Kimkim Trip Reviews

The Kim Kim team had helped us plan a special trip between us sisters to visit Khopra Danda. From the beginning, the team helped us make a trip that would be accommodating for the number of days that we had in visiting Nepal. Nygma was very professional from the beginning he helped us get situated with the site to help track of our planning.
Nigma visited us at the hotel we were staying to get a final information detail but along with him came our guide that was going to be with us for those six days. I really appreciated meeting the guide before we went on the track. Darfure, our guide, was very accommodating, and kept us laughing throughout the most challenging situations. Due to the monsoon season, we were not able to get a good view of the mountains and it became more difficult to reach our endpoint. We decided to cut our trip short and turn around to come back to our starting place. We appreciate the flexibility that the guide and Nigma offered in trying to readjust our trip. As sisters we recommend not traveling during the month of the season in this area for tracking. Nygma and the Kim Kim team were able to compensate for some of our loss. We greatly appreciate that.

JC and KimKim was super helpful and responsive on our trip. We loved our adventures and hotels we stayed at. Thanks JC for handling all the details within our budget so we could just enjoy!

We had a wonderful trip in Croatia! During the design process Sarah was responsive and accommodating, helping us choose options for activities and destinations within the country. We considered various day trips (for example, two Bosnia and Montenegro) that we ended up not taking, but Sarah had helped us with the research on those. We ended up booking most of our lodging, but Sarah had presented us with plenty of options on that front as well. The vendors she chose were terrific, particularly Mario’s sea kayaking and Grigo, Winko, and the group that took us on our bicycle trip on Hvar. The lunch of bread, cheese, charcuterie, and Croatian wine in a 19 century cellar was a true highlight of the trip. We had one glitch during the trip: a boating vendor that Sarah had hired mischeduled our family‘s reserved day. This was entirely the vendor’s mistake. Yet, Sarah was responsive immediately trying to work through things, and, when that became impossible, she refunded us that portion of the trip and treated our family to a lovely, delicious meal at a traditional Croatian konoba. As to logistics, it was terrific to have ferry schedules and tickets available for us and PDFs and all drivers accounted for at all times. Sarah was available at all times by WhatsApp, usually within seconds. Bottom line, it was exemplary customer service and our entire family is greatly appreciative!

Activity Reviews

Privately guided walking tour of Korcula Town

Korčula

This was an informative tour that provided a lot of information about Korčula

Boating Excursion Around Korčula's Archipelago

Korčula

Well, if we have to give this a star, we can only give it one star… Because it never happened. This is because Fish and Fun, the boat run by captain Mario, did not have us scheduled on the correct day. Although Sarah did all she could to persuade him to accommodate us, it did not work out so we made other plans. Sarah did refund us the entire portion for this part of the excursion, and gave us a wonderful meal in Dubrovnik as compensation. So, for this portion of the trip, we give KimKim 5 stars, and Mario none. We also found another boat to take us to surrounding islands, so we were able to salvage part of the afternoon, albeit not on Fish and Fun.

Hvar - Cycling Through the Island + Local Product Tasting

Hvar

This was terrific. One of the highlights of the trip, if not the highlight. The biking through warm hillsides and scenic medieval coastal towns and forested Bayside paths was idyllic. We were picked up in Hvar town by Grigo, who told us a great deal about the history of Hvar and adventurous he and his family had taken. Winko met our family on the tour. He, too, was knowledgeable and informative. Then, we had a fantastic meal in the cellar - there was delicious cheese, charcuterie, and bread. Somehow we managed to leave without a couple bottles of wine!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Grigo and Winko were terrific

Transport

Door to door service

Dubrovnik Kayaking Adventure

Dubrovnik

This was a very nice activity. It was perhaps a little more strenuous than we thought it would be! Our group was led by Mario and Eddie. Eddie gave us useful tips about the island of Lokrum. We didn’t make it there, but maybe next time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

We had a terrific tour with Nadje. She was very knowledgeable and gave us such thorough overview of the history of Dubrovnik. We were all on little jetlagged, but she kept things interesting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing!
We used kimkim to book a family vacation (2 small kids, 5 and 8 years old) to Athens, Naxos, and Crete.

