Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our family trip was awesome we loved our planner and our guide Christian. They made our trip full of life time memories. Thank you kimkim

Hotel Reviews

Casa de Piedra

Mindo

The hotel was beaten had a great time there

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

The food and service the is wonderful had such a great time

Authenticity & Character

It was a awesome

Location

The views are beautiful

Staff

The helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

La Floresta

Baños

They were very friendly and helpful to my family the kitchen staff were awesome they worked with my son and his culinary school assignment

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views

Staff

So helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean the hot water did last long enough to fill our massive bathtub but the showers was hot enough

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Wonderful hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

We had a great time there wonderful food and our room was beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chilcabamba Lodge

Machachi

Wonderful and beautiful place

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Very beautiful place

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Guayaquil, Puerto Santa Ana

Guayaquil

Love this place the beds are so comfortable the staff is awesome and food is great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Colón Salinas

Salinas

Very private the town was like a ghost town so it was different but love our room and food was good there

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly not many spoke my language there though

Cleanliness & Comfort

Selina Montañita

Manglaralto

This is a nice hotel but not really for family's it is the middle of a party town and it is loud a night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We didn't know to put sigh on door for cleaning so they didn't clean our room during stay

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Beautiful hotel with great views most comfortable beds and awesome food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

There were having a dancers there that day was awesome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We love our drivers and guide so much

Transport

The Woodcarves of Ecuador - Visiting San Antonio de Ibarra

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market – Cuicocha Lagoon – Mindo

Otavalo

Wonderful shopping

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloudforest of Mindo & Return to Quito

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park - Quilotoa Lagoon

Cotopaxi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cotopaxi National Park - Quilotoa Lagoon - Baños

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey through Nature's Grandeur: Exploring the Avenue of Waterfalls

Baños

I love this town and the surroundings

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Riobamba - Palmira - Cuenca

Riobamba

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca City Tour - Free afternoon

Cuenca

Awesome time in this town loved it all

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ingapirca Ruins-Cuenca City

Ecuador

Very cool to experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Cajas National Park & Do a Cacao Tour on the Way to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guayaquil City Tour - Free afternoon

Guayaquil

Had great time here

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montañita - Guayaquil - Flight to Quito

Montañita

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antisana National Park - Hot springs of Papallacta

Papallacta

Great way to end a trip for sure

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Papallacta hot springs

Papallacta

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Papallacta - Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are a busy family, and did not have much time to do our own research on what to do in Iceland. Rinolda was just what we needed for a travel specialist! She took our requests and built a great itinerary for us. The program included not only the must sees, but also a number of suggestions in case we have extra time. She went over the itinerary with us before the trip in great detail and made any necessary changes based on our requests. She also booked all the hotels and hard to get tickets in advance, so all we had to do was to show up. Rinolda also checked in with us throughout the trip to make sure that we were having a good time. She was quick to respond whenever we had a question. I couldn't have asked for a better agent!

We visited 4 different areas (islands) in Greece - Athens, Santorini, Naxos and Mykonos.
The trip was so memorable and a special vacation for myself and my 3 grown children.

Our travel Agent, Antonis Alexandrou was wonderful! He greeted us at our hotel in Athens which was such a wonderful personal touch! He was also available via Whats App with any questions we had during our stay in Greece.

Our favorite island was truly Santorini but all the islands had their own special flare! The sunset cruise in Santorini was one of our favorite days - we spend one afternoon and evening on the catamaran with a fun group of "new friends" as we saw the beautiful Santorini island from the sea! During several spots we were able to jump off the boat, swim and enjoy the water!

We enjoyed learning about the history of Greece and Athens from our guide (Zakia) as we toured the Acropolis.

Our guide (George) in Naxos was wonderful - very knowledgeable and fun which made for a very relaxing day seeing the smaller towns and countryside in Naxos. The pottery shop in Damalas was one of our favorite stops in Naxos as well as the very authentic lunch with our guide at the Tavern Platsa in the small town of Koronos.

During our free day in Mykonos, we loved spending time on the beaches - we bought a day long beach hopping pass and were able to see all the beaches and we spent time on one of the beaches for most of the afternoon ( Super Paradise Beach) which had lots of people, beach activities and a great place for lunch!

Each of our hotels that we stayed in were unique and special in their own way. Antonis did a great job of booking different type of hotels. ( a quaint place in Naxos, a downtown hotel in Athens, a larger hotel in Santorini with several swimming pools to enjoy and our hotel in Mykonos had a wonderful view of the sunset off our balcony!)

I would highly recommend using Kim Kim for my next travel excursion!!

Hotel Reviews

Argo Boutique Hotel

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poseidon Hotel Suites Mykonos

Mikonos

The hotel was absolutely beautiful!! Spectacular views of the sunsets from our balcony and very specious rooms! The hotel staff went above and beyond with being available for transportation ( taxi rides) to the various places we wanted to see on the island!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The front desk manager, Andreas was extremely helpful and attentive!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Dinner at the Mykonian Spiti

Mykonos

I would not recommend this experience! As it turned out, the other guests that were suppose to be with us never showed up so it was just my daughter and I. The owner of the company who cooked the meal was somewhat offended that we did not eat all the food she had made. There was so much food and she made us feel bad ( she actually thought we didn’t like it since we didn’t eat everything!!) We would have preferred eating at a local restaurant in town instead!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Island of Naxos

Naxos

Our guide, George was wonderful!! Very knowledgeable and fun to be with! Our favorite stop during the day tour was at the pottery shop in Damalas and the very authentic lunch in Koronos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

One of our favorite days while in Greece! We love spending the afternoon and evening on the catamaran - meeting new friends and seeing the beautiful island of Santorini from the water!!

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

We worked with Martin to book our July 2022 trip for 7 persons (5 adults and 2 teenagers) to Thailand. We were able to see 4 cities in ~10 days so it was a fast paced trip but we enjoyed all of the different experiences and new places. The highlights of the trip included visiting Happy Elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, staying in a tree house and on the lake in Khao Sak national park, and enjoying a day at the beach in Koh Samui. When we arrived in Bangkok we were grateful to check into our hotel right away so we could recharge after the long journey and really enjoyed the Tuk Tuk tour to see Bangkok by night and enjoy some local cuisine. We also really enjoyed our night time hike and river cruises in the Khao Sak national park. Martin was our local expert and helped plan our trip and answer all of our questions. All of our transfers and travel went flawlessly and we were very happy with the trip overall.

Hotel Reviews

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

This hotel is located within walking distance to several temples and the Sunday night market in Chiang Mai. It has a very boutique feel with friendly staff, a wonderful pool, and a great breakfast buffet. Our room was upgraded to include a balcony and was very nicely furnished. Would definitely recommend this hotel and stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

This hotel is exactly what you would expect from a big city 5 star hotel with an exceptional breakfast buffet. The location is good (keeping in mind Bangkok is a very big city) and the hotel is within walking distance to a 7/11 store. The pool was very large and well kept. The rooms are very spacious with every amenity you could need and are well cleaned and updated. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cheow Lan Lake Explorer

Khao Sok

Our guide for Cheow Lan Lake was Liam and we loved the two days we spent with him. He was very knowledgeable about the plants and animals of the jungle and helped reassure us when we were nervous on our expeditions and answered all of our questions. We really enjoyed the lake cruises and walking trek we did with him to the Pakarang Cave. Would highly recommend him to other travelers.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spend a Day with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

We enjoyed our day playing with the elephants at Happy Elephant and learning about them from our friendly and knowledgeable guides. The best part of the day was playing with the elephants in the river and watching them give themselves a mud bath. The lunch provided was Pad Thai and it was very delicious however the down time afterward felt too long, we would have preferred to skip it entirely or just have 30 minutes for resting. The only part we did not enjoy was cutting down the grasses for the elephants, we understood it is a necessary part of the upkeep for elephants however we did not have proper attire (long pants/long sleeves) and those that did participate got many scratches and cuts from the sharp grasses.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely inspiring and every destination was as breathtaking as the one before! Having Brittany to guide our planning through every step of the way eliminated so much of the stress and confusion of traveling to a place that I had only dreamt of visiting but in reality, didn't know much about and honestly, didn't even know where to begin. Her suggestions were right on point, almost as if she knew us personally. Every single booking from lodging to transportation was flawless. Even during an emergency evacuation, she took time to make rearrangements for us and communicated with me during the times of uncertainty and after the fact to ensure that our trip continued smoothly and safely. Having that peace of mind is simply priceless. Aside from that, we are blessed with added experiences and memories that my family will treasure for the rest of our lives. With all the different destination offerings and my family's love for travel, there is no doubt in my mind that we will book through kimkim.com again soon!

Our family had an amazing time both in London and Paris. It was all very well arranged and communication was on point. Thank you for assisting us and making sure we had wonderful memories. :)

We visited 4 different areas (islands) in Greece - Athens, Santorini, Naxos and Mykonos.
The trip was so memorable and a special vacation for myself and my 3 grown children.

Our travel Agent, Antonis Alexandrou was wonderful! He greeted us at our hotel in Athens which was such a wonderful personal touch! He was also available via Whats App with any questions we had during our stay in Greece.

Our favorite island was truly Santorini but all the islands had their own special flare! The sunset cruise in Santorini was one of our favorite days - we spend one afternoon and evening on the catamaran with a fun group of "new friends" as we saw the beautiful Santorini island from the sea! During several spots we were able to jump off the boat, swim and enjoy the water!

We enjoyed learning about the history of Greece and Athens from our guide (Zakia) as we toured the Acropolis.

Our guide (George) in Naxos was wonderful - very knowledgeable and fun which made for a very relaxing day seeing the smaller towns and countryside in Naxos. The pottery shop in Damalas was one of our favorite stops in Naxos as well as the very authentic lunch with our guide at the Tavern Platsa in the small town of Koronos.

During our free day in Mykonos, we loved spending time on the beaches - we bought a day long beach hopping pass and were able to see all the beaches and we spent time on one of the beaches for most of the afternoon (Super Paradise Beach) which had lots of people, beach activities and a great place for lunch!

Each of our hotels that we stayed in were unique and special in their own way. Antonis did a great job of booking different type of hotels. ( a quaint place in Naxos, a downtown hotel in Athens with a beautiful view of the acropolis from the rooftop bar, a larger hotel in Santorini with several swimming pools to enjoy and our hotel in Mykonos had a wonderful view of the sunset off our balcony!)

I would highly recommend using Kim Kim for my next travel excursion!!

Hotel Reviews

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

The rooftop bar and restaurant was amazing - we enjoyed an evening cocktail with the beautiful view of the acropolis! Since the Elia Ermou Hotel was downtown, it made it convenient for shopping and walking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great for walking downtown for shopping. Great views from the rooftop bar and restaurant!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Greco Resort Hotel Santorini

Santorini

We enjoyed the several swimming pools - great place to relax. Our rooms were in great locations to the pools, pool restaurant and breakfast location. We only had a 10 minute walk to the town of Fira.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Magnificent Athens

Athens

Our guide, Zakia was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed learning about the history of Athens as well as the history of the Acropolis. I would definately recommend this experience - it is such a big part of Athens that you truly have to "check the Box" and see the acropolis and learn about the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon

Athens

I would not recommend this experience. After the 5 hour tour of the Acropolis, it was too long of a drive to see the Temple of Poseidon. We were never able to see the Cape Sounion due to the fact that the road was closed off to see the view. My kids were exhausted and we had to spend over 2 hours in the car driving to see the Temple which was not very exciting. The views were pretty but looking back on it, we would have enjoyed a more relaxing afternoon with lunch and swimming or snorkeling in one of the seaside towns that we drove through.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

This truly was one of our favorite days in Greece!! We met some wonderful people on the cruise - the barbecue dinner was delicious and the views of beautiful Santorini from the boat were spectacular! Fun to jump off the boat and go swimming!! I would highly recommend this experience!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We LOVED our time in Cartagena and really appreciated the care Michael took to make sure each detail was thought out. The Armeria Real hotel suited our family well and the sleeping loft gave our daughter somewhere to hide away when she wanted a moment alone.

We particularly enjoyed the chocolate workshop at ChocoMuseo with Cindy. Our active 9-year-old was involved in every step. The owner, Abe, stopped by and gave us a bit of a taste of the rum experience from his other property Rumbox across the street. We went there later for dinner. That was a highlight but the workshop with Cindy was a wonderful, intimate, personalized way to kick off our adventure in Cartagena. She was knowledgeable and patient. We bought rum and chocolate to bring home to share with others.

We also loved the bike tour with Oscar. What a GREAT tour guide! So warm and a great story teller. We were not the steadiest on our bikes but he matched our pace and was reassuring. He sought out a great little coffee shop, which was a highlight for my husband. He helped our daughter make connections between Colombian history and what she'd already learned of US history. And he knew everyone all over town. I felt like we were rolling along with a local celebrity.

The dance lesson was a bit less successful - we learned how to dance but using the dining room at our hotel wasn't really the ambiance we were looking for. The instructor was great but it would have been nice to go out somewhere more lively. I suppose that's too much to ask at that time of day. Dance culture doesn't likely pick up until later at night. I did see Oscar took a video of us dancing - perhaps you could ask him for a copy and send it on to us?

The trip to the islands was lovely and I really liked IslaBela. It was not overrun like many of the reviews I'd read of other Rosario Island destinations.

Overall, a wonderful trip and using KimKim and Chaska helped us find the right balance between independent travel and expert on-the-ground guidance and support. Very satisfied!

Hotel Review

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

The location in Getsemani was perfect and the rooftop pool is a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing. Take in the view of the city walls and the skyscrapers on the peninsula beyond as you lounge with a mojito from the bar. The room smelled a bit musty but the air conditioning was effective and the sheets were clean. They really need to boost the lighting in the interiors. The decor is charming and authentic to the neighborhood. For our family it was really perfect to have the two beds split into separate spaces, with a living room bedroom, and bathroom on the first floor, and another bedroom and bathroom in a sleeping loft above. This provided a little getaway for our daughter to decompress within shouting distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the heart of Getsemani. Walkable to so many destinations.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chocolate Workshop

Cartagena

This was amazing. Cindy was a wonderful tour guide through the process of making chocolate. She let us be hands-on for several steps of the process, handling the cocoa beans, shelling them, mashing them and finally pouring them into molds. She even customized our mixture so that it would not contain milk since I had an allergy. We learned so much and were inspired to eat dinner that night at their restaurant across the street - Rumbox - where they have a lovely rum-tasting experience that is also infused with chocoloate. This experience was everything we could hope for - personalized, sensory, informative and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked - so not much to say about that.

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

Lovely trip to the islands. It's so nice you get your own little cabana/bed upon arrival. The food was tasty. The vibe was relaxed. The snorkeling was a little bit of a disappointment in that the water was a bit rough. Not much they can do about that as tour operators, though. And there were lots of pretty fish.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena City-Tour by Bike

Cartagena

Oscar was a wonderful guide. Knowledgeable and friendly. He was greeting folks all over the city. He customized the tour to our interests. He worked with the bike rental place to make sure we got a tandem bike that suited our family. He scouted out a great coffee shop where my husband got to sample tasty coffee.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Dance Class

Cartagena

The instructor was great. We learned how to dance. I somehow thought we'd do so at a more lively venue where we'd then be able to continue dancing. Doing the dancing in the empty dining room of our hotel was not an ideal location - especially since we were such a small group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our local specialist was amazing and accommodated all our requests. He was very helpful and made sure that we felt safe and comfortable throughout our trip
Our local guides Joao in Lisbon and Fernanda in Porto were very knowledgeable and made our tours thoroughly enjoyable. The attention to our personal preferences were self evident.
The cooking classes in Lisbon and Porto were absolutely great and we enjoyed them very much-one featuring a typical Portuguese dinner and the other learning to make Portuguese tarts.
I would highly recommend this trip and Tiago and the local guides

My partner, D'Wayne and I agree this was the most memorable trip we have experienced!
Sarah was phenomenal throughout the entire process, from planning, pre-trip details, all along the trip and send off to home! We created a WhatsApp group text and it was so easy to exchange details as the trip progressed! While it wasn't required to stay in contact, she was always a text message away if anything came up!
It became very obvious that all of the vendors/guides/drivers selected were well vetted and high quality! We felt very cared for - all the little details were covered.
We visited 4 cities and 1 national park along the way over the course of 11 days - we loved the walking historical and food tours! We learned a ton! We have a private boat excursion from Split to Hvar that was amazing! We chose to stay in AirBnBs and they were all 5 star locations - well appointed and conveniently located! One evening in Dubrovnik, we traveled outside the city to a family farm and enjoyed an intimate meal prepared with food they grew onsite. There were so many highlights on this trip and this was arguably the best!
We are so thankful for the support and care we received! We are looking forward to a return trip to Croatia and we will certainly leverage Kimkim.com again for our future trips! I have already recommended it to all of our friends and family!

Activity Review

Zagreb Private Guided Walking Tour

Zagreb

Our guide was a lifelong resident of Zagreb with a true love of his city and the rich history! He asked us questions to gauge our interests and was considerate of the heat - positioning us in the shade to share info, acknowledged where we were walking etc. He provided food recommendations that were well received. He felt like a friend by the end of the two hours!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wow, wow, wow!! Sonia planned an incredible 17 day trip for me and my family. We wanted a mix of athletic adventures, cultural highlights, and exploring off the beaten path - and boy did she deliver. We started at a spa in Lake Garda, hiked in the Dolomites, biked through Tuscany, had amazing local guides in Verona, Venice and Rome, and the hotels we stayed in were superb. The vineyards and small towns in Chianti we visited were spectacular, our drivers were informative and the food everywhere was divine.
I would absolutely recommend Sonia and kimkimtravel.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Caesius Thermae & Spa Resort

Bardolino

This was the best hotel of the trip. The location was fantastic because it is relatively quiet but an easy walk or bike ride to several nearby towns. The food at the hotel’s restaurant was superb. The spa had a variety of pools, saunas and steam rooms to choose from, all included in with your stay. I would love to visit again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everyone was genuinely friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carnival Palace

Venice

This hotel was very nice and all the restaurants nearby were great. It is off the beaten path a bit, so you get to mingle more with the locals, which I prefer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private excursion to the Dolomites (Madonna di Campiglio) from Lake Garda

Italy

Our local guide, Giorgio, was fantastic. He took us on an8 mile hike with several gorgeous waterfalls along the way. Our lunch at the mountain top hut was very tasty and impressive. We definitely left this hike wanting to return and doing a several day backpacking adventure in the Dolomites.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Orienteering tour in Venice (for families and teenagers)

Italy

Silvia was a gem. She took us through the winding streets of Venice and offered the best bits of information to our teenagers about the dark and mysterious sides to Venice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided boat tour on Lake Garda

