Kimkim Trip Reviews

Had an incredible experience in Peru, and KimKim played a huge part. Whether arranging pick-ups from the airport, finding amazing hotels. assigning incredible tour guides, or making adjustments on the fly, the KimKim experience left me feeling confident that my trip would be time well spent. I especially enjoyed working with tour guides Javier in Macchu Picchu, Luz in Cuzco, and Sophia in Lima. Each was kind, knowledgeable, and flexible. I wouldn’t hesitate to travel with KimKim again. Thanks again to Liz for the excellent trip plan!

A memorable trip where Robi clearly exceeded in working on all details to grant the best experience and combining a bycicle trip with other outdoor opportunities to complement with beaches, swimming, snorkeling, paddeling. All the dinners suggested were outstanding, both with lovely local food and also beautiful views and location.
We prepared the trip in advance and Robi was also extremely responsive proving suggestions and alternatives while at the same time taking on board the multiple requests and suggestions.
During the trip Robi was always providing support and accommodating everybody’s request.
We have done other bicycle holidays in other countries, but this one was beyond special, and Robi had a significant responsibility on its success.

Day 1, Rui picked us up the first day and drove us to Obidos and Aveiro, and finally to our hotel in Porto. He balanced giving us information and quiet time perfectly. He even bought us some Ovos Moles! Very personable and a superb driver/guide.

Day 2, Celia took us on a walking tour all around our Porto. Our first hotel was perfectly situated and was an amazing hotel. Celia was wonderful to walk around with and provided a lot of information. We really enjoyed our 5 hour walk. The bifana and petiscos were tasty.

Day3, Pedro drove us to Guimaraes and Braga. Two amazing cities and we learned a lot of historical information about Portugal. Pedro was informative and personable. Almost forgot to mention the treat he bought us in Guimaraes, very good!

Day 4, Gea (sp?) drove us to Douro Valley. Fast and efficient. Stayed at Six Senses hotel - amazing place.

Day 5, Pedro picked us up at hotel and we toured Douro Valley. He took us to some awesome places/wineries and educated us on how port wine was made. We learned a lot. Lunch was at Quinta Nova, wow, amazing 4 course meal with wine pairing!

Day 6, Rui picked us up and we left Six Senses hotel and headed back to Porto. Rui gave us a lot of additional information about Porto, lovely city. This time we were across the river at The Yeatman Hotel. Perfect spot and allowed us to experience the other side of the river. Well thought out plan.

Day 7, Rui picked us up and transported us to the airport. Sad to leave Portugal, it was an amazing trip.

The planning, guides, hotels and whole experience was incredible. Kimkim did a really great job planning our trip.

We highly recommend Kimkim. Our guides were the best!

This trip, with my adult son, would not have happened without Emanuela and KimKim. Even as a seasoned indie (including a full year of independent travel) + business traveler, I did not have it in me to plan another trip that might get cancelled and unwound due to the ups and downs post-pandemic. So, for the first time ever I decided to seek out a travel agent and thank goodness I found KimKim.
The process is straight forward. Emanuela asked for our dream trip, and then proposed an agenda and set expectations given our very late decision (less than 2 weeks). We focused on our work and then an agenda arrived with cars, hotels, excursions (many off the beaten path) and restaurant recommendations. We were particularly amazed by the fact that Emanuela checked in daily and helped make requested changes along the way. Her restaurant recommendations were so amazing, particularly given my son is a vegetarian trying to eat in Iceland, that we became dedicated to her recommendations exclusively. We would have never found “one of the best chief in Iceland”@ Otto Matur og Dryldkur on our own.
In closing, I look forward to using KimKim for my next, less rushed trip.

Activity Reviews

Drive to Grundarfjordur via Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Iceland

I will return to the Peninsula -- it is the whole of Iceland compressed into a smaller space. Don't miss the Cave experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I bought the auto insurance for the first time (for window shields and tires) and we used it on Day 2 when we had a flat tire. Enterprise sent a repair man who fixed the tire while we had dinner in a nearby restaurant. Totally worth it! we saw many people with flats in Iceland.

West Iceland

Borgarnes

Forest Lagoon

Akureyri

We really had a great time in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Overall the Kim Kim Did a good job in helping us capture the authenticity that we wanted in this trip. The people were amazing, the sites were wonderful, and the food was great.

There were some small glitches. Firstly, after a long flight from the US, we didn’t have anyone waiting for us at the airport. Only after several texts and calls did someone finally come, but it did delay us significantly.

The facility in Cappadoccia, although cute and charming, had no air conditioning. In the dead of August, this made our time in the hotel quite uncomfortable And nearly intolerable. It was brought to our attention that the organizer of our trip was a partial owner of this facility, Which raises some conflict of interest concerns and why we didn’t receive better accommodations.

Booking this trip through my guide, Cami, was the best decision ever. She took care of everything. I had the piece of mind knowing that all my activities were taken care of. She was always accessible and responded very quickly. I had zero issues during my 2 weeks by myself in the Phillipines. She was even kind enough to give me suggestions for my off days. I wouldn’t go with any other company. 10/10 would recommend to anybody. I’m already planning my next trip and can’t wait to book with Cami again!

We had a week long trip along the southern part of Iceland and the golden circle. The process with KimKim was very efficient and the trip really was catered to our needs. Francesca was very helpful and knowledgeable. David from our ice cave tour was fabulous.

Good food recommendations.
Interesting sites to see (Belem, Sintra, Cascais)
Our specialist, Tiago, was very responsive and helpful. He helped us avoid some tourist traps.
I would definitely use Kimkim again.

KimKim came though again! This trip to Spain was our third using KimKim (the others were Greece and Costa Rica) and we could not have been happier. Beatriz and Karin at Espiritu Travel really listened to what we wanted and created the perfect trip. We were in regular contact during our trip to make sure everything went smoothly. It was truly a world-class experience. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Inglés

Madrid

Gorgeous design. First class staff. Wonderful location. Due to the age of the property, most rooms are on the small side. Nice spa, and a massage after a long day of walking was perfect. Chic bar. Alex the bartender made our stay extra enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Colón Barcelona

Barcelona

Location is great. View of cathedral is wonderful except for the Samsung ad. Remodeled room was nice. Stay away from the “classic” rooms with dingy carpets. Lobby is gorgeous. Staff are helpful, but we had problems with the Wi-Fi and a/c.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bless Hotel Ibiza—The Leading Hotels of the World

Ibiza, Islas Baleares

Truly deserves to be a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Staff is world-class. Rooms/view/Facilities are incredible. If you want hedonistic luxury, this is for you.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa del Poeta

Sevilla

Unbelievably charming. Gorgeous antiques everywhere you look. Attentive staff. Central location. A/C works great! No complaints whatsoever. Perfect boutique hotel. And I’m picky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to main area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Guided Visit of Toledo - Jewish Focused

Spain

Guided Visit of Museo del Prado with Art Historian

Madrid

Park Güell Small Group Tour

Barcelona

Ibiza Kayak and Snorkeling Experience

Ibiza

Nichole was incredibly informative, gracious, and flexible. We had some last minute challenges during our visit (unrelated to the planning) and Nichole had to do some super quick adjustments and really took care of us. We are very appreciative of her and would highly recommend!

Karen helped us plan our honeymoon to Mexico and we couldn't be happier with our trip.
She took everything we discussed on board and planned our 11 day trip with all our specifications in mind. The process of planning was very smooth and we had regular contact with Karen with additional updates to the itinerary. She was very receptive to any changes we needed to make and was extremely helpful in reorganising part of the trip when I made an error with flights.

The holiday itself was exceptional. We knew at all times who we needed to meet and where we needed to meet them and had daily correspondence with Ximena over What's app.
The mix of activities and excursions was exactly what we had hoped for and I feel like we got to experience a broad view of Mexico.
Our personal highlights were the food tasting and historical tours in Mexico City where we had private tours with some very experienced chefs.
We also got to experience some eco-tourism on the Yucutan and get an idea of modern Mayan culture. One of the best parts of our trip was the cultural emersion tour in Nuevo Durango. Because of these small tours we got to visit lots of hidden cenotes and small villages that we would otherwise never have been aware of.

Every day of our trip had an excursion planned but left plenty of time to explore locally in the evenings. I cannot recommend kimkim, and Karen in particular, enough. I would never have been able to plan such a varied trip without her.

Hotel Reviews

Cabins in Nuevo Durango

We stayed in one of the cabins in Nuevo Durango as part of a cultural tour of the area and it was one of the best nights we spent in Mexico. The cabin itself is rustic and sparse but very clean and the bed was incredibly comfortable. The cabins each had a toilet and shower and mosquito net for protection. The wifi didn't stretch to the cabin but this didn't limit the experience in any way, and moreso created an unplugged, relaxing night. We had delicious lunch, dinner, and breakfast, all cooked locally and our guide, Jose, was really excellent at showing us around the area and bringing us to the cenote in the centre of the town.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa González

Mexico City

Great location with easy access to town and nice local restaurants. We felt very safe in the area and there were always plenty of people around. The room was beautiful and comfortable and the staff at the front desk were very helpful. Breakfast each morning was delicious with a good variety of Mexican and international food on the menu. Our only issue was with the timing of the room cleaning. We arrived back from trips late in the afternoon most days and our room hadn't yet been cleaned and on one occasion the cleaner arrived while we were in our room (around 4pm) and we had to leave for half an hour while the bathroom bins were emptied and the room cleaned. Despite this we really enjoyed our stay and would happily visit again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gayser

Valladolid

Great location that was a short walk to the main square and restaurants. The room was clean and comfortable and the air-con was great. We were on the ground floor and there was a lot of noise with music playing in the lobby at night which made it very hard to sleep. The breakfast was limited, just toast and fruit, so we wouldn't have relied on it as a full meal for the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

too much noise from music playing in the lobby at night

HM Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen

Beautiful and clean hotel with a great pool and bar service. Check-in was very straightforward but there is no elevator in the building so we had to carry heavy suitcases up 2 flights of stairs. Location was great and just a few minutes walk away from the main strip but far enough away that there was no noise at night. There's also a secure carpark which was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fiesta Americana Viaducto Aeropuerto

Mexico City

Brief overnight stay between flights. Very nice and clean hotel with great airport shuttle service. Check-in was very straightforward and the staff were very helpful. Very clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Shared biking experience through Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Really pleasant morning biking around Teotihuacan with our guide. We got to visit one of the nearby caves and learn a bit about Aztec customs and auras which was fun! A light lunch was included which was enjoyable before heading back out in the sun. We also had a visit to a local craftsman who showed us how some of the obsidian ornaments are created. Our guide was great and full of information about the mathematics and construction of the pyramids. Really enjoyable tour overall

Float in the Muyil Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve with transportation from Cancun.

Cancún

Cannot recommend this tour enough. The reserve has a gentle current so we spent 40 mins in a very relaxing natural lazy river. Our guide filled us in on how the Mayans used the lagoon and pointed out native plants and fossils as we drifted along. We really didn't want to leave!

What a trip to Peru! It was an incredible family holiday. Even more so for not having done an adventurous trip before like this with our children (16, 14 and 11) mainly because of their age and then covid. I soon realized that I needed help planning this as there was such a lot or organize and (although I normally like to plan holidays myself) it was clear that I definitely needed help with this.

Martina was so helpful ... we went through each part of each day. We added places and activities that I knew I would like us to do and Martina made suggestions for those I didn't know or wasn't sure about. She put together an amazing itinerary for us. We were very busy but it was thoroughly enjoyable and very importantly manageable and fun for my kids.

I really also appreciated the support from the team in Peru. Information was provided for each day in advance (tickets, guide names, transfer details) and all the work was done for me and arrived via What's App on my phone .... which was so easy! Everything went very smoothly (which I think would not always be the case in Peru!) and the services provided were excellent ... very helpful as our Spanish is extremely limited.

I definitely would plan a holiday with Martina again!

Hotel Reviews

Pisac Inn

Pisac

Loved this cozy hotel. Food was amazing!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Camp

Huacachina

Incredible experience! Beautifully set up for us. A great adventure. Also, the sand boarding and buggy ride before were so much fun!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

Such a luxury! A real treat for the the beginning and end of the holiday.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waman Hotel Machu Picchu

Can't recommend. Basic rooms, noisy all night. Awful breakfast. Our only bad experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything.

San Agustin Paracas

Paracas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The view, the pool, the location. A little threadbare generally but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Tika Wasi Casa Boutique

Cusco

Very pretty hotel ... cozy and very authentic. The staff were incredibly helpful with everything. Breakfast was good. Very nice to have coca leaf tea any time you want it! We were very happy to go back there after our travels in the Sacred Valley.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tika Wasi Valley

Sacred Valley

Very pretty hotel. Very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sacred Valley tour : Chinchero, Maras and Moray by bike

Peru

Great fun family day! Yuri was an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Paracas to Huacachina Sand duning and buggy

Paracas

Such a fantastic experience! Thoroughly enjoyed all of it ... the buggy ride, the sand boarding and the camping. All of our family loved doing this and we will always remember it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Lima to Paracas, visit of the Paracas Reserve

Lima

This was really good ... stunning actually. We had traveled to Paracas to see the Ballestas Islands and I didn't really have much expectation for this reserve but it was actually incredibly beautiful and I'm really glad we went.

Quality of Experience

Food

The view! The guide was also excellent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu and overnight in Aguas Calientes

Peru

The train ride from Ollyantaytambo to Aquas Calientes was great ... the views were amazing. The guide we had in Machu Picchu (Ana) was absolutely excellent. There was a small protest (very peaceful though) going on which she swiftly navigated us past and straight onto a bus up to Machu Picchu. We LOVED Machu Picchu. Ana's English was excellent. She was patient with our children mucking about (!!!). She had lots of information which was fascinating. Hotel Waman not great. We loved the hike to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain. Our 11 year old found it the easiest, funnily enough! It was much harder than expected but totally worth it and something we will never forget. The views from the top were out of this world! So glad we did this. The train ride down was HILARIOUS! There was dancing and a fashion show. So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Pisac archaeological site and market

Pisac

I didn't get to see very much of this as I wanted plenty of time in the market! What I did see was very interesting and I had an excellent guide ... Milton .... whose English was just incredible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of Islas Ballestas

Peru

This was good ... lovely to see the penguins jumping in the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I personally want to thank Kimkim and Martin for having organized this wonderful honeymoon trip to Thailand ! We got everything we asked for in the short time span of the trip, and we have great memories of the main places in Thailand. We were active and moving the whole time, local guides and activities were simply amazing, and this really allowed us to go with the flow and discover in a really relaxed way. All the connexions were neatly set up so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Thai culture, cuisine, it’s people, beaches, natural parks, everything was there. Thanks for your service and your great know-how in creating great trips !

Robbie and his team are exceptional. These days, there are not many companies that put their heart and soul in their clients' wellbeing, .... well, Robbie and his team are the exception. They not only appreciate and please, but always think one or two steps ahead. When our group of 19 (ages ranking from 8 to 53!) arrived to Croatia, together with a heart-warming welcome speech, our bikes and equipment were already prepared according to heights, with our nametag on, water bottles nicely cooled and marked with names. Biking routes were perfectly selected - stunning views, no crowd, difficulty not too strenuous but challenging enough... Robbie's vans were always near us, looking after our security and the need to refill our bottles with fresh water. Arriving to any beach, suprise-suprise, snorkelling equipment already prepared for every kid.. During the 1 week, our overnight stays were perfectly organized in nice hotels, and our dinners were carefully selected and prepared in nice, traditional restaurants/ terraces. As for communication, besides absolutely fluent English spoken, Robbie and his team were also carefully watching the balance of "humanly close, but not invading". We will repeat for sure.

Our 14-day vacation started on the right foot with Alejandro picking us up at the Quito Airport and giving us an intro to the country's history on the way to the hotel. He was also great helping us through the airport for getting to the Galapagos and going home. The Old Town Quito Suites apartments were a perfect oasis for our family to relax between activities in the busy city. La Teleferico afforded a neat ride up the Pichincha volcano over Quito on our last day.

Jose and Oscar were our guides for Cotopaxi National Park. Lodging at Tambopaxi was surreal with the volcano looming closeby. Our family bike tour along the flanks of the volcano was 12 miles and mostly flat with a 5 mile gwntle downhill section ending at the Inca ruins and lunch. We all made it!

Christian took us to Mindo and guided us to El Quetzal's chocolate tour, the Tarabita and waterfall hike/swim, amazing lunch lunch spots, and San Tadeo birding, where we saw hummingbirds, a crimson-rumped toucans, and many pale-mandibled aracaris. The Terrabambu Lodge bungalows (deluxe and family) were so peaceful and the kids loved the pool and pizza with the view..
On the way back to Quito, Christian guided us to Pululahua Crater and Mitad del Mundo. We shared a lot if interests with Christian, especially a love for mountainbiking.

On Santa Cruz, Astrid met us on Baltra and was our guide, introducing us to Los Gemmelos, El Chato tortoise reserve, and the Charles Darwin Research Center. La Isla Hotel was an elegant and modern resting place.

Pablo was very helpful for the interns land ferry.
On Isabela, Ricardo guided us to Las Tintororas, where we saw blue footed boobies, penguins, a green sea turtle, and many fish. He was great especially with offering breaks with hot tea and cookies and for helping our boys set up for snorkeling.. Javier guided us up Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico... a long, but moderate level hike over staggering geologic features. His knowledge of the area's history and geology was fascinating.

Every activity was different, exciting, yet hard to rank since each was so wonderful. Our family spent a good 6 to 8 months reviewing and discussing options for our trip with Linda, and what we ended up with was perfect for our family... not over ambitious and we had some downtime at the end of each day... even with a few last minute changes. KimKim was always very accommodating. Everyone we met was also a pleasant experience. We had the trip of a lifetime and will miss everyone and everyplace.

Hotel Reviews

Tambopaxi Cotopaxi Lodge

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi

You can't beat this amazing lodge right inside the Cotopaxi National Park. The main lodge has a dining room with wide windows for gazing out at the landscape and TV area. VIP rooms are very warm and clean, each with a stove lit each night. There's even wifi in such a remote spot. Easy to set out on guided adventures like mountainbiking, hiking, and horseback riding.

Authenticity & Character

Neat lodge design fits in well with the rustic surroundings.

Location

Remote and wonderful setting. Viewing the perfect, snow-covered stratovolcano and wildflowers is an activity by itself. Our family did a moderate guided mountainbike ride (12 miles) to the Salitre Inca ruins.

Staff

Friendly staff. They even brought out a birthday cake for my son's 13th bday during our visit.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms and common areas. Rooms are larger with extra chairs and a common indoor balcony/viewing area for the volcano.

Old Town Quito Suites

Centro Historico, Quito

A perfect oasis in the Old Town just a few blocks from the Basilica, a ~10 minute walk to Plaza Grande, and ~10 minute taxi to the Teleferico. Cafe San Blas just a few doors up the street for a nice dinner. Very helpful and friendly staff. We stayed in the Attic and Room with a View, both perfect for a family. Both so unique and beautiful.. Nicely stocked kitchen with agua pura, coffee, and food for breakfast or light lunch. We felt very safe there.

Authenticity & Character

Old world feel.

Location

Close to the Old Town and easy in/out of the city for getting to the airport (~45 minutes) and points north or south.

Staff

Very helpful at any hour to call for a taxi or hold luggage while exploring the town after checkout.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Modern kitchens and bathrooms, and agua pura and toiletries provided. Soft beds and couches. Quiet rooms... you would hardly notice you were in the city.

La Isla Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Modern vibe and elegant. Close to restaurants, shopping, and the Charles Darwin Center. Easy to set out from towards Tortuga Bay by foot.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean.

Location

On a quiet street, but close to everything.

Staff

Breakfast on the open main floor.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms and soft beds.

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

Our family stayed in two rooms (connecting door optional) for three nights on the third floor. Went to sleep and woke up to the sound of the ocean. Relaxing patio area shaded by palm trees with tables. Self-service mini bar in the office perfect for grabbing a soda (Fiora was our favorite) and soaking up the scenery. Soft, sandy 3 km beach three steps away. A short walk to shopping and resaurants. Breakfast is on the open, shaded 3rd floor patio. We loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Unique design and patio.

Location

Right on the beach.

Staff

Very helpful staff to offer great dining options.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Even with all the sand we dragged into our rooms each day, the staff somehow made it all immaculate the next day.