Thanos planned an amazing trip full of family fun excursions. We have always wanted to go to Greece, but with 2 small kids were concerned that the trip would not be as fun for the little ones. However, Thanos organized experiences that were super interesting and fun for the whole family. Additionally, he included some very touching surprises along the way that made you feel taken care of. He was available throughout the trip by whatsapp and helped when we had an issue with the ferry (The company changed the boat last minute without letting anyone know until it was time to board) and timing of an excursion and a last minute car rental.

Regarding the hotels, They were all good quality, comfortable, clean, and close to the city. The only one we did not love was the one in Athens as my husband is a light sleeper, we were on the 2nd floor, and there was a lot of noise from the city. However, it was a beautiful and super convenient, my kids and myself slept well, and other rooms may not have the same issue. Sweet Home Naxos was super cute. Hope, the lady running the hotel was so kind and generous. It was an apartment style and they brought a delicious breakfast to the suite every day. Aquila Atlantis was beautiful and the breakfast was great. We saw the pool and wished we had time to spend there. Civitel Akali was also beautiful and super clean and modern with a great breakfast. The pool was great after our daily excursions with a cocktail bar. It was a5 minute walk from the old town which was perfect so as not to be in the center of the madness. We had adjoining rooms linked by a door, which worked perfect for us.

Regarding the excursions, the guide for the Acropolis catered the site for the kids, while still explaining all the history and having graphics for the kids. Elizabeth, our guide in Naxos was super kind and thoughtful with the kids. The kids absolutely LOVED George and the donkey and archery farm. The kids thought this was the highlight of the trip. I think if anything, we would have liked more time at Knossos and the museum as it is so interesting. Yanis, the guide in Southern Crete and Paleochora, was great. He was full of facts and true love and pride for his country and makes you excited to see everything. The excursions with traditional lunches were amongst the best and coziest food we had on our trip.

The transfers were super convenient, and really took the stress out of the planning, knowing there was going to be someone there that would pick you up and drop you off at each location.

All in all, I highly recommend. we loved our trip and out amazing experience in Greece.

This was my first time using Kimkim and my experience was seamless. Eric truly put together an epic trip to Iceland. He was instantly on top of any request or issue we encountered during our travels. The driving itinerary was perfectly set up with choices to direct each day as we saw fit or as weather dictated. I feel like we didn’t miss any obscure destination which no matter how much I researched couldn’t have been found on my own.
So, thank you Kimkim and especially thank you Eric for making our trip amazing!
I might be your best advertising as I tell everyone about the service you offer!!
Thanks,
Mary

We appreciate all that Gummi did to insure a great experience. Communication & response to questions & requests was very good.
Thanks again

Activity Review

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wi-Fi included in rental made finding locations very easy

All of the drivers who picked us up were amazing and friendly. Ken, the coromandel boating captain was a pleasure and was definitely one of the best highlights of the trip. Eric from the Dunedin wildlife tours was also excellent, knowledgeable and friendly.

The NZ fine touring team were also fantastic. We had a few quirks pop up and I found the team to be very responsive and helpful. The itinerary was great.

This was my second experience booking through Kimkim and I definitely look forward to the third time!

Activity Reviews

All Blacks Rugby Experience

Auckland

It you’re a rugby fan it’s fantastic. If you’re not a rugby fan, it’s worth doing to get an understanding of how important the game is to New Zealanders. The history and cultural context outlined in the tour was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monarch Otago Peninsula Wildlife Tour & Penguin Place

Dunedin

Eric was great! He knew a lot about the wildlife and history of the area. He also has great driving skills and was more than capable at pointing out hard to spot wildlife as we went along.

Quality of Experience

We saw lots of birds and a sea lion! Getting to see the albatross and penguins on the separate stops was well worth it. The boat tour was fun despite intermittent rain and the occasional choppy sea.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable! I really enjoyed the whole day.

Transport

Visit the Te Papa Museum

Wellington

This was a must do and worth the hour and change to do it. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history and the items in the museum. It’s worth spending a whole day there but you will certainly get the highlights with additional insights.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was on time and answered a lot of questions. She provided a lot of context and history which made us appreciate the displays all the more.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cathedral Cove Classic Sea Kayak Tour

New Zealand

Ken is a treat! He proved to be knowledgeable, friendly and personable. I appreciated his jokes and insights of the area. I hope to go back one day and I hope I can catch another cruise with him.

Quality of Experience

We got very lucky with the weather and took full advantage of it. Saw a fur seal, lots of fish, a jelly fish and had crystal clear waters.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken is the best. He called to warn us about potentially poor weather but we got lucky. He was a lot of fun and while we certainly enjoyed the views, he made the trip a highlight for sure.

Transport

The boat was great and the wharf location made it easy to find and get to.

Kristy was the best. Our trip was 10/10 amazing and it wa sos challenging to plan. Every trabsfer, train ride, taxi, hotel and excursion that Kristy planned for us was excellent. So hard to accomplish with a family of 4 and yet she remained consistent and contactable the whole time. We love Kristy and would recommend her to any of our friends.

Jordan and Molly Safirstein

Private walking tour of Florence was amazing. We would not have had the same experience if we walked the city on our own. A private tour was great because we could chat and get to know our guide.

Visit Scotland…all of it :-)
I actually worked primarily with Neil who did an outstanding job in my option. His team also included Eva and Jane who were both quite helpful also. I have to say that our trip was very detailed traveling to 6 different location with activities at each. So probably 15 or more reservations that had to be correct and highly coordinated for our trip to go off without a hitch. Neil and team nailed it. I highly recommend KimKim for your traveling needs. Nice job Neil and Team. We thank you!

Hotel Reviews

The Roseate

Edinburgh

Very nice hotel and the experience was overall very nice. Make sure that you confirm which room you are getting as we had a bit of a rough start with room selection but the staff squared it away for us. Also know that you are about a 20 minute walk from the Royal mile. As we didn’t mind walking this was not an issue for us.

Rufflets St Andrews

St. Andrews

Wonderful hotel and highly recommended for your visit to St. Andrews. Also, catch a meal there if you don’t feel like coordinating dinner. Included breakfast was also very good. Nice job Rufflets.

Activity Reviews

Blair Atholl Castle Entrance tickets (Reopens 1st April)

Scotland

This was our favorite castle experience. Blair is not like Sterling or Edinburgh castles. It is more of a plantation property. However, the furnishings and grounds are amazing. I our opinion, it is a must see location.

Play Golf in St Andrews at either the Jubliee, Castle, Eden, New or Strathyrum courses

St Andrews

We played the Jubilee course. The experience was surreal to play on golf’s hallowed ground. If you are serious about golf…you MUST play here.

Private Guided Walk in Glencoe

Scotland

David was our guide and did an amazing job here. Highly recommended

St Andrews Walking Tour of the Old Course

St Andrews

If you are serious about golf. This is a MUST do. Golf’s hallowed ground must be seen and toured. Our guide was exceptional, and I wish we remembered his name to share with you.

Gustavo and Jessica were both wonderful to work with when planning my trip to Costa Rica. From beginning planning stages all the way to the end of my trip, they were there to help. I had many questions, concerns, changes and last minute requests that were all addressed with great satisfaction. Very pleasant to work with.

I was excited to not plan anything for once and have a trip planned for me. It was super easy to just tell Gustavo what I was generally looking for and him send me back a whole itinerary. I got to do a lot of fun things and see some cool stuff. Transfers, hotels, activities were all planned out.

My only feedback, which is more of a personal preference rather than a comment on the service, is that the trip was very tour and tourist oriented. I suppose I would have liked more suggestions for things to do that weren’t tied to a bigger tour group. Though I’m not sure if that exists in the areas I was in, especially La Fortuna, it did feel as though I was being shuttled from place to place with other crowds of people. I like to experience at least a little bit of the culture and country not tied to tourism but I do feel I missed a lot of that. However that is not something I mentioned before planning, I didn’t know enough to know what I didn’t know.

Overall great experience though

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Highlight of the trip! I wouldn’t have gone here without a tour guide, he truly made the experience worth the visit. The views of course were beautiful but we got to see a lot of different animals and nature with tons of information surrounding. Highly recommend this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Majid did an amazing job in putting together the perfect itinerary for the number of days we had and the budget we had. He and his team showed great hospitality and were a wealth of knowledge and great hosts. All the highlights were included on this trip, every experience was better than we could have imagined!

Hotel Reviews

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Oasis Camp Merzouga

Taouz

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was in the middle of the Sahara with beautiful views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chez Ichou

Dades Gorge

Beautiful hotel, with friendly and hospitable staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Absolutely gorgeous hotel and prime location in Marrakesh. Staff was very friendly and hospitable!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful architecture and decor. Very picturesque, like stepping into a magazine

Location

Close to the square

Staff

Very friendly and showed great hospitality

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to Marrakech via Aït Benhaddou, Argan Oil Cooperative

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Ouarzazate

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Ouarzazate: The Edge of the Sahara and Fossil Workshops

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your camp

Merzouga

Magical and surreal experience! Everyone involved made this a trip to remember!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boumalne Dades to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Tinerhir & Rissani

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech to Boumalne Dades via Ouarzazate

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable and made stops when we asked

Transport

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Saw all the highlights of Marrakesh

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer all questions and give a detailed explanation of the history

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Hit up all the local spots and tried all the local foods. Accommodating to our dietary restrictions

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of information on the history of food and when certain dishes are consumed, etc

Transport

Wonderful trip. Guide was outstanding. It was a real adventure. Extremely physically challenging, culturally fascinating, and gorgeous scenery. A few constructive comments: the list of needed supplies should remind folks that it can get very cold in the mountains. People think central America is hot. Not true at altitude after sunset. List should include a warm jacket. A long sleeve cycling shirt also essential to avoid excessive sun exposure. A real dry bag also necessary.

The E bike experiment was successful. As a fit 70 year old, I could not have done this trip without it. However, the heavier bike is hard on the brakes on the steep downhill, and my rear brake cable broke. Fortunately, this was near the end of the trip. If it had been mid trip, it would’ve been a disaster and dangerous. the repair kit needs to include a replacement brake cable.

Overall a wonderful experience and high praise to KimKim, old town, Chris, and particularly Papiano. He could not have been more attentive.

We had an amazing trip to Croatia. Nikola was wonderful to work with. He was so helpful and informative when we were planning the trip. We made multiple changes, added people at the last minute and everything went so smoothly. Once we arrived in Croatia Nikola was even more helpful, he helped us tweak some plans and when my friend left her computer on a catamaran he made sure she not only got it back but had it delivered to the hotel so we didn't miss our afternoon activity. Exceeded my expectations! The trip to Croatia was one of the best trips of our lives!

From the start to the finish we have had an amazing and very easy experience with Olman as our advisor and trip finalizer. We wanted to see and do as much as possible all within a budget and this was facilitated brilliantly.
All our accommodations were as we asked - safe and not luxury (although to be fair it was more luxury than we are accustomed to so a great surprise). Every thing ran so smoothly, every pick up, every tour, everything! Mawamba lodge in Totrtuguero - boat to get there, experience there all fantastic (not even Olman could have predicted quite how the strom on our first day would be) and our programme shifted to accomodate as much as we could despite lightning curtailing some of this adventure. Food here was lovely and the night turtle watching tour was an add on that was brilliant. Car hire pick up really smooth - great vehicle (although Alamo hired us a car that later was stopped by traffic police for not legal registration - not our fault and not our fine just a few hours wasted - not Olman's fault and KimKim helped in the communication issues around this). Azania Lodge in Port Veijo Talamanca - fantastic with Green and Black poison Dart frogs on the doorstep - literally and also a resident Sloth! Great tour to Cahuita and also Ganduca Manzanilla - we booked our own guide having realised how much we miss in a forest without a guide - would recommend this. Eating out here was our favorite place as the Carribean vibe was awesome, chilled and very low key. On to La Fortuna which seemed a large complex - we try to avoid crowds, BUT our cabin was back left and Giant Crested Currasows, humming birds, frogs, toucans and more graced our balcony view that was uninterrupted. - Here we would recommend Bogarin trail as a brilliant wildlife hike - night hike here was stunning. Monteverde next and an adventure to drive here as the roads deteriorated but great lace and again great zip wires and hanging bridges - up close and personal with snuffling Coati. Manuel Antonio was fab - busy but our pre arranged guide was excellent in the park taking us away from crowds where possible for a good view without tripod war! We also Parascended, took a surf lesson and had a night mangrove tour here - all on our day off - it was a great day off ! Then the amazing Drake Bay Wilderness Resort - car drop off, river boat from Sierpe- and then arrival to this wonderful place we would love to return to - wow great staff, fabulous food and most of all expreiences - a walk in Corcovade Natural Park with Daniel and then also a brilliant day Snorkelling with an incidental Humpback Whale en route to the site. Our return flight to San Jose and all pick ups and transfers were prompt, in really clean vehicles and we just felt so safe at all points. A massive thanks to the team who listened to our requests, answered promptly and allowed us to have a bespoke self drive experience that has certainly filled our memories with sites, smells, sounds and emotions for years to come - especially the sound track of the oceans and Dink frogs. Thankyou so much for everything, we would not hesitate in recommending this brilliant company. We are in the UK and hesitant but a little research showed this company to have good reviews in the US - We are so happy we went with them and not a UK based company doing less for our time and costing more. Thnakyou so much - Pura Vida

Hotel Reviews

Drake Bay Wilderness Resort

Drake

Wow what a jewel, in our top 2 - BUT the top one for the all round package. We left the best to last. Great cabins - very clean, super views across Drakes Bay. Tours exceptional lead by brilliant staff - even the bar staff looked for wild life to show us in the evenings - Green frog snake eating a frog was a highlight of the in site non formal sitings. BUT Daniel and Mauricio were great on tours to Corvovado and Isle de Cano. Boat drivers were excellent in choppy conditions and also very respectful when we met Humpbacked whales. All food and drink was stunning and we could not have asked for anything more. Every thin is thought of without being upmarket if that makes sense. Even on our departure a boat to our taxi had a wet landing so they had a bottle to rinse our feet and a towel to dry them off before getting in the taxi. We would love to go back...

Authenticity & Character

This place was full of happiness, smiles, staff who were casual and really helpful and friendly, even down to taking some photos and then whatsapping them to us. It says basic lodges on the shore and this is it - but why do you need more than basic when the experience you get is fabulous.

Location

Amazing for views, for tours to Corcovado, for tour to Isle de Cano, for feeling chilled and away from the main groups of tourists....we loved it.

Staff

So helpful, so informative, so engaging and most of all super super friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything from start to finish was brilliant. All kit was clearly cleaned and cared for so snorkelling kit was washed pre use, rooms cleaned daily, we truely loved this place.

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Our room was fantastic with pacific views. Great AC. This was certainly more upmarket than we are used to. Phoning for a lift to a restaurant is not what we are accustomed to! Or to getting food delivered from the restaurant to our room after a late night tour. In a good location 10 minutes chilled walk from the beach. More monkeys than people was a logo and a truth, lots of wildlife in the area around our cabin - we had a fabulous time here. While the area is touristy - more so than anywhere else we had been, the hotel is great because all cabins are spread out.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely place to chill, watch the see and enjoy the wildlife - as long as it is not your shoes the capuchins throw off the balcony!

Location

Great views, great surrounding trees and the wildlife living in it. A drive to the local town - all good and the town is not that lovely anyway.

Staff

Very friendly and really great help in liaising and using phones to help an issue with our hire car.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and very comfortable.

Hotel Cipreses

Monteverde

Was a simple room and fine for what we needed. Nothing flash and on the ground floor a lot of noise in the morning BUT that was the tour group also staying there and not the fault of the property. Suit cases wheeled by the window at 6am seemed a little loud!

Authenticity & Character

It was a safe clean stop over - all we need for this. Very efficinet laundry service at this point needed in our holiday.

Location

Good for trip to the cloud forest etc.. as it was first drop off etc at the end. 10 minute walk to town and a little longer back due to the hill. But all good.

Staff

Lovely and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No improvement but nothing special, safe, clean and fine.

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

This was a much bigger complex than we would have chosen complete with wrist band! BUT our cabin was in a great position and really enhanced our experience here - we had a lovely view from the back that had no cabins in....had we been in another area this would not have been the case. BUT we all gained a little digestive issue - so rather than finding a SODA in La Fortuna we ate in and the food was very nice and just what those who ate needed. Good hot tube - shame some people don't have the social skills to not have loud speakers in the pools but that is the fault of the tourist and not the venue. great position for a view of the volcano and also to get to the tour site.

Authenticity & Character

Our cabin was in a great situation and as such we had a great time and when in our cabin had great views from the back . Not sure how we would have felt not in the back row though.

Location

Good views of the volcano, 10 minute drive from La Fortuna, 15 minute drive from the Arenal Volcano park and hike.

Staff

Not really anything to improve, all good but no extra special feel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Azania Bungalows

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Our favorite place - well in the top 2- the situation, the vibe of the area, the wild life on site - Poison Dart Frogs, 3 Toed Sloth, Green Macaws, Agouti.... Despite heavy warnings of security for the area, it is clear that if you do not go out as a rich tourist, you do not court unwanted attention. Lovely cocktails changed daily for happy hour, fantastic tours of 2ereserves close by. In a way a shame it was so close to the start of out tour as we loved the area and the feel of this place.

Authenticity & Character

We just loved it all - the grounds, the room, the mezanine for 1 daughter, the animals....we loved it.

Location

400m from the surf....5 minutes drive from a very chilled and relaxed town with lots of food options - Chill and Cheese a great low key place.

Staff

Really helpful in all aspects.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautifully clean and really comfortable. Even the pool was spotless.

Mawamba Lodge

Tortuguero

Fantastic place with great facilities, food, tours on offer and staff. Only thing - if being incredibly picky was the very dark lighting in our room BUT that was a minute thing and really is of no consequence. Very clean, great pick up, as with all places great boat men and the turtle tour and lagoon tours were both really well managed and very much enjoyed. Food delicious and whilst off the same menu each day it was still hard to choose from what we had already eaten or trying a new dish. Location brilliant. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character

The sights and sounds of the wildlife everywhere, a dining room that you saw lots from, rooms with hammocks to swing in as the frogs and birds added to the ambience. Wow.

Location

Caribbean beach on one side, lagoon on the other what else would you ask for ?

Staff

Nothing too much trouble, all bilingual and so super friendly without being in your face.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I am sure some people would find something wrong but we asked for safe and this was safe, clean and we loved it. Fan worked well to lower the temperature, there were so many places to sit, chill, walk, wander, gaze, have a drink or just zone out.

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Very good place to be for the first and last night. A walk around the area was OK - the other end of Sabina Park would probably be better as behind this hotel were a lot of garages and opposite a very deserted building with broken glass etc.. The hotel itself lovely, good breakfast just situation could perhaps be better. BUT as we were hardly in San Jose we did not have the chance to get a good feel for the area really.

Authenticity & Character

Good over night, no more really.

Location

As per review - it didn't seem totally great area to walk around at dark - however we were not here for long at all and as such were not able to grasp a real feel for the area.

Staff

Nice and friendly and help ful as they semed to be everywhere.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice clean room

Activity Reviews

Isla del Caño Snorkeling Tour

Costa Rica

As with all aspects of Drake Bay Wilderness resort, this was a brilliant trip - well guided and stunning in our experience of turtle and a fabulous Humpback Whale siting - 10 minutes of mother and calf. The fish were mesmerising and very varied. Despite a big storm we were able to enjoy this experience a lot and visibility was good. Daniel, Mauricio and team were really helpful through out and all equipment super clean.

Quality of Experience

Just great from start to finish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really good and Daniel and Mauricio were supportive of all and really looked for the best sightings whilst seemingly having infinite lung capacity.

Transport

Great boatman in what was choppy at times. Always felt safe and boat was clean, comfortable and cheerful.

San Pedrillo Ranger Station Guided Hike

Costa Rica

When you see an anteater while drying your feet from getting off the transport it is a good omen! This was a great walk and we were actually taken to Sirena station deeper into the park which was fantastic. So much to see and hear. Daniel our guide was excellent and seeing Tapir was excellent near the end of our walk. All aspects were really enjoyed and standing and listenning to the sound of frogs mingling with howler monkey was magical. Peccaries foraging, primates, reptiles, birds all added to a day not to be forgotten. Even Humpback whales on the way and on the return.

Quality of Experience

Brilliant - from start to finish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent in all aspects

Transport

Boat transfers stunning.

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Really busy compared to all other sites we were on. The guide we had was great and despite the numbers of groups managed to evade much of the tripod wars going on for best sightings. Saw a number of new species, enjoyed lovely views and had a quick cool off in the sea half way around. Certainly a huge amount of people here compared to else where made this feel a little over crowded having enjoyed much quieter tours in the Caribbean area.

Quality of Experience

Good guide who acknowledged busy nature of area and tried to move out of this when we could.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

great knowledge and ability to spot even the smallest of creatures where others walked past.

Transport

Clean, safe and punctual.

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Whilst a real honey pot, this activity was so smooth and well run. All instructors at all points super efficient and friendly. Experience through the canopy was brilliant and we all loved it. Tarzan Swing fab, tandem zip lines great and then our daughters loved the superman. All in a fantastic location. Followed by a more serene but much enjoyed hanging bridge tour. With a guide we may have seen more but we had a magical Coati encounter on a path and actually it was great taking in the views we saw having been guided quite a lot already.

Quality of Experience

Just so well organised and run with no wasted waiting time

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Happy, fun, enthusiastic and super efficient / safe

Transport

Clean, safe and punctual.

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Really god tour - heart sank as loads of people were waiting but all sorted into small groups and as luck would have it ours was just the 4 of us. Great guide and despite similarities of species seen we heard now things about them. Also saw fire flies, a snail eating snake and a kinkajou which caused much excitement as it raced across the canopy. What was great was our guide also took us to a dark area, we switched off all lights and then witnesses phosphorescent fungi on tree roots. Guides worked together to share sightings, side striped viper, sloth all hidden high up but all shared and seen.

Quality of Experience

Great and much enjoyed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good guide, went a little off the beaten track for quieter sightings where he had experienced animals the previous day as well.

Transport

Loved our hire car

Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

The butterfly garden was really good as were sightings of frog - our first ones. BUT this garden seemed a little over managed really - compared to others, water features etc.. are not natural.. We had a good guide but it certainly was not a 3 hour trip - well it was when we re walked it on our own. Possibly the least impressive of all our activities.

Quality of Experience

It was really not the best of experiences, great frog sitings and butterfly garden good but it did feel more managed than natural.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good guide- very infromative.

Transport

Self driven

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

What a walk, what views and a great guide. "Mummy Nature is amazing" was the mantra of franklin. This was a great walk through the volcanic area where we were taught about the geology - pictures drawn on the floor by Franklin that the photos of will be used in our lessons in the UK. Great botanical knowledge and we smelt so many leaves and fruits and heard what they were for. Really was a great and well informed walk.

Quality of Experience

All round a great walk, great guide, great area and great experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Franklin the guide was like a favorite uncle! Really informative, fun and full of knowledge about the area. Also great for the right place to take the right photo. Smelling natural citrionella among a myriad of plant aromats was great and Franklin made this walk really very much more than just a walk.

Transport

Good, clean and safe.

Guided Hike in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Great guide and we saw so much and realised how much you need a guide to maximise what you see. Sloth, various snake species, many reptiles, primates all seen and explained really well by our guide. Great walk, lovely cool of in the sea half way around. Really good experience.

Quality of Experience

Lots of great sightings and not over busy.

Food

We had a pineapple - as always seems to be the case but this was eaten rather like tequila and as such was sprinkled with salt and lime juice - lovely.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good guide - not in a rush and had an amazing eye for spotting both the great and the small.

Transport

Good comfortable pick up on time and clean.

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Really loved this place. Great night tour to see turtles - saw 6 which was really special - 1 was awesome. This was an exciting night of moving through bush and beach fast, following red lights and seeing an incredible event all in highly regulated circumstances.

Quality of Experience

Simply awesome

Food

the hotel had great food - the turtle tour had none.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide - we just need to learn a little more Spanish but that is our fault.

Transport

More great boatmanship

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Good coach pick up and excelent transfer to boat and boat trip to Mawamba Lodge. Breakfast en route also lovely. All good

Quality of Experience

All smooth and boat transfer was really good with added wildlife spots on the way,.

Food

A first lovely breakfast.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent drivers of all sorts and the staff wild life spotting en route excellent.

Transport

All great, clean and safe.

We had an awesome time on the Ring Road! Francesca made a great itinerary for us, with a great mix of hikes, scenic stops, and cool towns. The logistics of the rental car and all of the great lodgings couldn’t have been better! It was very relaxing to know that so many highlights had been organized for us.

We just finished a ten day family trip to Italy. The 10 of us could not be any happier or satisfied from our experience. From the first days in Venice, then to Florence, and down to Sorrento, and finishing in Rome. Just wow. Every city brought to it, it's own beauty and character. Team Kimkim did an absolutely awesome job in every facet. Through booking and scheduling our tours, and trains to recommendations, and having everything so perfectly timed out. Any questions we had were answered almost immediately. We had so many great tour guides from Marica on our tour in Florence, from Umberto in Pompeii, to Jess our chef in Rome( who taught us all the perfect pasta and Tiramisu), to Barbara who led us so professionally through The Vatican and Sistine Chapel. I will most assuredly use Kimkim for future travel. Cecilia was our main contact through out the planning process and she went above and beyond. She matched everything we requested perfectly. She was incredible. I look forward to our next adventure and I will no doubt look to Kim Kim first. Thanks so much. The Smith Family

Hotel Reviews

The Republic

Roma

Very nice Hotel in a very convenient location. Staff was excellent. Could not have asked for a better experience. It helped create a home like feel while walking the streets of Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Tonnarella

Sorrento

Speechless. The views are infinite. The staff very helpful. The town was spectacular. Just an amazing place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Roma

Florence

Great Location, Incredible Staff, Lovely comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liassidi Palace

VENEZIA

Excellent. Great location. Friendly Staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private tour of Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peters Basilica

Rome

Our tour guide Barbara was amazing and just so knowledgeable. Honestly without her it just would not have been the same.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pasta and Tiramisù lovers workshop

Rome

Chef Jess was the best. What a great time with family. A must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii Excavations half-day Tour

Italy

Umberto was so passionate and knowledgeable. The tour was very moving

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SMALL GROUP TUSCANY WINE AND OLIVE OIL TOUR

Florence

Just Incredible. A must do for sure. Antonia was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murano, Burano and Torcello Excursion

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family trip to the Tayrona and The Sierra area near Santa Marta was memorable. Erik Ramirez our guide was terrific. His knowledge of flora, fauna, animals and archeology was superb and he maintained the children’s attention with his information. All three adventures were fantastic but Tayronaka and the inner tube floating experience down the Don Diego River left a special place in our heart. We are still waiting for the photos that Erik promised us.

In Cartagena Jose Miguel was fantastic. The temperature was quite high and he made sure to keep us cool and entertained. He was also very knowledgeable . Most memorable for both children and adults was the music and drum workshop at La Boquilla

Overall we were very happy with our guides and experience.s…Transportation to all locations was very comfortable with luxury air conditioned vans….Thank you Kim Kim, Felipe, Erik and Jose Miguel and all of the drivers and guides for a truly memorable experience.

Kimkim is a great idea overall, but could use some improvements. Adam and his team were a pleasure to work with. Their communication was very prompt and they were patient as I went back and forth with them on our itinerary. I really appreciated them wanting to keep the quality of our experiences top notch, even removing one from my itinerary and crediting me when they couldn’t confirm the guide they recommended was available. All our experiences booked by Kimkim were amazing and I would continue to use their service. I would say Kimkim could improve their service by offering an assortment of different activities with clear pricing so we could easily pick and choose which look the most interesting (like ordering off a menu at a restaurant). It wasn’t clear to me what the cost was of each of my activities unless I specifically asked which seems like wasteful communications going back and forth.

Activity Reviews

Private Half-Day Highlights Walk

Lisbon

Good way to see some of the sights around Lisbon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andre was hugely knowledgeable and helped us learn a lot about Lisbon history.

Transport

Toledo Family Experience & Sword-Making Workshop

Madrid

This was more like a 90 minute activity and we never took a full dagger home. It’s not like we needed one but that was a bit misleading based on the description. This was def something different than the normal activity so we really enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide was helpful in dropping us off to get into city center.

Flamenco & Tapas Night

Madrid

This was my personal favorite…it was a perfect mix of food, drink and show. Lisa was an amazing guide and I hope you continue to use her.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

L More walking than I expected

Gummi is the bomb!! He was truly excellent in every way: organized, planned exactly the type of trip that we asked him to plan. He was available when we needed him and always replied very quickly when we visited Iceland! Couldn't have asked for a better experience.