Kimkim Trip Reviews

Raquel Aceituno, travel specialist with Kimkim did an amazing job organizing the entire Spain trip that we wanted to do with another couple. We were amazed at her attention to detail, the hotels, the tours, the transportation she booked, all the recommendations for places to see and where to dine were great! The Trip Plan App that she set up for us was so easy to follow. We highly recommend the Kimkim company and will use them again in the future. Many thanks Raquel! You made our trip go so smoothly and we loved every thing that was planned.

Hotel Reviews

Palacio Mariana Pineda Hotel

Granada

This hotel was in a fabulous location. However, the rooms were not well insulated in terms of being able to hear people talk in the next room. Overall, I enjoyed my stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

The breakfast was fantastic at this hotel and there was a very quaint Cheese Place- Tapas Bar across the street

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

Our guide was wonderful and we were able to visit the Airy Ancient Bath's which we highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valencia by Tuk Tuk

Valencia

The Tuk Tuk Tour was a great way to see many sites in a few hours. We wished we would have spent more time in Valencia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Night of Flamenco in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

We loved the Flamenco Show and highly recommend this to anyone visiting Spain!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona by E-Bike: Iconic Sights & Hidden Gems

Barcelona

The bikes were a bit old and it wasn't an E-bike, but Barcelona was easy to navigate around on a regular bike. The small group was an advantage as it was easier to get taxis and make suggestions to the guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

A must-visit place in Grenada. Also visited the airy, ancient bath, which was a wonderful addition!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas & Tradition: A Madrileño Evening

Madrid

A fantastic start to my trip. A great way to experience the local food and customs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver and guide, Samir, is a warm, caring, knowledgeable professional. He made our trip truly amazing. He not only got us from point to point timely and safely, he got to know us as individuals and provided guidance and care. The itinerary was diverse and truly captured the authentic essence of Morocco. The accommodations were outstanding and the local guides were awesome. An overall 5 star experience!!

Kim Kim was amazing from the planning to execution (adjusting as needed) and helping with a medical situation at the end of the trip. Our driver Lachen is a friend now. He was so so helpful throughout and stayed with me in the ER when I got very sick. Our tour guides Charif and Hanan were both so knowledgeable and passionate, not to mention patient and willing to adjust based on our needs. We cannot recommend KimKim (Said and all involved enough), they were so responsive and kind throughout, available when needed and happy to help.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Hanan was an awesome tour guide and we really loved the female perspective. She is an excellent guide and so pleasant to be with.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

We loved Fes so much. Charif our guide stayed with us all day and showed us some very fun sites as well as helping us navigate shopping for items we were looking for.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide

Morocco

Hassan mosque is a must see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very impressed with KimKim service. The team's response was quick and answered our questions right away. Upon are arrival, with dinner reservation at Fada, which we truly enjoyed ,even with out much sleep. Our first city was Lisbon, and our guide Filipa was great she took us around the city, even though we had jet lag she kept our attention. Next day was a trip to Sintra, with our guide Paulo. That day it was pouring rain and windy, but we made the best of it. We felt very safe with Paulo, as he made the day very personal, by stopping at his wife cafe, called Bristol, for coffee and local pastry. After we visited the Pena Palace we drove towards Sintra Cascias Natural Park for some dramatic views of the coastal Cliffs, of Cabo de Roca. Then off to Cascias fishing town, and on the way we stopped again at this small place, where he knew the owner/chef and ordered some local food for us to taste. Paulo made that day very special to us. Next, we had a driver take us to Porto where we stayed Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel. It was in a great location next to the Douro River, in the historic section, with an outstanding breakfast. The following day it was very stormy, but Celia, our tour guide, was ready to go and so were we. She took us all around the historic section of UNESCO World Heritage to admire the Romanesque, Gothic, Neo classic monuments and Baroque to mention a few. The Lello bookshop was worth visiting, but tickets should be purchased ahead of time, to avoid the lines. After being soaked to the bones, we had a reservation for a wine tasting that evening and got to try different port, which we enjoyed. Next Day we headed off to wine tasting, in the Douro Valley to a privately owned winery. It was very relaxing sitting talking, with the owner, of the vineyard , tasting the Porto and pairing it with food, which was cooked on site. The following day we then flew to Sevilla, and had tickets for a Flamenco show that evening. We did have a little trouble finding the correct venue, as we didn't realize that there were more than one place to go,. However, we found it and glad we got to see the performance. Next day, Andres took us on a walking tour around the Sevilla Cathedral a 15th century Roman Catholic Church the home to the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Then we walked to the orange tree filled Santa Cruz neighborhood known, as the Jewish quarters with its narrow streets. We visited the Alcazar a monument included in the UNESCO World Heritage site. Following day we took a day trip to Cordoba and meet up with Isabel, for a walking tour, she was great. She took us to the breath taken Mezquita ( Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba) a pagan temple that was converted into a green mosque of the Ummayad caliphate, which later was converted into a Catholic Church. It was well worth the train ride, as it was magnificant to see. Again, walked around winding streets of the Jewish Quarters. In the historic neighborhood of the Cordoba Synagogue. Off again, onto the train, to our final destination Barcelona. Once there, we were on own, as everything was within walking distance. First, we went to Guell Park and is well worth visiting. We debated about buying tickets, for Casa Batillo, but at last minute we did and we were very glad, it was a very different experience and enjoyed every minute of it. Finally our last day of our trip, we had tickets ahead of time, for the Sagrada Familia. We spent most of the day there as it was amazing, something worth seeing. Our last hotel was in a great location, very good breakfast, but was bare bones, not like all the other hotels. However, we really enjoyed our trip and appreciate all the help Marina, Marta and the KimKim team provided. I would use KimKim again for my next trip. Sharon

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Vintage Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Great location, breakfast good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andante Hotel

Barcelona

Location was great, breakfast very good, however the night staff not so friendly or helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Great location and an amazing breakfast. The front desk staff was extremely helpful. I would stay there again the next time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Córdoba Revealed: From Mezquita to the Alcázar

Seville

Isabel was great! So knowledgeable for suck a young lady. We would use her again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

Andreas was great answered all of our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Evening of Flamenco

Portugal

We loved seeing the show

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Gustavo was an excellent guide. We loved the views of the Vineyards from up above. He was patience when we wanted to stop for pictures. Again, would us chime again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Celia was very good guide. Would recommend her again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coimbra

Portugal

Not any fault of the driver, but the car company picked someone that has never been to Coimbra. He had no idea where to go. He did call back to his colllegaue to get some info, so he dropped us off at the University. Communication was a little troubling, but we managed. He dropped us off and we asked that he wait for us, as we just wanted to look around maybe take a few pictures and we would be right back. However, we could't find him anywhere, so had to make a few calls. We never got to see anything in Coimbra, so disappointing. I do not blame the driver as he was doing his job of driving us.

Quality of Experience

Driver should have some idea where to drop off people to walk around.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Paulo was Great! We really enjoyed being with him! I would recommend him anyday1

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very personal took time for us to make sure we enjoyed our day

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samir, our driver/(guide) was wonderful !!!! He was very clear in communication, timely with pick ups and drop offs, and was an absolute joy to spend so much of our time with. He has an incredible awareness of his surroundings, which makes him not only an incredible driver in traffic, but also in accommodating the needs of everyone in the vehicle. He sensed when it was time to stop for a break to ensure our comfort and always made sure we were supplied with fresh water, a very clean vehicle , that smelled so wonderful I even asked to bring some of the freshener home with me, and the vehicle temperature was kept at our comfort level. He was always willing to stop for photos at our request if he didn't already have a stop planned for scenic views. He made sure the rest stops used were very clean and perfectly timed. When we were not together, he responded immediately to any and all communications from us. I cannot say enough about how much he added to our overall experience. He was a complete JOY !!!

Cheryfe, our guide in Fes who led us through the medina, town and tile tour was also wonderful and a complete joy. He made sure we were treated properly when making purchases and provided so much information about the town. He had us try items from the market as we toured through and also made sure we were supplied with fresh water so as to not dehydrate.

It would be nice to have a written script for the highlights of the tour as there was a LOT of information and with so many people in the streets and all the activity around us, it was difficult to always hear (NOT the fault of any of the guides) and even harder to retain since we were on information overload throughout our trip. Having a written manuscript would be true for all of the guides as the situation was very similar in each location.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Medina Essaouira Thalassa Sea & Spa MGallery

Essaouira

The location was spectacular. The private beach and M Club were a wonderful perk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was not dirty but i do think in need of some TLC, especially in the bathroom. NOT a complaint, simply stating because you asked.

Riad Nyla And Spa Marrakech

Marrakech

Simply over the top !!! My husband and I "papmered" ourselves with a spa package. The breakfast each morning was incredible, the staff incredible, the smell (inside the Riad) was incredible. We wanted for nothing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auberge Chez Pierre

Boumalne Dades

The staff and the views were spectacular !!!!! The meal "looked" incredible. I was unable to eat due to food poisoning from a previous meal but the staff made sure I was provided with appropriate food and tea delivered to our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We awoke to an incredible double rainbow!! My friends and family who saw my photo thought it was not real. It was just spectacular !!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

Our best bed and shower was found in the middle of the Sahara Desert !!!!! Unbelieveable !!!! The staff was extremely helpful and attentive and our every need was met. The camel ride into the camp was wonderful and our guide (I believe Hassan ?) was wonderful !!!! he had an incredibe sense of humor and so much love and kindness for the camels. He was quick to put us all at ease, guide us into the camp, and took the most amazing photos for us to bring home and share with our friends and family. Our jeep guide the following morning, Ali, was again, full of information and provided us with a lovely tour of the desert. We opted for an ATV ride after lunch at Riad in town (I wish i remembered the name of the business we rented from) and our guide Jamel was FAULOUS !!!!!!! He took us on the ride of a lifetime !!!! I cried tears of joy riding into the dunes and then he put us each individually on the back of his ATV and showed us a trick or two that i'm sure none of us will ever forget !!! I hope he doesn't lose his hearing from us screaming in his ears. It was absolutely WONDERFUL !!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The service was absolutely over the top !!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best bed and shower during our entire stay !

Riad Ghita

Fes

Once again the location was perfect !! Our group of 4 was split up into two different locations which was not ideal, but again, did not impact our trip in a negative manner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

VANCII HOTEL

Chefchaouen

Perfectly located in the heart of an absolutely lovely city !!!!! The view from our room was amazing !!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

There were some things lost in translation with some of the staff but it certainly did not impact our stay in a negative way. We were able to figure it out on our own or message Samir (who always came through for us).

Cleanliness & Comfort

The View Hotel

Rabat

Spectacular !!!! We didn't have much time in Rabat so it's hard to comment on the location of the hotel or really any other aspect of it. It was basically a sleeping spot for the evening.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Enchanting Essaouira

Morocco

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We LOVED Marrakesh !!!!!!! What an incredibly vibrant city !!!!!!

Private Transfer from Boumalne Dades to Marrakech via the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Transfer to Dades Valley via Todra Gorges

Morocco

Sand-Boarding in Erg Chebbi (Free of Charge)

Merzouga

This did not happen ???? Perhaps because we opted for time in the pool and the ATV adventure. I gave a 5 star rating based upon the ATV adventure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Fez to Merzouga Desert

Morocco

Outstanding experience !!!!!!! A MUST do !!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unleash Your Inner Artist: Pottery and Mosaic Workshop

Morocco

we spent a LOT of $$ here. Need i say more?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

What a surprise (at least to me) to find ancient ruins in Morocco. Who knew ? Not me !!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Casablanca Airport to Rabat via Casablanca City: From Economic Capital to Royal Seat

Morocco

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide

Morocco

My only suggestion for improvement was already stated in my original overall review of the trip and carries through for each of the excursions...having a written manuscript with basic information for each of the excursions would have been extremely helpful. It would provide reading during the sometimes long drives and give us a basic understanding so when the guides spoke we'd be able to better follow along since we'd already have read some of the basic information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samir is the man !!!!!!!!!!! We all just loved him !!!!!!

Morocco Last Nomads Experience: Tea, Tales & Desert Adventures

Merzouga

Ali was a wonderful guide (and drummer).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes: Morocco's Spiritual Heart

Fes

Cheryfe was wonderful !!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Exploration of the "Blue City" Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Beautiful city !!!!! So many kitties !!!! I wish i had known to bring a bag of food to supply some of those poor babies with nourishment.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Abdul was fun !!! He was quick to lead us to all the key spots for photos and had us laughing throughout our tour.

Transport

Guided Tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

Our only complaint is that we didn't have another couple days to spend here. What a beautiful city !!!!!

This was a wonderful trip for us. We just love it! The planning was great and reasonable! Thanks to Angel Gutierrez, who planned our trip and responded our inquiries/questions quickly no matter day or night, literally. Angel is just so helpful. I think that he not only did his job requirement but way beyond: such as on-spot translation via phone when we encountered many communication difficulties, solving cellphone SIM card problems, suggesting good restaurants when we were on our own, etc.

The astronomical tour was amazing. Morita, the guide, and driver provided snacks and wine for us. I tasted the best red wine I ever had. The photographer was very nice, who took extra Milky Way pictures for us, and help me photographing Milky Way with my own camera. I was so happy that I took good Milky Way pictures for the first time.

Baltinache Hidden Lagoons tour and Valle De La Luna tour are unique, and the guides organized tours and timing very well. The sunset at Valle De La Luna is so beautiful. Sandboarding in the Atacama Desert was a lot of fun for beginners like us. We managed doing it and got exhausted.

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine was definitely the highlight of this trip. It was once a life time physical challenge to us for 60-year-old people. We are so proud of ourselves that we did it by our own pace and back to parking lot before dark. It was 14 miles hike to high elevation. Here, I would suggest that similar age/physical condition tourists be considered grouped together for better safety.

Torres del Paine National Park Panoramic Tour, and Navigation Excursion/Serrano Glacier and Patagonia Lunch were very worth to have, especially after trekking to Mirador Base Torres del Paine, because they were much easier physically. I really liked the BBQ lamb for the lunch, the best lamb dish I had.

Elena and her team helped my partner and I plan a wonderful trip to Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice! We truly enjoyed it and felt that our experience was enhanced by going through Kimkim, as we would not have been able to know the details as well as they knew them. We highly recommend anyone book through them!

Hotel Review

Hotel Al Duca di Venezia

Venice

Location is very good and definitely recommend this neighborhood (Cannaregio), but the bathroom had a not so clean odor and was not very well ventilated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Jewels of Venice (St. Mark & Doge Palace)

Venice

Cinque Terre Sunset cruise with aperitif (Private)

Cinque Terre

Florence private guided walk

Florence

Wine and food tour in Florence

Florence

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

This trip was incredible. While I may have been able to book this trip on my own - this was WAY easier. They picked great hotels that were closer to the sights. The igloo experience was something that changed my life. It was one of the best things I ever experienced. The only thing I wish was a little better info for the buses and trains - that is my only complaint. But this was a 10/10 experience and would highly recommend to anyone.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

The Radisson Blu Hotel was also well located. However, there were some communication issues regarding my stay on the night of the ice dome experience. I wasn't initially informed that I still had the hotel room for the night, which would have been good to know beforehand. Other than that, the hotel was pretty good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

The Bondeheimen hotel was a pleasant surprise. The location was great and I didn't have to venture very far to get to things. Overall, I was very pleased with this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Hunt by Bus

Tromsø

The northern lights were very cool, I would have preferred doing another activity like this one versus the husky visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Husky Visit

Tromsø

The husky visit, was not my cup of tea. I felt a bit sad for the dogs that were there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spend the morning in the ice domes and transfer back to the city

Tromsø

The ice dome experience was hands down the best thing I've ever done. It was just incredible. There were some communication issues regarding how I was supposed to get there and whether or not I had to carry all my luggage. But other than that, it was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Bergen to Oslo scenic train route - Bergensbanen

Norway

The train experience was generally okay, but there was a bit of confusion due to some work being done on the train tracks. I had to transfer to a bus at some point which was unexpected. I think it would be helpful if there were some checks closer to the trip to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall Kimkim planned our trip well! We enjoyed ourselves, had good activities and had time to rest too.

- Transportation between cities was great. We felt safe with the drivers, and they were on time.

- Arenal: we wish the volcano hike was longer. The choice of Baldi hot springs was great.
-The chocolate and coffee tour was good too.

- Puerto Viejo: The Cahuita hike followed by snorkeling was our favorite activity of the whole trip.

- San Jose: we wish our bus had left earlier so we could get to San Jose earlier and see more of the city during the evening.

- The bedding situation was just OK. Beds were not comfortable and some were unstable on their bases. The 2 beds in San Jose were full size beds, not queen size. They definitely were not suited for 2 people per bed.

Hotel Reviews

Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas

San José

This hotel is in a great location! The 2 beds were too small for 2 people per bed. They should have been queen size beds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villas del Caribe

Puerto Viejo

The beach views were wonderful! The customer service was good! The breakfast options could be better. The beds could be more comfortable. The bedrooms had good AC and we were cool there. The downstairs area was hot. The ceiling fan did not work well. Also, it would be good to have more than 1 fan. Adding 2-3 standing fans would be great!

Authenticity & Character

Great views to the beach!! Great beach!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

The view to the volcano at this hotel was perfect! Breakfast was good! The beds could have been more comfortable and some were unstable on their bases. The customer service was great! Every employee we interacted with was nice and professional!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is very close to a tour agency

Staff

The customer service was great! Every employee we interacted with was nice and professional!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds could have been more comfortable and some were unstable on their bases.

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling & Hiking in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

The hike was easy and we were happy to see all the animals along the way! The guides were nice and knowledgeable! The snorkeling was the best!! The pineapple snack was appreciated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Black hot springs is a beautiful location! The drinks were good too!

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was ok…

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from a 2-week tour of Romania and Bulgaria with kimkim. We have traveled to many countries; our favorite style is a private tour with a driver/guide. I contacted a friend from Ukraine (owner of a travel company we used a few years ago), as she has now joined the kimkim team. She directed us to Florin, an expert on Romania. Florin put together a fantastic program for us. We saw most of the highlights of Romania, including. UNESCO World Heritage sites, Transylvania, the Black Sea. The Transfaragarsan Road (and seeing the bears along the way) was also a highlight. Then on to Bulgaria to the "island" of Nessebar, to historic Plovdiv, and Sofia.
Florin is one of the best guides we've ever had! When you are with someone for many hours a day, you want someone who is personable. That is his #1 quality. He was flexible with the program. I can't overstate this enough. When weather appeared to spoil a part of the trip, at Florin's suggestion, we re-molded the entire trip to better fit our needs. This involved quite a bit of replanning and taking on additional expense on his part. Our trip continued without a hitch! He was also very perceptive of our needs, funny, an excellent driver (very comfortable vehicle), knowledgable of the history of the countries, and up on current events. He also has great taste in music for the rides!
The tour was a good value, as well. We asked for 4-star accommodations and received a combination of larger facilities along with boutique hotels, all in perfect locations; walking distance to sites, restaurants, etc.
We are so fortunate to have discovered kimkim. Most of all, Florin, who is very professional and passionate about Romania and his work.

After 3 other travel services turned down my request to arrange travel on the Kumano Koto trail in Japan --saying everything was full-- I tried KimKim. Fei, the specialist assigned to help us was kind, attentive, and thorough. When we ran in to a lodging glitch while on the trail, she responded very well. I would definitely recommend using Kim Kim.

Bianca was amazing to work with not only leading up to our big trip but was so helpful while we were there as well. She really put me at ease. We traveled to South Africa from Switzerland with 2 young kids (11 and 10) and with our parents who met us there from the United States. There was a lot of organising and planning to make this trip seamless. And it was exactly that...seamless and relaxing. We absolutely loved our driver and guide Graham in Cape Town and our guide Matthew at Kariega during the safari. I HIGHLY recommend using KimKim to plan the most amazing trip.

Haciem our driver we phenomenal. He not only drove us around for days he also introduced us to many new Moroccan foods and checked after every tour to make sure we were safely back in our room. The "food tour" in Marrakech was a waste. We wanted a cooking class and instead were scheduled for this tour. We were told it would be just as good as a class... it was not. Every day was very scheduled and we felt we had no time to just wander around - that was regretful.

Sangita helped is with every detail of our trip. Our group was large and complicated, but she responded to every problem promptly and positively. Our guides were also very kind, working to accommodate the needs of everyone.

Our driver Reda was amazing. Guides Osama and Adib were also good. Accommodations were so mediocre. Most of them were not even clean as Said told me five star accommodations. There was nothing five star about any of the accommodations. It was more like economy lodges. This was my first time going through a travel agency and it was rip off.

The perfect itinerary for us!
If you are traveling to Italy we highly recommend Andrea Gambino to help create a wonderful trip for you. He customized our itinerary to meet our travel goals in Sicily. Andrea was available throughout our trip to keep us updated when anything changed. He also was able to make a few adjustments (we requested) on the fly,

All 5 guides listed below were fabulous.... knowledgeable, passionate, kind, easy-going, and friendly. We felt they went above and beyond to make sure that we connected with, and understood, the history and culture in each area we toured. Great job!

Guides:
Letteria - Ancient Theatre of Taormina
Peppe - Godfather Movie Set Private Tour
Corrado - Syracuse Neapolis Archaeological Park
Sabine - Ragusa
Allessandra - Temple valley

Drivers:
David (Catania) , David (Palermo), and Antonio (Palermo), were all very professional, courteous and always on time

Hotel Reviews

Eurostars Centrale Palace

Palermo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Baglio San Nicola

San Nicola, Naro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding could be upgraded

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Siracusa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Carlotta and Apartments

Taormina

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Temple valley guided visit

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val di Noto gems: Modica time at your leisure and Ragusa guided visit

Italy

Sabine is a great guide! Informative, funny and passionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Syracuse Neapolis Archaeological Park - private guide

Italy

Corrado made this great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Godfather Movie Set Private Tour

Italy

Peppe made this tour extra special, very passionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided visit to the Ancient Theatre of Taormina (private guide)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Feedback Australia-Trip Annette and Michael Sereny

Breaking the long journey from Germany to Australia in Singapore (3 days/2 nights) to get used to the time difference was very helpful and extremely interesting.
Sydney offers the arriving traveller a wide range of sights and attractions to explore daily for more than a week if necessary.
After our one-week stay in Sydney (congress and on our own) our organised trip took us first by plane to Cairns, where we were already expected upon arrival. The arrival instructions in our travel description were helpful and accurate. The driver was extremely friendly and communicative and the drive to Port Douglas (1 hour) flew by, with the driver also making a short stop for some photos at our request. The car was spacious and clean and the driving style very pleasant.
We found the accommodation Villa San Michele very pleasant, the flat was clean and spacious and also very quiet at night. On arrival we were given very friendly and competent information. Due to the weather conditions, the receptionist also tried to reschedule our excursion to the Reef (a lot of wind, stormy sea) for another day, but this was not possible due to the travel time (holiday season Australia). There are many good restaurants and shops within walking distance.
The trip to the Reef was great and gave a lasting impression of the diversity and benefits of the Reef. However, with the stormy seas and lots of wind, the crossing was relatively long and sensitive people would probably be more comfortable with a shorter crossing from a port closer to the Reef (bus transfer).
The subsequent day of rest could easily be filled with sightseeing in and around the town on foot.
The small group excursion with "river drift snorkelling" and the guided tour through Mosman Gorge was also great and the guide was able to competently answer our every question and also give us an insight into the diversity and importance of the rainforest.
After another day of rest, we were again transferred on time and in an equally pleasant drive to the airport in Cairns for our onward flight to Brisbane. The pick-up at Brisbane airport also worked out very well and the driver took us to our hotel, the Crystalbrook Vincent. We were delighted with both the location and the design and facilities of the hotel room and could not imagine a more suitable one in Brisbane. We spent the day with rental bikes from the hotel on a tour along the river, which gave us a first, very good impression of this lively and interesting city. On the second day, we took public transport to the Koala Sanctuary, a slightly further but wonderful excursion, as well as more walking and sightseeing within the city.
Picking up the rental car at the Avis station in town was quite easy, the staff friendly and competent. However, the planned schedule: car pick-up, drive to Byron Bay and afternoon kayak tour, would not have been manageable, if only because of the time difference and the distance.
However, the communication with the organiser regarding the kayak tour turned out to be less than happy. The kayak tour was cancelled two days before it was due to take place due to the bad weather (waves/storm), which is completely okay, but we then received further emails with details about the tour, which were probably generated automatically and gave us the impression that the event was taking place after all. The organiser would have to improve his communication.
The accommodation in Byron Bay was well located and had the advantage of free parking in the underground car park. After the good accommodation in Port Douglas and the outstanding one in Brisbane, the flat in Byron Bay was much easier. It was clean and quiet, but there are other rooms there clearly affected by the kitchen smell of the pub below. The town of Byron Bay is very (too?) touristy; if we were to do another tour, we would personally prefer much smaller and more pleasant places on the coast. The Byron Bay Hinterland Tour was unfortunately cancelled at short notice due to cancellations of other participants, but our rental car gave us the opportunity to drive into the national park ourselves and do the hike to Minyon Falls on our own.
The accommodation in Coffs Harbour at the Pacific Bay Resort was okay, but clearly outside the town. If you are not playing golf, a smaller accommodation closer to the town would be more pleasant. Again, for a future trip or for other travellers with less need for tourist attractions, we would prefer smaller places in the area by the beach.
The Afternoon Giingan Cultural Walking Tour took place even though we were the only two participants, but this gave us an exclusive tour with a lot of information that was new to us and our excellent guide was able to answer all our questions competently. This also resulted in very interesting and further discussions.
The drive to the Hunter Valley, as we preferred roads close to the coast, was much longer than expected, but with beautiful views and wonderful stretches of road.
The accommodation at the Chateau Elan was fantastically located overlooking the golf course, clean, spacious, well-furnished and quiet. Unfortunately, however, the hotel's restaurant was closed for kitchen renovations and we had to settle for a rather mediocre bistro nearby. Breakfast, however, could be had on a very good scale.
The group tour to visit various wineries was very pleasant, entertaining, informative and also culinary. Our tour guide was able to accommodate our wine preferences for the tour at short notice in the morning, as we were the only guests with a full-day programme, the lunch package for midday was plentiful and delicious, and the afternoon part of the tour with other guests on board was also very worthwhile. We spent the second day cycling in the Hunter Valley. Unfortunately, the number of rental bikes at the hotel was limited, so we had to drive a short distance to the nearest bike rental. On the second evening, we were able to enjoy an excellent dinner in the restaurant of another, nearby hotel, but the final enjoyment of a local red wine we made in our hotel room due to the strict and reasonable alcohol restrictions when driving.
For the final drive back to Sydney and especially for the drop-off of the rental car, we would have wished for more detailed information from the car rental company (by email?). On the one hand, we did not realise that the car could only be dropped off until 4:30 p.m. (we had 5:00 p.m. on the schedule) and that the catastrophic traffic conditions in the one-way maze of Sydney, combined with the extremely poor signage of the Avis parking spaces to and in the car park, cost us so much time that we only found the Avis employee locking up the offices, but were able to hand in the keys and parking ticket at an adjacent hotel on his advice. Furthermore, it would have been very pleasant to be informed that there is no petrol station in the immediate vicinity of the drop-off point and that one should therefore fill up the tank in good time. We were therefore unable to return the car with a full tank. It was very positive that the car, a VW Tiguan, was almost new and that the road traffic in Australia is generally very pleasant and considerate. However, we have not yet received any feedback from the car rental company with the final invoice.
Overall, however, we did not regret spending the money for the trip. We saw and experienced a lot, which has a lasting and very positive impact on our image of Australia. It was clear to us that we could only travel part of Australia in the time available to us, and our progress so far has encouraged us to make further plans for Australia. The people are mostly friendly and sociable. However, we could not get used to the loudness in many pubs.
All we need now, as mentioned above, is the rental car bill, the refunds for the two cancelled activities (kayak tour and backcountry tour) have been advised in the meantime.

Our trip to Turkey was the first time we used KimKim and we were not disappointed by this experience.
Our contact was Berat and she was very helpful both during planning stage of our trip, as well as during the time we were traveling in Turkey, when she was always on top of communicating details of all our transfers and changes in itinerary. All logistics was taken care of and everything went very smoothly.
In Istanbul our guide Erdem was very friendly and knowledgeable, he was very attentive to our interests and was able to navigate through crowded places in the most efficient way. Despite the crowds in some most touristy sites he made it possible for us to visit all of them. He gave us many good suggestions for our last "free" day in Istanbul and recommended some wonderful restaurants to eat which we will never found on our own.
Irfan, our guide in Cappadocia, was also knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information. We realized that our planned itinerary included less hikes than we hoped to have in Cappadocia, so we asked to add visit and hike in Ihlara valley to our itinerary. This was done after coordination with Berat and that experience was one of the best in our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Kale Konak Hotel

We really liked this small hotel. It has the best location in Uchishar and a lot of character. Wonderful breakfast and very friendly and helpful staff. Room was rather small, but there are many nice seating areas available in the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Recital hotel is conveniently located in the center of the historical part of Istanbul. Room was somewhat dated, but had very nice view from the balcony. There is also a rooftop terrace with nice view but no service there. There were big groups staying in the hotel and it was rather noisy in the evening. Good breakfast. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Soğanlı Valley

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we. had wonderful driver for 3 days.

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

It is very crowded but our guide Irfun was able to navigate us around crowds, gave us a lot of hiostorical information but also time to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

This is an amazing experience. It was one of the reasons we wanted to go to Cappadoccia and it did not disappointed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crossing between Continents: Explore Kadıköy and Moda

İstanbul

It was beautiful day and crossing on a ferry boat was enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Erdem showed us small neighborhood streets where locals live and told us a lot about every day life in Turkey. He brought us to a nice open air cafe overlooking Bosphorus for turkish coffee.

Transport

Explore the historical + modern hub: Galata, Karaköy and Beyond

İstanbul

Unfortunately several places we were supposed to visit were closed for different reasons. The views from Galata tour were worth standing in line.

Quality of Experience

as several places were closed for some unknown reason it would be nice to have some other activities planed for this day

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

it was interesting to experience tram and funicular rides

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

It was great to explore these amazing sites with our guide Erdem. He made it possible to see all the major places despite the crowds, he gave us a lot of historical facts and stories.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

It was interesting to see this busy place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We only arranged our 18 day trip to Chile four weeks beforehand and with Ana's help we steadily built an itinerary which we constantly tweaked and updated until we were completely comfortable with our final choice
Our trip included 3 internal flights, one of which we changed 14 hours prior to departure, 5 excellent hotels, a hire car and several drivers and guides. The whole trip worked like clockwork and the punctuality of our drivers and guides was exemplary.
Special thanks to Diego, Barbara in Santiago & our guides Orlando, Vitor and Maite

I have travelled independently and with tours, and I highly recommend Kimkim as the perfect marriage of the two styles.

Kefi was a dream to work with on planning our trip to Greece - very patient as we worked through different travel and sightseeing options. Then, upon realizing that our flight times were going to cut things close, she reversed the order of our entire trip without batting an eye (at least to us!). When I asked about a hotel that was recommended by a friend of the owner, she offered to arrange a stay there while also diplomatically suggesting a different option. She was careful to work within our budget and was able to help us take the best advantage of increasing it as we added a couple of options. The hotels and excursions she booked for us were unfailingly terrific.

Once we were in Greece, Dimitrios with Be A Greek was also fantastic. We were met at every change point by a professional driver in a nice vehicle. We had a small kerfuffle with one of our excursions due to weather, and Dimitrios stayed in touch constantly via WhatsApp to make sure we had a wonderful backup plan, which he had preemtively booked pending our approval. He was available and responsive whenever we reached out.

I love this way of traveling because much of the stress is taken out of the planning, we had great suggestions from people on the ground, we did not have to move in a group with people we may or may not like, and the price was more than fair. I would highly recommend Kimkim and Be A Greek for your dream vacation to Greece. I plan to use Kimkim next time I plan a vacation and have recommended it to several friends.