Terrabambú Lodge

Mindo

Wake up to the sounds of birds in this perfect spot above the Mindo Valley. Open view points, unique deluxe and family bungalows, a swimming pool, ziplines, swing, and bridges await. My boys spotted a pale-mandibled aracari from the parking area and many other birds can be seen from the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful deluxe (rustic on the outside, but modern on the inside) and family bungalows.

Location

About 5 minutes from town across the river on the way up to the Tarabita.

Staff

Friendly service at the restaurant for meals and ziplinging/swinging.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spacious and clean bungalows.

Activity Reviews

Biking in the Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi

My favorite (I'm an avid mountainbiker).

Quality of Experience

Nice mountain bikes and gear.

Food

Wonderful and balanced picnic lunch provided.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly, helpful, and informative guides rode with us (one on a mountain bike and one in a support van)

Transport

Our guides adapted to each family member's ability level.

Transfer to Mindo & Activities in the cloud forest

Ecuador

We saw our bucket list crimson-rumped toucans and pale-mandibled aracari at San Tadeo. Dozens of hummingbirds and some other small , colorful birds as well.

Quality of Experience

Friendly owners and staff. Beautifulcloud forest setting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide helped my son spot birds, which he loved to point out to his mom either taking pictures or sharing the camera so he could capture.

Transport

Quick transport from and to Mindo for this afternoon activity.

Mindo & Return to Quito

Ecuador

Our guide took us to El Quetzal chocolate factory to see the process of making chocolate and tasting several varieties. On the way back to Quito,, we stopped at Pululahua Crater, with is gently green surroundings contrasting to to the more harsh landscape of Cotopaxi.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good coffe and desserts.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide gave us a detailed history of the volcano and people living in and farming in the caldera.

Transport

Easy Detour off the road between Quito and Mindo.

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Fun and relaxing (a little challenge to get around the outer islet) paddle through bright/medium blue waters and with luck see green sea turtles, penguins and blue footed boobies. Super experience for all abilities and families. After that, put a wet suit on (if not already on from the kayaking) and take a short walk to a calm lagoon to snorkel amongst colorful fish and green sea turtles.

Quality of Experience

Perfect gear and setting as an introduction to Isabela.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly guides adapt to each family member's abilities.

Transport

Taxi will drop you off at the kayaking Beach. A short walk on a boardwalk (barefoot is fine) for snorkeling. Taxis are waiting for when you finish up.

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

The Quito Airport is about 45 minutes from the Old Town and very modern and clean, but small enough to get around and through security very easily. You can get your Transit Cards in advance and skip a line when going to the Galapahos. The Baltra airport is even more friendly and quaint... we were even greeted outside of baggage claim by a passing land iguana. Remember to have your $100/person cash national park fee ready at customs. We were met by our Charles Darwin Research Center guide and escorted on the airport bus to the Itabaca Channel ferry to Santa Cruz and then to a private van to head into the highlands. We stopped at Los Gemmelos (pit crater) and then El Chato tortoise reserve for lunch and a tour passing by several giant tortoises and down through a lava tunnel. Our last stop was to tour the Charles Darwin Research Center and see the famous Lonesome George and then the baby tortoises.

Quality of Experience

The whole day was planned seamlessly and each site was so wonderful.

Food

El Chato's menu was family friendly and delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very informative and entainyained all of our questions.

Transport

Comfortable van and friendly driver.

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The Charles Darwin Research Center has a small museum containing very interesting exhibits about the Galapagos islands and its research and conservation efforts. Several trails wind their way to the baby tortoises and the preserved tortoise, Lonesome George.

Quality of Experience

The museum exhibit texts were in Spanish and English.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very educated and provide an encyclopedia of information to us in just a short time.

Transport

We walked from town to the center and back. It was nice to stretch the legs after our flight.

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

This is a 10 mile round trip out and back hike. The first mile ascends up to the Sierra Negra crater rim and then follows the rim on a relatively flat trail for a few miles to the pavillion. After that, the trail goes down hill and the landscape changes to bring you out to a series of lava fields and craters, including Volcan Chico. Circling around Chico, the trail comes back to the start.

Quality of Experience

A spectacular hike to two very different volcanic craters.

Food

A nice box lunch was provided by the guides including a sandwich, juice box, apple, and crackers.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great for the kids and detailed the history and geology of the park, island, and volcanic feature as we past them. Probably the best part of the hike was our guide!

Transport

A taxi dropped us off at the trailhead with our guides and was there to pick us up to return to town.

Not only was Sarah kind, knowledgeable and always quick-to-respond...but she put up and dealt with a group of 16 people with every possible Croatian vision, preference and request imaginable! (Thank you for that unexpected luggage transfer!)

It was so nice to be picked up and transferred to/from airports, lovely hotels and our fun excursions...highlights were the fabulous boat rides between the Croatian Islands (Leo was great!) and a beautiful bike ride through the Mljet National Park.

Sarah handled last minute changes with grace, and put together a wonderful and unforgettable trip for everyone.

We will definitely keep her in mind for our next trip...and will let others know how wonderful she is, as well.

Thank you, Sarah!!!!!

Loved our experience with KimKim and Tricia. She was so adaptive to our needs, and she went above and beyond to make sure everything was set up perfectly. Made for an actually enjoyable holiday, not stressing our about all the details!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Cecil

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gudvangen Fjordtell

Gudvangen

Basic accommodations in a beautiful setting. Limited dining options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Preikestolen Fjellstue / Preikestolen BaseCamp

Jørpeland

Excellent base camp hotel for hiking. Dinner was fabulous! Rooms are basic but comfortable. Shower/bathroom combo is a little weird and messy but again, functional. Beautiful setting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved all the pillows!

Activity Review

Ferry from Bergen to Stavanger

Norway

Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible time traveling with our children to Costa Rica. The accommodations were incredible places we wouldn’t have been able to find in our own and the transport was so seamless. We are so thankful for our amazing time.

Iceland in 11 days was magnificent!

Too bad we couldn't stay longer. Rinolda helped us well with planning our entire trip. We were pretty last minute (booked 1 month before departure) and she managed to book everything we needed. I started doing it on my own, because that's what I usually do, but this time I didn't have the time to do that. We loved the country! The only minor part was that we absolutely wanted to see and do everything, but that's just not possible in 11 days. So we did less hikes than we would have liked. So one day, we'll have to go back!

Activity Reviews

Fimmvorduhals Hike

Iceland

Too bad we were in a cloud for this hike. We got a glimpse of the magnificent views we should have had. It's a long trip, but when the weather is not that bad, it's completely worth it. And doable might I say for someone with vertigo!

Quality of Experience

The weather, nothing to improve by people

Transport

Everything was taken care off. We would have liked to have the possibility to take the bus earlier in the morning, because we lost a morning of waiting on the bus. With a tight travel schedule like ours, we felt like we lost a lot of precious time.

Glacier hike on the Vatnajokull glacier

Iceland

It was nice, the staff was nice and experienced. But it was a group of all people: good hikers, amateur hikers... All together. Because of that, it's a simple walk to the first part of the glacier, you don't get very far. For me it felt like I could 've done it without a guide, and would have wanted to go further in with a guide.

Quality of Experience

I wanted to go higher up on the glacier

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything about the trip was amazing.
Bryan chose excellent hotels and all the activities that we took part in were amazing ways to explore the rich Biodiversity you can find in Costa Rica . Our only regret is that we couldn’t have added an additional week to explore more of the country.
The guides were excellent and incredibly knowledgeable and happy to accommodate anything we wanted to focus on in our trip. The locals are so friendly and genuinely want you to enjoy their country and appreciate all the wonderful fauna and flora as well as the delicious food and of course the coffee. We weren’t bothered in any way to buy any of the souvenirs or take part in additional activities. If you’re planning a trip definitely pack for two very different climates, sunshine and bouts of heavy rainfall (it gets very humid at times) but the rain is always refreshing. Definitely recommend the hike around Arenal, the hanging bridges and zip wire in Monteverde, as well as the catamaran trip. Sensoria was amazing too and the opportunity to bathe in the hot springs was a fantastic way to finish the hike around the rainforest and waterfalls. This is one trip we will truly cherish and we hope to return to Central America and use the services of KimKim again to help organise our trip. Nilima