Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was a really great and special experience . The guide , the program , the food, and the accommodations were so wonderful . It is extremely well run . The most clean place we were in Ecuador . They care a lot about you being there . It is a rugged trip , but we’re were very surprised with how nice the room was .

The hike and the canopy tower was one of my most favorite activities of the 3 weeks in Ecuador . It was amazing . Pictures don’t do it justice . Seeing the birds , going at sunset . Being above the trees and seeing the whole forest and eco system . Our guide was beyond knowledgeable .

This was a nice day . Easier ride than mindo . Liked the hot springs . Definitely go to the more expensive spa . Even that was quite crowded . I guess I would try to go on weekday . We were there on weekend , and it was packed with little kids , very crowded . This took away from the experience for us . But the whole setup w food , hot springs and services is nice .

This was so wonderful and charming. Beauuuuutiful eco hotel that definitely felt like a treat with a private pool and modern/tasteful design and amenities. The had robes hung up for us and several beautiful lounge areas. Also the hostess was wonderful, helpful, and inviting. Breakfast was fantastic!

This place was very impressive. One of our favorite hotels! The waterfront view was incredible. The garden was also so charming! Water front tapas for happy hour was a classy treat and dinner was also very good. Staff made us feel very taken care of as well.

We stayed at the top floor suite and it had a great view, and a huge private patio. We could see the sunset from their incredible restaurant downstairs. Hospitality was wonderful and we felt well taken care of as well as safe in the area. Overall very impressed. This place is right near the bay doc which is both convenient and provides a great view!

This was an intense, gratifying 10 mile hike. Definitely bring hiking boots (not sneakers or hiking sandals) and a camera. Incredible view, and and quite satisfying. Tour guide was very energetic and knowledgeable.

Isla Grill was incredible. There were small sharks by the foot of the restaurant in plain view which was an added bonus for us! It really felt like a special occasion place. We had a bottle of the Isla Grill wine which was so good!

I wasn’t sure what to expect here but this was a great package because it was a larger boat with a great crew/ tour guide. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and champagne included with a rather easy hike and beautiful snorkel. We saw new and different creatures such as a manta ray and puffer fish in the reef, as well as tortoises, playful sea lions and parrotfish up close.

We did the discovery tour and felt very well taken care of. We had an instructor walk us through instructions (just 2 students:1 instructor) and our instructor was very attentive. He made me feel safe and comfortable and took great go pro pictures and videos which were provided to us for free!

This was a favorite tour for sure. This tour was rather short compared to some others but we saw the most penguins, blue footed boobies, and sharks (in just a snorkel) than any other tour! Also lots of sea lions and marine iguanas.

This tour was rather self paced which was good for fitting different schedules. A long simple walk through town and on a beach, then kayaking was so much fun!

Beautiful family friendly experience with wonderful guide and ability to get up close and personal with land tortoises free range style. They seem very happy here. It was a beautiful tour.

This was our first real tour. We actually were offered to do both areas to snorkel but elected to do just the first (tijeretas). This was a wonderful snorkel with an easy paced hike beforehand. Sea lions were very playful and friendly. Tortoises also were happy to swim with us! Snorkeling go pro pictures were included for free =]

We arrived at night while it was raining and hungry after our long trip. We were initially frustrated because we did not have great internet access and the front desk was unable to provide guidance on restaurants nearby or ones that could deliver. We eventually went walking to get dinner and found an excellent restaurant (Travesía) within 5 mins. We discovered many wonderful places to eat within a 10 min walk during our time there (Italianissimo, Snapper House). This hotel really has an excellent walkable location and the pool was great! I would 100% stay again.

We stayed on the beach access side of the property and it was excellent! The property is lush and beautiful. We could hear the waves from our room. We ate most of our meals at the restaurant and it was delicious— Marilin was especially helpful! The pool is a great size and was never overcrowded when we were there. We did not have hot water the first night for showers but the office had it fixed the next day. Liked seeing the monkeys on the property until they stole food directly off my plate. Overall, wonderful stay and would 100% recommend this gem.

Great hotel experience! Convenient central location in Oslo (within walking distance of the train station). Very friendly, helpful staff. The location is also very good for walking to other tourist attractions, i.e., historic buildings, lovely parks, the funicular (grand view of the city), fish market, quaint wharf area, and more!

Wow - talk about convenience to the airport but not the typical 'airport' feeling. Excellent service and wonderful included breakfast.

Excellent accommodations very conveniently located steps from Oslo's Central Train Station. Very friendly staff and great breakfasts!

The Balestrand Inn is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for a small hotel experience with a great view of Sognefjord in the lovely rural community of Balestrand, just a short ferry ride from Flam. Staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, our room was clean and the coffee service on the main floor wonderful - best cappuccino ever! There is currently no meal service on-site but we were given a discount at the historic Kviknes Hotel for each of our meals.

Tromso is very worth exploring and the Thon Hotel Tromso is the perfect place from which to stroll this Arctic city. Staff were very friendly/helpful and the breakfasts were excellent.

Our 4-night Hurtigruten ferry ride from Bergen to Tromso was a major highlight of our 2 1/2 week trip to Scandinavia. It's remarkable how this mail/cargo line converted it's fleet so that tourist could enjoy the village-to-village travel experience in comfort as well as undertake several well-organized land excursions. The food was excellent - breakfast & lunch buffets, then seated dinners. We tend to avoid going on those enormous passenger cruise ships that overwhelm the places visited. Hurtigruten is a great alternative - the perfect way to enjoy the scenic Norwegian fjords and get a sense of the lifestyle in this remarkable country .

Friendly, helpful front desk staff, large and modern rooms, excellent breakfast buffet! Perfect location for walking to just about everything or using the subway. Yummy gelato place across the street!

Really pretty hotel with beautiful courtyard for breakfast and lovely pool and lounge area! Restaurant onsite with good food. Very relaxing to eat poolside!

Perfect location for walking around the city. Tucked away from the noise on a small pedestrian street with lots of charm! Very peaceful, beautiful courtyard where afternoon tea and sweets are served… a really nice touch and much appreciated! Nice breakfast buffet as well. No elevator, so ask for help if your room is at the top of the stairs and your bags are heavy!

If you love history, this is the walk for you! Very informative tour guide! Tapas dinner was fun… we went to 2 places to experience some variety.

Great experience! Class of 12 included retirees, a family of 6, and 4 others including us. Our chef took us shopping for the ingredients at the big market and gave us a tour of the market which was an unexpected perk. We made many different dishes and then sat at a big table to enjoy the meal. It was a unique experience, one of the highlights of our trip.

Our guide, Pilar, was exceptional. She clearly loves her city and loves to share its history and its charms! The horse drawn carriage picked us up at our hotel and took us to the Plaza de Espana. After the ride was finished, we walked to the river where our boat was waiting! The boat took us to Triana, where we learned some of the history, walked through the market, and did some shopping. It was a great trip!

Very beautiful, cool experience. Perfectly safe.

A super relaxing first outing. What a great way to refresh and relax after a long trip!

Very fun! We learned about the horses and got to do the Icelandic gait. It would have been fun to go on a bit of a longer/more varied route.

Wonderful guides and such a fun adventure! It was the perfect length, as well. Zoom zoom! Such a thrill!

A trip highlight! What an amazing experience. The boat was comfortable. We were given coveralls to keep us warm, and the tour guide was passionate and articulate. We really learned something on this trip, and our tour guide made us as tourists feel very connected to the larger cause of animal conversation in this beautiful country. Also puffins rock.

It's very close to the Plaka district and within walking distance of most shopping and restaurants. The room was pretty basic, but quiet. Really the staff was the highlight of this location. Pretty amazing customer service.

Our family all loved this location. Quiet. Private. Stunning views in all directions. I enjoyed being surrounded by all the plants. Air conditioning worked well, close to beaches, shopping, and food. Loved the balcony and pool.

Probably one of the coolest places I've ever stayed. The homes are so neat with all the stone, marble, and wood. Beautiful views from the balconies of the castle, town, ocean, churches, and lime trees. Very magical. Our whole family loved it. Quiet, safe, peaceful, romantic, cozy, and you have easy access to anything you want to do in the area.

Captain Nikos ensured that this trip would be a favorite for the entire family! The blues of the ocean were to die for! The sea was so calm and clear. The company and snacks were awesome. We didn't even make it to Proti island... We were having way too much fun getting a customized private route through the bay. Would do again 100%

A cant-miss highlight for a trip to Kalamata! The tour combined great food, wine, coffee, company, city sights, and history with memorable local interactions. Maria was like an immediate best friend to our entire family. You could tell she was incredibly passionate about the food tour and making sure we all had a blast. I would recommend her food tour to everyone!!!

A wonderful combination of beauty, activity, history, fun, relaxation, good food, and good company. Kayaking on the sea was therapeutic. The water was so calm and beautiful. Very laid back. Snorkeling over the sunken city was a magical experience. Loved every minute of it!

Unless you're a big history buff... This location is just okay. We liked our guide and all, but for the amount of time it took to drive out there and then walk around in the heat... I don't know that it was worth it. Also, so much of it is covered with or surrounded by modern construction equipment.

So we had a private guide who took us up the back way through the forest to the castle which we thought was cool until we realized we could have just driven and parked at the castle. Also, by the time we got up there, the castle was closing in 30 min so we didn't get to see a lot of it before getting kicked out. And our guide didn't really tell us anything about the castle.

The horseback riding would have been better if it hadn't just been around the town... I'm use to horseback riding being an opportunity to see countryside you normally wouldn't see by foot or car. Also these particular horses were difficult. They were either bitter or slow. However, our guide was terrific. The best part of the edventure was when we stopped riding horses and just hung out at his place for drinks and fruit.

The ruins took a backseat to our guide Maria who was really fun, funny, and the best part of the experience. Our family arents really big on history so we mostly just wanted to see the pantheon for photos. As cool as it was, the only negative were the crowds. We liked that our guide has photos of what the structures use to look like. :)

Very nice people, updated rooms done quite nicely. Very bizarre collection of Goofy figures in the lobby area that clashed with the vibe of the hotel. Great location. Not a very sound proofed room.

Very bare bones hotel. Cheap towels, toilet paper, sheets. You have to pay to get a robe or an extra towel. We could hear word for word conversations of the people outside. It also wasn't cleaned very well, and the AC could not keep up with the extreme outdoor heat. I found most of the staff to be overly formal and one, when we requested an upgraded room, to be on the rude side. It is super old, so if you are looking mainly for historic character and not a higher-end experience, this may work for you.

We ended up enjoying this hotel, but giving it 3 stars because the first room they put us in smelled strongly of mold and had black mold around two of the vents in the room. It was also right next to the pool so we could hear the people at the pool in our room, and it also did not have hot water. The hotel initially said sorry we are booked when we tried to get another room, but I was persistent and magically they gave us a different room that did not have these issues. We loved that room. The other thing that was a bummer about this hotel was the pool. We had not had a break from our kids in years and so were bummed that the pool was full of kids being kids - it just was not at all relaxing and so we didn't use it other than the initial time we went. Very good breakfast. Really pretty hotel overall.

A large hotel, with beautiful ground and great facilities - multiple pools, 3 restaurants including a sushi bar, it's own crazy golf course and monkey trail. Rooms were not the biggest but adequate and well equipped. Small balcony, looking onto the courtyard. A wonderful local beach, Playa Biesanz which is walking distance but quite a steep walk. We felt the hotel was very security conscious, all entries and exits were questioned and confirmed for vehicles and pedestrian. Great ocean views. We loved the Pedro, the resident iguana!

Not the biggest hotel. More basic than the previous two we'd stayed in. We ended up being allocated a room without air con although it did have a fan. The hotel room was quite small but adequate. Storage was a bit of a challenge in that the hanging space was limited, within a short cupboard where my husband was not able to hang his shirt up without being crumpled. We had an issue with our plumbing which was quickly rectified. The grounds were very well maintained with beautiful planting. The hotel had a covered pool area with a good bar, a large jacuzzi and a large fire pit with seating which were popular in the evenings. There was a short walking trail around the grounds and plenty of outdoor seating, which I made use of to compensate for the smaller rooms. It's the only hotel out of 5 that had a menu option for breakfast, which was lovely.

Lovely hotel set in a lot of grounds. I like the lodge arrangements that was separate to the pool and restaurants. Good choice of restaurants, we particularly liked the Italian, the Sushi bar and the snack menu which was offered during the day. There was plenty of choice for breakfast and the service time from 6:30 helped with several of our early morning excursions. We preferred the evening meals from the other restaurants on site. There was a mix up upon checking where my acceptance of an upgrade for one of the rooms turned out to be a change the hotel had made, reducing our 3 room requirement to a single room which was upgraded to the Master Suite. Whilst this did come with a double room, it would not have worked accommodating with 2 families, 7 people. The hotel did insisted that we had to settle for this arrangement as they were full, fortunately KimKim were already on the case and by the time we went back to reception after assessing the room. Arenal Springs did provide us with another double room which we made work. That was an unfortunate start to an otherwise wonderful stay at Arenal Springs. We all loved the daily towel displays and chocolates and the Master Suite was luxurious with two in-room jacuzzis powered by Hot Springs, an indoor and outdoor shower and a hammock with a view of Arenal Volcano.

Good hotel, room size and facilities as you'd expect of a large chain.

Cristal Ballena is one of our favourites on the trip. The hotel was fairly small therefore an intimate feel. It was tucked away off the main road and had amazing views, floral, fauna and wildlife. We got best close up view of a sloth of the whole holiday at Cristal Ballena. The staff were attentive, the food was good. We had dinner at the hotel on all 3 nights we were there. Rooms were of a good size, with air con. We had a balcony with a view into the the hotel grounds, swimming pool, the ocean in the distance for incredible sunsets.

A great adventure with a relatively small group. We were rewarded with sightings of plenty of dolphins and a turtle, even though the whales didn't make an appearance on that day. We liked the way the guide was in communication with all the other boats out with the same purpose so if one boat spotted wildlife, the others would rush to the same spot so others could also. It brought an additional element of excitement to the tour. We particularly loved the way the tour started and ended, where the passengers had to enter the boat from the beach rather than a jetty and surfing the waves to get back onto the beach! What fun. The fresh fruit was a nice touch.

Thanks Alain and the other guides for a wonderful experience. We saw lots of wildlife, had enough freedom to go at our own pace although there were some quite competitive kayaks :). We appreciated the food at the end of kayaking.

Thank you to our guide Phillipe, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. We learnt a lot about Costa Rica's eco system and climate. The transfer was a little confusing, as it was a bus full and no communication about where we had to go at the beginning so we joined the main queue, along with the other bus loads. However, all was clear when we got to reception. We were assigned Phillipe as our guide. It was really busy at the time so Phillipe suggested that we did the bridges backwards, ie. from 8 to 1 to avoid the crowds. That worked really well.

Thank you to our wonderful guide, Carla for spotting all the wildlife (we don't know how you manage to see some of the well camouflaged insects and animals), flora and fauna and particularly for help us take some tremendous photographs through your binoculars with our smart phones.

We spotted 7 in all, two and three toed sloth. We also saw plenty poison dart frogs, a Jesus Christ Lizard, howler monkeys and a tiger heron. Thank you to our knowledgeable guide and the local spotter who'd spent hours before tracking down the animals.

3 star, not because we didn't see as much as we'd like but because our guide whilst informative was less conversational. Again, he tried to avoid the crowds and the searches felt a little desperate towards the end. That said, we did enjoy it and managed to capture great photos of a glass winged butterfly, pit viper, hummingbird amongst others. Thank you for providing torches.

Thank you Franklin, we believe he's one of the best. We were entertained. The teenagers even enjoyed the singing and the dad jokes ;). Hot and humid but we really enjoyed it. Franklin kept a good pace, although he did say at the beginning that we could ask him to slow down if we'd need him to. The heavens opened when we got to the thermal springs and for the most of our time in the springs but we enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

This was never going to be our favourite activity, as a group we're not experienced, therefore I don't review the horse riding part. The 3 star review is because of the mismatched in expectations around the La Fortuna Waterfall and optional opportunity to swim. We didn't expect this to be a hike (at least 30 mins) down steep steps (and back up for the return) to get to the waterfall. We were prepared for a short walk but not this level of difficulty. The walk also didn't bring us to the waterfall, whilst it was visible at the end of the walk. For those who had opted to swim, they can cross the water with a further short walk to get to the waterfall. For those who had opted not to swim, there was no way to get to the waterfall and there was nowhere to stand/sit and wait for the rest of the part. We collectively felt that this detail need to be reflected in the activity description.

What a finale activity for us. Once again, our guide was brilliant, knowledgeable, full of humour and chat thank you Martin. We had to do a little bit of work but not a lot given the flow of the river. Our activity was made some what more exciting by an unplanned rescue of a couple of stranded kayakers (both were rescued, unharmed and laughed about their experience).

On a découvert Lima dans d'excellentes conditions voir privilégiées

On a eu le bonheur de rencontrer Guido, notre guide local qui a été fantastique,communicatif, plein d'humour,un vrai coup de coeur pour Guido

Exceptionnel

Un endroit bien secret et authentique

On y fait nos achats,on a passé un très très bon moment

Guido, toujours Guido était là pour nous donner toutes les informations nécessaires et répondre à nos questions

Beaux souvenirs

L'endroit est juste magnifique et magique

The owner of this castle is Katia, a charming woman who is full of life and brings her spirit to her work. Family cooked meals, amazing hospitality. I’d love to stay there again.

The hotel staff was wonderful, very helpful and accommodating and there were plenty of them at any given time. The buffet breakfast was outstanding.

Natacha was wonderful. Too bad it was foggy, but that is not her fault!!

Wilson was a quiet and competent guide. He took this at our pace, which is great because it was quite a climb! He offered some history and local context. The picnic lunch was meager and we carried it up ourselves. Somehow I was expecting more. Wilson was flexible in how we spent the rest of the day and we visited coastal towns. We were tired and happy at the end of the day.

Paolo was a wonderful guide, setting the tone for a van full of strangers to have a good time together. He knows the island so well and shared his own story and knowledge generously. Dinner was great, the hot tubs were lovely. The only suggestion: he picked us up late, and could have called ahead to tell us that. Also, there were about 8 of us. After a private tours, we weren’t expecting 8 in a van. The drops offs at other hotels made it a longer night. But, the other folks were great company.

Perfect for our purpose. We had one last night in Lisbon and wanted to be super close to the airport to catch a 5 am flight in the morning. The only thing that just meh, was the restaurant. That is typical of Marriotts however. Anyway, this hotel was perfect if you need a place close to the airport and want a good night sleep.

The location of this hotel is its finest attribute. This hotel is within walking distance to a ton of restaurants, outdoor cafes, shopping, the waterfront, the tram.......pretty much everything! The rooms were beautiful. My only issue is the rooms were on the small side but other than that, this is a lovely hotel. The staff and concierge were very helpful in finding restaurants or anything we needed.

This is a first rate hotel. We would go back again and take advantage of the World of Wine tour. We didn't have time this time around. The only issue with this hotel is it is about a 17 minute cab ride to most places. Ideally I like to stay in hotels where I can walk to restaurants and shopping. Other than that, it was fabulous. Also, net time we will definitely book their one Michelin star restaurant. Also I did not realize until we got there that this is a Relais & Chateaux property. Every detail of your stay is thought out and fabulous! I forgot to mention the breakfasts, which are included, were the bomb. Everything was delicious and plentiful. My favorite detail was the decorations they would put on top of the cup of cappuccino!

What can I say other than it was like I died and went to heaven. This hotel is soooooooo gorgeous. They were also very accommodating at this hotel and very attentive to service. We had an early flight to Madeira so we arrived at our hotel around 9:30am. They sent us to have a fabulous breakfast by the pool while we were waiting for our room. They were able to get us in our room by 11am. They also let us have a late check out on our last day of 1:30pm. I know these sound like small things but when you only have two days in Madeira, you want to maximize. The entire facility was gorgeous. It is set on a cliffside over looking the ocean. The rooms weren't spacious but so gorgeously decorated. Lovely gifts were left in the room, like a travel journal, a beach bag and a water bottle. They had two pools, a salt water and a chlorine pool. They were both large and gorgeous. The vegetation on the property was gorgeous. They breakfasts, which were included were fab. They had plenty of outdoor shaded seating for breakfast and lunch. The William, which is a one Michelin star restaurant was top notch. There was a deck down by the ocean, which you need to take a long stair case to reach. That was absolutely a gorgeous place to just to lounge!~ and watch the ocean and listen to the surf. This is such a special place! I can't wait to return!

We loved Sergio our tour guide. He was friendly, knowledgable and entertaining. It was a nice format so that we were able to chat with the other people in the small group. The wines we had were really good. My only criticism is that the food was just ok. The cheese and the sardine courses were good. The desserts/food they paired with the port were just meh. Some of the other courses, I plain old can't remember because they weren't memorable. In summary, the tour guide was great, the wine and port, really good and the food could be improved.

Tommy Hogg reached out two days before the tour via What's app just to connect. He was easy to find at our meeting point because we were already connected on What's app. He was knowledgable and entertaining. He asked us a lot of questions to get us engaged with the subject matter and the tour. At the end of the tour, he helped us with directions for our next stop, a restaurant which was close by. I would highly recommend Tommy and the tour!!!

This was a lovely trip to add on to a City stay. Having a day trip to a national park day trip to be outside with nature was a nice contrast to restaurants, tours and shopping. Carlos was a great guide. He was very knowledgable about nature. Everything about the day went smoothly, including the picnic, which was a nice touch. Carlos found out we had never been to Spain, so he took a little extra time to drive over the border, so we could say we have been to Spain!

This was a nice way to get from Porto to Lisbon and squeeze in a day trip to Coimbra too. The only glitch we had was the driver didn't really know the game plan as to where we should be dropped off and he didn't speak much English, which would have been ok, we were just thrown off because most of the other drivers were able to communicate well. Anyway, that was the only hiccup. Fabiana was a great tour guide and she also went out of her way to make sure we got reconnected with our driver as the tour was done. Coimbra is a university city and home to the country's most prestigious university. It was a nice bonus that Fabiana was a graduate of that University and she also is returning in the fall for her Master's degree. Coimbra is another picturesque city in Portugal! What is not to love! Fabiana was multi lingual (Portuguese, Spanish, English and I'm sure other languages). She was very knowledgeable! Thanks for the great tour!

This was a fabulous way to get around Lisbon. If you haven't been on a Tuk Tuk tour, it is essentially being driven around on a golf cart type vehicle. This is the perfect way to get around Lisbon to see the highlights. I love walking but Lisbon is pretty spread out and very hilly. Ines was our tour guide and was so friendly and knowledgable. I know the tram (cable car) is famous and really cool but I have to say it was super crowded, which doesn't seem like a good idea during COVID times. The Tuk tuk tour was still ourdoors/open air but it was just the three of us and our driver. They essentially followed the same route as the tram tour. This trip was definitely worth doing and I would recommend it!

Sintra is a must see if you are in Lisbon. The car ride was only 35-40 minutes. You could do the bus tour to get up to the palace and the fortress but hiking was much more enjoyable and we really had great weather. The line to get into the palace was insanely long/crowded so we opted not to go inside. People were packed in like sardines. It was still well worth the trip to see everything from the outside however. Bernardo was knowledgable and guided everywhere so we didn't get lost. Hiking the stairs up to the fortress was a little scary. Once you make it to the top, the stairs back down are way less scary. People without guides didn't know there was a back staircase to get back down. Our guide was very helpful.

We had only a few days in Madeira and this tour really hit all the food and cultural highlights. It was a small group and a nice way to meet tourists from all over the world. It is essentially a walking tour throughout Funchal with several stops at restaurants and cafes along the way. The quality of the food was great. Ana Luisa, our guide was very welcoming, knowledgable and fun. She was multi lingual also able to switch from English to German to Spanish. Don't eat much before you go on this tour because you will be absolutely full by the end!

The description of this made it sound like we were going somewhere remote. It actually started from a hotel water front. This was fine with us however because our hotel did not have this option. This was a fun activity and my first time kayaking. The guide was great and I felt safe. Going out was easy because we were with the current. Save you energy for the way back against the current. The water was a little too rough to snorkel at the half way point (which was a more remote location)so we snorkeled close to the hotel when we returned. It was still lovely and the guide was very smart to be safe.