Italy

Our guide, Sara, had an extensive understanding of history and did such a fantastic job explaining the local stories.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide's name is Hakim. I wasn’t sure at first if I wanted to book with a travel agency but after I saw the initial plan that Hakim sent over I knew that he was a professional and he was dedicated to helping us. He was able to tailor our vacation and allow it to still be within our budget. And believe me, I made so many changes and had so many requests. He set up a great trip planned and handled all of the hotels, transfers, tour guides, and gave us a list of activities to do on our free days which was a big help because if I would've tried to do it on my own I would've likely spent more money and struggled to find interesting things. One particular time that I remember that Hakim really helped me was when I wanted to have a birthday party in Rabat. I was so excited and thought that I had planned everything perfectly, but when I got there the owner of the restaurant gave me a very difficult time. I contacted Hakim and everything was immediately solved and I was able to really enjoy my day because of that. I am truly grateful for this moment because I really wanted the day to be special and at the beginning, it seemed that everything was going wrong but Hakim made sure everything was perfect! After my trip to Morocco, I planned a short trip to Spain but ended up canceling my plans and Hakim was there to assist me even though my time with kimkim was technically over. The communication was quick and I could tell that Hakim really cared about giving us a successful trip. Literally, in every message that he sent me, he reminded me that he would be happy to help me with anything and to not hesitate to contact him. I felt really valued as a customer with Hakim and he was so knowledgeable and quick to respond to anything I needed. I genuinely enjoyed my trip and I feel that Hakim helped me to have an amazing, well-needed vacation. THANK YOU HAKIM! Highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Al Walid

Casablanca

Nice spacious bathroom. Decent breakfast. Helpful staff. Central location. Clean rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Malak Hotel

Rabat

The staff were soooo sweet! The hotel was in a good location. We were able to walk to a pretty garden and the market easily. There were also many restaurants close by. Nice hotel. No complaints.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The restaurant staff were awesome! They greeted us everyday with a smile.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Chellah

Tangier

The pool and outside area was amazing! It was truly beautiful. The location was great. It was near restaurants, nightlife, dessert places, and even a movie theater. The staff was really kind to us and helped us with anything we needed. The breakfast was good as well! I especially liked the fresh handmade bread every morning.

Authenticity & Character

The interior was beautiful , especially the common areas

Location

Central location, but just far away to not be in the center of the city. Loved the quiet nights.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They didn't change our sheets during our week-long stay. They barely cleaned the bathrooms.

Activity Reviews

Morning Guided Tour in Tangier

Morocco

It was a looong walk and it was very hot, but the tour guide was amazing and he split up the walk so that we didn't get too tired. It was particularly interesting because he lived in the US and was giving a tour on his vacation. He also knew a lot of people in the city and showed us some great places. He was very patient with us and explained everything clearly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was no transport

Transport

Morning Guided Tour in Rabat

Morocco

The tour was great. We had a hard time understanding the guide but he took us to some unique places and gave us time to explore. We didn't feel rushed and we felt that we got a lot of information and saw a lot of places in the 3 hours. The tour guide was nice and respectful in a way that we felt safe and comfortable on the tour. He even had answers to any additional questions we asked him about. We made plans after the tour and our guide even waited for us after the tour was over until our friend came to get us. He also helped me to translate some stuff that I needed! I really appreciate him going out of his way to ensure that we had an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

very unique places.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had some trouble understanding

Transport

amazing, air-conditioned, clean, and always waiting for us when we were ready to go.

The itinerary and accommodations perfectly matched our requests.

Activity Reviews

Iceland Thermal Bath Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ribsafari Boat Tour

Westman Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skaftafell Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike

Iceland

We and another family of four ended up on a tour with 16 others from a single group. We were split into two groups of 12 with 8 members from the large group paired with each of the separate families of 4. Together or apart, the large group commandeered the tempo of the tour being allowed to move slowly, secure gear improperly, over/under dress and stop to change, ask the guide to carry one of their water bottles, talk when they should have been listening, and take pictures when instructed not to (not just a group picture but each person individually). The trip could have gone twice as fast or twice as far without them. Patience was tested.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had been looking for some time to do a family trip to Norway in the summer but didn't have the time to do all the detailed planning that we would historically have done. We are a family of four with children ages 11 and 9.

We had a rough idea as to the places we wanted to visit (Bergen, Lofoten Islands, Tromso, and Oslo).

After a few, but not too many, iterations Meree was able to construct an itinerary that worked. She sorted out a reasonable sequence of destinations, hotels that met our requirements, activities we wanted to do, and a logistics plan to get to/from each place. She booked activities that required advance reservation but otherwise left our days open to spending how we wanted while giving well-curated short lists of ideas for each day. After completing the visit and seeing the alternatives, we were comfortable that she had done a good job optimizing our experience while giving us the freedom to do some unexpected things. While it rained (as explained in advance to be likely), we dressed for it and the weather was pleasant for us. The scenery was spectacular - almost better than we thought we would experience.

