Kimkim Trip Reviews

Samir was our driver for almost all of our adventures and answered all our questions about Morocco. Our visit to Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Meknes, Merzouga, Skoura, Quazazate, Marrakech and Essaouria were all memorable since each had its unique speciality. Thanks to Said Ali, Samir, Hanan, Sharif and all the other guides associated with Original Travel who made our trip so epic. It was fantastic!

What an epic, dream trip to Bhutan! Everything was off the charts! Tashi was an epic guide! 100000% was so impressed. It was stress free, professional, thoughtful, and definitely gave me the BEST cultural experience in Bhutan.

Superb - that was our experience with Chris and Maria Grazia of the Italy team.  Upon first reaching out to KimKim we were immediately connected to Chris.  He understood our hopes and preferences and compiled extraordinary hotel accommodations in four cities.  Along with Maria Grazia, he set up the right-fit tour guides and transportation for us.  Maria Grazia supplied daily detailed information with names and connections.  Midway through our two week Italy stay, we switched plans and Maria Grazia fully understood and reacted quickly to make other plans for us. Chris suggested an online meeting before we left our Boston home to review our specialized itinerary  which proved extremely worthwhile and allowed us to make a face-to-face connection.  Thanks to the Whatsapp application we had both Chris and Maria Graze in our pockets 24 hrs. per day.  We did have some off-hours communication that both Chris and Maria Graze accepted helpfully and graciously - they both possess a great sense of humor.  We could not more strongly recommend KimKim and the extraordinary Chris and Maria Grazia.

Rebecca did a fabulous job planning our holiday. So many highlights ... Having our transportation all pre-arranged was heaven. The drivers were all very professional, cars were spotless and driving was excellent. A highlight day was in Santorini with Lazarus. We had such a fun day seeing the island from his eyes....

Dimos at Kimkim put together a wonderful trip for us and when we had one glitch, he solved it promptly. Athens was fascinating especially the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. Our excursion to Sunio brought us along beautiful coastline to the Temple of Poseidon; our guide and our driver made the trip pleasant and our guide gave us an understanding of the significance of this temple. Meteora was fascinating and our guide brought it to life. Crete was the jewel of the trip. Beautiful countryside, beautiful beaches, and the Temple of Knossos should not be missed. Again our guide made the visit wonderful. KimKim and Dimos put together an excellent itinerary and provided great guides. Very happy we used them.

This trip was several weeks in the making. There were some changes along the way and all booked and suggested experiences were spectacular. Vaseem was patient and took a lot of pride in making sure that my wife and I saw France through the same bright lens he saw through.
Each day was thoughtfully planned. Not hurried, we were able to explore at a decent pace. There was careful consideration given to daily and weekly activities. We used the underground, Uber, bicycles when we were not able to explore on foot.
All accommodations were excellent as were the ease of being able to download tickets or directions as we proceeded. Vaseem checked in on occasion and minor adjustments were able to be made in real time.
Thank you for a most memorable experience. Thank you Vaseem, thank you KimKim. Most professional.

I hope I do this justice with my lack of written skills. We loved our trip. I have always planned my own travels, even international. This was my first time using any kind of travel service including kimkim.com. All I can say is that it was fabulous. The planning was an easy interactive process between us and our specialist Rebecca Skevakis.

Deposits and final payment was handled online and very easy. We received a very comprehensive trip app that had all our information to include city guides, tickets for planes, trains and activities. All of the transfers were by private car and everyone was on time, and we had several.

We started by arriving in Athens Greece, we were met by a representative who gave us an overview of how things worked, along with a nice gift of goodies. After this we left on our flight to Santorini. There our driver met us and drove us to out hotel. We had several wonderful events; half day on a catamaran sailboat visiting sites around the caldera with wonderful service and food. We did a Sights and Wine tour and Lazarus was a fantastic and intensely knowledgeable guide. He has a very genuine love of Thira and its history. The food and wine on this trip was more than we had expected, very top notch. There was also included a detailed hike guide to go along the cliff side trail between Fira and Oia, we had this planned in our travels but decided to use the time to see more of Oia.

Our trip took us to Athens next where we had a great guided tour of the Acropolis, our Guide Nicholas was not only knowlable but has spent most of his career involved in the restorations. The Acropolis is a sight as the sun sets.

A highlight was a trip out to Delphi, it is a long trip there and back but our guide and driver was very knowalgable. The ruins were breathtaking and we had a nice meal afterwards before the return trip.

After our speedy Athen nights it was off to Italy for a week. Again the transfers to the airport and hotels were flawless. The trip app updates automatically with flight information and gate updates. We arrive and Naples and our driver Pasquale was there to meet us. We drove to Pompeii for another guided tour, our guide was a wealth of knowledge and very entertaining. Pasqual drove us on to our hotel in Sorrento pointing out history and sights along the way.

Our Sorrento leg as was dampened a bit by some rain and wind which canceled our ferry to Capri but the next day it was perfect. Ferry company did not make the change very easy, this is the one and only negative of the trip, a small one in the bid scheme of things.

Off to Revello for a couple of nights, our driver once again was Pasquale. We made the drive along the Amalfi coast road with a short unplanned stop to see some of Positano. This was unplanned but Pasquale was nice enough to make it work out. We did not have any pre planned activities in Ravello but used the city guide provided in the trip App to find places to eat and see. The Villa Rufolo and Cimbrone are the must see sights. One day we also walked down to Amalfi from Ravello, about and hour and a half with our stops to take pictures. We opted to take a taxi back, wimps I know!

Finally it was time to start our journey home. The drive from Ravello to the Naples train station was by our favorite, Pasquale. It was nice having the same drive for all these transfers. It was the same in Santorini and Athens, the drivers were the same for arrival and departure.

The high speed train between Naples and Rome was nice and out transfer to our hotel by the Rome airport was uneventful. We had seen Rome on other trips so as we like to do we stay at a hotel at the airport to allow for a less hectic departure day.

I highly recommend kimkim for your travels. I was apprehensive because I thought I was always saving lots of money doing it all on my own. Well I am here to tell you the extra paid for the services is not terrible and worth every penny for two reasons. One, the headache of getting from airport or train station to hotels or between cites is a time saver because it is all taken care of. There is know searching for a taxi or bus, waiting in long lines, guessing if the taxi is charging too much. Second the communication between us and Rebecca our travel specialist was so nice, its concierge service for the entire trip.

We are independent travelers who like to rent a car and explore on our own, as well as stay in a variety of hotels (on beaches, in towns, etc.). Amalia was superb! She gave us just what we wanted, and was especially knowledgeable about what was closing down at the time we traveled (late October/November), which was instrumental as we planned our adventures. The lists of activity and sightseeing options Kim Kim and Amalia gave us were wonderful, as were the recommended restaurants in each place we stayed! Will definitely use Kim Kim again, and highly recommend Amalia! (She was also a lot of fun to correspond with during planning—and is from exquisite Crete herself!)

After a rocky start with a sandstorm preventing us landing in Casablanca and being diverted to Marrakesh and a 4 hour bus ride back to Casablanca, our trip was wonderful from there on in.
Our accommodations were top class, and the staff very friendly.
The choice of activities from the cooking class to the camel ride and the hot air balloon ride were excellent.
Our dining experiences were also wonderful
Our guides Kamal, Kamal ,Volubilis, Abdul Salaam ( forgive me if I have forgotten anyone) were first class and very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the towns they guided us through.
Finally, a HUGE shout out to our driver Abdo Ansari, who kept us safe, and drove very carefully for the amount of time we spent on the road and getting us to our destinations without any hiccups. He certainly has made friends for life with the Bermuda posse.

Regards,
Donna Hendrickson

Hotel Review

Riad Semlalia

Fès

Great friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Very beautiful mosque

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Tour guide was very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit to the Majorelle Gardens

Marrakesh

Beautiful gardens

Quality of Experience

From Fes to Merzouga via the Atlas Mountains (Ifrane, Azrou and Zaida)

Morocco

wonderful scenery driving through the Atlas Mountains

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Abdu is an excellent driver

Food Tour

Marrakesh

Great experience eating the street food

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class

Morocco

LFun experience

Food

the tajine as a gift

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

the deserts

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The balloon ride was breath taking

Iceland exceeded all our expectations. Gummi understood our desire to have an adventure-packed family vacation. He packed our days with unforgettable sights, hikes and tours. The google map links were perfect to keep us on track and his recommendations for times at each location kept us on track to ensure we didn't miss anything. The restaurant recommendations were a great mix of Icelandic cuisine and American favorites for the teenagers. Our favorite part was the Katla ice cave tour. We strapped on our crampons and were mesmerized by the blue hues and natural ice formations. We took ATVs on the beautiful black sand beach near the Myrdalsjokull glacier. We rode snowmobiles on the Langjokull glacier. Gummi even ordered up the most spectacular Northern Lights show! It was everything we hoped for.

Hotel Reviews

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

Excellent modern hotel. We had two rooms to accommodate our two teenage boys.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great duvets!

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Lovely modern hotel in great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The lighting in the room and location of the outlets could be improved. Our room had two small beds vs. a queen bed.

Fosshotel Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur

Lovely modern hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Smyrlabjorg

Höfn

Very quaint and charming. Very spacious room for the 4 of us. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The wifi wasn't great but we were too busy looking for the northern lights to care. Also there is no elevator so better bring your best viking to lift the bags.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was extremely spacious.

Hotel Katla by Keahotels

Vík

Modern hotel. Our rooms were close by reception which was convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stracta Hotel

Hella

A charming hotel. Our rooms required us to walk outside so it felt more like a motel. Our TV wasn't working but the front desk person came immediately and fixed it. We're awaiting resolution on a room discrepancy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A single room is quite tight. It was too small for 4 people.

Activity Reviews

ATV to the Black Beach and Plane Wreck

Iceland

The scenery was stunning. Seeing the plane wreck is another interesting part of history. And noting Justin Bieber filmed on it was interesting for the kids.

Quality of Experience

Going over sand, through streams and on the actual road create exciting experiences.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There was no transport

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Our guide Siggi was amazing. He shared his personal experiences and explained the geography and science behind the ice cave and the Katla glacier. You could tell he absolutely loves his job. He sang, joined our family photos and had great energy.

Quality of Experience

The scenery and ice formations are stunning. And the science behind their creation is interesting. It's also very precarious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Siggi was an expert and very funny.

Transport

The transport was fine. The music is fun

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

A relaxing geothermal experience in a modest setting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Langjokull glacier snowmobiling

Iceland

Very well organized. The staff were extremely friendly. They took our pictures and helped us get back on the trail.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful, memorable trip to Colombia focused on Medellin and the surrounding area. Margoth and her team checked in with us throughout the stay and made sure things went smoothly. When an airline maintenance issue caused us to miss our connection to Colombia we easily communicated to make sure our pick up at the airport was adjusted. The lodgings were well chosen for us. This was our first time in Colombia and thanks to our guide Diego and the great driving of Yiovanny we had a remarkable trip. They made sure we could stop and try local foods on our excursions and see things along the way to our destinations. They were always right on time and the communication was perfect. Diego is deeply knowledgable about the area and his exuberance for Medellin as a local is contagious. We didn't want to leave Colombia-- every experience was perfect!

Activity Review

City Tour of Medellín Highlights (with Local Market and Comuna 13)

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I will definitely Work woth kimkim again to plan my trip.
The professionalism, patience, knowledge, humor and kindness of every tour guide was among the best I have experienced throughout many travel experiences.

Bianca booked our honeymoon perfectly! We had a wonderful mix of relaxation and adventure and were set up with a great tour guide who was able to move things around when one of our bookings was cancelled due to weather. Would definitely recommend Bianca if you want to make planning easier for yourself!

Ravi and the team from Active India organised a fantastic trip for my partner and I. He suggested a variety of itineraries based on our dates/interests and was able to personalise the trip to exactly what we wanted, ensuring that everywhere we stayed was LGBT friendly. He was very responsive both before and during our trip. The trip ran very smoothly throughout allowing us to do both sightseeing and trekking across a wide area of India. Mr Kewal (driver) was very reliable and ensured we were comfortable during our journeys and all our guides were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, particularly Priya in Amritsar. We would definitely recommend booking with Active India if you want a stress-free, memorable trip!

Mieke did a great job planning our trip and answering all of our many questions quickly. We had a wonderful time in The Netherlands despite the rain! Our hotels were perfectly located and we walked everywhere. Alex our walking guide and Maarten our driver were pleasant and very knowledgeable. Unfortunately we cut them both a little short because of the pouring rain. Thanks so much for your great work.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel van Walsum

Rotterdam

Comfortable hotel. Very pleasant staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Singel hotel

Amsterdam

Small and quaint. Good location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Day trip to Volendam, Edam and Alkmaar

Amsterdam

Maarten was great. We loved the cheese factory tour and the cows! We did cut the trip short because or the downpour of rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public transport pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was an unforgettable Nepal trip. The communication, planning, support, service and expertise were second to none. Kripa, Susmita, Tendu and his brother and brother-in-law, our city guide in Kathmandu, all the drivers were all such good people. The trip itself was well thought through for our needs and expectations. The accommodation in the teahouses and hotels were well planned. And we even got a momento! How thoughtful is that. Thank you for all the effort and friendliness. Wishing you everything of the best.

We are really pleased with our experience using Kim Kim for our trip to Japan. The service was quick and really helpful in making for a memorable trip.
Fei was prompt and professional, even helping us with further recommendations whilst we were out on the trip at short notice.
Would not hesitate to recommend the service to friends and family! And we would use again!

Hotel Reviews

Shin-Osaka Esaka Tokyu REI Hotel

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Miyanoshita Myojokan

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Shijokarasuma

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Knot Tokyo Shinjuku

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osaka Cooking Class

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day My CUPNOODLES Factory

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half day Osaka city tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Garden Walking Tour (Join-in)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Tour and guide, Yakuri were really excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip went off okay. The pluses were the transfers , as they were all on time and the accommodations all were amazing! There was a few small issues with Quan our guide in Hanoi. First it was hard to understand him at times and we know he didn't understand us a lot of the times we asked questions. We understand English was his second language however when you are assigning a guide to an English speaking group you should make sure they have and understand enough English to carry out their tour successfully. In addition to the language barrier we felt Quan wasn't as truthful as he could/should have been. We felt, at times, that he was making up answers just to provide one when he should have just said he didn't know the answer or understand the questions. In addition to these issues our guide feel asleep numerous times when we were in route to different places. We understand that he didn't need to provide constant commentary the entire time however he should have been available for us if and when we wanted to ask something about the sights...instead we resisted because we didn't want to wake him.

In regard to the tour itself, we had issues with the bike portion of the tour. We thought, according to the description, that the village tour was going to be in a quiet remote/rural area however the first portion of the ride was through a very busy village and we had to keep dodging motorbikes/cycles, cars and trucks which wasn't just dangerous but NO FUN! The second portion of the bike ride, through the flower village, was a little less trafficed however because of the season we didn't see the flowers in bloom so you should either offer this tour when the flowers are in season or disclose to the tourists/customers that seeing flowers will be dependent upon the season.

Another issue we had was the fact that most of the restaurants that we visited were also visited by many other tour buses therefore the restaurants were busy, causing our meals to come out at different times even to the point that sometime one person would be finished with his/her meal before others even get theirs. In regard to the restaurants choices should be given to the travelers and they shouldn't have to go to the same restaurants that all other tour buses go too.

Now that I have expressed my disappointment in the tour I will say that there were some really great highlights to the tour. One was the Halong Bay cruise. Not only was it an amazingly beautiful but our guy Thai was amazing as well, we really enjoyed him. But by far we truly LOVED Micky our guide in Cambodia. He was funny, truthful, provided picture images to go along with his verbal explanations and was all around a very good guide.

Just returned home from our longest international and fourth trip using KimKim. It was truly a pleasurable experience! Marco put together a fantastic trip and was extremely helpful when we needed to make a couple of changes ( one change in a room, and another to our itinerary). All of the guides we had were amazing, and our two main drivers, Putu and Sifel) went above and beyond. Our experiences of hiking Mt. Ijen, river rafting, biking, snorkeling, trekking etc. were all very delightful and are highly recommended. Thank you KimKim for employing quality people and delivering a quality experience for us. We will continue to use KimKim for our travels.

Overall a great 5 days! Special mention to Fred and John, our guides on Tiwi Islands. Also the small plane flight over Kakadu and rock pool swims in Litchfield were highlights. Possibly a little too much driving, particularly for my 10 year old son. There was one unfortunate snafu involving the car transfer from Darwin airport to the hotel but that was not the fault of Asko or KimKim.