Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was our second trip with KimKim - the first was in Greece. But the service was excellent on both continents. Matias was so helpful with the planning as we arranged and re-arranged as plans and guests changed. Landed on a very active and busy holiday which was what we wanted. He also rolled with changes that came up. Juan and the Victoria Island boat trip, hike and barbecue was a definite highlight. He was very knowledgeable about the area and about fishing - which was an added bonus. Kayaking was on a crazy windy day but we liked the challenge. Nido del Condor was well located and provided a great jumping off point for all our activities. All the drivers were on time and obviously well trained. Buenos Aires was a great contrast. Patricia was our guide throughout and she was wonderful. Knew so much about the history of the city and the country, she presented it all so well. We loved our trip to the Delta and lunch with Sylvia and her husband. Just the sweetest couple. I’m sure they would have had us stay longer. Again, the drivers were so timely and attentive. Everything went without a hitch. Highly recommend.

Tremendous, authentic knowledgeable and kind guides and drivers shared the culture, cuisine, and history of a very special part of Mexico.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Morales Historical & Colonial Downtown Core

Mexicaltzingo, Guadalajara, Jal.

A historic and authentic hotel very close to the historic District of town. Very comfortable, clean, and busy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón de los Poetas

Guanajuato

A very comfortable and convenient historic hotel in the heart of downtown.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Morada Hotel

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

Authentic, historic and beautiful hotel right on the edge of the historic district. Perfect location, excellent staff, comfortable beds, and large rooms, very safe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

This is a fabulous hotel however, it’s not where we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Please do not report these comments as this is not the hotel that we stayed in on this trip.

Activity Reviews

Horse-riding through the mountains of Guanajuato

Guanajuato

There is really nothing like exploring the Santa Rosa mountains side from the back of a horse. Antonio rode along with us so he could interpret our Spanish ranch on her and guide. They have been friends for generations. After the ride, we had a beautifully prepared Mexican lunch at the ranch. A one-of-a-kind experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historical urban walk en Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Susanna was, I think the most well, educated, well spoken, and authentic guy that we had on our trip. We learned so much about her city in a short period of time, and really enjoyed touring with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting Tour in San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende

Visiting this unique young winery, tasting wines, and having a fabulous lunch was just beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bernal, Querétaro: colonial Mexico’s home

Mexico

We really loved visiting this mountain town sitting underneath his magical rocks! Going on a weekend when many local people were out and enjoying a beautiful day was extra special. I also really loved seeing the authentic weavers and their looms.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli

Mexico City

This was such a unique and interesting museum. After everything we have read about Diego Rivera I did not expect to experience his art in such an amazing spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the famous and picturesque neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Mexico City

A really beautiful part of the city to explore with a knowledgeable guide. We had a wonderful day, walking and learning about the culture and food. Also a great way to learn about how all the local people live, and the history of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tequila Route and Agavero Landscape with family distillery visit

Guadalajara

This is a must do you activity if you are in the area! We learned so much about the business of tequila from our visit to the distillery, fabulous lunch in downtown tequila, and a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Historic Route of Guadalajara

Guadalajara

An excellent tour to get acclimated to the history and culture of Guadalajara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide grasp of the history of the area needs to mature quite a bit, he was very nice, and he did a good job.

Transport

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

An excellent way to get acclimated to the history, culture and food of Mexico City. Our tour guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camillia was extremely helpful with our planning. She was prompt, courteous, friendly and professional. Charlie, Luk and Vivian were fantastic! Very flexible and informative. Awesome experience!!

Incredible country, rich history, amazing culture, beautiful art, wonderful people!
Smooth road trip with our driver Elias in a Mercedes van organized by Ali of original travel.
Our driver was very responsible and patient with us four women and we always felt secure.
He was very professional and responsive.
Original travel was flexible and worked well with us and accommodated all our interest and requests.
We had small glitches a few times were the hotel rooms were not quite what we thought we booked but over all a very memorable and enjoyable trip.

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

We were not sent to this hotel We were at Dar Mounir instead and hence will be unable to review Lina

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

We were at yacout! Not at this hotel

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Kasbah Titrit

Ait Ben Haddou

Gem of a place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Surrounded by almond groves and a small Berber village it was a Kasbah fit for a nobleman!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

A trail that goes from Maulay Idris to volubilis was very enjoyable. We loved walking through this rich green area And loved touring the ruins of volubilis

Aït Benhaddou to Casablanca via Tizi n'Tichka Pass & Marrakech

Morocco

Transfer from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou via the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

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

Fes

Not much sightseeing More just guided shopping!

We were skeptical at first, but We absolutely loved our experience using kimkim. I couldn't ask for a better specialist than Veronica to plan our Costa Rica adventure. She understood exactly what we were looking for, planned the ideal trip, and made herself available for phone calls and messages at all times.

We traveled with our 3-Year-Old. She loved the trip and especially the nature hikes and spotting wildlife and birds. The food was incredible. Nothing fancy but everything is so fresh, and a lot of attention is paid to preparation regardless of where you eat from Soda’s to the 4-star hotels. My wife is a vegetarian and she had plenty of options to choose from.

All our pickups were timely and all we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves. Transportation between our destinations of La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio were seamless.

I highly recommend Kim Kim; it made my life and trip so much easier!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Paradise Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Tour (Sloth Territory)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marina planned an excellent trip to Spain that was truly off the beaten path! For all of our excursions, we had local guides who were personable, knowledgeable, and extraordinarily helpful for any questions we had or recommendations for places to eat. We greatly enjoyed our bike tour of Barcelona that hit many of the famous Gaudi houses, our small group tour of Montserrat accompanied by a wine tour, our private tour of La Sagrada Familia, our cooking class where we made paella, and multiple private walking tours that got us quickly acclimated to each city we visited! Marina was always available for any questions we had and offered additional recommendations for places to go and eat.

Our family trip to Spain was absolutely fantastic! The entire process with Marta (and KimKim) from start to finish could not have been better! Everything was planned meticulously, and Marta was always promptly available with guidance, expertise, and assistance. The drivers were always on time and professional. The hotels were all luxurious and right in the middle of all the action in each city. The Flamenco Show was so quaint and intimate, it felt like we were at a private performance. And beyond a doubt the guides and local experiences really made the whole country come alive! Boris made the tapas crawl so much fun. Miguel brought Barcelona alive with his wealth of knowledge. Manu made our trip to the coast an absolute blast. Jorge showed us the history of Madrid’s streets. Elena braved the weather in Segovia to show us all the ancient nooks and crannies. Pablo transported us back in time with his vast knowledge of Seville’s past. And Geza pointed out all the things in the Royal Palace we would have missed without him! This trip truly exceeded all of our expectations. We are so thankful for all the effort that went into planning such a fantastic trip for our family. We look forward to picking out another destination and letting KimKim handle the rest!

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Beautiful hotel in a fantastic location! Super helpful and friendly staff! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Villa de la Reina

Madrid

Beautiful hotel in a great location with very friendly staff! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

Fantastic hotel in a lively location! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk & Royal Palace Experience

Madrid

Geza was great! He really pointed out all of the things that would have escaped our notice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Pablo was fantastic! His vast knowledge really brought us back in time through Seville's history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Experience

Spain

Such an intimate environment with a passionate performance!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Madrid to Segovia, Guided Visit of Segovia, Train Segovia to Madrid

Madrid

Elena brought us to magical, out of the way places on our tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Old Madrid Walk

Madrid

Jorge really made us feel like locals as we strolled through the streets of Madrid!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Medieval Girona and Costa Brava

Barcelona

Manu was a blast! His connections made for a really enjoyable trip to off-the-beaten path places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Miguel really made Barcelona come alive with his vast knowledge of the city - both the people and the buildings!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This was an awesome way to dive into the Barcelona tapas scene - Absolutely delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was good, the guides were good. I checked the hotel rates, the transfers, the guides the activities to book on your own. I had a hard time getting to a cost that was more than $400 a day. We were charged $900. I am willing to pay for convenience and local knowledge but not 2x more. Get a travel guide book, spend a week planning and you can do this same trip for half the cost. Would not use KimKim again. I don't know if the markup is because of KimKim or the agent but this was taking advantage.

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Wine House Hotel - Quinta da Pacheca

Lamego

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

1872 River House

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Nice, central

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Winery Visit & Riverboat Ride

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to Portuguese Wines

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Nazaré & Óbidos

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural & Historical Highlights of Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a trip for the memory book. A big part of that was Karim, our tour driver extraordinaire. He was knowledgeable, flexible, resourceful and so in tune with anticipating our needs. On top of that, he had a smile that went to his eyes, a wicked sense of humor and a protective approach that supported us and made us feel safe. I have hearing issues and hearing aids but I had no trouble hearing Karim and understanding his English. I was wowed by the local guides we were given for tours in the medinas in Fez, Marrakech and Essaouira, plus the food tour and the Roman ruins tour in Volubilis. Karim and all the guides shared great stores about the sites and themselves and their lives in Morocco. It made for such a rich and deep experience. Truly a trip for the memories.

Original Travels’ team of professionals, level of organization as well as expertise in this field is unmatched. My husband and I felt incredibly secure and exceptionally taken care of during the booking process as well as during our trip in March 2023. Saïd exhibits nothing but professionalism and expertise as it relates to his business and care of his guests. Soufiane, our driver, not only safely transported us around the country of Morocco during our 12 days of travel, he also grew to feel much like family and treated us as such. Soufiane is an incredibly skilled driver and should be known as the best of the best. When it comes to making guests feel comfortable, welcome and worry free during their journeys, Soufiane is the finest. Soufiane is not only respected and beloved by his colleagues, friends and family, but by us as well. I would certainly recommend booking your Moroccan vacation with Original Travels, moreover, I would highly highly recommend requesting Soufiane as your driver during your travels.

We had a fantastic trip! It was an experiment travelling with both my kids, and my ex-husband. But it worked out really well. Tricia (my 'secret weapon'!) was a great help organizing and booking everything, suggesting wonderful places to stay, and giving inside advice to help us navigate along the way. I particularly appreciated the in-country support both from Tricia, and from Tom when Tricia was away.

Hotel Reviews

MS Trollfjord

Tromsø

I think that we were spoiled with our trip on a Havila boat. Hurtigruten was also very nice, but older, and darker, and felt a bit more claustrophobic. There was less outside deck space, but there was an outside jacuzzi, though we didn't use it. I can't comment on the cabins since we travelled deck class, but we did find some long, cushioned window seats outside the dining room, so actually got some good sleep before we disembarked at Bodø at 2:30am. This was probably a lot more comfortable than the deck class lounge on Havila which looked like it only had reclining chairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A good way to get from place to place without flying, and with getting to see a different perspective of this beautiful country.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Loved this place! It was the first part of Svolvær to be settled (1828) and comprised a whole village of original fishing rorbuers, a telegraph house, a general store filled with everything you could ever want (in the 1800's!) now the reception, and a very atmospheric dining area with beautiful wooden beams, on two levels, with windows looking out over the boats in the harbour and Svolvær beyond. We stayed in the telegraph house with its two comfortable bedrooms, an excellent kitchen space (with appliances/drawers hidden behind elegant panelling), and comfortable chairs/sofa/table. There was an art gallery, but it wasn't open.

Authenticity & Character

Everything! See my main review for specific comments.

Location

Set apart from the main town, over a small bridge, but still very accessible on foot. Amazing views of the harbour and the mountains behind the town.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating. If they didn't have someone else coming into the rooms we were in, they would have let us hold onto them until the evening when our boat left. They told us about an excellent hike that we went on (one of the best of the trip). They let us leave our bags in the general store, and didn't seem too upset when we totally repacked at the end of the day!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sommarøy Arctic Hotel

Sommarøy

Stunning location looking out across a beach, over the bay, towards the mountains, with a row of windmills along a ridge on one side. The beach house we stayed in was huge, with unobstructed views from giant windows. The main bedroom was amazing with cathedral windows (the other two were are little small and cramped). The food was beautifully prepared and very delicious. There was a superb breakfast. We were very appreciative of a place to charge an electric car (which we had), which meant that it could charge overnight and we didn't have to spend time during the day to charge it.

Authenticity & Character

It seemed too fancy for us, but I'm so glad we ended up spending a night there. It was quite high-end, with a very elegant dining room, waited on by very attentive staff. There was breakfast right over the water, a sauna and outdoor jacuzzi (and we were lucky enough to be treated to an amazing display of the Northern Lights from the jacuzzi - I will never forget that experience!)

Location

Not far from Tromso distance-wise, but quiet and surrounded by beautiful countryside and ocean. Also very close to the ferry to Senja with its incredible mountains

Staff

Very patient with all my many questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beach house was literally right on the beach. There were a number of others, but the way they were arranged one wasn't aware of the others. It was very well appointed with kitchen and dining area as well as comfortable places to sit, very comfortable beds, nice bathrooms, a deck, and amazing views

Havila Cruise

Fosnavåg

A relatively new cruise ship - so new that there were no signs at the harbour in Bodo, so we were a little confused as to where we should wait/embark [it comes in to the Hurtigruten quay]. We only went from Bodo to Tromso, but it was quite an experience to get a little taste of what life on cruise is like. The ship itself was beautiful, the cabins were bright, clean and comfortable, there was plenty of deck space to wander and to enjoy the scenery from. There was an interesting film about the Northern Lights, and interesting information panels about the history of Havila, fishing in the area, the Sami women's lives etc. There was even a sauna and jacuzzi on the top deck that anyone could use! The food was very good, though the portions a little small for a 6ft 3" 15 year old boy [we were allowed to order several breakfasts :-) ]

Authenticity & Character

We passed a southbound Havila ship outside Svolvaer and there was great excitement - fog horn blaring, sweeping search lights, and lots of people on deck waving flags and shouting!

Location

Incredible scenery especially the Lofoten Islands (unfortunately, being winter it was dark), and the narrow passage through the islands to Tromso

Staff

Very welcoming, friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cabins and the observation lounges, everything really

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Excellent location, helpful staff, very comfortable beds, full of character, a little dark. We left very early in the morning to catch a flight, and they provided us a packed breakfast - unfortunately this included bottles of orange juice which didn't make it through security :-(

Authenticity & Character

very grand, vintage hotel, grand piano (very out of tune!) on one floor, interesting artwork

Location

a few steps from the main station (just go under the arch and you're there)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

super comfortable beds

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

The most amazing breakfast ever! The staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful, and the rooms bright and colourful. There was tea and coffee in the reception area at any time.

Authenticity & Character

loved the colours!

Location

just a few minutes walk from the central train station, bus and tram lines

Staff

very helpful with directions and using public transport system

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds were really comfortable

Activity Reviews

Trollfjord Cruise

Norway

The Trollfjord was beautiful, as was the whole trip along the Lofoten Islands. We saw lots of White Tailed Eagles, and even an eagle nest. Our guide pointed out other interesting things along the way (including a llama!). I appreciated how long we spent in the Trollfjord and how quite it was with the electric motor.

Quality of Experience

Incredible scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was a marine biologist from Italy. She studies orcas and was very knowledgeable, and interesting.

Transport

The boat was very comfortable and the windows were large. We enjoyed being on deck, but eventually it got too cold, but you could get a good view from the inside too. There was good food on board, but we also brought sandwiches.

Jacuzzi and Sauna

Sommarøy

Fortunately we were the only people to use it that night, so we had the place to ourselves. It felt very indulgent, and we were able to change the time that we went. It was nice that use of the jacuzzi and sauna were included in the price of the hotel. The best bit was that we got to see an incredible showing of the Northern Lights from the jacuzzi!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very flexible with timing, and helpful with setting up the sauna and the jacuzzi

We really appreciate the role that Erin and Nara had in helping us to put together a personalize adventure in Patagonia at a reasonable cost. The hotels were great, especially the Hotel Lago Grey in Torres del Paine and Kosten Aike in El Calafate. Everywhere the hotel staff were very professional, helpful and friendly. All the daily activities and pick ups happened on time as per the program. The guides were outstanding with detailed knowledge and experienced especially Chri in Torres del Paine, Leila in El Chalten and the drivers were very safe and personable especially Kevin in Torres del Paine and driving us to El Calafate. The weather is a very significant part of a visit to Patagonia and we experienced the full range of weather from snow, rain, clouds and wind. I mean real wind. We also had some sun but it was on rare occasions. The weather adds to the unique Patagonian atmosphere that reminds one they are in a wild, unique and remote part of the world. We also saw many Andean condors, many guanacos and several pumas that was a real thrill. The trek with Paul into the wet clay canyon to see petrified trees and strange rock formations was a unique experience though we were sliding around on the wet clay. The sun emerged for our visit to the Perito Morena glacier which we saw up close by boat and on the view points in front of the glacier, a breathtaking experience. The walk with our guide Liila to the lookout above El Chalten was fun while she provided many details about the area. The boat trip on the Lago del Desierto was amazing with the hanging glaciers and snow capped mountains. The hike up to the lagoon Huemel and glacier through the forest and rain was beautiful. More warning about the challenging last portion of the trail should have been provided. Our final trip to the airport was a bit uncomfortable because the vehicle was too small for the amount of excess luggage we had but we were able to manage.
Just a few suggestions, we found that information in the trip plan a bit scant about the daily activities and could be improved. You may make visitors aware of the constantly changing weather is an essential part of the trip and sunny days ca be a rare treat.
Overall a great trip for us. It was unfortunate that some of our party developed colds during the trip but otherwise, it was great, a real trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lunajuim

El Chalten

Great staff and good location, spacious bar and sitting room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

iGreat location in the town, beautiful interiors of wood and traditional motifs, great staff

Authenticity & Character

the building is a masterpiece

Location

2 blocks from the main street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Helpful staff, amazing views, spacious rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view of Lake Grey, the mountains and the glacier

Staff

very helpful and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aquaterra

Natales

Great Location, nice design with several sitting rooms, very helpful staff. Room are a bit small but adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are a bit small

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Mirador Los Condores and Mirador Las Aguilas

El Chaltén

Nice hike and not too difficult, saw condors and good views, Laila was a great guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the La Leona Petrified Forest, Transfer to El Chalten

Argentina

Very interesting to see the petrified trees and geological formations but it was wet and slippery the day we went

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour

El Calafate

Great experience, with the boat and walking to the view points, fantastic with the good weather we had

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karim, our driver/guide, was terrific. He took care of us, making us feel welcome, safe, and informed. His English was excellent, which was essential because we don’t know Arabic or French. He handled arrangements with ease and a great attitude. I learned so much on this trip and had a great time. I wholeheartedly recommend KimKim, Original Travels and Karim!

Hotel Reviews

Inara Desert Camp

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Our guide — Hana? — was excellent. She was fun to hang out with and she introduced us to great food and fascinating culture. .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our guide was excellent. He was engaging and informative, and he was mindful of our reactions and requests.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Meknes, Moulay Idriss and Vollubilis

Fes

Visit to Meknes wasn’t ideal because of extensive restoration projects. Volubilios was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Nice and welcoming!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

The tour was great but I was surprised that a significant part of the experience was a push to shop. I appreciated that our guide knew history and confidently guided ua through the medina maze.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Hi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide: The Economic Heart of Morocco

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Casablanca to Fez Passing Through Rabat

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning our trip with KimKim was easy from start to finish. I just let them know dates, desires of the family and a budget, and they did the rest!

Everything happened when and as planned. When there were little issues (the rental car was booked to be returned to the wrong location ) - they were immediately corrected with follow up emails to ensure that everything went well. I never had to wait longer than a day to reach anyone for non-urgent matters while on vacation, and we didn't have to contact them for any emergencies because there weren't any!

We started at Playa Hermosa, following a simple private transfer from the airport. Our stay at the Bosque Del Mar was great. We had a large ocean view room with a separate bedroom and large balcony. The food on site (additional) was relatively expensive but delicious, but the service was good and it was very quiet at night (except for the occasional howler monkey!). The kids loved the pool, the beach, and the full-size pool table in the lounge, where we enjoyed the 2-for-1 daily happy hour and great views from the second floor.

We went SCUBA diving for 3 days, leaving from Playas del Coco (15-minute drive from the hotel). We found the service at Deep Blue Diving to be quite good for a PADI-certified site. The equipment was maintained (few minor air leaks in the rental BCD's) and the dive masters and the boat captains were attentive and safe, including extra safety equipment and plenty of food and water on-board. Everything was on time with no delays. The dive sites had about 20-30 feet visibility with very calm surface conditions (minimal wind each day) and a great variety of underwater life.

While we were diving, our children stayed with their own local Serendipity guide, Juan Carlos. They loved hanging out with him especially because his family was in the area and he offered to bring his kids with him to play! He took them to the pools at the hotels and mini golfing! They also explored the local tide polls and raced hermit crabs on the beach. He kept them feed, sun-screened and very happy. He also chauffeured us around to diving and dinners as needed.

We were then delivered a rental car to our hotel (a new Toyota Rav4), which was a great car to have for the rest of our trip. The agent delivering the car noted that the drop-off location was for a different airport than our itinerary but this was quickly corrected. We drove to the Hacienda El Viejo, where we had a good lunch of local cuisine and then went on a private river boat excursion in the Palo Verde National Park. Our guide seemed a bit more interested in talking with the boat captain than with us during the exploration but we did see alligators, a Jesus Christ lizard, a variety of monkeys and many birds. When we got back to the hacienda our guide asked us to give him a ride home. While that was a bit unexpected it's understandable given the distance from the remote park to his home and that it was in-line with our next destination. We were happy to help, too, since the rural roads were not paved and some routes shown on Google Maps were closed or weren't the standard local way to navigate. As we drove him to a drop-off point to catch a bus he pointed out additional wildlife from the car that we wouldn't have otherwise known to look for.

Our final destination was the Arenal Manoa Hotel and Hot Springs. The switch from a relatively dry and sunny oceanside into a humid rainforest, and the many twisting mountain roads, made for an interesting 3-hour drive. Our room at the Manoa was beautifully appointed and situated at the back of the resort, surrounded by dense trees, flowers, and many, many birds. The room was large and was kept very clean throughout our stay; the maid even left little treats and towel sculptures for the kids each day. Our room was close to the restaurant and the regular pool, though a bit of a walk to the on-site hot springs at the front of the resort. Again, the food was quite expensive at the hotel, so we dined nearby in La Fortuna frequently. All the food, both at the hotel and in town, was genuinely excellent. There were always options for the kids, too.

Our first private excursion in Arenal was zip-lining at the Vista Arenal Adventure Park and this was a family favourite. The equipment was great with good fitting harnesses and each of our kids had their own guide, Daniel and Tiago, who did each zip line with them to control the speed and breaking. There were fourteen platforms high in the forest near the base of the volcano. We zoomed through the canopy and over a river with incredible views. The kids were never scared and loved the thrill of the ride. Our main guide, Isaac, was very informative and discussed the wildlife and vegetation that we saw.

After a break at the hotel we went to the Hanging Bridges, which is very beautiful, but unfortunately it rained very heavily and we couldn't enjoy this to its fullest. It was neat to experience a rainforest in its full, rainy state, but it was also rather cold and limited views. What we did see was very impressive with beautiful pathways through the jungle and lots of different birds. We even saw a pack of peccary (feral pigs) wandering about.

The next day we went spelunking at the Venado Caves; this was the kids' favourite activity! They were a bit nervous starting the walk though the river in the caves, but after passing through some tight crawl-throughs, they explored with enthusiasm. One of our headlamps ran out of batteries midway through the spelunking, which is a bit disconcerting, but with the larger group (there were 7 of us) it was OK. This excursion included a transfer from our hotel, but this wasn't really needed and we would have preferred to drive ourselves as we would have stopped for food on our way home.

Our next day, we lounged at the hotel to rest in the morning and hang out at the pools while enjoying oven roasted pizzas that were popular at the resort. Then, we were picked up by Callidryas Tours for a sloth viewing expedition. For this tour, you do need the guides driving because they search for sloths in the wild while driving the local streets! They have amazing eyes to pick them out of the trees and we stopped multiple times to view the sloths in their natural environment through telescopes. We were able to see both two toed and three toed sloths and also found moms and their babies!

On our final day, we chose to stop at the Centro de Rescate Las Pumas, a wildlife sanctuary and rehabilitation center between Arenal and the airport in Liberia. This was additional to our KimKim itinerary but we note it here because it was nice to see a few of the rarer local animals that we hadn't already encountered and to break up the drive for the kids. Plus, they're doing great work for the local animal populations. The car return was super easy, over in about 3 minutes followed by a 5-minute shuttle to the airport terminal, where we enjoyed a final meal before our flight.

Altogether this was a great trip, well-organized, well executed, and worry free. Thanks to everyone for helping us!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Our room at the Manoa was beautifully appointed and situated at the back of the resort, surrounded by dense trees, flowers, and many, many birds. The room was large and was kept very clean throughout our stay; the maid even left little treats and towel sculptures for the kids each day. Our room was close to the restaurant and the regular pool, though a bit of a walk to the on-site hot springs at the front of the resort. Again, the food was quite expensive at the hotel, so we dined nearby in La Fortuna frequently. All the food at the hotel was genuinely excellent. There were good options for the kids, too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of the volcano and close to La Fortuna

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Our stay at the Bosque Del Mar was great. We had a large ocean view room with a separate bedroom and large balcony. The food on site (additional) was relatively expensive but delicious, but the service was good and it was very quiet at night (except for the occasional howler monkey!). The kids loved the pool, the beach, and the full-size pool table in the lounge, where we enjoyed the 2-for-1 daily happy hour and great views from the second floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fantastic beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We were picked up by Callidryas Tours for a sloth viewing expedition. For this tour, you do need the guides driving because they search for sloths in the wild while driving the local streets! They have amazing eyes to pick them out of the trees and we stopped multiple times to view the sloths in their natural environment through telescopes. We were able to see both two toed and three toed sloths and also found moms and their babies!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing driving while also picking our sloths!!!

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the kids' favourite activity! They were a bit nervous starting the walk though the river in the caves, but after passing through some tight crawl-throughs, they explored with enthusiasm. One of our headlamps ran out of batteries midway through the spelunking, which is a bit disconcerting, but with the larger group (there were 7 of us) it was OK. This excursion included a transfer from our hotel, but this wasn't really needed and we would have preferred to drive ourselves as we would have stopped for food on our way home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very informative about the limestones formations and fossils found in the cave

Transport

We could have driving ourselves and likely would have preferred this.

Private Canopy Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a private excursion at the Vista Arenal Adventure Park and this was a family favourite. The equipment was great with good fitting harnesses and each of our kids had their own guide, Daniel and Tiago, who did each zip line with them to control the speed and breaking. There were fourteen platforms high in the forest near the base of the volcano. We zoomed through the canopy and over a river with incredible views. The kids were never scared and loved the thrill of the ride. Our main guide, Isaac, was very informative and discussed the wildlife and vegetation that we saw.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Isaac was very conscientious of checking the harnesses and equipment of our kids (and us) at each platform to ensure safety. I was never concerned.

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

We drove to the Hacienda El Viejo, where we had a good lunch of local cuisine and then went on a private river boat excursion in the Palo Verde National Park. Our guide seemed a bit more interested in talking with the boat captain than with us during the exploration but we did see alligators, a Jesus Christ lizard, a variety of monkeys and many birds. When we got back to the hacienda our guide asked us to give him a ride home. While that was a bit unexpected it's understandable given the distance from the remote park to his home and that it was in-line with our next destination. We were happy to help, too, since the rural roads were not paved and some routes shown on Google Maps were closed or weren't the standard local way to navigate. As we drove him to a drop-off point to catch a bus he pointed out additional wildlife from the car that we wouldn't have otherwise known to look for.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Given that this was a private tour, I was expecting a bit more about the history of the Hacienda and the family or some more info about the surrounding vegetation and wildlife.

Transport

Two-Tank Scuba Diving at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

Better visibility at this site as it is further from the beach areas and less sandy debris in the water. The wreck at Tortuga was small but amusing to see and had an eel living in it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful with the gear organization and distributing water and pineapple during the breaks.

Transport

Coastal SCUBA Diving in Northern Guanacaste

Costa Rica

We went SCUBA diving for 3 days, leaving from Playas del Coco (15-minute drive from the hotel). We found the service at Deep Blue Diving to be quite good for a PADI-certified site. The equipment was maintained (few minor air leaks in the rental BCD's) and the dive masters and the boat captains were attentive and safe, including extra safety equipment and plenty of food and water on-board. Everything was on time with no delays. The dive sites had about 20-30 feet visibility with very calm surface conditions (minimal wind each day) and a great variety of underwater life

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive to safety

Transport

Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and responsive. She catered to our requests regarding accommodations and physical activity levels during excursions very well. Other members of the agency were responsive and helpful when Vickie was unavailable. During our trip we had an activity cancelled that caused disruption with our hotel accommodation and Vickie corrected it quickly within 24 hours.
The New Zealand Touring app was a helpful tool but sometimes contained typos, omissions, or conflicting information that led to confusion. Not sure how information is entered into app but should be proofread a little more closely before being published to clients.
Overall very satisfied and would recommend Vickie to friends or family looking to travel to Australia or New Zealand.

Hotel Reviews

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Clean, spacious, modern. Beautiful rooms with lots of amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Park Regis Sydney

Older building with smaller rooms but had lots of charm and can't beat the central location. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to popular downtown neighborhoods and public transit.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Brisbane Spring Hill (was Pacific Hotel Brisbane)

Spring Hill

Clean, really good breakfast included, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Patient and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Camel Ride

Uluru

Fun and educational experience. Camels were friendly and tame, loved head scratches. Beautiful views. Only move at a slow walk, very easy ride. Guides were clearly very passionate about the plight of the feral camels in Australia and educated us on the topic. Snacks after tour were tasty. Recommend mesh fly mask. Transport to and from resorts/experiences always provided, very convenient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

French female guide was hilarious and passionate, loved chatting with her throughout tour

Transport

Uluru Sacred Sights and Sunsets Tour with BBQ Dinner

Uluru

The sunset views of Uluru and the stars/astronomy discussion were lovely. However, they did run out of almost all the food with 2-3 tables still left to serve. We were second to last table and had only about 2 dishes left to choose from.

Quality of Experience

Ran out of food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astronomy discussion was great

Transport

AAT Kings Day Tours Aus - Uluru Aboriginal Art & Cultural Experience

Uluru

It felt very meaningful and special to have an anangu guide show us around the sacred sites of Uluru. She also was an artist and showed us traditional painting symbols and we all got to make small canvases alongside her as she made a large one. Cultural center was very informative and educational. Be respectful of when and where to take photographs, the guides will let you know when it's ok.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kings Canyon & Outback Panoramas

Uluru

Kings Canyon rim hike is intense, almost grueling, but well worth the views and sense of achievement. Guides were fun and informative and also very serious about our safety. Lots of stairs, elevation changes, loose/rocky terrain. Trail clearly marked and included a few shaded stopping points for brief breaks. Views were stunning. There was an easier/shorter hike for those not physically able to do rim walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daintree, Cape Trib & Bloomfield Day Tour

Cairns

Full day experience. Lots of hours being jostled in 4wd tour bus but views and locals were worth it. Especially enjoyed seeing rare insects in their native habitats and swimming in the river. Provided lunch was tasty. Tour guides were jovial and knowledgeable. Saw lots of wildlife despite being off season according to guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spirit of Cairns - Dinner Cruise

Cairns

Delicious food but cruise aspect left a bit to be desired. Just slowly ran up and down same side of harbor 2 or 3 times. Saving grace was the night sky when the stars came out and the lit up harbor skyline, especially the ferris wheel.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pasta was 10/10

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

Possibly best experience of the whole trip. Scuba diving is a must do. The reef and fish are stunning and breathtaking. Saw sharks, sea turtles, rays and many others. Wish stay at pontoon was longer to squeeze in more activities and snorkeling time. Memories for a lifetime.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lots of options and they'll save you a plate for later upon request!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway + Kuranda Scenic Railway

Cairns

An absolute must-do. Both the train ride and the skyrail had views to die for. Both felt very safe and were clean. Kuranda had a lot of cool shops and activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Heart reef and Whitehaven Flight

Airlie Beach

Took helicopter flight tour around the islands, was very thrilling with stunning views. Guide/pilot gave brief but informative blurbs of the major islands and answered our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not terribly talkative but answered all our questions

Transport

Day beach cruise to Moreton Island

Brisbane

Tangalooma Island was great fun. So many activities to choose from, you need more than one day to experience them. Resort and restaurants were high quality. Beach was beautiful. Snorkeling and feeding wild dolphins were experiences not soon to be forgotten.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mirimar - Koala Cruise (Return River Cruise & entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary)

Brisbane

Both the cruise and the sanctuary were fun and informative. Animals were well cared for. Seeing the neighborhoods of the city from the river was very fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour, The Rocks Walking Tour and Bondi Beach

Sydney

Rocks walking tour was very informative and enjoyable. Easy pace, tour quide was fun and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimkim made it very easy to follow the plan our travel agent, Duncan, laid out for us! Would definitely use this service again and recommend to a friend

My Trip Was Amazing.
Sabina understood my requirements and tailor made an itinerary. My Itinerary had some tourist stuff, some road trip, some urban hikes and all.
Overall it was a great adventure and can't wait to come back to New Zeland Again.

If I plan it again, I would consult Sabina for a tailor Made itinerary.

Regards
Venkat Abhishek Davuluri

Working with Carmen was great.

Hotel - was nice and 15-20 min walk to Las Ramblas. It was clean and breakfast was good. However 2 different locals said it was in a “sketchy part of town”. And while I felt safe walking around there were many homeless people outside the hotel and it wasn’t nice to look at. The hotel did not have air conditioning (or it was broken) and I asked for a fan several time but they did not have one. It was unseasonably warm. There was a slight mix up with City taxes that you prepaid as hotel did not see them being paid but Helena straightened it out.

Tapas Tour - Carla was the best! She even gave some recommendations for other things.

Girona/Costa Brava - I already gave you feedback on the tour guide. The places we visited were beautiful. No stores were open in Costa Brava.

Sailboat tour - this was nice. The Spanish guitarist was amazing. Waters were choppy as it was very windy. The crew gave us blankets and were very helpful

Drivers - waited about 10min on arrival. But no issues.

Trip was well organized. Maximized my 15 days with excellent guides. Plenty of info and travelling tips from them. They were professional and kind. Lindi continually kept me updated with next day events.
Thank you KimKim.

Hotel Review

Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge

Hoedspruit

Excellent service. Chase safari guide was extremely knowledgeable and kind. Ent out of way for us to see big 5. Meals were 5*. Amazing ! Staff beyond generous. Thank you

Authenticity & Character

Location

Tranquillity, meals, location, kind staff

Staff

Kind professional and serving .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping 2 times a day. Very clean

Activity Reviews

Activities at Makalali Game Reserve

Kruger National Park

Amazing

Quality of Experience

Very kind staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Town Walking Tour

Cape Town

Nice quaint town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Town Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tour

South Africa

Table Mountain Guided Hike

Cape Town

Must do if you’re in Capetown! Amazing view

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing experience winter hiking the Himalayas for 2 weeks. From booking with Amanda and guiding by Tendu Sherpa, we were well looked after. The trek turned out to be an experience of a lifetime. We had to change our intended route mid-trek and the team executed it on the fly effortlessly. Thank you for the memories!