation. While it was beautiful to travel by train and bus, it took up a lot of time.

Hotel Reviews

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Really disappointed in this hotel. The rooms are cold and stale. The area of town it is in, is not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The best part of the stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Great location, so beautiful. The front desk staff was excellent, and we had a great time at the onsite Pub.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Gourgous...

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely loved the room, it was nice a cozy.

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

The rooms were great and the staff was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

The staff...

Location

Super close to all kinds of shopping.

Staff

Super kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

Very interesting and fun. Our guide was outstanding. We lucked out with some great weather.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best guide ever!

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Staff was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

The sauna was beautiful and the water was cold. It was a total blast!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was excellent.

Transport

My wife already wrote a comprehensive review, including the hotels.
Several weeks before our trip, we reached out to Samir and asked what if there is an escalation to conflict. Samir assured us that Jordan, historically, was not affected.

Unfortunately, my worst fear regarding the trip came to pass. We were asleep when Iran bombed the zionist entity. I do not recall Samir reaching out to us to see if we were OK, how we were feeling/doing. That is a big disappointment.

Even while doing the survey, the first hotel was not updated in the survey to the one we actually stayed at. I have no idea why the change was made and wonder if the Strand would have been better than the Sulaf Luxury hotel.

I loved the overall atmosphere of being in Jordan. As Kathy said, we bear some burden of blame because we did not check the hotels thoroughly enough, however the accommodations overall were a big disappointment. To the point where I question whether or not I would book with Kimkim again.

Our trip was perfect, everything was designed so we just has to worry about enjoying our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Great hotel and has a pool which made it so much better

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful cozy hotel. Very friendly staff. Breakfast is continental but good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackout curtains since there is a lot of light coming in from the street

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Very nice hotel. Both times we stayed there was no electricity and that meant no internet, no hot water and no food. Besides from that, very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows

Activity Reviews

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Nice activity. The guide was not very helpful though, wouldnt explain much and seemed king of mad. Beatifil views though and the penguins were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best tour we had on our trip. The views are amazing, nice guide he even took photos and gave them to us. Captain even let me drive the boat for a while.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

We went to Barrolomé. We had a stop first with a little walk, it was at noon and there is no shade. The guide was making stops along the way to explain things but climbing steps at noon with no shade was terrible. Would be better if they explained on the boat so we could do the walk without stopping. The snorkeling part was amazing, wish we could have had more time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Bigger portions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Learned lots of stuff, very interesting and Astrid our guide was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Our host Astrid was very nice and helpful. She was patient with us and answered all our questions. Lunch in the highlands was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim offers us great ideas and even helped us out in the middle of our trip. They kept an eye on us the entire time. and addressed any concerns we had. KimKim works with some great and knowledgeable vendors to help make the best of our experiences and excursions.

Not enough can be said about Liz, our travel planner. At the very beginning of planning, we had been in touch with a few other travel companies. After talking with Liz a couple of times, there was no other companies involved. We could tell she IS the expert we were going to use. She took her time, because we had never been to Australia before and wanted a good "taste" of what Australia has to offer. Australia has a lot to offer, and Liz helped us narrow down where and what we could do in 16 days.
During our travels, if we had a question, she was there to answer it or find out what could be done to correct it. Most travel agents wouldn't be there throughout a vacation to make sure we were having the experience we expected. Liz was always quick to follow up with us. We appreciate all she did throughout the entire process of planning and then executing.
Need a travel company? Use KimKim.
Neen a travel specialist? Liz is the right person and expert.

Thank you, Gordon Cable
April 3-20, 2024. Australia Trip. Sydney, Ayers Rock, and Port Douglas areas.

Hotel Reviews

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location, just off Darling Harbour. Wonderful staff. Not too far from the Opera House and The Rocks.

Staff

Extremely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

We were only there for an overnight stay. Nice facility and friendly staff. The Room were very nice and clean. Has a pool, but we didn't have time to use it. Others in the pool were enjoying it.

Authenticity & Character

The place had an Aboriginals feel to it.

Location

Close to Ayers rock

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, Updated and had all the amenities we needed.

Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Located just across from the beach and a short walk to the city center. Nice pool and good breakfast. Just wish the bar area was open later.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice staff and pool area.

Location

Located across from 4 Mile Beach and walking distance into the city center.

Staff

Good, caring people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Always short on towels. Bar closed after lunch. Bed was comfortable and had a kitchen area, which was nice to have,

Activity Reviews

Half Day Highlights of Sydney

Sydney

Driver was friendly and knew the areas we went past or stopped at. a good taste of Sydney and provided ideas ot things to do or place to go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was wonderful. Wish I could remember his name. Sorry...

Transport

Comfortable bus. Loved to small group.

Sunrise Camel Ride

Uluru

What a great time riding the camels. We had the early morning ride, watching the sunrise and seeing Ayers Rock. We beat the bugs for most of the trip. Again, We suggest netting to cover your head.

Quality of Experience

We had more fun than expected. We had no idea what to expect. Just to ride a camel? Who doesn't want to do that!

Food

Just a Good cup of coffee and bread when you're finished with the ride. Enough for us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were very helpful and easy to talk with. Funny stories along the way. You have to do this if you're out there.

Transport

Easy pick up at the hotel and short ride to the camels

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

It's called Blue Mountains for a reason. The beautiful blue tones the area gives off.

Quality of Experience

The hike is beautiful, but not for out of shape people. The trails need to be marked better and the maps updated to show ALL paths and roads.

Food

had a sandwich. Could have used a couple of napkins.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Chris was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to talk with. Use a small group tour if you go.

Transport

Full-Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail - Gold Class

Australia

Due to weather, the rail was cancelled. The sky rail was great and the views were spectacular. The waterfall was roaring, due to all the rain that had come down the previous days.

Quality of Experience

4 stars only due to the rail not running.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mackay Coral Cay Great Barrier Reef Sail & Snorkel with Lunch

Port Douglas

Had to cancel, dues to the weather. This was a bucket list for us. Was not the company's fault. Blame nature. I hate to give it a rating, but the system would let me move forward with the reviews.

Hartley's Crocodile Farm with Koala Breakfast

Port Douglas

So much to do. A lot of Crocs. Eating and getting up-close with the Koala bear was interesting. Many different animals and reptiles to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers were on time and very friendly.

Transport

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Had our share of rain, but that's nature. Nice area. Couldn't figure out what restaurants were going to be open because they would be open one day and closed the next. Beautiful drive from the Cairnes airport to Port Douglas along the water.

Transport

We secured our own transportation from the airport.

A Night at Field of Light

Uluru

We had a beautiful clear night to see all of the stars. The sky just lit up. The bugs in April are quite annoying until the sun goes down. Buy a head netting to keep them off of your face. Once the sun goes down, they all disappear. Beautiful vies of Ayers Rock

Quality of Experience

The lights are spectacular. We had never seen anything like that before. The food was really good with a nice variety. Very enjoyable evening. The rest rooms need something!!

Food

good variety for everyone.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the gentleman who gave pointed out the stars and constellations was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. The dinner staff was great,

Transport

Just a short drive from the hotels

We had an amazing trip! The resorts were terrific. All the activities were fun and exciting and everything went seamlessly. We especially loved the white water rafting in La Fortuna. Kimkim delivered on another amazing and memorable family trip for us!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sukia Nighttime Nature Walk

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River, Class II-III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall wonderful trip.
Main issue is dealing with train stations in Spain. Not intuitive.
But we figured it out and enjoyed our time immensely.

Mieke did a wonderful job creating an itinerary for our family! She was very responsive before and then during our trip, especially when rain interfered with our bike trip to Keukenhof. We loved staying in Haarlem and the Hotel Malts was wonderful. All in all, a fabulous vacation!

Hotel Review

Hotel Malts B&B

Haarlem

Hotel Malts is a lovely hotel in the center of Haarlem, which is a charming bike and pedestrian friendly city. Henk and Annemarie are wonderful hosts. The highlight of our stay was the delicious daily breakfast: croissants, cheeses, hard and soft boiled eggs, yogurt, cappuccino, and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Amsterdam - Private Grand Dutch Food & History Tour

The Netherlands

We started with apple pie in a traditional brown cafe and went on to have Indonesian food, stroopwafels, etc. Spending time with a local (Ferry!) was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff