Kimkim Trip Reviews

My husband and I had a wonderful 8 day tour of Italy. We had excellent communication with our local specialists Barbara during the entire length of the trip. Sonia was extremely helpful in providing various trip options and helping us customize the trip to our liking.

Thank you for making each day a highlight and memorable part of our trip. We especially loved hiking up to Lagazuoi, Col de Bos and Tofana di Rozes in Cortina d’Ampezzo . Our local guide
Chiara was exceptional and we now have a great understanding of the history behind the Dolomites that we hiked to.

We had high expectations for Chianti - the Tuscany trip, but the actual sights and experience exceeded them! Local expert Jessica was extremely helpful and friendly to have shown us the best of the countryside. We can’t wait to try what we learned in the cooking class!

The Kimkim specialists Sonia and Barbara helped us through some last minute changes in our plans and quickly changed our train reservations, pick up options and guided us on obtaining a covid test prior to leaving.

Overall, we would highly recommend both Italy and the Kimkim team. We are definitely planning to come back!

Hotel Review

HOTEL de LEN

Cortina d'Ampezzo BL

Fantastic service, picturesque location, and comfortable stay with the latest in Scandinavian design! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this hotel, especially the luxurious spa experience with Dolomites in the foreground! The staff was especially courteous and ensured our stay was taken care of in every way.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private guided hiking: the stunning Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop in the Dolomites

Italy

I am so grateful to Kim kim . They truly took the stress out of my trip to Costa Rica . I knew it was a difficult country to traverse but wanted to see as much as possible. The team at KK helped plan 9 different locations over a 2 week period . They even picked us up from our 1st week planned by ourselves in Nosara so we didn’t have to worry about transport . Every driver / shuttle bus was courteous, on time and sometimes even offered humour and added facts about Costa Rica along the way . KK even organised a PCR test for us at our last hotel last minute when we discovered we needed it to fly home via USA . Always helpful and polite and took the stress out allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in enjoying the trip knowing everything that had been planned would flow smoothly and without delay or mishap . I can’t recommend them enough !!!

Our trip to Colombia exceeded all of our expectations. My mom and I took a week long girl's trip to Cartagena to learn the history, see the beautiful city, and experience some of the local culture. Our specialist, Margoth, was so helpful and responsive when setting up the plans for trip. We somewhat expected that we would be on our own once we had paid for and landed in Cartagena, but Margoth and her team were beyond helpful and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Any questions or concerns were immediately addressed and we ended up loving all of the activities that Margoth had planned for us. Each restaurant reservation she made was perfect, we especially loved Mistura for the delicious food and great live band. We also absolutely loved our local tour guide, Manu. We spent a few days with him as he brought us to various sites (San Felipe de Barajas, the local mangroves, and the bird sanctuary) - he was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and we were sad to say goodbye at the end of the trip. He truly made us feel welcome by introducing us to the locals and sharing his personal experiences growing up in Cartagena. I can't thank Margoth and her team more - I was beyond impressed with the service we received both before and during our trip, thank you so much for making this such a wonderful experience!

Hotel Review

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani

Cartagena de Indias

The hotel was clean, comfortable, and an excellent location. Ray, one of the hotel staff, was beyond accommodating and kind. Our only concerns were the bathroom and the pool area. Our bathroom had a leak in the ceiling and the pool didn't look especially clean, we decided not to use it during our stay. We loved the breakfast included with our stay.

Tips for future travelers

I'd check out the photos on Trip Advisor before staying here. I had looked at a lot of them so I knew what to expect, but my mom wasn't thrilled with the lack of privacy with our only windows looking out to a public courtyard. If you want bright sunlight and a view, this isn't the best option.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Being across from the park, walkable to walled city, close to main square in Getsemani

Staff

The staff were so friendly and accomodating - Ray made our stay extra special

Cleanliness & Comfort

The AC, size of room, and breakfast included with our stay

Activity Review

Suggested Sunset Drinks at Café del Mar

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great road trip through the north and northwest of Spain. Kim Kim provided us with local agents with local knowledge which really made a significant difference. Besides arranging tickets to well-known destinations such as the Sagrada Familia, Batllo House, Park Guell, etc. in Barcelona. They helped arrange unique walking and Pintxos tours in Barcelona and San Sebastian. If you like maritime history then you would also appreciate the Alboa Foundation and seeing the construction of a traditional whaling ship using original techniques. We really enjoyed the Agroturismo Casas that were arranged for us, although a couple of locations were a bit further off the beaten path than what we had expected; but nevertheless, very enjoyable and provided for a unique experience. We enjoyed visiting villages along the Camino and seeing places such as the Monasterio de Pietro park and all of the beautiful waterfalls, Bertiz National Park, and the Playa de Catedrales. The folks at Kim Kim stayed in touch with us on our journey to check in with us and were always available if there was a question or a need.

The planning process was easy and responsive using the online communication tools that Kim Kim provides.

The trip was well designed with Hakim's assistance and our driver Mohammad was superb. We enjoyed the modern and clean city of Rabat, the blue city of Chefchaouen, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the Imperial city of Meknes and the uniqueness of Marrakech.

Hotel Review

Riad El Yacout

Fès

We thoroughly enjoyed this Riad and the food was some of the best we had in Morocco.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great food.

Activity Review

Day Trip to Meknes & the Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Fes

We had 2 different guides for Volubilis and Meknes. We especially enjoyed our female guide in Meknes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First of all, our many many thanks to Olman for organizing our trip and looking after us along the way when we had any inquiries!!!

We enjoyed Costa Rica thoroughly in spite of a lot of driving, we had time to rest and discover each area we went to.
I would highly recommend Tifakara Boutique Hotel as the room and staff were lovely and the chef outstanding! We wouldn't recommend the El Establo Mountain Hotel. Although the grounds are beautiful, the rooms had paper thin walls and every word, whisper, movement could be heard day and night.
In addition we especially enjoyed Monteverde - and the Hanging Bridges and Ziplining in Selvatura Park as well as the lovely Nammbu Bungalows. I would recommend a great Argentinian restaurant only a 200 meter walk from there. We enjoyed the cocktails by the pool, but were disappointed inthe dinner in their dining room.

We will definitely use Kim kim again!

Hotel Reviews

Pachira Lodge

Tortuguero

We spent only one night at the lodge and we were happy with the rooms and service. I would definitely recommend it.

Authenticity & Character

Nice views and built to

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tifakara Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna

Great room, with a feeling of being right in the middle of a forest, outstanding staff and chef. We also enjoyed a free night walk to view colorful frogs on the premises! Well located - away from crowds but easy driving access to all around.

Tips for future travelers

Enjoy!!!

Authenticity & Character

Very friendly and accommodating staff

Location

close to all by car but away from crowds, walking distance to waterfall

Staff

Coffee machine, balcony, surroundings

Cleanliness & Comfort

Couldn't ask for more

Activity Review

Wildlife Boat Tour in Tortuguero

Tortuguero

It's a longish drive, there from San Jose, so I would consider 2 nights rather than one - or not doing this tour the morning after a flight... But is was worthwhile. It was also amazing that KimKim arranged to have our car rental from a drop off spot so we didn't have to back track to San HOse just carry on travelling from there.

Quality of Experience

Hotel was fine and everything went smoothly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On time

Transport

All connections were quite well timed, just a wait for bus at port on way back

As mentioned in a text earlier, all the guides, places, chefs, bus drivers were outstanding. They were kind and did their best to please us with recommendations. The hotels were excellent especially the Convent & the hotel at Algarve.
The wine tours, boat ride to Douro Valley was wonderful.
The cooking class outstanding, loved the place we learned and Hugo. Fatima was super, it was also nice to spend a day of leisure where we saw the beautiful coastline of Portugal, the caves etc. The tiny Villiage on top of the mountain (Monsaraz)was just gorgeous and amazing along with the cork harvesting farm/ tour .
The boat trip was special as it was so thoughtful of Sam to think of one of our passengers birthday, went on the secluded beach as well. Lisbon just wonderful and amazing sights am to see, love all the castle tours as well. Loved being near the water. All hotels provided outstanding breakfasts and dinners were wonderful! Unexpectedly to me we’re 4 of my group with physical challenges, and everyone went out if their way to accommodate. So thank you for such a fantastic itinerary & people, the kindness of everyone was outstanding.

Our itinerary in Paris was everything we hoped it would be! Sara took the time to create exactly what we were looking for - a mix of culture, history, and food - that made my husband, my 12-year old and myself all smile. Sara stayed in touch with us during our trip to make sure everything went smoothly. The guides selected for us were absolutely excellent and we had the same guide more than once, to build off of the relationship we already established. Our itinerary was easy to follow and was the perfect mix of days filled with walking then offset by days with a bit of travel outside of Paris. And our hotel was a great match with thoughtful and friendly staff and centrally-located. Thank you, Sara...you made out dream trip a reality!

Hotel Review

Hôtel LOUISON

Paris

Charming boutique hotel with warm & friendly staff. Our room was quiet and relaxing. Breakfast was excellent...try the house-made yogurt! In the heart of the city, we were within walking distance of many great sites. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

I love that there were only two rooms on our floor - when you open up the window, you get the most lovely birdsong!

Location

We walked EVERYWHERE from our hotel!

Staff

The staff are wonderful - friendly and genuine

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a triple room and were very comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

Having expedited access was SUCH a good thing, as lines get long at the tower! 5:30 was a perfect time for a guided tour - it wsd still very warm, but not too hot. And seeing the city from above was a perfect way to start our vacation and get a sense of where everything is...the Paris cityscape is everything you imagine it is :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We met at a coffeeshop that was a 5 minute walk from the tower. Couldn't have been easier!

Notre-Dame Cathedral & Sainte-Chapelle

Paris

Saint-Chappelle is absolutely breath-taking! If you want to understand the power of stained glass as an architectural element of the cathedral experience, SC is one of a kind!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto was an absolutely excellent guide - so thoughtful and knowledgeable! He went out of his way to bring stories and extra books to help our 12-yr old daughter have a fantastic experience. I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed learning from and exploring with Roberto!

Transport

Day trip to le Mont Saint-Michel

Paris

This is a long drive from Paris but absolutely worth it - there is not another experience like this!!! Le Mont Saint-Michel is unlike any other location in France!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really liked Sarah - who is originally from the region and could add a layer of "living history" and remembrance to our experience!

Transport

We went with one other family - the van was a great size and very comfortable!

Pastry & Chocolate tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

This was SUCH a great experience! There are so many shops to choose from and many are so exclusive, it's hard to explore them in a meaningful way. This tour added to our understanding of the culinary values and pride of French chocolate and pastry making....and we dearly LOVED all the amazing tastes of this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We can 't say enough about Roberto - he clearly loves providing French culinary experiences (and has a collection of over 1500 cookbooks himself!). His depth of knoweldge and respect for the French traditions and innovations in chocolate and pastry made this an exceptionally fun experieince!

Transport

Perfume workshop in Paris

Paris

What a fun, informational and unqiue experience in Paris! We learned so much from the master perfume maker who led our session! Our 12-year old daught had a fantastic time with us, and we all have a fantastic souvenier from our trip. We also learned a lot!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The owner of Candor actually led our session - his passion and charm made the 2-hour experience absolutely delightful!

Transport

Château de Versailles & Giverny

Paris

Giverny has my heart - the gardens were exception and Monet's house so meaningful to visit! Our guide gave an exception session of storytelling and information on our trip to Giverny, which added a wonderful layer of meaning. Versaille - in all it's grandeur - blew our 12-year old daughter's socks off :) And once again, our guide gave a wonderful guided tour that helps you understand the purpose and impact of all the oppulence,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide had an exceptional level of knowledge....it brought both sites to live in a meaningful way.

Transport

Our bus driver was warm and friendly and the coach was very comfortable.

Market Visit & Cooking Class in Chef's Apartment

Paris

This was an absolutely lovely experience in Paris - especially on our last full day. Chef Marthe is so warm and genuine. And her passion and wisdon related to ingredients and French cooking was wonderful to experience. The trip to the open market and the selection of foodstuffs led to all sorts of wonderful stories about food and farming in many regions of France. And our cooking session in Marthe's appartment was a wonderful way to learn more about food, family traditions, and Marthe's previous restaurant...all within the ambience of a true Parissienne apartment.

Quality of Experience

The authenticity of it all was so appreciated!

Food

The meal we all prepared together was fantastic! The chicken dish was a recipe from Chef Marthe's grandmother. And the zuchinni cerviche? Well....my daughter does not like zuchinni and she LOVED this dish! Everything was amazing. And had such special meaning for us. And Chef Marthe sent us the recipes so that we can make them again.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I so enjoyed our time with Chef Marthe. I would have loved to share a bottle of wine with her and here more of her stories!

Transport

Walking the neighborhood and hearing about the various markets and stalls in Paris added another layer of appreciation of Paris as a living city.

The Louvre museum

Paris

Our guide Anja made our first-ever trip to the Louvre a wonderful experience! The Louvre is so massive and overwhelming...the thoughtfulness by which Anja selected works for us to see and spend time with was amazing. And she built layers of connection and comparison between the works so that we could get a whole other layer of appreciation. No matter what aspect of the collection we asked about, Anja was a master of knowledge and so passionate about the works. I have a background in Art HIstory, and I was so impressed by her agility and depth of caring about the role the Louvre plays in the cultural history of not only France, but all of civilization.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I can't say enough about the depth of Anja's art historical knowledge and - more importantly - passion and how that helped us connect with each piece we saw, in a VERY busy and chaotic environment.

Transport

Lifestyle tour of the Marais

Paris

We loved strolling through the Marais district with our guide Roberto! He brought the history, culture and contemporary moments of the Marais to life for us....and shared some Parisienne off-the-beaten-path gems, too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto tried to tailor the experience of his tours to each group he works with. So for us, he paid particular attention to our 12-year old daughter, to make sure she had a great time too. SO incredibly thoughtful!

Lifestyle tour of the Marais

Paris

We loved strolling through the Marais district with our guide Roberto! He brought the history, culture and contemporary moments of the Marais to life for us....and shared some Parisienne off-the-beaten-path gems, too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto tried to tailor the experience of his tours to each group he works with. So for us, he paid particular attention to our 12-year old daughter, to make sure she had a great time too. SO incredibly thoughtful!

Fantastic organisation and amazing walks all around the ring of Kerry, can't recommend enough!

Robi was very caring and client focused. He was more than responsive to our needs and demonstrated a strong desire to make us happy and ensure the experience was the best possible. The trip was amazing and our experience top tier because of Robi.

Hotel Review

Hotel Marul

Split

Clean and the staff were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central and easy to get everywhere.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cycling Brač.

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family of 5 took the A Taste of Morocco: Northern cities, desert experience, Atlas Mountains & Marrakech. What an unforgettable trip! Morocco was a perfect destination, reasonable flight time from the east coast, exotic yet approachable, and safe - we felt at ease with our kids (6, 9 and 12).

Our driver Ilyas was a big part of the success of the trip - so friendly and personable, great with our kids, and always made sure we were set at the hotel/restaurant/tour. There were a couple of long driving days to get to the Sahara and back, he was unflappable, even when the kids got raucous in the back.

Our kids were looking forward to our time in the Sahara, and it didn't disappoint. The camel ride at sunset, glamping in "tents", berber music after dark around the campfire, sandboarding on the dunes, and dune bashing in the landcruiser. When we had a hot afternoon, the camp host arranged for us to cool off at a hotel pool in Merzouga!

Two of my favorite highlights were food related. The "Food Tour in Marrakech" - Hanan our local tour guide took our taste buds on an adventure through the market, sampling olives, berber pizza, pastries, fresh fruit juice... and even snails.
We also had a wonderful time in Fes at the "Dinner with a Local Family in Fes". Said and his wife emerged with dish after dish of food. The chicken tagine was probably the best tagine we had in Morocco. I only wish I knew how much food we were in for, I would have tried to save some more space early on for the later courses. While it was set up as a dinner they truly invited us into their home. There were a few generations present, and the youngest had fun playing with our kids even though they didn't share a common language.

The pre-trip organization from Abdellah went so smoothly. We booked the trip only about a month in advance, he was always quick to reply to any followup questions and requests, and the hotels they put us in were top notch.

I can't recommend highly enough the entire team at Original Travels.

Hotel Review

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

This Riad had so much character. Rooms were luxurious and comfortable. Stained glass windows in our room lit up the ceiling with color in the morning. A rooftop patio to watch the sunset over the medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Our 6 day tour of Croatia from Split to Zagreb was a great experience. The tour planned by Anna-Marie Frid was perfect for our traveling style and interests. The winery lunch at Bibich winery in Plastovo was the highlight of our trip. Absolutely fantastic food was served along their excellent selection of wines. Our food/history tour in Split was a delight led by Lucy, a local guide. We enjoyed learning more about life and other interesting facts about Croatia from her.

Unfortunately at the end of the trip I experienced a medical emergency that needed immediate attention. Anna-Marie's assistance was invaluable in getting medical help at a local hospital in Zagreb. I feel she went above and beyond helping me overcome the language barrier and finding the attention I needed. By the way, her command of English is excellent.

Austin put together a trip that we couldn't have come up with on our own, with recommendations to do things that we probably would have overlooked. We saw so much of Ireland. We loved all the accommodations, especially staying at Kinnity Castle. We had so much fun and such great adventures and made memories to last a lifetime. Austin gave us an insider's tour of the history of Dublin Centre, which was so interesting. He was so helpful when we had a minor snafu (of our doing) on our journey.

Hotel Review

Kinnitty Castle Hotel

Offaly

Great staff and great food. Wonderful grounds include a stone circle and a fairy walk. General manager took us on a tour and gave us the skinny on the ghosts. We enjoyed hunting for Hugh, but he didn't make an appearance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Walking Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Austin gave us a insider view of the Dublin City Center, and the history of the area. Outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Every aspect of our trip was fantastically good - it was a trip I had been dreaming about for many, many years and it surpassed every expectation. Delayed by Covid, Raj and his team were endlessly patient in planning and re-planning our trip, and I felt at every point he really listened to and understood what I wanted - and delivered it. Every activity - trekking, rafting, sightseeing and more - were well-organised and truly memorable. Every transfer (there were many!)worked seamlessly. Big shout-out to the legend that is Kumar, who guided us on our Mustang trek and who was generous in sharing his huge knowledge and expertise, meticulous in looking after us and with a great sense of humour too. If he is available, book him. Another big shout out to Bipin who took such great care of us in Nepal and made sure we always had what we needed and was again endlessly generous in sharing his knowledge with us. If you are thinking about traveling to Nepal, you would be in no better hands than this team - just go! We are already thinking about our next trip - as a destination, its highly addictive.

Amelia did a great job from start to finish making sure all of our needs and requests were met. Great accommodations at all destinations.

Activity Review

The treasures of Athens

Athens

It was great. A little chilly when we went in March, but i would not change anything.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The fantastic and unforgettable Peru trip!
We had a wonderful 19 days trip in Peru. Johanna was very patient with me, customizing the trip itinerary and the hotels to my satisfaction. We started at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion where we met several new friends. We then explored Sacred Valley, the incredible Machu Picchu, Cusco and the beautiful Rainbow mountain. The bad bumpy roads between Cusco-Ollantaytambo, Cusco- Rainbow mountain made our journey harder and very tiring. Our guide, Raul, Cusi travel was very nice and knowledgeable.
The PeruRail train ride to Lake Titicaca was memorable as well as the visit to Floating island and Taquile island.
Most of our tours were private except the Colca Canyon tour to see the Andean condors. The group tour guide, Luis Angel was very fluent in English and has sense of humor. He explained the history by telling stories.
Dalia, the agent for domestic flights was very helpful and thoughtful, checking in every flight for us and emailing us the boarding passes. We really appreciate it since we did not have internet access all the time.
We loved the stay at Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado, Sacred Valley and Colca Lodge Spa & Hot Springs, Colca Valley. Both have beautiful breath taking views and extremely peaceful atmosphere.
The entire trip was smooth, never have to worry about picking us up at the airport or hotel except on return to Lima. However, Johanna took care of the issue right away. Kristy, the owner of Miski travel also contacted us, made us feel safe and satisfied.
I'm very grateful to Johanna, Kristy and their team, tour operators and tour guides for our amazing trip in Peru! Thank you Kimkim .

Hotel Reviews

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

very convenient. We had dinner at the hotel and was good

Location

just across from the airport exit

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado

Urubamba

Beautiful and peaceful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Into the Amazon: Lima - Puerto Maldonado - Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion

Peru

We stayed there 3 nights. The tour itinerary was good for 2 days only, the 3rd day was just a stretch to make money. It was very expensive, all inclusive but the menu never changes. Not worth for the money

Quality of Experience

more tours for each day

Food

to change menu every day, do not list in the menu if not available like pork belly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide, Carlos was excellent

Two highlights of the trip were our food experience with Lucija (sp?) in Split and our visit to Bibich Winery.

There were a few mix-ups with our schedule, but overall, things went well. A special thanks to Anna-Maria in going above and beyond to help us find medical attention for Tom. That was very helpful.

Our interchange with KimKim begin during our planning phase by working with Valentine and the team in establishing activities, locations and ideas to experience on our trip. With the help of the team, we selected a local hotel to use as our base to take day trips throughout the area.

The hotel selected was a very good recommendation by being responsive to most of our needs. They also free provided transportation to/from town since we chose not to have a rental car. The hotel facilities as well as the pool/spa were very nice and the staff was very friendly.

We had some 'not so great' experiences with afternoon and evening dining at the hotel. The dinner menu was a static Prix Fixe menu that did not change throughout the week of our stay. So after the first night, we did not have much dinner choices on site. The buffet breakfast was alway beautiful and plentiful, but again, offered the same daily choices.

Valentine also attempted to assist after the hotel scheduled a conference which had the break period immediately below our rooms resulting in lots of noise and smoke from cigarettes. It was too late to effect any changes but it was appreciated.

The daily tours that we chose where fun and cultural met our expectations - Sophie (forgot last name), Provence RÉverie was an excellent guide. She went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time and adjusted the schedule so that we would have time to visit St Rémy.

Our favorite day was the visit to the local market with Gilles Conchy of Provence-Gourmet. We determined a menu several minutes before our tour of the market of local produce, cheeses, and meats. Then off to the winery to select wine with lunch followed by arriving at the kitchen of a local chateau to prepare our lunch together under his classic instruction. We highly recommended for Gilles for anyone looking for a cooking and eating experience.

We also need to identify our driver to the train station in Avignon, Christophe Lano, Alpilleges Luberon Provence Transport. He delivered a present of wine from Valentine fromthe local vineyard we had just visited. Total surprise and was a wine we had tasted and enjoyed. Although we did not experience his ability as a guide, he was very informative on the way to the train station and I believe he would also make a great guide/driver for English speaking tourists.

One note - as tourists not used to traveling on French rail we experienced difficulty in ascertaining the actual itinerary on the train from Avignon to CDG as the tickets did not show where the train would actually stop. We were on an older train that did not have the digital readout showing the actual station and do not speak French. Unfortunately, we got off the train at the Disney stop rather than the airport stop and had to take a cab the rest of the way. Easy solution, but it would have been a bit less hectic if we had a 'tutorial' in riding the French train.

Overall we had a relaxing and fun time on our trip. Thanks to the entire team for your guidance!

Hotel Review

Le Vallon de Valrugues & SPA

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Activity Review

Cooking Class, Provencal Lunch and Local Market Tour in the Alpilles

France

Loved this opportunity to experience the market, find local produce and wine and then prepare a meal. Gilles is amazing!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I've been eager to write this post - and I usually don't review anything at length (if at all!) BUT, this experience requires it - and I hope it helps you decide.
If you do this trip with Morocco Immersion thru KimKim, WITH SHARON - you will have NO disappointments!
PEOPLE: 1. from the first contact I had with Sharon, I was hooked.
I messaged Sharon with some quick, random questions and she was quick to reply. She replied to everything I asked - promptly, generously and courteously. She was patient and answered the smallest concerns I had. She focussed on designing the trip I wanted and was hoping for. (The trip with Morocco Immersion is not a "pre-planned, 8 other people we didn't know with varying agendas" joining us.
It was designed for us.) And it was reasonably priced which made me skeptical at first!
SHARON totally knows what she's doing!
2. Our driver: SALLAM - He was THE BEST. Really. He's young - yet knew his country, its history, the places we were going, and was proud of his own culture while being super respectful of ours. Sallam was welcoming and always attentive to our questions and needs. He was an excellent driver over some 2500km in 10 days - and was always stopping at all the best look-outs before I even asked! He met with us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed and knew what was coming up next. He was friendly, humourous, and engaged. Great guide! Highly recommended!
3. Our tour guides: in Marrakech, The Sahara and Taroudant knew their landscape, the history and the best places to get authentic food, pottery, jewelry, leather-wear, carptes, argon oil, saffron - you name it. They worked hard at being welcoming and informative. STELLAR guides.
FOOD: My husband and I are foodies. The experience of drinking daily mint tea (poured properly with bubbles ;-)), eating tagines and even street food from vendors, was awesome. We tried lots of different things, including fresh fish in Essaouiria - bought by us and then grilled in the fish market right before our eyes. We often had fresh squeezed, "any kind of fruit juice" right in the markets we visited.
Our ACCOMODATIONS were a mix of luxury to 'comfortable with other types of conveniences'. Our rooms were always clean, with private washrooms and tiled floors and walls. The riads were both historically interesting and visually appealing. We drank it all in! The luxury accomodations we had, sometimes with dinner included, were worth writing home about. The bedding was always crisp and clean. Lovely. (We did the luxury Sahara camp on our trip - it was one of the highlights of our trip for reasons that would be apparent if you go.)
OVER-ALL - I know this is a long review, but I totally recommend Sharon, Sallam and 'Morroco Immersion' even to people who have had no previous interest in going to Morocco!
It was a trip of a lifetime - and worth every penny we spent.

Our experience and expectations started with outstanding support during the planning phase. We outlined our objectives and with Valentine and Team we worked through many options to create a memorable and most enjoyable trip.

They were especially helpful in recommending a location outside Avignon, in St. Rémy de Provence for our lodging. This allowed us to spend time in St Rémy and see and enjoy the small town of Provence.

The hotel selected was overall a very good recommendation. They provided transportation to/from town and it was very responsive. This was especially important to us since we did not have a rental car. The Spa and facilities were also very nice. Overall the staff was helpful and pleasant. On the negative side, when we arrived it was at the end of lunch and initially we were told that we would not be able to get any food. They did arrange for a platter and wine. Dinner was set menu - it would be helpful when arranging lodging for Americans not familiar with France to identify if a la carte menu is available.
Valentine also attempted to assist after the hotel scheduled a conference which had the break period immediately below our rooms resulting in lots of noise and smoke from cigarettes. It was too late to effect any changes but it was appreciated.

The Tours met our expectations - we wanted to visit small vineyards and were able to have a great experience with tasting and finding new wines that we liked. Sophie (forgot last name), Provence RÉverie was an excellent guide. She was passionate and knowledgeable about Provence and its history, food and wines. She went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time and adjusted the schedule so that we would have time to visit St Rémy. One of the highlights was our cooking class, presented by Gilles Conchy, Provence-Gourmet. He was superb and humorous. His tour of the market was instructive in the local produce, cheeses, and meats. The location for the class was fantastic. His patience with those of us who needed a bit more assistance was appreciated. Finally, the meal and wine we had topped off the experience. He should be highly recommended for English speakers who are looking for a cooking class.

We also need to identify our driver to the train station in Avignon, Christophe Lano, Alpilleges Luberon Provence Transport. He delivered a present of wine from Valentine fromthe local vineyard we had just visited. Total surprise and was a wine we had tasted and enjoyed. Although we did not experience his ability as a guide, he was very informative on the way to the train station and I believe he would also make a great guide/driver for English speaking tourists.

Overall transportation was excellent. On time and provided safe and timely travel. One note - as tourists not used to traveling on French rail we experienced difficulty in ascertaining the actual itinerary on the train to CDG as the tickets do not show where the train will actually stop. We were on an older train that did not have the digital readout showing the actual station and do not speak French. We heard a reference to Charles de Gualle and could not see any name of the station; and we made the mistake of getting off one station
early. In hindsight we should have know that it was too early to be a CDG.

Again, thanks for helping use create and enjoy a memorable trip.

Hotel Review

Le Vallon de Valrugues & SPA

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

See my previous notes

Authenticity & Character

Location

availability to St Rémy

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cooking Class, Provencal Lunch and Local Market Tour in the Alpilles

France

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport