Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a fabulous time in Costa Rica! We couldn't have done it without KimKim to help plan it! Everything was seamless, from the car pick-up, all the hotel check-ins, the excursion pick-ups, and even the car rental return! Holden was amazing helping us every step of the way! We absolutely loved the Tabacon Resort and the hot springs. We had a perfect afternoon spent in the spa with an amazing amount of rain coming down while we were getting messages in a covered hut! Then we rested in our room for a bit and had one of the best meals of our life and the hotel restaurant. The seven course meal with the wine pairing was a perfect way to spend our anniversary! We had a blast on the white water rafting trip and saw so many cool animals. The driving in Costa Rica took a bit to get used to, using Waze was a great tip. I would not recommend driving at night in the rain though. I think the only part of the trip we could have skipped was the guided hike in the park. We did see a lot of beautiful animals, but it pushed our long drive day into the night and compounded with rain and inexperience driving in Costa Rica was bit scary for us! Once we go to the beach and the Banana Azul the weather was much better and we had a great time snorkeling and wondering around beach towns. We absolutely loved the the BriBri Chocolate tour, the family that we visited was so welcoming and we enjoyed seeing how simply and happily they lived. Our tour guide was also very informative and made us feel comfortable visiting their home. We enjoyed all the museums in San Jose and loved visiting the La Paz waterfall garden! We loved all the effort that was put into making our trip so special. We especially loved the anniversary decorations at the Hampton Inn the night we arrived. We couldn't be more happy and relaxed after a fun trip!

Hotel Reviews

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

This is one of our favorite resorts we have ever stayed in! The staff was so genuinely sweet and helpful, the grounds were absolutely gorgeous and the room was new, beautiful and clean! We also had two of the best restaurant servers we have ever had in our lives! We also had a fabulous experience in the spa! It rained a ton while we were there and it only added to the fun of the experience!

Authenticity & Character

The people were so helpful, sweet, authentic and lovely!

Location

The hot springs make this location so amazing! I have never seen such an amazing garden and pool setting!

Staff

Davie was our waiter and he was one of the best we have ever had in our lives!

Cleanliness & Comfort

We loved the beds, pillows and the all extras like the beautiful razors and toothbrushes!

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

We have never seen a hotel room decorated so amazingly for our anniversary! There was a hand written note, balloons, heart shaped confetti, towels folded into swans and wine! They really went over the top to make our anniversary special! The airport shuttle was so helpful to have and worked out so well for us! I would highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

They went above and beyond to decorate our room for us!

Location

It is so close to the airport and the shuttle makes it so easy to get back and forth!

Staff

They were so genuinely sweet and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bribri Chocolate & Waterfall Excursion

Costa Rica

We had so much fun on this adventure and I'm so glad we did it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a blast! It was so much and one of the highlights of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarapiquí Nature Hike at La Selva

Costa Rica

It was a beautiful park, but for us the timing was not great!

Alex was great in planning our trip and taking care of all the details. We truly just walked off the plane and met our guide and had nothing to worry about until we were driven to the airport for our return trip.
Craig was a wonderful guide gave us many options on what we would prefer to do and shared his knowledge of his country’s history with a refreshing passion.
Our accommodations were all very good and each one was unique. Our favorite was the Broad Bay House.. Very picturesque, quiet and the food was amazing!
Overall I wouldn’t change a thing about the trip.

I collaborated with Dat at KimKim to help me curate a outdoor adventure to N. Vietnam and my decision was rewarded with an amazing experience! I provided Dat with a framework with my interests and objectives of the trip, and he created an ideal itinerary that exceeded my expectations after several weeks discussions/brainstorming. The tours themselves were exceptional and the people leading them were knowledgeable, friendly, and a joy to speak with. I highly recommend using KimKim and will most definitely use them again (next destination will be Cambodia). Thank you Dat!

My wife and I made up the other half of Cindy's "4 young seniors." I agree with her high praise for Angela and KimKim. Though Cindy pulled the laboring oar in working with Angela to organize the trip, Angela never hesitated to respond to my personal requests, including outstanding recommendations for SCUBA outings, adjustments in our activities, and other touristy questions that we had from time to time during our trip. Outstanding service! I would absolutely work with Angela again on a return trop to Greece.

Our group trip to Normandy was perfect. All KimKim guides, drivers, and hotel were excellent. We'd like to particularly call on Manon, who was will us for our D-Day tour and Mont St Michele. Dinner at Le Presbytre was incredible. Thanks for our third trip with KimKim!

Great service from Fei and the team, booked all the hotels and transfers that we needed in a custom arrangement, was seamless for us. Thanks Fei!

We are a group of 4 young seniors who wanted to have a memorable Greece vacation without a ton of stress. Working with Angela for our 15 day trip to Greece was easy, informative, carefree and absolutely wonderful! Angela was very good at pointing us in the direction we needed or redirecting when needed.... She provided us with affordable tours, activities, adventures, transfer service and more She steered us away from areas that were not suitable for us, or events that were not that the best choices, or accommodations that were perhaps not the best quality. While we were vacationing in in Greece she continued to check in to make sure everything was OK, and helped us reschedule activities when the weather did not cooperate. Overall our vacation was fabulous... a great mix of historical/ educational activities, balanced with suggestions for our down time. We spent 4 days in Athens, 5 days in Paris and 5 days in Santorini. Each location was great for touring, shopping, eating, exploring. The hotels were located in nice areas close to local activities, food and wine was beyond great, shopping was incredible. I can go on for pages. Bottom line is Angela helped use immensely so that we all had a wonderful stress free vacation. I am hooked on Angela and Kimkim and am already planning the next adventure.

This was such a great way to plan a trip to a place I was never been before and for a person without a lot of free time! Our trip guide, Eva, was fantastic in catering the itinerary to our three generations Iceland trip and she was incredibly flexible to adjust our calender both before the trip to suite our needs and during hte trip as our interests pivoted. It was wonderful to take away some of the typical vacation stressors and let Kim Kim make our vacation so much more relaxing!

Our two week trip to Greece was absolutely incredible. I can’t give enough thanks and recognition to the service provided by Dimtiris and kimkim. They suggested activities, transportation, hotels, etc were all terrific and seem-less. We had guided tours for many different activities and I wish I could remember all there names because it seemed each one was better then the next. We hope to visit Greece again in the future and I can’t imagine using anyone else other than Dimtiris to set it up again! I could spend hours writing and detailing our trip so I’ll end it this review with saying it exceeded all my expectations in every way! Thank you all those involved who made this trip one my wife and I will never forget!

Hotel Reviews

The Roc Club Vouliagmeni

Vouliagmeni

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kivotos Santorini

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

18 Grapes Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anax Resort & Spa

Mykonos

It’s beyond words. Spectacular in every way. Worth the money.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the activities but far enough to be private!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

New Hotel Athens

Athens

Amazing location, staff, ameneities in the heart of Athens. Where I would stay again!

Authenticity & Character

Expierence it for yourself!

Location

Center location can walk to all main attractions in city.

Staff

Accommodationing, professional, kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Delos from Mykonos

Mykonos

The guide we had made this experience something special. Would recommend her over and over and over again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Sunset at the Temple of Poseidon

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Guided Tour & Acropolis Museum (private tour booked)

Athens

The guide was a wealth of knowledge we really enjoyed how much she had to offer!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Wine tasting

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini horse riding

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Sunset Catamaran Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

O

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike along Santorini's Caldera

Santorini

Thanos our guide was a very special individual he made this experience so much more than we expected made us feel like family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Hiking _"Passage from ancient to modern History"

Naxos

Guide was absolutely terrific so much knowledge and kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Food Tasting Tour

Naxos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving in Mykonos

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The itinerary set up by Joel from Kim Kim was perfect! The drivers were all there as scheduled for pick up. First Christophe picked us up at the CDG Airport and drove us out to Bayeux. He also picked us up on the day we were leaving on the train from Bayeux to Paris. There was a mix up in train schedules and Christophe went the extra mile by assisting us, speaking for us as we did not speak French. He explained the need to change our rail tickets and stood with us until we got on the train. He treated us like we were part of his family which was so heartwarming. The tours and guides were excellent! The first day we went to Mont Saint-Michel with Lucy as our guide. She was very informative and had a contagious excitement about her. She made the hike up 300 steps seem like a breeze! On the second day John was our guide to the D-Day Beaches, a Museum and American Cemetery. His knowledge had us imagining we were on the beaches running for our lives as those many soldiers did. On the third day of our stay we had a private tour with Emmanuel from Caen. He was a delightful young man with intricate details of the history of the war. We toured the Military Museum in Caen, Cathedrals and even a cemetery from the 1800s! All in all a great trip to honor those who served their respective countries and made the ultimate sacrifice fighting in the War.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Jardin le Bréa

Paris

The hotel room was small, but comfortable. The street noise was a bit much throughout the night. May have been folks lingering around after the rugby tournament?? At 4am?? but it wasn’t the quiet room we were hoping for.

Authenticity & Character

I think they were in the middle of painting from the outside appearance?

Location

Walk ability to restaurants and subway

Staff

Alex was very helpful upon check in and gave us some tips for things to do and places to go.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Tardif Noble Guesthouse

Bayeux

Everyone was very pleasant and helpful. Check in and out was easy. Breakfast was yummy with an assortment of pastries, cereals, hot and cold drinks, fruits and a hot entree. The location was good. We could easily walk the town. The Cathedral across the street was absolutely beautiful! The only negative, we were given a room closest to the street and car lights and engine noises were a bit annoying, but calmed down as the evening wore on.

Authenticity & Character

Charming character from the entry gate

Location

Easy walk ability through the town

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfortable

Activity Reviews

City tour of Caen with visit of the Memorial Museum of WWII

France

Emmanuel was a very personable guide. He was full of information about the war and the town of Caen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont-Saint-Michel day Tour

France

Lucy was the perfect guide for this tour. She was so bubbly and very interesting in her tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

John was a very good guide. Full of information very detail oriented. You could imagine being on the beaches that day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides were all well versed in the territory they covered. They made it interesting and seemed to like their jobs as guides.

Transport

Christophe went beyond the call to help us with the train cancellation that we were not aware of.

From the early planning stages all the way to the final day of the trip, everything went smoothly and according to schedule. Kimkim makes traveling to foreign countries easy and saves you a lot of stress for planning the finer details. You just choose your budget and based on that they will recommend stay and activities accordingly. The activities that are recommended are usually fantastic, as my wife and I were pleasantly surprised after each one. They even plan the pick up from airport to hotel and vice versa for you from ahead of time. All the companies that they use are pretty solid and very very communicative. All in all we had a great 10 year anniversary celebration and all thanks to Kimkim it was hassle free and full of fun wonderful surprises. Will definitely use Kimkim in the future and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to travel but sucks at planning.

LOVED Chasing Lights Northern Lights safari and Polar Adventure Fish and Fjords excursion.
Underwhelmed by Artic Best's Coastal Secery and Tasting tour.
Clarion Edge was comfortable and well located. Great breakfast.

Samir, our booking specialist did an amazing job at coordinating our trip. His communication was excellent and we felt we had very personalized service.

Shareef, our dedicated driver/guide was very informative and flexible with our daily plans. He took us to an amazing lunch spot with outstanding food and service.

Unfortunately, we decided to cut our Jordan trip short due to the Israel war outbreak which was not a reflection of KimKim's services. We would book again with Kimkim in the future!

Dimos and his planning made the trip one I will always remember for the hospitality, the history provided by the guides, the passion of the artisans we met, and the beauty of the land. Before we packed our bags and boarded the flight, Dimos made sure we would arrive to an adventure that was special for us. The details were developed under his expert care and guidance. The transportation was timely and comfortable.
Trendy hotel in Athens and the Lyttos Mare esort in Crete were excellent accommodations.
We were celebrating two birthdays and Dimos had cake from a local Heraklion baker and champagne available for us.
Each day the food was abundant and decadent. I returned home craving the Greek delicacies.
An added special treat was to meet his boss and partner, also known as his wife, Irine.
With our guides we discussed culture and politics and our commonalities that are built on the richness of travel. Knowing that we shared space, food, joy and humanness with each other made for an exquisite vacation. Cooking with a local chef, weaving with a local weaver, making pottery with a local potter, touring wineries and Minoan fruits were all pleasures provided by Dimos. Each day was met with surprise and pleasure; such as the catamaran cruise to Dia island.
Kudos to Travel ID and the guides, artisans, restauranteurs, and vintners to whom we were introduced. The easiest way to create your superb Cretan vacation is to contact Dimos!

Activity Reviews

Lyrarakis Winery Visit and Tasting

Greece

Such a beautiful ride to the winery and serene locale. The food and wine were sumptuous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archanes and the Minoan Fruits!

Heraklion

The tour and the food were exceptional. Our guide at Minoan Fruits made us feel like family.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking like a Cretan on the Lassithi Mountains!

Heraklion

We did more than cooking! The visit to the cave, the weaving and pottery and the donkey ride were all part of a full day's excitement.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Trip to Spinalonga Island

Heraklion

The guide's knowledge and passion of the area were brilliant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset Catamaran Cruise

Greece

The crew was in tune to each guests' vibe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Mythology Walk of the Acropolis

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The entire trip to Croatia and Slovenia was very enjoyable. The combination of activity (walking, cycling and kayaking), small towns and larger cities, history, culture and beautiful scenery was perfect. Though we were mostly on our own, it was nice to meet some of the local people as guides and as hosts. Though we had scheduled activities, we also had some flexibility in the itinerary. Traveling from mid-September to early October meant that we had pleasant/warm temperatures, almost no rain and didn't have to fight the crowds one might during the summer months.

Hotel Reviews

Scalini palace

Dubrovnik

This hotel room was small, relative to our experience with all other hotels. It was well situated in the old city, requiring a five minute walk with luggage to the East gate. There is no elevator in the hotel. We did not have hot water our first morning, and it took the staff just over half a day to fix the problem.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartmani Ponta

Luka Hodilje

This was a beautiful apartment right on the Adriatic Sea in a small town called Luka. There is no elevator. The apartment has a full kitchen and is very modern and well maintained. The staff was very friendly and helpful. There are no restaurants in the town, requiring a drive to Ston or Mali Ston.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marul

Split

This hotel was a few minutes walk from the old town and within walking distance to many restaurants and to the beach area. Most of the staff were very helpful. You need to park in a paid lot two minutes away from the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Most of the staff was very helpful, though some were not.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Bonaca

Skradin

This is a relatively small hotel with available parking located right on the water and within the town of Skradin. The hotel staff were very accommodating and helpful. The room was comfortable and the hotel has a very nice pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

The hotel was very accommodating with nice rooms and very helpful staff. There were two restaurants available within the hotel or just across from the hotel, neither of which was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Valamar Riviera Hotel & Residence

Poreč

This hotel was part of a larger hotel complex, with the sister hotel across the bay on an island, accessible by ferry. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. The hotel provided a complimentary snack in the dining area late afternoon. The rooms were comfortable and the breakfast provided a lot of variety. Guests were able to take a ferry over to the island to use the pool and rent water sport equipment. Getting to and from the parking lot required a shuttle which required some waiting time, but otherwise it was a beautiful location and very well situated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cubo

Ljubljana

This hotel was well situated. While you couldn't park at the hotel, the staff parked the car and brought it to us. The room was provided to us ahead of check in and the staff were very attentive. The room was very spacious with a very spacious washroom. The drinks and snacks in the room were complimentary.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

The hotel was in a great location, requiring only a short walk to the parking lot with luggage. We stayed for two nights at the beginning of the trip and for one night at the end of our trip. The only comment about the room we were given at the beginning of the trip is that the washroom had almost no shelf space or space around the sink for toiletries. The room at the end of the trip had both space around the sink as well as shelf space in the washroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

The cycling trip was wonderful. Robbie booked us e-bikes which truly transformed the experience. It was fun, and we cycled on mostly flat pathways. Also got to learn about the area on our cycling tour which added to the personal touch of our experiences.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Krka National Park

Croatia

Enjoyed the park in the morning, particularly the hiking, but the waterfall visit in the afternoon wasn't necessary. It involved a 30-minute drive to a site that was not as striking as the other waterfalls we had previously seen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

The park was mesmerizing! Robbie's recommended to be the first ones in the park, which turned out to be an excellent suggestion as we managed to avoid most of the crowd, and we appreciated the peaceful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zagreb visit

Croatia

Really enjoyed the guided tours in big cities like Zagreb. The guides provided great insight into the areas and potential activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zagreb - Arrival

Zagreb

Arriving in Zagreb was hassle-free and Robbie was really flexible and helpful. We had a quick switch to have our tour of the city in the afternoon instead of the next day due to a rain forecast. This turned out well as it provided us with knowledge about the city and what to do in our free time afterward.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was certainly one of the best planned trips my wife and I have ever taken. This was our second time using Kimkim. Our journey consisted of 6 cities with 3 hotels, high-speed trains on two occasions as well as a personal driver in one instance. We went to Southern Spain for the culture and the history. Our itinerary, which was set up by Raquel and her team as well as their expert tour guides was just what we were looking for. Raquel remained in contact while we were traveling and was always available with questions or requested changes, and provided a reminder of our next day activities the evenings prior, which was greatly appreciated. We really counted on her and she came through! The guides she found for us were top notch - highly educated, very personable, always accommodating to our wishes to tweak the itinerary, and some we feel will be lifelong friends!

We would highly recommend Kimkim for those that want to explore the culture and history of this area. We are now using them for our trip to Japan.
Many thanks to Kimkim and Raquel and her team!

Samir has been so awesome to work with. He put together an amazing itinerary for us! Additionally when we arrived in Amman, Samir was very accessible and checked in with us. I’d recommend him to anyone! We had a nice city tour with our driver Sharif who was also very punctual and attentive. The people in Jordan were so friendly and the weather in October was fantastic.

Our trip to Iceland through KimKim was nothing short of extraordinary, and the credit goes to our exceptional local specialist, Gummi. From the moment we started planning our adventure, Gummi's expertise and enthusiasm shone through.

Gummi's knowledge of Iceland is unparalleled. He crafted an itinerary that perfectly balanced our desire for adventure and experience the entire Island. Every detail, from the breathtaking natural wonders we visited to the accommodations, felt like it was designed just for us.

What truly sets Gummi apart is his dedication to making our journey memorable. He went above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable experience, even accommodating our last-minute requests with a smile. Gummi's friendly demeanor and willingness to share insights into Icelandic culture added a layer of authenticity to our trip.

Iceland's beauty left us speechless, but Gummi's guidance and care made the trip more magical than we could have ever imagined. If you're planning a trip to Iceland, I wholeheartedly recommend Gummi and KimKim. Five stars simply don't do justice to the remarkable adventure they provide. We can't thank Gummi enough for providing a seemless and unique experience for our 25th wedding anniversary.

This was a trip of a lifetime! Angela was amazing to work with and she created our dream honeymoon. She was attentive and answered any questions I had and made changes to the itinerary as I requested. The excursions and tours were did were amazing, our favorite was the Santorini Sunset cruise. Angela was available over chat when we needed her, we ran into an issue where our driver didn’t show up on time and she immediately was on the phone with the company and our driver was there 5 minutes later. We are so extremely happy with our experience that my parents are now using her to plan their Greece trip! Highly recommend using Angela, you won’t regret it!

Hotel Reviews

Ducato di Oia Boutique Hotel

Santorini

this hotel was insanely beautiful. We had a crazy view from our room, the room was beautiful and so comfortable. They bring you breakfast to your room every morning at your desired time. It was absolutely incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the heart of Oia!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adonis Hotel & Apartments

Naoussa

Great location! The actual rooms are nothing special, only a bed sheet is provided as well. Quick walk into town and the property is pretty

Authenticity & Character

Location

The road to the hotel could use some work. Had to walk in some dirt to get into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were nothing special but they did the job. Should provide a heavier quilt for the beds

Mykonos Essence Adults Only Hotel

Mykonos

The perfect hotel for couples! A quick 5 minute walk to the beach and bus stop. About 15 minutes from the main town so it is quieter and less touristy. We loved it! The staff was fantastic as well

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully decorated

Location

5 minutes from the beach and in a quieter area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

HS Catamaran Sunset Cruise MD

Santorini

This was amazing! We loved the smaller group of 16 people, we met some awesome people from around the world. Got to see the most beautiful parts of Santorini and swim in stunning waters. The views of the Caldera at sunset was unforgettable

Quality of Experience

The boat was incredible, it felt like a once in a lifetime experience

Food

So fresh and incredible flavors

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ensured everyone was safe but also having so much fun

Transport

We had to wait for a couple for 20 minutes at their hotel… the group was sitting in the van getting pretty impatient. The couple was just late getting ready but was unfair to the group who was waiting

Sunset Wine Tasting & Dine 2023

Greece

Alena was our guide and she was incredible! We got to see the most beautiful sights

Quality of Experience

Educational but also so much fun and beautiful

Food

Had the most amazing sushi and wine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alena and George were so friendly!

Transport

Rhenia & Delos day cruise

Mykonos

The perfect day! Swam in beautiful waters and got to meet people from all around the world! The staff was great as well.

Quality of Experience

Swan in extremely clear waters, saw the most beautiful islands

Food

Yummy traditional Greek BBQ!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Felt safe but also ensured everyone had a blast

Transport

Overall, we enjoyed our trip to Egypt. There were several people on the KimKim team that were extremely helpful and welcoming and that we would specifically like to mention and thank (namely Mahmoud, who was so helpful in assisting us at the Cairo airport going home following a delay in Luxor, our guide Hamse in Cairo, Zain in Aswan, and the staff at the Swiss Inn). We met some lovely people on our trip and greatly appreciated the help that was provided.

That being said, there were some instances in which we did not feel that we got what we paid for when booking with a tour company. We are experienced travelers and are comfortable on our own in most scenarios, but booked with a tour company largely to help mitigate being hassled to buy things. We are not souvenir people and don't travel eight thousand miles to sit through sales pitches for items that we don't want to buy. That being said, we would have been okay if it was a single time, or if the items were cheap in price as it's helping the local economy, but instead we were forced to stop several times for demonstrations at places we did not agree to on the itinerary and put in the uncomfortable position of either saying no (which took several tries. At one place, the salesman said "money isn't everything" when we politely said "no, thank you" to the item he wanted us to buy) or purchasing a $150 USD candle holder, for example. Each of the places we were taken to, we were quotes prices that were, at minimum, $50 USD and up. This was very frustrating for us as we only had about 5 days in Egypt and did not want to (nor agree to) spend it sitting through uncomfortable sales pitches for items we did not want in the first place. (it's also worth mentioning that at the "authentic" cotton store we were taken to, one of the items we bought was a pair of loose cotton pants that literally ripped at the inside seam after an hour of wearing them. I noticed another reviewer state that their guide in Aswan was "nice, until he wasn't" when they did not want to purchase from one of the places they were taken to. I have to wonder if this was the same guide we had because we experienced the same thing. Our guide in Aswan was nice, but also seemed to get upset and sullen when we did not purchase from the oil store we were taken to. It made the car ride to the boat uncomfortable enough that we considered what our options were for the rest of the trip as we didn't like feeling trapped in that situation and didn't know how many more unscheduled stops would be included in the trip.

We also noticed that the itinerary we were given when booking the trip was not adhered to. We had about 3 items scheduled for our last full day, and when planning the trip were told that since our flight was in the evening, we could choose to pay an additional fee and do some extra sightseeing on the last day, which came out to I believe 2-3 additional sights. Our guide instead crammed all of these sights into one day, starting at 4:30 am. Finally at around 6 pm we had to tell him we needed to stop as we were physically exhausted and weren't feeling well, and he agreed to do the final tour of Luxor in the morning as he had another tour group scheduled the following day. This was frustrating for us as the itinerary we were given when booking the trip led us to believe these tours would be scheduled (at least roughly) equally on each day, and having them all put into one day made it so that we could not adequately take in what we were seeing as we were rushing from one place to the next and were exhausted. After our final tour in the morning at Luxor, we were done around 8:30 and then waited in a nearby hotel lobby for about 7 hours until the driver returned to take us to the airport to leave for home, which felt like a bit of a waste of a day. There were also two separate times on the boat in which the guide told us to meet him at a specific time and then did not show up, so we were waiting for over an hour each time before we finally called his room to ask if he wanted to reschedule.

Overall, I feel that communication could have been better as we were not given estimated times on the itinerary, and I'm not sure they would have been adhered to anyway. It left us with a bit of a bad taste in our mouths in the end as we booked with a tour company specifically to make the trip smooth and instead at times it felt like we were put in uncomfortable situations and it felt like our time wasn't valued.