Kimkim Trip Reviews

Tomaz thanks for doing our itineraries we had a great memories to treasure in Switzerland. The people are very helpful if we have questions and they are very friendly too. The Swiss pass is very helpful too were able to see the olympic museum , Jesuit church, the oldest library and many more. We love nature so Switzerland was perfect. We had some minor problem about the vouchers in Vinorama & the Matterhorn but you respond right away when i called we do appreciate that. Again from the bottom of our hearts a big thanks

Meldy

Hotel Reviews

Ruby Mimi Zurich

Zurich

Authenticity & Character

close to every thing

Location

near to the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel des Patients Lausanne

Lausanne

Authenticity & Character

the room is huge

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alpenblick Superior

Zermatt

Authenticity & Character

close to the gorge

Location

quite far from the train station , need a taxi

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Artos Interlaken

Interlaken

Authenticity & Character

10 min walk from train station, garden i like & the view

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waldstätterhof Swiss Quality Hotel

Luzern

Authenticity & Character

close to train station

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Montreux on your own

Switzerland

Lavaux vineyards , & Chateau de Chillon something to remember

Quality of Experience

Vinorama in Lavaux

Switzerland

Beautiful scenery, we got lost , instead of going down we went up to the houses

Quality of Experience

Zürich city guided walking tour

Switzerland

The weather was hot , over all its ok, we can do it without a guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

transportation is through swiss pass so i

Cheese Tuk-tuk tour

Lucerne

Pascal showed us around Lucern with wine & cheese fondue, potatoes are abundant unlike the one in Grindelwald Bebbis restaurant 1 small potatoes not even cook, 1 broccoli & the cheese not enough, , potatoes is not even that expensive not to recommend that restaurant it sucks

