Kimkim Trip Reviews

One of the best days of my life - incredible from start to finish!

The Studio Hotel was our last stop during our 3 week stay in Costa Rica. We stayed there the night before we caught our flight back home. The hotel is beautiful and the restaurant on premises is outstanding. I cannot say enough about the restaurant help. When we arrived at the hotel my wife was sick with a stomach virus. I cannot begin to accurately describe how caring and helpful the staff was at the restaurant. They could not do enough to help my wife including making a special chicken soup for her since she could not eat anything. The hotel was the essence of the Pura Vida spirit that we experienced in Costa Rica.

Hotel Banana Azul was our last stop in Costa Rica before headed back to San Jose to catch our plan and fly home. It was the perfect way to end our three weeks of touring the country. We spent 3 wonderful days at the resort and it was a great place to wind down before we went home. Our room with a dipping pool was beautiful. Luna who greeted us at the reception desk and who gave us our orientation was delightful and incredibly helpful throughout our stay. The restaurant on premises was excellent and as a result we ate most of our meals at the resort. The grounds and facility were beautiful, just what you would expect for a Caribbean resort. The resort had its own beach club and is one of the few resorts in Puerto Viejo that is right on the beach - no crossing roads to get to the water. The only disappointment were the very dangerous rip tides in the ocean. Apparently September and October are the only months when the water in this part of the Caribbean are safe to swim in.

In fairness to the Laguna lodge we really did not know what to expect. It was one of 7 lodges that we stayed at over the 3 weeks we were in Costa Rica. We did not realize that the guide who greeted us at the boat transport that was going to take us to the lodge was to be our primary contact while we were there including our guide for the 3 expeditions that we were to experience, two of which were very good; the nature boat ride through the canals and the night walk on the property. I was a little disappointed in the lodging at the resort. It did not have any air conditioning and was a little too rustic and cramped for me liking. I was very surprised when no hot water came out of our bathroom sink only to find out that they do provide hot water to the sink, only the shower. While you are at the lodge you were pretty much restricted to eat there unless you can get some water transportation to the village of Tortuguero. The food was adequate and it was nice that it was included. The good news is that the resort is right on the Caribbean. The bad news is that the rip tides are so dangerous that you cannot swim there. Since this was one part of the Caribbean portion of our trip we were disappointed. On a positive note, the resort has a beautiful pool that was right outside our cottage. Also, I get the impression that people come here primarily to see the wildlife. I saw a number of people walking around with their single lens reflex digital cameras with telephoto lenses, telescopes and binoculars. Nature lovers will not be disappointed if that is the primary goal. Jonathan, our host and guide that the hotel provided did a good job keeping everything organized. He was also a very good guide.

Hacienda La Esperanza was an incredible part of our Costa Rican experience. We did not know what to expect when we drove up the the hacienda. At it turns out, the Hacienda is owned by three families that purchased what is now the Aquiares Coffee Farm, the largest coffee farm on one block of land in all of Costa Rica. We were quickly greeted by Diego Esperanza, the son of one of the owners of the farm who gave us a fascinating history of the families and the farm which was founded in the 1800's by an Englishman. The three families purchased the farm in the early 1970's and use the Hacienda as their residence when they are in town. Diego brought in a professional chef to train his staff in the culinary arts. Circumstances worked out where our we had our first dinner at the Hacienda instead of going into Turrialba. It was one of the best meals that we had while in Costa Rica and as a result we enjoyed most of our meals there. I would compare Hen, who is the resident chef to any of the chef's that we experience in the Hudson Valley where we live. This includes many restaurants that were started by graduates of the Culinary Institute of America which is not far from our home in the Hudson Valley. She is amazing. Two of the very special things that we enjoyed at the hacienda were an incredible birding experience guided by our Hacienda host Wilman. Wilman is an expert on birds of Costa Rica and the gardens outside the doors of the hacienda were filled with beautiful species. Wilman is also an expert on coffee and coffee farm operations and gave us a tour of the Aquares coffee operations including part of the farm that butt's up against the hacienda property. Wiman was an amazing host and we were sad to say goodby to him, Hen, and Maria who took such good care of us while we were there.

