Kimkim Trip Reviews

Elena and Andrea made the trip to Italy so very easy. It was the first time I had travel to Europe so was a little nervous. But with both their help everything went fine. Andrea helped us out when the e-bike chain came off. They called the company and had them send out a different bike. Transfers to different site seeing places was made easier by having a driver already booked. Our vacation went smoothly and will definitely use Kimkim again

Hotel Review

Relais Osteria Dell'Orcia Tuscany

Castiglione d'Orcia

Love this place, staff was exceptional. The only thing is out in the country so make sure you have a car or a driver to use.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Florence cooking class with Market Visit

Italy

Barbara was a fantastic teacher. Took us to the fresh market and then we went to her house to cook. She taught us how to roll the dough for gnocchi. My daughter and I both loved the market and the lesson

We had have an amazing &1 wonderful time on our Canadian Rockies vacation....we have a super experience driver Big Mike that took us everywhere we go from flat lands to uphills to see the scenery...to our very knowledgeable tour guide John, who provides all info that we need to know about Canadian Rockies, all about Jasper, Banff, Calgary etc..etc & also in & out of our hotels we're all staying....super nice guy & smart John....
Never a dull moment to be with them
We were happy to have them as part of our journey to Calgary, Canada..
I would rate them as superb 10 & would recommend them to our friends who wants to explore Calgary, Canada...
Thank you....

We had a great time on our tailored trip to Chile. we started with a quick jaunt to wine country and then an amazing time in patagonia. Erin was instrumental in arranging the tour for us beforehand and then a lot of the details on the ground from Nara. We had a few minor hiccups with secondary vendors but were able to easily rearrange things conveniently. we unfortunately got part of our activities cancelled due to weather but had quick alternatives arranged and that portion refunded to us. The convenience and coordination is worth the time

Karim was a great guide.
He took us through areas of Morocco that wouldn’t usually be seen, meeting people from different walks of the country.

He was conscious about making the trip as comfortable and enjoyable for us. Thanks Karim we have now left with a friend.

This was our first time working with KimKim and Original Travels and we could not have been more pleased.

They took all the stress out of planning the trip. We told them the cities we wanted to visit and our budget for appropriate riads to stay and they put together the perfect itinerary of comfortable and well located riads along with customized day tours of the cities.

We also can’t stress enough how wonderful it was to have a private driver throughout our trip. Reda was not only enjoyable to be with but was so accommodating to our whims of stopping for supplies and amenities. More than an a driver, he was a friend.

And the home base staff of Ali and Said were available instantly when we had questions during the trip or wants to change things at the last minute. There was never a feeling of guilt. They made us feel like we were their only travelers.

So polite and professional. We look forward to using this team again for future travels. If you want to truly relax and enjoy an adventure of a trip that spans multiple cities, you will not beat the prices and service of this team.

My mother and I had an awesome time in Croatia, and everything was well communicated and organized by Daniela and her partner, Robi in advance, and during the entire trip! With every step of the way, Daniela or Robi were in touch to check in and give information about guides, pick up times, restaurant recommendations, and everything was clear and comprehensive. They were also available for questions and suggestions, which made the entire trip connected and collaborative. I especially loved the arrangement with guide, Goran where we travelled from Korcula to the Peninsula, and Elaphiti Islands where we travelled along the mountains and Adriatic, and visited local, family-run restaurants. This part of the trip felt very special and memorable. We then had the opportunity to meet Daniela, Robi and family in Ston, which also was delicious and memorable. Highly recommend connecting with Daniela and Robi-- absolutely lovely and memorable, all around! Thank you!

Marisa was wonderful! Truly an expert in her field, and I'd highly recommend her to anyone looking to travel to Portugal. She planned out our whole trip and made sure we saw all of the key highlights since it was our first visit to Portugal. The best part about the service was the communication. The whole time we were there we had an open line of communication. Any questions we had were answered immediately which brought peace of mind. Thank you Marisa for making our trip a memorable one! Looking forward to visiting again soon.

Hotel Review

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Cascais

This was our last stop on our trip to Portugal. Great location, historic exterior but the service certainly wasn’t a 5 star experience. It was far from it. When we first checked into our room it was in the basement with a very musty/mold smell. We left to go to dinner and came back to multiple cockroaches in our room. We went to the reception with all of our luggage. We know they can’t control where bugs are, but they can control their reaction. They seems unsurprised, unapologetic and zero care. They made a few calls, just changed our key, and told our room and as they handed us the new room number a quick “sorry” was said. The only person who seems to care the bellhop Antonio that took us to our new room. It was a very odd response from the front desk and an unprofessional experience. Certainly not how I wanted to end our trip and certainly should not have been charged for a room with bugs!

Authenticity & Character

The place had character but from the outside. The interior didn't give a welcoming hotel-like feel.

Location

Close to town

Staff

Their overall customer service was terrible when we told them Saturday evening that there were cockroaches in our room. They should have shown care and empathy. The only reason we were put in a better room was because of Marisa from Kim Kim. They didn't seem to care whatsoever.

Cleanliness & Comfort

They shouldn't put anyone in the basement floor until they figure out their roach issue.

Activity Reviews

To Eat Suggestion: Scenarium

Algarve

The captains were so nice and gave us a wonderful experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Performance was great, ambiance wonderful and the service was spectacular. One of our dishes was inedible, the fish was spoiled.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Our driver was the best. He was so nice, knowledgeable, made sure we were comfortable the whole time. He gave recommendations, was prompt, and it truly was one of the best days we had in Portugal. The only thing we'd change is seeing a different palace. There are multiple palaces and although Pena was beautiful, the amount of people inside the palace was overwhelming. It felt pretty claustrophobic.

Quality of Experience

I would've preferred a less packed palace.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

She was so knowledgeable and sweet. Catered it to what we wanted to learn and it was a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

Wonderful guide and he took us to great locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very good trip overall. Disappointed with some of the planning as certain places were closed for 3 years and were still on the intinerary. Overall service was pretty good, barring the weekend replacement Fernanda who dropped the ball. Carl did an overall good job.

This is an unusual review in that KimKim merely acted as the introducer to a third party safari company, Ultimate Safaris Namibia that provided the Namibian safari experience for us in October 2023.
Originally, we booked a bespoke tour through KimKim in 2019 with a view to travelling to Namibia in the summer of 2020. Due to covid, that trip was cancelled but by then we had already paid KimKim a substantial deposit. Thankfully, KimKim are an extremely honest company and they kept our deposit against a future booking. We tried again in 2021 but again that trip was cancelled.
We skipped 2022 and instead tried to book a Namibia trip for 2023. By then our requirements had changed and instead of preparing a bespoke trip for us, KimKim recommended a group tour through Ultimate Safaris Namibia which enjoyed great reviews but did not deal directly with the public.
The following is the review of our Ultimate Safaris Namibia experience as prepared by my wife.

Ultimate. What does it mean? Being the best or most optimal example of its kind.
Well that’s the best definition of the Ultimate Safaris Namibia experience that we have just enjoyed with our lead guide, Uzco.
Firstly the organisation, from being met by Uzco at our hotel all the way through to our return to our hotel Windhoek at the end of the trip was seamless and the attention to every detail was sublime.
At the outset we were joined by the two other couples on the Ultimate Safaris trip who were interested in all things safari, but, as well as wanting to enjoy seeing the animals, they loved birds as well. We had previously bought a pair of binoculars for the trip but really didn’t know which way round they needed to be used!! But, believe me, not long into our safari experience with the one and only Uzco, we very soon completely understood how to use the binoculars and were spotting birds with the others in our group.
Uzco made the trip memorable for us. It was such a wonderful wonderful experience. He was completely dedicated to the six of us, embracing our enjoyment, our well-being, and wanting to allow us the freedom to enjoy the trip at its best. He was the ultimate guide with a wealth of knowledge, both in the animal world, the bird and insect world as well as his knowledge of geography and geology. All of this knowledge that he gave to us added to the wonderful tapestry of what we were seeing unfolding before our eyes.
Can we also praise the various lodges selected by Ultimate Safaris Namibia for this group trip? All four lodges were outstanding in every way. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, the food was of an exceptionally high standard and staff extremely attentive and helpful.
Uzco is a dedicated professional guide who deserves all the praise and gratitude. We thank you so much for the experience, and of course the memories.

Hi
Throughly enjoyed the trip
Saeed was extremely good ,well organised went out of his way to help and make us comfortable
Nooruddin and Ayub kept us well informed with their knowledge. Over all good experience. Thou would have been better less time in coach and staying at places like merzoga our camping one more day. Also really wanted to see Switzerland Marakask Irfan more. Would have loved a day in there.
Over all. All were good. People were friendly. I enjoyed thanks.

First of all, Megan was a fantastic resource and support for planning our Morrocan trip. She was available, had helpful suggestions and listened carefully to our concerns.

Our driver, Hamid, was outstanding in every way. He was prompt, attentive, careful driver, engaging, respectful, knowledgeable, and overall a perfect guide for us! We can’t say enough good things about his presence and functioning with us throughout our Moroccan trip. He added so much value to our trip with all the stories, information, and overall approachability.

All of our local guides were excellent, offering us helpful information and giving us accessibility to what we were seeing and experiencing. We mention Mohammed in Fez, because he was such an interesting person, and offered so much depth to our experience there. His engaging, interactive qualities, and his humor were perfect for us!

The hotels and riads were excellent accommodations, and we enjoyed each and everyone! The food was exceptional. The desert camp experience was outstanding in every way. The warmth and caring hospitality was deeply appreciated!

We highly recommend KimKim company and Wonderlust voyages. We would definitely consider traveling again with this company.

Cheryl & Nelson Lehman Tucson, Arizona

What Cheryl and Nelson have written above reflects very well our experience with KimKim on our trip to Morocco. From the beginning of planning this trip, Megan was very responsive and informative about all the details and specifics of our trip. When faced with the uncertainties of the earthquake that happened 3 weeks before we were to leave, she made sure that all the places we were scheduled to go to were safe and ready for us. Megan was professional and sensitive to what we wanted on this trip.
Our driver, Hamed, was a delight. Prompt, courteous, knowledgeable, and safe are great qualities to have in a driver and he exhibited them all. One of our highlights was getting to meet his family. We learned much about Morocco, its people and customs from Hamed as well as the city guides that were provided for us through KimKim/Wanderlust. It was a wonderful experience and we plan on using KimKim again for future travel plans.
Marty and Audrey Lowen, Tucson Arizona

Hotel Reviews

Demeures d'Orient

Marrakech

Zoe, the owner, engaged us in such a lovely manner. Excellent service on all accounts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Atlas Mountains Hike

Morocco

Enjoyed hiking in the Ourika Valley with Mohammed, who was enthusiastic and informative. Hiking along the stream to the waterfalls was very relaxing. Enjoyed mint tea at a teahouse with views of the waterfalls. Relaxing along the stream at one of the many cafés while dangling our feet in the Ourika creek was delightful. Highly recommend this hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

The two hour journey on camel with the full moon was an unforgettable experience. The quiet. The lighting. The color. The guide was friendly and competent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Mohammad was an outstanding guide. Very knowledgeable. Very engaging. Enjoyed his sense of humor and the stories he told!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took a trip from Kathmandu to Astam and Pokhara. The level of service was amazing. Amamnda met us at our hotel to confirm all the details and hand over of the airline tickets.

Astam- We had both a driver and a guide. The Eco Lodge was rustic and beautiful. It could not have been more perfect. We arrived after lunch. They made a special lunch for us anyway. The stay was so peaceful. We would go back again.

Mums Garden in Pokhara- Perfectly placed for a trip to Sarangot to view the mountains. The hotel arranged the bus/cable car for our spur of the moment trip. Breakfast was amazing.

Every person that we encountered was kind and helpful. I would book with KimKim anytime.

This was one of our life time trips. Overall this trip was wonderful. Local specialist Angel put together a very good trip plan for us. He listened well to my wants and expectations as he designed the trip and made changes to the plan as I communicated with him during the planning process. During the trip, he was always there and ready to jump in to facilitate any last minute situation. We speak zero Spanish. Communications had created glitches through out the trip. As much as we tried to use Google Translate, sometimes it was just hard to get our points across through an App. Angel would always come online through WhatsApp to talk to people on our behalf when we needed it.
In the middle of the our trip we had planned a free day in Santiago, and it was a Sunday. I wanted to visit the top of San Cristobal to get a view of the city and snow-capped mountains. Because it was a free day, we were supposed to handle the day on our own. Not until we got to the Pin No No entry of the park did we find out the top was closed that day for a certain event, and the cable cars were not running. We struggled to communicate with the park staff who was trying to tell us what was going on. So we called on Angel and he came to our rescue. In a few minutes of time he came up with a different way for us to access the hill from a different entry, which was open for walking. As it turned out, we were able to get very good views of the city skyline as well as the mountains in the background.
This trip would not have been as smooth and successful without Angle.

Hotel Reviews

Diego de Almagro San Pedro

We showered in lukewarm water during our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

We enjoyed the views of the tranquil harbor

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Safe and close proximity to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel serves very good breakfast. Rooms were clean and spacious.

Activity Reviews

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Amazing scenery. The highlight of this tour was the lunch serving BBQ lamb and Chilean red wine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Torres del Paine is amazing. We were vowed again and again. This was definitely the highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

We got to eat our box lunch at one of the most beautiful places on planet earth, with jade blue lake and the amazing view of Torres del Paine right in front of us, sitting on a dead tree trunk by lakeshore. It felt like heaven came to earth.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Tour

Chile

This was one of our lifetime trekking experience which will stay with us in our memories. It might be a bit too challenging for us (10 hours of almost nonstop trekking and a good part of it involved steep ascending). My husband and I are in our high fifties. We were the oldest of the five members of our team. From the start the younger part of our team had to frequently stop to let us catchup. At one point we almost decided to turn back. We had to let the younger members move on without us. We eventually finished the hike, albeit at a much slower pace than our younger team members. I think one thing that could make our experience better is if we were grouped with hikers that were closer to our age. It would definitely take some stress off of us trying to keep up, and it would improve the younger members' experience too. It would make the guide's job a bit easier too, as he tried to get the team to stay together. We only got to spend 10 minutes at the base of the towers to snap some quick picture, because our guide was so concerned that we couldn't get back to the bus by 6pm. But it was one heck of hike! We were glad we did it.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was good but we didn't get to eat, because of the time crunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danny is young and probably does this hike everyday. It was hard for him to sympathize with us. In trying to get us back to the bus by 6pm, he pushed us a bit too hard in my mind. I can understand his concerns of our safety. Nonetheless, I saw many people finished the hike behind us, which told me not all guides think it would be unsafe to get back to the bus a bit later.

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

I really appreciated the way our guide always repeat her presentation for us in English. We were the only two members of the tour who didn't understand Spanish. So she had to rerun all her presentations for the two of us. The photographer was professional and nice. We loved the chilean red wine served at this tour. It was our best red wine experience in Chile. In my mind what can be improved of this trip was the location of the showing. It was too close to the town San Pedro and the town's light had some negative impact on the view of the Atacama starry night sky.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sandboard in the Atacama Desert

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

These lovely birds were worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

The sunset was the best part of this tour. The lunch was very good. The guide could be a little friendlier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Lagoons of Baltinache

Chile

This was an OK tour in and of itself, not as impressive as it was marketed. But the guide and the driver were very nice. For us, what made this trip good were the tourists who did it with us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marion organized our recent trip to the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye. My wife and I hiked part of the West Highland Way (Bridge of Orchy to Ft. William). It was a great 3 day hike through amazing scenery. Our accommodations were great, and luggage transfer service worked out perfect. We then did a rest day (mid-trip) in Ft. William. A nice town with lots of shopping, restaurants, and pubs. We then got our rental car and went on to Isle of Skye for 3 amazing days. We finished up in Inverness, which was an enjoyable small city in the Highlands. We loved Scotland and definatley want to go back someday! Marion was patient with us as we built our customized itinerary and everything was well organized and went smoothly!

Our guide/driver Abdol was amazing. He was a wonderful resource. It was comforting to be safely transported from city to city with him going above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed daily. He provided the utmost service. Highly recommend him! Overall planning was efficient as we tailored a trip to the exact cities and places we wanted to see during our time in Morocco.

We had been given information from friends as to where to go, what to see , where to eat, and where to travel around Portugal.
We were not prepared to put this all together. I found KimKim on the internet, and noticed the rave reviews.
We were looking for someone special to go for our 40th Anniversary. Portugal was the place!!
Beatriz from DAY 1 has been exceptional. She worked with our requests and then made suggestions of her own.
The Travel App we used was amazing. Details of drivers, pickups, hotel locations, restaurant reservations, other places to see, helped us daily. Plus, when we had a question or concern, Beatiz answered our messages (in the App) all the time.
We started in Lisbon with the Food Tasting tour Taste of Lisbon with Sofia who was excellent, and her suggestions as to where to walk around after were perfect. Our tour to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril with Paulo was great day. He was informative, helpful, super friendly. Once our time in Lisbon was done, we rented a car in Lisbon and drove to the Algarve. Beatriz arranged tours of Cork farms, Olive oil estate, Winery's, with lunches in many places. Each was better than the rest. We walked the cliffs and enjoyed some beach time. Had some amazing meals in the Algarve. Evora was a great 2 day stay. The Hotel was superb. Porto was Spectacular for 3 days. Spectacular hotel with best views imaginable. Our Vintage Car Tour and walking tour of Porto with Sandra was very well done. With a one day visit to Douro Valley with our guide Rui, it showed us it was not enough time to spend there. 2 or 3 days in the valley would have been nice. Our driver/tour back to Lisbon was with Nelson, he showed us Nazare, and Obidos. Lisbon is a great walking town. Amazing choice of restaurants.
Beatriz, we have to THANK YOU for all help, assistance and advice. Your help, made this trip very memorable for us.

Hotel Reviews

The Yeatman Hotel

Vila Nova de Gaia

This upscale hotel offers views of Porto that will last a lifetime in your memories. The rooms are spectacular, the hotel is beautiful inside, the daily breakfast was excellent, and was gorgeous when it was not too cool to sit outside We ate dinner on the terrace at Dicks Bar Lounge one night. The food was great, the views were spectacular

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views, access to walk the area is very easy.

Staff

At check in, they were so helpful, showing us around the hotel and then to our room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and hotel were immaculate.

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

Beautiful grounds, location food and servcie

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Evora,

Staff

All the staff were overly friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and the grounds were perfect.

Vila Valverde - Design & Country Hotel

Lagos

Hotel is beautiful, food was great. Only the Air Conditioning in our room did not work well ( or at all)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the beach, and many very good restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Epic Sana Marquês

Lisbon

Service , location and the Italian restaurant Allora was AMAZING, you must eat there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Wilson in Allora restaurant was very helpful. All the staff were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very clean, hotel was very clean

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Very informative tour. Paulo stopped in Lisbon before heading to Sintra and explained some historic details.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flavors of Lisbon: Market, Food & Culture Walk

Lisbon

Sofia was an EXCELLENT guide. Very informative and helped us navigate the rest of our day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Probably should have not scheduled this tour a few hours after arriving in Lisbon . My wife was too tired to get the benefit of it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris did a great job of putting together an “off the beaten path” trip for us. Any questions or concerns were answered promptly. Trips to Meteora,, Zagori villages and our boat day in Corfu were made more special by informative guides who were passionate about their home towns. Our driver, Yannis, was so much more than a driver. He was an informative tour guide who taught us and created immersive experiences. His guidance, information and excellent driving enriched our trip.

Activity Review

Palaiokastritsa Boat Experience

Corfu

Beautiful day with knowledgeable Captain Spiros. We were constantly in awe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain Spiros

Transport

I was impressed with the responsiveness of our Kim Kim representative, Kateryna. Her knowledge of the area was very helpful. The accommodations in Inverness and the Isle of Skye were magical.

Activity Review

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We can’t say enough about the amazing level of support and planning provided by Bruno of KimKim in Croatia. The arranged rental car provided by Bruno’s colleague, Matej, was excellent and included GPS. We received Google Map pins every evening so we knew how to navigate the next day. We biked two days with full support both days by additional colleagues, Ilya and Goran. Every day was planned perfectly and we had instant responses from Bruno for any questions we had. Our itinerary was amazing: Zagreb, Rovinj, Porec, Plitvice Lakes, Krka National Park, Split, Hvar, Korcula, Ston, and Dubrovnik … plus we saw so many beautiful villages and sights along the way. Every hotel was immaculate and charming with beautiful views and amenities. We highly recommend Bruno … A++ for service, knowledge, and overall professionalism every step of the way.

Our trip to Bhutan was absolutely perfect. There is a danger of writing too much, so I'll mention a few highlights.

Firstly, I feel lucky to have found KimKim, and luckier still to have had Mieke help to piece together our itinerary and hotel choice. You go out on a limb having someone arrange a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but the service Mieke gave was exceptional. Excellent recommendations, really quick to respond to questions and made tweaks to our itinerary. The communication was excellent, and the document produced for the itinerary was frankly exceptional and really useful! What I particularly like is when Yonten mentioned Mieke had been over, and cycled around with them - so she knows the country, this is not some random guesswork at where to go and what to see.

Meanwhile, when we reached the airport in Paro after a traumatic day in Kolkata (lost luggage, noise, pollution etc), we felt that we were met as absolute VIPs by Yonten the guide, and Dorji the driver. This was from day one until we finally left them (as we decided to extend an additional day to just relax in Paro instead of heading back to India for our flights home).

Well, what is there to say about these two - Yonten and Dorji. Just a sheer delight. Dorji drove very carefully and safely, and Yonten was just such a good guide. Clearly knowledgable, willing to adjust to our needs on the days we felt tired, or the days we felt more energetic. He was patient, thoughtful, and what I hadn't realised is that he was also taking photos of us while we walked around, and some of those candid photos are the best. He sent them to me on Whatsapp and they're now part of my 'permanent collection'!.

I won't talk about individual sights and experiences, as so many other travellers will tell their tales. Except to say that being at the Punakha Dzong - the ACTUAL place you see on the internet - looks even better when you're there, perfect. Then the Tiger's Nest of course, but what made me laugh was Yonten, the guide, trying to beat me down to the bottom by taking a shortcut - that was hilarious.

We chose, with help from Mieke, the higher end of the hotels. Just because you're only there once and it's a trip of a lifetime. The Druk Hotel was lovely, in a central location, and the staff were amazing especially the bartender! But the absolute ABSOLUTE hotel highlight was the Como Uma in Punakha. The views from the room just enticed you to stay there all day looking out from the balcony at the river, valley and distant hills. Khun Tipsuda, the Manager, was so friendly and helpful. And the hotel and its surroundings were literally idyllic.

If we knew we were going to extend an extra day, it would probably have been at the Uma Punakha. However, we then went on to the Uma Paro, and while there, decided it's the right place to stay longer. the GM of the Uma hotels in Bhutan, James, turns out was a friend of a friend - it's a small world! He went out of his way to meet and talk to every guest at the hotel, and it really made the experience even more special.

Yonten (and Windhorse, the local travel company), took care of everything when they realised what we wanted to do. Which primarily included getting our passports to Thimphu for a visa extension. We were lucky that the Uma Paro had space available to accommodate our extra night.

I would totally recommend getting a local SIM card on arrival at Paro (there was not an option for an e-Sim, so be prepared to take a cheap extra phone or if you have dual-sim then, no issue). It meant I could contact Windhorse, taxi drivers, as well as getting A LOT of data for my phone while I was in the country. I paid roughly £50 for way more data than I ended up using, but having a local number really helped.

The only thing I think may be worth knowing, as I don't know whether I understood or whether it wasn't clear, is about food during the day. I don't know why, but we thought we had to fend for ourselves during the day. But no, we were taken for lunch at various places, and the food was local, tasty - when they realised we like it SPICY, Yonten instructed the restaurants to bring us more chillis!

So in summary (too late, I know):
- trust Mieke - if you have doubts or specific requirements, let her know - she will make sure it's done
- get a local SIM card at the airport, it could be useful (and it's cheap) for taxis, data, etc
- the guides are ultimately flexible - tell them what you want, how you're feeling (especially if you have jetlag etc) and they will adapt accordingly
- THINK ABOUT BUILDING IN A DAY WHERE YOU "DO NOTHING"! - our final day in Paro was prefect to relax, reflect, and prepare for the long journey home.

I don't know if I'll get the chance to update this review when I've had even more time to reflect on the trip.... but, my initial thoughts are - TRUST Mieke, and Kimkim. Go for the best you can afford hotel-wise (and the Uma hotels in Paro and Punakha are definitely recommended). Then let everyone involved just take care of you on this amazing trip.

Hotel Reviews

Uma Paro

Paro

The ambience of the hotel - perfect. It's classy, the grounds are stunning (visit the vegetable garden! They grow things there which are then part of the menu). The staff - it's like they're your friends from day one. So attentive, so polite, so willing to help you in every way they can. And a special mention to the GM James Low, who seems to be there from early in the morning to late at night, taking time to individually chat with guests and ensure everyone is happy - also has good tips on where to eat in town! Rooms - large, clean, tidy, views. What more do you want.

Authenticity & Character

Architecture and grounds, absolutely stunning

Location

The Uma Paro is slightly away from the town centre (but handily close to the airport). If you want to go into town for a wander (which you should) the hotel will arrange a good taxi for you with an engligh-speaking driver.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uma Punakha

Punakha

The best hotel experience of the trip - largely due to the stunning views from the rooms. You just feel so special here, not just because of the location, but because of ALL staff, and in particular Khun Tipsuda (the manager).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Stunning views of the river and hills - actually the best in Bhutan.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Druk Hotel KK

Thimphu

Best location, incredible staff, excellent wine list. Large, comfortable rooms. Do bear in mind there doesn't seem to be a lift/elavator, although if you have mobility issues they also have ground floor rooms - so let them know you preference.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Paro - Hike to Tigernest Monastery aka Taktshang Goemba

Paro

Tiger's Nest is stunning from a distance. So don't feel bad if you can't make it past the cafeteria (by horse). You are there, you can see it clinging on to the cliff side. If you can make it there, that's great. But the best experience is from the various viewpoints on the way up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Punakha - Punakha Dzong

Bhutan

This is one of the things you see on the internet, then you come here and it is so much more. Especially the view from outside. Get your guide to stop on the road on the way to Punakha in the late afternoon when the sun shines bright against the white walls of the Dzong.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thimphu - Buddha Dordenma

Thimphu

Somehow ended up here on a festival day. So, while it is absolutely stunning in itself, being there with hundreds of local people on a special day was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport