Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a wonderful time! We enjoyed the various terrain, nature and experience food and culture from different parts of Morocco.

Especial thanks to our driver Amine who is awesome and made the trip exceptional by going the extra mile every step of the way for the entire duration of our trip! He accommodated us when our bags did not make it to Rabat from Paris, made calls to the airline in French and Arabic and made the round trip back to Rabat from Fes just to pick them up! Throughout he was very courteous and helpful with tips on how to navigate the different cities of Morocco and the sites and history. He recommended stops for food and pictures which truly enhanced our whole experience.
The guides Mustafah and Hassan are very knowledgeable and made our tours very informative. Hiking with our Guide Idris in Ourika valley was an amazing experience.

It was wonderful to sleep in the desert at Camp Chebbi . The staff though very young made up for it in enthusiasm. Then only surprise was their attempt at European style food😂. Also the camp was cold in January and we could have used extra blankets or throws near the Firepit. Here too the guides for camel ride and buggy were great!

Thanks KimKim for an amazing trip and off the beaten path Morocco experience.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kaiss Marrakech

Marrakech

Thank you Najma for going out of your way to assist us with recommendations for local dining and entertainment.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravane

Ouarzazate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auberge Chez Pierre

Boumalne Dades

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fes - Relais & Châteaux

Fes

Great hotel and service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Sefrou: The Garden City of Morocco

Morocco

Thank you Mustafa for a greater guided tour snd authentic Berber experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Day Trip to Ourika Valley: Hike to a Waterfall

Morocco

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks to Irish and Kristy our first family vacation to Japan was a success! They found us great hotels in Tokyo (Karaska Hotel Premier Tokyo Ginza) and Hakuba (Hakuba Highlands Hotel) and helped us navigate the JR Rail Pass process to get us around Tokyo and to/from Nagano. They also arranged for a driver to pick us up and drop us off at the airport - which was a bonus with the luggage.

I think KimKim as a platform is quite good - we had good responsiveness from the local agency.

Egypt is a truly amazing place and I think, overall, the trip was a good success. I would not really hesitate to recommend KimKim or Egypt Promotions (EP) to work with.

There were, however, a few glitches and recommendations I can offer. EP does a nice job of having a lot of people interact with us in terms of transportation - we had a glitch on the initial meeting at the airport and needed to have data and phone working to communicate with them. In our trip from Luxor, the rep was totally unaware of us not having tickets (booked by EP) and was completely unprepared to do anything about it - that was a bit of a shit show. Otherwise, the trip managers were cordial and helpful.

The guides we had were quite good. We had a private trip and the guides let us adjust as needed. Shahenda in Cairo and Muhammad in Aswan/Luxor were very knowledgeable with good English and good energy. Sha in particular know just what pictures to take and was really delightful to work with.

We did a driving trip to Alexandria - not sure that was entirely worth the extra time. The driver was almost falling asleep at the wheel at some points which was, obviously, disconcerting. We could definitely spent more time at the library in Alexandria visiting the planetarium, seeing the movie and visiting the exhibits.

Definitely do the dhabiya - it's a nice way to break up the trip between being inundated with facts and incredible sites and just relaxing and chilling along the beautiful Nile river. It would behoove EP to offer upgrades - we definitely had a luxury experience (the hotels were simply amazing) but one of our party would have liked the opportunity to book the "suite" room on the dahabiya and paid a bit extra.

We'd also suggest to EP to offer more details and options for the difference locations and let the guide work with the travelers to plan the day out. It seemed several days were pretty much planned out and then ended fairly early.

Tipping is always a bit of a mystery and, while EP gave us guidance for drivers/guides, we were less clear on who and how much to tip the trip managers and various other people. The tipping guidelines seemed quite a bit higher than what we read on the internet but I did not think they were unreasonable (e.g. $25/couple/day for the guide).

Lastly, I'd be suspect of the"government stores" and other places the guides take you - I don't really know what "government store" means and at least in Luxor, we bypassed the "cheap merchandise on the street" to go to a "reputable store with high quality goods" and I think that ended up being inaccurate - I believe we got the exact same goods on the street for about 1/2 the price as in the store. We bought an Egyptian cotton red sweatshirt that pills so bad it's unwearable.

So it may sound like we were not happy with the trip but that is NOT accurate. We DEFINITELY think you need to use a guide company to do this trip unless you speak fluent Arabic. EP was quite good, on time, provided good vehicles and very good guides, so I really do not hesitate in recommending them.

Costa Rica is incredible! So amazing! We (2 adults + 2 boys) planned our trip with Sergio from Serendipity Adventures focused on animals and nature for the end of December/beginning of January. The whole planning process was great, and Sergio was always easy to reach. I think that KimKim is a good option if you don't have much time to organize your trip. It was the first time I used it, and I think it was a good option at the present pace of my life.

A review would not be enough to describe the unforgettable memories we have from our trip. We did Tortuguero, LaFortuna, Monteverde and Playa Conchal. Costa Rica's food is incredible and so tasteful. People are very very nice there. I was so sorry of leaving at the end.

My must-dos (which can be different from the rest of my family): Tortuguero canal ride (5-star to our guide Elston), LaFortuna waterfall, Arenal volcano hiking trail, Zip-lining with SkyAdventures, Monteverde village and cloud forest, Catamaran sunset ride in Guanacaste (we saw whales!).

Hotel Reviews

The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa

Playa Conchal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Evergreen Lodge

Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chocolate & Night Hike Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Baldi Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Rafting Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Sky Adventures Zip Lines

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Boat Excursion Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Tortuguero Village Visit

Tortuguero

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Michael put together a wonderful adventure for us along the Colombian coast. We started in Cartagena and had the most magical 2 days exploring the city. Our tour guide Jhoker was incredibly knowledgable, kind and trustworthy. Unfortunately we received tragic news from home and could not complete the rest of our trip. Michael made himself completely available to us in our emergency and Jhoker, God bless his soul, came to pick us up at 2am to take us to the airport for an urgent flight home. Michael worked tirelessly then to help us get refunded for whatever we could. He was a gem to have throughout the whole ordeal. I will absolutely plan another trip through Michael.

Activity Reviews

San Alberto Coffee Tasting

Cartagena

This was a fun experience; however I didn't think the coffee was anything spectacular

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Jhoker was a wonderful guide

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My May trip was one of the best and most exciting adventure travel I have had in many years and it was all because of Terry! She was an amazing trip guide, counselor and expert. Nothing went wrong, she was always available to help with clarification or make suggestions. I will use Kim Kim again for planning - their thoughtful and thorough knowledge of the country (and other place) makes them a go-to resource for travel and adventure!

Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Loved observing the wildlife, the ocean and rainforest. Randall did an excellent job at arranging the trip to my liking. He even arranged some last minute requests for us in a timely fashion. Thank you for your prompt and professional service Randall!

Hotel Reviews

Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge

Manuel Antonio

Loved this place the rooms have great views of the ocean. The room is a good size and very clean. The staff is very accommodating.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

The room was roomy and clean and the staff very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near a busy street. But nice grounds

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente

San José

The staff is wonderful and the rooftop restaurant is fantastic!

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Staff

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Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

An easy hike, beautiful park and great guide. I would recommend a guide because they have the expertise to point out things you might never find on your own.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Coffee & Chocolate Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

A great tour with and informative guide

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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We used Kimkim to help us with a guide for our few days in Bangkok. Our guide "Jack" was most informative. We covered all the Bangkok highlights, Jim Thompson house, Flower Market, Grand Palace, Long tail boat ride, Wat Arun; Evening Tuk tuk food tour, Maeklong Railway and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
I thought Jack did a great job. He and the driver even took us to the airport and Jack made sure we got checked in and showed us where to go.
My ONLY suggestion would be, I would have preferred a different service provider for the Food Tour. Otherwise, I thought it was all great.

This was my husband's and my first time to Costa Rica. We were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and it was an amazing experience. Sergio planned a wonderful trip and really personalized it for us. For the most part we had private or semi private transfers and/or tour guides and it really allowed us to interact with them and get a lot of information.
Our driver from San Jose to Arenal/La Fortuna was Charlie with Ride CR. He was great. We arrived at the airport at 1:30pm and we were hungry and he was kind enough to take us to a Soda (local outdoor diner) for pina coladas and traditional meal of casadas. It was delicious and a wonderful way to begin our trip. It was a 2 and 1/2 hour drive to the hotel but it flew by with our conversations with Charlie.
We arrived at our hotel The Springs Resort & Spa and were greeted by Antonio who gave us a yummy tropical drink and then a tour of the hotel and he then delivered our luggage to our room. Our room was spectacular with a huge picture window framing the volcano with a view from our bed. The balcony with hammocks was a great way to see and watch the animals. On our first morning we were able to hear howler monkies, so cool.
Our second day we went on a Safari Float tour with our tour guide, Carlos and one other couple. We saw monkies, sloths, birds and other animals. Carlos spotted animals and would stop and point them out for us. That afternoon we went on a Coffee & Chocolate Tour at Don Juan's and Maria was excellent at explaining the growing and processing from start to finish. We even got to make our own chocolate. We topped off the evening with dinner at Las Ventanas at the hotel and it was very good and beautiful views.
Our third day we went on a Private Hanging Bridges Walk. Our driver Paulo and guide Kenneth couldn't do enough for us. Kenneth pointed out many animals, insects and plants and also would show us through a scope and then was kind enough to take pictures for us through the scope. After the tour, Paulo had a delicious spread of refreshments consisting of fruit, drinks and chips.
The fourth day, we took a lake crossing a drive to Monteverde. The boat ride across the lake was beautiful but the van ride was a little scary because the roads aren't paved and very narrow but the drivers seem to know what they're doing.
We stayed for two nights at the Hotel Belmar and had a fabulous view with sunsets and at night the stars were so brilliant. I wish I could remember the names of all the staff because they were all so attentive and the food served at the restaurants was amazing. We did ziplining in Monteverde and it was exhilarating and I highly recommend that you overcome your fears and give it a try. You won't regret it.
Our final leg of the trip was spent a Playa Hermosa and we stayed at the Hotel Bosque. The location is perfect for swimming, animal watching and the restaurants along the coast are fabulous. We ate at several of them and we were not disappointed. We would recommend Roberto's, La Casita Del Marisco (had a 4 lb whole redsnapper and it was fabulous), and the Restaurant El Velero. The staff at the Hotel Bosque were very attentive and made a real effort to remember your name and interact. Roland and Diego were especially helpful.
Our driver to the airport was Jose with 3Monkies. He was really made a point to interact with us and give us information for future visits.
I know this is a long review but I hope it is helpful in making a decision to visit and enjoy this beautiful country. Thank you Sergio for planning such a memorable vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Our room was ready as soon as we arrived. Although there were a couple of things that didn't work when we arrived. They were repaired promptly. The staff made an effort to remember your name and make sure you were happy. Roland and Diego were exceptional.

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Hotel Belmar

Monteverde

Hotel location, rooms and dining were fabulous.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal

La Fortuna

Wonderful views and rooms are beautiful. Staff were very helpful and friendly.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Catamaran Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

The boat ride was very smooth and the staff very accomodating. Lots of food and drink served throughout. Beautiful sunset

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Treetopia Zip Lines

Monteverde

The weather wasn't ideal but the experience was so wonderful. The staff is very capable and professional.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Enjoy the Thermal Hotsprings at your hotel

Arenal/La Fortuna

We only used the springs once during our stay because we were so busy but definitely worth seeing The whole hotel is beautiful .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Paulo and Kenneth made this such a memorable time. From the time we were picked up from the hotel they made an effort to point out animals and vegetation

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Very informative. Maria our tour guide was very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Rafting Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our tour guide Carlos was very knowledgeable and made sure we saw as much wild life as he could find.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I love Brazil! The sights, the beauty, the vibrancy of the people and the culture! I wish I never left!! I was able to visit the best sights and hidden gems of Rio de Janeiro and move along to Salvador and immerse myself in the Afro culture, which was a personal favorite. I relaxed indulged in sand dune activities and saw the most beautiful scenery in Canoa Quebrada and then I visited Iguaçu Falls (experiencing the Argentinian and Brazilian side by boat and helicopter) which is a must for lovers of nature!! Rachel always checked on me and made sure the guides were taking care of me every step of the way. I had wonderful and helpful guides. Guilherme was an extra special gentleman who went above and beyond whilst in Rio. Matcos, Leandro, Gabriel and my guide in Salvador Guia Joao Luis went above and beyond to make my time memorable! Thank you a thousand times over😊❤️

We had a fantastic trip!!! From start to end we felt we re well looked after. Planning, guide and driver where all aligned and very profesional. I would highly recomend using Alex for travels in Vietnam :)

Hamid was the absolute highlight of the trip. A national treasure. He is so kind and funny and knowledgeable and has a true love for his country. We only had one day booked in the dessert and he really wanted us to try Berber pizza but we weren't going to have time. He surprised us by picking up a pizza before he picked us up from the Sahara then at our lunch stop he paid the restaurant to heat it up. It was so delicious and such a special experience. If we could give him 10000/10 we would.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Asfalou

Another beautiful space however the floors were a bit dirty in the rooms. I could feel grit on my bare feet. Otherwise a fabulous stay. The food was delicious

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Dar Echchaouen

Chefchaouen

Such a beautiful property. I wish we'd stayed longer

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O

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Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

Beautiful hotel and rooms. The only complaint was the hotel was so empty we didn't really feel comfortable eating in the dining room. So we just ordered some skewers and asked they were delivered to our room. But the staff was nice and the space was gorgeous

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Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

Though we almost froze to death (lol) we had a great time here. It was beautiful and comfortable. We wanted to try sand boarding but couldn't find the boards or anyone to ask about it. But overall a great experience

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Activity Reviews

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Kamal was incredible. What a wealth of knowledge. We only had 4 hours but I could have listened to him all day. Absolutely brilliant.

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Food Tour

Marrakesh

The guide was really great and knew a lot about the Medina. It felt more regular tour and less food tour. I had mentioned I was a chef during planning and had hoped that would be reflected in the tour however it felt like we were just going to random stalls, not "the best" ones like I have done on past tours. But like I said, he was a great guide and we did try several things - maybe this is the style that is done here. I would definitely recommend the guide to friends for a walking tour but maybe not food specific.

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Great trip, unforgettable experiences and perfect organization by Jay and Bespoke Team.

Spent a whole day in Delhi . The highlight were Chandni Chowk, or ‘the Moonlight Square', with the amazing rikshaw ride and visit to Qutub Minar.
Spent two days in Varanasi. Our guide Mr Singh did a fantastic job showing us all temples and finding the best seats for us during the Aarti.
Agra - our guide Brijesh Joshi did a phenomenal job introducing us to Taj Mahal and everything that Agra has to offer. The best thing was visiting a local village, not far from Taj Mahal. What an experience!
Ranthambore National Park - this was something that I had been waiting my whole life. Seeing a tiger in the nature, just couple feets away from you is a once in a lifetime event. This is the MUST see if you are visiting Golden Triangle.
Finally Jaipur - the purple city. Fantastic guide Mr. Ajit Singh. We really enjoyed seeing sites in this city.

I have to say one thing. We had the best driver ever. Mr. Balbir Singh Rana was an absolute dream of a driver and we could not thank him enough for making this trip perfect. He was always smiling, so peaceful, pleasant and calm while navigating the insanity of Indian driving/traffic/animals and all forms of transportation found on the roads. He kept the car clean and guided up to wonderful rest stops while en route to all the sights.

Nuria was great and made sure I had an amazing trip! I did not have any time to plan my trip so I relied on Nuria to take care of it for me. This is definitely how I plan on handling future vacations! Nuria took care of EVERY DETAIL and made sure everything went to plan. Nuria checked in on us from time-to-time and let us know when one of our drivers was running late. I cannot stress how great it was to not worry about making plans and booking everything.

Thank you, Nuria!

When I set out to plan a 2-week family trip to Ecuador, I was a overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.
I reached out to Kimkim team for help and I was fortunate enough to have Lucia & Angel as my trip advisors - they were both amazing and thanks to their wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our top destinations and every adventure we wanted to experience while visiting this wonderful country.

We were in Ecuador from Dec 24 - Jan 4 and we had an excellent time exploring the history, culture, wildlife and all the unique aspects of its Amazonia and Galapagos that were unparalleled to anything we’ve seen or experienced before in our travels.

I must say that dealing with Lucia was exceptionally pleasant and easy so I have to send special thanks and appreciation to you Lucia! You made this wonderful trip possible and you were so patient, creative and wonderful in find options that suit our plan, time and budget to make this trip possible and super special!! Thank you for your amazing support throughout the planning process and even during and after our trip to make sure we were always well taken care of wherever we were. You are simply AMAZING!!!

Hotel Reviews

Posada del Mar

Santa Cruz

Exceptional and super attentive service from Carlos made our stay at this hotel extremely wonderful and truly memorable. The location is super convenient, walking distance from the ferry port and the facilities are very comfortable. The Views overlooking the harbour especially from the common area were amazing We enjoyed our stay tremendously and we felt right at home thanks to Carlos! Highly recommend staying here when in Santa Cruz!

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Staff

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Hotel Blue Marlin

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos

An OK hôtel, not great - accommodation; facilities and breakfast were just average, service was basic and transactional, nothing special to mention

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Napo Cultural Center

Quito

A very unique setting for a beautiful and extremely charming lodge - cabins are spacious and super comfortable and the best part is feeling like you are living in the wilderness of the jungle while in the comfort of your private space. The food was delicious and abundant, we were spoiled with fresh cold towels and refreshing natural juices after each adventure. Special shoutout to the chefs and the restaurant staff for doing an awesome job during each meal. But the biggest and best mention and thanks goes to the manager of the lodge and to our guide « Tyson « for making this whole experience so memorable and unique! Highly recommend it!!

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Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Great hotel in a very good location, amazing service and staff are very friendly. Our room was very spacious and comfortable

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Activity Reviews

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Amazing adventure in a beautiful protected bay where sea turtles and white tip reef sharks roam freely and in high numbers. We kayaked through the Laguna and saw so many turtles and sharks up close from our kayak - it was so unique and special to be able to connect with nature and wildlife in such a way without feeling rushed and enjoy all these wonderful encounters!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

Wonderful experience but water was too cold to enjoy snorkeling - most of us couldn’t stay in the water for more than 20 minutes. We should have been given long wet suits not short ones. Also the guide was so cold that he was rushing us while going through the kicker rock passage.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous Encounter and Hike to Mama Cuna Path

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Parrot Clay-lick Viewing, Visiting a Community Project & The Observation Tower

Yasuni National Park

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Food

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Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Amazing, unique experience add super special y our guide « Tyson »

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What a great trip! After three years of COVID lockdown, this was our first vacation. We spent 18 days in Thailand and Cambodia. It was an outstanding experience. We couldn't believe how smoothly things ran. Pickups were on time, the accommodations were great and the guides knowledgeable and funny. Being the independent travel sort in the past, we have planned most trips ourselves but figured after three years we would be rusty and we had never been to this part of the world before. Emilie Khautisen, our KimKim trip planner did an outstanding job of arranging transfers, hotels and guides. It's easy to forget how important this is. For example, in many popular areas, there was no parking available. Our driver would drop us and the guide off and pickup us up later - no hassles. In Thailand, our guide, Tui stayed with us until we got on the overnight train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai. It was late - 10PM and the train only stops at the station about 5 minutes. The train car numbers were in Thai. We would never have figured it out fast enough to avoid missing our ride. As it was, we had to run to the end of the train. Tui grabbed a bag and ran with us. This kind of help is invaluable. Local knowledge is priceless. We also had the flexibility to change the itinerary on the fly since it was just us, our guide and a driver most of the time.
We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone who wants a great travel adventure with minimum hassle!

Hotel Reviews

The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa

Chieng Rai

This is very large. Clean and quiet and the breakfast is great with an overview of the garden and river. There are even chairs to sit on by the river.

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Chanalai Romantica Resort

Phuket

This place has a gorgeous, big crystal clear pool. The water was nice and cool. Important, given that Phuket can be very hot. It provides a nice respite from the bustle of the Pata Beach area which is very crowded. Our room was spacious and very comfortable. We were greeted with a welcome drink and ice cream and the staff arranged a city tour for us. This would make a great honeymoon place! This place was the best thing about Phuket for us.

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Staff

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Rimping Village Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Very clean and comfortable and the staff was extremely helpful. The location is just across the river from the night market and there is another market nearby. Lots of street food available. There are even bicycles to check out if you wish.

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Treeline Urban Resort

Siem Reap

This is truly a five-star hotel. Outstanding comfort and a great cooked to order breakfast each morning. Beautiful swimming pool.

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Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom, an IHG Hotel

Bangkok

Comfortable room and great breakfast buffet.

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Staff

Staff stored our luggage for two days while we were in Cambodia.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aonang Princeville Villa Resort and Spa

Krabi

The hotel location is outstanding, right across the street from the beach and all scheduling for tourist attractions. It's very busy here, being a tourist town. The lobby, pool and restaurant are clean and inviting. The was even a complimentary afternoon Thai pancake bar available. That said, the hotel has seen better days. Our room on the third floor (no elevator) was comfortable and had a nice view of the pool but the housekeeping service left a lot to be desired. The shower was dirty, the shower drain was clogged, the toilet seat didn't fit the toilet and in the morning, if you like to take showers then, it's a challenge as the water turns off and on in spurts. The water pressure gets better in the afternoon. The most frustrating part though was getting the hotel to replace towels. We started out with two bath towels and two hand towels. We were there for four nights and each day, we had one less towel even though we went to the front desk about this several times. By the last day, we had one bath towel between us. Only on our last night did we get back to 4 towels.

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Housekeeping

The FloatHouse River Kwai

Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

What an incredible place! We wish we had more time there. you get to the hotel by boat and are greeted with a cool drink upon arrival. The floathouses are tethered to the bank and to each other in the fast flowing river. They go up and down a bit when a boat passes by and there is just slight movement that gently rocks you to sleep. The restaurant was also excellent. What a nice place for a tropical vacation!

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Staff

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Activity Review

Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya Historical City / Overnight train to Chiang Mai

Thailand

There is a lot to see in Kanchanaburi and thanks to Tui, our guide, we got to see a good portion of it. Loved Erawan NP. The falls are gorgeous and the water felt great! The fish like to nibble at your toes. We visited the JEATH Museum and walked over the Bridge on the River Kwai and stood back as a train went by. We then drove to Hellfire Pass and visited the museum and the took the trail to the rock cut where the prisoners worked in horrific conditions. After that we stayed the night at the Floathouse Hotel which you get to by longtail boat. We also visited the jewelry and food markets. In the morning we got to visit a cave with a Buddhist shrine before setting out for Ayutthaya. In Ayutthaya, Tui explained the history of many of the temples and took us to a great street market. Later we shared a beer with her and our driver at a nice restaurant before heading off to the train station for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. She stay with us the whole time. Good thing she did as the train was an hour late (apparently this is common) and only stops for 5 minutes at the station. Our tickets listed the car numbers but unfortunately for us, they were written in Thai on the cars. Tui got us on the right car before the train left (it took some running with her grabbing one of our bags). We couldn't have done it without her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently completed a holiday in South and central Vietnam. After partially organising the holiday from Australia, I realised I needed some assistance from someone with local knowledge. I was travelling with my husband and my 3 older children. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon Kim Kim but after reading the reviews I thought I'd give them a go. I cannot express how fantastic they were. Throughout the planning stage I dealt regularly with Long. He was so helpful and provided so much advice and assistance in planning the trip. He responded promptly to all of my enquiries and replanned the holiday four times due to my changes of mind. Long made suggestions and recommendations and took into consideration everything I put to him. The trip plan Kim Kim provide is comprehensive and detailed. Little details that I may have missed were raised by Long and I cannot thank him or recommend him highly enough. When we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City we were contacted by Dat who became our Vietnamese contact person. He gave us his contact number and we conversed via whatsapp. Dat was in regular contact, confirming pickups, tours and transfer details. He was wonderful. When my daughter became unwell he gave us recommendations for assistance and kept in regular contact enquiring how she was progressing. We did a number of tours throughout our holiday and the tour guides Kim Kim use are just wonderful. They are punctual, patient and knowledgable and made our tours not only interesting but fun. Tuyen, Tuyn and our other guides are fabulous. Tuyen kept in contact with me via whatsapp and sent recommendations for restaurants and activities in our next destination which was so kind and very much appreciated. All of our drivers were great too, they drove safely and assisted us with luggage and stops. On Long's advice I really feel that we spent the right amount of time in each destination. The tours we did were a full day tour of Hue and then a 1/2 day bike ride through a village out of Hue. Both of these trips were excellent, despite the weather being awful. Tuyen our guide was fabulous and the sights we visited were really interesting. The trip to Bana Hills from Danang is one that I cannot recommend. This is definitely not Kim Kim's fault as I asked to go there. Please do not waste your time and money. If you want to go up, simply do the cable car up and back but don't waste a day there. The cable car ride was lovely, until the mist set in and we couldn't see anything. Our guide for the day Tuyn however was fabulous. We also visited the Mekong Delta and stayed on the Mekong Eyes houseboat. Whilst the experience was good, there is not a lot to see at the Mekong Delta, so I wouldn't go back. We also did a cooking class at Ms Vi's cooking school in Hoi An, what fun. This is a definite tour to do and the quantity and quality of the food is unbelievable. Our 1/2 day bike ride through the countryside and to the fishing village out of Hoi Ann was also lots of fun, although the fishing village is certainly not what we expected. Our guide on this trip (I'm so sorry, I've forgotten her name) was just lovely and made the trip really enjoyable.
So, would I recommend Kim Kim? 100% most definitely. Would I use them again? 100% most definitely. Thank you to Long, Dat, Tuyen and all of our guides and drivers. You helped to make our holiday unforgettable.

Hotel Review

Mekong Eyes Cruise

Whilst the trip was fun and the houseboat was interesting I was a little disappointed with the trip content. I thought we would see the floating markets that the Mekong Delta is famous for and found the village tour not very interesting. The staff on the boat were wonderful and spending time with other travellers was fun it is a long drive down and back for what you get.

Authenticity & Character

The houseboat is amazing.

Location

The tours lacked.

Staff

Very nice, very accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfy beds, nice deck, authentic eating areas

Activity Reviews

Visit Can Tho on cruise (Mekong Eyes) (N)

Can Tho

The houseboat is great and the staff are lovely, but the trip lacked content. I think it's a long way to go for not a lot to do and see. We didn't see any floating markets which was why we wanted to go, however the people on our cruise who did do the 2 night version said there were very few sellers at the markets, which is not what you imagine when you see the images.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cantho - Cai Be (Mekong Eyes) (N)

Can Tho

Can Tho was quite interesting from the river and on shore. The sweet and popcorn making place was good

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cam Thanh Fishing Village Tour & Basket Boat Ride

Hoi An

What a fun 1/2 day. Loved the bike ride through the countryside. The fishing village is 'interesting', we did have fun, whilst it's not that authentic it was still interesting a funny to see the men competing in a battle of the huge speakers on the water singing Gangnam Style. Otherwise the ride in the coconut boats was interesting and fishing for crabs fun. It is pretty there. Lunch was excellent but again way too much food.

Quality of Experience

It was a fun day. Favourite part was bike riding there and back

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide (i'm sorry I've forgotten her name) was lovely.

Transport

Bikes were comfy and easy to ride

Ms. Vy’s Cooking class - Taste Vietnam street food tour, cooking class and lunch (N)

Hoi An

This was one of favourite things we did on our holiday. It was so interesting and fun. Our guide was fabulous. there is SO much food to eat and it is all delicious. We ended up taking our left over food with us and eating it over the next couple of days.

Quality of Experience

It was all great.

Food

Everything!!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lovely, lovely guide

Transport

Leisure Time In Da Nang

Da Nang

Danang is just lovely. There's lots to see and it is clean. the beaches and beach bars are great, the night markets are fun and Marble Mountains are a must. they a fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Day Trip To Bana Hills - Visit Golden Hand Bridge

Vietnam

Bana Hills is awful. It is a pretend Disneyland without the atmosphere or rides. Some parts like the gardens and the cable car ride are great. It so out of keeping with Vietnam. It may be better in peak season (although I doubt it), but in Winter most things are closed. The food is AWFUL. It was a punish being there.

Quality of Experience

It is just awful

Food

The WORST food we ate in Vietnam

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide, Tuyn

Transport

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital - Hue Full Day Sightseeing

Hue

This is a really interesting tour and is full of history and landmarks

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuyen is fabulous

Transport

Clean and comfortable

Half Day Biking Around Hue Countryside

Hue

Loved the bike ride despite the bad weather. Really enjoyed visiting the artist in his home and watching him paint and the incense making was fun. Was great to be out in an authentic village riding bikes.

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabulous

Transport

Bikes were good van transport clean and comfortable

We had an amazing 16 days in Portugal ,, my family was celebrating my son’s graduation from Columbia University Masters in C/S. He wanted to go to Portugal and we are so glad he did. KimKim planned the whole trip , fabulous , 5 Star,, never could have done this amazing trip without ya’ll . Created fabulous lifetime memories with my wife and son ,, We are already planning a trip to Spain next year with ya’ll ,, once we pay for this one ,, 5 star all the way ,, Thanks , Kim Kim

Such an amazing adventure our plannned had for us. Amazing people , food , experiences. Definitely would recommend the same trip to all ages.

From our pickup at the airport, to our delivery to return, our trip was smooth and wonderful. Gabriel, our driver in Buenos Aires, was helpful far beyond our transit needs. He shared his love of the city and its history, pointing out several possibilities for our dining options and some of the areas of the city we would visit the next day with our guide, Marta. The Hotel Carles was comfortable with thermostat controlled A/C for our comfort. The staff ensured that our visit was trouble free, with a breakfast each day offered in their dining room. Wonderful bars and restaurants in walking distance.
our travel to El Calafate was trouble-free, picked up by our promised driver and delivery to the Hotel Rochester, again a comfortable room, off of the traffic area of the city, peaceful and welcoming, with an easy view of Lago Argentino. We enjoyed touring the national Park and the Glacier. I'd be remiss to not mention Cecilia at the front desk, who answered our questions, assisted with a power adapter, and was so gracious helping other guests who were missing connection with their tours and guides-not a problem that we experienced. The restaurant/bar was pleasant and comfortable as well, allowing a friendly atmosphere to chat with other travelers in the evening. Horseback riding trip was fun with the time we were able to learn more about the history of the Patagonian ranches and indulge in a delicious lunch. The flyfishing trip was interesting as the fast moving cold river made sight fishing impossible, but both trout and salmon were found! Then we were off to San Carlos de Bariloche, and the Hotel Edelweiss. Comfortable, clean, and staffed by helpful, friendly people that worked to make the stay as pleasant as possible, from the breakfast in the morning to the restaurant and bar in the evening, many other restaurants within walking distance . Kayaking on the Lago Nahuel Huapi was breathtaking, as this huge deep lake is crystal clear and the views of the mountains are wonderful. Our guide Yanina Capararo was gracious to take and share pictures of us allowing us to simply enjoy the trip, providing us with a nice snack and tea on the island and great conversation. Of course, our transportation was on time, and the cool evenings made sleep easy. Fly-fishing with Diego Martin was wonderful with a float trip, casting guidance, and an absolutely delicious lunch with salad, sandwiches, drinks, great conversation and beautiful views of the Andes as well. Followed by a day of river rafting through class 1-4 waters with a great breakfast first and a great meal after. The wetsuits and helmets provided, training and then a wet wonderful ride to the border of Chile! Back to Buenos Aires and the warm friendly piloting of our driver Gabriel. Enjoying the sights and the activities of the city with an evening of Tango, and then off to home. The trip was trouble free, and any questions or fears were solve quickly. Cannot recommend Jason enough. This trip hit all of the buttons we wanted, and was the best experience in travel I have had!

Hotel Reviews

NH Bariloche Edelweiss

San Carlos de Bariloche

Start with helpful attentive desk staff, attention to detail, willingness to help: i.e. My passport had fallen out of a jacket on a tour bus, staff tracked bus owner, had my passport back within 2 hours! Nice, roomy bar with dining tables as well as just relaxing areas. Attentive staff in restaurant, good breakfast selection and large seating area. Thermostat control in room for heat A/C. Very quick elevators- no long waits.

Authenticity & Character

Convenience to other restaurants and stores, small view of town and the lake

Location

Comfort of rooms, shower, bidet, opening windows to hear the city and feel it cool at night

Staff

Service was wonderful, attentive, friendly and willing to have a conversation. Saved me a great load of problems when my passport was gone.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was splendid in its cleanliness, and the comfort of the room-never heard guests in the hall or other rooms.

Rochester Calafate

El Calafate

Away from the center of town, but quiet, relaxed, and feels private. nice sitting areas inside and out, friendly bar and restaraurant to visit with others at the end of your day.

Authenticity & Character

Better shuttle; if guests were allowed to call or text to arrange pickup, dropoff to sites in town.

Location

Quiet, when you were done with your tourism for the day, this felt like a private retreat

Staff

Cecilia at the desk, really worked to make the stay comfortable, helped other guests with missed connections on trips/tours.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No problems whatsoever. But there is no thermostat control for room, and no A/C on hot days

Carles Hotel

Buenos Aires

nice vistas from the tenth floor of the nearby apartments and streets leading to some great places like Floreria Atlantica and Basa. Comfortable, with roomy shower and thermostat control of the temperature of the room. Would remind USA folks to bring an electrical adapter and an extension cord to charge two phones and a sleep machine or laptop/camera simultaneously. Just walking distance to park, Patagonia store, and right two doors down is a great little bakery for sandwiches or sweets. Helpful staff, breakfast provided.

Authenticity & Character

location to restaurants and bars

Location

Staff

friendly, helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Never had a complaint on anything in the room or hotel

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting Rio Manso a La Frontera

Bariloche

Guide picked us up on time, transported to a nice breakfast and then wet-suited , life-vested, helmeted and taken to the river. Paddling instructions and response practice in a small pool in the river, then we went through the first rapids and continued through trickier ones with opportunities to drop in and enjoy the cool water twice before continuing through more rapids. When we reached the takeout point, our float was shorter than planned as the next rapids were too dangerous. Long climb up a steep trail to drop off wetsuits and gear, dry and get dressed, then taken back to the starting point for a lunch and refreshments, before heading back to our hotel

Quality of Experience

The trip was what you want on a whitewater trip, and the guide took good care of us.

Food

Only hamburger I had in Argentina and it was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly, helpful, and competent.

Transport

Clean comfortable bus ride

Private Limay River Fly Fishing

Bariloche

On time, friendly pickup from our guide, informative conversation about the area on the drive to the river. Very comfortable drift, in comfortable seats. Diego was helpful in pointing out good places to cast and also casting instruction for the presentations. Nice rainbows, missed a huge brown. Stopped on shore for a nice lunch; salad, sandwiches, cerveza or wine, coffee/tea, wonderful conversation about the area, fishing and life. A great time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kayak & Hike Nahuel Huapi Lakes

Bariloche

Our guides put us into our kayak with our lifevests, water skirts- very nicley equipped. The water clarity was spectacular, our tandem kayak was comfortable and easily controlled. The lake is pretty calm in the morning. We opted against the island hike, but had a great break with conversation, snacks and hot tea/coffee. Our guide took pictures for us and emailed them to us to share.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly Fishing Half Day Tour in El Calafate

El Calafate

The river is very cloudy with glacial sediment and cold, so you are fishing wets and trying to find the seams in current. Rods provided required an adjustment in my casting stroke, but not bad.

Quality of Experience

Food

didn't get our lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Patagonian Ranch Day at Nibepo Aike & Cristales Horseback Riding

El Calafate

Great time to walk down to the shore of the lake, see the cattle being moved, and learn about the history of the ranch. Wonderful coffee/tea and snacks on arrival, big lunch before we went on our long ride. If you are used to a western saddle, make certain your stirrups are long enough to keep your legs relaxed during the ride-their saddles are more of a modified English saddle-no pommel, and you are placed more forward than you may be used to.

Quality of Experience

Food

Wonderful Chimichurri for the steak!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Boat - Sailing Rico Branch

El Calafate

Beautiful views , crowded top deck and cooler on the front and sides of the boat. Boat was clean and interior seats were comfortable

Quality of Experience

After safety breifing, they let us enjoy yhe experience on our own instead of feeling like you were studying for a test

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Clean, timely, and comfortable

Perito Moreno Glacier - Los Glaciares National Park

El Calafate

Picked up as scheduled, on time. Friendly and understandable information from the tour guide on what we were seeing, time to return to bus from the park and the viewing of the glacier. timely transport for our scheduled boat tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of our drivers and guides were engaging and friendly

Transport

Clean cars and buses, well running vehicles in good shape

Private Buenos Aires Sightseeing Tour

Buenos Aires

We enjoyed the tour, the Recoleta and its solar flower was impressive, The different ages and styles of architecture, the antique opulence and the urban liveliness was impressive.

Quality of Experience

Friendly, conversational attitude of Marta, explanations and background offered

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gabriel's driving-manual transmission in traffic never an errant shift, smoother than an automatic.

Transport

Easy visibility and the driver made it convenient for us and the guide when we came back from any site to the car