Kimkim Trip Reviews

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

Planning and delivery of our Sapa experience by KimKim was excellent and really made our holiday so much more enjoyable. We were greatly assisted by two separate and equally wonderful guides who went out of their way to ensure we had a memorable time and were able to better understand the lifestyle of the local village people. Drive up to Sapa from Hanoi concerning at times as driver appeared tired and at times distracted but return journey great with excellent driver. Very scenic and interesting drive. We had an amazing trip to Sapa and are thankful for the KimKim team's efforts in ensuring that outcome.

We had a great time on our Easter Holiday trip to Mexico. Lizbeth, with Rutopia, was very nice and kept us informed and was available to answer any questions we had along the way. Our driver in Valladolid was Carlo, he was great, even suggesting an additional Cenote that was not on the original itinerary, he was not just a driver, he was a guide. In Sian Ka'an we had a guide named Omar (not to be confused with our driver to and from the airport, who was also named Omar). Omar, the Sian Ka'an guide, was really great, very knowledgeable and accommodating. We liked the Le Muuch Hotel in Valladolid, good location, comfortable room, nice common areas and friendly staff. Chichen Itza was amazing, but we wish we had an earlier arrival time to beat the crowds, because it was very very crowded. The Yokdzonot Cenote was wonderful, cool clear water and a peaceful break after the heat and crowds at Chichen Itza. I got sick on Saturday morning and we had to delay our departure from Valladolid, so what was probably a cooking class turned into just lunch that was served to us, but it was a very nice lunch in the home of a local family. We didn't care for Tulum very much. The archeological site was okay, but it was overly crowded, entry was confusing, everything was very overpriced, and the tour was too short. The beach strip where we stayed was crazy crowded, with a single narrow road packed with cars, buses, scooters, bikes and pedestrians, it was not the small laid back beach town I was expecting. Utilities must be hard to come by, because the businesses ran on generator power, which was loud and smelly, water was trucked in, so it was at a premium everywhere. When I asked where I could get drinking water to refill my water bottles at the hotel they just shrugged and said I could buy water at the restaurant or a nearby shop, since the small water cooler at the front desk always seemed to be empty. The staff at the Hip Hotel were nice and our room was also very nice. I think the beach is usually very nice, although when we were there is was full of fishy smelling seaweed so we did not go swimming in the ocean water. The thing we liked best about Tulum was our day in Sian Ka'an, which was really beautiful. The archeological site there was quiet and secluded in the jungle. The boat ride and float trip were wonderful. The lagoon water there was amazingly clear, cool and beautiful. I would highly recommend that activity to anyone. The only thing we didn't like was that transportation was shared, which is fine, except it was shared by people who were participating in different activities there than we were, so once our tour was over we had to wait almost two hours for the other group to finish before we could be transported back to the hotel. Overall, great trip! We would recommend Chichen Itza, the cenotes and Sian Ka'an to anyone! I would not recommend Tulum to anyone.

Activity Review

Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World

Chichén Itzá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hakim and the kimkim team did a great job in organizing our trip to Morocco. They took the time to understand what my wife, daughter, and I were looking for on our trip and planned exactly what we wanted.

We started off with two days in Fes which included a six hour tour of the medina and surrounding areas of the city. Our guide gave us a brief history of Fes and he also gave us some great insight into the Muslim religion and Ramadan. We stayed at a riad in the medina with a beautiful courtyard and very comfortable rooms. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

From Fes, we drove south to Merzouga which is a small town in the Sahara Desert. From Merzouga we took a camelback ride through the desert sand dunes to a campsite about an hour away. We spent the night in a luxury camp with a fantastic dinner and breakfast. We also took in the sunset and sunrise from the dunes. This excursion out to the desert would turn out to be the highlight of our trip.

After breakfast in the desert camp, we rode the camels back to Merzouga and continued westward towards Marrakech. We made several stops along the way to see some beautiful gorges, the film town of Ouarzazate, and an overnight stop at Ait Benhaddou. I must mention that we were traveling just the three of us in a very comfortable SUV and our driver was excellent. He would explain to us the various sites along the way.

Marrakech was our final stop, and the city did not disappoint. Our stay included a food tour, a three hour tour of the medina, and a Hammam experience. We also spent a day in the Atlas Mountains hiking and having lunch with a Berber family. The Dar (hotel) was fantastic, again with very comfortable rooms and excellent staff.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Morocco. Hakim was always responsive to our questions leading up to the trip and he did an amazing job in booking first rate hotels (riad/dar), and in organizing tours and other events for us. Hakim was in touch with us throughout the trip to make sure everything was going according to plan. My family highly recommends the kimkim team, especially Hakim, for a unique experience in Morocco.

we do appreciate the planification and follow up of our trip .
Santorini hotel is great for service and location , our guide in Santorini is amazing., but do not like so much cruise as circuit is not great , boat passed by santorini and Oia 3 times !
Naxos is a hidden gem for circuit, guide and food. Hotel is ok , design of room is weird but location is amazing.
Mykonos is to visit once , hotel is absolutely amazing for service and room . We love tour of Chora guide is very good. Hightlight is cruise to Delos, the team ( father / daughter) is the nicest people it really show Greek hospitality, small group (8 people) , the only downside is tour of Delos where we are combined with a group of 20 people with 1 guide , hard to follow explanations .
In resume it is a great trip well organized , well follow up , we will be using your service again for our next Greek trip. We will post also comments on trip advisor
Again thank you for your efficiency and hospitality

Hotel Reviews

Cyano Suites

Naxos

Hotel is well situated but design of room is a bit uncommon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enigma Suites

Santorini

Hotel to stay if you are in Fira, location and room are great but the hospitality is main factor. Chris and her team is so nice and make us feel like home.

Authenticity & Character

Design and location is absolutely amazing

Location

Right overlook Caldera and walking distance to everywhere

Staff

Great hospitality

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palladium Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Great hotel with amazing service. Breakfast is so good with a lot of choices and fresh ingredients

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit far from Chora, but hotel has a paying transport

Staff

Most amazing staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Santorini Island Discovery Small-group Tour

Santorini

Guide is great , very knowledgeable and kind. Circuit is very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This jam packed trip was incredible, and I can't speak highly enough of Berat and our full time guide Erdam.

The trip: Wow! Berat managed to squeeze 4 different locations filled with activities in 7 days for a family of 9. Our ages ranged from 10-70. We could not have been happier with the trip itself.

The service: Above and beyond!
Erdam had 9 people to rangle, and he was the kindest, most patient guide filled with knowledge and fun stories for both the kids and adults. He was flexible with our requests to add stops, and was all around a great guide. We ADORED him.

Berat: She actually came to lunch with us one day to surprise us, and she went way above and beyond trying to help track down a lost passport. (Which she found at a restaurant) She did WAY more than she was required to do, and we are so very thankful we were working with her. She had great communication with us, changed the schedule as needed, and she personally drove around one of us during the passport debacle to track it down. I don't know any other agency that would have done that.

Hotel Reviews

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Nice hotel. Decent dinner offered, and had cool amenities.

Authenticity & Character

More like a resort, but still nice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Beautiful and unique. We loved the character of the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Best part about this place. Beautiful inside and gorgeous views!

Location

The hotel was great for the younger people in the party. For the grandparents in the group, the walks to the room and town were very steep, and there are not really other options to get around. We did fund super nice people in the village below to help drive them back up though.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Our favorite hotel. It was super unique and the heayed floors were amazing! The breakfast spread here was amazing too.

Authenticity & Character

The views!!!!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Great breakfast, and the location was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfectly located to walk right across the street to major attractions. It was even quiet at night for a city.

Staff

Really nice people and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Again, great experience here. Appreciated the guides knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Great spot. And Erdam was a perfect guide. He even squeezed in Mary's house for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Great little place who let us all try it. We enjoyed this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Really amazing! Loved this !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

We did not get to do this due to the wind. Pretty bummed about that. Perhaps let future travelers know that this option only goes about 50% of the time and to be prepared for a back up option. We did the ATV tour at sunset, which was a great experience though. We appreciated Berat changing that out for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Amazing! Loved this as well. We stopped at a rug making shop for a demonstration. We really enjoyed that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Loves Cappadocia and everything here. This was our favorite place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

The public boat tour was a little underwhelming. The day was drizzly, and without a guide, there was not much to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We really enjoyed this tour. The Palace, Monique, and cistern were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Met at convenient location - four people had signed up for trip, two of us showed up so we had a great
private tour! Driver was excellent - leader was fine, also - he was a seasoned photographer and gave us
important tips about cameras on cell phones - an added bonus!

Siena tour was thorough with lots of history - local woman really knows her stuff. San Giiminano very
touristy - we climbed up, had world famous ice cream and returned to van for trip to vineyard. a fair
bit of driving at rush hour.

only disappointment was the meal at the vineyard. we didn't get a tour - just a quick intro but then
sat in a lovely dining room - howere, our menu (no choices) was pedestrian at best. we watched others
enjoy beautiful offerings! wine was minimal but excellent. Thank you, Kim Kim, for remembering my
deposit and making these arrangements.

From start to finish the planning and execution by the team was amazing. I did the 4 day trek up to Muldai and back down through Ghorepani, my guide Wanchhu was great throughout, making sure everything ran smoothly. Kripa was in constant communication and always made sure everything was answered when I had questions. Big thank you to Sushmita as well who went out of her way to get my phone back when I left it in a cab on the first day. This team really goes the extra mile and I will be definitely be using kimkim in the future and recommending it to other people.

This trip to Morocco was everything I had wished for and more. Kimkim made it easy to set up an itinerary, book amazing riads, and set up transportation to see all the highlights that we wanted. Abdellatif and Saïd were very responsive and helpful with some last minute edits and additional activities.
All the accommodation we stayed at was stunning, clean, and welcoming. I especially loved Dar Rihana in the Dades Valley and our riad in Marrakech, Riad Pachavana. Each had a pool and scenic views from the balcony. The Tiziri Luxury camp, camel rides, and Berber experience was so special. Our stay in the Sahara desert was such an unforgettable experience. We loved learning more about the Berber culture, singing, and getting to meet those who live or have lived as nomads. We felt so safe and welcome throughout our journey through Morocco.
We can't say enough praise for our driver Samir! The real MVP of the trip! He not only was a safe, reliable driver, but a great companion to have on our 10 day road trip. He had amazing suggestions for restaurants and was so helpful at coordinating with Saïd some last minute changes to our itinerary. We couldn't have had such a smooth and successful trip without him.
We can only say we wish we had more time in Morocco! We are so grateful to everyone who made this trip such a wonderful experience.

Amazing family vacation to the Galapagos islands. From the moment I contacted KimKim and began conversing with Tammer I felt confident in my decision not to do my own bookings. During our adventure I felt we had a safety net and we’re in good hands. Tammer constantly provided us with accurate and timely details what to expect and when. The itineraries he created for us, was absolutely perfect in every way.
Without hesitation I would use this service again, and know that others would be equally impressed with the excellent service, quality of accommodations, itinerary planning expertise and attention to every detail. Tammer nailed it for me and my family! Bravo and thank you for the wonderful memories which include our interaction along the way with Tammer!

We had a great time and would never have been able to plan this trip ourselves. Margoth was helpful and friendly helping us iterate through trip plans. The spacing of everything was great - we were never rushed for time or wishing we were busier. Every tour guide we had was excellent (we had 3). Overall great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani

Cartagena de Indias

Beautiful hotel but difficulty with hot water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff here was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

Convenient location, nice room, huge breakfast, friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt very clean

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

Loved staying here. A lot of the reviews called it “magical” and that’s a good description. The hotel feeds the birds in the morning, and we loved watching them during breakfast. We had a cooking class with Juan Pablo and he was great.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like staying in someone’s house

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day City Tour of Bogotá

Bogotá

Great tour with Oscar. Really knowledgeable and friendly guy. We appreciated his company and flexibility

Quality of Experience

Tour guide was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cocora Valley,  Salento, & Coffee Farm Visit

Colombia

Fantastic hike, fun coffee farm visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natalia was awesome, all the drivers were friendly

Transport

Great drivers

Half Day City Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

The best tour guide! Amaro (I hope I’m spelling that right) is world class. Friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly well liked around town

Quality of Experience

Definitely our tour guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All great drivers

Rachel took the time to talk with me several times in last minute plans and accommodate several child friendly activity requests. She gave helpful advice about each location and didn’t overschedule us. We had a fantastic trip!

Hotel Review

Bushmills Inn

Bushmills

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

National Trust Causeway Coast Visitor Experience

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Watch a Sheep Dog Demonstration at Glenshane Country Park

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jessica our contact person in Italy is the best, amazing and awesome. She really did take care of us. Always available whenever we need her
She did go above and beyond the call of duty.
The situation we had in Rome she handled it really well.
Ciiro our tour guide in Amalfi is awesome. He entertained us really well.
Overall we had a great time

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Griffe

Rome

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Quirinale

Rome

Great service. Upgraded one Of our room after having a bad experience in the previous hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Kalea

Sorrento

The hotel is really cute. The decor, the staff are Awesome. Maria the best cook. Kitchen is really clean.

Authenticity & Character

The color Coordination

Location

Close to city center

Staff

Maria

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

Very poor. The hotel has a stinking smell. When we complained about they gave us incense but it didn’t help with the smell. It’s smells moldy and sewer. When we came back the room is open and there is a big blue bucket in the middle of the room . The smell stays in our luggage

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kraft Hotel Florence

Florence

The rooftop , the breakfast , the restaurant are really good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wish it’s closer to the city center

Staff

Willingness to help and answer all our question

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room and bathroom

Hotel Giorgione Venice

Venice

Nice hotel, friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to city center

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Ciro , the singing tour guide, driver is the best. He entertained us with his Nm singing voice. He recommended the best restaurant for Lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ciro is awesome

Transport

Half Day Tour from Florence to Pisa - including the Leaning Tower

Florence

The group tour was organized and our tour guide is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museum tickets

Rome

The tickets doesn’t include the Sistine chapel and the St Peter’s basilica , which I think is very important to explore. We don’t have a tour guide inside the museum. So we are lost most of the time.

Quality of Experience

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica Access

Italy

Our tour guide is the best. She really knows the history. We enjoyed every minute of it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A big thanks to Francesca for the care in planning my trip to Iceland. This was my first international travel and it did not disappoint. Every checkin process was flawless. Accommodations were above what was expected. The excursions were a perfect match with my interests. I felt heard in the planning process. I would certainly use this service again!

My recent trip (mid-March 2023) to Nepal was perfectly executed with help from Amanda at Himalayan Trails and the best guide you could hope for, Dawa. The guided site-seeing in Kathmandu was the perfect start to the trip, and provided a great deal of context around the culture and religions of Nepal before setting out on our trek. We explored the Nar-Phu valley for a week, which was incredible. For those looking for an off-the-beaten-path trek with few other people on the trails and a unique look back in time, this is the place for you. We then returned to the main Annapurna Circuit for a side-trip up to Tilicho Lake. Seeing the highest lake in the world was an absolute highlight. This truly was an incredible trip, made all the more easy by the seamless communication with Amanda. I also cannot speak highly enough about Dawa, who was extremely knowledgeable, adaptable to my needs, and also a great trekking companion who I shared many cups of tea and card games with along the way :) I would recommend KimKim, Himalayan Trails, and Dawa to anyone. Thanks so much for an incredible trip!

The KimKim interface and Clément's flexibility and attentiveness were amazing.

First, before the trip we truly partnered with Clément to design a vacation everyone was very happy with. I did take a few iterations but Clément was understanding and had many wonderful ideas. Before we left everything needed was booked and provided. This significantly decreased the stress of vacation planning especially when you are dealing with a family vacation with children.

I don't feel like we are demanding customers but during the trip we did have hiccups a few times along the way and Clément and the rest of his partner staff were wonderful, patient, understanding, and I always felt they would take care of us if something went wrong.

The two bicycle tours we did were a lot of fun. David in Nantes was patient, friendly, knowledgeable, and went with the flow on a few instances of poor weather. CiCi in Paris kept the kids entertained, was very knowledgeable, and I felt safe with her leading our group in some very busy parts of the city.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Lorette - Astotel

Paris

Location was good close to shops and restaurants. Breakfast was alright but not fantastic. They did lose our train passes that were supposed to be waiting at the front desk for us which was frustrating. If you are on the lower floors the subway/metro train can be loud. Rooms were clean and nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

7 Urban Suites

Nantes

Nice clean hotel. Breakfast was very good. Staff was polite and kind. There is a market next door which was convenient. It's not super close to restaurants or shops but that did make it quiet. Walkable to the main areas but is a bit of a hike.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Parisian bike tour in the "Latin quarter" and "Le Marais"

Paris

I had some doubts if the 'Amazing Race' theme would be fun but it really was. The parents and 3 children were very entertained and still got to see some behind the scenes parts of the city. Our tour guide CiCi was amazing. Energetic, fun, patient, and very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Timed tickets to Le Louvre

Paris

Le Louvre is well known and not a secret. Just be prepared for lots of waiting and crowds. There is more to see here than can be experienced in a day.

Cruise on the Seine

Paris

Was relaxing and interesting to see the city from the river. Was nice to be able to see some sights in a more relaxing adventure after a lot of walking.

Eiffel Tower Tickets

Paris

Really enjoyed this experience and was on our life bucket list. Our tour guide was extremely nice, patient and made everything move quicker.

Arc de Triomphe timed entry tickets

Paris

A quick tour but has beautiful views. Worth the hour or two to do.

Nantes discovery tour by bike with a private guide

Nantes

David is from Nantes but has had life adventures he is happy to talk about. Is very knowledgeable about the area and seems passionate about being an advocate for Nantes. Really enjoyed the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover the "Machines de l'île"

Nantes

Everything was very interesting to see. All communication was in French so had to install application to get English explanations but felt this missed out on some of the experience.

I can't say enough good things about this trip and experience! Catherina did a wonderful job planning a week in Guatemala with an itinerary that was customized for our needs. We were traveling with our 5-year-old daughter, so we needed to plan a lot of interactive activities that would keep a kindergartener engaged. Catherina went above and beyond. Every day we had something exciting on the agenda - hiking an active volcano, ziplining through the jungle, making chocolate by hand, visiting a goat farm and eating cheese with the owner of the farm... The highlight was getting to participate in creating an alfombra (Holy Week sawdust "carpet" for religious processions) with Catherina, her family, and members of the community, which was an opportunity that Catherina created especially for us. That was so special and something we will always remember! We also need to talk about how incredible our guide Esteban (Catherina's brother) was. Esteban was with us all week and made sure our entire stay in Guatemala was fun, easy, and smooth. Esteban is simply the nicest guy and we had a ton of fun with him. He was so great with our daughter and was a blast to talk to, answering all my questions about Guatemala and helping us work on our Spanish. I would 100% recommend Kimkim, Catherina, and Esteban to anyone considering a trip to Guatemala!!!