Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was a last minute decision made for us to go to the UK for the first time. Rachel put together an amazing 9 day trip for us. Especially on such short notice. Then HM the Queen died and Rachel was on vacation. Emily had to reschedule so many of our activities. While we were on our trip Rachel was able to fix a couple of snafus we had. We did not have to stress about anything. They treated us like royalty. We loved every place we went. We cannot thank Rachel and Emily enough for the wonderful 30th anniversary. Absolutely will use again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel du Vin Henley-Upon-Thames

Henley-on-Thames

This is a unique place. It was built as a brewery 300 years ago. Staff was not very knowledgeable or organized. They seemed new and not well trained.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not really close to anything. Everything closes down on Sunday evening early.

Staff

Everyone was nice, just new and unorganized. Amanda was really amazing and the gentleman working the restaurant was very personable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lygon Arms

Broadway

What a unique experience to stay here. Such a historic place. I would absolutely come and stay here again for a length of time next time.

Authenticity & Character

So much history and well preserved place.

Location

Such a great location to so many different sites and hikes.

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cameron House

Alexandria

Cannot say enough wonderful things about this place

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect in every way.

Staff

Very welcoming, friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was so comfortable and beautiful

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Great location. Room was amazing and comfortable. Staff was really nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was friendly but not really above and beyond.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Georgian House Hotel

Pimlico

This hotel was spectacular from the food, staff and room!! Location was fantastic. Room was spacious and luxurious. The staff was so helpful and nice. We arrive at the hotel about 10 AM after flying all night. The staff was amazing and got us to a room after we had breakfast. They will never know how much that meant to us. They were helpful with activities and reservations. So friendly and welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was perfect to walk to almost everywhere you needed to go.

Staff

See above they were amazing!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was so perfect. I hated to leave.

Linthwaite House

Windermere

The hotel was clean and nice. The staff was not friendly or welcoming. It was hard to find. Just not a good experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Oxford

Oxford

George was knowledgeable and engaging. He had so much to tell us about Oxford. We could have probably had a longer tour and not have noticed how fast the time went.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Windermere Scenic Cruise

Lake District National Park

I would have like to have more time to explore the docking points. The boat ride was great. Sit inside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of The Trossachs National Park

Edinburgh

He was darling.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

London Eye Fast Track Tickets

London

This was fun. I thought it might be scary but it was air conditioned, thank goodness!! We could see all over London.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Westminster Abbey

London

Unable to view because closed. It was beautiful from the outside.

Shard Viewing Platform

London

I was not sure how I would like this, but it turned out to be really fun. The drinks are amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring London on a Hop On Hop Off Bus (48 hrs)

London

It was ok. We really did not learn a lot. So many of the stops were closed due to the Queens death.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glengoyne Distillery Tour & Tasting

United Kingdom

We learned a lot and it was a really great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our entire experience with KimKim Travel was excellent from start to finish. Our local specialist Andrea was amazing. He was responsive to all our questions, proactive with his communication and patient with all our changes. He also went out of his way to help us with one of our group members who had some issues walking. His instructions and suggestions made each day an adventure.

We had a minor hiccup upon arrival that Andrea immediately fixed. We started our trip in Venice at the hotel Gardena. Peter, the concierge was so friendly and helpful. Our first guide was Giovanni who took us on a cicchetti tour of the city. We got to learn some local history, like the Jewish Ghetto, and to taste some local foods and wine. He brought us to a local restaurant for a dinner of pasta and seafood.

The next day we visited Murano and Burano on our own and then met Enrique at the Doge Palace and St. Mark Basilica. His passion for the history of the area and understanding of Venice made the day incredibly enjoyable. Enrique helped us find a good spot for a gondola ride and another local restaurant for dinner.

After a train ride to Rome, we checked into the Hotel Raffaello which is centrally located and convenient to everything. We met our guide Maria Paula who took us on a tour of the city highlights including the Imperial Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. She share granitas with us and helped us find a great spot for wine and appetizers.

The next day Colosseum and Roman Forum. Maria Paula is so well educated in the local history and made the day a so enjoyable and fascinating for us. She was responsive to all our requests and questions. We ended our day visiting the Jewish Ghetto and enjoying wine and food.

Our last day in Rome with Maria Paula was a visit to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. She met us at the Vatican Cafe where we had an unbelievable lunch before starting our tour. Maria Paula was so helpful to our companion who could not walk well and took her through some guide only paths to easily visit what she was able. Words cannot describe the majesty of the Vatican and Chapel. Maria Paula made it an experience we will never forget.

The next day our driver Enzo took us to Pompeii. Enzo was so gracious to our injured friend who could not tour with us. Our guide Antonio is from a family of guides and was so excited to give us a 3 hour tour of Pompeii and show us the off the main path areas and explain the unbelievable history of this historic location. Enzo then took us for the best pizza we had ever eaten before dropping us at the Amalfi coast and Hotel Amalfi. The hotel was located in the center of town.

Amalfi is a truly colorful and unique area of Italy and we highly recommend a visit. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and we had to cancel our trip to Capri. Andrea called us about the cancellation and helped us fill our day with other highlights of the area.

Ginaro then drove us to the Naples train station and then Valerio met us in Rome to take us to our yoga retreat in Tuscany. Both drivers shared information on local sites with us and were very helpful.

The next 6 days were a yoga retreat we planned on our own in Tuscany. I will say the area is worth the visit.

Our driver Luca picked us up in Tuscany to take us to Florence. Luca was such an positive, friendly personality. He pointed out all the highlights on our drive, stopped in the town where he went to school for a bathroom break and gave us a quick tour before handing us off to our guide Simona in Florence.

We only had a few hours in Florence and Simona filled them with history, art and fun. She took us to see the David, the Ponte Vecchio and recommended restaurants and her favorite gelato place.

Everyone we interacted with exceeded our expectations. They were all helpful, well educated, informative, respectful and fun. We would happily visit with any of them again and would recommend KimKim to plan your travel. We will use them again for our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Amalfi

Amalfi

Very nice hotel in the center of town. Back way in is easier to access than off the main road. Clean and comfortable rooms, centrally located, helpful staff, great breakfast room.

Authenticity & Character

Nice design with beautiful balconies

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

Centrally located, safe. clean neighborhood. Helpful staff. Clean rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Nice rooms

Location

Near the sites and good restaurants.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

St. Peter's, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Basilica - private guide

Rome

Words cannot describe the beauty of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maria Paula is so well informed and a fun guide to spend time with.

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

A unique introduction to the city locations and the food. So much history to learn. All the cichetti locations were friendly and welcoming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giovanni was so friendly and fun, really helping us enjoy the experience

Transport

Walking through Venice is easy and the best way to see the city.

My husband and I went to the Golden Circle, Snaefelsness Peninsula and the Westfjords on a self-driving trip arranged by Terry Stanley. Terry was amazing from start to finish and our trip was wonderful and went very smoothly. I strongly recommend a self-driving trip with access to Wifi in your car as you can balance between having an itinerary with some flexibility. We went from 9/6-9/13 and were lucky to have had excellent weather. We loved the scenery, especially in the Westfjords and highlights included stopping at various 'hot pots', snorkeling in Silfra and the Inside the Volcano Tour. I would recommend purchasing a gas card as we had trouble using a credit card, even with a PIN.

Activity Reviews

Inside the Volcano (Meet On Location)

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Lamb stew was excellent!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

NA

Transport

We did not use but it is forcing me to rate it

The experience with KimKim was outstanding. We loved the easy planning via emails, the convenience of trip organization, the experienced guides, availability of Antonia throughout the journey. All but one of our guides was outstanding. This was one of the best trips I have ever taken.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lero

Dubrovnik

Fantastic hotel with a lovely room and breakfast as well has helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was a little further from Old Town than we would have liked but we did enjoy the walk

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some air conditioning issues in our room that were not resolved but staff was quick and attentive about it.

The Fabris Inn

Korčula

I loved the location, comfort, and staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Nora Hvar

Hvar

Loved the owners and the care with which they welcome their guests. The location was perfect for us. It was out of the fray but close to the things we enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet and easy to get to and from many sights

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

Another experience not to be missed. We loved this day, the family, and the other guests. It was quite a learning experience. We enjoyed getting out into the countryside for the day and away from Dubrovnik.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Mostar & Kravica Waterfalls

Dubrovnik

Waterfalls are lovely but unfortunately not well kept. There was debris and litter all around the unkept walkways. Would have rather had more time in Mostar and skipped this. Our wonderful driver was encouraging this as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Disco was our driver and he was full of great stories and information. He made well planned stops and was courteous to all the passengers.

Transport

vehicle was very comfortable

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Guide was fantastic. She was incredible with the details of the city and history. It was a first rate experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Speedboat/Ferry Transfer and Guided Day Trip of the Mljet National Park

Croatia

The island was beautiful. The day there would have been more productive as a combination hike/bike. Our guide was interesting but unfortunately did not plan the day nor was she knowledgeable about the island vegetation. Also, she could have greeted us at the Ferry to make it easier for us to find her. Meeting spot was vague.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korčula Bike & Food Tour

Korčula

One of our very favorite experiences. Mislav was a great guide with a nice local perspective. It was great to see the out of the way places he took us. He was also very safety conscience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Hiking Tour on the Island of Hvar

Hvar

Beautiful hike through the countryside. Gregor was about to provide a personalized experience from a true local.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small Group Island of Hvar Cycling Tour

Croatia

A very personalized experience ending with a delightful gathering with wine and cheese. Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Plitvice National Park from Split (group tour)

Split

The national park is gorgeous and we are glad we got to see it. Unfortunately, it was extremely crowded which we did not anticipate. Crowds detracted from the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucia did a great job of meticulous planning and it was a great trip though for senior citizens like us it was tiring
Lucia was very patient and kind and despite our cranky requests she went out of the way to help
Suggestions for Indian tourists
Ecuador Visa is not easy to get for Indians
Process is long with police clearance and personal interview in Delhi
Vegetarian food most places are ok but in one Hotel Deja Vu they gave ham sandwich as vegetarian to us in the Box breakfast and it will not be acceptable by many Indians
Indians need English guides and mixing with Spanish group despite so called dual language guide not very encouraging
Indians need to go with English group predominantly as guides are more comfortable in Spanish and talk more in Spanish
Senior citizens should get a more relaxed tour especially if they ask for it
These are only suggestions to help not complaints
Outstanding tours Machu Pichu
Guide Javier excellent
Very sad We couldn't do rainbow mountain and lost the money
Napo Cultural centre awesome
Chef Eric excellent for vegetarian food
Guide Valencia very good
In Quito Alejandro and his son Sebastian were outstanding and good and kind
Galapagos Volcano Hotel Paola is a sweetheart and very very nice she even gifted us few souvenirs from her own money
Volcano tour by walking was very very exhausting so this needs to be highlighted for senior citizens
The north Seymour tour Last day was climax of good ending
Thanks Lucia and Kim Kim travels for making us fulfill our bucket list 🙏🙏

Our trip experience in Colombia was amazing. Michael created literally the perfect itinerary. Alex our tour guide in bogota was so knowledgeable, caring, and very helpful. Our tour in Cartagena Aumerio was so passion on teaching ys all about the history in cartagena, we were able to learn so much from the city thanks to him. Rosario island was beautiful, the staff were so attending to our needs, food was delicious, we met so many great people. Our drivers were also on time. My family had an incredible time in Colombia. I definitely recommend chaska team.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Grand Park

Bogotá

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Islabela

We love hotel isabela. We stood in the cabin called pachera and it was absolutely perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff is amazing and caring

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Mara

Cartagena

We love the location, we were close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa de La Vega

La Candelaria, Bogotá

I love the uniqueness of this place and the great service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rosario Islands Snorkeling & Bioluminescence

Rosario Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

The bike tour in Cartagena was perfect to learn about the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Guatavita Lagoon

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bogota's Essentials (City Tour & Monserrate)

Bogotá

We love this tour, we learned do much about bogota. Our highlight in this tour was going to monserrat and seeing beautiful bogota from very high

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I definitely recommend Alex as a tour guide

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beatriz found us some great places to stay. A stone house in a small farming village near Portugal's national park; and in Morocco, Riad Fes was one of the nicest hotels I've been in. The drivers and guides in Morocco were all friendly and well informed.

Hotel Reviews

Oak Nature

Vieira do Minho, Portugal

Extremely half-baked. Amazing sunset views from the pool, which is also really nice. Terrible sewer gas smells in bathrooms. Cheesy construction quality. Inexplicable mistakes like ugly sponsored ice cream brand umbrellas screwed to the deck smack in the middle of the best view. No real dinner, but a major hassle to drive up and down the mountain to get to restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Cheesy modernism, poorly constructed.

Location

Amazing view from the pool. Really hard to get to and far from food. Rooms are mostly overgrown by trees and do not really have views, though the trees are pleasant. The town is on a pretty lake in a beatiful valley and near some of the park's best hikes like Poco Azul (really bonkers) but the town itself is kind of a junky crowded tourism hub.

Staff

What staff there were were really nice. There's not supposed to be dinner, but they made us snacks off hours anyway.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The place is visually clean, but they never really figured out the sewer gas stench in the bathroom, and other rooms they offered us were musty plus they try to hide the must and sewer smell with aggressive electric air fresheners.

Casa das Afonsas

Barral, Portugal

Very basic in some ways -- the stone house has almost no windows and bad flurescent lights -- but this was a surprise hit on the itinerary. It's in a super-cute town that's mostly stone houses and farming, sheep everywhere. The town cafe is a sister of the Casa das Afonsas family, super friendly, with all just locals hanging out. Pretty short drive to a part of the park where nothing is touristy at all -- the hikes are just from one tiny stone village to another, with few people around.

Authenticity & Character

Don't send people here who want luxury every night, but escaping tourisim into a beutiful landscape is its own luxury.

Location

Close to a gorgeous but totally untouristed part of the national park.

Staff

Friendly family hosting.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Zyo

Rabat

It was fine, and in a convenient location. Not extensive service and no food. Certainly nowhere near as nice as Riad Fes, though I imagine it is a lot cheaper.

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Fine -- clean, nice bathrooms, small balcony onto courtyard. But cramped, and on an overwhelmingly touristy crowded street.

Authenticity & Character

It's pretty generic.

Location

It's really not fun to be on the single most crowded touristy street in all of Porto.

Staff

They were somewhat understaffed, and had signs everywhere trying to push breakfast attendance earlier.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fès - Relais & Châteaux

Fès

Incredible architectural details, small, personal scale, and probably the best food we had in Morocco.

Authenticity & Character

Fancy because the craftsmanship is so beautiful, not just because things are expensive

Location

Staff

Really polished service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Half-Day Guided Tour of Fes Medina

Fes

Hakim was great -- informative, happy to tailor the walk to what we cared about, knew the medina incredibly well.

Ina planned our 10 day trip of Greece that included so many attractions starting with Athens, Meteora, Delphi and island hopping of Mykonos and Santorini. Her idea of setting us up with a rental car to drive from Athens to visit Meteora and Delphi was a wonderful choice. She also offered plenty of sight seeing and dining options along the way. All the ground transfers and tours at every point was smooth. I want to give a big shout out to the ground staff who was available almost 24x7 to answer any questions we might have had. One hiccup we had was the ferry from Athens to Mykanos was canceled due to bad weather and the ground staff responded promptly to make alternate arrangements. All the hotels were neat and located close to central streets. Kimkim took the headache of detailed planning from us and we will recommend them to our friends and ourselves use them on our next Europe adventure.

Joanna, guide with our Silfra Snorkeling, Dive.IS was fun, informative and lead us through an underwater adventure. Our glacier trek with Mei was well done, he assessed the group and geared his walk accordingly. Lots of great information about our changing environment. Our kayak guide on the lagoon was really comfortable with his skills and knowledge of this area; horseback leadership, was skillful and knowledgeable of horses, the guide in the lava cave was also an expert with people and geology!

Incredible and seamless experience, we are so grateful. Rebecca provided wonderful suggestions, support, and coordination - and is so lovely. We have already recommended her to several friends and family.

Hotel Review

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Perfect location. Wonderful staff. Amazing breakfast. Comfortable and spacious rooms and bed. Luxurious shower. Super clean. Would recommend!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chania - Street Stories of Chania Tour

Greece

Manos was a wonderful guide who made our intro to Chania so welcoming. He was so accommodating, patient, took the best photos, and made great recommendations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - Walk, Drink, Eat Sunset Small Group Tour

Santorini

Kostis was a wonderful guide, we appreciated the added personal touches he included that made the evening so memorable. We really felt we learned so much about the island, the culture, food, history, and more. We really enjoyed this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - Twilight Tour of Athens with Food & Drinks

Athens

Theo was an absolute delight! We thoroughly enjoyed his tour and his recommendations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I substitute the word "Excellent" for your term "Amazing".
All things considered and relatively, our trip to Norway went extremely well. The logistics worked according to plan. The weather was very good. It was great fun. Julia was a big help with the hotels and area attractions. The few glitches we had were attended to and resolved quickly. I appreciate Julia's attentive and prompt responses to our requests. Good job!
As kimkim's role here was to find us hotels along the itinerary we designed, I am providing our comments on your recommendations which might help with other clients
Excellent (5 Stars!!): (1) The Rosvang Gaard. Otto and Albert provided a memorable experience. The lodging, the food, the hospitality and the conversation were the best of the trip. (2) Juvet Landscape Hotel: unique, rustic, great views, excellent food and accommodations.
Very Good (4 stars and in this order): (3) Hotel Christiania Oslo: Central location, large ,quiet, cool room, good breakfast and an excellent pizza restaurant on property, (4) Det Hanseatiske Hotel: Older historic building with character helped with a very accommodating staff. Our room was recently renovated being very well done and was quiet and cool. Central location was a big plus. (5) Scandic Ishavshotel is the best combination of location and facilities in Tromso. The service staff went out of their way to help us with logistics and accommodate us with our room preference. Breakfast was very good. The hotel is big and busy. Lot's of dogs (and big ones) were guests too! (6) Hamn i Senja: Location, facilities, dinner and breakfast were very good. I recommend a second floor room as other guests are constantly walking by and near to one's first floor room window. (7) DragsvikFjordhotel is 200 meters up from the ferry crossing but was very good for out in the country. We had a 2 room suite and a very good dinners on site. (8) Grand Hotel in Oslo was just that: Grand! Unfortunately, the day & night we were there the weather was hot and with little air conditioning , our street side room limited a good night's sleep. (I should have changed rooms...) Very good breakfast and location.
Not Recommended: (9) Hardanger Fjordtun. The owner/operator is a nice guy but his cabin facility was not up to our expectations. (Maybe if we were in our 30's or 40's). This is a much diminished version of the Juvet Landscape Hotel. The cabin was too small all around. For a shower, one stood in was a dish pan! The 'view' was of trees directly to the cabin's front. There is no place to eat in the area so a picnic dinner is required. He and his partner went out of their way to make us a very good breakfast.
Question: What more information could we have provided to you regarding our preferences understanding that you must balance the product with the price?....For example, what description could we have given you to have put us in the old section of the Kviknes Hotel in Balestrand?
Thanks for the help. The trip was great
Regards,
Bayard and Susan Tracy

Activity Reviews

Drive to Kristiansund over Molde (Atlantic Ocean Road)

Åndalsnes

It was a beautiful day. I think this road is better seen in a storm with the surf coming over the road. But no one is complaining about a beautiful day at the ocean.

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

This was great fun even on a rainy day. It's just amazing to see the clouds off the mountains and the farms along the shoreline.

Fjellheisen Cable Car Ticket

Tromsø

This was a good idea. It's close to the city and gives very good views of the fjord and surrounding mountains. You can watch the paragliders takeoff beside you!

First time KimKim user and will now be an evangelist. I highly recommend KimKim if you lack time to plan a trip yourself. Bryan was our local specialist, and he helped arrange an excellent introduction of Costa Rica for us, with a detailed itinerary that made our trip entirely stress free. We had a quiet trip that focused on short, guided hikes introducing us to the forests. We loved our two cities (La Fortuna and Quepos/Manuel Antonio Park), though in the future we might look for a more remote beach (we were right outside of the park, which was nice, but that part of Quepos wasn't so interesting). One of our favorite parts of the trip was getting to meet all of the different guides, who each had their own way of showing off their country. We look forward to using KimKim in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Right outside the Manuel Antonio Park entrance, and thus to the park beaches which are incredible. Couldn't be closer, or have better location. We also went to the hotel sushi restaurant and booked a couples massage at the hotel. We enjoyed both experiences.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Bird-Watching Hike with Breakfast

Arenal/La Fortuna

Amazing diversity of birds

Quality of Experience

Food

I think in future might have been nice to have coffee snack *before* starting (it's 530am!) and then get back for hotel breakfast after birding.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide Kenneth was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

loved this park!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was one of the most knowledgeable guides we had our entire trip; he was also weirdly an anti-Darwin evangelist for Intelligent Design, but that just added some character to the trip.

Transport

we were right next door to the park! Couldn't have better transportation.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Very interesting

Quality of Experience

The guide was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canopy Zip Lining Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Good experience, a nice view of the canopies, a bit of adrenaline for those with acrophobia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very pleased with the service we received from Tomasz and others. You arranged for hotels and guides that fit our requests, and we had a wonderful trip. One minor matter was that on our rental car return to Sixt in Munich, we were given the address of the office for Sizt and it should have been their rental return in a nearby (but hard to get to) location. The local manager made the problem go away for us.

Hotel Review

Hotel Mercure Munich City Centre

Munich

Great location and outstanding breakfast. We received very helpful information from the front desk staff, especially Loretta. Small but cozy room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful front desk staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Nuremberg nazi party rally grounds and old town tour

Nuremberg

Natsha is a marvel. She is knowledgeable, charming and fun to be with. She cared for us well along the way and was great at both providing information and answering questions. It felt like having a good friend guide you around their city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Natasha

Tour to Wissembourg, Alsace, France

Heidelberg

We had a wonderful and memorable day in Alsace. The guide tailored the tour to our interests and adapted well when we encountered a charity run that caused plans to be changed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide with excellent communication skills.

Old town tour

Heidelberg

Our guide, a young man who was a student was knowledgeable and friendly. He gave us a great "inside information" restaurant recommendation and set us up for a wonderful visit to Heidelberg.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had fun with our youngish guide

Guided tour of Bremen

Bremen

Our guide was super and very knowledgeable. We had a fine tour. She was a native English speaker, which helps.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The title says it all. We were looking for a panorama of Brazil and boy did we get it. We saw Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Manaus and the Amazon, and Salvador, each destination better than the last. All our guides were professional and made our experience better with their behavior. They were easy to talk to and offered insight on the life of the Brazilians in each city we visited. Especially in Rio we were guided by the greatest guy, Felipe, who went above and beyond to make us feel safe and comfortable.

The destinations were all gorgeous. Rio is beautiful and surrounded by many great vantage points that offer spectacular views of the whole city. The monuments were breathtaking and the food was plentiful and delicious.

At Iguazu, all words fail to make justice to the grandeur of the waterfalls. All visitors be prepared to get wet, especially if you book a boat trip as you will find yourselves directly underneath the falls!

At Manaus, prepare to get hot! It is a very humid city, we could feel it almost as soon as we landed. But it is all worth it when you get to the Amazon forest and get to see river and the jungle. We had plenty of activities here, like fishing for piranhas, night animal watching, walking in the jungle and swimming with pink dolphins! We also had the opportunity to taste awesome local cuisine and everything was produced right there in the forest. And our guide, Antonio if memory serves right, was pretty easy going and cool.

Finally at Salvador we saw what I think is the most beautiful city of Brazil. Colorful houses and vibrant street culture bring this city to life. Capoeira dancing, African drum playing and dancing can all be seen simply by galivanting through the streets. We had some interesting activities here as well like drum and cooking lessons. Like always, the food was delicious.

Overall this was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives and we were saved a lot of hassle thanks to Meghan who handled pretty much everything before our arrival, all we had to do was discuss the trip plan and book the trip. 10/10

Hotel Reviews

Porto da Lua

Mata de Sao Joao

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tariri Amazon Lodge

Iranduba - Amazonas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Perpetua hotel d charm

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nadai Confort Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nobile Hotel Copacabana Design

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cruz do Pascoal

Salvador

The location was good but other than that it didn't offer much else. The breakfast was offered in another hotel se we had to leave to eat. The most important issue was that the room was not really clean and we woke with bug bites, possibly from some bed bug. These were not mosquito bites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room hugiene

Activity Reviews

Evening Cultural Experience in Rio Vermelho

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Art and Literature Tour of Bahia

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salvador Market Tour, Cooking Demonstration & lunch

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bahian Percussion Workshop

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching in Praia do Forte

Praia do Forte

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

African Heritage City Tour

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainforest & River Tours

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon River to Jungle Lodge & Rainforest

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day of Hiking & Cycling in Iguaçu

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side & Gran Aventura Boat Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corcovado & Christ the Redeemer Tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Art & Architecture Tour in Niterói

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio City Tour & Carnival Culture

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sugarloaf Mountain Walk

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was very well planned out. The itinerary was easy to follow and the WiFi device in the car was excellent. It not only helped us follow the planned routes but gave us the ability to fine other attractions and restaurants. All the excursions we booked went smoothly and were exactly what we expected. The tour guides were excellent. All the hotels were nice. Most were remote and suggestions of restaurants within 20 miles would have been helpful.

I would highly recommend kimkim to other travelers.

Joe Ditta

First and foremost in making our 13-days encircling Morocco memorable was our driver Amine! While he demonstrated expert driving skills that made us feel completely safe, he was so much more than a driver. Upon meeting, he quickly ascertained our interests, particularly in the cultural diversity of Moroccan people, and set about fulfilling and exceeding our expectations. Each day was full of unexpected adventure: from our first authentic meal of grilled meats and vegetables en route to Chefchaouen, impromptu walks through local markets where the colors of Morocco are on full display, to spontaneous detours to gaze atop the spectacular Atlas Mountains or to search for specific pottery in Safi. Amine knows his country well especially the unknown places off the beaten track and personifies the personal warmth and hospitable nature of the Moroccan people.

While there are too many memorable moments, experiences, sights, and places to capture here, some of the highlights include:
Palais Faraj in Fez where we spent 2 glorious nights in the meticulously restored Bensouda Palace in the Arab-Andalusian architectural tradition. The tile work (zelliges) with complex geometric mosaics are museum-worthy!
The hour dromedary caravan ride through the sea of sand dunes of Erg Chebbi was a not-to-be missed postcard experience! The awe of complete silence when watching the sun set over the sand dunes was only matched by the awe of sunrise the following morning.
The winding climb to the granary atop the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou provided a glimpse of how southern Moroccans lived since the 17th Century (and where a few families still reside).
No trip to Morocco would be complete without a relaxing visit to a hammam for a full body clay mask application followed by a medicinal Moroccan black soap scrub and shampoo. Total rejuvenation!
Our final meal shared with Amine in El Jadida on the gorgeous Atlantic coast was most remarkable! It first started with lentils and bread, followed by a mound of Moroccan salads garnished with fruit and herbs, and finished with an abundant platter of shrimp, calamari, sole, and marlin made-to-order for only 85 dirham (~$8.50).

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Garden Inn Casablanca Sud

Casablanca

New, modern typical Hilton Garden Inn near the Casablanca airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Just steps within the Medina, this riad is charming with its terracotta tile floors, tadelakt plaster walls, antique wooden furniture, adobe fireplace, and huge hammam-like bathtub with rose petals carefully throughout our room. You wouldn’t even know the beach of the Atlantic Ocean is just minutes outside the walled old city.

Authenticity & Character

This riad felt like a Moroccan home—more simple and cozy.

Location

Picturesque Essaouira combined the beauty of promenade along the Atlantic Ocean juxtaposed by the winding alleys and souks of the Medina, the Portuguese fortress, and fishermen hauling in their catch of the day.

Staff

The managers were so hospitable. The simple homemade poundcakes served with the customary welcoming mint tea were the best of all.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The spacious bathroom and huge bathtub (for more than 2), the rose petals carefully placed throughout, the clever presentation of a collection of glass bottles filled with bath salts, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion.

72 Riad Living

Marrakech

Tasteful blend of the authentic and the current design trends.

Authenticity & Character

All of the seating areas, the high ceilings, the rooftop terrace and pool, the little design touches like a bull horn used for a towel hook and a miniature brass tagine with macarons left bedside during turn down service

Location

Within the Medina with easy access to all the shopping you could ever desire!

Staff

Particularly the man (“bell hop”) who pushed a wooden cart to transport our luggage through the narrow, winding alleys to the riad.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Moroccan black soap, antique cabinet for apply storage of toiletries, crisp stark sheets on a king size bed, vaulted wood carved ceilings.

Caravane

Ouarzazate

Unexpectedly boutique. You wouldn’t expect such tasteful African-inspired decor within the plain, adobe dwelling.

Authenticity & Character

African-inspired decor using resources such as rattan, Berber rugs, adobe interior.

Location

Off the beaten track.

Staff

The two men in the reception who also served a delicious 3-course meal.

Cleanliness & Comfort

While we did have an air conditioner, we had difficulty lowering the thermostat, but a ceiling fan kept us cool during these hot summer nights in this Quarzazate region.

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Unbelievable beauty and serenity.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The Berber staff were knowledgeable and hospitable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The tents had all the amenities except a fan. It was over 80 degrees during the night inside the tent which made it uncomfortable to get restful sleep. Perhaps in the future, it would be helpful to recommend guests bring their own battery-operated fan.

La Petite Chefchaouen

Chefchaouene

The location inside the Medina was ideal and the breakfast plentiful. The decor was less authentic. For example, our room was named “Love” and had decorative s plaques in English such as “Love is the best ingredient.”

Authenticity & Character

Remove the English room names and plaques

Location

Inside the Medina, very close to the center square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

Lovely, modern. The room had a unique design where the vanity divided the sleeping area from the huge shower and dressing area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within minutes of the spectacular minaret of Hassan II

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

We upgraded our accommodation in Fez and Marrakech, but all of our accommodations were unique—well selected for comfort, generous meals, and specific location. Palais Faraj exceeded our expectations, however! It truly felt like sleeping in a museum.

Authenticity & Character

The tile work (zelliges)

Location

Situated just outside the Medina overlooking the entire city of Fez.

Staff

Being welcomed with the customary Moroccan mint tea (poured in such a manner to produce the necessary froth) and slices of cake and cookies.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was actually a suite with small chambers off the bedroom with a gorgeous alcove lined with an abundance of silk cushions.

Activity Reviews

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Truly unforgettable! A must-do even if you think you can’t get on and off a camel (dromedary actually). While this is definitely something only tourists do, it is well worth experiencing the sand dunes. Dinner was a scrumptious 4-course affair, albeit late in the evening. The Berber staff played instruments and sang by the camp fire under the stars beckoning guests to participate until midnight. The amenities of electricity, hot shower and flushing toilet make the overnight stay comfortable. All I would recommend is the installation of ceiling fans, if generator power permits.

Quality of Experience

Uncomfortably warm to sleep inside the tent. Understandably, it was the desert in mid-September.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Our guide was quite knowledgeable about Morocco in general, and Marrakech in particular. The recently restored Madrasa and Palace Bahia were impressive for their beauty and traditional craftsmanship. Everything in the Medina is a sight to see!

Quality of Experience

Marrakech was so picturesque—so many photo opportunities.

Food

It’s not only the plentiful food portions of deliciously flavored food, but also the ambience—vaulted wood carved ceilings, tiled fountains and mosaic lined walls, rooftop terraces, guitarist strumming soft music, and the multi-lingual waiters wearing traditional caftans and characteristic Fez (red felt hat with tassel).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

By staying in the Medina, we were able to walk to the many souks to shop. However, Amine provided numerous helpful recommendations and made reservations including our unforgettable hamman treatment plus massage followed by afternoon tea at the exquisite Royal Mansour Hotel where the King maintains a suite.

Transport

Amine, as always, was at our beckon call.

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

Walking through the winding alleys of the Medina is a step back in time. Our visit to the tannery where men toil over scraping, cleaning, drying, and dying hides was remarkable. Each souk sells fine artisan crafts including glass, brass, fabric, leather, and ceramics. But, one can purchase all sorts of produce, fruit, grains, spices, and meat (including live chicken).

Quality of Experience

Food

Fresh and plentiful typically starting with a meze of 5-6 types of salad, then a platter of couscous or tagine of beef, lamb, or chicken with seasonal vegetables and/or fruits couscous, finished with mint tea and sweet cakes and cookies. A specialty here is the pastille which is a pastry crust sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon and filled with your choice of meat. Absolutely delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hassan was very knowledgeable about all aspects of Fez’s history, art, and culture.

Transport

Amine professionally navigated the traffic and parking.

We had such a fantastic trip!! Our driver was super friendly and helpful and showed us all over Buenos Aires. He really went the extra mile to help us with our luggage and extra transfers. We were welcomed to our hotel with the nicest package and bottle of wine and goodies and an upgraded room! All our activities were super fun and well planned. Highly recommend!!

Hotel Review

Hotel Madero

Buenos Aires

Super nice hotel in a nice area of town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Palermo Food Tour

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian was amazing!

Transport

Overall, we were satisfied with our trip. There were a couple of small glitches but that can be expected during a 2 week holiday.

Activity Reviews

Rovinj & around

Rovinj

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day in northern Istria

Slovenia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Things turned out better than expected. Our guides were all fabulous, very knowledgeable and friendly. Laura is very sweet, we met in Bogota and took us to the Salt Mines which is impressing, among other things. Roberto in Cartagena was great, beautiful city. We had another guide that talked about Gabriel Garcia Marques who was great and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed very much our visit to Medellin with our guide Froi who was fabulous. We went to Peñol and Guatape which I personally loved the most. We also had a great experience in Comuna 13 seeing all the art, grafitis and music. The hotels selected were spectacular. The Drivers were all very nice and patient.
I used this company for the first time and will definetely use it again. They took excellent care of all the details.
My next trip will be Italy and hope it is as amasing as this one.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa San Agustín

Cartagena de Indias

Our room was HUGE, beautiful and super comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

Cartagena

Very nice place to get away

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Medina Four Seasons

Bogotá, Cundinamarca

Beautiful old charm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

Charming Boutique Hotel in a great location. Loved Luna, a golden retreiver.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Depart Colombia

Colombia

It is sad when it comes to an end. We made new friends and had a wonderful time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at El Cielo - Please confirm on your side

Colombia

This was really a great expirience I highly recommend!!!! Good from start to finish. We had a wine pairing and we enjoyed it very much. Place is very preaty also.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market and Comuna 13)

Medellín

We had a great day and managed to see evan more things. It was very interesting and we enjoyed the art, the grafiti, the music and our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at OCIO / OCI.Mde

Medellín

Very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Suggested Salsa Dancing at Cafe Havana

Cartagena

too tired to go dancing

Mangrove Tour with Local Fisherman

Cartagena

Great, we went in a wooden conoe through the mangroves and saw how they fish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day City Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

Roberto was great. He talks alot and time flies

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Candé (live music)

Cartagena

Place was crowded. It had live music and dancers. Ambiance was nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

walked

Transport

walked

Suggested Sunset Drinks at Café del Mar

Cartagena

We went too early and the sun was killing us, so we left. But it is a nice place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were not needed

Transport

no transport needed

Departure from Baru (Hotel Sofitel Calablanca)

Isla Barú

We had a big private boat just for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Baru (Hotel Sofitel Calablanca)

Isla Barú

Everything went smoothly. Very pleasant stay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Baru (Hotel Sofitel Calablanca)

Isla Barú

We rented a power boat that took us to most of the Rosario Islands. We had a great time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at LEO - Please confirm on your side

Bogotá

Here was the only dinner I did not enjoy. Super, and I mean SUPER expensive. It is an experience but I did not like hardly any of the entries. They even gave us ants as part of a dish. I asked for the pairing which I thought was wine pairing but they gave us all sorts of hard licor. I finished drunk and forgot to check if they had subtracted the amout we had to pay when we made the reservation. I would not recommend this restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport Transfer: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} & Guatape and El Peñol Tour

Colombia

I thought I would not climb the rock but I got to the top!!!! Beautiful, Beautiful view. I loved the town of Guatape.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Mistura

Cartagena

too tired and could not make it

Gabriel García Márquez Walking Tour

Cartagena

I forgot the name of this guide but he was so good that we felt we could almost see Gabo as he would describe his life. Wonderful and recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we walked

Dinner Reservation at Humo Restaurant (Sofitel Barú Calablanca)

Isla Barú

It was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked because it is in the same hotel

Highlights of Bogotá City Tour (with Gold Museum, Local Market and Monserrate Hill)

Bogotá

A lot of walking but worth it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral Tour

Bogotá

It is very impresive!!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

We had private tours every time which is great. We felt comfortable and secure always. We felt we were among friends all the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them were wonderful!!!!!!

Transport

There was always someone waiting for us. We did not waiste any time.

Dinner Reservation at Alma

Cartagena

We did not go due to problems in the kitchen.

Dinner Reservation at Harry Sasson

Bogotá

Food was superb

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport