Kimkim Trip Reviews

Chris (Greece) was terrific! Listened to our preferences, crafted a terrific plan and patiently worked with us to include amazing places we found in our own. Available and responsive from planning to stages to support while on the trip. When we realized staircases in different villages were a challenge for one of us, Chris preemptively located a different (and perfect) hotel for us in Santorini. Chris organized wonderful tours with extremely knowledgeable guides and drivers for every leg of the trip. All just fabulous, recommend without hesitation! This was my 3rd trip with Kimkim & continue to be very pleased with the service and quality throughout.

Thank you Chris!

We understand that you were busy, but we were it appeared to us that it took an overly long time to finalize our plans. We have not experienced these types of delays with other companies with whom we have dealt. We do understand that you were were coming out of the pandemic, but we thought you should know how we felt. Overall, we were extremely happy with our trip.

Activity Reviews

Private guided day in Tokyo

Tokyo

He spent extra time with us at the end giving us advise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Private Tour with a Local Guide

Kyoto

Excellent! Could not have asked for more!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See Peter Zingg's review about needing a second ticket for one train.

Our trip advisors Rene, Lizbeth, and Ximena were really helpful with any questions and concerns we had and they had taken into consideration that my friend was vegan when booking and trip planning. Thank You so much for your help!

Hotel Reviews

El Sueño Hotel & Spa

Puebla

The hotel was kind of hidden, but gives you nice fairytale vibes. The only reason I give this a 3 is because the toilet broke the night we got there but the staff was attentive and kind and moved us to another room--albeit a little smaller than the one we had before.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Punto Mx

Mexico City

Hotel was really good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit a typical market and cook an iconic Mexican dish: Mole!

Puebla

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Magical town of Cholula

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I loved our guide!

Transport

Welcome to Puebla

Mexico

Biking in Teotihuacán "The City of the Gods" & Overnight in Puebla

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

I think they started running out of food by the time we got back from the hot air balloon 😅

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Casa Azul Museum

Mexico City

We did not get to go to the casa Azul museum this time around

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was late (he got confused), and operator was not responding to us and didn't give us any contact info on how to contact the driver. Operator was also not picking up our phone calls, so we had to reach out to kimkim staff.

Christina at Kimkim did a great job booking a wonderful trip to Norway for us. She was sensitive to our specific requests (I wanted spas and saunas everywhere) and also very knowledgeable about all things Norway - where to stay and what to see and how to get from one place to another. We were three people traveling together, and Kimkim walked us through all of the various railroad trips and transfers so that we very easily could find our way to wherever we needed to be. Christina chose beautiful and convenient hotels for us and arranged great experiences. All of Norway was wonderful, but the northern lights boat ride in Tromso, the Sauna/Fjord experience in Flam, the incredible Flam railroad, the Hotel Norge in Bergen all stand out. Mathia at Kimkim was the person on the ground during much of our trip and he was extremely helpful in making sure we made all connections and everything ran smoothly. We had a couple of little wrinkles - miscommunications with a hotel and a tour guide that caused some confusion and delay. And in both cases, Kimkim staff worked seamlessly to make sure our concerns were quickly addressed and everything was sorted. We would love to visit Norway again - it's amazing - and would be happy to return to Kimkim for help.

Activity Review

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

This was amazing from start to finish and 100% worth doing - so beautiful and great.

Quality of Experience

We had a great trip. Our three guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and overall just excellent. Each gave us insight into today’s Japan as well as the historic sites they led us to.

The Oku Travel written guides and maps were informative and clear, and we had no trouble using the train tickets and IC cards provided to us. We really liked the quality and variety of lodgings, dinners and breakfasts in Koyasan and in the Nakasendo post towns.

We had a great trip and would definitely recommend Kimkim's service. Our coordinator Tina was very thorough at putting together a custom itinerary based on our specific interests from the available pre-packaged tours. She was very responsive in the planning stage as well as during our trip and kept us up to date with details and changes.

All through our trip everything went as planned (with the exception of one tour pick-up time that was listed incorrectly, but it did not negatively impact anything else). It was great to have drivers and guides arranged each day, and a clear schedule laid out ahead of time. Great experience and we will very likely use Kimkim's service again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Raft Resort River Kwai

Kanchanaburi

Amazing location right on the river! The scenery is beautiful and it was great to sit on our porch and put our feet in the water. Staff was very attentive and friendly. They helped us arrange a driver to take us to Erawan National Park and to take us back to the airport after checkout. The beds were not the most comfortable and it was difficult to get the room temperature ideal (the air conditioner could only go down to 23C to avoid overloading it). We didn't get the best sleep, but it was overall worth it for the location and memorable experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silom Serene Hotel

Bangkok

Very comfortable and clean. Had the best sleep of our trip here. Location is conveniently near BTS and some small shops to get a good breakfast.

Activity Reviews

Longtail Boat Bangkok Canaling Tour!

Bangkok

Fun excursion! We learned a bit about Thailand and Bangkok's history and we got to see a part of the city outside of the standard tourist spots. It was cool to see the variety of longtail boats and some of the culture around the canals. The tour is only a couple hours so it was easy to fit into our schedule.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's Sea Canoe - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

This was among the best activities on our trip. The full day experience was really well organized from the transportation to the food and the scenery was beautiful. The staff at John Gray's Sea Canoe really went out of their way to make the experience full and memorable. We got 2 full meals plus a coffee & snack break in between travel segments, and we did multiple outings in the canoe to visit some really breathtaking sights around the sea caves. They even gave us some time to swim in the water and try paddling the canoe ourselves. In the evening each guide helped their 2-3 patrons create a beautiful krathong made from banana tree and leaves to set afloat after dark. It was a fun interactive experience and it was amazing to see the skill and variety in all the different krathong designs. After dinner we brought our krathong out on the water and got to enjoy it in the darkness of the cave. When it was extinguished we got to see the bioluminescent plankton up close! This was a great experience and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting Phuket.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi via Mae Klong market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Thailand

The Maeklong Railway Market was a really fun experience. It's amazing to see the dense and varied shops and how smoothly they function around the arriving and departing train. Despite being a tourist attraction, it felt like an authentic local market with lots of interesting produce, meats, and crafts. The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, on the other hand, felt much more like a tourist trap. It was fun to ride around on the canals, but it was crowded and the vendors are all selling the same items with high pressure sales tactics on a (literally) captive audience. We wouldn't recommend this one. Overall the day was very nice. Shoutout to our guide Betty for being super fun and energetic! We got to see a lot of fun things and had a smooth ride from our hotel to our next destination.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently entrusted our honeymoon plans to Esther, and we couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Over 18 unforgettable days, we explored Cape Town, Franschhoek, Sabi Sands, and Mauritius. Right from the beginning, Esther took the time to understand our preferences and seamlessly integrated them into a personalized itinerary. Her responsiveness was remarkable, making us feel like a top priority.

The accommodations Esther curated in Cape Town and Franschhoek were nothing short of spectacular, and our Safari at Dulini Moya in Sabi Sands Game Reserve was the absolute highlight of our trip. Each of the hotels was truly a 5 star experience with incredible and attentive staff, luxurious accommodations, and delicious food.

We found ourselves stuck in Franschhoek during a natural disaster. Due to unprecedented flooding, there was no way in or out of the town, and we were unable to depart for our safari. Esther truly went above and beyond, tirelessly working at odd hours to find a solution. Her dedication and support during this unexpected situation not only alleviated our stress but demonstrated her professionalism and genuine care for her clients.

From the outset, every detail was meticulously planned, allowing us to relax and fully immerse ourselves in the joy of our honeymoon. We can't thank Esther enough for this truly unforgettable experience!

Our trip to Portugal was an experience of a lifetime!

We began in Lisbon and stayed at the Hotel Britania - a magnificent hotel. Our contact Marisa helped us to get an upgrade to this spot and it was so beautiful and historic. Located downtown just off Liberty it was perfect for us to get acclimated to Lisbon and the city.

Highlights of Lisbon were definitely the Fado performance, a truly unique mix of food, music and ambiance. We did a day trip to Sintra and took in the beauty of the mountain and castles. We also quite enjoyed our walking tour with Pedro who taught us about the history of Lisbon and gave us some tips on how to get around the city, also ensured we were set with the appropriate train details to get to Sintra

We then visited Porto and our driver Pepe was incredibly helpful and nice. He taught us a lot about the different stops we made along the way and gave some tips about what we could do in Porto. He provided amazing recommendations for restaurants and the sight/view from Nazare was breathtaking.

The highlight of our time in Porto was a trip to Douro Valley, our tour guide Jao was also fantastic and knew so much about the region and it's history. Douro Valley is a must see, absolutely incredible - we did a river tour and also visited Pacheca Winery for a delicious meal and wine tasting.

We then had a couple days in Cascais to enjoy some leisure, our hotel was right by the downtown area and made it very easy to check out local shops and restaurants.

Overall our experience was made by the people. This was the first time we used KimKim and will definitely do so again. Marisa and Jao were available at all times - as an example we misplaced our tickets to one of the tours and they were able to send them to us immediately. The overall kindness was apparent and the drivers/tour guides they connected us with were top notch.

Thanks for making this trip unique, fun, safe and magical!

Hotel Reviews

Porto Royal Bridges Hotel

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vila Galé Cascais

Cascais

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tickets to Lello Bookshop

Porto

Quality of Experience

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour to Sintra + Tickets to the Pena Palace

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wendy and team put together an amazing trip for us! They were incredibly helpful, always available and we had the best experience. All of our guides were very kind, fun and knowledgeable. The accommodations and tours were just what we were looking for! Wendy made sure we always had the info for the day - whether it was info about our guide, or transportation, or hotel, etc - very organized and on top of it.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hyatt Bogotá

Bogotá

VERY nice. We were only here a short time, but it was a nice room and comfortable. Nice to be close to the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

WONDERFUL STAFF!!!! So very helpful and friendly. Maria J, Kevin & Nellys truly made our time magical. Room was clean and very comfortable. Food was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Maria J, Kevin & Nellys - the best!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Maria Tayrona, a Kali Hotels

Los Naranjos

Wow! Such a cute and different stay! We had our own cottage that overlooked the hillside and out to the ocean - just wonderful. Food was great. Lila the parrot was a fun addition!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

EK Hotel

Wonderful boutique hotel in Bogota. Great location with many restaurants and safe to walk around. Room was clean and very nice. Room service was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Safe

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner in Cartagena

Cartagena

We had to switch to a lunch due to an illness, but our wonderful team was able to make that happen. Alma had great ambiance and fantastic food! The staff was so friendly and very helpful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Barú & the Rosario Islands

Colombia

What a perfect way to spend my birthday! The views were amazing and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! Valentina was a great guide - pointing out and sharing interesting history and places.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena’s Street Food: The Soul of a City in Every Bite

Colombia

Camilo was a great guide! It was very interesting to get to know more about the history of Cartagena and to taste some of their most popular foods.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking in the Tayrona National Park

Colombia

Not to be missed! Wow! Yube was one of the best guides. The trail was definitely pushing our limits, but in a good way - and the views were 100% worth every effort!

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant on the beach was my favorite meal of the whole trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paloquemao Farmers Market | Colonial Downtown & Monserrate

Colombia

Sarah was awesome! Her energy and friendliness set the tone. It was a fun experience and really interesting to get to know the customs and foods of Colombia!

Quality of Experience

Food

The empanadas!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Egypt far exceeded our already high expectations. Sherif, Dunes and Beyond, was the perfect partner for planning the trip. He was always open to our many ideas, and focused on helping us include these ideas rather than telling us to drop them. Sherif truly was superb…he made our trip the success that it was.

Our guides were amazing. Lena, our guide in the Cairo area, was excellent. She accommodated our needs fully, including some mobility issues of one member of our trio. She had great passion for the ancient wonders of her homeland. She enabled us to go into the Pyramids and to see historic sights, such as Coptic Cairo and Islamic Cairo. She was most patient for our deliberate pace in Cairo’s wondrous museums.

In Luxor (ancient Thebes) AlluhDin was our guide. An expert Egyptologist, he was without equal in enabling us to experience the wonders of Ancient Egypt; his passion was contagious. He never tired of our endless questions, and his answers reflected his deep knowledge and insight. He stayed with us throughout our visits to Thebes (home of the Temples of Karnak, the greatest manmade monument that I have ever seen in my extensive travels around the world), during our four/day Nile cruise and the historic sights along the way, and during our several- day stay in Aswan. He was the key to the success of our grand tour of Ancient Egypt. We could not have asked for more. Thank you to AlluhDin and KimKim and Sherif for giving him to us as our guide…that is what made all the difference.

Our 11-day visit (3 full days in Cairo, nearly 3 days in Luxor, the stops along the way during our cruise to Aswan, our 3 days in Aswan, and our flight and stop in Abu Simbel) was just right for a fulfilling introduction to and emotional engagement with the magnificence of Ancient Egypt.

I recommend buying the extra experiences along the way such as going into the Pyramids, taking in the panoramic view at Philae Temple, and adding the tombs of Seth 1 and Ramses V and VI in the Valley of the Kings. The experiences are well worth the added cost.

My only suggestion for improving the experience is to upgrade the cruise ship. The SemiRamses II was clean, but the meals were pedestrian at best. Getting into the bathtub/shower was a dangerous and frightful experience for both my wife and me.

Thank you, KimKim, Sherif, Lena and, most especially, AlluhDin for this grand experience, truly a highlight of our lives.

A friend from Denmark and I have just completed a most wonderful 3 week trek around Kanchenjunga. Everything went well, from the moment we were met at Kathmandu airport by Ngima Dorji Sherpa the Director of Nepal Myths and Mountain Trails to the moment we were farewelled at the airport 25 days later. Ngima provided us with an excellent guide Ang Gelu and very strong porter, Kunga. These two gentle men took us on a most amazing adventure. We are experienced walkers. Kunga led the way and Ang Gelu stayed with us making sure we were in good shape. If we wanted to stop for photographs, short diversions from the track (I am a geologist) or study the landscape, Ang Gelu kindly allowed us the time. His English is excellent and he joined in many of our discussions - both serious and in fun. Ang Gelu and Kunga always made sure we had accommodation at our tea houses and took an active role in organising our meals. We often saw Kunga in the kitchen assisting with the preparation of our meals and those for other trekkers.

The Kanchenjunga trek passes through beautiful country - through villages and farmlands, wonderful forests and then the barren landscapes above the tree line. The mountains and valleys are huge and Kanchenjunga is a true giant. Jannu is another magnificent mountain. I particularly enjoyed the two nights and days we had at Ramche, close to the South Base Camp. It is a wonderful mountain location. Another highlight was the day spent crossing the passes between the Ghunsa Khola and Kabeli Khola. The distant views to Makalu, Everest and the Himalayan foothills are breathtaking.

I can't thank Ngima, Ang Gelu and Kunga enough for organising and supporting such an amazing trip.

From the first contact, I was thoroughly impressed with kimkim's service. I worked with Rinolda to plan a trip for my family (my two parents, my sister, and myself) to Iceland to celebrate my mom's birthday, and she presented a thoughtful itinerary that brought together some of the best experiences the country has to offer. She really understood our needs and our expectations, and she suggested several activities and dining opportunities that we would not otherwise have known about. We were most concerned about booking accommodations, and she took care of those arrangements quickly, and selected hotels that were very comfortable and centrally located for our activities. She recommended a geothermal bakery tour and an ice cave tour that were highlights of our trip! She was very responsive to our questions and concerns throughout the planning stages, and then while we were in Iceland her response time to our queries was lightning fast. We felt supported and cared for throughout the entire process, and we could not be more pleased with our experience working with kimkim. We will definitely use them again for future travel! And we give Rinolda our heartfelt thanks and 6 out of 5 stars - working with her was a delight!

Activity Reviews

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that my family and I will never forget! First of all, the fact that the tour takes you inside a glacier is phenomenal. Our guide, Damian, was a delight. He had a good sense of humor, which he balanced with helpful notes about being cautious and safe inside the cave, and he was committed to making sure that everyone in our group had a good experience. He sensed that our mom might need a little extra help getting into and around inside the cave, and he calmly and politely provided assistance. He was patient with our questions and with taking photos, he shared many insights about the glaciers, the caves, and healthy respect for nature, and we could not have had a better tour.

Quality of Experience

Inside the cave is so beautiful and magical!! Unlike anything I have ever seen.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Damian was a true gem, and we feel lucky to have had him as our guide!

Transport

We were definitely safe the entire ride to and from the glacier, though the terrain is very bumpy in the superjeep, and it's a fairly long ride.

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

The tour was a highlight of our trip! Our guide shared some history about the town as well as the hot springs, which we really appreciated. Learning more about the process of baking underground using geothermal energy was so cool, and it was a fun experiment to take part in. The bread was so delicious on its own, and then we were encouraged to add Icelandic butter and smoked trout caught from Laugarvatn, which really elevated the flavor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fontana Geothermal Baths

Iceland

This geothermal bath experience was so relaxing and restorative. The location on Laugarvatn is truly special, and driving through Thingvellir to get there was a beautiful trip. We took advantage of several different tubs and the dry sauna, which has a view to the lake that is really stunning. The food here was good - they had two types of soup, and the smoked trout was delicious! We also took the geothermal bakery tour, which we highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hvammsvik Hot Springs (& Nature Reserve)

Iceland

This was our very first stop on our trip, and it was the perfect way to relax and refresh after our flight. The setting is incredibly gorgeous, and the operators have clearly worked very hard to build the tubs into the landscape and to keep a natural feel. We were greeted with a warm welcome and given clear instructions about how to proceed to the hot springs. We had an amazing lunch after our soak in the hot springs, and the staff was very accommodating on a busy day.

Quality of Experience

The atmosphere was relaxed, and the natural setting is incredible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My experience with Bhutanese culture and people wouldn't be possible without the help of Mieke! Kimkim and Windhorse. In Bhutan, Namgyal, Phuntshol and I were a good team. I was very happy with how the trip went. As a solo traveller, Namgyal accompanied me everywhere, I think that was a privilege! They also helped me out with this and that when I was a little slow. So, yeah, that is how we got everything done! I have to kudos to them!

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Home Babesa

Thimphu

Authenticity & Character

Loved it!

Location

Staff

2 of their stuffs stayed overnight and taught me how to make Ezay in the morning! They were very friendly also.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The area was under construction so sometime there were no hot water. Or water at all. But they have traditional style stone bath which helped a lot.

Dewachen Hotel

Phobjikha

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yangkhil Resort

Trongsa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dhumra Farm Resort

Punakha

I believed I got the best-view room here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very caring stuffs.. they also introduced me to Ezay chilli paste! And that was when I became a happy tourist in Bhutan

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Village Lodge

Paro

We saw 2-3 Ibisbills here =) Beautiful scenery also

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Thimphu - Trashichu Dzong

Thimphu

In Thimphu, we visited Takin sanctuary park, Choten stupa, Trashichu Dzong and the Buddha Point.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birding from Dochula Pass with Lungchutse hike

Thimphu

A lovely hike near Dochula pass. We did some birding along the way

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch @ Gangtey Lodge

Phobjikha

Very welcoming atmosphere, good food, beautiful view and stuffs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Institute for Zorig Chusum - aka Painting School (Thimphu)

Thimphu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birding in Trongsa

Trongsa

No birds in Trongsa. But that was not the problem because everything else had made up for it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paro - Hike to Tigernest Monastery aka Taktshang Goemba

Paro

A casual hike with beautiful view of Takshang Goemba as a reward. On the way down, we did some birding along the way. As I didn't went all the way through, we have some time to visit Paro museum. It was a good experience, very educational. I enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trongsa Dzong & Museum

Bhutan

One of the highlights of the trip, it was a beautiful scenic drive and Trongsa Dzong itself was very beautiful on both the inside and out. Trongsa museum was closed at the time we visited

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birding day excursion in Phobjikha Valley

Phobjikha

Another highlights of the trip. It was amazing views especially in the morning

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phobjikha - Black-Necked Crane Information Centre

Phobjikha

They've got a good presentation overall

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birding in Punakha Valley

Punakha

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birding on the way from Paro to Punakha

Punakha

We were lucky that the weather was so perfectly clear throughout the trip. I was happy we got to stop and walk a bit in between

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paro - Kyichu Lhakhang

Paro

First experience with Bhutanese Buddhism.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paro Birding afternoon excursion

Paro

Not bad but not good either Luckily in the day we left, we saw 3 Ibisbills!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bongde village

Bhutan

I supposed to visit this place but I fell asleep in the car and they didn't wake me up.

Paro - Chele La pass (3988 m) & hike to Kila nunnery

Bhutan

I went there after I just landed. It was beautiful and a fun hike

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, the tours and guides were good. Our guide, Alejandro Valdivia for our snorkeling trip to San Augustin was excellent and Pablo from Rutopia in Mexico City who took us to the Museum of Anthropology and the Castle in Chapultepec Park was outstanding. Andres, who was our guide for the Lucha Libre experience went above and beyond. We also enjoyed Pamela. our guide on the Xochimilco tour and la Casa Azul.
Our hotels were well chosen. All were clean, attractive and well located. Liz-Beth, our day-to-day contact from Rutopia, was very responsive and aware of the everyday details of our trip.
Our first airport transfer in Puerto Escondido by OTEPSA was not at the airport by 8am as promised. At 8:30, we took another taxi to Hotel Suites Villasol which was only 1 mile from the airport. OTEPSA made this up to us by giving us a Turtle Release experience which more than made up for our inconvenience.
We arrived at Hotel Villasol before 9 but check in was not until 3pm. I had not noticed this in the depths of our trip information and feel that it should have been on our simplified itinerary. Or, our flight should have been scheduled closer to check in time. But we requested early check in at the front desk and they were able to accommodate us.
A few of the tour descriptions were not entirely accurate and should have been verified. For example, on our trip to Manialtepec for horseback riding, was supposed to last 8 hours and include paddling in kayaks with a guide describing flora and fauna. It was a few hours shorter and did not include the kayaks. The dinner was delicious.
Also, the planner should consider meals. On the day when we went to Xochimilco and then to Casa Azul, there was no time allotted for us to buy lunch. We were gone for 8 hours. A light snack was not enough.
The list of recommendations is the same for every tour. These lists should be tailored for each experience. For example, sunscreen is not needed in a museum but insect repellant, which was not mentioned, is a must for the horseback riding.
Lastly our driver/tour guide, José, a last-minute change for our trip to Rosario was terrible. He was 2 hours late, due to a closed road. When we arrived at Rosario, he informed us that we would be going with a different guide because he had to obtain his guide certification that day. After we finished our hike, we asked our substitute guide where José was. He instructed us to go to the restaurant and José would meet us there. We finished lunch but there was no sign of him. We felt very uncomfortable that he had left us by ourselves. He had promised to pay for our lunch due to his lateness in picking us up. He did eventually come and asked us if we wanted to eat. He had no idea that we had eaten and had been waiting for an hour. We told him that we just wanted to go home. I told Liz-Beth this story. She did call him when he disappeared. She said that she was glad that it all worked out.
I do not really understand the role of Kimkim in the trip planning. It seems as though Rutopia did all the planning. For that reason, I don't know that I would recommend Kimkim.

Ana has been extremely responsive while dealing with our travel demands related to our Chilean vacation, even during her brief one week vacation.
She accommodated revisions in terms of the hotels selections, as well as variations in the several tours we selected.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Iorana Tolache

San Pedro de Atacama

Facilities very basic but clean. Very quiet and decent breakfast. However, location is a negative (3 Km from town, on a very dark and dusty road), especially considering the fact that is EXTREMELY difficult to get taxis in San Pedro de Atacama. Every night it was a nightmare returning from dinner to the hotel. Avoid until they set up a transportation alternative to downtown.

Authenticity & Character

Nice facility and service

Location

Too far from downtown considering there is almost no taxi service

Staff

Need more training. Left an early tour without breakfast box.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were ok but bath small

Hotel Casa de la Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Good location near restaurants, clean bedding facilities. However, bedroom and bathroom were too bare and witouth furniture. Breakfast ok.

Authenticity & Character

Clean but unimpressive

Location

near restaurants key streets.

Staff

very friendly and accommodating to customers

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable beds

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

Well located, ample room facilities and quality breakfast. Clean and user friendly

Authenticity & Character

lobby/restaurant sleek and recently renovated

Location

Nearby restaurants and historic sites/square

Staff

anticipating our needs and very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

impeccable room and restroom

Activity Reviews

Tatio Geysers - Semi Private

San Pedro de Atacama

Very early morning tour to have the opportunity of seeing the geyser in full activity (27 F). Our guide prepared an unforgettable private and quality breakfast on a private spot with full sight of the geysers.... Some road stops included the possibility in Machuca to taste grilled Lama with chimichurri... Finally, we had the luxury of seeing 3 types of flamingos...

Quality of Experience

Diversity of experiences for a half a day tour: Geysers, mountain breakfast, flamingos, Machuca town, grilled lama tasting

Food

Pablo prepared a warm and delicious breakfast on a private spot overlooking the geysers. Priceless.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo is an an extremely knowledgeable and friendly local guide

Transport

SUV suitable for the trip.

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari - Semi Private

San Pedro de Atacama

We visited several locations of the Salt Cordillera with a grand finale by watching the impressive sunset. Impressive!

Quality of Experience

Lunar-like scenery and great sunset

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nico was friendly and very knowledgeable. Took several pictures of ours during the tour

Transport

Safe and clean van.

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons - Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

Visit to Laguna Tebinquiche was interesting albeit a bit short. Opportunity to swim on the Cejar lagoon (25 % salt concentration) was fun and the surrounding scenery very beautiful. Visit to Ojo del Salar was a bit lame. We had an open cocktail event with nice wine and treats and, more importantly, the impressive volcanos/mountains backdrop...excellent

Quality of Experience

Very interesting visits and activities (swimming)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and attentive guide

Transport

Rainbow Valley - Semi Private

San Pedro de Atacama

Our knowledgeable guide and a beautiful day allowed us to admire the great colors of the Valley and understand teh basic of the geology behind the scenery. We also visited the petroglyphs of Yerbas Buenas site. A great surprise and one of the top tours we made in Atacama.

Quality of Experience

Exceptional colors and content from our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very friendly and knowledgeable person

Transport

Panoramic excursion to the Torres del Paine National Park (with Box Lunch)

Puerto Natales

Majestic nature of the Torres del Payne and other mountains nearby. John Pineda, our guide, was extremely informative and responsive t our requests. He is a good photographer too!!! We had a bad weather but he altered the route and allow us to make the most out of it.

Quality of Experience

Scenery is unbeatable and world class.

Food

Lunch Box needs improvement

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kudos to John Pineda as explained abve

Transport

God and safe driving

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Probably the best tour in Patagonia. Boat was clean and service was very good. Barbecue in a nearby restaurant was very decent and the place very clean.

Quality of Experience

We were able to see two beautiful glaciers, one of them via a short but very exciting walk.

Food

Barbecue was great. And he wine too

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good explanation while navigating to and from the glaciers. A lot of fauna was seen during the tour.

Transport

Nice and clean boat. Good service on board

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

We could not do it due to cloudy skies for the 3 nights we stayed there. But the tour operator was extremely cnstructive and accommodating d

Full day Visit to King Penguin Park 🐧❄️

Punta Arenas

Transportation was timely and very friendly (guide Paula). Ferry crossing the Magallanes Strait was in good shape. Lunch at El Porvenir was in a very good restaurant. Visit to the King penguin colony went very well. Exciting watching over 70 penguins. Trip back noneventful.

Quality of Experience

A lot of fauna during the trip, including guanacos, sheep, penguins, foxs, nandu, etc. Cold weather and dry vegetation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great work by Paula, especially in first half of the tour.

Transport

Santiago's City Tour from the aiport

Santiago Int. Airport (SCL)

We had rain all day, so the city visit was made within the car. Guide was imaginative and we ended up in nearby Sta Rita winery

Quality of Experience

Very nice considering bad weather

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very polite, informed and creative guide (Vitor Hugo)

Transport

Highly recommend KimKim and Chadya! Our travel experience was seamless and it was incredible having everything perfectly set up for us. Chadya was also very accommodating in helping to adjust our itinerary to make it affordable, and exactly what we wanted. Our guides and tours were incredible, and we felt so safe the entire time. I would definitely use their services again, and would recommend them for anyone interested in a travel agent!

local specialists were very communicative. having everything pre-booked was very convenient - no problems with excursions, hotels, etc....had some bad luck with early winter weather and road closures, but a ferry ride and saw other parts than planned - no worries! most places were great, one was only option in that town and led to an expensive meal (since no other options), so some more warning about out-of-the way places in off-season could have avoided that one perhaps...Tromso and surroundings was beautiful. Learned tons for first kim-kim trial...would use again for sure...thanks!

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Hunt by Bus

Tromsø

we got lucky - unbelievable evening - well guided - highlight of the trip for sure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geraingerfjord Safari by RIB

Geiranger

great guide = fun trip - off-season and still worth it - they provided perfect gear! would do again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marc was great to work with! We went back and forth a few times on the details of the trip and a few of the hotels before locking it in. He was very accommodating and provided valuable insights. He kept in touch from planning until we departed and checked in while we were in country.

Hotel Reviews

Mutiara Bali Boutique Resort Villas & Spa

Nice hotel within walking distance to shops and restaurants. Mosquitos were by far the worst at this hotel. Staff was friendly but not very informative or helpful. Room was ok, felt It could be cleaner and the bathroom doesn’t have AC only the sleeping area. At night there were monkey ir some type of animal jumping on our roof and rummaging through the out door kitchen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Menjangan Dynasty Resort - CHSE Certified

Pejarakan

If you enjoy camping then you will love these yurts. Cute and comfortable. It is a single room with only a screen dividing the bed from the toilet and while it was air it doesn’t do much during the day due to the screens and not being enclosed. However the access and view and the beach is beautiful and the staff is friendly. Service at the restaurant is great. This is a location you come to relax on the beach or at the pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Munduk Moding Plantation

Gobleg

Love this hotel. Truly a 5 star experience with amazing service, great food and fun activities on site. The location provides a cooler temperature but the property promises amazing views. The staff goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service. Even though it’s cooler and damp the bugs were well managed and bug spray is provided.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tejaprana Resort & Spa

Ubud

Everyone here was very friendly and accommodating. The view from our room and the restaurant were gorgeous. Spa services were relaxing and top notch. The room was clean and comfortable. Breakfast at the hotel was very good. Only downfall was location as there wasn’t much walkable but nothing was to far by car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views but not walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Balinese massage

Indonesia

Spa services at hotels except in Seminyak were great.

Quality of Experience

Kecak Dance Performance

Indonesia

A fun and unique experience. It was cool to see the dancers and hear the story in Balinese. This does take place outside so can be rather warm and you sit on stone benches.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Immersion and traditions at Rumah Desa

Indonesia

What a beautiful property and wonderful experience with the healer. We got to tour the property, make offerings, have a welcome drink and lunch. The Healing ceremony was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunrise Trek to Mount Batur Summit

Indonesia

This is a hard hike. We didn’t realize you are able to take a motor bike from the parking area half way and then hike the rest of the way. We hiked from the parking lot, but wish we would have known we could take a bike half way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit a local market & enjoy a cooking class

Indonesia

Amazing experience with welcoming host. This was a great class, very engaging and everyone got to participate and learn.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkeling around Menjangan Island

Indonesia

Amazing coral reef. We had 2 guides, 1 for snorkel and 1 for diving. Both were great and pointed out many different fish. The boat could use a little TLC and the lunch was was questionable from a temp control stand point. But the overall experience was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liz Karen was VERY proactive and helped us put together a trip to Peru very quickly. We were orginally supposed to be in Costa Rica on a very different business vacation, and the weather caused us to need to cancel and rethink what we were going to do. We decided on a condensed version of our dreal trip to Peru...and it FAR SURPASSED OUR EXPECTATIONS!

Yes, there were a few hiccups, but overall, we would recommend Liz Karen and KimKim Tours to others...actually we alrady have!

We appreciated the phenomenal tours and guides! WOW! FABULOUS!
We also appreciated Liz Karen's swift service when we were experiencing a delay with our airport driver---she was on it and had us a driver in no time to be sure we got to the airport without missing our flight.

Speaking of drivers, it was a relief to have good drivers transporting us to everything, as traffic can be a nightmare in Peru...so it is best to leave the driving to the professionals, so we could enjoy our trip even moreso!

We also recommed you consider their recommendations. They set us up on a Organic Farm Tour and Lunch, that ended up being once of the highlights of our trip that we cannot see, to stop talking about! Had we stuck to only the "highlights" we would have missed out on this incredible experience!!!!

We are already looking at where we want to go next and have already reached out to KimKim tour s for suggestions on various itineraries,,,,and we love the "Independent style" KimKim Tours provide---it's much like what I normally would coordinate...only with a whole lot less hassle for me!!!! We believe their professional connections helped to may our trip even better than if we had booked/coordinated each component ourselves!

5 stars for service!!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Ibis Budget Lima Miraflores

Lima

Basic, but we loved the location and the staff was very helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Basic, but super clean and very QUIET!!!!

Location

Right in the middle of Miraflores close to everything! We would stay here again.

Staff

Hospitable and kind! Breakfast was surprisingly good here

Cleanliness & Comfort

Next time we need a King-size bed, but, that said, it was comfortable and quiet and super clean!!!! We would come back!!!

Susanna Inn

Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu

Awful, horrible. terrible. Insects in our beds, no hot water to take a shower or wash properly. LOUD LOUD LOUD! Staff was discourteous...we felt like we couldn't complain because we needed them to store our luggage while we explored Machu Pichu. We couldn't wait to get out of that place. We've stayed in backpacker's hostels WAY better than this place. Good part: Great view of river from window and good banana pancakes. NOTE: We reported to KimKim Tour and they have assured us they will be taking care of the poor service, on our behalf. Highly recommend you do NOT stay there!

Authenticity & Character

Simply awful experience

Location

Staff

Not hospitable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean with no insects, be sure the hot water is running, try insolating the rooms and asking alte guests to use quiet voices. Ask the kitchen staff to allow the guests to have coffee in the morning, instead telling them no, that they need to wait (20 min) for a cup. Especially since we are up super early and in a hurry to catch the bus to Machu Pichu. Service was slllllllooooooooooooowwwwwww! Food was lackluster...except banana pancakes! Those were heavenly!

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

OUR MOST FAVORITE place that we stayed during the trip====I would go back, just to stay there! It is in the train station gates, you barely hear the trains and the grounds are GORGEOUS with ridiculously amazinv views of the ruins of Ollantaytambo. WE LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this place so much and we have been telling everyone all about it!!!!! The restaurant is fatastic too and the food is courced by the nextdoor organic farm, which we did a food tour and authentic Inka Pachumanha Lunch at----you do NOT want to miss out on this experience---absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Authenticity & Character

GORGEOUS! Inside and out!!!! Our favorite place we stayed at!!!

Location

Step right out of the hotel and jump on the train to Machu Pichu

Staff

Fabulous, friendly and so hospitable!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Squeeky clean!!!! LOVE IT!!!!! Very comfortable...didn't want to leave!!!

Casa Biru Hotel Boutique

Cusco

We stayed here 4 night in this "old world" boutique hotel. We loved the character, the courtyard, the breakfasts and the incredible staff!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Quirky and cute boutique hotel--very old world

Location

So close to Plaza de Las Armas!

Staff

We cannot rave enough about the amazing staff...they were FABULOUS!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

If they had better pillows they would get 5 stars for comfort---but seriously they are awesome!!!!

Holiday Inn Lima Airport

Lima

This was an excellent first night---great amenities!

Authenticity & Character

It was just as expected for a Holiday Inn

Location

SUPER close to airport

Staff

Friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

SUPER CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Activity Reviews

Shared Palcoyo Trek: Small group

Cusco

Grateful we did this hike with out outstanding guide Luz Mabel!!!!

Quality of Experience

FANTASTIC!!!!

Food

Food stop wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luz is an amazing guide....absolutely outstanding!!!!

Transport

Explore Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco (Private Guided tour in Machu Picchu) SV

Peru

Mystical, magical and far surpassed our dreams!!!!!

Quality of Experience

Dream come true experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was BEYOND phenomenal!!!

Transport

Shared tour to Pisac & Ollantaytambo tour

Peru

Fabulous tour, we learned so much and we are glad we did this before Machu Pichu.

Quality of Experience

Excellent tour of the ruins

Food

Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great drive and Rony is a fantastic guide

Transport

Briefing about your future tour/trek

Peru

Request Luz Mabel for your Palcoyo Trek---she is fabulous!!!! Thorough and quite the photographer! We love her, she is so knowledgable and funny!

Quality of Experience

Luz is an amazing guide! And we are so glad we went to Palcoyo, as there are c=hardly any tourists (thank goodess) and we got to see WAY more than you will if you go to the popular Rainbow Mountain....this rainbow mountain range is WAY better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luz Mabel and Omar, our drive, were fantastic!

Transport

The drive there is an adventure in itself....but Omar got us back safe and sound!

Shared tour to Moray Terraces & Maras Salt Mines Tour

Cusco

Far surpassed our expectations!!! Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Phenomenal sites

Food

We can't remember....so it wasn't bad nor anything to write home about! LOL!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver drove a little too fast for our taste

Meeting with a local representative

Peru

When we met with Lisbeth, it was great. We had some issues before because, even after preseting my passport for travel docs. my name was incorrect on the air boarding passes, etc, and so the airpline gave me a lot of grief because my name didn't match. We also were never sent the boarding passes...instead Lisbeth had sent to our son who was our emergency contact. It was an honest mistake ad she worked very hard to get it fixed quickly and what we appreciated was that she owne the mistake of sending to our son. We are all human, and just owning that was huge on her part, ad we appreciated her efforts. For the rest of our time, if we needed to reach out she was resonsive...until the last day when in Cuzco when our airport driver didn't show up. She did communicate, but not much...we eneded up getting the main cordinator involved and a new driver was sent to us immediately....it was kind of a bummer, because overall it had been great, and then she dropped the ball with communication at the very end, when we were most stressed. Such a shame, because she was very helpful all the other times.

Quality of Experience

Loved Cuzco

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were PHENOMENAL, especially Rony, Jacquline, and Luz Mabel!!!! Some of the drivers were fantastic. Liz Karen did a fantastic job with coordinating!

Transport

Loved having drivers for everything...would NEVER want to drive in Peru ourselves, and we drive everywhere all over the place.

2023/Explore Ollantaytambo, Pachamanca Farm Tour & Vistadome train to Machu Picchu town

Peru

The Panchamanca Farm Tour and Lunch is a MUST DO experience. We also love the Vistadome train, it was beautiful both to and from Machu Pichu!

Quality of Experience

Excellent

Food

You will never forget this experience!!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super incredible

Transport

Rinolda was an ace...never left us without alternatives...always responded promptly and with helpful suggestions. The reservations at geothermal spas were great, as well as at hotels and B&B's. The trip was absolutely wonderful and wouldn't have succeeded without your assistance.