The fish was fresh and excellent everywhere we went. However one of our group was a child and a vegetarian. While we were never in want of food, this limited our restaurant choices to a narrower subset of what was available as restaurants are considerably less flexible than in other countries on these dimensions. Also, it was generally easy to get same-day restaurant reservations in each location except Svolvaer (including the hotel where we were staying which was 'sold out' for dinner). If we had known that, we would have reserved there the day before, but we didn't know. In retrospect, a short list of restaurants in each city and a heads up that day before reservations are needed in Svolvar would have been appreciated.

Our highlights included the ferry to rosendal castle/fjord, sea eagle rib boat trip, the whale watching boat trip, driving and hiking in the Lofoten Islands, live glass blowing in the Lofoten Islands, hiking at the top of the cable car in Tromso including summer snowfight, and numerous well-designed kid-friendly educational museums in every city we visited.

Logistically we had one issue relating to confusion around a pre-payment for a hotel which was resolved shortly after being flagged. Otherwise, we really didn't need to avail of any live support from the team during the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Thon hotel Andrikken

Andenes

Reasonable location. Reasonable rooms. Reasonable option. Modest walk to the ferry and/or the whale watching experiences. Ample parking. Nothing fancy. Helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackout shades were somewhat limited in comparison to other hotels on our trip (i.e., gaps)

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Great location. Nice rooms. Friendly staff. Good breakfast. Could benefit from a bit more TLC on room maintenance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

The hotel was well situated in a nice part of town. Much of what you would want to do is very nearby in walking distance. The rooms are nicely designed, well maintained but cozy. It is best to plan your day outside of the room as opposed to in the room. The lobby was tight with limited seating, normally occupied by guests. The restaurants are excellent and the ground floor restaurant has a very special high ceiling and uniquely designed layout which is really special. We did have one observation around the front desk staff.: some were familiar with the town and had helpful suggestions, whereas others were not and relied on google.

Authenticity & Character

Ground floor restaurant

Location

Central location

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Svolvær

Svolvær

Bang in the center of the port and center of town. Great location. Helpful staff. We had a corner room with a truly amazing view of the harbor - it was the highlight of the hotel experience. During our stay, it was intermittently frequented by large tour groups so the restaurant can oscillate between a ghost town and being jam-packed without any availability - best to reserve the day before. The hotel does have a limited number of parking spots in an indoor garage, bet to arrange in advance if you need it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trollfjord and The White-Tailed Sea Eagles

Svolvær

One of the top 3 experiences for our kids on this trip. It did rain during the experience. We all managed through it and the gear was set up for it, but not for those who don't want that. The boat driver was excellent in engaging with the kids through use of often personal stories at various stopping points. The views were spectacular. While the sea eagles were nice, the rest of the nature was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

The ferry ride had nice views and was pleasant and smooth. The walk around town was interesting. We went to the old castle and enjoyed the house tour. The lunch starts about 30 min later than ideal if you want to take the later ferry back and have time for a bit more in town. The rock garden was worth a visit due to its novelty value.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limited interactions, more transactional. House tour was good.

Transport

Whale Watching Safari

Andenes

We are glad we did it. It was sunny. The waves were reportedly modest. The museum tour was a helpful build-up. The boat was well organized. They give each speech in three languages which is helpful if you speak one of those languages,. They tried for more, but in the end, we saw killer whales and none of the rarer finds. We made the most of it and enjoyed it nevertheless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Truth be told, we took a leap of faith when we engaged KimKim.com for our honeymoon in Southern France, because no one around us had heard of KimKim.com before. It turned out to be one of the best decisions for our honeymoon trip, especially since we could not speak French.

Pre-trip wise, it was lovely to work with Joel, and the detailed itinerary he prepared as well as the prompt responses he gave to all our countless enquiries made the preparation so much easier. He gave priority to what we wanted, and was very open to discussing options on how we could fit this trip into our budget, even going the extra mile at times which we appreciated very much.

During the trip, we felt very assured and relaxed since all our accommodation/transport/activities were booked. This helped us to "live in the moment" and experience our trip fully.

What we really liked about the trip:
- We appreciated the pace of the trip, where we had a good balance of sports activities (i.e. hiking, water rafting) and cultural /leisure activities (i.e. food tours, lavender field tours) throughout our 10-day trip.
- The accommodation options that Joel picked for us were really awesome. Each had their own unique charm. I personally loved the College 4 Hotel in Lyon the best while my husband loved the Rivera Hotel in Annecy the most.
- We loved the activities that were planned for us, especially the water rafting experience in Chamonix and the private hiking tour in Annecy by our guide Olivier, and full day trip to Cassi and villages of Luberon by our guide, Ady. It was a good mix of small group and private activities and very apt too, fitting with the nature of the activity.
- Our drivers for the private transfers were really friendly and welcoming too. Special mention to our driver who waited for us at Aix en Provence for a few hours till midnight due to our train delay,. During the trip, we realized how much we would have struggled if we had done this trip on our own as navigating around with language barriers was challenging, especially for transport.

One point that we must highlight would be the responsiveness of Joel and his team. Not only was Joel prompt in responding to our enquiries and couple of changes that needed to be made during the trip itself, we also experienced first-hand the "crisis support" that was provided. We had a security scare at Lyon train station where our train was delayed for slightly more than two hours, and the process was quite anxiety-provoking and nerve-wrecking given that it was already nighttime when this happened and our inability to understand what was going on due to the language barrier. However, thankfully Valentine (Joel's colleague) reached back to us promptly after we tried calling the after-office-hours hotline for support. Her assurance and liaison with the driver who was supposed to pick us up at our destination (Aix en Provence) was immensely helpful and she ensured that she remained contactable to us till we reached our hotel safely in Aix en Provence. We were extremely thankful that we had Kimkim's service to back us up if anything happened in France. :)

There was one aspect which we felt could be improved though. For our train ride from Geneva to Lyon, even though we had First Class tickets, we were unable to get any seats in the First Class cabin likely because it was free seating, and it was full by the time we reached the cabin. It was also quite chaotic and confusing as we did not know where the First Class cabin was in the train and everyone was rushing up the train so it was difficult for us to ask people as well (we almost got onto the wrong end of the train). In the end, we ended up sitting at whatever available seats we could find, which was in the Second Class cabin. We noted that perhaps this was a common occurrence as there were others who were like us, had First Class tickets but there were no more seats in the First Class cabin for them. Additionally, there was also no train conductor to verify if our seats match our tickets. As we were unfamiliar with taking trains in Europe and this was not what we were expecting, it might have been helpful to let us know such situations could occur and tips for us to manage this (E.g. which end of the train that the First Class cabin belonged to). Nevertheless, for the other trains where there were fixed seats and cabins designated for us, it was much easier.

Apart from this however, everything else was perfect. :) We are grateful to have engaged Joel via KimKim and would highly recommend for others to do the same, especially if you are taking tours in a foreign country where you do not speak their native language.

- Lyon and Shan (from Singapore)

Hotel Reviews

Collège Hotel

Lyon

We had a pleasant experience at this hotel. It is cozy and quaint. The staff at the reception are friendly and willing to help. What impressed us most was the dedication of the hotel to being environmentally-friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

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Cleanliness & Comfort

Rivage Hôtel & Spa Annecy

Annecy

This was the most luxurious hotel that we stayed at for our trip. We loved the spaciousness and the balcony which overlooked beautiful views of the sky. Though it is located slightly further away from the city centre, it was nevertheless a good location for those who wanted to enjoy the lake.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Le Refuge des Aiglons

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

We felt that this hotel would be perfect for winter but not so much for summer. For example, there was no aircon and we had to borrow a fan from the reception. The hotel also seemed understaffed as there were a few times where we could not find a staff to talk to and needed to wait for awhile. They also had no dental kits to provide us. Nevertheless, the design of the room and the balcony that overlooked the snowy mountains made up for it, on top of the lovely design of the hotel ground floor. :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hôtel Roi René Aix-en-Provence Centre – MGallery

Aix-en-Provence

We loved our stay at this hotel. The location was great and the room was very well-designed, especially the toilet. The breakfast spread was one of the best as well. The room could have been slightly more spacious, if not all would be perfect. :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lyon Old Town Food Tour (Small Group)

Lyon

We loved that the guide not only brought us on a food tour, but also gave us a history tour of Lyon. :) However, this tour might not be the best for vegetarians, because there will be some dishes where vegetarians are unable to enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cruise and Walk : Plus +Formula

Annecy

As first-time hikers, we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to achieve our hiking goals for the day. It was a good experience, though quite challenging at certain parts and the hot weather certainly didn't make it easier. However, we had a charming and wonderful guide who really helped and cheered us on.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rafting Chamonix

France

It was unexpectedly awesome, one of the most memorable experiences this trip! :) Definitely worth a try. Rafting down the river of Chamonix was an amazing experience , with the backdrop of the snowy mountains and beautiful scenery. It helped that the guide was witty and humorous, and made it very fun for us. Kudos to him for also speaking in both French and English to cater to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lavender morning tour

France

It was a pity that due to the drought, much of the lavender fields had been harvested already. However, thanks to our guide, we were still able to find some lavender fields, together with sunflower fields to take beautiful pictures. We also enjoyed the tasting session at the lavender shop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cassis & Villages of the Luberon

Aix-en-Provence

Though the full day tour can be tiring, it was fulfilling. We loved Cassis with the cruise and the amazing views, and the different villages of the Luberon were really charming and beautiful. :) We really appreciated the guide who always offered us tidbits of knowledge about Provence and also spoke in French and English to cater to the whole group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This family trip to Costa Rica had it all: adventure, learning, views, nature, rainforest, beach, ocean, river, hot springs, volcano, hikes, hanging bridges, zip lines, animals, waterfalls and FUN!!
We loved it!!
The program of activities each day was well balanced so we always had time to also explore a little more by ourselves and enjoy meeting locals and tasting delicious food. The weather was amazing in the sense that even though it was the rainy season we only had one rainy day and a couple of nights when it rained some, but this never held us back.

It was a great trip. Effortless on our part with planning. The b and b’s were great, the app was fantastic and the recommendations were wonderful.

Great adventures from the Amazon to the mountains. We visited the Tambopata for the first 4 days of our trip. There is something magical about macaws flying over head while you fish for piranha as a family of river otters play in the water a short distance away. Once we left the Amazon, we met up with our guide, Orlando and driver, Paul. We especially enjoyed our time with Orlando and Paul. They were always looking out for our family to have an amazing time. We can't believe everything we experienced in the two weeks in Peru. The food was amazing, Orlando knows all the good places! One of the highlights of the trip was our home stay in Raqch'i. The family was welcoming and happy for us to experience their community. We were so honored to be a part of their family for the night. We all had a great time dancing by the fire. Our hike on Rainbow mountain was the most challenging part of our trip. Orlando had us take it slow, with lots of breaks.

Marina was absolutely fantastic to work with. The planning before the trip was great; she was very attentive of what we were looking for and the changes we made to the itinerary and hotel accommodations. She was very helpful and even during our trip when we had questions or needed something she was available and willing to assist. I cannot recommend Marina enough.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Hotel Madrid

Madrid

The hotel was fine - nothing special but in a good location and the room was clean. For a hotel in the center of Madrid, it was good. I would’ve given it 5 stars if the room had a balcony or a sitting area in the room - we were forced to sit on the bed. But other than that it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was nice but not overly helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Villapanés

Sevilla

Best hotel of the trip. Staff was amazing, room was amazing, and location was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto A.S. 1829

Porto

Really nice hotel in the perfect location. Only downside was the shower in the room (not in the bathroom), but that was fine and we were aware of this before we booked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Linda was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Toledo

Spain

Carlos was fantastic as a guide. And Toledo was an incredible city - highly recommend as a day trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Our guide, Raul, was good but not great. Spent too much time in museum’s/palaces that we weren’t interested in. Also he talked nonstop the entire time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Seville to Córdoba, Guided Visit of Córdoba, Train Córdoba to Seville

Seville

Best tour guides and city of the trip. We loved Cordoba and everything about our guises.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Sara was a great guide and we loved Porto.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

Fun day but our guide wasn’t the best. He was fairly lackadaisical and because the vehicle had issues we arrived back to Porto an hour late. It was a fun day, but could’ve been better. Also, the weather was extremely hot on this day so we think that may be why we didn’t do any real hiking, which is what we were expecting, and instead spent the day in the river. (Which was fun, we were just hoping for more hiking)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I chose to go with Kim Kim even though I was unfamiliar with it because of its custom tour feature. I did not want to go with other existing tours as they involved hiking or the duration of the trip was too long. At same time I did not want to plan the trip myself and go to an unfamiliar country with an unfamiliar language by myself. With Kim Kim's custom feature you have the freedom to change your trip however you please.
In my case my local expert was Johanna from Miski Travel and it was a pleasure to work with this agency. I started my trip plan very last minute about 3 weeks prior to our departure. Johanna and her team were very patient with me and we made changes until few days before our trip. We even missed our flight from Lima to Cusco and had to change our Airport pick up just 1 hour before and they were helpful in rearranging our ride. We also had a very nice tour guide Edwin who even travelled with us from Cusco all the way to Agua Calientes where Machu Picchu is which was very reassuring and made us very comfortable travelling to another city.
Overall, I had a very good trip and it was a good idea to work with Kim Kim and Miski travel. If I had to mention an improvement I would have liked to see the breakdown on pricing. We were only given a total price per person, but I wanted to see what I was paying for. Other than that I had an awesome time!

Hotel Reviews

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

This hotel was absolutely beautiful. Their staff was very friendly and helpful. Although, it was very cold there they gladly fulfilled our request of wanting another heater and set of blankets without charge. Had a great stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and great interior

Inti Punku MachuPicchu Hotel & Suites

Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes

I had a very bad time in this hotel. The hotel had no running water and our card key would not work. Overall I felt uncomfortable during my stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could be a little mor clean and have running water

Activity Review

Sacred Valley Tour w/ lunch in Ollantaytambo + train to Aguascalientes

Peru

It was a good selection of places to go.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport