Kimkim Trip Reviews

Very nice hotel with the absolutely best sunset views in Santorini!

Beautiful new hotel with amazing sunset views. Wonderful breakfast!

Loved the Herodion! We had the pleasure of staying in the apartment with an incredible view of the Parthenon! Absolutely wonderful apartment! The rooftop bar and restaurant was excellent!

Great location in Sorrento. The buffet breakfast was absolutely wonderful with a large selection to fit all dietary needs.

Loved the hotel! Staff was wonderful, Giancarlo was very helpful and recommended two excellent restaurants.

Informative visit. We had previously visited Pompeii so it was interesting to discuss and compare the two civilizations.

Fun evening with our food tour guide. At the start of the tour, I explained my dietary restrictions and they were able to accomodate me on short notice.

Very much enjoyed the Pompeii Tour. Our only criticism is that it should be longer as there is really so much to see and learn. After the tour, we visited Mount Vesuvius and climbed to the crater. We give the visit to the winery five stars--the wine and food were absolutely excellent!

We had a fun day on the small group Santorini Highlights Tour. I recommend taking this tour on your first full day in Santorini as it gives you a good overview of the island.

Fun day with our guide, George. Very informative!

This has fairly recently been taken over by the Muthu group and is set up as a conference hotel. There were several large conferences taking place the first few days, which affected the busyness of the dining room at lunchtime adversely. Our rooms initially were sub-standard and in need of refurbishment. Showers and Aircon didn't work and decor was distinctively worn and shabby. However our complaints and kimkim representation produced significant upgrades to fully functioning rooms with sea views. There are two outdoor pools, a pool bar and access to the beach (public) which we enjoyed. However, the conference focus of the hotel means there is very little to help tourists in terms of available excursions or activities, or support for getting around Mombasa. This hotel has no currency exchange or cash facility, we needed to get ourselves to a local ATM. The food in the dining room was good quality, but on the Sunday the dining room closed as there were no conferences, and we had to order food in the cafe (which was very good - but less choice). The staff were generally friendly, but the management (while responsive to our complaints) are oriented to a conference clientele, not tourists. We organised our own visit to Mombasa and spent most of the rest of the time relaxing by the pool. There is a bar which is very dark and has a large sport TV display, and a cafe terrace overlooking the beach. Also a gym and spa.

A beautiful setting, with an old style lodge fronting onto the lake, with a huge lawn running down to the water. In the evening, the hippo family come out to graze the grass. During the day baboons play in the garden. The lodge has an early 20th Century country club vibe, but is slightly run down. Our tent/huts were very compact and the bathrooms were in need of upgrading. From 7pm to 6am guests have to be escorted by security because of the presence of the hippos, but that adds a certain charm to the site. The bird life and hippos (in the water during the day) make the setting very attractive, though the abandoned chalets on the waterfront add to the run down feel. The food in the dining room is excellent and the staff are friendly and attentive. Recently taken over by Muthu, so may get the conference centre make-over!

An open, quite large lodge just outside the National park. Elephant and giraffe could be seen around it, and a baby antelope was resting in the shade of our hut. The accommodation is quite spacious and well fitted out, with the outer walls of the hut being mosquito proofed. It was clean comfortable. The pool is pleasant and has a pool bar. The dining area and bar are open and give the place a very relaxing and pleasant environment. The buffet food was good with variety, as most of the hotels we stayed in. An enjoyable stay here for 2 nights. There is a balloon safari camp close by, so we were aware of the balloons being filled and fired up on the first morning, but it was not intrusive.

An authentic experience of living with the Maasai people, who are very warm and welcoming. We were a little nervous when we arrived but we're made to feel fully at home and shown around everywhere. We loved the visit to the school and the village, and a real taste of the Maasai culture and community. We were welcomed into their lives and it was wonderful. The meals were all excellent, and particularly the evening meal, with the traditional entertainment afterwards. Though living in a Maasai hut, we felt very safe at all times, protected by the warriors from any wild life. In 24 hours we had made friends and experienced something of the life of the Maasai living at one with each other and with nature. I wouldn't have missed this experience for the world!

A beautiful situation, with views down to the lake and the park, with the Rift Valley on the horizon. Accommodation was good with plenty of space and en suite facilities. A great dining room with good views of the lake. Friendly and helpful staff. A good pool. Comfortable. We enjoyed our time here.

The tented accommodation was adequate, set in a pleasant environment. Food was fairly basic and lodge routines weren't explained very well - the evening meal is a communal meal at 7pm, and you need to be there at 7! Some staff were friendly, but we detected some tensions among the staff.

The best hotel we visited in Kenya. The rooms were spacious, well appointed and equipped. On chillier nights, we came back to find hot water bottles in our beds! Very friendly, discretely attentive and effective staff who obviously take a huge pride in their work and made us feel very welcome. Great views of the river and hippo, with antelope and other animals around the lodge grounds but not intrusive. Great facilities, including a fire pit in the bar in the evening. A convenient and inviting pool. Great meals (every time) and waiters to welcome you back each time we came in. At 5.30am on the morning we left, there was someone waiting to take our bags when we came out of our tent!! A delightful place to relax after a day on safari.

Elephants having fun, elephants keeping cool, young and old. Incredible animals. And also plenty to reflect on with the changing nature of the park and climate change.

WE enjoyed walking around with the animals - as a contrasting means fo transport!! Also the boat ride, with its sights of so many different s[ecies and the demonstration of the Fish Eagle swooping to catch its food! Incredible.

These game drives, as described in the Reserve description above, were facilities by Andrew our driver. His experience and expertise enables us to enjoy and have the experiences we had. Thank you Andrew.

Our favourite Game park. Here we had some unique and special experiences. Seeing prides of lions close up, Cheetahs and their cubs, lion's hunting, Antelope and wildebeest in such large numbers, and then Wildebeest migrating across the R Mara. A wonderful God-given privilege.

We found this a really moving experience, to be welcomed and included in the family of the Maasai culture. See the Hotel review.

A wealth of natural birds and animals in their own environment. A privilege to witness these - particularly the Rhinos. In addition to lions, Giraffe, Antelope, Zebra and Warthogs, we also saw a Leopard! Such and abundance of nature in all its forms - and so many birds!!

A gem of a museum, that also came alive as our guide explained the history and significance of the different artifacts. It has a unique collection of locomotives and the history of the building of the railway is a key to understanding something of the development of Kenay over the last century. A fantastic experience, not simply for railway enthusiasts but also those kenn to understand a bit more of the history of Kenya.

We had a guide around the museum which was brilliant as it gave us real insights into what we were looking at. This museum starts to paint the picture of part of the history of Kenya and how people have contributed towards that history. I hadn't realised that coffee doesn't grow well at the altitude of Nairobi!!

Being able to get close to Giraffe is a privilege, as well as to feed them and find out about the work of the centre. The interaction with the giraffes is fascinating.

Amazing privilege to watch orphaned elephants being fed! Informative background information about elephants and the work of the Trust. Lots of "Aah' moments

A guided tour of some of the history of Kenya that is so fascinating. It combines some of the human history with the rich natural history.

This was one of the best walking tours we have ever done. Gus was so much fun, had tons of really interesting history about the island and culture, and showed us amazing food throughout. If you are going to Santorini, this tour is an absolute must.

What can I say about Paulo? He make our trip to Sinatra exceptional. He thinks of everything and let us throughly enjoy our day with visiting the most beautiful places and recommend exceptional food. We are very thankful to have Paulo as our guide and highly recommended him to our friends and family.

The farm to table lunch at the winery is excellent. We really had the best food wine experience. The host is amazing and the food is so delicious.

Victor is wonderful and we learned a few tricks in cooking that we definitely used in cooking at home. Excellent activity.

Excellent 1 night stay with 2 days. The service, rooms, food and all activities were first class.

Excellent and central in Hanoi. Great service from the whole team. Hospitality outstanding

Great tour guide, informative and Ninh Binh is beautiful. A great day trip from Hanoi. Beware the climb to the top of the mountain - not for the height hearted but well worth it!

A great way to get an overview of Hanoi and the key history of Vietnam. Your was well organised, comfortable transport and informative tour guide.

Jade was our guide and took us through a bunch of culinary highlights with different types of street food. Excellent

We only stayed two nights but this was our favourite hotel in Columbia! It has a beautiful lobby that makes you feel like you are in a library, refreshing drinks for the hot weather, spacious and comfortable rooms, complementary laundry and a rooftop pool! Would highly recommend!

Beatiful and family friendly hike through Valle del Corcora. One of the highlights on the trip for sure!

A great walkable location that is just off the beaten path to be quiet, but still very close to experience Cusco Perú. The only hesitation I have with my recommendation is that it is very easy to hear everything from the room that is going on in the hotel especially if you’re on the first floor by where breakfast is served, it can be noisy. The staff is amazing, the room is clean, the hot water works well. I would recommend this place.

it’s a nice hotel and extremely convenient to the airport

this is a great little hotel just off the beaten path, but close enough to be very walkable. The rooftop patio has an amazing view of the marina. There are balconies on the rooms which are really nice. The hot water works well. I would highly recommend this place

this hotel is amazing! The breakfast in the morning is spectacular, the best I had in the entire trip that I took to Galápagos Islands. The air conditioner worked great, the hot water worked well, the location is very walkable, but just off the beaten path to be quiet and peaceful. I highly recommend this place.

The only reason I was able to give this hotel at three is because it’s close to the pier and the breakfast was pretty good. The air conditioner did not work, and the hot water was inconsistent. I had to change rooms in order to get an air conditioner that function properly. The owners are lovely. It just seems that the place needs some renovation.

Great location. Excellent service.

Truly unbeatable after a week of hiking and exploring to lie in a warm, peaceful natural spring with a face mask and a drink.

Oh my gosh, we saw the lights!!!!!

This was possibly the biggest highlight of the trip. The lagoon was gorgeous and we were *this close* to the most adorable seals in the wild!

This was our first experience in a natural spring, and it was so neat!

We saw a pod of dolphins, a loan porpoise, three Minke whales, and a number of beautiful sea birds. Our guide was entertaining and knowledgeable, and instructions and directions were clear and understandable.

This was a really nice place to stay. It is pretty spartan, but was clean, safe, food was excellent, hosts were very friendly, and walking distance to the center of Chichicastenango. Had some issues with dogs barking at night, but room otherwise comfortable. Consider this if you are looking for an authentic Mayan highland experience near the bi-weekly market that takes place here.

Ok - this is a punishing climb unless you are exceptionally fit. It’s not technically difficult (no special gear needed other than shoes and a hiking pole perhaps), but is an almost continuous climb for five miles starting at 8,000 feet elevation. If you are young(ish) and healthy, you will eventually get to the base camp. But if you aren’t, seriously consider training for this unless you are already reasonably fit. And read all the reviews and tips (like about how to dress in layers, be prepared for rain, etc - it’s all true). That said, the views at the top are phenomenal. Fuego is erupting almost every 5-10 minutes and puts on quite a show. We stayed at a cabin that was enclosed but allowed great views from inside. Probably a once in a lifetime experience for most of us.

Great tour. Esteban did a great job showing us around. Saw the main sights, went to some interesting places I would not have thought to visit.

I don’t bike a lot, but it was one of the best bike tours I’ve done. A bit challenging with the hills. Picturesque. Nice towns to stop in along the way. Great road condition. Not a lot of traffic to deal with.

This was a lot of fun. Easy to get to, just hopped in and set out. Worth doing if you are in Panajachel

It’s definitely a spectacle to witness. And has been going on for hundreds of years, so worth visiting.

The northern coast of Spain from Bilbao to San Sebastian is spectacular with a modern highway twisting around mountains, through tunnels, and over viaducts with great vistas of the Bay of Biscay at every turn. We were particularly interested in going to Guernica and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Guernica, now famous because of Picasso's poignant painting, is the Basque town that the fascists bombed during the Spanish Civil War. This war crime perpetrated by Franco with the help of Nazi Germany purposely targeted a market day full of civilians in an unfortified town. The Peace Museum is a solemn plea for peace among all the people of the world. A large outdoor mosaic of Picasso's painting is a must see in the old town. The traditional Basque Restaurante Bolina El Viejo is a must, full of local families, with wonderful local wines and a menu specializing in sea food.

Riojas is one of the world's great wine producing areas, home to the famous tintos of Spain. This dry rocky region south of the mountains that separate this southern Basque country from the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian has a terroir perfect for the traditional tempranillo, macabeo, and graciono grapes. Our guide, Angel, really knows his away around the region and the wineries. Our favorite wines were from Luis Canas in Araba where we tasted several blends of differing vintage, all excellent. The tour included the spectacular medieval town, Laguardia, residing on the top of a high hill overlooking a sea of grapes in cultivation. Angel also took us to see Richard Gehry's (Guggenheim architect) architecturally splendid Marques de Riscal winery.

We met our guide, Jose, at 7, rather early for Bilbao, but for us, the perfect time to begin our pintxos tour of the old town. Most of the Pintxos Bars we visited were in Plaza Nueva, a grand square surrounded by picturesque apartments and the home of some of the city's great food. Each of the establishments take pride in a particular style and ingredients of this seemingly infinite kaleidoscope of savory and sweet small plates. Typically, you take what you want from the beautifully curated displays and pay by the number of toothpicks left on your plate. Start with Basque country Txokoli, a slightly sparkling regional white wine and move up to fruity dry tintos from the Riojas wine region. Favorite tintxos include pulpo (octopus), anchovies, shrimp, and vegetables such as aubergine, tomatoes, peppers and olives.

Bilbao is more than the Guggenheim, but the Guggenheim is more spectacular that can be imagined. This spectacular building of soaring curvelinear architecture is a world class piece of art itself. The collection including Richard Serra's "Matter of Time" and the monumental sculptures "Maman" by Louis Bourgeios and "Puppy" by Jeff Koons, to name a few, are pieces that one can only see in Bilbao. The beauty and tranquility of the carefully curated riverfront blends seamlessly into the old town that has medieval roots and lovely 19th century art nouveau buildings. The Plaza Nueva is the hot spot of traditional pintxos and a gathering place for families of all ages.

Oviedo is the historic center of Asturia, home to the Cathedral that marks the beginning of the original Camino de Santiago. The 8th century old town, though extensively damaged during the Spanish Civil War, has been completely renovated to provide the markets, shops, homes, and public buildings that are the hallmark of a vibrant old town. Our guide, Alejandra, is passionate about her home and a fountain of knowledge concerning the history, customs, traditions, and culture of this beautiful ancient town surrounded by a modern urban community. A particularly fun tradition is enjoying "sidrar" a refreshing mildly alcoholic apple cider served ceremoniously by holding the bottle overhead and pouring the liquid into a glass held below the servers waist, all without looking at the process.

Apparently, few Americans who visit northern Spain take time to explore the Rias Baixas region. Actually, this is one of Spain's many hidden treasurers with forested terrain, picturesque estuaries off the Atlantic ocean, quaint small towns, and, of course, great Albarino wines. We visited Palacio de Finfena, a small historic winery, where we tasted wines from 150 year old vines in Cambados. Further along are the exquisite islands of Arousa and Toja including the surreal Ermida de Toxa church covered in huge clam shells. We enjoyed a traditional Galican lunch in a waterfront local restaurant, Asodor de Chiringuito.

Our guide, Cristina, is incredibly knowledgeable of the history, religious significance, architecture, literature, and art of Santiago de Compostelo. Particularly meaningful to us is her passion for the Camino de Santiago and for all those who undertake this pilgrimage both as an act of faith and of personal commitment. Cristina offered advice about further exploration of this historic town that we could undertake on our own and traditional restaurants that we could enjoy. There is much to see and feel in Santiago de Compostelo. Having a guide such as Cristina allowed us see and learn more than if we were to walk around with a guide book.

Absolutely amazing, literally everything from the location, the guides, the service overall and the food.