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have travelled to Europe many many times but this time, I felt like a VIP! From the very first moment when my travel companion, Debra, and I, Janis, were met at the airport by a nicely dressed man who drove us in a Mercedes to a beautiful modern hotel in Milan, I was impressed. And first impressions count! The hotel in Milan was perfectly located next to the train station, which made it so easy for getting around, especially to the city center. Our room was lovely. Great way to begin our trip! We did spend more than an hour that first afternoon trying to find the car rental location, in preparation for the next morning. We didn't have the name of the local agency, even though I had inquired, only the umbrella company. And the local agency was located a couple of blocks away from the train station. We did finally find it, but it was a struggle. When we picked up the vehicle the next morning, it was very dirty inside. It had not been cleaned at all. And it had no gas.
So we had to immediately fill it. This was the only low point in our trip.
We proceeded to Merano and spent three nights there, really enjoying the little town I had booked accommodations in: Marlingo.
So, then we left for the KimKim portion of our trip, stopping first in Bellagio. Our accommodations were in the old part of the town, in a neighborhood all locals knew, so even when we got lost walking, we were kindly directed to our accommodations. (I'm now going to rate the activities and guides on a 10-pt scale, with 10 being outstanding.). The first morning our guide Silvia showed up at our hotel, exactly on time, and we set off for some incredible hiking with her. She was wonderful and we enjoyed her and her knowledge of the area immensely. She even brought a coffee heater with her and snacks so we could overlook Lake Como on our break. I can't say enough good things about Silvia. What a gem! (10!)(However, we puzzled over how much to "tip" all of our personal guides and drivers. That would be a good thing to include in trips for visitors like us, especially since it was just the TWO of us.)
The next day, we walked to the bicycle rental, got fitted for e-bikes and met our guide Philip. He was also FABULOUS! He took us all over, on steep roads, through narrow streets and on to the top of the mountain, where he recommended a restaurant, which we ended up reserving for that night's dinner. When I had a little accident the next day, I was able to contact him for a dental recommendation. He too is a gem! (10!)
Then we moved onto Stresa. What a lovely old 'classic' hotel, and right next to the ferry to the islands. Very convenient.
Without any guided tours there, however, it didn't have the same engaging 'personality'/ambience for us as Bellagio did, because of Silvia's and Philip's warmth and charm.
Next, we drove to Alba and our hostess at Cortiletto d'Alba was extraordinarily warm and welcoming. She couldn't do enough for us, including showing us where the free parking was! Our meals there (breakfast was included, but we also had dinner there two evenings) were wonderful. Each of our accommodations was so unique from the previous. We truly enjoyed the variety. Silvie was our guide through Alba, and she was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. (8). Finding the restaurant for lunch was a little confusing, but it was delicious. That morning, driving into the hills for the wine tasting was a real adventure, as the roads there felt more like old narrow 'wagon trails.' But we found it, and joined six others in a lovely wine tasting with the most sensational views. It was phenomenal. (10!) Having both been in Tuscany, separately, on trips a few years ago, we relished the beauty and the quiet of the Piedmont. There were few people - not like in Tuscany. We'd go again in a heartbeat!!
And the truffle hunt: what an experience that was! We were again picked up by a driver in a very nice car, up to where we met the trifalau and his girl dog Buca. The driver left, and the three of us plus Buca tramped through the woods. When the trifalau (Carlo, I think) gave the signal, Buca began sniffing around through the woods, starting to dig when she smelled a truffle buried deep in the earth. We found two truffles, and learned SO much about truffles. It was an experience I've wanted to have for years; this was exceptional! (10!)
Then we drove to Genoa, where we were met by our driver who drove us to Monterosso. What a joy not to have to schlept our bags onto a train. Again, VIP treatment and we loved it!
And we so enjoyed our accommodations in Monterosso: perfect location in the village and the host was so kind to us. Francesco was our guide from Corniglia to Vernazza and he was excellent and very caring. (9)
The pesto making experience was such GREAT FUN! Both being cooks, we appreciated all the little insights Simone told us about the hands-on process. We each got an apron, we were fed heaps of food for lunch, and every couple received a half bottle of Cinque Terre wine. (10!)
The sunset cruise was a little disappointing. We didn't have the name of the company, only the name of the boat. Locals tried to help us, but told us the boat (by the name we had - Guiliana) was moored in Monterosso. It was only with the help of six locals that we finally connected with the right boat company. It was other guests scheduled for the same boat that made our departure even later. There were 14 of us plus the driver/guide. Most people had to sit on the flat padded part of the boat, but we chose the rear where we could sit with our feet on the boat's floor (much more comfortable). The appetizers (foaccacia) were stale and tasteless. We fed the pieces to the seagulls. The guide opened up 11 bottles of Prosecco but Debra and I only drank a few ounces as it wasn't very good Prosecco. The sunset was beautiful and the guide told us a bit about each of the five towns. (7)
The driver back to Genoa was right on time (actually early) and he dropped us at the appointed places, Debra to the airport and me to the train station, for my trip to Nice.
Jessica was a joy to communicate with and make such a customized plan. I was impressed by AXUS - what a helpful and informative app! I can't recommend Jessica enough. During the trip, Barbara too was such a help, and always available despite the hour of our needing assistance or clarification. On a scale of 1 - 10, STORYWALKING gets an 11!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Stella della Marina

Monterosso

Authenticity & Character

Clean and modern. Lots of stairs however!

Location

Staff

Host/owner/manager is such a hard worker; he does it all; and very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal

Stresa

Classic, old style hotel - very elegant - beautiful location. Free parking on site. Right next to the ferry to the islands. Fabulous breakfast buffet. Our room had a lovely balcony.

Authenticity & Character

Charming "old world" feel

Location

Just off the water, a short walk to the main portion of Stresa along the water

Staff

Bartender

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Cortiletto d'Alba

Alba

The staff is so warm and welcoming; truly exceptional people. Location is perfect, very close to the old part of Alba. There is free parking, although it can be difficult to find. Delicious food, for breakfasts, and dinners are exquisite (make reservations; it's popular!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andirivieni Bellagio Guest House

Bellagio

Authentic, charming accommodations. Free parking right at the entrance. Good staff. Terrific location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

STAR HOTEL ECHO

MILANO

Location

Right next to the train station; you can go anywhere in Europe from here!

Cleanliness & Comfort

A beautiful and modern hotel, filled with art - really a knockout!

Activity Reviews

Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour

Italy

Pesto Experience

Italy

Alba & Barolo Exclusive Experience

Italy

The Ghisallo Family E-Xperience

Bellagio

Philip gave us four hours.

Bellagio peak: Monte San Primo

Italy

Cinque Terre Trekking Adventure

Italy

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

I forgot to include this in my overall review. Perhaps it's because it wasn't much of a event. The vineyard owner was late. She took us through her family's vineyard, describing different methods of growing the vines. Then set us up at the table with the first of four wines to taste. Then she was through with us. Establishment was short staffed and the wine shack is on the public trail. So it took us a while to figure out that we weren't going to be served the other three wines unless we asked at the wine shack. The employee apologized and tried to make up for our being ignored. The wines were just okay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had to wait a long time for a bus because the first bus was too crowded. And the only way down after the event was to walk, or wait two hours for a bus. Good thing we were prepared with good walking shoes and walking sticks - otherwise I would not have been able to cope with the rocky steep trail. I don't think this was worth it.

Trang was our travel agent and went above and beyond. She took care of our Visas when we couldn't get them to go through the system. She also helped us when Air France screwed up our luggage on the way home.
Our local guide was Huy and our driver Chong. Huy was very knowledgeable and spoke fluent English. We requested a different/specific hotel in cat ba and it ended up being the only negative experience we had. Trang and Huy knew better. We should have listened to their recommendations. Having Chong and Huy with us the whole 9 days made for such an easy adventure. They did a great job! I would highly recommend them.

How to arrange a seemingly impossible vacation with grandchildren?? Contact Kimkim to be sure. We wanted to travel to
The United Kingdom with a 12 and 15 year old , but were unsure how to make these arrangements. Stephen made the trip happen seamlessly. From pickup at the airport into our hotel in London, to travel from Bath to Oxford and return to Heathrow we had knowledgeable and most importantly, reliable guides. Stephen worked with us for several months to fine tune the overall trip to our particular interests, and kept in contact during our stay. Thanks so much.

Hotel Reviews

Courtyard by Marriott Oxford City Centre

Oxford

Easy walk to central business district. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath

Bath

Great location within easy walking distance of central Bath. Wonderful amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleveland Hotel

London

Within easy walking distance of several underground stations. No breakfast, but many convenience stores nearby also. Kitchenette provided all necessities. Wonderfully divided room for adults with children.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Punting in Oxford

England

This was a wonderfully relaxing way to end our whirlwind visit to England. Wonderful boxed lunch was included with our tour so it was even better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable cushions in the boats

Oxford: Harry Potter Tour with Divinity School Entry

Oxford

Our guide's accent was so strong that we could hardly understand what she said. She did call to say she was running late, which was good, but then she was another 15 minutes late for our appointed time. We had trouble keeping up when she walked and the things she showed us did not impress. Stood beside the ice cream stand rather than strolling the courtyard. We ended the tour in a market looking at Alice in Wonderland balloons!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking was entirely too fast.

Historical Walking Tour of downtown Bath (not much distance covered!)

Bath

Our guide, Andy took us for a wonderful 2 hour stroll through the town. He is an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Audio guides allowed us to take our time and enjoy.

Private driver/guide

England

Mike Rowland was a wonderful guide stopping at a tiny Cotswold village and providing lots of history and information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Stonehenge from Bath

Bath

It is surely a must do when in the UK

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bath - A Hawk Walk you say?

Bath

The grandkids were able to have a hawk land and feed about 30 times. Wonderful energetic guide, Alice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cab driver was very prompt when summoned

Guided tour of V & A museum

London

Wonderful guide Luciana took us through the museum pointing out many interesting things that we surely would have missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luciana made this a great experience

London Eye timed entry tickets

London

Able to board quickly and individual cars were roomy

Quality of Experience

Hop-on, Hop-off Bus

London

Don't do it. We were stuck in traffic and the audio for the bus was worse than terrible. They played irritating music between narration which was in our case 90 5 of the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very crowded and impersonal

Transport

Better audio

Tower of London Early Access Tour with Beefeater

London

Tour was listed for 8:30, but due to an underground closure we missed by 10 minutes. We also were perplexed trying to find the meeting point. Allow lots of extra time for travel in the city. Our guide never contacted us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Entry tickets to The Churchill War Rooms

London

We loved this experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private transfer to your accommodation. Then check-in or bag-drop

London

Let us know of his arrival by text.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

To a person, the local guides were terrific. It was also reassuring to be met by transfer folks to get us to our destinations. Rhodes turned out to be our favorite experience.
Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Vista Del Porto Luxury Suites

Rethymno Crete

Excellent space and accommodation. Enjoyed the kitchen and spacious terrace. Surprised how noisy it was even on non harbor side throughout the night. Attentive but not intrusive management. Conveniently located to sites and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Callia Retreat Suites

Good stuff: really helpful staff, quiet and calm location away from congestion, just a block away from terrific winery with dining, lovely pool area with good views. Good, varied breakfast. Disappointing: small room, only window was the door, which meant difficulty with privacy. A couple of rooms would have better privacy and sea views—on second floor. Shower was small with no closure to keep water from spraying. Sometimes all lounge chairs at pool occupied.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Calm and quiet; it was an uphill walk to town.

Staff

Enthusiastic and competent staff almost to a person. Excellent housekeeping staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall very clean the bed was in concrete frame with rim that made it somewhat uncomfortable for getting up and out.

Rodos Park Suites & Spa

Rhodes

Fabulous staff that went out of way to help: desk staff, breakfast, and George the lifeguard. Comfortable room with balcony terrace for our lunches. Easy walk to old city. Green and lush surroundings. Only downside was too loud traffic noise. Electric vehicles really needed here! Good spa experience for massage.

Authenticity & Character

Comfortable

Location

So convenient to old city to get access prior to cruise hordes.

Staff

Went out of the way to be helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Experience in Rethymno

Rethymno

Really enjoyed our guide Ioannis, an appealing and expert individual. Lovely walking tour that uncovered the past as well as more contemporary insights like women’s suffrage in early 20th century.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We opted to depart following excellent winery lunch (4 pm) as it was long day, and we were staying nearby. Definitely go on day when Prehistoric Museum is included (not Tuesdays) as it is essential to understanding the site, or go on your own as we did. The lost Atlantis experience may be better suited to children. Stellar guide Tanya.

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent wine tasting with interesting and tasty four course meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rhodes Walking Tour

Rhodes

Rhodes was unexpectedly stunning, our favorite among three islands visited. Nicholas, our guide, was a delight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Trip to Explore Knossos Palace and Museum from Rethymno

Rethymno

Superb guide and amazing place. I recommend reading the historical fiction by Mary Renault, The King Must Die.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Typography Museum, Byzantine Collection & Walking Tour in Chania

Greece

This is a gem of a museum somewhat outside Chania. Excellent displays on history of printing and writing. Interactive.

Quality of Experience

Excellent museum docent

Lorenza was awesome! We had a couple of hiccups in our travels and she was right there to help us during each one. We were amazed at the level of communication, the customer service and care she showed. I truly feel she is absolute the best available anywhere! I have already raved to other travelers about Kim Kim and Lorenza. I will definitely be calling her again when I travel to Italy.

We had an amazing trip in Norway. All through the planning process our planner Christina was patient & answered all our questions. She kept well within our budget taking note of external costs as well such as the car. The itinerary was planned perfectly with detailed instructions & maps as well. We had such a wonderful time in Norway it was so sad for the holiday to end. I would highly recommend using Kim Kim as your holiday planner.

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Utsikten

Geiranger

We had an amazing view but the room is a bit small. Staff are very friendly. Please take note no lifts so you will have to carry your luggage to the rooms yourself. Dinner at the hotel is very pricey so you may want to find an alternative place. Breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Hotel Parken

Alesund

The breakfast selection was amazing. Easy walking distance. Unfortunately we were there during a holiday so most places closed early.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Kristiansund

Kristiansund

The breakfast selection was amazing. Every evening other than summer season they have light snacks prepared from 6pm to 9pm. Easy walking to places.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon hotel Nidaros

Trondheim

A bit difficult to park & unload luggage. The breakfast selection was amazing. Easy walking distance to the places of interest. Keep your windows closed if your facing the pubs & discotek as it can get very noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltun Hotel & Cabins

Dombås

We stayed in the cabin. We had to wait for our room for 2 hours past check in time. Things to take note are bedsheets & pillow cases are not provided & you have to pay extra for them. 5 mins drive away are nice places to eat & a supermarket.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reinheimen Lodge

Skjåk

We chose to stay in the hotel rather than the cabin as the cabins has no toilets but it was still nice. The staff was so friendly. Dinner at the hotel was very deliciously. Breakfast was intimate & so good. Highly recommend staying here if you are driving thru.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fjærland Fjordstove Hotell & Restaurant

Fjærland

Wonderful intimate hotel. We recommend staying here if you are nearby. The staff so super friendly & our room was amazing. Dinner was pricey but it was so delicious. Totally worth it. Breakfast has not so much variety but it was sufficient for us. Everything so was so good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

It is quite a walk from the ferry terminal especially if you are wheeling your luggage. Staff are not so friendly. The rooms are super small & the room looks like it was partially renovated. Breakfast was nice but there were not so quick to top up finished breakfast items.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

The family room we booked was nice but a bit small. We had to carry our luggage up a winding staircase & there are no railing for you to hold on to. The dinner at the restaurant was good. Everything we ordered was delicious. But breakfast was a disappointment. Everything was cold.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

Hotel room was big & the breakfast selection was amazing, Quick walk from the Oslo Central Train station. There is a mall next to the hotel. Easy walking distance to the places of interest. Only downside, as the hotel is next to a stadium, & if your room faces that way during a match it is very noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Neshaugen with a Glacier View

Fjærland

The trekking up it not for the unfit. Our guide was patient with us & walked slowly as it was through the forest. Although we could not see the glacier due to the weather, the view he showed us was still amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Beautiful cruise with amazing views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Oslo's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

Our guide Stig shared with us Oslo's history & he made the culinary experience customizable according to what we what to try. It was a fun walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

John was very knowledgeable. Sharing with is the history of Bergen. It was a fun walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Moskus Ox safari

Norway

Amazing! We got to see the Moskus Ox 10 mins into our trip. We were told we were very lucky. The Guide Erland was very knowledgeable & was very patient with us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tarun did an excellent job organising our transfers around Slovenia. Where he was not able to make it, he ensured that someone he trusted was there at the appointed time and knew exactly what they had to do. Tarun and the other people we met through Tarun were all very knowledgeable about Slovenia and, the places he booked for us, were amazing including Lepa Vida wines, our Soca River rafting experience and Broken Bones Distillery. He ensured we were at the appropriate places by the required time to make each of the tours and took us to some lovely out of the way places that as a tourist we would not have seen. He was an easy person to be around and had a great sense of fun and humour.

Tarun also ensured we got to do the things that I had found before engaging him and wanted to do like a day yacht trip from Izola south along the Slovenian coast to Croatia and back again on board, "Alice in Waterland". Damjan and Fredrica were the perfect hosts and couldn't do enough for us and our fussy group of eaters. I had also booked our accommodation all of which turned out to be fantastic.

I think the best thing about working with Tarun is he would have been happy to organise the whole trip for us or to work with me and fit in additional things around what I'd organised or wanted to do. He was very flexible.

Everyone we met in Slovenia were amazing. Kind, engaging and generous. The food in Slovenia is incredible. Beautiful fresh produce cooked to perfection. The water is very clean and the environment pristine. There are a number of fabulous walks, lakes and other adventures. I really thoroughly enjoyed our time in Slovenia and would go back again in a heartbeat and ask Tarun to help me organise the trip again.

Activity Reviews

Visiting Izola and Strunjan

Koper

We did a tour down the Slovenia coast past Piran and onto Croatia on "Alice in Waterland" a beautiful 51 foot yacht. The yacht owners, Damjan and Fredrica made sure our day was perfect with breakfast and coffee when we boarded the yacht and a swim stop in a sheltered cove just north of Piran followed by an amazing lunch, beautiful wines and gins. They made sure that the trip was perfect in every way.

Quality of Experience

It was the best experience with two wonderful humans

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We walked to the yacht

Transport

The yacht was in immaculate condition

Small family wine yard tour ? :)

Slovenia

Lepa Vida Boutique Winery. We loved our trip to this small winery. In addition to the wine tasting they created some amazing food to have with it and said, if they had of known in advance, they could have also catered to any allergies or intolerances. We tried each of their wines and loved them all. Walked away with 6 bottles of wine none of which made it home - they were too good. The winery owner was amazing, fantastic knowledge of wine, the winery's history and the local area. Couldn't recommend this winery too highly

Quality of Experience

The quality of the wine, food and the owner's generosity in ensuring it is the best experience possible for you

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had our travel specialist collect us from Venice and drop us at the winery on time

Transport

The car was clean, comfortable and appropriate for the number in our group

Hanna was sooo incredibly helpful in planning the perfect trip to Iceland. All of her recommendations were awesome. And the whole process was seamless, from car rental to hotels to each of our tours.

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Was much less crowded than I expected and truly was incredible experience!

Quality of Experience

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

West Glacial River Family Rafting

Iceland

An absolute must do. One of the highlights of the trip! Better for families or inexperienced rafters. If more advanced, do the east river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Earth Lagoon

Lake Mývatn

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Such unique facilities that are incredibly clean, well run, and welcoming! Our favorite baths of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Had an absolute blast. Incredible caves, was one of our favorite tours

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ace was super knowledgeable, as well as entertaining!

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Such a cool experience. Water is beautiful, certainly a bucket list item!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really enjoyed the sheep dog demonstration and Lindsey, the storyteller and historian at Blair Castle. The Highland Safari was very informative and enjoyable.
We appreciated Luigi’s trip details, but there was some confusion in our trip plans at the beginning. Considering his circumstances, he was very responsive, but it is unfortunate that Kimkim did not have a backup in Scotland when he was dealing with a most difficult family emergency. Nonetheless, he always responded immediately to our questions.

Hotel Reviews

Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa

Inverness

The room, location, and staff were all excellent. We had a beautiful view of the river and castle. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Good breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The furnishings were beautiful. The chairs in front of the windows were a very nice touch.

Ben Nevis Hotel & Leisure Club

Fort William, Inverness-shire

Old, worn furnishings. Even the supposed refurbished room looked tired. We were right over the front door and parking lot and had a lot of noise. The front desk said the room had not been paid for until we showed our receipt. No hot water in the bathroom. We do not suggest that you book this hotel for other guests in the future. We knew this hotel would not be perfect, but we didn’t know how imperfect it would be. Zachary, in the restaurant, was the only highlight of the hotel. Excellent!

Activity Reviews

Contemplate the Highland nature

Pitlochry

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get fascinated by a Storyteller's stories

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover traditional herding

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get passionate to Scottish history with an Historian

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first trip to Croatia and our first time working with a trip/vacation planner – we could not have been more pleased with the customer service and welcoming accommodations from Sarah and Ivan. The excellent service and responsiveness were consistent all through the process including before we booked the trip (going back and forth on different itineraries) up to the last day when our plane departed. Prior to the trip questions were answered within a few hours through the on-line chat, and during the trip Sarah and Ivan would respond to texts within minutes (about small stuff like questions about tipping etiquette, etc.)! We did not have to text with any problems because everything worked out perfectly – all transportation, hotels, and tour guides (probably our favorite part) were top notch! Sarah and Ivan reached out multiple times with more information if needed, and just to check on us to see how things were going. We would definitely work with Sarah and Ivan in the future and highly recommend them for your trip!

Liz was great in setting up the itinerary with suggestions, modifications, and final bookings. Final day on Green Island could have been better. Mostly the contractor providing the trip was into upselling higher priced scuba and outer reef experiences. Normally the trip could have been shortened to fewer hours than the full day, but THEY decided against running additional mid-day boats.

France Trip Review:
In addition to comments from Mark & Rhonda, I've added a couple of my comments below:
What we liked the most:
- Bordeaux and wine tours: our guide Bogdan Ghita was very knowledgeable and fun. He did a great job with the itinerary and we just really enjoyed his company.
- Bordeaux itinerary with Bogdan was excellent and well thought out! We enjoyed the variety of Chateau's, from small to big, and the great restaurants for lunch each day.
- Our guide for the D-Day tours was also outstanding. We were not prepared for the cold weather in Normandy but we enjoyed our time there and learned a lot about WWII.
- Transportation: All transportation was on-time and very comfortable (cars and trains). We had a little hiccup in Paris because our drivers that picked us up at the train stations did not speak English but we got through it.
- Itinerary variety: I thought the plan to begin our trip in Bayeux, move to Bordeaux, and end in Paris was ideally suited to experience a variety of tours and visit the best sites in each area.
- Hotels in Bordeaux and Paris: We enjoyed the accommodations in both cities. Each hotel was comfortable, in a good location, and served a really nice breakfast each morning.

What could have been better:
- Accommodations in Bayeaux: Great location but uncomfortable beds and a couple of inconveniences like we had to go buy toilet paper and soap as well as we had to return the keys to the owner’s mailbox a few blocks away on the way to the train station. It was also hard to find a place for breakfast given our very early start every day (nothing was open). I would have liked to see more options before we decided to stay there.
- Foodie tour: We did not enjoy this tour as it was too much walking/standing. We were unable to sit to enjoy any of our tastings. Given that it was late afternoon we could not find good pasteries and the formagerie was too crowded to host us. I wouldn’t recommend this tour in the future.
- Paris: We started most days very early, which was ok. However the Louvre tour was at 10:00 and the lines to get in were terrible. I would recommend an earlier start at the Louvre to avoid some of the crowds.

Thank you again for everything!
Mark and Rhonda Elming

When we set out to plan a week holiday to the Galapagos, we were overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.

We reached out to Kimkim team for help and were really fortunate to have Lucia as our trip advisor.

Thanks to her wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our top destinations and every adventure we wanted to experience, while visiting these wonderful islands.

I must say that dealing with Lucia was exceptionally pleasant and easy, so we have to send special thanks and appreciation to you Lucia!

She made this wonderful trip possible and was so patient, creative and wonderful in finding options that suit our plan, time and budget to make this trip possible and super special!!

Thank you for your amazing support Lucia throughout the planning process, during and after our trip to make sure we were always well taken care of, wherever we were.

We had one helluva adventure being amongst the marine life in the Galapagos.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Coloma Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Jungla

Puerto Villamil

the rooms were clean and tidy, breakfast and service was not up to the mark as they had shortage of eggs, they did not have basic bathroom toiletries like shower gel, they provided a soap bar only, they did not provide hand towels, just the bath towels

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andry

San Cristobal

Breakfast was nice, the rooms were clean and kept tidy, they had bathroom toiletries, even offered beach towels etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Bay Tour & Afternoon Leisure in Santa Cruz - Isla Santa Cruz and Puerto Ayora

Galapagos Islands

We felt that we could have skipped this tour and done something else. The visibility in the water was not good at all even though it was bright and sunny. Considering we had seen and done so much the last few days, this tour just felt a bit boring)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovery dive in Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

We thoroughly enjoyed the diving experience and we did a bit of snorkeling as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

We have one helluva a time snorkeling. Sspotted sea turtles, sharks, rays, different types of fish. We were hosted very nicely on the boat by captain and the crew. Loved every bit of it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Puerto Villamil

If one is going for the excursion to Los Tuneles then we felt there is no point in doing this activity. We were unfortunate as well that we could not get to spot anything as the visibility was very poor during snorkelling.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kicker Rock (San Cristobal Island)

Galapagos Islands

What a start to our trip! Could not have asked for a better day out than what we had. We had one helluva a time snorkelling, spotted sea turtles, sharks, rays, different types of fish. We even did a bit of fishing 🎣 and caught a yellow fin tuna 🍣 which was then served to us in form of ceviche. We were hosted very nicely on the boat by captain and the crew. Loved every bit of it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bassam was our guide in Jordan. He was wonderful! He was a safe, careful driver, and a well-informed guide on local sites and history. Jarash was amazing with the roman ruins, collinated streets and temples. Petra was so beautiful with the slot canyon (Siq) and the Treasury, the Monestary and the tombs. But if I go again, I will use the Golf Cart to enter and exit Petra because I was completely exhausted from walking in the sun and sand all day. The Wadi Rum desert was so unique with the sand, the mountains, the camels, the Bedouins, and the history of the Arab Revolt with Lawrence of Arabia. And the Dead Sea was very fun! I had a wonderful massage at the resort, I floated like a bar of soap in the sea! LOL.

Eli was our guide in Israel. He was very well educated on both state history and religious history. I especially loved his maps and his diagrams! He was an excellent guide everywhere we went. The Sea of Galilee was inspiring, as we visited Capernaum, the Mt of Beatitudes, and the Greek Orthodox Monastary. Jerusalem surpassed my wildest dreams, with the markets, the fantastic food, the history, the churches, and the christian sites. Akko, with its crusader castle, was so well preserved it was unbelievable! The street food in Jaffa was beyond yummy!!!

Chile and Bolivia

We had a great trip to Chile and Bolivia arranged by Emilce.
At all times her service was immaculate, and her advice was essential to the success of the holiday.
In Santiago we had a good experience with our tour guide Francisco.
Highlights were the Nayara Atacama and the great guides we had there, particularly Alexis who was a local musician who played in an Andean band.

The journey to the Bolivian border we had an excellent guide and Giovanni our Bolivian guide was excellent as well.
We would recommend the Salt hotel in Uyuni - Hotel De Sal Luna Salada.

In La Paz we were expertly guided by Grace who did a great job of showing us around this fascinating city.

We had a wonderful trip. Petra designed a terrific itinerary; modified it with our feedback. It was a great combination of ideas from her, and spur of the moment decisions we made on the trip. Slovenia is a marvelous country. We loved our experience.

When you are booking your honeymoon you want everything to be incredible and so it's nerve wracking on deciding who to book with and then thinking through the details of it all. We were blown away by the Kim Kim team and specifically our coordinator, Chiara. Our trip was absolute heaven on Earth and it was possible because of Chiara and the team. We were kept up to speed with the details through the entire planning portion and then we even got an app to use so we could get detailed information, contact information for drivers, trip itineraries etc. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Venice everything was taken care of for us. We had drivers everywhere we wanted to go, we never had an issue with a tour, a hotel booking, a flight transfer NOTHING. It allowed us to really be able to take in the experience and not stress and it felt incredible. We booked from Venice to Positano, went on tours, winery trips, boat rides, etc. Then we travelled off to Sorrento and the Isle of Capri. From there we took a flight to Santorini to end our last days of our trip. I couldn't say enough good things about this company and the way that we were treated. I highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Locanda Leon Bianco on the Grand Canal

Venice

Great hotel located in a great location in the city. The staff was super nice and helpful and they make you the nicest breakfast every morning. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

This hotel is gorgeous and has a beautiful view of the Caldera. The staff were so nice, the room was incredibly spacious and nice. Word of caution the spa pool is not a hot tub, but we went in anyway :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Sunset Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Most incredible thing I’ve ever done With the nicest crew. It was a literal dream come true

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking tour Path of Gods

Italy

This walk is not for those afraid of heights, but if you can stomach it the views are the most breathtaking and best views of the island. Also we were not aware that we had our own private guide so make sure to bring cash to tip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour Amalfi Coast with Wine Tasting & Lunch

Italy

Great tour - lots of driving but worth it to see Amalfi and especially Ravello. Francesco was amazing, so nice and helpful and even bought us a lemon as a parting gift! Ravello is a MUST to see the villa's and the wine tasting was just the most incredible views and great experience where they prepare a food pairing lunch with their wines.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica and Gondola Ride

Italy

We had Nicoletta as our guide and she was amazing. It was a private tour, just the two of us and she gave us all the secrets of the city and took us through paths and Campos that we didn't know existed. It was an incredible day and to end it with our own gondola ride was just a dream :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip with Original Travels in Morocco. They did a great job bouncing ideas back and forth until we found the perfect itinerary. In some cases I wish I actually listened to them more as their insights proved to be more accurate that what I had in mind!

I specifically wanted to shout out our local guide, Karim, who took us around the entire country. His English was great and he shared a lot of insights on the sights we were seeing as well as shared about his personal life and his experience growing up in Morocco.

Some highlights of the trip included our Riad in Marrakech, our cooking class in Fez, exploring the blue city, the Mosque in Casablanca, and the dessert experience in the Sahara Desert. They also did a great job breaking up what could have been a long time in the car.

A couple of things for improvement
- Sticking to the schedule more - for example one of our activities was scheduled on a particular day but we found out it was moved to the next day. When we pushed back, due to other things we had scheduled they were able to adjust.
- The local tour guides seemed to bring us to places that encouraged purchasing items more than an actual cultural experience (rose water, leather goods, carpets). No one was pushy but it was annoying after a while and in some cases prevented us from seeing the actual sights (took us to a leather shop that had a subpar view of the tanneries)
- Timing with the local guides was sometimes off. The guide would say the tour was 4.5 hours for example but it ended up being less.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Nyla And Spa Marrakech

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ouzoud Waterfalls day trip

Marrakesh

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Private Cooking Class in Fes

Fes

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Guided Tour of Chefchaoeun

Chefchaouen

It was amazing having Rita plan our Portuguese honeymoon! We truly enjoyed our trip and will definitely be using KimKim again for our future vacations. We were able to go wine & food tasting, visit historical sites, and meet with amazing tour guides. Rita is amazing and we look forward to her helping us plan our next trip!