Kimkim Trip Reviews

As this was such a big trip with many facets, I will split the review into 4 parts: kimkim’s service, the guides, the hotels and the places we saw.

KimKim’s service:
I have used KimKim before to book a similarly long trip to Indonesia and had an excellent experience so I was excited to do so again for Japan. It was an okay experience the 2nd time around but definitely not as polished or as organised. Our specialist (before she left the company) was Kristy. She was generally amenable to our changes but we noticed she was off on leave alot and did take quite a long time to respond to queries, often having to be messaged twice in a row. This was frustrating at times but when she was present, things were generally done well.
Once she left the company just before our trip, Claudia took over. She was generally on the ball and it must have been difficult picking up a huge itinerary with so many last minute things to organise but she did it generally well. There were, however, a couple of things we were not happy about. Some of the itineraries put together for us seemed to ignore the fact we couldn’t do long hikes up mountains and had no interest in doing so, yet put aside 3 hours of a day (in one instance in Miyajima) to do so.
Another thing that was a major source of frustration was the bullet train tickets. We were told in advance that we would need to book these in Japan and so we did (at huge time expense, standing in a queue for hours at JR booking office). However, we were very annoyed when we were messaged mid-holiday asking if we had booked our tickets to Miyajima. We were annoyed because we were not told at any point how we were getting to Miyajima (Hakone, for instance, was a coach tour and we knew this in advance) so did not book tickets. We stood in a line for a further hour on April 8th in the evening after a long day tour waiting to book tickets for a trip we could have booked days before, and when I expressed my dismay at this on the KimKim chat, did not even receive an apology for the lack of organisation and huge inconvenience this caused us. There was no recognition that your company had committed an oversight at the expense of their customer. To make matters worse, I was asked to put the details up on the chat, which I did on April 8th (that same evening) so that KimKim could pass on the details of the bullet train to our guide. Imagine my surprise when, one the eve of the trip to Miyajima, our guide messaged me asking me for details of our bullet train booking because KimKim hadn’t passed the details on like they said they would. This was 2 days after I had put the details up to be passed along…

The guides:
I will start by saying that in general, the guides were lovely and helpful. We understand there is a real issue with English language speakers in Japan and a lack of guides in general, so will not spend too long going on about language barriers.
Teruko, Kuniko and Noriko were all very friendly guides who showed great flexibility to amend itineraries in our best interests and to change routes to help with my mother-in-law’s difficulties walking and my pregnant wife. They all tried their best with restaurateurs who didn’t want to change menu orders for my wife who couldn’t eat many foods due to her pregnancy sickness. Overall they did a great job.
Special mentions go to Stephanie and Momoyo, who we absolutely loved. Our day in Nakameguro with Stephanie was a blast and she was very knowledgeable. She took us to excellent food places, got involved with the picture taking, which pleased the ladies in the group and took us to a mansion at the end when we couldn’t eat any more which showed excellent flexibility and understanding of her clients.
Momoyo was with us for 3 separate days and we loved her! Her English was excellent and she went out of her way frequently to help us with any and all difficulties. If we had her all trip, we wouldn’t have minded at all! She helped us book that bullet train to Miyajima, negotiated food orders and worked out the least tiring routes for us. By day 2, she knew our likes and dislikes and had planned in things to do with food for instance, that met all our criteria (like planning in a visit to Rikuro’s because my wife mentioned wanting Japanese cheesecake in passing on day 1)
She even bought us a gift at the end (which we of course had done for her too!), which was so sweet but showed how much we bonded with her.
Overall, the guides were a highlight of the trip.

The Hotels:
Park Hotel - we spent 6 days here and we generally loved it. It was a 2nd choice after we couldn’t quite afford the previous recommended hotel (the Pullman) but it worked out well. Amazing lobby, free hot chocolate and coffee, a good breakfast with excellent views, attentive and well-spoken staff, who wanted to help. The rooms weren’t on the same quality level, but they were comfortable enough and had everything we needed. They were cleaned immaculately! They also helped us when we lost our camera and had to have it delivered specially to the hotel. They paid for it while we were out and put it on the room, really allowing us to enjoy our time out in the city without worrying about payment etc.

