Kimkim Trip Reviews

We’re a family of 4 with our first trip to Morocco. The entire experience was fantastic, starting and ending with Abdel. He was very patient, trying to customize our trip to meet our expectations and extremely accommodating as our travel plans changed several times due to canceled flights. He took the time to meet us in Marrakech which added a personal touch and felt we were friends meeting for coffee. Samir was our assigned driver. Samir is kind, knowledgeable about the sites and also very patient fielding our endless questions over 8-days. He continued to check on us post our departure from Morocco to ensure we arrived to our destination safely. Overall, the riads, hotels, restaurants, tour guides, and excursions met our expectations and we couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Our favorites were the Tiziri Camp riding camels and ATV through dunes of Sahara Desert , the Souks of Fes, and the Tangia in Marrakech cooked by the Chef of former King.

Hotel Review

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Riad is absolutely breathtaking! As it’s a Riad in the Médina, be prepared for unpleasant sewage odor and hearing the noise from the hotel and Street. But definitely worth it to experience the Riad.

Tips for future travelers

Cover drains to minimize odor and bring ear plugs.

Authenticity & Character

Decor

Location

Inside Médina is great!

Staff

Very kind and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but not comfort not comparable to modern hotels

Activity Review

Full-day guided tour in Fes

Fes

Mohamed or “Momo” has 30-yrs of experience and understood the history of Fes extremely well. He helped to negotiate prices which was super helpful and hopefully fair for all.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing trip. We cant say enough good things about the experience. Guatemala was definitely a very special place and by the 5 th day we were already planning our next trip back!
Eduardo had the trip so nicely set up. We flew into Guatemala and spent the night ( Eduardo was right that we should have just gone on to Antigua but we wanted to see the city) We walked a few streets in Guatemala city and then headed to Antigua that was amazing. La Porta hotel was beautiful. The to the Lake Atitlan that might be the most beautiful place we have ever stayed. Laguna Lodge was lovely and a really great experience. Casa del Mundo was beyond beautiful. Our boats and transportation worked great and for 6 people people that is saying a lot! Especially as two were seniors and all learning the language. We always felt within phone call of Eduardo and he checked on us if we didnt check in. He is amazing and cant say how much we appreciate him.

Mathias was excellent, very responsive, even to last minute changes, and met us in person when we checked in! The Alejandros, Jose, Fabian, Dario, Julian, and probably some others i may not remember names, were all wonderful. Ecuador is a beautiful place, not to mention the Galapagoes, WOW. highly recommend it. Never felt unsafe. Accommodations were all excellent. Loved the cooking class. 2 favorites: the Amazon jungle lodge - Aguas Negras( Fabian), and of course the Gallapagoes which was the whole reason we went. Snorkeled with Pengiuns!!! Can't recommend this company enough!! 5+ stars!!

Hotel Reviews

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

This was an amazing restored hotel. staff is great, facilities including restaurant, excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

Love this place, wish we had stayed longer.

Tips for future travelers

plan to stay more than one night!

Authenticity & Character

Location

beautiful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hot springs right outside the room :)

Aguas Negras River Lodge

Lago Agrio

If you want to get away, this is the place. Beautiful. rustic. Animals!!!!!

Tips for future travelers

This is a rustic place. Electriciy is by generator, so have fast chargers. Watch for spiders if you get up in the middle of the night ( they are harmless, but don't want to step on them) Bring a Flashlight or 2.

Authenticity & Character

great way to experience the jungle, without even going hiking if you don't want. I have limited mobility but was able to manage getting in and out of the canoe :)

Location

AMazing! All the noises - cicadas, Birds, and especially the morning wakeup call of the Howler monkeys. Swimming in the river was wonderful, even with high water.

Staff

Can't say enough about Fabian. very knowledgeable , caring, and environmentally conscious.

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds comfortable, netting was good too! Never did have hot water, but lukewarm in this environment was fine )

Activity Review

Cooking Class

Quito

Learned to make the classics, potato soup and fried plantain, for starters. Chef was very nice, it was so fun. Made the soup and salsa first night we came home!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

walking distance of hotel

We had a fantastic and convenient experience booking with kimkim. The staff was helpful and promptly answered all of our questions. I would definitely book with kimkim again in the future!

When my wife and I started our search for a travel agent for Costa Rica, we specifically looked for agents based in Costa Rica to ensure we would have the best experience possible, and I am extremely grateful we found Olman and Kimkim!! Olman was friendly, knowledgeable, and very responsive!!! Prior to the trip,( “the planning/booking everything” stage) Olman was great about booking the best tours in each of our destinations, whether it was the canyoning in Arenal, the zip lining and Don Juan coffee tour in Monteverde, or the nature walk in Manuel Antonio! While planning we hit a few snags and Olman presented us with options to make sure we were getting the best experience!! He kept in touch and answered all of the questions we asked! He made this stage painless and made us feel like we could relax as he booked everything from transportation and hotels to the excursions!! During the trip he could be reached at any time and was quick to respond if any issues arose!! He communicated and set up our Covid test and accommodated any unforeseen changes!! He was truly great and our 17-day Honeymoon was fantastic!!
Now a little more detail about our trip:
The Hotels: (Caveat, we chose most of these hotels, so these were not Olman or Kimkim’s fault, we just want to provide feedback for future travelers)
Park Inn by radisson in San Jose- was modern and clean. We would give it a 4/5.
Arenal Manoa in Arenal/La Fortuna-(our absolute favorite) was authentic, friendly, delicious food, absolutely stunning views, great pool, great spa, great service, just all around great and set our tone for the whole trip! (Beds were uncomfortable:beside that it was amazing) we give this hotel a 5/5!
Noah’s Forest in Arenal/La Fortuna- has the makings of a great hotel but the construction, broken pool, and meh food really took away from the experience…though the rooms were very nice—-they were modern, clean, and the bed were fantastic!! Every other hotel we stayed at had sucky beds, but these were great! We give This hotel 4/5
Poco a Poco Hotel in Monteverde- this hotel was not good…it was over hyped and we would definitely not recommend it. The hotel is beautiful and has the framework to be great, but the beds were uncomfortable, there was no privacy, it was very noisy, and the food mediocre at best. This hotel gets a 1/5.
La Mariposa Hotel in Manuel Antonio- This place has unparalleled views! We stayed in the full ocean view room and it was amazing! The views from our balcony were amazing, complete 180 degree view of the ocean and surrounding greenery/beaches! Amazing sunsets from our balcony as well! They have an incredible infinity pool with amazing views of the ocean and sunset! We had white face capuchin monkeys on our balcony and around the hotel, and each night at sunset we saw mated macaws fly overhead and land in nearby trees! It was amazing! The beds were horrid but the rest was great!!
Our absolute favorite experiences were:
Canyoning with Pure Trek in Arenal! This was absolutely incredible and extremely safe!!! Would 10 out of 10 recommended!! (We terrified of heights and we seriously LOVED this!)
Zip lining at Selventura Adventure Park in Monteverde: this was also incredible!! Very safe and best part is there stopping system which is WAY more gentle than any other zip lining I’ve ever done!
Our other top tours:
La Paz waterfall and Gardens
Horseback riding with Esteban to La Fortuna waterfall (absolutely worth the 500 stairs!)
Celeste River and Tenorio Volcano guided tour! Our guide went above and beyond in every way! After the hike he took us to a family owned restaurant,Posada River Celeste! It was absolutely incredible and we are kicking ourselves for forgetting his name because he was fantastic!
White water rafting with Jimmy(costa rica descents) was very fun and everyone was very friendly!
The coffee and chocolate tour in Monteverde was awesome! Very informative, delicious, and was able to meet Don Juan himself!! This organic family owned farm was well worth the visit!!!
All in all Costa Rica was amazing and was extremely welcoming!!! It had everything relaxation, beauty, and adventure!! We are definitely coming back and will definitely be booking with Olman and Kimkim again!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Overrated—-noisy, no privacy, bad massage, bad food…good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were not good, but it was clean

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

Modern, clean, beds were comfy enough, hot water was good, food was good. Not a lot of character.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Amazing views, authentic, genuine, great services, extra friendly and helpful, great spa, great pool, just all around amazing! Beds were not comfy but the rest seriously outweighed it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, beds not good

Activity Reviews

San José - Arenal - Visit to La Paz Waterfall & Gardens

Costa Rica

We were able to see a lot of animals and saw beautiful waterfalls!! (Macaws, parrots, ocelot, snakes, puma, jaguar)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great hike! Saw a yellow pit viper, it was a baby, toucans, great volcano views, leaf cutter ants, and lava rock fields! The hot springs were awesome! Just wish we would’ve had more time!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was awesome! Not the boring trail horses you imagine! These horses had spirit and we were able to trot! The waterfall was absolutely stunning and you can swim there!!! The fresh pineapple afterwards was awesome!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Celeste River and Tenorio National Park Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a beautiful tour!! Hard to explain the river beauty!! Our guide was incredible and went above and beyond! Went to a family owned restaurant called Posada River Celeste! Delicious food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Canyoning Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was our favorite excursion! We both are terrified of heights and psyched ourselves out, but we are SOOO GLAD we did this!! It was incredible! It was also super safe! They have guides at the top and bottom to take control of anything we’re to go wrong!! Do this! So worth it!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The zip lining was so fun!! Very safe and the stopping was way more gentle than any other zip lining I’ve ever done! We got to do two lines together which I had never done and was truly awesome! The bridges were very cool too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour in Monteverde

Monteverde

Great coffee and chocolate!! Very informative! Great guide!! Was able to meet Don Juan! Love that it is a small family owned, non touristy tour!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was relaxing and exciting!! Great fresh fruit and awesome farm tour afterwards! Loved the food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I just happened upon KimKim in trying to figure out what to do on our Colombia trip.

We were randomly assigned Andrea as our KimKim Consultant and Colombia local expert.

We hit the lottery of travel agents! Having Andrea as our consultant was like having an old friend giving us all the best recommendations, everywhere we went!

Andrea arranged all the details of our trip! We had great guides and drivers in Bogota, Medellin & Cartagena. The tours were professionally organized and really great. The logistics were all streamlined and detailed, and nothing was missing anywhere along the way.

Some highlights for us (Andrea arranged):
1. Bogota Fruit Market Tour- Maria was an absolute subject matter expert! She was so passionate about everything she did, and we loved it!
2. Medellin- Andres was an amazing tour guide and took us to amazing sights.
3. Cartagena- Juan was great taking us to Baru and the Rosario Islands!

I can't recommend Andrea more. She was always available on Whats App, and went above and beyond to serve our needs.

Thanks Andrea for being amazing!

We recently did an 8 night tour of Jordan, visiting Amman, Dana Biosphere, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba and the Dead Sea. We arranged the tour only 2-3 weeks before we left (as COVID rules eased), but Samir was still able to arrange everything in a few days and communication worked well in terms of figuring out a few options. Overall all the timings and logistics all went to plan and it was a well-put together schedule. Our guide for the week Bassam was great - he clearly enjoys being a guide and telling people about Jordan and showing them a few extra places and things they wouldn't find by themselves. He was also a very safe driver. We didn't feel rushed at all and the trip felt relaxed, even though we only spent 1-2 nights in each location. This trip lived up to our expectations and thanks again to Samir and Bassam.
Sam & Grace

Once in a lifetime trip!

The overall feedback for the trip was excellent. Johanna organised everything so well We couldn't have done it without her. When we initially thought of a trip we were considering booking everything separately and trying to do it ourselves but the logistics proved too difficult. Johanna was excellent and worked with us to develop our ideal itinerary. The suggestion she made were excellent and things we wouldn't have thought of were covered.
The first section of our trip was to the Amazon this was an amazing experience and the accommodation was superb. We then travel to Cusco for the inca trail. Our guide Edwin was fantastic and was so helpful and knowledgeable and really gave us a feel for inca life. He supported us on our trek as some of our group was struggling and made sure we arrived at all the checkpoints on time.
All the flights and transfers were on time.
Overall I am very glad we booked with Kimkim a 5 star service.

Hotel Review

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Activity Review

Into the Amazon: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Puerto Maldonado

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was amazing not what I was expecting in the middle of the jungle

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides and very good and make everything enjoyable

Transport

It was absolutly perfect experience from the moment of planning the trip till the last day. Planning, thanks to Olman, was a smooth process and within a week we adjusted all hotels and activities. We travel a lot, but for the first timne all hotels were perfect-good value for money. When in Costarica we were still ocasionally in contact with Olman or local agency and they were very responsive. Once again we would like to thank Olman and Kimkim for fantastic vacations

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Activity Reviews

San Jose to Tortuguero - Manatus

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Anna arranged our trip in a few days! We really didn’t know if we would have time to get a good feel of Peru in 9 days but Anna made it all possible.
Excellent tour recommendations and personalized approach to fit our needs. We traveled with our 15 yo twin boys and the journey was surely unforgettable for us and for them.

Thank you

Hotel Review

Refugio Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

Everyone must experience nature this way! This plaice really makes you fell like you are close to something higher than yourself…

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fantastic views

Staff

Attention to detail

Cleanliness & Comfort

Considering you are in the jungle, the lodge is so well kept!

Activity Review

Boat Ride to your Rainforest Lodge at Tambopata National Reserve

Tambopata

Spitting the animals and just taking in the nature

Quality of Experience

Food

Delicious local specialty rice wrapped in green leaf

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, Michael was very responsive, with a diverse and exciting itinerary, and would use him again!

The company, Chaska Tours, that they used for the actual services in Colombia I would give 3.5 stars. For the money that was paid, I would have expected fewer problems.
1. Driver was not ready for pickup at first airport
2. Wrong and worse hotel during one part of the trip
3. One not so good tour guide and one average one. One excellent one and one good one.
4. Missed a flight bc of traffic (not their fault, but made the rest of the itinerary very difficult)

Let's start by saying that due to Covid restrictions we could not go to Easter Island. But instead our wonderful local specialist Lorena had us travel to the Lakes region, which we would have never thought of it. It was a beautiful part of Chile where we got to tour lakes and towns around them, up to a volcano. It turned out to be even better thanks to Lorena!! We then toured the south, where we were booked in very nice hotels and tours.
My husband and I have been traveling for the past 20 years, mostly on our own, but after this trip and the attention given us by the specialist, we will continue to travel thru an agency!! I would like to specially mention the special treatment we received from our guide in Santiago, Leonides and in Puerto Varas by Joaquin. They treated us like family and gave us a deep introduction to the country and it's customs.

Lorena understood our travel priorities (more outdoor-oriented) and was very helpful in organizing and navigating the Chilean requirements for travel (Mevacuno) and local testing for return to US. The accommodations and internal travel/transfer options were well laid out. Lorena took extra care to accommodate some late changes and was responsive to all our queries and concerns throughout our travel, including making local flight reservations. Would highly recommend her as your travel consultant/organizer. The only recommendation would be for Kimkim to provide more info about local tour providers/contact numbers so we did not have to rely on Lorena as much.

Working with Original travels was a pleasure. They took great care of us from the airport pickup till the drop off a week later.

During the trip planning process, Abdullah was amazingly accommodating to every single one of our needs and requests. We were traveling with an eighteen month old which made things a bit complicated. Abdullah planned everything beautifully, and we had a crib already placed in every room we stayed at. The hotels and riads he picked were great both from hospitality as well as value for money standpoint.

Abdullah catered well to our interests in history, culture and most importantly, the sumptuous Moroccan food. Our itinerary was packed specifically with stuff we were interested in. But most importantly, the personal touch, responsiveness and adeptness at trouble shooting is what set these guys apart. We plan to recommend them to all our friends planning a Morocco trip.

Feysel our driver was with us for the whole week. He was punctual, courteous, knowledgeable and very friendly, especially with our infant son. He always went the extra mile, being a personal shopper, interpreter, local banker and most importantly a friend. He truly made us feel at home, and even though we were with him for just a week, he feels like an old friend.

Our family trip to Barcelona and Madrid was the perfect 10. With the exception of some rainy days everything else was planned perfectly thanks to Bea! From our arrival when customs lines were longer than expected, to one rainy day when we needed some indoor activity ideas, to planning covid tests for our return flight, Bea was available and responded quickly every time we needed her or had questions. It was so reassuring to have someone to ask questions to during our stay--and it removed any anxiety we had about making the most of our time without wasting it on unnecessary google searches! The highlight of the trip was our private tour with Jordi to Montserrat and a Winery where the iconic cava is made. Jordi was informative, and friendly and a joy to spend the day with--and all we had to do was enjoy the spectacular views and countryside! Overall I was blown away by the personal planning I received before and during or trip. I would not hesitate to recommend Bea and Kimkim to friends and will certainly use their service again in the future.

Activity Review

Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting

Barcelona

This was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. Jordi was a spectacular tour guide, friendly, funny, informative and a joy to spend an entire day with. Doing this as a private tour made it the most memorable part of our vacation. Montserrat was breathtaking and so inspirational. The wine tour was informative and entertaining and we left with some amazing cava to enjoy for the remainder of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Bea's suggestions allowed us to vere off the beaten path of typical tourists and show our son some sights he hasn't seen while studying abroad in Barcelona.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

top notch

Transport

clean, comfortable, on time, completely stress free.

Awesome experience. We had the agency book us hotels , tour guides and transportation.Angela was very helpful. All we had to do was show up and she took care of everything. All the tour guides were very pleasant and knowledgeable. Angela was very responsive every time we reached out to her.I would definitely book again with them. Thankyou for a great memorable time in Greece.

Hotel Review

Electra Metropolis

Athens

Great hotel with amazing staff. Awesome view from the rooftop balcony.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Plaka Sunset Walking Tour

Greece

Tour guide was great. So patient with us and very helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can't express enough what a great job that Lucas did for us on our amazing trip to Argentina. He planned a great trip for us, specifically tailored for our interests. That was not so easy because my interests and my wife's are not always the same, yet he developed a plan we both loved. Then, when my wife got covid 2 days into a 2 week trip, Lucas was extraordinary. He helped us deal with some of the complicated issues that brought on. Then he managed to help us replan the second week of the trip so (post-quarantine) we were still able to enjoy this beautiful country. And he even managed to get us refunds for last minute cancellations. Just an overall amazing job by him.

Kristy at Kimkim was absolutely a dream to work with. We kept changing plans and she kept working things out for us even when we go on the trip. We had last minute train & bus rides we wanted and with a quick text to Kristy she made all arrangement’s. Kristy kept in touch with us throughout the entire trip & made this trip fabulous. We wanted adventure and she did that as well. Thanks for a wonderful trip to Peru we would recommend Kristy and Kimkim to anyone.

Hotel Review

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

Great location for a late flight in to Peru. Very convenient.

Activity Review

Sky Lodge Adventure

Peru

What a wonderful adventure. I am 58 years old and out of shape. The team at the Sky Lodge were patient and helped me do the via ferratta to the sky lodge where they had a wonderful dinner for us and great accommodations in the pod. Would recommend this to everyone.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent Flexibility and thoughtfulness.

Christos and his team where able to provide an experience that was both flexible, and yet well organized and thoughtful. They accommodate special request for guides in Spanish for all sites. The local guides are amazing and super knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge with our group.

The accommodations and meal recommendations are also top notch.

Hotel Review

Fedriades Hotel Delphi

Delphi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location in town- just far enough way from the main noise side.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Honey Tasting at a Farm

Olympia

Great explanation of the culture in the are. The meal felt like a great hug from your grandmother.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of Delphi

Greece

Penny was AMAZING. She was really willing to answer all of our questions and her enthusiasm for the knowledge of Greek history and culture is contagious and matched the vibes of our group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was amazing and Mieke was fabulous! We had fabulous experiences that we would not have had without her. I highly recommend allowing her to schedule guides around the cities. The experiences were so much richer!