Kimkim Trip Reviews

The trip was amazing and the food was fabulous.
Quan made Harnoi trip fun. Loved the scooter ride and water puppet show.
The eco village tour was great.
Thanks to our guide HA on the hike to Fanispan mountain. I would recommend him to every hiker. Extremely helpful and patient. The whole organization by Kimkim was excellent!!!

Angela was amazing to work with. She made great tour suggestions and was able to customize as we requested. She was available during our trip to answer questions and responded quickly. She was able to switch the day of a planned tour last minute and checked us in for the ferries. The private transportation and tours were exquisite. The hotels were comfortable and luxurious. My favorite Greek Island was Milos and the rib boat tour with Captain Paolo Farinola was the best part of the trip! I would definitely use kimkim for my next trip abroad and highly recommend their services.

Hotel Reviews

Nana Princess Suites, Villas & Spa

Hersonissos

Hotel was beautiful. Our room was amazing. Pool and ocean view were breathtaking. I highly recommend this place. It’s off the beaten path, but well worth it.

Authenticity & Character

The pools and accommodations were amazing.

Location

Not in the middle of everything - I liked that.

Staff

Courteous and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless rooms!

Andronis Luxury Suites

Santorini

Loved the mattress in the room the best. Blinds closed to make the room dark and slept like a baby!! Pool was awesome. We had a cave style room that was very unique! All amenities were complimentary and replenished daily. The couple we went to Santorini with was in the room next to us and we found that very convenient. Room service breakfast on the patio outside was so nice. The flowers were beautiful. Staff was very nice and accommodating. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Cave style room was one I will never forget.

Location

Close to all the action in Santorini and had a beautiful view.

Staff

Everyone was so nice and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

LOVED the mattress! And cleaning was exquisite.

Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel

Pollonia

Absolutely loved this place! Close to town where we could walk to restaurants and shops. Staff was so nice! Room was clean, comfortable and unique. And the custom scent throughout the hotel was pleasant and relaxing. I highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Small and quaint. Loved the heated pool!

Location

Within walking distance to town and restaurants.

Staff

Staff was SO NICE! They were pleasant to be around and made you feel special.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean, comfortable and maintained.

xenodocheio Milos

Athens

Rooms were clean and comfortable. Close to lots of restaurants. Breakfast in the dining room was amazing. Staff were pleasant and accommodating. I would definitely recommend this hotel when staying in Athens.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful room.

Location

Close to tour meeting place and restaurants.

Staff

Friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean.

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Tour guide was friendly and informative.

Rib Boat 8.5m Rib boat //300hp engine round of Milos - 8 pax max

Greece

This Rib Boat tour was my favorite thing out of our entire 2 weeks in Greece. An absolute must!! Ask for Captain Paolo !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where do I start to describe our amazing trip in Portugal! We landed in Portugal and did a quick walking food tour. In hindsight we need to remember not to book nothing. The jet lag got to us because we had an overnight flight and couldn’t get into our room before the tour. Our mistake! The Pestana Pousada, Lisboa hotel was beautiful, great breakfast and our room overlooked the square and Ocean and was close to everything! Our driver Max was prompt ant drove us to Porto via Obidos and Nazare. Our hotel was Pestana Vintage, Porto. Again, great breakfasts, a great location, for a walking tour, antique car ride and port tasting at Ramos Pinto across the river. Off to Douro valley for an amazing lunch, wine tasting and a Douro River cruise with another great driver. Next stop, driving ourselves on to Evora in a car arranged for us. Our amazing hotel for the next few days was Convento do Espinheiro hotel and spa. What an amazing history this place has. Also, great breakfasts, has indoor and outdoor pools and hot tub. The walled town of Evora is a great place to buy souvenirs, is quaint and has great restaurants…Pipa Rosa is where we ate! On our way to the Algarve, a wonderful lunch and wine tasting was planned for us outdoors at a farm/vineyard. During 3 days in our timeshare in Vilamoura we did an all day tour around the Algarve to the 2 highest pints of the regions for amazing views and lessons on cork farming and manufacturing and a great lunch at a local venue. We self drove back to Lisbon for 3 more days doing our own thing and a final tour to the Peña Palace and town of Sintra. Another amazing tour! We really felt we got the best of every region we visited, met many wonderful guides, drivers and the locals who were always glad to have us enjoying their amazing country! Thank you again Kimkim for another amazing vacation plan. Looking forward to our next one in Ireland in the fall!

Wonderful honeymoon in Norway! Definitely recommend Flam and the bike ride from Myrdal. Would love to go back!

Hotel Review

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ferry Transfers through Hardangerfjord

Norway

Cycling Adventure en route from Oslo via Flåm Railway

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aggeliki, one of the Kimkim Greece specialists, organized an amazing 20 day "Off the Beat Beaten Path" trip for my wife and I (from New Zealand) and another couple (our friends from Canada). This trip started in Athens and moved on to Milos, Amorgos, Naxos and Crete.

We found the entire process from the planning, though to the actual trip just great. In particular:
1. Kimkim's business model is excellent. You write a description of your perfect trip and they get to work finding a specialist on their team to develop the trip. They do this pro-bono as nothing is paid until the trip is booked and they get a service fee as part of the total price.
2. Aggeliki really is a Greece specialist and is very well connected across the Greek travel community. The guides and hotels staff all knew and respected her.
3. She really took the time to understand what we wanted and the first proposed itinerary was very close.
4. Changes to plan once in-country were not a problem. We did some fine tuning along the way and Aggleliki was happy to manage the changes without complaint.
5. Hotels chosen were all excellent. They were smaller places and had a very nice vibe.
6. We literally had over 10 different local guides over the 3 weeks. They were all experts and very easy to spend time with. They were open minded to our on-the-fly adjustments and we had many laughs along the way.

In summary, this was a great experience and we unconditionally recommend Kimkim and Aggleliki.

Jamas!
Geoff, Alison, Rod and Donna

Our trip was fantastic! It was well organized and we were delighted by our experience. The guides were so nice and gave us a great experience. The private car drivers were great as well. Local train reservations were very well organized. This was one of the most relaxing trips we had. Thank you for all the local travel planning as well.

Simon and his team provided thorough itineraries however there is no follow up contact from them to check on us, the travelers. With minimal of 4 arrangements with local guides during our 28 day trip, we were very much on our own most of the time. It would be more informative for us to have a guide in a city. We did not expect to have ones in small town or village stays. With the amount of research that we did ourselves, at times we thought that we could have done the trip without having to go with KimKim.

Many thanks to Kimkim and Simon for helping us to plan our two-week tour of France to celebrate my wife's 60th Birthday. The full itinerary brought in all the highlights we wanted to view and experience in a thoughtful well laid out order. The top highlight was Mont-Saint-Michel, a true wonder (although it was difficult to choose). The trip started in Paris, we then traveled to Bayeaux, in Normandy, then to the Loire Valley for Chateau tours before traveling to Avignon to experience Provance with the Roman ruins and wonderful wine. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Rachel did a terrific job making our trip purposeful and enjoyable! We can’t say enough about how good of a job she did! She had a few days to figure things out and did marvelous! Trip highlights include boat ride in Isle of Skye for wildlife watching, the Cameron House in Loch Lomond, The Old Mill Inn at Pitlochery and finally playing golf at Royal Troon! We’ll put together for convenience and so many personal touches. Thank you for the support and assistance!

From our earliest interview with Kim Kim, we felt heard and were accommodated throughout. We always received prompt replies to all our questions from Christine over several months of planning and while in Japan. Our accommodations were convenient, comfortable and of high quality. Our booked activities were exceptional. Our guides were knowledgeable, prompt and flexible. We wholeheartedly recommend working with Kim Kim on your next adventure.

Activity Reviews

Arashiyama & Kyoto Landscape Views

Kyoto

We visited in the rain but it didn’t dampen our amazement of this beautiful park.

Quality of Experience

Toyosu Fish/Tsukiji Market Food Tour

Tokyo

Great sites and food! A bustling indoor/outdoor market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sumo Tournament

Tokyo

A one in a lifetime experience! Just magnificent to attend the Grand Sumo Tournament thanks to Kim Kim.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

14-Day Ordinary JR Pass

Japan

This is a must for any foreign traveler. The mass transit system is pretty amazing and the JR pass provides easy access without having to figure out tickets and fares.

Quality of Experience

We thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip to Greece! This was a special trip for us as we were celebrating our 40 th wedding anniversary and we wanted the trip to be so special. Chris was very attentive to details and was always willing to tweak our itinerary to our liking. Chris was so kind to have a champagne anniversary toast arranged for us on the sunset dinner cruise in Santorini which made the day so special! We visited Athens, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos. Each island had its own character and we enjoyed all the views, cuisine, and the Greek hospitality. Chris was always checking in with us to be sure all was going well which we really appreciated. This is our second trip with KimKim and they did not disappoint! We thank Chris for his guidance and excellent recommendations throughout our stay. We now have a little Greek in our hearts and the memories are just so beautiful!

Hotel Reviews

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Staff very helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice location with cafes all around. Stores were closed as we found out it they close on Thursday afternoons and we were there on a Thursday ! The staff at desk was then able to get us a taxi that brought us back into Athens and then back to hotel so were able to do some last minute shopping.

Staff

Super nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Mykonos Hotel

Mykonos

Beautiful and peaceful away from all the busy streets and restaraunts. A short walk got us into the shopping streets and cafes.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds and view

Location

Great location and view of the harbor.

Staff

No complimentary water offered which we found odd. Seems like it should be a basic.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caldera's Memories

Santorini

Should really give 10 stars for this hotel! The view was like heaven! Everything about this hotel was beyond excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location like no other place in the world!

Staff

Staff were so helpful and professional. Class A + for everyone !

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquila Atlantis Hotel

Heraklion – Crete

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Palatino Hotel

Chania

Amazing views and room was superb!Balcony and view of the harbor were breathtaking!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the center of the the old town so great walking through all the beautiful streets.

Staff

Staff were super helpful and so kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Urban Frame Hotel

Athens

Little to small for us but very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great walking distance to Plaka and the Acropolis

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Diamond Caldera Sunset Cruise

Santorini

Most amazing experience ...the beauty of this was unbelievable! Chris arranged an anniversary champagne toast for us which was so meaningful and the whole boat toasted us! The sunset was incredible ! This is a must for all to do !

Quality of Experience

Food

The chef was amazing on the boat! The dinner was gourmet and the chef even shared her shrimp recipe with us !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anniversary Day!

Santorini

Beautiful day ! Took Chris's recommendations for dinner in Oia. We also rented a car that day and went to a Vineyard which was a lovely experience. Hotel then got a driver for us to bring us into Oia for dinner who was wonderful and waited for us to go back to our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Heraklion Day at Leisure

Heraklion

Quality of Experience

Drive towards Heraklion - Short stop at Rethymno

Greece

Town was a great stop! We loved this stop and had a wonderful lunch there!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elafonissi Beach Day Trip 

Greece

Wonderful day! Driver was very kind and great ! Beach was beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Loved this tour !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our cooking class in Palermo was excellent. Chef Michael and his assistant Melissa were fantastic. We made a wonderful meal and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In Matera, we had a wonderful baking experience. Our guide was also delightful and created an elaborate picture of what Matera was like during its early history. In Agrigento, our guide was extremely personable and knowledgeable. With her detail to Greek history, she brought the ancient period alive. The other guides were good but these were the stand outs.

We found that the guides who were born in Italy were very passionate about their country and shared their enthusiasm with us. We had one guide who was not born in Italy and while she was good, she did not have the same exuberance.
The hotels were comfortable and centrally located. The villa in Agrigento was fabulous. Instead of the fourth night in Palermo, we would have liked the extra night at the villa.
The only hotel that we did not like was in Aberobello. The staff was not friendly. The bed was hard and uncomfortable. They also did not have air-conditioning. We would have preferred staying in Matera instead of spending 2 nights in Aberobello. A half day excursion in Aberobello is more than enough.

We loved everything about the trip!

We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Galapagos Islands and Quito. Our guide in Quito, Sebastian, was a great guide and such a nice young man. he was waiting at the luggage area with a sign and explained very clearly everything we would do and when we would be picked up in Quito. We also thought Astrid on Santa Cruz did a nice job.

There was some disconnect on how we were to meet our guides or tour buses (boats) each day. Telling us to stand outside our hotel at 8:00 a.m. and someone would show up to get us, left us feeling a little insecure. Saying that, someone did always meet us but it was the lack of knowing who or how (private driver, bus, no one) we were to be met that left us a little uncomfortable.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dann Carlton Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking Adventure in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Bay

Isla San Cristóbal

The kayaking was fun although the equipment could have been better. The trip out and to Darwin's cove was enjoyable and the snorkeling was fantastic that day. Our guides were "ok" . The young woman ( I don't even know what her name was ) spent a lot of time looking at her phone. On the trip back the water was very choppy and the wind was blowing hard. Our kayak couldn't stand up to those conditions and was flooding badly. We are very experienced kayakers (white water river conditions) but couldn't stop to bale the kayak because the sea was so rough. Our guides were off a long ways away and of little assistance.

Quality of Experience

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería (Speedboat from Santa Cruz)

Galapagos Islands

Once we arrived at San Cristobal we were met by our guide but we decided to go to the hotel for a little bit before heading out for our tour because the boat ride had been so rough. The tour included Darwin's Cove where we hiked and snorkeled. This was my favorite place in the Galapagos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food in the Galapagos is only so-so because it is hard to transport. Saying that, we did not come on this trip for gourmet food.

Transport

Warnings about conditions. The boat was very cramped and you had to sit below where you couldn't see anything.

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

We had a fun day on the boat and loved the snorkeling and hiking around the island.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just remember it is a long ride on the bus from Puerto Ayora to the boat docks-approximately one hour.

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We really enjoyed the Highland Tortoise preserve and the restaurant on location was lovely. Because of delays in our flight we were unable to see the Darwin Research Station but the Travel agency added a different trip on for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant was beautiful and what an amazing location.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astrid was a very nice guide and had great information about the Highlands of Santa Cruz.

Transport

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo - Middle of the World- From Quito Airport

Quito

I loved the Galapagos but our tour of Quito old city was by far the best tour we had on our trip. Our guide, Sebastian, was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really great driver/guide.

Transport

Kimkim team was very helpful on planning our Lofoten Islands trip to Norway. We had provided information on what we wanted to do while on our trip there, and they helped put together a detailed itinerary on the excursions and accommodations. They also provided us helpful information on places to check out on any down time that we had and were very responsive on communicating with us along the way if we had any questions. I would highly recommend and use KimKim again for future travels

Hotel Reviews

HATTVIKA LODGE

Ballstad

Great hotel - we were there for a short period of time, so didnt get a chance to use the amenities (sauna) as much as would have liked, but the cabins were great. friendly staff as well. if we were able to plan with more time at the lodge, we definitely would in the future

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Svolvær

Svolvær

beautiful views of the water and mountains from our hotel - if you are into hiking, close to the Djevelporten and Floya hike. walking distance to a number of restaurants, shops , and excursions - staff was very friendly and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reine Rorbuer

Reine

beautiful views of the water and mountains from our cabin - walking distance to one of the best hikes in Norway, Reinebringen, as well as local convenience store and restaurant, which stayed open until midnight while we were there. staff very friendly and accommodating with any questions we had. great breakfast buffet. cabins were very clean. would highly recommend and visit again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Havet

Bodø

Beautiful views of the water from the room! May have had the best breakfast buffet in Norway. walking distance to a lot of the local shops and restaurants. were able to take advantage of a sauna/polar plunge experience, which was in walking distance - would definitely go back again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trollfjord and The White-Tailed Sea Eagles

Svolvær

Guide was great at providing information on the fjords in the area, as well as the sea eagles - saw many sea eagles, so you wont be disappointed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Reine

Kim was our guide for and she was great! made us feel very comfortable on our kayaking experience, offered great conversation, making you feel like you were hanging out with a friend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arctic Horseriding Trip

Norway

First time ever attempting horseback riding and the instructors did an amazing job at making me feel comfortable with it. Were able to enjoy a number of different views and walk along the local beaches. Enjoyable experience I would recommend to anyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sergio from kimkim and Charlotte (Lotta) from Serendipity Adventures were outstanding. I was so happy with all of the attention to details. Everything was on point.
Thank you so much for making our trip such an epic memory!

Hotel Reviews

Punta Uva Bungalows

Limon

Authenticity & Character

The beach/cove is beautiful, like a movie scene. Cleanest water.

Location

A good 15/20mins from Puerto Viejo town in the Tuk Tuk. $10 each way.

Staff

The restaurant staff was amazing. A little hard to communicate with the front desk staff but everyone was super kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The view of the volcano from your villa is just breath taking. The breakfast is amazing. A quick cab ride into town.

Authenticity & Character

Fancy resort. The thermal springs pool with bar was heavenly.

Location

A quick cab ride into town!

Staff

Above and beyond staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uber clean. There was a rainforest type feel in the bathroom. So healing and pretty!

Activity Reviews

Journey into the Mystical Costa Rica: Shaman, Medicinal Plants & Waterfall Adventure

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

From feeling the energy of the Bri Bri tribe medicinal shaman to grinding your own chocolate, this was an amazing day trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tirza was amazing!

Transport

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Amazing views! Got to see so many wildlife species. And the waterfall hike was worth it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainforest Immersion Massage and Tropical Facial

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

I was so impressed with the Jungle Spa! The ambiance and the skilled professionals really made the massage and facial remarkable. I would HIGHLY suggest adding this as a part of your trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tirza in PV was the best! She was so knowledgeable and full of life. I would recommend her company and services to everyone!

Transport

The charter plane worked out well! I do wish we didn’t have the 5.5 hr drive from Fortuna to PV. Felt like a whole day was wasted.

As a Croatia local expert, Bruno worked with me closely mainly through Kim Kim messaging and phone calls if necessary. After learning about our desired activities and accommodation requirements, he knew how to fine turned the plans to our satisfaction! After our trip started, he's working behind the scene to make sure everything went well to our expectation! He gave us many tips such as where to catch the best Struckli in Zagreb. :) We are extremely satisfied with his service!
I also want to mention Allegra Travel from Zegrab which Kim Kim works with. Our local tour guide and driver Mario from Allegra accompanied us for 3 days from Zegreb to Split. He is very knowledgeable, fun and reliable. My kids said having Mario with us is the best highlight of the trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel More

Dubrovnik

We had the executive suite. It was very cool!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Hotel Jupiter

Split

The room was very small and the wifi didn't even work. We felt it was overrated. We switched to a different hotel after 1 night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's clean but not comfortable.

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esplanade Zagreb Hotel

Zagreb

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Beautiful city and Adriatic sea!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pelješac Penisula and Ston- Triple Atraction

Split

Ston is absolutely beautiful. Your experience is not complete without tasting local oysters and mussels, walking the Ston walls and wine tasting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayaking Split – Brela

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

I'm glad that we did the tour. Learned a lot

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Canyoning on Cetina river

Split

My adults children enjoyed it very much! But it's too much for me.

Rock Climbing in Paklenica

Croatia

The best outdoor rock climbing in Europe

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Mreznica Waterfalls

Croatia

Very fun if you're adventurous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Billy from Mreznica Rafting is an expert. Couldn't survive without him!

Transport

We loved all aspects of our trip. We fell in love with France- South of France in particular. All our guides were really good. Nichola who did the Luberon villages was exceptional and the older gentleman who did the Saint Remy was our least favorite. LaDemoiselle was exceptional. We loved it. We also loved Le9Opera Hotel. The location of both and the comforts were exceptional. We didnt like the one in Eze- but it was very close to the medieval village and that helped very much.
All our car transport people were reaaly good except the one who picked us from the paris train station in the middle of the night. We had to walk all the way over to the exit close to midnight. Overall an excellent trip.

Hotel Reviews

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

This hotel was very clean and very central to all places that we wanted to explore. In the middle of paris and very affordable and the breakfast was unbelievably amazing. The ambience was amazing for the hotel and the breakfast area was very beautiful! The staff were very helpful, kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast and Decor very French!

Location

Centrally located and easy access to everything in Paris.

Staff

Very friendly and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and loved the french decor

La Villa d'Eze

Eze

The room comfort was not that great. Overall crammed. There was a slight mix up in the name on the booking but the host was overly gracious and checked into it and clarified everything to our benefit. But very easy access to Eze village and restaurants. We were planning to be there only for a day. So overall was good.

Authenticity & Character

Just ordinary place

Location

Central but crammed and crowded

Staff

Very helpful and gracious

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were just okay

B&B La Demoiselle

Avignon

The stay was amazing. Our hosts were so gracious in providing home cooked fresh breakfast every morning. Fresh jams, breads and fresh orange juice. Very nice ambience. Our hosts even gave tips on restaurants and museums that we should not miss. We loved our Avignon stay. Will go back there during our next trip!

Authenticity & Character

Simple and elegant

Location

Easy access to everything and walkable to all sites.

Staff

Very Gracious and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean surroundings

Activity Review

Half-Day Luberon Villages Tour

Avignon

This was the most amazing trip for us. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about Luberon villages and knew every bit of that area and took us to all the lovely spots and took amazing pictures for us. Gordes was our favorite. We took pictures of the poppy fields and lavendar fields. He even gave us tips on photography.

Quality of Experience

The tour guide was so engaging and his descriptions were very nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Outstanding guide

Transport

private tour was amazing

From a delightful walking tour of Oslo, to kayaking the Aurlandsfjord and ferrying along the Sognefjord, to discovering how much we love Balestrand, our first time in Norway was rich with beautiful experiences. Merée's expertise ensured smooth transportation, varied excursions, comfortable stays in historic hotels, and solid guidance on a good route for exploring the beautiful southern fjordlands in the time we had available (11 days).

Most noteworthy is Norway's clean air and delicious water, the well-run ferry service, and of course the awesome impression of one of the world's unique landscapes. We also came to appreciate the care taken to keep alive and thriving the various historic hotels of the region. Outside of the Nordic countries one hears much about Danish and Swedish baking... but it was our experience that Norway's kanelboller (cinnamon buns) and various seed breads are second to none!

From our hearts, thank you to Merée, Fenne, and Julia for such a memorable and well-run trip.

Hotel Reviews

Opus XVI

Bergen

Grand hotel, elegant and well cared-for throughout. Breakfasts were done in such a way as to minimize food waste... instead of a buffet, one orders from a menu. Brava!

Authenticity & Character

A doubly intriguing background as both a former national bank building and an homage to the composer Edvard Grieg.

Location

Well-sited near Vågen harbor and the super-historic Bryggen.

Staff

The front-desk staff and housekeeping were warm, kind, and engaging.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was sumptuous, elegant, and luxurious. Spotlessly clean, thoughtfully laid out, bed and chaise both plush for lounging. Bath and coffee amenities of high quality.

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

A grand dame of an historic hotel. Stunning views, comfortable rooms. The buffet dinner and the breakfasts were delicious and great quality.

Authenticity & Character

Explore the older building - stunning view of the Sognefjord from the picture windows, and furniture with 'dragon style' carvings in the Høyviksalen (Høyvik Hall). The 'old reception' is very charming. The newer building has modern conveniences and engaging views to the mountains and village.

Location

Right at the harbor where you arrive by ferry. Easy walking to most points of this small, charming village and walkable to the trail heads.

Staff

The majority of staff were welcoming, kind, warm, and competent. The maître d'hôtel was very friendly and jokey with guests, but unfortunately overbearing and condescending to at least some of the wait staff and bussing staff, which was a bad look for such an elegant hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and all common spaces spotlessly clean and well cared-for. Buffet dinner elegantly presented, of quality, and well kept up.

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

A charming old hotel that was very approachable. The oldest section is being renovated and will likely be very lovely when complete.

Location

Flåm is very small so it's hard to go wrong here, but the Fretheim was both close to the wharf and a bit set back from the bustle.

Staff

Staff were all very nice whenever we talked with them. Once you had their attention, everyone was lovely and warm.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and common spaces were clean and in good working order. Beds were comfortable. It was very helpful and convenient that the hotel had a small laundry room with do-it-yourself washer and 2 dryers.

Hotel Christiania Teater

Oslo

Good location for easy walking around Oslo. A beautiful building, well-kept, with engaging artworks throughout. Very nice variety and preparation of breakfast foods.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely blend of history and comfortable modernity. We enjoyed the art throughout. Serves a plentiful and traditional breakfast buffet of good quality.

Location

Good proximity to interesting points such as the National Theater, the university, and walks along the waterfront. A reasonable walk to the wonderful Deichman public library and the exciting opera house. If you have a lot of (or heavy) luggage, be prepared for a 10-15 minute walk from the train station with a mild incline along the way.

Staff

Staff was kind and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable - firm underneath with top padding. Room and hotel spotless.

Activity Reviews

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Our guide was a dapper architect who shared key moments and aspects of Norway's history as we walked through Oslo's streets, military bases, and city parks. We will always remember "the blue, the green, and the city between..." - a city planning framework he shared with us throughout this charming, very walkable city.

Quality of Experience

A local's perspective is generally a good way to go, and this was no exception.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was dapper, knowledgeable, friendly, and amenable to include our interests folded into his original tour plan.

Transport

This is a walking tour, and Oslo is a very walkable city.

Stegastein Viewpoint by Bus

Norway

Everything about this excursion was scenic, from the drive up, to the aesthetic viewing platform, to the inspiring view of the Aurlandsfjord itself. Aurlands is a charming-looking hillside town with a few smallholdings and various traditional and newer-style homes.

Quality of Experience

The Sognefjord and the mouth of the Aurlandsfjord are gorgeous.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was highly competent, and kind and engaging throughout the short drive.

Transport

Another opportunity to take an electric conveyance in this marvelous country. Van was adequately comfortable and driver was competent and friendly.

Visit the Viking Valley

Norway

We did not visit the viking village. It looked too touristic for us, and a woman we met while hiking confirmed that it felt that way to her, too, when she did go inside. Besides the pay-entry viking village there is little else available in Gudvangen. There were perhaps two restaurants (cafeterias, both, I think) and a convenience shop for sundries. The best thing we did with our time was to walk away from the viking valley along an old road on the Nærøyfjord - a beautiful and peaceful walk. We likely would have had a wonderful time had we booked a day-long kayak excursion, as it's a beautiful fjord and we enjoyed kayaking the Aurlandsfjord so much.

Fjordcruise in the Nærøyfjord

Flåm

The Nærøyfjord is beautiful and scenic, and the "Future of the Fjords" all-electric catamaran was an EXCELLENT conveyance to cruise it!

Quality of Experience

Food

We did not partake of the offerings on board, but there were several choices, and the quality looked reasonable for a captive audience in a touristic area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The crew of the Future of the Fjords catamaran were all kind and competent. The lead crew member stayed for a long while once we were back in Flåm making sure the vessel was ship shape before leaving for the day.

Transport

In general, we are awed and glad to see so many electric vehicles in Norway, and having an all-electric catamaran to get to such a sensitive ecological area allows one to truly enjoy. Air emissions are obviously nonexistent, but there is still some noise pollution, particularly for underwater life. The catamaran was very well cared-for, clean, and beautifully appointed for comfort and great views as you go along.

Fjord Kayaking

Flåm

Aurlandsfjord is best enjoyed in the water! I could happily spend all my remaining days kayaking in the southern fjords.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was passionate about the environment and friendly. He took some time at the beginning to go over technique and help with kayak adjustments but needed to spend a little longer with each person to ensure details such as the foot pedal distance was correct for everyone. This would help beginners have a more enjoyable experience.

Transport

For me, kayaking is second only to walking! So for me this form of transport was most enjoyable.

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Although the day we rode this was a foggy one, the experience is top notch. It's a fantastic view of the storied city of Bergen and gives access to unique and awe-inspiring hiking atop Mt. Ulriken.

Quality of Experience

Mt. Ulriken is a stunning alpine landscape, and what a way to access it! (via a swift, clean, well cared-for conveyance)

Transport

The cable car and launching/landing points were clean and well kept.

We had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica. All of the activities we reserved--white water rafting, hiking in Arenal, the cloud forest self-guided tour in Monteverde, and the sunset catamaran cruise with snorkeling--were so much fun and top-notch quality. Everything was very well-organized except for our arrival in San Jose. We had rented a car from the airport but we were sent information about meeting a driver upon arrival. There was no driver waiting for us and my father was extremely confused about where to go. Luckily we called the customer service number and they told us to go to the car rental desk. Any time we needed to call the customer service number they were very helpful.