Kimkim Trip Reviews

Eleni was fantastic. Very personable and kind. Definitely had the best interest of the tourists in mind. I would highly recommend her.

Hotel Review

Acropolis Hill Hotel

Athens

Not the best, but not the worst that I have stayed in. Had roaches in our room, TV did. It work, twin beds shoved together is not ideal, breakfast was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hard to get a bus in and out of location

Staff

Told of concerns and they did nothing to address the issues.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Saronic Islands Day Cruise (for Linda & Friends)

Athens

Loved the islands, but the additional tours were not worth the money and guides were not good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was fair at best, cold, not that tasty. Dry chicken.wait staff was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Meal in Nafplio

Greece

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day in Vouliagmeni Lake (for Linda & friends)

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was ok, coordination of meal could have been better. The staff was confused and we were confused as to whose food was whose. They did not provide plates prior to handing out food, which was family style.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Custom Food & Wine Day Trip to the Peloponnese for Linda & Friends

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cape Sounion Driving tour

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Custom Agora & Flavors Tour for Linda & Friends

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just came back from a 12-day trip to Morocco, and it was one of our best travel experiences ever.
It was our first expedition in a Muslim country and we wanted to make sure we were given all the tools and tips to discover it under the best conditions, with respect and reverence.
We provided Hakim with a detailed account of the type of experience we were hoping to realize (a cultural and societal introduction) and he did an amazing job of crafting the unforgettable tour with the right guides in each major city.
But ultimately, it is our driver Erdwan who made this trip simply perfect and worry-free. From the moment he picked us up at the airport he took care of us every step of the way. With his warm personality, his genuine desire to make things easy for us, and his serious professionalism, he is a tremendous asset for Kimkim. He made us feel like royalty and coordinated everything around us with simple efficiency.
In 12 days, we drove hundreds of kilometers and saw many aspects of a rich and fascinating country. We learned an enormous amount about the history of the place - our guides were erudite, friendly and very interesting.
We stayed in beautiful places (except the last hotel in Casablanca, close to the airport, a brutal way to finish a magical trip as we were not ready to be so practical and wanted to fairytale to last until the very end).
We could not have hoped for a better vacation.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Another amazing hotel, superbly decorated, and superbly staffed.

Authenticity & Character

so gorgeous, we spent a lot of time indoors

Location

Staff

outstanding personnel

Cleanliness & Comfort

our suite was a gem

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

The property is gorgeous, but I had mixed feeling about that place. It did not have the cachet and the attention to detail we experienced at the other hotels. I felt it could be so much better - the food and the staff's attitude. Hard to pinpoint. Just a 3 stars despite the exceptional garden.

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

A unique experience with the Berberes and an unforgettable camel ride through the dunes.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karawan Riad

Fès

An absolutely stunning place!!

Authenticity & Character

our suite was sumptuous

Location

Staff

The staff was perfect, especially a young lady who took very good care of us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

charming, authentic; a very good introduction to beautiful Moroccan hospitality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kenzi Sidi Maarouf Hotel

Casablanca

it was the least exciting place of our entire stay I was sad to finish our trip there the bathroom did not smell fresh; I felt I was already back in New York and I understand it was practical for us to stay there with a morning flight the next day but still...

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

A stunning property in a fairytale environment!

Authenticity & Character

Our suite was filled with tasteful artifacts

Location

Once you are there, you are in your own bubble. Our suite was magnificent; the property superb.

Staff

warm and dedicated staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Morocco

Our guide was wonderful Marrakech is a very interesting city but a bit frantic compared to other places we visited.

Afternoon Guided Tour in Casablanca

Morocco

By the end of our trip, we were exhausted and I was disheartened by the hotel we were staying at. Casablanca was a chaos of traffic jam and confusion. Thank God, our driver was patient and always protective of us. Our guide was a very interesting fellow but we did not benefit from his knowledge as much as we could have.

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

a fantastic experience in an authentic place with a very good staff

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

I felt sorry for our guide because this food tour was a misunderstanding. We were under the impression that we would have small tastes of unknown specialties over several stops, followed by dinner somewhere. But at our first stop, we were offered more food than we normally eat in one day. Everything was succulent, but the quantities were absurd and that took the wind out of our sail. I guess our guide was used to more hungry tourists and I know he was disappointed.

Day Trip to Meknes & the Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Fes

Volubilis is a must-see. Our guide was friendly but a little bit on the light side; we learned more about Volubilis from your Fes and Marrakech guides. Unforgettable visit, nevertheless.

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Fes is a magical city. We liked it better than Marrakech. Our guide was fantastic; very knowledgeable, very friendly, very warm.

Morning Guided Tour in Chefchaouen

Morocco

We loved this small village and our young guide was funny and personable. Not your typical guide, but he easily conveyed his love for his town and gave us wonderful insights into the Moroccan way of life. We enjoyed him very much.

Morning Guided Tour in Rabat

Morocco

we were very impressed with Rabat and it gave us a very good first impression

Was such a great trip thanks KimKim

Hotel Reviews

Locanda Leon Bianco on the Grand Canal

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Sunset Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking tour Path of Gods

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the local tour company, Zaman Tours, which was selected for us during our recent trip to Jordan. Our disappointment with Zaman Tours was significant as we had previously experienced an excellent trip to Peru last year with Peruvian Tours, also arranged through Kim Kim. As a result, we placed our trust in Kim Kim again to find us a reliable tour company for our trip to Jordan and Israel. Unfortunately, our experience with Zaman Tours was far from satisfactory, leaving us feeling let down by the quality of service provided.

During the booking process, we were impressed by the website claim that Zaman Tours creates tailor-made tours with local experts. Regrettably, our experience did not meet this promise. The itinerary provided was inadequate and lacked details such as local contact information and a clear timetable. When we asked for a more detailed itinerary, we were told that it was all that could be provided. We specifically requested a thorough schedule, but instead, we were given a vague response and told we had total flexibility to change it ourselves. We were hoping to have an expert guide us through the best schedule so that we didn't have to worry about the logistics ourselves.

During the first two days of our trip in Amman, we were disappointed to be guided by an inexperienced tour guide who had only joined the tourism industry for a month. Despite informing Zaman Tours before our trip that we were interested in history, our guide didn't seem to know the city or its history well enough to provide us with any meaningful information. He clearly did not do enough research beforehand and left us feeling frustrated and underwhelmed by the experience.

To make matters worse, we had to pick him up and drop him off at his home before heading back to the hotel as apparently it was "on the way." However, we later realized that we actually made a detour just to send him home, which was very unprofessional and a waste of our travel time. We could have planned the sites and booked separate tour guides ourselves, which made us regret paying a premium for an "expert" when we could have done a better job ourselves.

It was disappointing that Zaman Tours linked us up with an inexperienced, young guide and claimed that he was an expert. We expected to receive professional and expert guidance from a tailor-made tour company, but instead, we received the opposite. The lack of attention to detail throughout our trip caused us stress and frustration, which is not something we would expect from a professional tour operator.

Another example of poor service we encountered was when Zaman Tours planned Petra by Night for us on a Tuesday when it only runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Despite being informed that it was a must-see attraction, we were not told about its opening dates and hours, which was quite disappointing. As Zaman Tours claims to provide local experts, we were expecting them to have this information readily available. Instead, we found ourselves having to navigate our itinerary and communicate with the driver, who was not a tour guide and did not have the necessary information. We feel let down that we missed Petra by Night, which was the most important highlight of our visit to Petra.

When we contacted Zaman Tours to complain about this issue, their response was dismissive. They seemed to think we were making a big deal out of it as we could just visit it the next day, Wednesday, when Petra by Night would be open. However, what they didn't take into consideration was that we had also planned to stay at a Bedouin Camp and participate in their nighttime activities, so we had to choose between the two activities. By going to Petra by Night, we would have missed the Bedouin Camp activities and vice versa. Unfortunately, Zaman Tours did not take our dilemma seriously and suggested we skip the Bedouin Camp if Petra by Night was more important to us. We felt disappointed that they did not understand the significance of missing out on an activity that we had been looking forward to, especially since it was one of the highlights of our visit to Petra.

On the night of the Petra by Night incident, we were informed that our agent had quit Zaman tours for personal reasons. This left us feeling even more helpless and worried. We were essentially left on our own with the driver. The lack of communication and professionalism during this situation added to our disappointment with the overall service provided by Zaman Tours.

Despite our attempts to reflect our discontent to Zaman Tours directly, we were met with an unsatisfactory response from even the CEO. His reply was "We have successfully handled thousands of clients this month, and we have not received any negative feedback thus far. All of our clients have utilized the same services, stayed at the same hotels, engaged in the same activities, and been driven by the same drivers." This response is frustrating as it is clear that they claim to provide a tailor-made trip, yet all of their clients have apparently been provided with the same services, itinerary, and experience. It begs the question: what is the point of paying for a tailor-made service if it is the same as everyone else's?

Furthermore, their unwillingness to acknowledge and address our concerns shows a lack of professionalism and customer service skills. We feel that Zaman Tours does not take constructive criticism well, leaving us dissatisfied with the entire experience. If we wanted a generic itinerary, we could have easily found one online at a lower cost and without the unnecessary stress and trouble of dealing with a tour operator.

In conclusion, we were disappointed to be linked with this local tour company. We expected better from a company that claims to provide tailor-made trips. Instead, we found a lack of communication, professionalism, and local knowledge. We hope that Kim Kim will take steps to ensure that clients are only connected with reputable and reliable tour operators to avoid similar experiences in the future.

David went beyond his skills as a guide! He took us to some other areas that were not even part of our site seeing plan. He made sure we were comfortable and took care of all the necessary needs we had. At the ice cave he took care of us and helped me feel safe . He was with us at all times making sure we had an experience of a life time! He is extremely knowledgeable not only about Iceland but the world as well!
I would definitely go with him again and recommend him to everyone that is going to Iceland.

Activity Reviews

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Iceland

Great choice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zodiac Boat tour

Iceland

A must! Experienced a breaking off of an iceberg! Was a great experience. Went very close to the glacier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave- under the Volcano

Iceland

A must see and do!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inside the Volcano Helicopter Tour

Iceland

A must do!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amandine & team were great at building an itinerary that was packed, but at a manageable pace. A private guide at the Louvre with David was a must as no time was wasted lost in the museum. It was crazy busy during our visit, so having him there to whisk us to the main attractions and to our personal interests made it all the better. Lucey in the Loire Valley and Yann guiding us in Cote Rotie and Beujolais wine tours offered the perfect mix of information and freedom to make day trips relaxing. The dinner cruise on the Seine in Paris was luxurious. Bastien encouraged us not to skimp on that and I’m glad for it. We got the most inclusive package for the dinner and it was well worth it. Alban in the Alps took the cake for the trip. He led us on a hike overlooking a glacier and offered up a gourmet picnic which included a mix of fruits and vegetables from his own garden. The whole experience at Aguille du Midi far exceeded expectations. All the hotels were clean with friendly and helpful staff in each city visited. We only pivoted once veering off itinerary by taking a “down day” to lounge on the beach in Nice. That turned out to be one of our favorite days. Visiting Cannes was a bust. Red carpet was under plywood. Antibes was just ok. Same for Grasse and Valbonne. St Paul de Vence and Goirdon were gorgeous though as was the Bellet wine tasting. If I were to change anything it would’ve been to do St Paul de Vence/Goirdon/Bellet in one day and have a second beach day in Nice. 4 days in Paris, 4 days in Lyon, 2 in Chamonix and 4 in Nice. I think it was the right number of days. All in all a fantastic trip.

The trip was amazing and the food was fabulous.
Quan made Harnoi trip fun. Loved the scooter ride and water puppet show.
The eco village tour was great.
Thanks to our guide HA on the hike to Fanispan mountain. I would recommend him to every hiker. Extremely helpful and patient. The whole organization by Kimkim was excellent!!!

Angela was amazing to work with. She made great tour suggestions and was able to customize as we requested. She was available during our trip to answer questions and responded quickly. She was able to switch the day of a planned tour last minute and checked us in for the ferries. The private transportation and tours were exquisite. The hotels were comfortable and luxurious. My favorite Greek Island was Milos and the rib boat tour with Captain Paolo Farinola was the best part of the trip! I would definitely use kimkim for my next trip abroad and highly recommend their services.

Hotel Reviews

Nana Princess Suites, Villas & Spa

Hersonissos

Hotel was beautiful. Our room was amazing. Pool and ocean view were breathtaking. I highly recommend this place. It’s off the beaten path, but well worth it.

Authenticity & Character

The pools and accommodations were amazing.

Location

Not in the middle of everything - I liked that.

Staff

Courteous and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless rooms!

Andronis Luxury Suites

Santorini

Loved the mattress in the room the best. Blinds closed to make the room dark and slept like a baby!! Pool was awesome. We had a cave style room that was very unique! All amenities were complimentary and replenished daily. The couple we went to Santorini with was in the room next to us and we found that very convenient. Room service breakfast on the patio outside was so nice. The flowers were beautiful. Staff was very nice and accommodating. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Cave style room was one I will never forget.

Location

Close to all the action in Santorini and had a beautiful view.

Staff

Everyone was so nice and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

LOVED the mattress! And cleaning was exquisite.

Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel

Pollonia

Absolutely loved this place! Close to town where we could walk to restaurants and shops. Staff was so nice! Room was clean, comfortable and unique. And the custom scent throughout the hotel was pleasant and relaxing. I highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Small and quaint. Loved the heated pool!

Location

Within walking distance to town and restaurants.

Staff

Staff was SO NICE! They were pleasant to be around and made you feel special.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean, comfortable and maintained.

xenodocheio Milos

Athens

Rooms were clean and comfortable. Close to lots of restaurants. Breakfast in the dining room was amazing. Staff were pleasant and accommodating. I would definitely recommend this hotel when staying in Athens.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful room.

Location

Close to tour meeting place and restaurants.

Staff

Friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean.

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Tour guide was friendly and informative.

Rib Boat 8.5m Rib boat //300hp engine round of Milos - 8 pax max

Greece

This Rib Boat tour was my favorite thing out of our entire 2 weeks in Greece. An absolute must!! Ask for Captain Paolo !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where do I start to describe our amazing trip in Portugal! We landed in Portugal and did a quick walking food tour. In hindsight we need to remember not to book nothing. The jet lag got to us because we had an overnight flight and couldn’t get into our room before the tour. Our mistake! The Pestana Pousada, Lisboa hotel was beautiful, great breakfast and our room overlooked the square and Ocean and was close to everything! Our driver Max was prompt ant drove us to Porto via Obidos and Nazare. Our hotel was Pestana Vintage, Porto. Again, great breakfasts, a great location, for a walking tour, antique car ride and port tasting at Ramos Pinto across the river. Off to Douro valley for an amazing lunch, wine tasting and a Douro River cruise with another great driver. Next stop, driving ourselves on to Evora in a car arranged for us. Our amazing hotel for the next few days was Convento do Espinheiro hotel and spa. What an amazing history this place has. Also, great breakfasts, has indoor and outdoor pools and hot tub. The walled town of Evora is a great place to buy souvenirs, is quaint and has great restaurants…Pipa Rosa is where we ate! On our way to the Algarve, a wonderful lunch and wine tasting was planned for us outdoors at a farm/vineyard. During 3 days in our timeshare in Vilamoura we did an all day tour around the Algarve to the 2 highest pints of the regions for amazing views and lessons on cork farming and manufacturing and a great lunch at a local venue. We self drove back to Lisbon for 3 more days doing our own thing and a final tour to the Peña Palace and town of Sintra. Another amazing tour! We really felt we got the best of every region we visited, met many wonderful guides, drivers and the locals who were always glad to have us enjoying their amazing country! Thank you again Kimkim for another amazing vacation plan. Looking forward to our next one in Ireland in the fall!

Wonderful honeymoon in Norway! Definitely recommend Flam and the bike ride from Myrdal. Would love to go back!

Hotel Review

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ferry Transfers through Hardangerfjord

Norway

Cycling Adventure en route from Oslo via Flåm Railway

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aggeliki, one of the Kimkim Greece specialists, organized an amazing 20 day "Off the Beat Beaten Path" trip for my wife and I (from New Zealand) and another couple (our friends from Canada). This trip started in Athens and moved on to Milos, Amorgos, Naxos and Crete.

We found the entire process from the planning, though to the actual trip just great. In particular:
1. Kimkim's business model is excellent. You write a description of your perfect trip and they get to work finding a specialist on their team to develop the trip. They do this pro-bono as nothing is paid until the trip is booked and they get a service fee as part of the total price.
2. Aggeliki really is a Greece specialist and is very well connected across the Greek travel community. The guides and hotels staff all knew and respected her.
3. She really took the time to understand what we wanted and the first proposed itinerary was very close.
4. Changes to plan once in-country were not a problem. We did some fine tuning along the way and Aggleliki was happy to manage the changes without complaint.
5. Hotels chosen were all excellent. They were smaller places and had a very nice vibe.
6. We literally had over 10 different local guides over the 3 weeks. They were all experts and very easy to spend time with. They were open minded to our on-the-fly adjustments and we had many laughs along the way.

In summary, this was a great experience and we unconditionally recommend Kimkim and Aggleliki.

Jamas!
Geoff, Alison, Rod and Donna

Our trip was fantastic! It was well organized and we were delighted by our experience. The guides were so nice and gave us a great experience. The private car drivers were great as well. Local train reservations were very well organized. This was one of the most relaxing trips we had. Thank you for all the local travel planning as well.

Simon and his team provided thorough itineraries however there is no follow up contact from them to check on us, the travelers. With minimal of 4 arrangements with local guides during our 28 day trip, we were very much on our own most of the time. It would be more informative for us to have a guide in a city. We did not expect to have ones in small town or village stays. With the amount of research that we did ourselves, at times we thought that we could have done the trip without having to go with KimKim.

Many thanks to Kimkim and Simon for helping us to plan our two-week tour of France to celebrate my wife's 60th Birthday. The full itinerary brought in all the highlights we wanted to view and experience in a thoughtful well laid out order. The top highlight was Mont-Saint-Michel, a true wonder (although it was difficult to choose). The trip started in Paris, we then traveled to Bayeaux, in Normandy, then to the Loire Valley for Chateau tours before traveling to Avignon to experience Provance with the Roman ruins and wonderful wine. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Rachel did a terrific job making our trip purposeful and enjoyable! We can’t say enough about how good of a job she did! She had a few days to figure things out and did marvelous! Trip highlights include boat ride in Isle of Skye for wildlife watching, the Cameron House in Loch Lomond, The Old Mill Inn at Pitlochery and finally playing golf at Royal Troon! We’ll put together for convenience and so many personal touches. Thank you for the support and assistance!

From our earliest interview with Kim Kim, we felt heard and were accommodated throughout. We always received prompt replies to all our questions from Christine over several months of planning and while in Japan. Our accommodations were convenient, comfortable and of high quality. Our booked activities were exceptional. Our guides were knowledgeable, prompt and flexible. We wholeheartedly recommend working with Kim Kim on your next adventure.

Activity Reviews

Arashiyama & Kyoto Landscape Views

Kyoto

We visited in the rain but it didn’t dampen our amazement of this beautiful park.

Quality of Experience

Toyosu Fish/Tsukiji Market Food Tour

Tokyo

Great sites and food! A bustling indoor/outdoor market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sumo Tournament

Tokyo

A one in a lifetime experience! Just magnificent to attend the Grand Sumo Tournament thanks to Kim Kim.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

14-Day Ordinary JR Pass

Japan

This is a must for any foreign traveler. The mass transit system is pretty amazing and the JR pass provides easy access without having to figure out tickets and fares.

Quality of Experience

We thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip to Greece! This was a special trip for us as we were celebrating our 40 th wedding anniversary and we wanted the trip to be so special. Chris was very attentive to details and was always willing to tweak our itinerary to our liking. Chris was so kind to have a champagne anniversary toast arranged for us on the sunset dinner cruise in Santorini which made the day so special! We visited Athens, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos. Each island had its own character and we enjoyed all the views, cuisine, and the Greek hospitality. Chris was always checking in with us to be sure all was going well which we really appreciated. This is our second trip with KimKim and they did not disappoint! We thank Chris for his guidance and excellent recommendations throughout our stay. We now have a little Greek in our hearts and the memories are just so beautiful!

Hotel Reviews

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Staff very helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice location with cafes all around. Stores were closed as we found out it they close on Thursday afternoons and we were there on a Thursday ! The staff at desk was then able to get us a taxi that brought us back into Athens and then back to hotel so were able to do some last minute shopping.

Staff

Super nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Mykonos Hotel

Mykonos

Beautiful and peaceful away from all the busy streets and restaraunts. A short walk got us into the shopping streets and cafes.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds and view

Location

Great location and view of the harbor.

Staff

No complimentary water offered which we found odd. Seems like it should be a basic.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caldera's Memories

Santorini

Should really give 10 stars for this hotel! The view was like heaven! Everything about this hotel was beyond excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location like no other place in the world!

Staff

Staff were so helpful and professional. Class A + for everyone !

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquila Atlantis Hotel

Heraklion – Crete

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Palatino Hotel

Chania

Amazing views and room was superb!Balcony and view of the harbor were breathtaking!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the center of the the old town so great walking through all the beautiful streets.

Staff

Staff were super helpful and so kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Urban Frame Hotel

Athens

Little to small for us but very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great walking distance to Plaka and the Acropolis

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Diamond Caldera Sunset Cruise

Santorini

Most amazing experience ...the beauty of this was unbelievable! Chris arranged an anniversary champagne toast for us which was so meaningful and the whole boat toasted us! The sunset was incredible ! This is a must for all to do !

Quality of Experience

Food

The chef was amazing on the boat! The dinner was gourmet and the chef even shared her shrimp recipe with us !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anniversary Day!

Santorini

Beautiful day ! Took Chris's recommendations for dinner in Oia. We also rented a car that day and went to a Vineyard which was a lovely experience. Hotel then got a driver for us to bring us into Oia for dinner who was wonderful and waited for us to go back to our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Heraklion Day at Leisure

Heraklion

Quality of Experience

Drive towards Heraklion - Short stop at Rethymno

Greece

Town was a great stop! We loved this stop and had a wonderful lunch there!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elafonissi Beach Day Trip 

Greece

Wonderful day! Driver was very kind and great ! Beach was beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Loved this tour !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our cooking class in Palermo was excellent. Chef Michael and his assistant Melissa were fantastic. We made a wonderful meal and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In Matera, we had a wonderful baking experience. Our guide was also delightful and created an elaborate picture of what Matera was like during its early history. In Agrigento, our guide was extremely personable and knowledgeable. With her detail to Greek history, she brought the ancient period alive. The other guides were good but these were the stand outs.

We found that the guides who were born in Italy were very passionate about their country and shared their enthusiasm with us. We had one guide who was not born in Italy and while she was good, she did not have the same exuberance.
The hotels were comfortable and centrally located. The villa in Agrigento was fabulous. Instead of the fourth night in Palermo, we would have liked the extra night at the villa.
The only hotel that we did not like was in Aberobello. The staff was not friendly. The bed was hard and uncomfortable. They also did not have air-conditioning. We would have preferred staying in Matera instead of spending 2 nights in Aberobello. A half day excursion in Aberobello is more than enough.

We loved everything about the trip!

We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Galapagos Islands and Quito. Our guide in Quito, Sebastian, was a great guide and such a nice young man. he was waiting at the luggage area with a sign and explained very clearly everything we would do and when we would be picked up in Quito. We also thought Astrid on Santa Cruz did a nice job.

There was some disconnect on how we were to meet our guides or tour buses (boats) each day. Telling us to stand outside our hotel at 8:00 a.m. and someone would show up to get us, left us feeling a little insecure. Saying that, someone did always meet us but it was the lack of knowing who or how (private driver, bus, no one) we were to be met that left us a little uncomfortable.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dann Carlton Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking Adventure in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Bay

Isla San Cristóbal

The kayaking was fun although the equipment could have been better. The trip out and to Darwin's cove was enjoyable and the snorkeling was fantastic that day. Our guides were "ok" . The young woman ( I don't even know what her name was ) spent a lot of time looking at her phone. On the trip back the water was very choppy and the wind was blowing hard. Our kayak couldn't stand up to those conditions and was flooding badly. We are very experienced kayakers (white water river conditions) but couldn't stop to bale the kayak because the sea was so rough. Our guides were off a long ways away and of little assistance.

Quality of Experience

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería (Speedboat from Santa Cruz)

Galapagos Islands

Once we arrived at San Cristobal we were met by our guide but we decided to go to the hotel for a little bit before heading out for our tour because the boat ride had been so rough. The tour included Darwin's Cove where we hiked and snorkeled. This was my favorite place in the Galapagos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food in the Galapagos is only so-so because it is hard to transport. Saying that, we did not come on this trip for gourmet food.

Transport

Warnings about conditions. The boat was very cramped and you had to sit below where you couldn't see anything.

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

We had a fun day on the boat and loved the snorkeling and hiking around the island.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just remember it is a long ride on the bus from Puerto Ayora to the boat docks-approximately one hour.

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We really enjoyed the Highland Tortoise preserve and the restaurant on location was lovely. Because of delays in our flight we were unable to see the Darwin Research Station but the Travel agency added a different trip on for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant was beautiful and what an amazing location.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astrid was a very nice guide and had great information about the Highlands of Santa Cruz.

Transport

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo - Middle of the World- From Quito Airport

Quito

I loved the Galapagos but our tour of Quito old city was by far the best tour we had on our trip. Our guide, Sebastian, was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really great driver/guide.

Transport