Kimkim Trip Reviews

Wonderful trip to Indonesia. We loved our local drivers and guides. Everything was well planned out and the hotels were spectacular. We much preferred the island of Java to Bali as there were much less tourists and we felt we could experience the culture and people more. On Bali we stayed in Ubud which felt a little like Vegas to us. Lots of people drinking and very crowded. We would definitely return to Java, it was magical, beautiful, spiritual and the people were very kind. Bali is not a place we will return to. We have used Kim Kim for many trips now and it has always been a great experience. They are our go-to company.

The trip to Iceland was everything we hoped it would be. We worked with our local specialist, Rinolda, to create an unique and action-packed adventure and we never even left the southern portion of the country! We combined classic must-sees with locations that were a bit harder to access (Thorsmork) and the remote apartments at Kirkjubaerklaustur as a great base (where we happily had a view of the northern lights). Absolutely everyone was welcoming to us and so helpful. We found amazing local vegetarian/vegan food - sometimes in the most unlikely spots. We've been back home in the US a few weeks, but the beautiful scenery keeps floating through our minds (as well as images of so many round sheep!). We can't thank Rinolda enough for answering a million questions and working to assure that our itinerary was seamless. Thank you, Rinolda!

Hotel Review

Midgard Base Camp

Hvolsvöllur

Just perfect for us. Adequate and comfortable bedroom and bathroom. And the restaurant was incredible with outstanding vegan/vegetarian options. The staff were very friendly and helpful and made us feel so welcome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour

Iceland

Having a chance to be so close to the glacier and the icebergs was truly incredible - it gives a new perspective. The colors and magnificence were breathtaking. Our guide was great and offered wonderful information and happily answered our many questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Husafell Canyon Baths

Iceland

We had a wonderful guide to take us to this very private and rugged location sandwiched between lava walls. It was rainy and misty so popping into the warm pools was an incredible experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip was a bucket list item for me and Antonia and her colleagues (Nikola) did not disappoint! The biggest struggle I have is finding the time to research the must do's/must stay's/must see's and Antonia took my feedback and planned a much better trip than I ever could have imagined. Every guide she connected us with was great and even exceeded expectations (Dora in Vis was AMAZING!). Using the Trip Plans and Whats App apps made communication super easy while we were in Croatia. 11/10 Would Recommend!

Best Sunset: Naxos from our balcony at Ippocampos in Naxos
Best Tour Guides: Sofia, both of her tours in Tinos were fun and informational. The tours were fabulous and she is a delight! Also, Katrina that gave us the cooking class in Naxos, we loved her, the food, her mother, the other people in the class, just wonderful.
Best Hotel Concierge: Anastasia at the Iris in Paros, she was a great resource for the most wonderful restaurants and beaches. She was precious.
Best Driver was also in Paros, Konstantinos, he was always prompt and so fun!
Best Breakfast: Athena Cypria
Best Views: East Coast of Naxos
Best Beach: Fandangas Beach
We can’t decide on a favorite island, they were all special in their own way. Irene and her team were great in organizing our transportation. We were always picked up and dropped off in a prompt manner. We loved having the free time to explore either on foot or in the rental car and get into the reality of Greek life. While in Naxos, we drove over the mountains, had a wonderful fish meal in a little village on the sea shore and saw the most amazing views of the trip. It made a big impression on us both. And I credit Irene and her team for giving us the flexibility to let us roam and explore.

Hotel Reviews

Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

We loved our stay at Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel. It was more resort-like, which was fine. The hotel had the best sunset views and the best shower of all the places we stayed at. We rented a car and enjoyed exploring the east side of the island.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Voreades

Tinos

The Voreades Hotel in Tinos was nice and rustic. The bed sheets were a bit stiff and noisy. The air conditioning worked great and we did a lot of walking, which was good. The hotel staff was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athens Cypria Hotel

Athens

The Athens Cypria Hotel was quite comfortable. The breakfast was fabulous, probably the best of all the hotels we stayed at. The air conditioning needed some adjustments, but the staff was prompt in setting it right for us. The location was great, close to everything we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iris Boutique Hotel Paros

Naousa

Best overall accomidations on our recent trip to Greece. We went to Athens, Tinos, Paros, and Naxos. Out of the hotels we stayed at at each location, The Iris Hotel was our favorite. The room is comfortable, clean, and well appointed. The Hotel Concierge, Anastasia was such a wonderful resource for restaurants and beaches. She was so pleasant and sweet, we enjoyed getting to know her.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the balcony and the sunset view. Breakfast was a Greek feast.

Location

Easy walking distance to shopping and restaurants in Naousa

Staff

Anastasia was our personal guide to good food and beaches.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Our favorite hotel we had on our trip.

Activity Reviews

Tinos Villages Driving Tour

Tinos

The Cultural tour with Sofia was by car and we visited Volax where they weave beautiful baskets, Pyrgos, where there is marble excavation and a legacy of marble craftsman. We had a lovely lunch there. (Everything is made out of Marble, even the bus stop) And as we drove, Sofia filled us in on Tinos history, religion, and culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Cultural Hike on Tinos

Tinos

The cultural Hike was a 3-hour adventure with views of the dovecotes and the terraced landscape of Tinos, our guide was a local expert (don’t recall his name). We had a lovely snack and got a taste of the beauty of Tinos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Naxos Villages

Naxos

The Cooking Class was great. Catalina was our instructor and she made the class very fun. We cooked dinner for her and her mother, and we all participated in making the meal. It was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Farm Tour with Lunch

Paros

The Farm Tour was an ok experience. My husband and I were expecting to see a lot of fig trees but they only had one. However, the view from the farm was amazing and one of the best we saw in Greece.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour of Tinos Town

Tinos

Sofia gave my husband and me a wonderful "taste" of Tinos. It was my birthday and she made me feel special as we indulged in bread, cheese, meats, fish, and desserts. She was very knowledgable and entertaining. It was a feast for the eyes and the stomach!

Quality of Experience

The food, the people, the places... the people were so welcoming and the food so delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I can't say enough about Sofia. She was just so open and entertaining as well as knowledable.

Transport

It was a walking tour and gave us a lay of the land.

I feel the trip was amazingly planned out and left out a lot of the guess work that we would have had to go through which takes a lot of effort and makes the trip more difficult. We had amazing guides, drivers, excursions and accommodations. We had a wonderful trip and cannot wait to go back.

What I would suggest is:

Making sure the snorkeling trip is really a snorkeling trip It was a lovely boat ride but not what we were expecting. The two gentlemen who took us on this trip were great but there was no snorkeling.

Shower size. I'm small so I wasn't affected, but there are people much bigger than I that would find the smaller showers difficult to maneuver in.

Other than that, the trip was beyond our expectations.

I have only superlatives to describe our recent trip to Croatia and Slovenia and not just because those countries are incredibly beautiful! Working with Robi Pincevic through KimKim was an absolute delight. The KimKim infrastructure was easy to navigate and use, and Robi was 100% attentive, understood quickly our needs and wants, and built an incredible itinerary that included even more than what we thought we wanted to do and see. He made it active providing an exceptional array of different experiences and activities. His choice of accomodations was impecible, all extremely comfortable and amazingly located. Every day Robi was in touch with us, providing us with everything we needed for the following day and constantly asked if all was good. Guides Robi had arranged for us were excellent. What's more to say? Robi even assured us fabulous weather!!!! :-). My only complaint: he didn't insist we stay an additional week! Should anyone consider a trip to Croatia & Slovenia, KimKim and Robi are your guaranteed addresses!!

Andrea could not have been any more professional, knowledgeable, thorough, or available to us throughout this entire experience. Our trip through Italy was made all the more special because of him. Thank you, KimKim and thank you, Andrea!

We had very little idea what to expect from our trip, but everything was seamless and smooth! Marissa and the across Portugal team were available to answer all of our questions (no matter how mundane) and the guides they found us were amazing!

Everything worked out fine except something I had asked for and never heard back or taken care during the trip. Some of the girls celebrated their 40th bday and I had requested for a lighter to Johanna first. I was told the team is already planning something. I also talked to the local guide about it a day prior and she said it will be taken care. Yet there was nothing planned or ever communicated to me. If I was told there was nothing planned by them, I would have planned something for the girls at Machu Pichchu. Disappointed. Also, the driver was not willing to turn on AC for most of the time in the van for whatsoever reason even requesting for it multiple times.

Dean was great to work with. He was responsive to our questions and gave wonderful suggestions. We love Killarney especially and the Cliffs of Moher. The accommodations were very easy to work with and we really loved the Fiddle and Bow hotel.

Just completed a 2 week trip in Croatia. First time using a local travel agent to help plan, co-ordinate and liaise with for a customized / personalized vacation for myself and my wife. I have nothing but good things to say about our local specialist, Bruno. I laid out what were the main things that we wanted to do, and let Bruno do the heavy lifting. He planned out our entire route and the logistics of getting around... which consisted of arranging our personal driver (Ivo... he was also amazing), to purchasing ferry and catamaran tickets, to car rental. Bruno was spot on with all his planning and suggestions of places to go and places to eat. We also requested a last minute change to our travel arrangements, and Bruno was quick and efficient in making the necessary changes seamlessly. For this vacation, I chose to book our own hotels as we wanted that flexibility. Bruno was always gracious in providing his feedback on the accommodations that I was considering. I highly recommend Bruno for your next trip to Croatia.

I honestly can't say enough good things about our trip to Morocco. From day 1 of planning, Abdel gave us options and suggestions on places to visit and helped to set our itinerary for our 8 day stay in Morocco. Upon arrival to the airport, we were greeted by our amazing driver, Samir. It was such a blessing to get to know him over the course of our trip. He shared so much knowledge about his country with us as we traveled daily, showed us hidden gems that we would have never found on our own, gave us cultural experiences that we would not have had without him, and engaged in wonderful conversations throughout our trip. He made sure that we were safe and comfortable at all times. He felt like family, and it was difficult to say goodbye at the end of our trip.
Said also worked with us during our travels to ensure that our accommodations were safe and comfortable. He was able to accommodate some last minute changes for us that we made to our itinerary while we were there. Such an accommodating group of people!
It's hard to pick a favorite place between Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, Skoura, and Marrakech. Each place had its own special charm. I loved the variety of things we got to experience, from hiking to a waterfall, walking in the medinas, watching the sunset over the "blue city", visiting a pottery shop, riding camels into the Sahara for the night, visiting a nomad family, visiting a local market, doing a food tour, visiting a hammam, and so much more...we can't pick a favorite.
Thank you to the kimkim family for making this an amazing and memorable vacation. I honestly wouldn't change a thing. I highly recommend working with this group if you're planning a trip to Morocco!

Amazing trip. Tours were great, private. Felt like we got to do/see everything we wanted to.

We were promptly met by our driver/guide in Rabat. As promised, she is a fluent English speaker. We were thrilled to find out that Soukaina is the only female driver/guide in the Kingdom of Morocco. As we explored the countryside and three different cities over 8 days, she made us feel warm, welcomed, and a friend! She made our 8 days together one of the best experiences of our lifetime!

The first city we visited was Chefchaouen (the Blue City). As we approached the city with it is picturesque beauty and amazing vistas, we were thrilled. During our two days in the city, we experienced the friendliest and most welcoming people you can imagine. This started with the staff of our hotel (Dar Jasmine) and continued throughout the Median in all the shops and restaurants. Dar Jasmine offered a beautiful room that overlooked the city and all its amazing blue hues. One of the best shops we found was Machkour Mohamed (Local Berbere Artisanal located at 23 Derb Bab El Moukaf). The team of folks helped us to find 5 amazing rugs we will cherish for a lifetime. The shop promptly shipped to our home. Another captivating and memorable experience was our guided hike in the Ankour Waterfall. Abdullah was a wonderful guide who was quick to share and point out numerous points of interest.

Our next stop was Fes. Along the way we also toured the Roman ruins. We were able to do this without a guide and found it very easy to navigate. Once in Fes, we were greeted by the Riad Yacout staff. The entire staff was incredibly welcoming. Our room was extremely beautiful, large, and well appointed. Our stay in Fes was highlighted by a day long guided tour with Aideen. His professionalism and knowledge of the Medina was second to none.

After a day long drive to Marrakech, we were greeted by the impeccably professional staff of the elegant Riad Nyla. We fully enjoyed the night life of the Medina and all the sights and wonders that it provides. Our guided tour was professional and very enjoyable. Shopping in the Souks was an amazing experience. We capped off our trip with a hot air balloon ride in the dessert. This unforgettable ride was completely worth the pre-dawn wake up.

KimKim, coupled with Original Travel, made our trip a memory we will cherish for a lifetime.

Excellent trip - our trip planner Bea De Pablo was always receptive of our questions and had excellent suggestions- she was available for any questions during the short duration of our trip

We were very happy with the Hotel accommodations- Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla,Palacio Gran Via - Grenada,Iberostar Madrid

Our Guides Teresa/Ferran @ Sevilla were excellent and well versed
Nacho- Granada was excellent also
Padro Museum tour by Geza was very education- she was very passionate about the artwork

Thank you kim kim

Hotel Reviews

Iberostar Las Letras Gran Via

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio Gran Vía, A Royal Hideaway Hotel

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

bathrooms are tiny

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Inside the Prado: A Private Experience

Madrid

Linda was excellent through our tour of the mususem- very educational and patient

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas & Tradition: A Madrileño Evening

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

Geza was outstanding and educated us well without being rushed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Night of Flamenco in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Granada’s Iconic Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Spain

Nacho was awesome patient and guided us well through the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas, Tradition, & Andalusian Wines

Seville

Ferran was excellent- took us to off the beaten tapas places - which were all good

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

Teresa C was awesome informative / patient and helped through

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cecilia made planning a trip to Italy so EASY. She was helpful with everything and SO patient with all my questions. The transfers, trains, tours and experiences were all planned so well and made traveling so nice to have things in place. The hotel we stayed in was exactly what we were looking for. Wonderfull cooking class in Florence. I hope when we are ready to plan our next trip we can have Cecilia!

We loved our trip to Morocco.
Everyplace we stayed in was a five star accommodation. The plan was a great one...Stays in Chefchaouen, Fes, Marrakech and the Inara Desert Camp. It was a great way to explore the country. We in particular loved our driver Tayeb who was very fun to be around, a great driver and a fountain of information. (He would make a great driver and guide). We also enjoyed all of our local guides including: Abdul in Volubilis; Mohamed in Fes and "Star" in Marrakech. We loved the food. We loved the people. It was a great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Inara Desert Camp

Marrakech

Never been to a desert camp. Was not sure what to expect, but this luxury tent was really nice. Big bed, air conditioning, shower, safe, tiny fridge, even a hairdryer...not quite the roughing it experience. There is a very nice outdoor pool. The staff were very nice and again, funny...something I was not expecting. Our one night stay was perfect for us.

Authenticity & Character

Staff dressed in authentic Berber and Desert Nomad style. Very colorful.

Location

I'm thrilled we chose the closer desert experience with the much shorter camel ride. Perfect for us.

Staff

Staff very helpful. Food was great. Would highly recommend.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire place was spotless (and that's in a desert). Very comfortable bed.

Riad Nyla And Spa Marrakech

Marrakech

This Riad was amazing. Just 5 rooms in the whole place so you get a lot of individual attention and service. Our rooms (we changed rooms after an overnight trip to the desert) were both very nice. The people could not have been more accommodating. They have a nice warm pool and jacuzzi downstairs in the spa that I really liked as most places on our trip had cold pools. We had two very good massages. The food (we had dinner twice) including the breakfasts were the best of the trip. I would come back to this Riad in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

More modern than the other Roads we stayed in but very keeping in with the rest of Morocco. Very beautiful.

Location

Right in the Medina yet a short walk from a street where our driver could drop us off. I'd say the perfect location.

Staff

Top notch. They were incredibly helpful and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Rooms very comfortable.

Riad El Yacout

Fès

The staff (especially Marco's) at this hotel were so warm, inviting and funny. We loved our room (over the top nice). The food was excellent and my husband enjoyed the massage there.

Authenticity & Character

The building was beautiful.

Location

Honestly didn't walk around the area much but it had the basics.

Staff

Staff the best of our trip and that's saying something as people were very welcoming everywhere we went.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech to Agafay Desert with a Traditional Lunch in the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Our Driver Tayeb drove us up into the Atlas Mountains for a very nice one hour hike around the town of Achayen. We walked to a waterfall and then to a Berber village where we were served a delicious Tangine lunch by a local woman. Afterwards we drove to the Agafay Desert for our night in the desert and a camel ride. The whole experience was outstanding.

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

Our guide "Star" took us through the Gardens. Beautiful setting.

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We spent a lot of time wandering in the Medina in Marrakesh. The Tour took us to the biggest Mosque and one of the better shopping venues for more authentic souvenirs.

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

We were able to see the Royal Palace, Jewish Quarters and the Original Medina. We were even taken up a hill to see 3 eras of construction over the years. Our guide Muhammad was very helpful.

Quality of Experience

We got to see a lot of Fes in one day. It felt like a really good overview.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Driver Tayeb was what a driver should be. Prompt, helpful, full of fun information. We were very happy with Tayeb and our guides.

Transport

Comfortable car.

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

These ruins reminded me of Pompeii. Very beautiful art and ruins. Our local guide Abdul was very informative. (we just did Volubilis).

Our trip to Greece was amazing! As recommended by Tasos we went at the beginning of October. The temperature was perfect and the crowds were less. We were impressed by how smoothly all the details such as transfers, guides, and hotels went. Everyone was right on time exactly as planned in our itinerary. Tasos planned the perfect itinerary for us with just the right amount of tours and relaxing free time. I love how he picked tours that were off the beaten path of the typical tourist spots. We particularly liked the food and wine tour in Santorini. We learned a lot about farming and wine making and we all really enjoyed getting to cook a meal. We also really enjoyed the suggested hike from Fria to Oia at sunset - spectacular views and amazing sunset! In Athens our personal guide to the Acropolis was very knowledgeable and had interesting stories she even gave us a coffee ground reading which was quite fun. The free breakfasts were wonderful at the hotels and generally liked our accommodations. Our only complaint would be the double beds for couples - we would have preferred a single double bed versus two singles pushed together.

The trip was great, and everything that Irene/KimKim prepared for us was absolutely amazing. I would recommend KimKim to anyone. Every detail of our trip was planned and executed without a problem. We will definitely be using KimKim on our next adventure.

I had written this review last week:

To Harris Bitsounis and his team - Thank you for a very good experience in Rome, Florence and Venice. An excellent learning experience. All of the transportation connections were spot on. The Travel 12 communication service was very helpful. Of the hotels: The hotel is Venice was very good, perfect location, amenities and a helpful, friendly staff. Room was small and without seating. The hotel in Florence had a helpful and friendly staff. Room was small and without seating. Location was distant and frightening to walk to in the darkness of night. The hotel in Rome had a helpful and friendly staff. The location was good. The room was clean. The presentation was poor. The entrance was dirty. All the cites were busy and crowded with tourists. The planned transportation connections made the entire trip work. The weather was perfect and there was no time wasted. Best regards, Doug and Connie Peden

Additionally, the tour guides for the Vatican, Colosseum and Roman Forum as well as the tour in Florence were excellent. The guides were professional and knowledgeable. The tour through Venice was adequate to gain an understanding of Venice.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

Excellent location, Excellent amenities. Friendly and helpful staff. Good breakfast. Small room.

Authenticity & Character

Full service hotel

Location

Near transportation

Staff

Full time, full service staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Full service hotel. Room was small with no seating within.

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel

Florence

Friendly staff. Small, clean Room. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Dark and desolate place to walk to at night

Location

Dark and desolate place to walk to at night

Staff

Friendly and helpfull

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean. 2nd floor entrance was presentable.

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

Friendly, helpful staff. Good location. Clean Room. Poor presentation. Dirty entrance.

Authenticity & Character

Needs a lobby

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

No

Activity Review

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Amazing to see. Too much to see. Requires more time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

knowledgeable , humorous

Transport

Helpful