Our room was beautiful and the hotel was very responsive to all of our requests. It is in a beautiful location but only accessible on a pretty deteriorated road which is not atypical of the roads around Monte Verde. The grounds are lovely and it has very nice pool and two hot tubs. The included breakfast was very satisfactory and again the dining hall overlooks beautiful grounds. What was the most memorable event was Mateo and white faces monkey that shows up for breakfast daily and who enjoys the banana's that we feed him by hand.

The resort and the staff were pure Pura Vida. I am so glad we started out our Costa Rica adventure at Santerena. It was an amazing introduction to the beauty and culture of the country. The Staff was so personal and so attentive that we felt very sad when we left them to continue our Costa Rica adventure. We loved the Mediterranean type village they created that the hotel was located in. There were wonderful hiking trails that elevated along the pacific with magnificent views. If you wanted more of a challenge there were additional hiking and biking trails immediately off the hotel and resort property. There were only two things that I would say negatively, the first is that there are very serious rocks under the water immediately off the beach. There are posts that designate where you can swim away from the rocks, but no one told us about them. I learned the hard way and injured my foot. My wife was so concerned that she did not go in the water. It was not until our last day that we found out about these obscure markers that indicated the non-rocky portion of the water. The additional thing is that no one told us that there was a terrace and pool on the roof of the hotel. We kept commenting to ourselves that we wish there was a pool like the other close by resorts that we walked by. There were no indications of a pool at our resort and no one gave us an orientation. We did not find out until we got home.

Armor Arenal is one of the top experiences in terms of resorts and accommodations during our trip crossing Costa Rica. The room is gorgeous and we took advantage of the private hot tub on our private deck overlooking Arenal Volcano. I cannot begin to express how over the top the staff is at Armor. From the moment you pull up to the reception area until you leave they provide an extraordinary Costa Rican experience with all that Pura Vida means. We truly were sad when we had to leave because of the wonderful people that work there and share their incredible hospitality. The stay at Armor Arenal is one of the the best memories that we have from or Costa Rican adventure. Additionally, the breakfast they serve is outstanding and the we highly recommend the restaurant for all of their meals.

We stayed for one night at the end of our trip. The hotel was very comfortable and we enjoyed all the unique artwork and artifacts. Rooms were nicely furnished and very clean.

We had a great stay at this beachfront resort. It was very close to Puerto Viejo & other beaches, yet in a private & secluded location. We loved the relaxed & casual vibe; the restaurant served breakfast, lunch & dinner. During the day, you could sit at the beach and get served if you wanted. The hotel was beautifully designed and thoughtfully integrated into the lush foliage & landscaping of the grounds.

Rustic cabins in a beautiful location. The pool area was beautiful. All meals were served buffet style at the hotel and the food was very good. Bathrooms could use some updating and hot water in the sinks.

This is a small hotel (real feel is a b & b). We loved the intimacy and feel of being in the home/hacienda of a local family. And we felt warmly welcomed by the staff. The hacienda sits above the small town of Aquiares and the views are spectacular! A delicious breakfast was included daily, but we were pleasantly surprised by the 5 star dinners that were optional, but available daily! We decided to take advantage of the chef's amazing cuisine!

Nice location in the cloud forest. The room was lovely. Unfortunately, the steep road up to the hotel was filled with many potholes which made it difficult to navigate, especially at night. We found that the restaurant was understaffed at breakfast, which created issues with pickup times.

Beautiful hotel and location right on the gulf. When you're there, you feel as if you've been transported to the Mediterranean coast! The restaurant was excellent; breakfast was included daily and we had a few dinners there as well.

One of the most beautiful places to stay! A place to feel pampered & peaceful. The design of the individual casitas incorporated into the lush foliage and rainforest landscape is amazing. The restaurant is outstanding and sits at the foothills of the Arenal Volcano; the views are spectacular.

Handging bridges hike was fabulous; the guide was exceptional and very knowledgeable. He pointed out things we would have never noticed on our own. We learned about the cloud forest and were introduced to the flora and fauna. We even saw a quetzal! It was raining and cloudy, so the tram ride was disappointing because we couldn't see much along the way. We stopped at the top and had delicious hot chocolate.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to snorkel due to the currents & rip tides in the Caribbean. So, the excursion was modified and we took a boat out to the furthest most part of the park so we could hike back through the jungle along the beach. It was an easy & enjoyable hike and our guide kept us engaged as we spotted white faced and howler monkeys and sloths, along with other wildlife. There were some beautiful beaches along the way where the water was calm and inviting.

Our guide and captain guided us through the canals pointing out so many birds and wildlife. Even though it was pouring rain, we had a great experience and also learned about the history of the area along with the flora and its unique characteristics.

This was an incredible experience starting with the breathtaking ride up the mountain! We had a fabulous hike with our guide; we were the only two in the tour, and we thoroughly enjoyed the intimate nature of this excursion:)

There were no thermal hotsprings at the hotel we stayed at. The hotel was

Delightful rafting/floating along the river which was filled with so much wildlife that our guide pointed out continually.

Outstanding experience! Such a beautiful hike along the bridges and then to the waterfall. We had an unexpected treat and had lunch at a local soda in La Fortuna.

Beautiful hike with many hanging bridges and waterfalls. Lots of wildlife that our guide pointed out. We took horses back up the mountain at the end.

Catamaran was beautiful, clean & well maintained. We were expecting to sail on this excursion (it is titled 'Sunset Sailing Tour'), but unfortunately, the sails could not be raised due to mechanical issues, so we had to motor the whole way. We didn't find this out until we were on the boat. The other disappointing issue was that it turned out to be a 'party boat' because of crowd and the unlimited drinks/alcohol that were being served. The sunset part of the excursion was lovely, but I would prefer a less roudy group if doing an excursion like this again.

Tamara was so smiley and pleasant. She made the stay amazing. The views here are the best!

Central location, in walking distance from city centre. Close to Plaza Italia.

A little bit outside city centre, by easy to get there by taxi. Pleasant staff, nice stay!

Walking distance from the most central parts of BA. Quiet one way street. Nice staff, good rooms. Good breakfast.

We were met by Antonella, one of the best guides I ever met (I have been to more than 60 countries). Her warm and caring personality made this into an unforgettable evening. The food was excellent (but too much :-)), drinks were excellent, the places we saw was right on spot to give us an expression of night time Buenos Aires. The milonga was really something - and I have to prepare myself for my next trip - then I will dance, too!

It was a fantastic proposal from KimKim to do the rafting. What an experience with the very qualified guide who put the raft into all exiting river passages. One of the top experiences on the trip! In the end we were just lying on our backs contemplating looking at the sky ...

I never thought that I should see Argentina from a wire - but so I did. Very nice - and safe! - arrangements with a qualified and caring staff. I felt like a bird!

We meat Claudia again, and her most interesting history and geography lecture continued. What a pleasure to have a well qualified guide! One stop in Uspallata before we continued with a visit at the Inca bridge before we entered Aconcagua Park. Amazing views both of them! I am really happy to see those places again (passed the on my bicycle in 2010). My children got wonderful memories from the walk and the views.

We were met by your excellent guide Claudia who took us around and gave a most interesting lecture about wine making in Mendoza. The wine tasting tour brought us to different producers, one small and one big. At the small producer , Carinae, we were met by a very engaged winemaker who presented all details. We had a long chat there and really feel t welcomed by the staff. The big producer, Trapiche, was also a very nice experience, but due to lack of time we had to leave a little early.Fianlly we had a delicious lunch! What a day!

The bilingual guide had to share the group in two during the walking tour. This gave us som time on our own on this beautiful place. Nice surroundings, nice people - and the last part - wine tasting and meal at the restaurant was unforgettable.

We had a beautiful trip with your guide Mathias who was very en gaged in giving us an introduction to the history of Montevideo. We also met him afterwards in a more private setting, very interesting to get to know him!

Fantastic day in Tigre. What a trip!

Very nice trip around Buenos Aires. At times we felt that the guide was rushing a bit, but I understand the schedule was tight. We had some time later, and I have been there twice before I took my kids around to several places to see a little bit more.

What an experience! We loved it there! After knocking on the door and being let in, Polly charmed us all during the smell quiz and drinks mixing. Upstairs we participated in making our own food, and learned a lot about Argentinian body language through a crazy standup session. We also made friends with people around the table.

Nice riad. Good location right outside the kasbah.

Not a great hotel for foreigners, a they charge for bottle water and don't provide it otherwise. The room is a bit dark but ornately decorated.

Best croissants at the buffet of the trip.

This was not a guided tour. We woke on our own. Company should not list it that way. The company should provide a list of safe and good restaurants in each city. Karim was great at thinking on his feet and making sure time was spent well. He was always available.

Not a huge fan of Mohammed, our guide. Seemed like he just took us to his vendors in the medina and we were too rushed.

One of the highlights

STUNNING! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! The views, the balconies, the staff, the gardens, everything was just beautiful. The suite was very well designed, and stylish. One minor flaw - the gym equipment was very old, and needs to be replaced. Outside of that, it's phenomenal.

Really wonderful hotel. Incredibly comfortable beds, oversized rooms, great light. The TVs were small, and the bathroom has a glass door - very bad design choice. Outside of that, 5 star experience.

Really beautiful hotel. Clean, well designed, very friendly staff, super comfortable beds. Great food, and fantastic location. Highly recommended.

The hotel was beautiful, and very well designed. It was clean and the staff was very friendly. HOWEVER, these were the least comfortable beds I have ever slept on. They are like sleeping on concrete. SO stiff. Other than that, it was perfect.

This was not great. We had a 7 day trip, and we enjoyed it thoroughly, but I wish we had skipped the stop offs in Albuferia - It was a town full of British & Irish people, drunk in the middle of the day (I say that as an Irishman). Maybe it's a good town for a bachelor party, but the town was boring, and the architecture was pretty awful.

WOW. This was a wonderful experience. We toured many beautiful cliff tops, and had lovely food and wine at the end. Our guide was really friendly, knowledgable, and very intelligent. Highly recommended. 5 stars

Really wonderful experience. This felt like a private tour with a friend showing you their home. It was so interesting and special. This was the absolute opposite of "tourist-ey". Highly recommended.

Our tour guide was very pleasant. She tailored the tour on the spot to do things that we wanted to do. We arrived an hour late - the guide was really kind about it, and we had a wonderful time. She stayed late to make up for OUR late start. Above and beyond. 5 stars.

This was possibly the most wonderful tour I have ever been on. There were wonderful experiences, that felt tailored and special. We had a very cool surprise at the end, which I won't give away - but trust me, go!

Basic hotel but very clean and comfortable. Conveniently located in old city

Beautiful hotel with authentic Moroccan character. Very nice room with private terrace.

Our least favorite hotel. Our room was very small with one stone wall and then a crude texture on the other walls and ceiling that made it feel like a small cave. We spent the evening sitting in the lounge area because we couldn’t face sitting in our room. Breakfast was a very nice buffet where we could choose what we liked.

We arrived just after 1 am and had a long walk through twisting alleyways with our luggage. Our room was an odd L-shape but comfortable with a small bathroom. We had a nice breakfast the next day and then checked out.

Small tent camp, peaceful and quiet, comfortable rooms and a wonderful staff. The food was excellent and the music under the stars was unforgettable

Stunning hotel once you get inside. Our room was comfortable but small, highly decorated and very clean. We stayed two nights and there was a loud party the second night and a spotlight shining through our window that kept us awake until early in the morning.

Interesting but clearly set up for tourists.

Another long drive with several stops for tourists sites, many of which felt like they are designed for tourists to buy local products. It was nice to see the ocean but since we had to drive back the next day to catch our flight it wasn’t worth all the time in the car.

Beautiful garden and not crowded because of the rain. Still enjoyable in spite of the wet conditions

We had a very rainy, cold day in Marrakech which colored my judgment of this city tour. Our guide spoke very good English having spent time in the US but was overly familiar, constantly touching my arm when he spoke to me. He also spent too much time telling personal stories about celebrities he had served as a guide for previously so I frequently had to interrupt him to ask a question. However it would be nearly impossible to tour Marrakech without a guide because the streets are a labyrinth. We did have a very nice lunch in a restaurant recommended by our guide and he took us to a large indoor shop to buy the souvenirs we were looking for.

I could have easily skipped this part of the trip. The movie set tour is very touristy. Our guide through Ait Benhaddou was clearly bored and spoke softly so was hard to understand.

Some beautiful views but another very long drive

This was another experience we had booked that was not in our plan when we arrived. It was okay but I much preferred the camel ride.

The drive from Fes was more than 7 hours through mostly barren landscape and some small villages. I was surprised by the litter spread across miles of open land. Once we finally arrived in Merzouga another guide drove us by 4x4 to meet our camel guides. We climbed aboard and traveled an hour through amazing desert dunes to a high point where we dismounted to watch the sunset. We then traveled another hour and reached our camp with its comfortable tent cabins. We had a wonderful dinner followed by live music around a fire pit. It was dark and very peaceful and our best night of sleep in Morocco. I wish I had stayed more nights there.

We had prepaid for this experience but noticed when we arrived it was not on our trip plan. The local tour operator hastily arranged it and we were met at our hotel by a father and his 18-yr-old son who escorted us to their home, which was walking distance through several long alleyways in the old city. Unfortunately the father spoke no English and had to leave immediately to get to his job so he didn’t stay for dinner. The mother also spoke no English and spent nearly the entire evening in the kitchen preparing a large meal. Most of the time we ate alone in the living/dining room of the home. We did enjoy some conversation with the son but it was not the experience we expected.

Excellent guide. Would not have been able to make my way through the city without him.

Lovely place to stay. The hotel is decorated beautifully, and every tiny detail is perfect! The owner Ahmad is so welcoming and the staff are really friendly. We had breakfast and dinner here and the food was really excellent. Great place to stay!

A beautiful Riad. The food (we had dinner and breakfasts here) was really amazing! The staff were all really friendly, and it was a very relaxing place to stay.

We cycled about 18 miles to the Fint Oasis and back with Mustapha from Kedi Adventure. The bikes were really good. The scenery and route was beautiful, plus there is lots of filming that happens in the area - Gladiator 2 was filming whilst we were there! Had a half way stop for mint tea in a cafe and a walk along the river bed before cycling back. Mustapha is a great guide, really knowledgeable about the local area, and great company. We really enjoyed the cycle!

Loved this day! We visited the Dar Gnaoua musical cooperative first of all - the musicians and music were wonderful. Also tasted some camel milk and met some baby camels. Next we visited the market in Rissani and Amnay gave a tour, and we visited a spice stall. Learnt about the Berber Pizza and saw them being made. Then we had one at the Hotel Panorama for lunch - Amnay had arranged a vegetarian one especially. After this, we visited a fossil museum and had an interesting tour.

We did about 18km of hiking with guide Bob in the Monkey Fingers Canyon and valley, and had a brilliant day. The scenery is so beautiful, it's hard to put it into words. Bob is a great guy, and we had a lot of fun!

It was a long drive, but with Amnay at the wheel it was a comfortable, informative and really enjoyable trip! We had plenty of stops for refreshments, to take in the views, and to visit the Taourirt Kasbah.

Good location for restaurants and exploring. We also enjoyed the restaurant attached to the hotel. Really good breakfast included and for dinner!

Clean rooms and a friendly service although some knowledge of Spanish is recommended. An easy walk to town for restaurants. Check there are no national celebrations as there is a bar across the road and it was noisy during carnival. Very safe though and beautiful gardens and pool. Food was alright but there are more options in town.

Great location and friendly service. Close to places to eat and a safe area.

The early morning pickup allows you to see the geysers in the cool morning air. You’re then rewarded with breakfast and a view of the beautiful mountains. Wildlife along the way is just as spectacular.

We enjoyed the old salt mines and walking around the moon valley with the interesting salt formations. Really dramatic landscape.

A wonderful opportunity to see the stars and learn about the Southern Sky and constellations. Highly recommended.

We were unable to visit Santa Cruz wineries and went somewhere else. It was alright but not what we expected. Also it was difficult finding the right place for lunch as it wasn’t available in the vineyards.

We had a wonderful experience meeting the alpacas and learning about different breeds and understanding how well looked after they are. The production of clothing on antique equipment was fascinating. It was great to meet and feed the young llamas while they are so gentle. Much more fun than expected. Beautiful clothing as well.

We enjoyed the tour to understand the city and the history. We were very lucky to pick a day the guards were changing. We like a military parade and this one was unique. Although this took longer than a tour on a day without the guard change, our guide gave us information about how to spend the afternoon and see more of what we missed.

Truly a unique and special experience. The colours are beautiful and our guide Paloma showed us a special place in a dead waterfall that we would never have seen if she didn’t help us into it.

Relaxing end to our visit in the desert. The salt water swim was amazing. The natural features and birds on the lagoons were a great site.

We really enjoyed the vineyards and lunch at Tanino. Great to see Chilean wine producers.

Great breakfast. Wonderful charming family hotel. Excellent location

This is not a 5 star hotel. Look elsewhere

Nelson is the best driver in Portugal

Ricardo was amazing!