Kimkim Trip Reviews

Tricia did an awesome job. And the whole team was available when a mud slide meant that we had to take a ferry rather than get picked up. We especially loved our day spent kayaking, hiking and rappelling in Lofoton and our glacier hike in Tromso. Both were EPIC!

Activity Review

Full day Combo Tour: Kayak, Trek and Rappel

Norway

EPIC!!!! Guide was awesome. Great group of 8. Kayaked to a beautiful island, had a bbq before hiking up to a cliff which we the rappelled down! Then hiked some more and rappelled again. Awesome!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our local South African specialist, Petru, organized a wonderful trip for us to Cape Town and Greater Kruger that ranks amongst our most memorable experiences. Jimmy, our local guide in Cape Town (Paradise Touring), was welcoming and kind, with a warm, energetic, and enthusiastic personality, and had deep knowledge about life and history in Cape Town and South Africa. He made sure that our experience was top-notch, and we recommend him highly to any future travelers to the Cape Town area. We visited the city of Cape Town, went to the the top of Table Mountain via cable car, visited Robben Island, and toured the Cape Peninsula all the way to the Cape of Good Hope. The beautiful scenery that we saw in the city and during our Cape Peninsula tour will always remain in our minds.

We then took a short flight and visited a private reserve (Timbavati) in the Mpumalanga area, just outside of Kruger National Park. Our transfers to and from the reserve were seamless, and the accommodations at the camp impeccable. During our stay, our safari guide Christian and wildlife tracker Temba ensured that we were able to fully experience the breadth of amazing wildlife and the natural environment of the reserve, and made an extra effort to find animals that we were interested in viewing. We were very fortunate to see 4 of the "Big 5" on our trip, in addition to numerous other animals, including a pair of cheetah.

We would highly recommend Petru and the Kimkim service for any travelers wishing to experience the highlights of South Africa. Their ability to create a personalized itinerary for all budget ranges, with convenient communication and payment options, makes them one of the top choices for booking international travel. Based on this experience, we plan to use Kimkim for other future travel plans.

Hotel Reviews

Bateleur Safari Camp

Hoedspruit

Travelers looking for an experience that is rustic yet luxurious will enjoy this camp quite a bit. With a commitment to green and sustainable living, the camp is off the electric grid, and generates all its energy through solar panels. A local underground water source ensures a fresh supply of mineral water that is regularly quality tested and safe to drink directly from the tap. While an electric fence keeps out elephants, all other animals regularly visit and walk through the camp (including a resident group of Nyala; hyenas are also common). All meals are provided, with a large variety of fresh options for breakfast, and a 3-course dinner meal each night. Visitors returning from an afternoon game drive can enjoy a warm campfire with beverages prior to dinner. Lodges are well furnished, with luxurious beds and furniture.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portswood Hotel V&A

Cape Town

Excellent hotel, conveniently located within walking distance of most shops and restaurants at the V&A Waterfront, with nice views of Table Mountain depending on room. Room accommodations are top-notch, and are on par with other 4-star hotels. Breakfast consists of a variety of hot and continental options, including hash browns, sausage, baked beans, cereals, yogurts, tea, and coffee, and a large variety of fresh fruit. Eggs can be made to order as well. The hotel restaurant is also quite nice, with a wide variety of food options, and dinner meals can be enjoyed in the convenience of one's room or in the dining area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to V&A Waterfront, with amazing views of Table Mountain.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Final Morning Game Drive

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (excluding lunch)

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day City, Table Mountain & Robben Island Tour

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jesus of Peruvian Soul helped us plan an unforgettable adventure. Visiting the Larco Museum with our guide Blanca was an excellent introduction to Inca and pre Inca civilizations that helped provide context to many of the archeological sites we saw in the sacred valley and Cusco.

Boris, ourRainforest expeditions guide, at the Tambopata reserve was excellent. He had so much knowledge of the flora and fauna of the area. We loved seeing the macaws at the clay lick . It was well worth the 4:30am wake up! While on a day hike we had the privilege of seeing howler, spider, cappuccino and squirrel monkeys, trumpeter birds, many different ants, giant and unique trees.

Our time in Machu Picchu was spectacular and enhanced many fold by our wonderful guide Danny. He had so much information on Inca civilization and was able to provide much needed context for us. He was patient and helpful as we hiked the short Inca trail for over 6 hours. Our day at the citadel was full of facts and anecdotes about the city. Our day biking and seeing the countryside as well as the salt mines was terrific.
Our guide jimmy made certain we were happy and safe.

Our last day we visited a llama & Alpaca farm with Danny, which I loved. We learned about alpaca wool and purchased some lovely things. Danny also took us to a place to have typical chiccerones for lunch.

It was a spectacular trip .

Our driver Mohamed was amazing, and the accommodation and experiences were good. We found the Moroccan people to be very friendly and services generally to be great. Morocco is a land of rich culture and contrasts, and I think having an organized tour makes it easier to access the sights, and the best on offer. Some language barriers and cultural challenges make it difficult to be exactly what you expect, but expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride!

Hotel Review

Dar Al Madina Al Kadima

Fès

This Riad was so lovingly restored and the staff were fabulous - also in a great location not too far into the Medina . Stunning traditional stay - very small Riad.

Authenticity & Character

Stunning details, clean and great personalized service

Location

Accessible from outside the medina but still had the feel of the old city

Staff

Mohamed and Abdul

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

We had no experience of this type of Hammam- so we’re surprised by the experience but found it relaxing and a bit mysterious. The massage was superb. Would definitely recommend

Quality of Experience

The whole experience was invigorating

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their quiet professional service and care

Transport

Own driver for whole trip

Aït Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi n'Tichka Pass & the High Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Beautiful rugged scenery

Quality of Experience

Nature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride and Overnight in the Desert via Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt & Erfoud

Morocco

The camel ride through the desert was beautiful and the staff were engaging and fun!

Quality of Experience

Natural beauty and enthusiastic staff

Food

All tasty typical Moroccan cuisine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their enthusiasm and humour

Transport

The camels are stunning creatures with individual personalities

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

This was fabulous- our guide was extremely knowledgeable and all the places we visited were very interesting- even though it was 46 degrees!! The shady Medina with its maze of lame ways would be daunting without a guide. Our guide was aware of our pace and paused so we could take in various aspects of our journey, and knew so much about all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Fes, Volubilis & Meknes

Morocco

The scenery is fantastic, the high temperatures of July made the sightseeing a bit challenging , however and we found Volubilis neglected and a bit disappointing.

Afternoon Guided Tour in Chefchaouen

Morocco

Whilst interesting, we would have welcomed a more informed guide

Quality of Experience

The guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

More informed guide

Transport

Our driver was with us for the whole trip and nothing was a drama. He also knew a lot about Morocco History and culture so was informative as well as helpful

Great hotels! First hike in Puerto Viejo wasn’t the greatest. There was a lack of communication with how much time it would take. We were under the impression that it would be 3 hours, ended up being closer to 7 hours.
-sky adventures was amazing! So structured and well planned out.
-Olman did a great job changing our itinerary after we had to shorten our trip due to flight cancellations. I do feel that we ended up paying more for less. Originally we were going for 7 days. Ended up going for 5 and paid more, 1 less activity, no airport transfer between cities, and we paid more.

Our trip to Greece was amazing!!! Everything was taken care of, I didn’t have to research or book anything except for our flights. Hotels were in awesome locations. All transfers were on time and friendly. We had 24 hour concierge using what’s app. Can’t say enough good things. We will use kimkim again.

Helena was an outstanding partner in helping us curate a customized itinerary for our first trip to Spain. It balanced history, culture, excursions and also free time for our families. All the tours and guide trips she picked were extremely professional. Even during the trip she was very hands on and responsive to all our needs. I highly recommend Kimkim!

Activity Review

Explore Costa Brava: Kayaking, Snorkeling & Scenic Coastal Walks

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planned an amazing trip where the days we played golf our wife’s had wonderful options. Hotels, tours, travel routes second to none. Communicated daily with us. If questions arose responded quickly, with knowledgeable answers. Hotels unbelievable. Suggested numerous local spots that gave you that local charm. Did an AMAZING job. We will use him again!!

Francesca and her collegues did a great job! Francesca had so many great sites for us to visit. It was a lot packed in to a 10 day trip, but so worth it. We had great weather the entire time we were there. Sunny but windy at times. I've never seen so many waterfalls in one place! The towering cliffs and mountain views are just unbelievable! My kids loved Selijalandsfoss. They walked behind the waterfall and got soaked, but both said it was worth it! Bruarfoss was absolutely stunning and an easy, short walk from the parking lot. A must stop! My favorite place was the quaint, charming town of Heimaey on the Westman Islands. Especially visiting the puffin colony. We spent just one night there and wish we had more time. The Katla ice cave was spectacular but not for the faint of heart. I felt safe but if you have a fear of heights, it might be tough. Another favorite of ours was Diamond Beach and the Fjallsarlon area. I've never seen so many icebergs! Reykjavik City is a great place to walk around and try local cuisine. We all felt very safe there.
As far as the touristy, Blue Lagoon...we did that right off the plane when we arrived in Iceland. It was a great relaxing experience but later in our trip we did Sky Lagoon on our own and liked it much better. Smaller yet less touristy of a feel and overlooked the ocean, where we could see the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano in the distance. How lucky were we to be there when the volcano erupted?! Something my kids will always remember. While we weren't prepared for the very long hike to the volcano site and we couldn't secure a helicopter trip, it was still awesome to be there at the time. I had some concerns the days leading up to the eruption, but Francesca assured me we would be safe and provided a website to follow for updates and warnings that may be issued. Overall I can't say enough about the trip. It was a great experience and well planned. Iceland is truly a beautiful place. I hope to return some day to visit the North.

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

American travelers must remember if traveling in the summer, while Icelands summers are cool compared to US, there's no A/C and the rooms get warm. Luckily the windows open!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Núpar

Kálfafell

American travelers must remember if traveling in the summer, while Icelands summers are cool compared to US, there's no A/C and the rooms get warm. Luckily the windows open!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Overlooks the glacier.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Guesthouse Hamar

Vestmannaeyjar

American travelers must remember if traveling in the summer, while Icelands summers are cool compared to US, there's no A/C and the rooms get warm. Luckily the windows open!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Skalholt

Selfoss

American travelers must remember if traveling in the summer, while Icelands summers are cool compared to US, there's no A/C and the rooms get warm. Luckily the windows open!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hellnafell

Grundarfjordur

Very clean and great views of Kirkjufell Mountain.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Reykjavík Classic Whale Watching

Reykjavík

It was very choppy seas. Apparently, the day before was also choppy. We saw no whales and many suffered from sea sickness. I wish the tour company Elding, would have canceled. They most likely knew we wouldn't see whales in those conditions. It was a little disappointing that we went out in such rough conditions for 3 hrs. I understand that there's no guarantee, in any conditions, but this tour should have been canceled and refunded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The capt was very informative about the whales and ocean.

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Very cool experience. If you are afraid of heights, this might not be for you. While it's not crazy high, two people in our tour had problems and turned back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The super jeep that took us out to the cave was a fun experience.

Fly Fishing in Golden Circle

Golden Circle

A great experience! We were new tonfly fishing but got the hang of it pretty quickly. Three out of six people in our group caught fish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maria and Freddy were great. Even when we tangled the line for the 100th time!

Vatnshellir lava cave tour

Iceland

Quick lava cave experience and educational. Two sets of spiral staircases to go up and down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Very relaxing after the flight from the US.

Quality of Experience

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

We opted to skip this lagoon due to it being very small and crowded.

Our trip was amazing! One of the best things about the trip was how smooth the transportation went and how close the hotels were to public transportation. This allowed us to maximize our time at each destination. All the guides were prompt and very informative. They went out of their way to help us find the best local restaurants for our meals. The people were extremely friendly and all the views were spectacular! If you haven’t visited a Scandinavian country put it on your bucket list!

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

The hotel has a very interesting location connected to the train station and also part of a mall. Location is very convenient! Staff was very helpful!

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is very modern.

Location

Convenient to transportation and in the heart of the city.

Staff

This hotel had plenty of staff and they were very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel maximizes the space it has.

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

This is a wonderful hotel. The accommodations were perfect complete with a balcony for optimum views. The restaurants in the hotel were very good. There is plenty of outside seating at the hotel to enjoy all the views of the Sognefjord. I hope to come back….

Authenticity & Character

The hotel has been around for hundreds of years. The furnishings and pictures were amazing!

Location

Convenience to the ferry and the wonderful views it has to offer.

Staff

Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are clean and very well laid out to maximize space and comfort.

Activity Reviews

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

This was one of my favorite activities. It is a family run cider house that was started by his grandfather. Everything was interesting from how they grow the apple trees to how they pair the cider with food.

Quality of Experience

The amazing thing was how much the taste of the cider changed with the food pairings.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The love for what they are doing!

Kayaking Tour

Balestrand

Our guide was very patient and helped everyone have a good time. Our group was very large with different skill levels.

Quality of Experience

Our guide did a great job lining up the kayaks for fun group pictures.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very laid back and took many fun pictures .

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Bjorn was very knowledgeable. He did not overload us with facts and threw in some amusing stories.

Quality of Experience

Guide did a great job getting us on and off transport so we were able to move around quickly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide went out of his way to show us good lunch and dinner spots!

Transport

Our guide was an expert on all the “ways” to get around the city.

Private tour Copenhagen walking tour

Copenhagen

Ilsa was a wealth of knowledge. She knew so many “folklore” stories! Put on your walking shoes because there is much to see and much ground to cover.

Quality of Experience

Guides knowledge and willing to work with us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We arrived late and she was able to accommodate us.

Organisation and booking of the trip through Kimkim and the help of Stephania was easy and straight forward. Kimkim gives you the flexibility to personalise our trip and leave out activities that are either too expensive or not interesting to us.

We went on a 10 day trip to florence, tuscany and the italian riveria. Our favourite stay was in the bed and breakfast in tuscany at Villa di Capovento where the couple that runs the place prepares the best food we had during our trip, the house and surrounding environment was also so peaceful and I am so glad we got to experience their hospitality.

We were fortunate to also stay in Camogli, a small town along the italian riveria. Although this is not part of Cinque terre - we were honestly quite glad that we were booked to stay there instead. Cinque terre is a must visit but I will not recommend staying there as it is filled with tourist. Camgoli on the other hand has nice beaches and was a train ride away from St Margarita and Portofino which was worth a day visit each.

The only down side to our trip was the advice that we got from Kimkim on self driving in Italy . I felt that more local information could have been shared about the difficulty of driving around the italian riveria as we ended up just parking our rental car in Camogli for 2-3 days and taking the train around instead due to the extremely small roads and most roads were also not accessible to rental cars during the day. We only know about this when we arrived and was advised by the hotel staff and our guide when we were visiting Cinque terre. If this information was known beforehand, we could have saved a few days of car rental cost and take a train down from Florence instead.

Kimkim is unable to help you book your rental car, and in italy the other issue is car parking along the italian riveria is very limited - this also has to be booked in advance.

Dimos was awesome to work with. The cooking class and food tour were amazing! Could not have had such an amazing time without the knowledge and planning Dimos put into our trip. Will definitely be using this service in the future!

Overall our trip was a fabulous experience. We had some wonderful interactions with local people, some fantastic accommodation and the National Parks were some of the best I have ever seen.

Highlights: Tortegeuro eco lodge (guide Oliver was funny, informative and well organised). The lodge was in an
incredible location and the wildlife was amazing
La Fortuna thermal pools and walk to the volcano (also a great guide with very good local knowledge)
Horseback ride Tamarindo through the forest and on to the beach was lovely and the beaches were beautiful
Zip lining and Cloud Forest walk Monte Verde (incredible being above and amongst the rainforest canopy).
Manuel Antonia national park walk (guide Roy was brilliant and the wildlife was incredible)
Corocavardo national park walk (again amazing flora and fauna and wildlife)

Disappointments: Whale and dolphin watching when there were no whales or dolphins and were never going to be at
the time of year. (would have like to see the famous waterfall near here instead if we were going to be
in Domincal)
Snorkeling from Tamarindo pretty much nonexistent
Danaus park night walk ( saw one frog and the guide was on his phone most of the time)
Snorkel at Cano Island the guide took amazing underwater videos of the sharks and turtles and
promised to send on whatsap but never did

Some really big issues were the lack of information on our itinerary. We often found that we didn't have any information about what we were doing, time frames for trips and what exactly was included in the day.

The hire car company Mapache was dreadful: we were given a very old front wheel drive tiny vehicle when we had booked a 4 wheel drive larger vehicle and on several occasions this vehicle was dangerous and inadequate for our trip. We were told to leave the vehicle full of petrol at the drop off and spot and when we arrived on empty there were no petrol stations for 25K so we had to hand fill our car from plastic drums and only out of the kindness of a local was this possible. Also we were not given any maps and the car had no navigation system so we took a lot of wrong turns.

We would definitely recommend Costa Rica as a fun, fabulous travel destination. Our trip covered a lot a beautiful areas and we found the local people helpful and interesting. Self drive was easy and gerat to be able to stop wherever we wanted.

We truly had an epic trip to Spain! Many thanks to Yuri and Adam for all of their help to coordinating this for us as the trip was fantastic! For the transfers, with the exception of the pick up from Madrid hotel to Madrid train station, all of the transfers were seamless. With the above mentioned transfer, the driver did his best to resolve and thankfully did get us to the station in time for our train to Seville. For the hotels, we were pleased with all of our selections and only had one concern which I can detail related to Madrid. Aside from that, the stays were outstanding! For the yours planned via KimKim, the Tuk Tuk in Madrid was great fun, the private visit to Alcazar and Sevilla Cathedral in Sevilla was out of this world amazing, the boat/walk/hike/kayak in Tossa was wonderful, the private Gaudi tour of Park Guell, Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo was outstanding and the Hot air balloon in Barcelona was awesome!

Hotel Reviews

Gallery Hotel

Barcelona

We stayed at this amazing hotel for 6 nights, and it was absolutely perfect!! The location is perfect right off beautiful and luxurious Passeig de Gràcia neighborhood with easy access to 2 metro stations. The neighborhood is super safe, surrounded by trees and cute cafes and shops. We loved visiting La Rambla, El Born and the Gothic quarter but were so thankful to be able to stay at the Gallery given its calm and relaxing environment. This hotel is the perfect site as it is so close by to Casa Milà, Casa Batlló and Casa Vicens! The standard rooms were super spacious, comfortable and most importantly safe and quiet. This hotel also has a neat rooftop bar and refreshing swimming pool. They also provide complimentary pool towels which is not standard everywhere which was a very nice touch. Despite being in the middle of everything, this hotel gave the vibes of being home. The absolute very BEST part of this hotel is the people who work there. They were genuinely happy to help in any way they could help, were engaging, responsive and always kept our comfort in mind. I have to give some special shout outs to the following individuals- Ruben, Aaron, Roberta, Ernesto, Rosanna, Auria, James, Falcon and Mateo. Aaron and Ruben checked us in and went out of their way to ensure we had all the info we needs, arranged taxis for us, advised on us on the most cost efficient ways to travel and see the various sites and suggested great eateries. Aaron answered questions ( despite me asking several times LOL) and did it with kindness. Ruben even arranged a picnic breakfast for our family as we had a 6a excursion without me even asking once he heard we needed a taxi at that time. That was beyond kind and so deeply appreciated. Auria helped us figure out the best way to visit Sitges which was beautiful by the way and is a must do if you are seeking a tranquil beach day! Ernesto was so friendly too! We had daily breakfast included in our stay and the food was fresh and delicious! The whole team led by Francesco were amazing! Everything was so clean and organized and it was just the best way to start the long days! They even gave us to go cups with the coffee beverage of our choice which was so nice! Staying at the Gallery was like staying home and we absolutely would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Reymar

Tossa de Mar

We spent 3 nights at this hotel! The location is wonderful and absolutely gorgeous across the street from Platja Mar Menuda. Our family had rooms with sea views. The rooms were modern. There is no ability to adjust the air conditioning which was not ideal but thankfully it was not too hot outside when we were there so keeping the blinds closed while we were out helped. Check in was super easy and the staff were terrific! We har a car and parking is a bit steep at 20 euros per day though it was unlimited valet in and out and the valet staff were excellent! The buffet breakfast was not the best and had very limited warm food options. It was also the same all 3 days which was not as great compared to the other hotels we stayed in during the course of our trip throughout Spain. The pool was nice but towels are not complimentary. Thankfully we brought our own. All in all, it was a very good stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

This hotel is not just a hotel, it is an amazing experience!! The location is excellent, literally a 5 minute walk to to the Cathedral of Seville and the Alcazar surrounded by so many tapas restaurants and shops. Despite the hustle and bustle, once you enter the hotel, it’s an oasis of calm and zen. The reception front desk team was beyond amazing! Special shout outs to Alberto, Leo, Julio and Rosa! The rooms ( patio rooms) were gorgeous and well appointed. The beds were super comfortable and the air conditioning worked without any issues. The hotel provides ice cold water as complimentary which was beyond amazing given the heat of Sevilla! Breakfast buffet was fresh and delicious with excellent service and their daily tea time/ merienda was phenomenal! The rooftop pool was terrific and had stunning views of the Giralda, Cathedral and Sevilla! Our family had the best time here and cannot wait to return!! Thank you Hotel Casa 1800!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments - Madrid Suites

Madrid

We spent 2 nights here in the 2 bedroom apartment. Pros: - check in was super easy and staff was amazing! - they gave us lockers to store luggage give we arrived at 9a - apartment was well appointed , clean and gorgeous with washer/dryer combo and full kitchen - beds were super comfy - location was safe and close to 24 hour bakery La Dona which was fantastic especially given that there was no breakfast included Cons: - major con is the noise at night - our unit faced the main street and so it was continual noise all night long

Authenticity & Character

the hotel room was designed to be very modern/sleek/chic and trendy. So it was authentic to match that vibe. The unt was beautiful, but unfortunately had poor insulation to external noise.

Location

the hotel is pretty close to everything with easy access to taxis.

Staff

WOW!! the staff was terrific in all ways! They stored our luggage, gave us great tips, helped arrange taxis and were all around terrific!

Cleanliness & Comfort

spacious and super comfortable. Only negative was the noise at night.

Activity Reviews

Private Visit to Seville’s Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Barbara was an awesome tour guide! She was engaging, brilliant and lovely! My family had a blast! Many thanks to Barbara and her boss Matias for a truly wonderful tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

Hector took us on the best Tuk Tuk Tour and also took us to spots where we could get the best pics! It was a terrific activity to do on our 1st day in Spain and really helped to lessen jet lag!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot-Air Balloon Ride

Barcelona

This excursion was coordinated SO SEAMLESSLY and was absolutely excellent! The driver was timely and terrific and our Pilot Nico was engaging and wonderful. We were able to have a light breakfast pre-flight and then had snacks post flight which was nice. The hot air balloon experience was exhilarating and the views were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Extended Family-Friendly Gaudí Tour

Barcelona

This tour with Miguel was outstanding!! We toured Park Guell, Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo and it was amazing! Miguel was very family friendly and kept the family engaged the whole time with stories, history and fun facts. The tour did not feel rushed in any way which was terrific! We had time to stop for a quick lunch which was great given the duration of the tour. Miguel also gave us great suggestions on where to eat locally and he was spot on as we ate quite well affordably as well!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boating, Hiking & Kayaking in Tossa de Mar

Costa Brava

This tour with Ana and Theo was terrific!! Ana gave us a great tour of Villa Velle and the " castle" . The glass bottom boat was short but fun. Theo led us on a terrific hike from Cala Pola to Cala Bona. At Cala Bona, we did kayaking after a small breakfast of pastry and juice which was super fun!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A wonderful family trip of a lifetime! Veronica was incredibly knowledgeable and customized our trip perfectly for our family of 7: four boys ages 17-27 and a girlfriend. We didn’t need her help while there because everything was great, but she was completely available if needed. Highlights included horseback riding, zip-lining, the waterfall hike, a cooking class, a night hike, and a catamaran cruise. The people were lovely, and the guides always on time and so kind and helpful, including the one who was waiting for us in the middle of the night with a smile and cooler of drinks after an 8-hr flight delay. I would definitely use KimKim for future trips and Veronica if I return to Costa Rica.

Sarah was so amazing!!! She was helpful, patient, flexible and made perfect recommendations and chose great tour guides and drivers. We had a busy and complicated trip with a lot of moving pieces and absolutely everything went perfectly! Book with Sarah! No question!

Hotel Review

Amadria Park Hotel Capital

Zagreb

Lovely hotel in beautiful area! The bar and restaurant was great. Checkin could have been a little better and friendlier but bartender made up for it! Room on the corner was awesome!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful

Location

Close to square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Book corner!!!

Activity Reviews

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

This tour guide was nice but not a lot covered on the tour.

Quality of Experience

It was the least informative and comprehensive of our tours. Going inside the walls and museums would be great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Caves & Beaches of Vis Island by boat

Croatia

This was really a fabulous day! JOSKO was a great captain and was flexible and told his own stories.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

Our guide was terrific! We had explored the day before so she was super flexible and showed us all new things! Terrific tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanos was awesome working with me to schedule a 12 day trip to Athens and three islands. He even suggested meeting us for coffee in Athens at the beginning of our trip, which was a blast. He quickly answered all my questions before and daily throughout the trip. One big hiccup on the trip was a last second canceled sailing trip due to unsafe winds; he hopped on that immediately for 30 minutes to come up with an alternative adventure. He truly wanted us to love our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Elia Zampeliou Hotel

Chania

Incredible hotel and room. Lobby 5-star elegant. Apparently we were in the nicest room (#7) as every staff member commented “oh you are in our best room”…for good reason. The room was beautiful. Balcony overlooking the port and breathtaking views. Staff incredibly nice. Hotel in the middle of everything so it was so easy to go to anything we wanted. Such a wonderful neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

5-star elegant

Location

Breathtaking view from balcony and right in the middle of the activity.

Staff

Each staff person so nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed very comfortable. Shower amazing.

Veneziano Boutique Hotel

Heraklion Crete

Area of hotel covered in graffiti and felt unsafe. Ad for “adult shop” on building across from entrance. No staff to greet us when we arrived at 5pm since they leave at 3pm. Keys in lockbox. Lobby had junk on side as you entered; rest of lobby was very cute with great Italian vibe. Railing to our room accessible from lobby was broken (ie dangerous). Room was very basic. Bathroom seemed recently remodeled. No blow dryer as advertised. Breakfast in morning was excellent and staff at breakfast was nice. Door to lobby opened during breakfast. Because directly at street, it was noisy and could smell car fumes. Two minute walk away was an amazing neighborhood. We decided to venture out even though we were very nervous about location as we needed dinner. Loved that area but from the looks of the hotel, you would have no idea it was so close.

Authenticity & Character

Cute Italian vibe in lobby where you eat breakfast

Location

Staff

Longer staff hours.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Remodel room. Fix railing. Clean up lobby entrance area.

Blue Dolphins Hotels & Villas

Firostefani, Santorini

Hotel is absolutely beautiful overlooking the sea and all the white buildings on the hill. Like a dream. Very close to main walkway to walk to shops and restaurants with amazing views. The manager Christina was a doll. She worked very hard to get us set up with massages and pool time for the same day so they would be at same location. She organized a sailing and snorkeling tour for us for the next day. Only issue was that the link in hotel bio asked pictures of a pool, yet no pool. So r we are very disappointed no pool on premise. The sister hotel 15 minutes away had the most gorgeous pool with amazing view and drinks/food at pool. We were given transportation there, but were charged 10 Euros each way.

Authenticity & Character

Buildings so beautiful as one would imagine for Santorini

Location

View and proximity to ships/restaurants/town

Staff

Exceptional staff!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dreambox Mykonos Suites

Mykonos

Pool area was amazing. Room was amazing. But street was not very accessible so bus for one adventure could not pick us up. That required us to walk on a narrow not so safe street for 15 minutes to the pick up point. Staff was nice but inflexible to get us food or coffee 15 minutes before cafe open officially even though they were all working and kitchen was open. Cafe hours 8:30-12 which mages no sense for travelers who have activities early. The next day they got us a box breakfast and it literally was inedible - cold bread with a slice of cheese and Turkey, hard boiled egg so overbooked that we couldn’t eat it, sour plum, apple. No juice. No water.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful place

Location

Too inaccessible. Far from everything.

Staff

Make an effort to assist guests when food issues

Cleanliness & Comfort

Achilleas Hotel

Athens

Lovely hotel walking distance from all of the things we wanted to do in Athens. Felt like a little gem.

Authenticity & Character

Awesome lobby. Very nice room.

Location

Close to all we were interested in

Staff

Extremely helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cruise of Balos lagoon and Gramvousa island with private transfers

Chania

Wow wow! The boat ride and views were amazing. The hike to the top of Gramvousa Island was strenuous, but well worth the challenge. The views at the top were outstanding. Someone with bad knees could do just the beginning portion, and still get amazing views. After Gramvousa, we went to Balos lagoon, and that was just lovely. Warm water. The most incredible green ever.

Quality of Experience

Amazing day

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food & Wine bike tour

Santorini

This was an out of world amazing experience. We rode on bikes, made of wood by the owner of the company. We rode all over the island and CD got to see so much. He stopped at a church, and since it was Sunday, we got to walk in and see a little bit of a baptism. We learned about wine making on this island and it included a stop at a restaurant with wine and food tasting. It was all perfect. Our guide is their only employee, Adonis. He taught us all about Santorini island, wine, making, foods, architecture, religion. We even talked about spirituality. He is simply an authentic amazing person, and I would recommend this tour to everyone.. The only issue was that the electric bikes don’t have a mode for no paddling. The electric isn’t really strong enough to get someone up a hill who has bad knees.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful 5 hour tour on bikes

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adonis is a gem!! So knowledgeable and a kind soul.

Transport

Only issue with the bikes is that on some of the very steep hills, the number five level may not be strong enough for someone with bad knees. Someone with bad knees probably needs a bike with a stronger motor.

Delos and Rhenia Morning Cruise

Mykonos

No rating. The trip was canceled. Not only at last minute, but after pick up time. We were waiting and waiting, and finally called Thanos as we had tried calling the number provided, but no one picked up. Eventually, Thanos was able to get through to someone and they said they canceled the tour due to unsafe winds for sailing. It was that windy the night before, so we really should have been given a heads up that there was a chance that it would need to be canceled. We should not have been left waiting for 30 minutes with no information and when we called, someone should have picked up.

Quality of Experience

There was no experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Stavroula was waiting for us in the lobby 30 minutes early. She was very sweet and fine with waiting for us to get ready. We had a lovely couple of hours walking up to the acropolis and learned so much. She constantly offered to take our picture. Great tour!

Quality of Experience

Loved it all

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stavroula was nice, good conversations

Transport

Walking was great so we could see the city with a guide in addition to the site

The trip was amazing. The itinerary was packed and really gave a varied look at Greece. We really enjoyed everything that we saw and did. The tour guides were very knowledgeable, friendly and made the trip extra special. Our days where we had physical activities (snorkeling and river trekking) were super fun!
The main problem we had, and it was quite stressful, was the transportation. We had several incidences where no drivers were scheduled and we had to find a taxi or there was a mix up with how many cars were coming. Afterwards, we understand the logistics of scheduling and know why there was a mix up with how many cars were coming. Not having any cars scheduled when we thought they were was a problem that would need to be addressed.
I personally have booked full European and US trips (air, lodging and transportation) with zero issues. If I am paying someone to do all of this for me, I would expect the same results. The issues were controllable and not due to unforeseen circumstances.
P.s. I don't appreciate getting vacation emails from other parties all of a sudden. I haven't signed up for them and never received them until I booked the trip with Kimkim. Now, all of a sudden, I'm getting these emails.

I cannot say enough good things about Jessica Proietti and Storywalking. From planning our special trip to Italy to being with us every step of the way, during our vacation.
Jessica showed much patience with us as we changed the number of people attending, changing dates and changing cities we wanted to visit. We ended up with seven iterations of itineraries! We ended up having 8 people touring together from Rome to the Amalfi Coast, and then our vacation continued with 4 of us going north to the Dolomites and Lake Como. Jessica was able to coordinate our different flights schedules, price points and varying interests in activities. One month before our trip was to begin, my daughter decided to join us, and Jessica was able to include her in everything. And then, unfortunately, four people had to cancel at the very last minute and Jessica was able to provide some refunds and juggle around the cars and hotels.
We booked multiple private drivers and had many private transfers. All were wonderful, friendly, and professional. Our private driver and tour guide for Herculaneum and Pompeii were fantastic. I highly recommend the private guide. We also booked an Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Positano. It was an 8-hour excursion with snorkeling and swimming, with a stop in Capri and another island for lunch. Again, the captain and guide were friendly, fun and professional. They also had a variety of snacks and drinks. The hotels Jessica booked for us met our needs and requests perfectly.
Once the itinerary was set, Jessica and Barbara were available to us, using their app AXUS, any hour of the day. They would respond in minutes to any questions or concerns we had. I have to mention one such issue that Jessica resolved by going above and beyond. The self-serve ticket kiosks were not working at the Bologna train station, and we were not able to get our tickets printed or downloaded. Jessica went to the Milan train station and sent me pictures of our tickets, so we did not miss our train!
In the end, Jessica took the worries of planning away from us and provided us with fantastic service, planning and guidance.

This was my first experience with kimkim. Overall, I was disappointed. For the amount of money I paid, it was a subpar experience.

Feedback on kimkim and Eric: Eric was very responsive and always diligently followed up on my questions and requests. We were hounded for items like shoe size 6+ months ago, but kimkim took their time securing lodging which really bothered me. Then I had to look at Google reviews on the lodging because the first one I looked at got 1.5 stars and had the worst google reviews I've ever seen; Kimkim changed the lodging, but I shouldn't have to double-check everything kimkim is doing. But I felt I had to check everything. I had to ask for check-in information and didn't get it for one property. One property owner asked me to contact kimkim because they didn't get paid. It just took much of my time for the amount of money I paid kimkim. I decided to pay the premium and go with kimkim because I did not have the time with my intense job. But it really didn't work out like I expected.

Feedback on rental car: Van did not have air conditioning; it has a ton of glass and was scorching hot inside the vehicle at times. Very uncomfortable for 10 days. In addition, windshield wipers were extremely bad. Could not see in the rain due to poor windshield wipers. Otherwise, right sized vehicle for family of five

Feedback on activities:
Carla at Silfra Snorkeling was AMAZING; highly recommend this activity
Puffin and Volcano tour by Ebbi on Westman Island -- HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend; Ebbi was awesome; whole family loved this
Had very good guides (Hannah and Joku) at glacier hike
Had a great guide at glacier kayaking
Vok Baths is INCREDIBLE (we booked this on our own) -- it was by far the best bath
Myvatn Bath had a significant sulfur smell -- okay, would skip in hindsight
GeoSea -- very nice bath, 2nd favorite after Vok
Secret Lagoon -- booked on our own -- it was nice especially as part of Golden Circle activities
Lava Show in Vik -- booked on our own -- Amazing! Highly recommended

Feedback on lodging:
-- Borealis Hotel -- very rustic, bare bones -- staff and breakfast were great -- not bad for first night
-- Hotel South Coast -- nice hotel but two of the three rooms had bad smell -- breakfast was good
-- Pier Apartments -- best property we stayed in; HIGHLY recommend
-- Fosshotel Glacier -- very nice property and breakfast
-- Hotel Framtid -- we were in two very separate buildings where you had to drive between buildings -- accommodations and breakfast were fine but odd on how apart we were spaced
-- Lonsleira Apartments -- very nice cottage; had to contact the owner directly to get check-in (kimkim did not provide); owner shared they had not been paid and asked me to contact kimkim -- great location and property
-- Dimmuborgir -- spend two nights here; we were originally booked somewhere else that canceled last minute (after I asked kimkim for confirmations...) -- it was VERY RUSTIC, only one bathroom for the five of us and the unit was in slight disrepair (toilet seat would shift off the toilet, multiple lights didn't work, some lose tiles, etc -- breakfast and staff were nice -- breakfast area had very scenic overlook -- ** This was the only location we spent two nights; it felt like kimkim booked us at a lot lower quality location than our original booking -- Disappointed for our two-night stay
-- Lauggarbakki Guesthouse -- HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend -- terrific property and owner
-- Exeter Hotel -- nice property, great location, helpful staff

For the amount of money I paid kimkim, I expected a hassle-free and worry-free experience. I realize items like the last-minute Askja cancelation is outside of kimkim's control. However, I was put in a much lower quality accommodation that was not in great repair, and had to share one bathroom for all five of us for two days. A van without air conditioning. Having to double-check and follow up on planning. This is the most I ever paid for a trip like this and do not feel like I got what I paid for.

Activity Reviews

GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths Experience

Iceland

Very nice experience; amazing views; not overcrowded -- we really enjoyed this bath. It was our #2 favorite bath out of five (Vok was our favorite).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Earth Lagoon

Lake Mývatn

Myvatn has a strong sulfur smell. They are older baths and have quite a crowd. It was our least enjoyable bath out of five we visited during our Iceland trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Tour

Iceland

If you are capable of kayaking, I highly recommend kayaking rather than the motorized boats. You reduce your impact on the planet. More importantly, it is a more serene and enjoyable way to spend time amongst the icebergs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Puffin and Volcano Tour

Westman Islands

Ebbi has lived his whole life on Westman Island and has amazing passion for this tour. He shared a ton about life on the island, history, and made this an amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Carla was amazing. The water is clear (and cold). This exceeded our expectations. Being able to see where the tectontic plates come together is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff