Kimkim Trip Reviews

We are home, thank you so much for putting the trip together. We have had an amazing time, experienced so much and learnt so many things about the countries we visited. We could never have done it ourselves. All the trip went to plan apart from the interruptions in Peru which we managed with. It was great to see such good organising. We were collected and delivered on time to wherever we needed to be. La Paz was a great city to visit. The drive across the highlands of Bolivia was unforgettable. Seeing the Geysers at dawn was a brilliant experience. Our hire car was good and we survived the rough roads to see the amazing Marble Caves. The visit to Magdelana Island to walk amongst the penguins was a real highlight of the trip. The cruise from Punta Arenas to Usuaia was fantastic. Horse riding was fun, so many things we did, can't write about them all.

Liz Neal at Springboard Vacations worked closely with us over several months to help us select the schedule, locations and tours we preferred. She promised that everything would be of the best quality and on time. That is exactly what we got. Over a twenty-eight day trip we had about thirty-five different pre-arranged events (flights, tours, hotels, etc). Every one was right on time and as described.

Our 14 day 5 overnight destination trip to Chile, planned by Angel, was extraordinary. We experienced a very broad view of Chile and its citizens. We started with 2 days in Santiago & Valparaiso that are home to half the population with Juan. They are both attractive cities. But nature is the real distinction. We started with 3 nights in the extreme Atacama Desert in the north. This was fooled by 3 days in the spectacular Andes lake country around Puerto Vargas, a charming small city on the largest lake in Chile. We chose to drive around on our own. The highways were very adequate and in excellent condition.Puerto Nogales followed with two boat cruises through spectacular fjords to a working sheep “estancia” (the best fresh grilled lamb ever) with both a horseback ride & a hike and then to a glacier. The 3rd day was to the Torre des PainesNational Park. It was just rated as one of the six best np in the world outside the US. A scenic 21/2 hour drive brought us to Punta Arenas and its 9,000 penguin colony. All the guides were good. Even the taxi driver to PA, Jose, was informative. The 3 hour flight back to Santiago that ended our voyage was over the the heart of the rugged Andes.
We selected economy lodging. They were all clean and relatively small without big crowds. The owner were usually there.
We learned much about Chile. We actually prefer them to large impersonal hotels.
I would highly recommend Chile with Angel as a trip adviser.

Hotel Review

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Small place with comfortable rooms and good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Convenience to city

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Unfortunately the peaks were in the fog-still scenic

Quality of Experience

The colored lakes

Food

Box lunch of mediocre qualuty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour - Estancia Visit or Grey Lake Navigation.

Chile

Beautiful catamaran ride. Horseback ride and lamb bbq. Founded in 1892z

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip there & horseback ride

Transport

This was part of the same trip reviewed above. It was excellent - again Rachel's help was invaluable, she was always available to answer our questions. Our guide at the Amazon Tupana Lodge Dio was outstanding. A highly recommended trip

We had a great trip thanks to the help we received from Rachel. She was always professional, very helpful, easy to contact and, following our requests, she put together a memorable trip for us. We highly recommend the service we received from KimKim and Rachel and are looking forward to using the knowledge local agents can provide through KimKim for our next trip.

Vietnam is such an amazing country; it has so much to offer both in terms of nature, culture, and history. Halong Bay, Ham Rong Mountain in Sa Pa, Ninh Binh and Tam Coc are definite highlights, but equally powerful in different ways were the Cu Chi Tunnels, Hoi An, and Hue’s Imperial City.

We had the luck of having great guides, in particular Sau in Hoi An and Hue, and Vin in Ho Chi Minh City. And Ha was amazing throughout in ensuring all went well, including by adjusting our itinerary on the fly when we wanted to visit Marble Mountain and Monkey Mountain close to Danang on short notice!

The trip that was organised by Ha at Realistic Asia was phenomenal and planned out exceptionally. Ha and our guides were also accommodating when we requested a last minute adjustment to our plan when we were in Vietnam, just a day in advance! All that we needed to provide Ha with were our arrival and departure dates, the level of the accommodation that we would like to stay at, the places that we wished to visit and the activities that we were looking for, and she took care of everything, including our transportation and internal flights. Ha was incredibly and efficiently responsive throughout our entire booking process and developed a customised itinerary for us , and made sure to check up on us to ensure that everything was going according to plan during our trip too. Our guides Phuoc, Sau, Linh and Vinh and our drivers took great care of us during our stay. In particular, Mr. Sau went out of his way and above and beyond his duties as our guide during our time with him.

We would definitely recommend Realistic Asia & Ha for anyone who may be looking forward to spending some time in Vietnam! Thank you for bringing our dream vacation to life!

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Quảng Nam

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Au Lac Charner Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some of our rooms had a shower that was located in an outside terrace / balcony

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Quảng Nam

The La Siesta resort in Hoi An was beautiful and the level of service and quality was exceptional!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eldora Hue

Hue

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

We had an excellent experience aboard the Stellar of the Seas. The level of care and professionalism was astounding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazing Sapa

Sa Pa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our only critique would be that visitors in adjacent rooms could be heard and we could hear the noise from the dining area during breakfast time

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling in Cam Thanh & Thanh Dong Organic Farm Visit

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip To Bana Hills - Visit Golden Hand Bridge

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue Sightseeing

Hue

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful Morning in Halong Bay (Stellar of the Seas)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovery Halong Bay – Lan Ha Bay (Stellar Of The Seas)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoa Lu And Tam Coc Exploration

Vietnam

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

Half day Taphin red Dao hill tribe village

Sapa

We had a delightful week with Original Travels in Morocco. Recommendations from Said and Abdellah were spot on and we got the most out of our time there!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

First night in Morocco -- comfortable bed to sleep in, very pleasant breakfast buffet. Close to the medina for a brief wander.

Location

Casablanca is such a big city, this was a fairly safe neighborhood to walk off our jet lag.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best bed!

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

right around the corner from the authentic local hammam, and the staff at Palais Sebban told us how to use it!

Location

Great location just inside the medina, a short walk from the J'ma el Fna

Staff

The most accommodating, friendly staff -- they really made us feel like family.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were so beautiful, the different terraces, lounges, and patios were so lovely and comfortable. Blankets to curl up with and read a book on a sofa with the fountains sound playing in your ears!

Kasbah Titrit

Ait Ben Haddou

The artwork was exciting, the setting picturesque and dramatic. The food and staff were magnificent. Best hotel meal of the trip -- the plates just kept coming and everything was more beautiful, fragrant, and delicious than the last!

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little remote -- but the kids got to play some soccer with the local talent

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

The most beautiful hotel we stayed at -- although it's a competition with the Palais Sebban for my kids. Such a lush, gentle way of living, truly the highlight of our trip!

Authenticity & Character

the extensively renovated and adjoined riads that made up Riad Salam Fez were so beautiful and ornate. The fountains, the tile work, the woodwork, the furniture, the lighting, and the retractable roof!!

Location

In the medina -- but not too far from the road!

Staff

We had very friendly and helpful wait staff and concierge/front desk staff who made us feel welcome and part of their "family!"

Cleanliness & Comfort

Breakfast, tea, dinner, all super high quality and prepared with care. The rooms were clean and comfortable and they had babuches for us to wear as well!!

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

The crew here at Tiziri camp were so hospitable! We learned about the Amazigh/Berber people and about the desert geology too! My teens were delighted to meet other kids and go star gazing together!

Authenticity & Character

charming hosts, shared with us stories about the desert and the people who originally occupied the land

Location

Remote enough... but not too far from civilization.

Staff

Music at the fireside!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eco friendly lodge, warming blankets (the Sahara is cold in February!)

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

We rode camels across the dunes and took photographs in the sunset. We made memories and experienced something very different from our daily lives. We got a window into the lives of people just like us, who live in a place very different from where we live.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We spoke with the staff -- the camels were well cared for, rested and appeared healthy. They are managed by a local Berber family and help maintain the sustainability of the camp experience

Transport

It's a camel -- this is what you get! You're really far off the ground!

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

We definitely left our comfort zone on this one!! We had been in Morocco for 9 nights already and thought we had tasted everything -- boy were we wrong! From street vendor pomegranate juice to Harira on the street corner, spicy tea in the J'ma el Fna and a trip to every souk (olives, pastries, candied nuts, the butcher souk) I think we did it all! Be sure to see where the bread is being baked, the subterranean oven where the lambs are roasted, and the Tanjia as well as the Tajine. We enjoyed Chebakia, the best donuts (Sfinges) in Marrakesh, and dates, dates, and more tasty dates!

Quality of Experience

Food

Bangkok: Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside = great, modern highrise hotel, excellent breakfast buffet.
Guide for Bangkok and River Kwai (4 days) = Chanphen ("Toon") was EXCELLENT.
Favourite Bangkok sites = ride in Bangkok Canal and Night Food tour by TukTuk. The food and flower markets were very interesting. The palaces and temples were beautiful BUT were maybe too much to see in 2 days.
Less favourite things = Asiatique Shopping Complex was disappointing as many shops had not reopened after the pandemic. The weekend market is definitely not something I would recommend. The items were junky and the shops were all repetitive. We WERE lucky to have lunch at Guay New Kua Gai restaurant - Michelin star!

Rom Hub Train Market was interesting to see but the Taka Floating Market was even better!
The long tail boat ride to the River Kwai Jungle Rafts Floating Hotel was very scenic.
River Kwai: The Floating Hotel was rustic, quiet and good for a short stay. Not much to do there. We were there 2 nights. Our visit to the lava cave was a welcome activity away from the resort.
The food was very good.
Returning to Bangkok - The Bridge, museum , and cemetery on the River Kwai were "must see" historical sites.

Chiang Mai: Rimping Village Hotel (3 nights) had wonderful rooms and breakfast buffet.
Our very best excursion was to the elephant sanctuary. We did not want to leave!
The white water rafting that followed was a fun adventure. It was not a physical challenge yet had some thrilling moments.
Our guide for our remaining time in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai was Jeda. She was also EXCELLENT.
Doi Inthanon National Park was not a "must see". It was not a hike but a stroll and rather unremarkable.
The pagodas and gardens were lovely but it was a long way to go for just that.

The Thai cooking class at Bann Hong Nual was a highlight. Even the two males in our group had fun. Umporn, our instructor, was very lovely and engaging. We would do this again.

Chiang Rai: Imperial River House (2 nights) = very nice rooms and great buffet breakfast.
We stopped at more temples and pagodas on our drive to Chiang Rai. Our interest was waining by then...until we visited Was Wrong Khun (aka The White Temple) was absolutely stunning. It was a "must see".
The visit to the tea plantation was interesting. The visit to Doi Mae Salong , Chiang Saen, and The Golden Triangle were unremarkable.

Krabi: Peace Laguna Resort (4 nights) = a rather run-down hotel. The rooms were not clean and the linens were stained and old. The most disappointing accommodation in all. Fortunately, the breakfast buffet was good.
Phi Phi Island Excursion was not good. Hoards of people in the water and on the island "walk". We would not recommend this.
The Rain Forest Discovery Tour did not meet our expectation. The rainforest, pools and waterfalls were not much to see. The Tiger Cave Temple on our way back to the hotel was ok but not a highlight.
Krabi was a busy beach resort city which is great if you simply want to sit by a pool or go to the beach. Many good restaurants.
We had a great mix of activities and thoroughly enjoyed Thailand.

Gary did an amazing job planning and organizing our trip!!!
We got where we wanted to go, we saw what we wanted to see, logistics were perfect- actually amazingly so, locations of accommodations were unbeatable, and the timing sequencing of our itinerary was excellent!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

Limited staff, no food or coffee available. Very tired, old hotel but excellent location!

Hyatt Regency Sydney

Sydney

Great staff, room and location!

Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens

Pokolbin

A little tired! Very cool grounds, bar and restaurant. Staff were great except for receptionist

Sails Port Macquarie - By Rydges

Port Macquarie, NSW

Excellent ambiance!

Byron Bay Hotel & Apartments

Byron Bay

Very cool spot, great location!

Quality Hotel Melbourne Airport

Tullamarine

Small room, but great staff, bar, and restaurant

Waves Port Campbell

Port Campbell

Incredible room, amenities and staff!

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Cleanliness & Comfort

Discovery Kings Canyon Resort

Petermann

Dining is limited and the food sucked

Desert Palms Resort

Alice Springs

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

Activity Reviews

Clearview Glassboat Cruises Dinner Cruise

Sydney

We skipped this event . It was supposed to be a 3-hour dinner cruise but was actually a one- hour sunset cruise that was scheduled to get back well before sunset. Boat also looked crowded and uninviting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Rocks Walking Tours

Sydney

Drop Off Your Rental Car in the City

Australia

Challenging to find the drop off spot/parking space.

Explore the Blue Mountains - Scenic World

Australia

Total bust! Directions were unclear! Still.no idea what we were supposed to do.

Uncork the Hunter Full Day Tour

Australia

Too long, got tired of ta s ting the same wine and hearing the same story. Driver and host at Two Fat Blokes was great, excellent guide!

Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

Highest kudos to the guide and experience! One of the highlights of our trip.

Drop Off Your Rental Car at the Airport

Australia

Easy, no problem

Sounds of Silence Dinner

Australia

Did not go, Wind storm created what we thought would be a miserable experience

Uluru Astro Tour

Uluru

Did not go, to late after a long day!

Pick up your rental car at Cairns for your trip to Undara

Canberra

Yassine did a wonderful job putting together our vacation to Morocco. Our driver, Said, who was with us for the duration was warm, friendly, courteous, thoughtful and made our trip so enjoyable and smooth. An awesome guy! Our two local tour guides in Fes and Marrakech (Mustafa and Abdul, respectively) were fantastic and knowledgeable. The riads that Yassine booked us into were magnificent…one more amazing than the next. The overnight luxury camping in the Sahara Desert was perfect and once-in-a-lifetime special. A fabulous trip from start to finish!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Bab Firdaus

Marrakesh

A stunning Riad in the heart of the Marrakech Medina. Very fancy and authentic. White glove treatment from the staff. Welcome tea and snacks, the choice of essential oil scents for our pillows, very spacious room, fantastic toiletries. Super friendly and helpful staff. We also enjoyed excellent spa treatments at their spa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravane

Ouarzazate

This riad is super special. One of the nicest overnights we’ve had anywhere. A beautiful place with carefully curated artwork everywhere. Relaxing rooftop lounge, pool, common areas. Super friendly staff. Delicious breakfast. Highly recommended!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

An amazing experience. The camel ride in and 4x4 ride out were amazing! Our tent was spectacular…plush bed, heater, wifi, usb port, electric lights, heater, toilet, hot water in the shower. Welcome tea and snacks. A fantastic dinner and breakfast. Very friendly staff. Live Berber music by the fire at night. A 10 out of 10 experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

A gorgeous Riad. Modern yet authentically Moroccan. Spectacular room. Fantastic breakfast. Wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Mazar Fes

Fes

Amazingly beautiful Riad in the Medina. Nicest staff ever! Delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

We didn’t know what to expect and it was really great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Our guide, Abdul, was really warm and knowledgeable and we had an awesome day with him. We feel like we really got to see all the highlights of Marrakech with him and he made sure we had a fantastic day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Excellent all around. Camel ride was over an hour and stunning. Welcome tea and snacks. Tents are amazing and plush…comfy beds and bedding, wifi, usb ports, electricity, heater, beautiful marble sink, toilet, hot water shower. Delicious dinner and breakfast. The staff was wonderful. Fantastic live Berber music around the fire at night.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

Mustafa was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide. Very friendly and attentive. We loved our day with him.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just completed a 9 day trip to Morocco and Ali helped us plan our adventure! He was great in changing the itinerary to fit our needs and responded quickly to any enquiries. We started and ended our trip in Marrakesh and honestly wish we had stayed with the original itinerary and ended in Casablanca in order to have visited Fes and Chefchaouen.
The highlight of the trip was the two nights in the Sahara Desert! The camel ride out (optional) was amazing and we were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The view of the starry skies will also never be forgotten! The trip was a nice balance of city and off the beaten path. The food is not very varied so be ready to have a lot of tajines and egg omelets! Finally Samir our driver made all the difference! He was very responsive to all our needs. He was able to answer questions honestly about the areas travelled and had great advice on what to do in all the areas visited. Thank you for the once in a lifetime trip!

Hi Christina , we all had such an amazing time , so lucky with the weather, we saw some pretty fantastic sights , with a few off beat ones . The guides were equally knowledgeable , a lifetime of memories made. Thank you for your help.
Just have to sort the hundreds of photos and videos taken of all the breathtaking sites seen.

If you thinking about having Elgin Africa plan your trip, stop debating and just do it! I can't say enough about how great the entire experience was. Deb, whose company is Elgin Africa, lives in South Africa and has personal relationships with a lot of the tour companies that we used. She cared deeply about me and my family having an amazing trip, and made sure every detail was perfect. I can only say that there would be no way that we would have had such an amazing, flawless trip without a passionate destination specialist curating every detail for us.

Starting with the planning process, Deb chatted with me on the phone and walked me though a customized itinerary she made for me. I was concerned about my budget, and she modified the trip several times to keep me at my budget, which I very much appreciated. I was in contact the Deb and her assistant before, during, and after the trip. She would even text me late at night and as ask if I enjoyed dinner.

As for the Trip itself Deb planned a 2 week adventure for my family of six. We went on two safaris in Botswana, visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and spent time exploring Johannesburg. Every part of the trip was amazing. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite section, but if I had to give advice I was say do not miss out on visiting Chobe National Park!

All the accommodations Deb booked for us were beautiful 5 star boutique hotels. I couldn't believe she was able to fit such fantastic hotels into my budget. Also, the whole trip felt private. We had a private guide for both of our safaris, private transfers, and a private dinner cruise in Victoria Falls. What was most amazing about the trip is that we had so many passionate people making sure we enjoyed ourself. We didn't end up in one tourist trap and we were able to genuinely experience the local culture of every place we went.

I can't recommend Deb enough! Our trip was worth every penny, and every part more than exceeded our expectations. Thank you for planning the trip of a lifetime!

5 star Excellent Itinerary/Booking Services from KimKim Travel

We would definitely use this company again and again after our trip to Argentina! They were able to work with us over a series of weeks to create a custom itinerary for us that included different hotels, cities, excursions and flights between different cities. The local companies they work with are absolutely amazing. Drivers were on time, courteous, easy to locate, friendly and had a wealth of knowledge on the city we were picked up. We had the unexpected perk of also having additional guides on hand to pick us up with the driver from the respective airports which was appreciated as the local guides knew our whole itineraries and would give us a rundown of the next day's itineraries along with the to-do local items in our off time. From start to finish, the whole itinerary was followed to a T with the local guides/drivers on hand to pick us up daily and take us through the respective itinerary. The additional perks via KimKim were having separate english speaking guides/tours in some of the shared stops, i.e. instead of staying with a big group, our initial guide would quickly take us to the respective english speaking guide of the tour to take us through an excursion. They did such a group job on each excursions. Special praise for Sergio, Aileen and Cecilia for all their knowledge!

We had a fabulous time in Costa Rica, and really appreciated the planning help we received from Nuria. We particularly loved Sunset Lodge in Drake Bay, and the guided trip in Corcovado National Park. In Manuel Antonio, our lodging at Hotel San Bada was a wonderful location just steps from the park entrance and a short walk to the beach. Our night hikes were amazing, and we were happy with the choice to not use a guide inside Manuel Antonio NP. There were so many guides around that we didn't feel like we missed anything.
Kimkim and our specialist Nuria were really helpful to us. I think the Corcovado region in particular would have been difficult to plan and navigate without inside knowledge.
I will say, however, that we learned a bit about ourselves while planning. In general, we like to make decisions based on value. The Kimkim system didn't allow us to do that since prices of individual activities and expenses aren't shared, and we found that to be a bit difficult. Whether or not we want to do something is often balanced with the cost tradeoff in a typical situation. With Kimkim, we didn't know the relative prices of trip components, so when it came time to trim or change, it was difficult. Ultimately, that has to do with our own travel and decision-making style, not a flaw with Kimkim.
The trip was amazing and everything came together without a hitch. All car pick ups and drop offs; boat transfers; activities; shuttles; etc. went smoothly. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Sunset Lodge

Drake

This place is absolutely beautiful and the hosts were wonderfully kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

beautiful views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Excellent location right near entrance to Manuel Antonio NP. Comfortable room facing the ocean was great for early morning bird watching and howler monkey listening. Included breakfast was an excellent buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

right near national park; no need to drive

Staff

friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

This hotel was perfectly fine for what we needed. Nothing too fancy, but comfortable. A great place to stay before a flight.

Authenticity & Character

Kind of a chain/corporate feel, but fine.

Location

Near airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Drake Bay

This was so fun! We joined a small group on a catamaran for a morning of snorkeling and playing off the boat, with lunch included. The snorkeling was guided and we were tightly monitored and kept in a group. I hadn't experienced that before on a snorkeling trip, but it worked out. We saw a huge stingray, several turtles, and lots of fish. The visibility was ok, not amazing, but we all had a great day. We also saw turtles and dolphins from the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was served on the boat and was tasty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio Jungle Night Walk

Manuel Antonio

This was really fun! We had a private guide and he was really informative and great at spotting frogs, insects, snakes, etc. He was less interested in mammals, but we did see 2-toed and 3-toed sloths. He was really great with his spotting scope also and took photos with our phones through the lens for us, which was pretty cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

We did the self-guided trip to hanging bridges and really enjoyed it. It was nice to just listen to the birds and enjoy the quiet as we walked through the canopy. We didn't see lots of wildlife, but really enjoyed the experience.

Quality of Experience

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

This was excellent. The coffee and chocolate portions of the tour exceeded expectations and were really fun and engaging. The night walk was great! We saw lots of wildlife including kinkajous and vipers. We also enjoyed the gift shop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Corcovado National Park Hike - Estación Sirena

Costa Rica

This was really a high adventure. We left Drake Bay very early in the morning (before 6am) via boat transfer to arrive as early as possible at the national park. Our guide was excellent and we saw some amazing animals including tapirs, spider monkeys, howler monkeys and more.

Quality of Experience

Food

We preordered restaurant lunch with our tour group in the morning and then when we returned to Drake Bay we all went to lunch together. It wasn't my favorite meal, but it was fine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This vacation was great! Long planned interesting cultural site visits and respected our choice to have some free time. Our guides were all knowledgable, spoke great English, and made everything convenient for us. Meeting the guides and drivers were so helpful and took a load off our shoulders!

We loved Vietnam. What a beautiful and very friendly country. We didn't get a chance to see it all and hope to return to revisit Hoi An (our favorite stop with the BEST hotel - the La Siesta) and then get down to Ho Chi Minh city, which we had no time to visit.

Kimkim.com made the trip so much easier even though I did do the initial planning of WHERE to go for our limited time. Once that was decided, all the plans were put in place by Long. He provided excellent communication during planning and while we were in country. Super grateful for his immediate responses if we had any issues. Would definitely plan another trip with Kimkim.com

Took a chance on KimKim and it was a wonderful experience. From the very beginning, Sergio, from Serendipity Tours, took what we could and couldn't do into consideration. A little worried about being 65, long hikes and heights. Ends up we could do everything and it was an unforgettable trip. They took care of everything and took care of us. We did have to contact them a couple of times to confirm times and them got back to us quickly. They even changed the time of the car drop off in San Jose when our flight time changed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

A gorgeous hotel to stay at during our first nights in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the hot springs, location, and the pools. The breakfast was amazing, as were the staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Balmoral

San José

This is a tough one. Our room didn't have a window, or it had one which looked like you were in a basement apartment with the glass frosted over. And no hot water. Yes, we let it run. But the location was great and we were only there one night. Therefor the three star rating, versus one star.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

From the moment the door to our room opened, and I gasped, I knew we were just maybe in the best room at the hotel. The large room looked out on the ocean and sunsets every night. Gorgeous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Damas Island Boat Excursion

Manuel Antonio

Loved our guide. Very nimble and entertaining, he climbed over the mandrake roots to point out the wildlife. It was very enjoyable. I think Tolkien must have seen the mandrake groves when he created the Ents.

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Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Get a guide. We saw more with a guide than the solo visitors who would listen in. Having someone to locate, zoom in with their telescope, and take pictures for you was amazing. Very informative and easy hike.

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Self drive from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Costa Rica

Stopped at the Rio Grande bridge to look over at the crocodiles. Huge, prehistoric.

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Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Just the two of us and a guide for this walk. We spotted sloth and frogs, and other wildlife.

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Sky Adventures Tram, Hanging Bridges and Arboreal Tree Climbing

Monteverde

I was terrified. Especially as the wind was howling the night before. It was one an experience I'll never forget. The hanging bridges were incredible, including the monkeys (and the monkey poo I ran my hand through, yuk). The sky tram was a piece of cake after the bridges. The viewed amazing. We peeked in on tarantulas, and saw sloths as well. My partner climbed the 30 meter tree and rang the bell. Very proud of him!

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Maleku Cultural Immersion Day Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

Only two in our group again. It was informative and we were able to pick up some lovely artwork for home. A walk through the jungle (wear bug repellent) to discuss the medicinal plants. Entertainment, which we got to take part in. We also shot arrows and had lunch. They very sweetly had prepared to pieces with our names on them which they gave to us. A lovely visit.

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Nature Safari Float and Tortilla Making

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very nice being the only two people on board the float. A great informative guide. The tortilla making was fun, as were the hair nets and aprons.

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Asis Wildlife Rescue Center, Feeding Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

An informative tour and getting to prepare their food was fun.

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Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

I should have done my homework on this one. I imagined a smaller group and this was a party boat. 120 on board a ship that could take 200. My partner did get to snorkel, though I stayed on board. One of the best pictures of the trip was taken aboard this boat though at sunset.

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Lake Arenal Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese

Arenal/La Fortuna

Lots of fun, and there were very few of us on the boat. I think that allowed for learning how to make some signature Costa Rican drinks and learn the merengue. We were lucky to have a full moon over the Arenal volcano.

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Our trip to Ecuador was indeed amazing (meeting and exceeding our expectations). The excursions were excellent! The trip was fabulous!! From start to finish, the KimKim team (Mathais, Danny and excursion guides) were responsive, on time, professional and courteous. Prior to our trip, Mathais listened carefully to our requests and helped us prepare the perfect itinerary. From the minute we walked off the plane in Quito, we were met by our personal guide Danny who was outstanding! He escorted us every leg of the trip and made sure our travels went smoothly and were top notch throughout our mainland journey that included 2 days in Quito, a day in Banos, a day in Archidona, and hours in Papillacta thermal baths before we flew to Galapagos. In Ecuador mainland, we visited all the places on our itinerary, never felt rushed, and were able to indulge or move along at our own pace - Danny had a great knack for knowing when to be there for us or leave us to venture on our own. We opted for standard hotels that were lovely, clean, hosted by nice folks, and served good breakfasts before we ventured out on our excursions. Mathias made a point to meet and welcome us while we were in Quito, which we thought was classy. Danny spent hours driving us between cities and time flew - Danny was a great conversationalist and shared a wealth of knowledge and love for his country and people and nature and history, which made our drives and excursions all the more enjoyable. Great mix of private and small group tours. Highly recommend all the excursions on our itinerary: Quito City, Middle of the World, Swing, Banos waterfalls (esp Devils Cauldron) and tram, Amazon basin Napo river, rainforest lodge and hike, and Papillacta hot springs. Be aware there are some touristy areas (Banos, Middle of world) and lousy internet, but chalk it up to part of the experience. The people, the country, the food, the nature all beautiful. If you are planning to go to Galapagos following mainland trip recommend the Holiday Inn by airport to reset.

We had an exceptional time in Morocco with our new friend Mohammed, our driver guide from Original Travel. He was very friendly, helpful, and informative - and my wife and I both feel as if we gained a new friend! I cannot recommend him highly enough as someone to take you on a remarkable journey through a beautiful country. To see Fes, the Sahara, Ait Ben Haddou, and Marrakech in 7 days is no small feat, and I don't think it would have been possible without the great attention to detail, focus, and dedication that Mohammed and Original Travel showed us. Thank you, we hope to visit again!

Hotel Review

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Absolutely incredible experience! Great staff, delicious food, and an incredible musical performance by the team. We will be booking our stay with them again when we visit.

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Activity Reviews

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes: Morocco's Spiritual Heart

Fes

Beautiful experience to see Fes, however our tour guide took us into some uncomfortable situations where we were 1-on-1 with various store owners looking to understandably sell their wares to us. He initially told us that we should buy from the pottery co-op that we visited first, but then 5 different times were we put into situations where we had to either decline after a 1-on-1 walkthrough of how their products are made, followed by a lot of haggling, or we just caved in and bought something. Again, we fully understand as tourists that there is a need to support the economy, however we did not anticipate that we would be put in so many uncomfortable 1-on-1 situations throughout the day trip. By the end, we wished we were in a bigger group, which is not ideal.

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Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Hanan was a delightful tour guide who gave us a phenomenal and delicious experience!

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