Sakura Terrace The Gallery - we spent 5 days here and we would not recommend this hotel to anyone. We generally like luxury hotels and at the very least, need our creature comforts. This hotel, though very pretty, well located and offering big rooms, lacked in most departments and I am surprised this was recommended to us. The website made it look great but a specialist like KimKim should have known what its shortcomings were and that we wouldn’t be happy with it. Issues included hotel staff not always being available to help, a pointless breakfast ticket system that had us waiting in the cold when the breakfast room was full, no safes in the rooms (!), no wardrobes either just a small rail to put all clothes on, no plug sockets anywhere near the bed, incredibly poor cleaning standards (the room wasnt cleaned once the entire time we were there and hadn’t been cleaned well before we got in there) and finally, we had 2 rooms next to each other with completely different furnishings - we had a couch in our room but our parents didn’t have anything but the bed to sit on. All in all, a poor hotel experience.

Hotel Intergate Umeda - we stayed for 2 days and this was an excellent hotel. In a lovely area, incredibly clean and smart hotel, helpful staff always on call, a decent breakfast and the rooms were fantastic and immaculately cleaned and there was even a vending machine on our floor for if we needed extra drinks on top of the free water. We thoroughly enjoyed staying there and would have stayed there for longer.

The places we saw:
Japan is quite an experience! Tokyo is madcap and brimming with people and noise, Kyoto is filled with history and Osaka is a smart and elegant city.

Pleasant surprises:
We loved the Nakameguro food tour recommendation (with its cherry-blossom lined streets) and Nara was also an excellent day trip (the deer park was a fun experience with deer chasing us for food and crossing the road at zebra crossings). Arashiyama was a lovely place also but as a tip, the biggest photogenic sites like the bamboo forest should be put earliest on the day’s agenda before the crowds set in (our guide changed it round and rightly so! We wouldn’t have got any good pictures of the bamboo forest otherwise).
In addition, Shin-Sekai in Osaka along with a beautiful park our guide Noriko took us to in Hiroshima were wonderful surprises filled with many photo opps/moments of laughter and serene beauty respectively.

Expected but still wonderful:
Most of the other places we already knew about and requested but it is worth mentioning Kinkakuji, Osaka Castle and Fushimi Inari shrine. These were excellent places to visit early in the morning before the crowds got in. It rained heavily at Kinkakuji and it was still wonderful and awe-inspiring. Sanjunsangendo temple and Todai-ji temple were marvellous and jaw-dropping examples of Buddhist statues and worship. The gardens nearby to Todai-ji were picturesque and well worth a visit and stroll.

Overall, although the experience with KimKim wasn’t as smooth as in the past, the holiday itself was magnificent. The guides were well worth the money we paid for them and in terms of affordability, KimKim still provides bang for your buck. Japan is truly amazing and an experience never to forget!

Hotel Reviews

Park Hotel Tokyo

Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku

Incredibly clean, great lobby, excellent views, friendly and well-spoken staff, good location, nice breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Ieva was excellent but everyone was just as good - just didn’t catch their names!

Cleanliness & Comfort

SAKURA TERRACE THE GALLERY

Kyoto

Poor cleaning standards, no safes, no wardrobes just a small rail, poor pillows, no plugs near the bed, absent staff. Good location, excellent breakfast, pretty, big rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to Kyoto station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Beautiful Arashiyama

Kyoto

Bamboo forest is excellent but make sure you see it first thing in the morning if you want good pictures. Will be too packed with people otherwise. Monkey park, kimono forest (which isn’t a forest but a modern art installation) and tenryuji temple are nice things to see and do. Lots of nature and walking! Arashiyama is a lovely place and well worth a day-trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Miyajima 1-day Private Tour from Osaka

Japan

The Itsukushima shrine and torii gates are excellent, lots of food choices on the island too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All on time, efficient

Transfer to Osaka - The Kitchen of Japan - Guided

Osaka

Osaka is a classy, elegant city. Lots of modern skyscrapers, squeaky-clean, not as busy or intimidating as Tokyo (people are a little more laid-back here), Shin-Sekai is quirky and fun and filled with photo opps, the food is cheaper and you are spoiled for choice, shopping is just as plentiful as Tokyo (so a HUGE amount available). Osaka Castle is an amazing building and very thorough and worthwhile tour if you like history or 360 degree views from a height.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nara Day Tour from Kyoto

Kyoto

Nara is beautiful and the city of deer. Deer park is an unforgettable experience, Todai-ji is one of the most impressive temples in the whole of Japan with rare opportunity to take pictures of Buddha statues (generally not allowed in Japan) and the gardens on the site are some of the best (cherry blossoms trees, a huge pond and every type of flower and colour imaginable!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nakameguro Food Tour

Tokyo

Stephanie was an excellent guide, Nakameguro is a lovely, trendy neighbourhood lined with cherry-blossoms. Excellent food too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angela was key for our whole trip. She was extremely knowledgeable about Greece and what kind of tours we may want. She worked very well with me to come up with the perfect 10 days for me and my family. She got us amazing tours on the mainland with a private mythical tour of Athens with our guide Ifi (she was an archeologist working on her doctorate, so very well spoken). Our tour to Meteora was great, however we would have loved more time there. When we told Angela that we wanted a few different locations, her insight led us to Crete as went early in the season and the other islands would still be a bit chilly. She set up a day tour of Crete with our guide Alexander Yefimets. If you go on a tour in Crete, your MUST ask for this man. He and his team were completely agreeable to whatever and due to the weather for our day, he completely changed the itinerary to stay away from rain and only enjoy sun and beauty. They met us at our VRBO and we had an amazing day with them. Alexander also recommended restaurants and things to do for the rest of our stay. Angela did an amazing job of setting this up for us.
Angela was very responsive before the trip and gave me her contact information for use while we were in Greece in case anything came up.
Simply the best. I will not visit Greece without going through Angela and Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

Eva Villas West

Gerani town

Great idea, poorly executed. The pool was empty and they never told us it wouldn’t be filled until later in the season (actually the day we left). No hot water for the first three days as the boiler was broken. The place is a bit run down, broken doors in kitchen, missing handles on shower doors, walls in various stages of repair, and of course the hot water. Location is great and the hosts are amazing and responsive, but we were a bit disappointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marriott Moxy Athens City

Athens

Quaint and spunky hotel as all Moxy’s are. Staff were amazing and sweet. They loved my 13 yo daughter and wanted to make her breakfast every day :) Good location as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great central location. 100s of restaurants and sights are from a 1 minute to a 20 minute walk.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are a bit small even for Europe

Activity Reviews

East Crete Secrets Off the Beaten Track: Through the Eyes of Locals from East

Greece

Alexander was our guide and it was simply amazing. Due to weather, we changed from East Crete to central Crete but our guides were simply amazing. Alex was watching the weather and doing an amazing job of keeping us dry and in the sun. The weather is ever changing in Crete. They offered plenty of snacks and, of course, Raki. Alex never seemed to rush or want the tour to end. He gave us as much time as we wanted in every spot we stopped. He continually said, we are friends, and friends spend the whole day together. It was an amazing trip to Monestaries, beaches, shops, sights etc. Stephanos was our driver and he was great as well. Some of the streets in Crete are extremely narrow and he got our sprinter van through amazingly. Highly recommend this trip and do yourself a favor and ask for Alexander Yefimets!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful clean Mercedes sprinter

Athens to Meteora day trip by scenic train ride!

Athens

Unfortunately the train arrived late and left early so we only had a short time in Meteora. Also, we were supposed to be in a limo bus with no more than 20 people, but we were on a large coach with 42 people. Not anyone’s fault, but the train did mess us up. Our five hour tour and 4 Monastery visits turned in to a 2 hour visit with two very rushed visits and a bus ride around the other four. Disappointing as this is an amazing place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olman was super helpful and accommodating based on our various requests.

My daughter and I have just returned from our 9 day whirlwind visit to Italy. 2 days each in Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. We had the most wonderful time and made so many beautiful memories thanks to our Italian coordinator Lorenza who put together an itinerary that managed to include everything that we wanted to do and see. Indelible mental images of gondolas, canals and bridges; huge, beautiful churches including St. Peter's where we actually attended mass (mind blown)! The statue of David, lemons galore in lovely Positano, and new friends made on our wine tasting day in Tuscany.
All of our guides were knowledgeable and amazing. Vincenzo, Antonio, Simona, Alfonso and I know I'm missing a few names (sorry). They all went above and beyond (and brave, especially in Rome where the Easter crowds were quite overwhelming). Couldn't get enough of gelato, delicious! Trip of a lifetime - thank-you!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Mignon Sorrento

Sorrento

Loved all the blue and white tile in our room and the balcony. Nice and clean. Walls a bit thin though. Could hear the family in the adjoining room. Staff very friendly and helpful and the breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

The décor was blue and white and very sunny. The dining room was very pretty.

Location

Right in the middle of town and lots of restaurants close by.

Staff

We had a Good Friday procession that went past our hotel and the front desk personnel were very knowledgeable about it and explained it's meaning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything fresh and bright and appealing.

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

The elevator wasn't working and we had to change our room that was originally on the 4th floor to one on the 2nd floor which was still a bit of a hike up those stairs after walking 19,000 steps that day. But the room was nice and the staff very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the fabric wallpaper!

Location

Central to everything.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liked that they had two suitcase luggage racks as we were living out of our suitcases and were able to open them up without having them on the floor.

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Clean and comfy. Staff welcoming and friendly. Breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

The fish market outside.

Location

Right by the canal and bridges.

Staff

Very kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed and pillows lovely and comfy.

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Our room was nice and clean with lovely wooden, rosetted ceilings. Terracotta roofs from our window and the sound of bells ringing and pigeons cooing in the morning. Heaven. Staff were very helpful and friendly. A very nice stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants.

Staff

Very kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfy.

Activity Reviews

Fully day in The Amalfi Coast with driver assistance

Italy

Breathtaking views. Beautiful little towns. Positano was my favorite with it's cute shops and all those lemons! We had lunch at a waterside restaurant and watched the fishes swimming by.

Quality of Experience

To have someone else do the driving!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vincenzo was very patient and calm even though buses kept getting stuck along the route as the roads were so narrow. I was afraid we wouldn't have as much time in the 3 towns we were visiting due to the traffic jams but our guide assured us we would spend the time we needed even though we returned back over an hour late. I thought that was really kind of him.

Transport

A great driver considering the crazy road.

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

One of my favorite spots. Didn't realize how big Pompeii was. Amazing.

Quality of Experience

The surprise of how much there was to see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Antonio, was such a wealth of information and very nice.

Transport

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - small group tour. Early entrance

Rome

An amazing day. But the crowds! It was Easter week. Our guide was so brave and we could not have gotten through and seen everything if we didn't have her. Highlight was attending Mass inside St. Peter's!

Quality of Experience

Mass in the biggest church in the world and part of my faith.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blown away with how our guide was able to maneuver her way through the hundreds of people in the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel. And none of our group got lost!

Transport

Colosseum and Roman Forum - small group guided tour

Rome

Great! We had a little rain but walked on undeterred. I had visited this site 55 years ago and was a bit disappointed that visitors were no longer able to go down to the bottom as I had done back then. Such an iconic building.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good. Had lots of information.

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Fantastic! Seeing the Statue of David was incredible. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So kind and engaging.

Transport

Small group visit of St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace

Venice

St. Mark's was very beautiful and impressive. We didn't go up to the terraces or inside the Doge's Palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was wonderful, smart and funny.

Transport

Wendy, our local operator, planned the entire trip flawlessly and made sure to stay in touch with us before, during, and after our visit to ensure our well-being. The guides, who were all exceptional, showed great flexibility and knowledge. Luis gave us a wonderful tour of Bogota, while Juan led us through Leticia and the Amazonas, preparing us well for hikes in the rainforest and going above and beyond to ensure our enjoyment. Our visit to Colombia was unforgettable, and we are grateful to Wendy, Luis, Juan, and the local guides in the forest for creating such wonderful memories.

Charlotte was a great help in crafting our itinerary for our second trip to Costa Rica. The activities in Turrialba with the Serendipity team were top notch in terms of experience, safety, and feeling cared for by the guides. Andres ensured that all elements of our trip were safe and that we had a great experience. He's clearly very seasoned and professional. Sergio, Cesar and Daniel were great with canyoning, and the meal we shared together at Sergio and Cesar's mom's house was exceptional. It was so nice to learn about their family. They were very very careful and followed strong safety practices. For our river rafting overnight trip, Andres continued to be at the helm and ensuring all went smoothly. Alejandro was an exceptional guide, extremely positive and knowledgeable, and so so skilled with the raft. Jose Luis was a great guide, taking us on an unforgettable hike at the camp that took us through creeks and then met with the river. Douglas was great at navigating the ducky, it was a fun experience to ride with him. Alex was great at helping with it put-in, camp, and put-out. Overall the team worked so well together, we had great food and great experiences with them. Thank you to the Serendipity team!!! The rest of our trip in Puerto Viejo was not as great as Turrialba, the chocolate tour was a bit too long and we got bit by a lot of bugs. The snorkeling trip was not as small a group as I expected, and there wasn't a snorkeling guide. The hotel was great location and the room was very good for our family, that was a great suggestion from Charlotte. If I were to redo the itinerary, I would keep all of the Turrialba activities, skip the chocolate tour, and see if we could book a smaller snorkeling trip with a snorkeling guide. The airport hotel was great for us, too. Overall the Serendipity team was fantastic!!!

An excellent trip to Cambodia with Steve from Kimkim. Steve's suggestions were fantastic and he was very prompt with replies, which made it really easy to plan the trip. The local guides he used were knowledgeable and friendly which added a lot to our overall experience. This was the first time we'd used Kimkim but will surely use them again after this very positive experience. Thank you for making this trip so memorable for us Steve!

Having a knowledgeable, attentive and trusted local guide with you when touring Egypt is a MUST. From the perspective of crime or personal safety, we felt completely secure at all times. However, there are nuances specific to airport procedures, visiting different sites, and poor signage, that make exploring on your own challenging at best.
Sherif was an incredible tour coordinator. While I was planning the trip from the US, he addressed my questions and dealt with changes in the itinerary promptly and accurately. After we arrived in Egypt, he was immidiately available via text AT ANY HOUR of the day with any issues, and was proactively making sure all our needs were being met. I would give Sherif's work my highest accolades.
From the second we arrived we came to appreciate the relief and joy of having a personal airport coordinator at each site. Mr. Ahmed made all the tranfers, E-visas, and luggage issues seamless and effortless. My husband and I travelled with 8-years old twins. For that resason, we planned our itinerary to include some well deserved beach relaxation at the end , after days of sightseeing . Our tour guides in Cairo was Ms. Lina. She was very knowledgeable, poised, and very gentle with kids. Lina's passion for Egyptology was contagious and made the kids jump with excitement. Our guide on the Nile cruise was Mr. Moataz. His attention to details and assertive style always allowed us to avoid the crowds, and get the best out of every excursion. Of course, it goes without a mention, that Mr. Moataz was an excellent guide, and has a great eye for photograpghy as an added bonus.
Egypt is HOT. Having a comfortable air conditioned van, with water bottles and snacks waiting for you the minute you need it is a luxury not to be discounted. All the drivers throughout the trip were corteous, accomodating and smiling, and the vans were impecably clean inside. Cleanliness was 5-star in all accomodations that Sherif has recommended, and the food also was good, tasty, and always fresh. All the packets of Pepto bismol were brought back home unoppened.
We had a wonderful trip. Thank you, Sherif and ALL the people who helped our family to have an unforgettable experience!

Activity Reviews

Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor- East Bank- Disembarkation

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor-West Bank - Overnight in Luxor

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor-Kom Ombo & Edfu Temples - Overnight in Esna

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor-Philae Temple / Unfinished Obelisk/ High Dam - Overnight in Aswan

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour to Giza Pyramids

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time using KimKim and had a great experience using the platform. Kudos to Bryan, Nancy, Charlotte and the rest of the Serendipty Travels team for helping us coordinate an itinerary for a multigenerational trip to Costa Rica with travelers flying in from different cities on different days. The hotel and activity recommendations were spot on for our families (each with 3+ school aged kids). The transfers from airport, hotels, and activities were seamless. We felt we were taken care of and in good hands. The team was also very responsive when we had inquiries during our trip. Thanks to KimKim and the Serendipity Travel team for making our Costa Rica trip a success!

Very grateful to Malissa for putting together our 2-week trip to Japan. Accommodations and schedule were a perfect fit. We had two great guides -- Michie around Mt. Fuji and Yano in Kyoto -- and did fun sushi and archery activities. This level of attention worked out great for us as we're pretty experienced travelers, however, some people might want to request more guidance. Travel logistics can be a lot on days without a guide. Definitely get contact info via WhatsApp as calls often didn't go through on our cell phones. AND, ask for maps as well as addresses for activities as google maps didn't always land us in the right place.

Wow, what an incredible trip!! Eduardo was so wonderful to work with, very knowledgable and easy to communicate with. We absolutely loved our itinerary, he picked really fun places to visit and things to do. Everything went smoothly, from our transportation to accommodations to tours. I never felt nervous or anxious, and that's saying a lot coming from me. I loved our personal driver, personal tour guide, and even a private boat for the lake tour. Incredible!
We LOVED our tour guide, Esmerelda, who was above and beyond our expectations. She was professional, knowledgeable, kind and polite, and so much fun! We felt like she was our new best friend. Esme knew all the best places to eat and visit. I was never confused as to what we were doing or where we were going too. She was always ready to help us out of boats, take photos, show us how to pay, or point out cool landmarks. I was impressed with her ability to switch between Spanish and English easily. At the end of trip, we were so sorry to have to say goodbye.
I was also especially impressed by our driver, Antonio, who also became a good friend. He was friendly, a safe and reliable driver, and very concerned for our wellbeing. He kept us laughing with his jokes and stories. We felt spoiled that we had our own personal driver for the whole trip, and someone who was so respectful and helped us with our big, heavy bags, too. Esmerelda and Antonio are truly special people. We're so lucky to have had them for our trip.
I've never had such a well-planned, easy international trip. I felt relaxed and at ease the entire time, loved all the places we visited, was obsessed with our hotel in Lake Atitlan, and fell in love with Guatemalan and all the people we met. I can't wait to visit again!

The entire experience with Kimkim has been fabulous; right from the first email inquiry till the end of the trip. Moonika was the agent assigned to us and she has been there 24/7 answering all our queries and meeting us when we visited Estonia. The constant communication made us feel very secure. The tours arranged have been exactly what we were looking for. The guides Dominic, Elisa and the others were very well informed. Kept the day pretty entertained. The hotels booked were comfortable, clean and convenient with children.
The transfers by the card arranged were very good. Everyone were punctual which was something we liked. Overall a fabulous trip with a lot of memories. Can’t wait to book another trip with Kimkim. Thank you guys😀

Hotel Reviews

Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets

Rovaniemi

Very basic but the room had a sauna so kinda made up. The room could be modernized a bit.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ski-Inn Kultakero Hotel

Pyhätunturi

Loved the location, room and restaurant. Has a dryer in the room which was an added bonus.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Lights Village

Saariselkä

Love the hotel, food and staff. Activities can be arranged. Walking distance to a supermarket. If you are lucky, you can see the Northern lights in the comfort of your room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very hardworking staff and always smiling

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Rovaniemi

Beautiful hotel with activities for children. Igloo can get a bit warm during the day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Haven

Helsinki

Fab hotel with good food. Great reception and we loved our stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean

Activity Reviews

Sami Culture Day

Finland

Loved the reindeer farm. The couple who owned it were just amazing. Super friendly and loved to tell their story. Made it very kid friendly. The museum was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Safari (5km)

Finland

Beautiful experience as we were the only people there at that time of the year. Friendly dogs and the owner was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Tour

Rovaniemi

We saw the lights in the first location. It was cold. Beautiful experience. The guide made it fun and entertained the children too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (2h)

Helsinki

The guide was nice and so passionate about the history of the place. The library was awesome. She got the kids involved in making pins😀 as souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

Was good. Just wished there was a later ferry as we arrived early that morning. Had quite an adventure here😀

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dominic was lovely.

Transport

If I could give Robi 10 stars I would.

This was the trip of a lifetime. My wife and I were celebrating our ten year anniversary and we wanted to do a really special trip. This was our first time traveling to Croatia and also my first time using a travel agency. But with two weeks in an unfamiliar country I decided to that the risk of using an agency was less than the risk of going it alone. I'm so glad I did.

Robi patiently worked with us for weeks while we figured out where we were going to go and what kinds of things we wanted to do. We found a perfect blend of planned VS spontaneous time. Robi was amazing throughout it all. He sent us google maps pins every day as well as detailed travel notes about the routes - I never once had to worry about where we were headed next or how to get there. He gave us restaurant recommendations and made reservations for us. We stayed at six different hotels and every single checkin went smoothly. And when we wanted to change things up during the trip he was incredibly responsive and helpful; he never once pressured us to stick to the plan or do something.

It would have been impossible for us to experience a trip like this without Robi. If I had tried to do this on my own it would have been a stress filled two weeks and we'd have missed out on so many experiences. Some highlights:
- Visited about a dozen historical sites including Roman and pre-roman ruins, some on our own and some with tour guides Robi set up
- Ate in restaurants that ranged from Michelin stars to tiny Konobas serving local country food
- Rode in a small boat and ate oysters right off the line with the fisherman
- Tasted wine from a wide range of producers from across the country

I'm not usually one to write long, glowing reviews. But if you are still reading this then you're probably strongly considering whether or not to actually use Kimkim and Robi's services. We've been home a couple days now and I have zero regrets about what we did or how we did it. Kimkim's site is easy to use and as your trip evolves it makes it easy to see the latest itinerary and give your agent specific feedback about every part of it. We ended up printing the whole thing out and carrying it with us in a little notebook. As a detailed planner, my wife really loved that.

So... I can't speak for every agent on Kimkim, but I can tell you that if you are going to Croatia then there is nobody better to work with than Robi and Kimkim has been an awesome platform to use for our coordination.

Robi - thank you so much for all that you did for us. I really hope we get to see you again!

Kim Kim & MOBT did an AMAZING JOB of planning & organizing a fabulous trip. The entire trip, from planning, to execution, to all the experiences couldn't have been easier or more perfect!

The best part was our driver, Yassine. He was knowledgeable, friendly, professional, & fun! When we had Yassine around we always felt well taken care of and safe. We felt like he was our security blanket & like a good security blanket - it is always there when you need it! The day/night we did the desert camel ride/Bedouin tents we joked that we didn't want Yassine to leave us because we knew he would always take care of us in the best way. He smoothed over our different activities as we had the language barrier in some places & he just made it all work without any stress for us! He went above and beyond every step of the way. If I could give him 500 Stars I would!!!!

We had 2 scheduled tours with Hassan in Marrakech & Mustafa in Fez - and both were outstanding! Both gentlemen were knowledgeable, friendly & fun. They expertly guided us through the respective medina's & brought the country to life for us. Also providing recommendations and making reservations as needed.

The whole process from first planning the trip to the execution was great!! Yassine from MOBT was amazing & flexible, helping me to dial in the perfect bucket list trip!

I am not sure I can travel anymore without a "Yassine Driver" - you definitely get spoiled! I will use Kim Kim for as many future trips as I can. Every piece of it was phenomenal!!

Our family had an amazing trip on the Ghorepani / Poon Hill trek. We have a 5 year old and a 7 year old and Ngima and his team made the trip seamless and provided all the necessary support.

Dafuri was an excellent sherpa and his team were friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend Ngima and his team, they are professional and made our trip one we will never forget!

Sangita, her husband and our two guides (Bhim and Lock) were the travel team that everybody wants for live the Experience of Nepal at the fullest!!! We are super happy! Namaste

My family and I had one of the most exciting and memorable trips travelling Argentina and Brazil, and the organisation, efficiency and hospitality arranged by Matias was simply astounding.

All our guides were warm, knowledgeable and adapted well to our requirements and desires

Thank you Matias and we are so grateful to all the guides

We had such a wonderful time on this trip! I am so grateful to Emmanuala and her team. I could never have organized such a trip myself - to know where to stay and which activities to do. It took so much stress out of the planning. Every day had a program, and we stuck to it. The highlights were both the Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon (beginning and end of the trip), and the ATV adventure. Even in the rain it was awesome! The fun surprises were the beautiful photos at Diamond Beach, the extra-strong winds at Dryhoemy (55 km/hr), the blue of the ice cave with the spring river rushing through it, and the wonderful food wherever we went. We were also impressed by Icelandic infrastructure and architecture - which really keeps out the cold! We missed out on the glacier walk because of the strong winds, and didn't get to see the northern lights - so perhaps we'll have to come back. Overall it was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to others.

Activity Reviews

Whale Watching Ólafsvík

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

We got really lucky and saw humpback whales and several orcas and their babies. While it was awesome to see these creatures in the wild, the water was pretty choppy, and not for the faint of heart (or stomach). It is an outdoor boat - so cold, and there was competition for the best spots on the rails to get photos. I'd still recommend this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

ATV tour

Iceland

This was fantastic! Not only is it fun to be on the ATV, but you see different landscapes - the black beach, the ocean, the valley the airplane... The guide stops and explains what you are seeing, and there are wonderful photo ops as well. This was our family's favorite thing that we did.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The places most memorable include the hacienda resort in the high amazon and banos. Getting into the nature of ecuador was great. Our guide in the high amazon Miguel was great, easy to understand knowledgeable about his content and the flora and fauna.

Costa Rica is a stunning country, full of natural beauty and adventure opportunities. Our customized itinerary took us through 3 major areas with specific activities, hikes and adventures planned and tailored by the travel experts at KimKim. Jessica and Brittany did a phenomenal job of curating the activities based on out likes and dislikes and made excellent recommendations for hotels and going out of the way to help us get the accommodations of choice .

Arenal:
The Arenal area is known for its impressive volcano and hot springs. The volcano, while currently dormant, is still a breathtaking sight, especially when viewed from our Hotel Room (Manoa Hot Springs). Just sitting outside in patio, immersed in nature, we could experience the timelessness this place provides. The natural hot springs are the perfect way to relax and unwind after a day of exploring the surrounding area. Other popular activities in the Arenal area include hiking, ziplining, and white water rafting. We didnt engage in the latter but enjoyed the hikes and nature walks immensely. The Ziplining is at a whole other level and elevation... a must do.

Monteverde:
Monteverde is a cloud forest region known for its biodiversity and stunning scenery. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a must-visit for any nature lover, with miles of hiking trails that wind through the misty forest. The whole atmosphere is surreal and out of a movie. The weather is unpredictable but still fun with a constant mist that ever pervasive. During our visit here took a guided night hike and saw an incredible array of animals, including tarantulas, snakes, and sloths. Another highlight of our time in Monteverde was visiting a coffee plantation and learning about the process of growing and roasting coffee, Chocolate and and Sugar. Costa Rica produces some amazing coffee BTW.

Manuel Antonio:
Manuel Antonio is a coastal area known for its beautiful beaches and abundant wildlife.
Our Hotel - La Mariposa, gave us a lovely room on the top floor with sweeping views of the gulf and beyond. The Manuel Antonio National Park was the highlight of our trip, with hiking trails that lead to stunning views of the coastline and plenty of opportunities to spot exotic birds and animals. We spent most of the day lounging on the beach , swimming in the clear blue water, and watching monkeys and iguanas in the nearby trees. The kids especially had a blast with the monkeys.

Hotels: With the exception of a Hotel near the Airport which was decent, all other stays were excellent and we were totally satisfied.

Special props to the Staff at Hotel Ocotea for a memorable stay. Folks there went out of their way to make sure we had a good time.

Activities - perfectly planned - all tours went exactly as described and on time.

Transfers: On time, everytime. Comfortable most times and great drivers who took care of any issues.

Bookings/cancellations/changes: KimKim was very responsive in accomodating all our needs and communication was excellent throughout.

Overall, our Costa Rica trip was an unforgettable adventure filled with natural beauty and thrilling activities. Thanks to Kimkim for making it a memorable trip

Hotel Reviews

Ocotea Boutique Hotel

Santa Elena

Amazing boutique hotel - absolutely loved it . The view from the roof top bar is breathtaking. Staff is the best we have ever encountered. Close enough to town to walk to great restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful sunset view - surreal

Staff

The best ever

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Nice airport hotel - shuttle runs 24 hrs every 15 mins

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful location and amazing views . Very kid friendly . Close to good places .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Great hotel - awesome location and views. Great breakfast. Nice rooms and feel close to nature . Only downside is distance e to La Fortuna restaurant activities - have to take a taxi .

Authenticity & Character

The view and the layout - each room feels like a part of nature

Location

Beautiful volcano view

Staff

Excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cloud Forest Night Walk

Monteverde

Amazing experience at night in the forest - amazing guide from the rainforest reserve - very knowledgeable and informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary

Manuel Antonio

Did not do the activity- we cancelled

Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

The biodiversity is astounding . Saw amazing birds and animals . Guide was great and informative

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Excellent tour with very informative guide . Loved the history of the products . We had a great guide

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Amazing experience- well run , great guides for the hike and e tire zip line part feel safe and exhilarating

Quality of Experience

Hi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

The best activity we had in arenal - kids loved it . Manageable trail with tons of animals and birds . Great guides

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport