Kimkim Trip Reviews

Christos was a superb specialist and everything we did went off with very few changes. He did a fantastic job and I would highly recommend his services to anyone wishing to go to the Greek Islands. Highlights were The Acropolis in Athens, our cooking class and island tour on Naxos, and the Santorini sunsets!! The only thing I would add to the tour descriptions is that you should bring shoes with good grippy soles as some of the marble and stone cobbles on the streets can be slippery even when dry, and are a bit uneven. But it was a spectacular trip, and Christos kept a close eye on us to make sure we were well-taken care of!

Hotel Reviews

Volcano View Hotel

Santorini

Absolutely stunning views at this hotel!! Lots of steps, but that is Santorini! Very friendly staff, incredibly helpful, would definitely stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adriani Hotel

Naxos Town

The family which ran the hotel were lovely, incredibly accommodating, and the breakfasts were terrific!! The room was lovely and walking-distance from the town, and beautifully maintained and very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acropolis Afternoon Tour

Athens

I waited 40 years to see this incredible place and was NOT disappointed. Our guide was fantastic, the views were beautiful, and the site itself was magnificent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class in Naxos Villages

Naxos

This was a highlight of our entire trip! Maria and Ioannis, our hostess and host, were friendly and very welcoming, our guide Lida was fantastic, would definitely love to do this again!

Quality of Experience

Food

What can I say, the food was delicious!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lida stayed with us the entire day, was a font of knowledge, and a charming person and guide!

Transport

Our trip to Iceland was too amazing for words. I love to plan trips but I knew that for this trip, I’d need assistance from knowledgeable people. Duncan at Kimkim did not disappoint!

We took nine days to drive around the entire island. Our itinerary was customized perfectly for us! The activities and tours we took were all top notch. Having each leg’s driving plan mapped out took the stress off of figuring out directions and distance and helped keep us on a nice pace throughout the trip. Our pre-booked hotels ranged from small, old, and historical to unique and modern. Each place was clean and offered a delicious spread for breakfast each morning.

Picking favorite places and activities is difficult in a country that’s full of such overwhelming beauty. The activity that was the most fun and gave us the biggest laughs was rafting the West Glacial River outside Skagafjörður. Our guides Amy, Scottie, and Cam with Viking were so much fun!!

I personally loved Husavik and the whale watching-mostly because of the special encounter we had. Our boat had a humpback come right up to our boat not once but twice! Our guides were beside themselves with excitement as this type of encounter was rare. The crew on the Salka were very knowledgeable and kind. We were served delicious cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate on the return which made it more special. Highly recommend!

My husband and daughter loved our ATV to the Black Beach and Plane Wreck tour because it was just plain fun riding fast on the black beach, seeing the plane wreck, and driving our ATV across a river all while having beautiful glacier and mountain views!

Our most unique activity was snorkeling the Silfra Fissure and touching two separate continents with our hands! It took a lot of preparation to get our bodies ready to enter 38 degree Fahrenheit water but seeing such crystal clear water at a depth of 150 meters was like none other! Our guide, Sebastien with Dive.IS was kind, patient, and knowledgeable.

And finally, after leaving the best hotel, Hotel Hallormsstadur on Lake Lagarfljot, our most favorite part of our drive of the island was between Egilsstadir to Hofn. It was littered with one beautiful waterfall after another and the mountains were breathtaking!

There wasn’t one part of this trip we would not do and we know that if we return, there’s infinitely more places we could explore without repeat. If you’re thinking about Iceland, think no more. Go and book now!

Hotel Reviews

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

Loved this hotel from the moment I walked in. The decor was warm, welcoming, and sophisticated. The bathroom was so relaxing having both a soaking tub and a shower. Breakfast and dinner in the hotel was among our favorite meals of the trip. A little extra bonus was walking into our room after check-in and seeing sheep grazing right outside our window.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

This hotel was special because of the retro European decor and the magnificent view of Lake Lagarfljot from our bedroom window. Make sure to drive to Vok Nature Bath and experience the best and most scenic geothermal bath we had!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

This was great because of the proximity you get to The glacier, icebergs, and seals. It was a magical and breathtaking scene.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Our tour guide was from England and had a Masters in Geology. She was an enthusiastic teacher and learning all about the types of rock that make up Iceland early in the trip helped improve our understanding of the topography there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

West Glacial River Family Rafting

Iceland

Such a fun experience!!! We laughed the entire trip thanks to Scottie and Cam. We were lucky and had a beautiful day too. We stayed for lunch and so glad we did! They served us fresh lamb and vegetables from a farm next door. It was our favorite meal of the trip! Don’t hesitate to book this family rafting trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

This bath was ok. After seeing the super organized and efficient process at The Blue Lagoon, here it was not as fluid. I had issues with my locker twice and the scenery around the bath was a lot of dirt and construction equipment. Also know that this bath has an extremely strong smell of sulphur. It bothered my teenage daughter and I saw other people at the bath having some issues with the smell. My advice would be to skip this one. There are other much better baths in the country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

We had a great experience watching whales on the Salka. We had two very up close encounters with the whales and saw many more at various distances! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

My favorite bath. It’s natural water from the lake and has no sulphuric smell. The infinity pools look out into the lake and mountains on the other side. The facility is clean and well organized. Strongly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

A most unique experience! The water is so clear and gorgeous! Dive.IS we’re very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. We were well dressed to snorkel in 38 degree water. You won’t regret doing this!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There are simply not superlatives enough for the service and expertise we received from Chris and his team. From the first call with Chris, I knew we were in excellent hands. We got exactly the trip that we didn't know we always wanted. The accomodations were stellar, the excursions were perfect, the transfers were flawless. Even when we changed our mind about our excursion with only two hours notice, they never blinked an eye. Before this trip, I thought "oh why do you need a travel agent, I've got the internet..." Now, I think going on a trip without a travel agent is like going into a bear fight armed with only a paper clip--sure you might survive, but it's not going to be easy.

That was the wonderful thing about using Chris and Kimkim--it was all easy. I never worried how to get from the airport to the hotel or if we were at a good hotel. It was all taken care of. Instead I could focus on making memories with my family.

Hotel Reviews

Ava Hotel & Suites

Athens

Even though we only spent one night at the hotel, it was a wonderful experience. You simply can't beat the amazing location making everything very walkable. The hotel staff was attentive and courteous. The room was spacious and comfortable. The front desk staff made dinner recommendations and reservations--even providing a map to give us a feel of the surroundings. I was almost hoping our plane home would get delayed so we'd have to return for another night.

Authenticity & Character

It's just a charming place.

Location

Look right: Acropolis. Look left: Hadrian's arch.

Staff

Always helpful and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was just lovely.

Acrogiali Beach Hotel

Mykonos

We loved this hotel. The staff were helpful and kind--everything was made easy. Our room had the most perfect view over the Aegean. Each morning, I made myself an espresso and watching the sun come up. Everything had the feel of effortless luxury without a hint of pretentiousness. Our room was comfortable and roomy. The view from the room was only usurped by the view from the beach lounge chairs. Even better, you could get bar service directly to your chair. The beach was quiet and sheltered--rarely crowded more than expected. Overall, this place was simply perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the beach, couldn't have gotten closer without being in the water

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heliotopos Hotel

Santorini

This hotel is the most stunning place on earth. My room opened up to a view that required me to pinch myself each morning. Even now, I check my pics "nope, it really looked like that." If the hotel only had the view to recommend it, the hotel would be four star, but it doesn't stop there. The staff is ridiculously kind and considerate, making recommendations, asking how our day went, etc. It's location is easy walking distance to local restaurants and it's about a 30-minute walk to Fira if you want to expand your reach. The wine bar gives the best views on the island--and as it starts to get chilly the servers come by with blankets. Everything on the menu is excellent and you could happily stay there each night. The rooms are comfortable and spacious with enough room for families and the loft gives a bit of privacy. The real star of this hotel though is the view--almost every step gives you a new vista. Heliotopos is simply wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location--idyllic.

Staff

The staff went above and beyond to make sure we felt welcome.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Kiki was amazing. Having a private tour added so much to our experience and to our knowledge of the site. It was honestly one of the highlights of our trip. Having a private tour guide allowed us to go at our pace and ask every question we could think of. Also, Kiki knew everything.

Quality of Experience

It was so thorough.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we walked--so...uh...yay my feet work?

Day-Trip to Delos Island

Mykonos

I feel this tour unfortunately suffered from comparison with the outstanding tour we had at the Acropolis. It was an exceellent tour with stunning vistas and interesting information about the site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

The tour was from the start amazing. Seeing Oia in the morning meant we missed the crowd that can make that town into an anchovy tin. We got to see the beautiful city without feeling crammed into the narrow walk ways. The guide was engaging, funny, and knowledgeable. I especially enjoyed the visit to the Pyrgos and learning about the history of fighting off pirates with narrow walkways and off beat steps. This tour had a potent mix of history and views--plus wine! Can it get better?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

When we were in Mykonos, we met a fellow traveler who told us that the boat trip would end up being the highlight of the trip--he was not wrong. In fact, he might have undersold it. The tour was stunningly beautiful and almost decadent. How often do you get to spend hours on a boat with wine and great food and fun company--looking at the most beautiful island in the world. The boat staff was informative and helpful. Snorkeling was so amazing and the water (although a bit chilly) was crystal clear and you could see everything. This was definitely something I would do again in a heart beat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The boat staff were all helpful and informative.

Transport

From beginning to end, the planning of this memorable trip and our experiences of it were over the top! My husband planned the trip with Austin who was attentive to EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. As we became clearer on how we wanted to experience Ireland, Austin pivoted graciously to create just the perfect vacation experience for us. From car rental to places we stayed to helping us navigate Dublin (all during the Covid times) Austin regularly checked in on us and made sure we were happy. He even gave us a private little tour of some of the museums!!! His gracious hospitality should make Dublin proud!!
Some of the most memorable places we stayed were The Wyatt Hotel in Westport, such a beautiful town on the western coast of Ireland and in Kilkenny, at The Kilkenny Hiberian Hotel. These are locations we will return to on our next trip to Ireland, although there is so much to see and explore there. Rest assured we will contact kimkim and request Austin again. Thanks for a fabulous experience Austin!!

Marina was wonderful to work with. She was very responsive to my questions and to my requests.
Everything with my trip went so smoothly, from the transportation, to the guides, drivers, and hotels. I could not have asked for things to have gone better.

Emanuela did a fabulous job planning and mapping out our trip. We enjoyed all that Iceland had to offer. Our favorite experiences were outside the cities traveling the countryside and the beauty of the landscapes. and animals. All of our guides on our excursions were excellent and gave very thorough and informative history and scientific explanations on site. The food choices were excellent , Breakfast inclusion was excellent and organic and farm experiences were our favorites
Emanuela helped us with our upgrade on accommodations as we felt Fosshotel Baron was less than standard. I also recommend that Brunnholl is less than standard as well as we ended up moving on down the road and acquiring a better choice for that evening.
Overall we had a mother -daughter trip of a lifetime and I highly recommend KimKim and Emanuela as a travel assistant and consultant .

Activity Reviews

Golden Circle

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Langjokull glacier snowmobiling

Golden Circle

We should have opted for a smaller group as we felt too many travelers.

ATV to the Black Beach and Plane Wreck

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anne did an amazing job organizing and executing my trip. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday trip! All of my guides and drivers were very hospitable and knowledgeable. The lodging in each destination was great as well.

Dennis and the team at Green World Adventures were so hospitable to work with; I’m so glad we were put in touch through KimKim. They looked out for us while we were in Costa Rica, even adjusting our itinerary and booking us new accommodation and transfer when a tropical storm put a twist on our plans. All our accommodations met or exceeded our expectations, and the transfers were all comfortable. Shout out to Philippe from GWA for driving us some long distances but maintaining his friendliness and calm the whole time. I will definitely be recommending KimKim to friends for its ease and reliability and GWA for their professionalism and expertise in Costa Rica. Beautiful country and wonderful memories- Pura Vida!

Hotel Review

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Exploration of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We decided to use an agency on this trip, as we ran out of time to plan everything. We had already found our accommodations, but that was the extent of the planning. Nadia made our traveling seamless and convenient. The most helpful were the transfers and logistics. Nadia even helped us book dinner reservations and made suggestions on additional activities we could do. The only issue I had was a couple of the activates were not that great. One being the wine tasting at the Mykonian farm and the walking food tour of Athens for families. The wine tasting was lack luster and we just sat in the patio at the farm. The wine expert spent the first 30 mins looking up restaurant recommendations. It would have been nice to tour the farm, it was said in the description that we would have local food from the farm, but it was cubed deli meat and cheeses. The walking food tour was not really geared towards kids, which may have been due to the guide. She was nice, but the tour wasn't our favorite. I would definitely recommend the sunset cruise, we had a great time!

Activity Reviews

Flavors of Athens Food Tour for Families

Athens

Too long, not enough time to rest and have a cold beverage etc...with the weather being so hot it would be nice to have places to sit at each of the stops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine Tasting at a Mykonian Farm

Mykonos

Transport was great. Once we arrived we didn't start tasting the wines until about 40 mins or so after...snacks were not curated or thoughtful. He didn't explain if it was supposed to be paired with the wine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Volcano Cruise on a wooden boat

Santorini

Awesome crew! Good drinks a decent meal, beautiful boat. If you are looking for something small and intimate, this is no it. there were about 125 people on the boat, but it was fun! We danced and had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Your special family photoshoot in Santorini!

Santorini

We haven't received our photos yet, but I would be shocked if they didn't turn out great. Our photographer I think his name was Thanos was amazing. He was providing direction and tips to make the photos beautiful. He really made sure we go all the shots possible. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time using KimKim, as we usually plan our own vacations. We were visiting Barcelona and the Costa Brava for our 25th wedding anniversary and didn't want to worry about logistics. This was so perfect because everything was taken care of, yet we were able to personalize our trip to fit our preferences. Our trip was 10 days total, and we wanted to do a few days cycling. James was great! He made some great recommendations based on an itinerary we said we liked and the types of things we enjoy. He went out of his way to find the perfect 3 day cycling tour for us. Communication was excellent beforehand and with Chaima while we were there.
We enjoyed our 3 days in Barcelona so much. Our tour guide, Maribel, for Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia was excellent! It was so much more enjoyable having a guide to explain the history and symbolism of those two landmarks. Germania was our guide for our bike tour of the city, which took us to Barceloneta Beach, and she was also excellent. Olga was great for our tour of the Gothic Quarter and tapas. We had plenty of time to explore on our own, so we think James did a great job balancing planned activities with general free time. The Gallery Hotel was very nice and had a fantastic rooftop deck. We were there for the biggest celebration of the year - the Feast of St. Joan (first day of summer, June 24) which was a surprise and very exciting.
Our cycling tour was through Cycle Catalan and Mark and Shelly were SO great to work with. We really connected with them. The bikes were top notch, and we used an app to navigate the routes. The routes were excellent as well as the accommodations in Torroella de Montgri and Palamos. Both places were lovely and the hotel dining was also amazing.
Our last few days were spent in Cadaques, including a sailing trip out of Empuriabrava, which was so fun! Our captain was Josep and Marina was his assistant. It was a really fun trip snorkeling and getting to help with the sails while learning a little more about the area.
All in all, our vacation was fabulous with no hitches (even the weather was perfect!) We loved it so much we considered moving there! I would highly recommend KimKim and Tailormade Andalucia for your Spain travel!

All was fine

Words cannot describe the amazing experience we had on our trip to Costa Rica through KimKim. Charlotte made it so easy to help us plan an itinerary that was perfect for our family needs, interests, and desires. They provided such great advice, flexibility, and kindness both before the trip and during. We also had Sergio Amador as our professional guide while we were there and I must say we would not have had the same experience without him. His knowledge, expertise, and friendship helped make it a trip we will never forget. We already want to come back because of them! I would highly recommend you use Charlotte, Sergio, and their team for your trip to Costa Rica.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas

Guanacaste

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Canopy Zip line tour

Costa Rica

This was amazing. We felt like we had the whole rainforest to ourselves, and the guides made us feel so welcomed, safe, and comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Nature Walk in Danaus Eco-Center

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Breathtaking views and hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Observation Night Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

Breathtaking views and amazing service from the staff on the catamaran.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife and I travelled with our son and daughter-in-law and their 4 boys, 3 of whom are big, 6 foot teen-agers. Car was a big 9 passenger diesel van and accommodated all of us nicely. My son did all the driving and he plugged in his phone and used google maps to get us from place to place. First day in Reykjavik was to get oriented - drove to a few sites, restaurants, but we were all jet lagged so we really didn't do all that much. Hotel was nice and conveniently located. Next day we did the golden circle and saw all the famous sites - waterfalls, geysirs, icebergs, etc - spectacular scenery. In addition to Micheles input, we took a Rick Steve guide book with us which gave us some great insights on how to best use our time, where to park, etc. On our last day in Reykjavic, we did whale watching with Elding and we saw
plenty of whales and dolphins jumping out of the water - good weather and very calm sea made this really enjoyable. Next day we headed south, did the waterfall you can walk behind, and stayed at the Glacier View Hotel which was just wonderful - our hosts there were so very pleasant and the scenery was wonderful. We drove to the lagoon with icebergs and the black diamond beach - so glad we did this western part of iceland with it's truly spectacular scenery. Finally, did our dip into the Blue Lagoon on our day of departure, which refreshed us for the flight home. Thanks Michele and Preeti for mapping out such a great trip - this was our second trip to Iceland but the first was a short one on a tour that just did the circle. Doing it on our own was so much better and the sites in the western region were amazing. Our son's family had an amazing time and I'm sure will be talking about it for years to come.

Johanna:

Every single aspect of my trip was top notch. I was very impressed with the professional attitude and knowledge every person involved in my trip showed. I will definitely recommend KimKim to my friends and family when it comes to vacationing abroad.
I am looking forward in booking my next trip. Please thank Luis, our guide in Cusco, he went above and beyond.

Thank you

Hotel Reviews

AC Hotel by Marriott Lima Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aranwa Sacred Valley

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

Luis, our guide, is an expert on taking care of people. Thank you, Luis

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos is a pro

Transport

Eat the Streets Food Tour (Evening)

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Center & Larco Museum

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cusco Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moray & Maras, and ATV Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Cusco to Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarah and Ivan organized our 16 day trip to Croatia and no detail was left out. Our trip was amazing from starting in Ljublana- Lake Bled, Truffle hunting, Pula-Collesium, Rovinj, Plitvice Lakes, Split, Hvar-private boat tour, hiking w private guides, finishing w private trips in Ston, wine tasting and Montenegro. The guides were amazing all driving Mercedes cars or vans and so helpful if we wanted to stop for pictures.
Sarah and Ivan were amazing and communicated with us or the guides daily. Sarah made sure every detail was layed out and that we were happy before the trip was confirmed. We even changed a trip mid stream less than 12 hours the day before and Sarah graciously accommodated our request.
This experience couldn't have been better-we loved the private tours, hospitality of all guides, flexibility and ease of communications from Sarah and Ivan!!
We will use KimKim travel again!!

Kim Kim did an amazing job. Our Safari between July 3 and 10 not only met but exceeded our expectations. Joseph and Susan kept close contact with us from the gecko until the end.

We especially appreciated the consideration given to selecting the base camp in the Maasai Mara as an example of a lodge that is designed to support conservation and to benefit the community.

Our visit to Maji Moto was a very special highlight. Special thanks to Susan for arranging this wonderful stay and to all of the Maji Moto staff.

I almost never want to travel without using KimKim. Othman was absolutely INCREDIBLE! I told him the region I wanted to travel and the activities we were interested in, and he tailored an already wonderful base itinerary to match exactly what we were looking for. Iceland was magnificent and everything we did went off without a hitch. We didnt have to think about ANYTHING. Reservations were all set up for us, including a car, and the itinerary even had notes for activities if we happened to have extra time. I cannot say enough. PLUS I got engaged on the trip so, even better! We will definitely use KimKim for our honeymoon!

We just completed our bespoke 10 day tour of Morocco

The tour was entirely created by Megan at Kim Kim and we couldn't have been more pleased with the itinerary

The travel time while lengthy was worth the destination. We hit all the hot spots and for the perfect length considering our total length of trip. Before the trip I made some enquiries and suggestions, but Megan assured me of the length of time and she couldn't have been more on point!

Hamid our driver was an absolute pleasure, he took such good care of us and always with a smile. He was accommodating, knowledgeable, friendly and funny. The trip wouldn't have been the same without him and we are so grateful for his guidance throughout. He made us feel safe on the road and in each location. He had great suggestions for lookout and photo locations. He recommended great restaurants and helped when one of the party was unwell, taking us to the clinic and translating with the Doctor. He went above and beyond, was contactable and happy to help at any hour, no request too small (honey lemon and ginger tea) or to great!

Our guide in Fes, Kamal, was absolutely fantastic - we could not have been more pleased. His knowledge was so extensive in regards to Fes but also Islam as a religion and the Moroccan culture in general.

The hotels we stayed in were all fantastic, with the exception of the hotel in Casablanca which was very business-y. Also the last hotel we stayed in in Marrakech 'had a pool' but it was not usable in my opinion. It was more of a deep fountain/pond with no sunbeds, in the middle of the hotel lobby

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dar Mounir

Chefchaouen

Really nice, sweet hotel, super traditional

Authenticity & Character

Location

within the madina and close to the main sq with restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were REALLY hard

Riad & Spa Bahia Salam

Marrakech

Beautiful traditional feel. Breakfast was fine but nothing to write home about It has a pool which was GREAT

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

so friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

top notch

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Business hotel, not Moroccan in anyway, could have been in any city Staff were great, particularly Omar Least favourite hotel of the tour

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 min from madina and off busy rd

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The surfaces were dirty

Dar Victoria

Fez

Authenticity & Character

Location

car ride from anything

Staff

super friendly, stayed back late to allow the tailor to come back

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

very very glam glamping The toilet was an actual toilet, as was the shower, both with tiled floors Was a really nice experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

they were great, knowledgeable and we really enjoyed the traditional music

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

Beautiful hotel, great pool, food was good and included

Authenticity & Character

Location

not near much, but I dont think there is much to be near

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Beautiful hotel, lovely staff The pool is not a pool its a deep fountain in the middle of the hotel lobby

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

huge. museum was average

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we didnt like our guide, he didnt speak very clear which made him hard to understand and he spent the whole time speaking arabic to one of the patrons

Transport

we had a driver

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

Casablanca was fine, just a very metropolitan city Rabat is beautiful Chef was amaxing - one of the higlights, so many photo ops

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we had our driver

Transport

we had our driver

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Its amazing - we loved it Our guide was amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

best guide

Transport

lovved our driver

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Great fun, good experience, good photo ops the guide even let me try sand boarding

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sahara to Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge

Morocco

very nice photo ops and great as it was on the way to the dunes - wouldnt make a special trip for this though

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ait Benhaddou, Tizi-n-Tichka Pass over the High Atlas, Marrakech

Morocco

Beautiful, we saw the from a distance

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Our guide was average at best LOVE Marrakech though

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Morocco

LOVED, was great fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an awesome trip... lifelong memories made!

The trip Olman planned way exceeded our expectations and he went above and beyond to accommodate our needs and requirements. Every single trip and transfer went smoothly, every hotel fitted our needs exactly and he planned a fun and fascinating variety of trips for our group (three adults and two young kids).

Hotel Tifakara was our favourite hotel overall - their beautiful gardens were bursting with wildlife! We saw toucans, a turtle, hummingbirds, dragonflies and so many frogs including of course the tree frogs, who we even found on our veranda. From there, we went on a hike around the Arenal volcano lava fields with Franklin, who told us so much about the plants and creatures that it took us 20 minutes to leave the car park! My budding David Attenborough son adored him and he even managed to time our hike to finish at the cafe exactly as the rain arrived!

We went in the May/June rainy season so did expect lots of rain... some days we were lucky, others not so. Our zip lining trip in Monteverde was disrupted by nearby lightning which meant we had to evacuate the course through the forest in the drenching rains. The guides were extremely professional and we felt absolutely safe throughout. We felt that it actually added to our experience with a properly adventurous jungle trek but if you don't fancy the extra adventure suggest zip lining earlier in the day before the rains come in.

We stayed in Espadilla Ocean Club villas in Manuel Antonio which was a lovely change from hotels and so close to the beach! The national park is beautiful and we saw two and three toes sloths, an anteater, howler and capuchin monkeys amongst many other things. It was a very easy trek, with water pipes along the way and a cafe too. Although it was busier than other places we visited, it didn't feel overcrowded.

From Manuel Antonio, Olman arranged an onward transfer to Sierpe as we had arranged a separate tour in Corcovado and then arranged our return trip to San Jose via a flight from Drake Bay.

I can't recommend Olman enough if you're planning a trip to Costa Rica. We'd approached several other travel agents and they just didn't seem to have the in depth local knowledge or flexibility required to put together a trip that suited our needs, wants and budgetary requirements so well. Thank you so much Olman!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

We only stayed here for one night, on arrival in Costa Rica so we were somewhat jet lagged. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and the breakfast buffet was incredible!

Authenticity & Character

Not very characterful, that that wasn't what we were looking for

Location

Very close to the airport

Staff

All friendly and welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Espadilla Ocean Club

Manuel Antonio

Beautifully designed, clean and comfortable. Lovely spot, very near the beach where you can hire loungers, get a massage etc. Cosy little private pool area where I wiled away a morning reading in the hammock and watching the capuchins eating mangos in the tree above. Note that breakfast is not included (we thought it was), but there is a supermarket nearby and the kitchen is fine but fairly basic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

No one around who spoke English until the last day and no instructions (would be useful to have things like wifi passwords, local restaurant recommendations, etc). Cleaning/ caretaking staff we saw were great, however.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Beautiful gardens. Loved seeing all the hummingbirds from the bar. Bungalows were clean and comfortable. The steak was incredible but the rest of the menu not so impressive.

Authenticity & Character

Very characterful

Location

Peaceful, great views.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tifakara Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna

Great food, lovely rooms and pool area, incredible gardens. If you want to spot a tree frog, this is the place to go! Loved the hot tubs as I could relax in there while the kids played in the pool.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a unique place to stay

Location

Peaceful, walking distance to La Fortuna waterfall and a short taxi ride to the town

Staff

All friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable. Could do with more storage space in the rooms though.

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Lovely hotel, great restaurant, friendly staff and they were very accommodating with our request for a late check out. It's up in the mountains so quite cool and the pool is unheated, plus we couldn't find anything to do within walking distance. This was supposed to be our pre-travel pool day so we altered our plans and went into San Jose instead. Entirely our fault as we asked to stay here but with hindsight, we'd have been better staying closer to San Jose or the airport

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little too far from the airport to be a transit hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

San José - Arenal - Visit to La Paz Waterfall & Gardens

Costa Rica

A great opportunity to see lots of the wildlife in captivity that we'd be seeing in the wild later on. All seemed ethical (rescue animals etc) and well kept.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Franklin was awesome and extremely knowledgable. I wish he'd come on all our trips as I felt like there was so much we were missing through lack of knowledge! The hot springs were amazing. Really clean and well designed. Start at the cooler end and enjoy a cocktail.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They rearranged our hike time to avoid the rain - it was more awkward for them but a much better experience for us.

Transport

Rainforest Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Daniella worked very hard to spot all sorts of interesting creatures for us - we even saw some surprisingly active sloths in the trees.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great experience, though we didn't spot quite as much wildlife as we'd hoped. The 'real' hot chocolate at the end was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Incredible zip lining over the forest canopy. The day started well but the rain set in half way around the course, followed by nearby lightning. We were separated from the rest of the group as we'd gone first and had to evacuate the course though the forest. The guides were very professional and we felt safe thoughout. They took great care of us and even lent their waterproofs to the kids (we were completely unprepared for a jungle trek in the rain!). I thought the kids (7 & 9) would have been frightened but they loved the adventure of it and it ended up being one of the highlights of the whole holiday!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They snapped from laid back fun mode to emergency mode when we had to evacuate. Not only kept us safe but made us feel safe too.

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Lovely park with lots of wildlife but busier than other areas so harder to see mobile wildlife

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Worked hard to spot larger wildlife for us. Would have been nice to have more explanation of the plants too.

Transport

I will always remember this trip close to my heart! Sarah did an amazing job working through all our requests and changes in the planning, even during the trip!

Forever grateful to Sarah for connecting us with all the amazing guides that accompanied us on our trip! Tanya picked us up at Dubrovnik and showed us her beautiful hometown, Cavtat, and took us to the local farm where they cooked an amazing Peka for us and explained the history of their family farm and the local food they prepare.

Baldo, who spent a whole day with us, drove us to Ston Bay, came on the boat with us for an Oyster tasting experience with Mario, and accompanied us to our wine tastings, finally taking us to our next location, Korchula, and sadly having to say goodbye to him!

Korchula is for sure a hidden gem, a beautiful town! Worth visiting, and Sarah booked us the hotel with the best views of the old town.

We took a ferry to Hvar (one of the most famous islands!), the captain and crew of the ferry were the nicest! Hvar is also a really beautiful and vivid town, with a lot of nightlife. The eye-opening activity on Hvar was our biking tour. Grgo made us fall in love with Hvar! He showed us his hometown and small villages like Jelsa, all biking! We also saw the most beautiful beaches on the island, I believe, and even met his friends! Grgo took us to his winery where we had another amazing wine tasting!

It has been amazing to be with local people who are so passionate and proud of their culture and traditions!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lero

Dubrovnik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aminess Liburna Hotel

Korčula

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pharos Hvar Bayhill Hotel

Hvar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit a family farm for an authentic Croatian meal + visit small town of Cavtat

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oyster Tasting & Farming Experience in Ston Bay + Wine Tasting (Peljesac Peninsula) - Day trip from Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar, biking and wine tasting excursion (half day)

Hvar

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Krka National Park + Wine Tasting & Lunch

Split

Boating Excursion to Pakleni Islands & Brac (en route to Split)

Hvar

Sunset Hiking Tour

Dubrovnik