Kimkim Trip Reviews

After three years of KimKim correspondence, two false starts due to Covid, it finally happened, and it was more than worth waiting for! Beginning with a challenging but spectacular hike to Trolltunga led by our excellent guide Linda, this set the tone for more spectacular experiences to come including an amazing camping and kayaking and camping experience with Much Better Adventures along the Naerfjord and Aurlandsfjord before returning to Bergen via the majestic Flam Railway. The next part of the adventure saw me experience perhaps the jewel in the crown of Norway's majestic fjords, Geiranger, which I also got to experience via a kayak. If all this wasn't enough, before returning home I experienced a walk on the Folgefonna Glacier, which was beautiful.

All transport and accommodation arranged by KimKim as well as the information provided about local public transport was so helpful, enabling me to get out and about where I went including finding some good places to eat and local museums to visit and was always useful to be in contact with KimKim local specialist Christina when unsure about something. What made the whole experience worth waiting for for three years though was that it felt like more than simply a visit to Norway, but I actually go to experience it up close and personal. Seeing the fjords from a kayak, as well as enabling you to see just how steep-sided they are, also put you in touch with the movements and texture of the fjord water, both its calmness and occasional ripples, while the camping gives one an idea as to how the Vikings may have experienced them, as well as inspired them to explore through the curiosity it maybe aroused in them wanting to know where the fjords led, or what was behind the mists that often shroud them. Similarly, the Folgefonna Glacier walk enabled me to experience it's texture as well as take me back to the planet's geological past to the ice age, getting a feel for how the fjords where formed.

As well as getting an up and close personal experience of Norway through a series of different activities, hiking, kayaking and camping, I also feel visiting Norway (was my third time in Norway), I get a sense of who I am, much of which was enabled by Christina and KimKim, who never forgot about despite the longer than anticipated wait and so many false starts. A huge thanks to Christine and to KimKim for ensuring I had the best experience I could possibly have had.

Activity Reviews

Glacier hiking at Folgefonna

Bergen

An excellent experience to round off my trip, guide was excellent and gave good tips about where and where not to set foot which made it a comfortable experience.

Quality of Experience

Gaining a feel of the texture of the glacier

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clear instructions to help give a good experience

Transport

Public transport via bus-ferry-bus was excellent

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Norway

Was great fun to do it with a good guide, Linda, who made it fun as well as helping you get the best pictures of you standing on the Troll's Tongue.

Quality of Experience

Linda was excellent, really entertaining which helped make it a great day! She really makes the effort to get to know her travellers!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bus that goes up hairpin bend to start of hike really helps!

Transport

Just have to be aware that certain buses to the start of Trolltunga from Brucehagen/Odda don't run at certain times of the year.

Guided Kayaking to Seven Sisters Waterfall in Geirangerfjord

Geiranger

Can see and access places from a kayak that can't otherwise be accessed, as well as get up close and personal with the majestic Seven Sisters waterfall

Quality of Experience

The experience on the water

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide made sure of quality and safety as well as help with rowing techniques.

Transport

Public transport is limited in Geiranger, kayak base is a fair walk from hotel.

kimkim and Eleni provided our family of five with an outstanding, life-changing travel experience. We started in Athens and then drove to Kalamata with stops along the way to sightsee, eat, and swim. Our kids ages span from 17 to 6 and Eleni was able to set up an itinerary that had something for all of them to enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives. This was one of the main reasons we booked through kimkim and Eleni nailed it! The accommodations were perfectly located and made us feel like royalty. She gave us a number of different options and advice throughout the entire process. Her recommendations for restaurants, beaches, and self-guided tours never disappointed. Besides the breathtaking locations and savory food, the highlights of our trip were the tours Eleni set up for us - The Olympic Game Workout, Athens Mythology for Families, Waterfalls & Archery at Polylimnio, and SUP & Snorkeling in Voidokilia. We would wholeheartedly recommend booking with kimkim (and Eleni) and have already told many of our friends and family! We will definitely book with them in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

Perfect location, new, clean, friendly, with an excellent breakfast every morning. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

walk to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zoe Seaside Resort Gialova

Gialova

Great beachside location, free cabanas, beautiful grounds and pool. Very good food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Perfect for a one night stop that is close to the airport, with a free shuttle!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Olympic Athlete for a Day

Athens

Our guide and trainer was fantastic. A very cool experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis & Agora Mythology Tour

Athens

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and great with our two younger boys. She was prepared with pictures and activities to make the site come to life!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cape Sounio for Families

Athens

The Sea Turtle rescue tour was very interesting and all of our boys (ages 17-6) loved it. Cape Sounio was breathtaking.

Waterfalls & Archery in Polylimnio

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides from Explore Messinia were great!

SUP & Snorkeling in Voidokilia

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide from Explore Messinia was amazing.

We had an awesome time in Peru. The planning was just perfect! Every single day, the driver was "on time" for pickup. The guides (both for group and private tours) were really good too. The online itinerary - brief and detail was very accessible and kept us informed of our plans.

I want to thank Liz for all her help in preparing for this trip including all the different activities. We spent more time in Cusco/Machu Picchu which actually turned out to be the best part of the trip. Our Cusco hotel was close to the town center, so a walk away from all the delicious food places! (Although there was some construction around our hotel, which made the walking a little tough - especially with bags, but we had help from hotel and driver both to carry our bags). We spent a day in Juno and Lima and I think they were adequate for our preference.

I would highly recommend anyone in future to book with Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

Great hotel for one night - right across the airport. Perfect if you wanted to get some rest before heading off from Lima to other cities next morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

The hotel is good - location is great - staff is very helpful - the rooms are a little smaller in my opinion. There was construction on streets around this hotel, which did cause some discomfort when bringing our bags.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Main Square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dazzler Miraflores by Wyndham

Lima

Very nice hotel in Miraflores - big rooms and great amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Loved the hotel - very big rooms, good breakfast and close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Puno

Puno

Very good hotel in Puno with great views - the staff was great and a good selection for food in dinner and also breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lake View

Staff

The waiting staff was very good

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Lima City Tour & San Francisco Catacombs

Lima

Best part was visiting the Catacombs - first time experience ... the main square was shut down by the cops due to some political demonstrations, so did not get the "full" experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Route of The Sun: {{start_location}} - {{end_location}}

Peru

The bus ride was very smooth and the stops kept coming. The alternate to this is taking the direct train from Cusco to Puno, however, this tour offers a few stops/activities on the way - which I felt were interesting. The lunch place was also good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared tour to Moray Terraces & Maras Salt Mines Tour

Cusco

It was interesting to see the Salt Mines and then the Moray Terraces.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared tour to Pisac, Ollantaytambo & Train to Machu Picchu town

Peru

Pisac was ok - more of a shopping tour - however, Ollantaytambo was really good! Need to watch out for the climb. The train to Machu Picchu is a comfortable ride. Maybe travel agent should provide the option to the customer about 360 train (understand it will be more expensive)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Uros & Taquile Floating Islands tour

Puno

The tour was perfect - enjoyed the cultural experience on Uros floating islands. Got a very good experience for Lake Titicaca! The weather was also perfect to be on the lake!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Palcoyo Trek: Small group

Cusco

This was probably the only experience that was subpar for our family - we left at 5 am in morning and the car did NOT have heat - we froze for the first hour and the breakfast place was very cold too - it warmed up when we got to the mountain - around 9 am but our body was very cold by then. The trek is simple and mountain views are great - although rainbow mountain is NOT as vibrant as you see in the videos/photos! It could be due to the time of the year. The food place was also not good - breakfast was terrible - lunch was ok. The guide was awesome - the only reason I am giving 3 stars to this trip - she helped us through the altitude sickness and kept encouraging us to make the trip through the

Quality of Experience

Food

The place breakfast choices

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome guide!

Transport

Need heater in the car! We had a car with no heat for 3 early morning hours!

Explore Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco (Private Guided tour in Machu Picchu)

Peru

The reason to go to Peru! We were there EARLY, and were able to see everything! The guide was great and it helped to have a private tour. Got plenty of photos and very informative historical tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Cusco City Tour

Cusco

Enjoyed this City tour as you get to see multiple places in Cusco.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joel put together the most amazing trip through Spain for me and my two teen daughters. We had a healthy mix of sight seeing, local gastronomy, beach time and hiking/biking. We loved the variety of cities we visited and the mix of driving, trains, and flying. Joel was attentive and offered additional suggestions throughout our trip, making it even more special. The local guides we met for walking tours were knowledgeable and flexible to our needs. The cooking class in Barcelona was a favorite for all of us. The detailed itinerary and plan made it easy to navigate and we felt like we saw it all! It made it really easy on us to have Joel helping us at every step, allowing us to focus on enjoying our vacation! We cannot say enough good things about our experience and can't wait to use kimkim again!

I had an incredible time in Cambodia. I 100% recommend working with Steve (Travel Asia A la Carte). Each leg of the trip was well organized and accounted for. Our local guides (especially Kanha) showed us unique parts of their country outside of the standard tourist traps. Through this, we felt that our funds spend supported local communities. All of the hotels and experiences exceeded my expectations. This was my first trip to Asia and it has left me wanting to return to explore such an amazing part of our world.

Hotel Reviews

Cardamom Tented Camp

Trapeang Rung

Amazing camp thats sole purpose is to support the wild life that is endangered due to deforestation. A must to visit and support.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Treeline Urban Resort

Siem Reap

The best service Ive ever experienced at a hotel. Amazing coffee shop attached. Great pool and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Gate Hotel & Resort

Phnom Penh

Nice hotel in a good area. Service over all good but lacking in some departments (Can be difficult to get a drink at the sky bar!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Sands Koh Rong

Sihanoukville, Koh Rong

Hotel was very clean and accommodating. Staff were fantastic and the food was incredible. Lives up to its rating of a 5 star resort. Make sure to bring money for tips/experiences from the mainland as the entire island does not have an ATM. Apart from the hotel Koh Rong offers beautiful natural world. Incredible island to explore by scooter. There is a feeling the area is rapidly changing and being developed. I imagine it will be a very different place in 5 - 10 years.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Phnom Penh Half day, Royal Palace & Central Market

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Skuon & Spean Praptos, Kompong Khleang,

Cambodia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre, Noodle Village

Siem Reap

The best fish noodles Ive ever had. Went for seconds.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phare, the Cambodian Circus (Seat C - free seating in the two side sections)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day temple exploration by remork (with lunch)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Late afternoon until evening foodie tour

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival day at Cardamom Tented Camp

Botum Sakor National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Cardamom Tented Camp (Trekker & Explorer Packages)

Botum Sakor National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sigurdur planned a spectacular Icelandic adventure for my young family. He was very responsive to every question I had during the entire process. Each day was planned perfectly. His hotel selections were exactly what I had asked for. All excursions booked were wonderful and ran smoothly. I could not have asked for more of this trip. Thanks Sigurdur and Kimkim!!

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Lækur

Hella

Quaint countryside hotel. Great for relaxation and gateway to the south coast.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the little cabin we stayed in.

Location

Staff

Extremely friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean!

Hotel Vík í Mýrdal

Vík

Beautiful hotel. Beautiful rooms. Blackout curtains do a great job. Laundry service available which was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything Vik

Staff

Very kind and even provided us space heater to dry out our gloves.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean! Comfortable!

Hotel Örk

Hveragerði

Hotel is under renovation. With that said our room was updated and very nice. Blackout curtains worked great. While their pool looked very dated it was very nice to take a dip at the end of the day. Great location, right across the street from a commercial building with wonderful food options.

Authenticity & Character

It’s difficult to review because it is under construction to update and the updated parts are nice.

Location

Staff

Very nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable!

Room With A View Apartment Hotel

Reykjavík

Amazing location and very spacious rooms. Bar next door which was loud into the night. Shower didn’t work and we had already unpacked so we just dealt with it. Location and spaciousness outweighed any issues.

Authenticity & Character

Nice

Location

I’m the center of all touristy things.

Staff

Friendly but sometimes hard to find.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

Puffins everywhere! Lots of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon amphibian boat tour

Iceland

Informative boat tour regarding the glacier lagoon and climate change. Enjoyed it a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

Unique small lagoon. Had an authentic less commercial feel. Really enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Commercial but iconic to Iceland so a must do. Had a great time. Silica face masks were a fun perk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Whale Watching from Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Informative and saw many whales and puffin. Really enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cambodia was incredible. I took this trip with my long time friend and had pretty high expectations. With the help of KimKim and Steve, (our appointed local guide) this trip completely blew them out of the water.

Kahna our guide for the first week was absolutely incredible, going above and beyond to explain the nuances of culture and history to us while still keeping us excited and entertained. We were equipped with the information and understanding to complete the trip knowing how to navigate the country. The accommodations and transportation were great and the organization of the entire trip was completely flawless and spot on.

We can’t express how grateful we are. Certain trips give you something money can’t buy, a reset of sorts, a shift in perspective that alters how you look at life itself. Without the help of KimKim, Steve, and Kahna, we couldn’t have had that experience.

Hotel Reviews

Treeline Urban Resort

Siem Reap

This hotel is awesome. I stayed 3 nights coming straight from LA and could not have been happier with the accommodations and staff. The amenities are top notch and would 100% come back and recommend to any of my loved ones.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cardamom Tented Camp

Trapeang Rung

This place is a gem. Exploring an area that is largely untouched by humans was an experience I won’t ever forget. The camp’s altruistic purpose gives you a sense of connection with its surroundings, all while offering amazing comfort and insight into the jungle.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Gate Hotel & Resort

Phnom Penh

Great place, great location. This hotel was perfect for our short stays in Phnom Penh. It had a colonial feel and the hotel helped us with anything we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Sands Koh Rong

Sihanoukville, Koh Rong

Incredible resort, amazing staff, world class accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full day temple exploration by remork (with lunch)

Siem Reap

This experience was unforgettable and the amount of knowledge and perspective I gained was truly priceless.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family had an amazing trip to Spain! It was so well organized and everything went very smoothly. We have never had a travel agent plan a trip and I am so glad we did. It will be hard to travel any other way especially for a long trip in another country. I really felt like I was on vacation as all of the details of planning were taken care of and the itinerary was easily referenced in the app. All of our transportation and transfers were prearranged which was so helpful since we were a party of 5. Our rooms were always very close to one another which was so helpful for our family. We are a family of 7 and have always struggled with getting adjacent rooms. All of our hotels were in great locations to see the cities. The breakfasts were a real help to get us out in the mornings. The guides were really fantastic! I wasn’t sure how it would be to have a guide accompanying us for half a day or more. They were so kind and accommodating and gave us our family time without being overly intrusive yet they were so knowledgeable and really gave us a great tour.
Everything in this trip was just perfect! Having Marta from kimkim available to us by phone was so reassuring. We called a few times with questions and she was always so kind and helpful. This trip will be a highlight of our family’s vacations. Thank you Marta! Thank you Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cortezo

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to sites or metro

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Marqués Santa Ana

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rector

Salamanca

This hotel was the best of our trip. It is beautifully furnished and spacious. The staff went above and beyond to welcome and assist us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Every member that we encountered was so welcoming and helpful. Really one of the best experiences in a hotel ever!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautifully appointed rooms, wonderful bedding, spacious bathrooms and amazing hospitality! This is a top notch hotel!

Activity Reviews

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

This was a great experience. The guides were friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hector was very knowledgeable and friendly. Great tour!

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Roman Tarragona & Sitges

Barcelona

While our guide was wonderful we had asked to go to the beach as well as your Taragona. In retrospect I would have skipped time in the beach. I was surprised that there were no bathrooms or changing stalls. We had to change in the van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Loved this tour!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking Excursion in the Andalusia Countryside

Spain

This was a great get away from the city! Our guide Michael was a true outdoorsman and was knowledgeable and fun. Realize that to get to the mountains there are many winding and corkscrew roads. It was worth it for us as the views and experience on the mountains and in the small white villages was awesome. If you are very sensitive to motion sickness be aware and maybe tell your driver as there may be alternative routes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas & Flamenco Experience

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Teresa had some cards that she brought with the royal lineage that was very helpful!

Guided Visit of Salamanca

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bryan was fantastic in organising our trip. The drivers were all excellent especially Pablo who took us from La Fortuna to Manual Antonio. Costa Verde was a very nice hotel with very nice front desk staff especially Marcella. All in all very enjoyable and highly recommended.

Christos did an AMAZING job planning our honeymoon! It was so easy, and we just showed up and everything was already set up. Private transfers, ferries, tours, they were all ready to go from the moment we arrived without hiccups. Either he or the travel agency he contracts with were able to answer any questions we had in real time during the trip at all hours. The drivers were all so friendly and timely, the accomodations were all lovely, and the ferries were all quick and smooth. The recommendations were all spectacular as well. Couldn't recommend Christos more highly! He will plan you the dream vacation. Thanks so much!!!

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Beautiful facility, clean, and with a great location in central athens. They even let us check in early.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL FACILITY! All the staff worked so hard to make sure we had the best time possible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abelonas Retreat Sunset & Sunrise Lodgings

Santorini

Great location, beautiful area, however the room had a bright orange exit light that could not be turned off right by the exit to the room and made it hard to sleep. They also gave us the wrong breakfast one day, which caused a delay in our plans for the day, unfortunately. Otherwise they were extremely helpful, even finding me an ENT on the island to see in an emergency. The staff were extremely friendly, the facility was very clean, and the location couldn't be beat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

remove the bright orange exit light next to the door, it was extremely obnoxious

Activity Reviews

Private Naxos Food & Culture Tour

Naxos

This was maybe our favorite part of the whole trip. Our tour guide was so cool, took us on a wonderful trip to several amazing locations. highly highly recommend. also got to eat some amazing local cheeses and olive oils which was my personal favorite part of the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

loved our tour guide, the locations visited, and the amazing wine

Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit

Santorini

Beautiful ride, but kind of a packed 'sailboat' which was actually running on a motor. There were ~50 people on the boat and not many places to sit. Honestly, not sure I would recommend this. The sights were nice, and the dinner was good, but it was just so crowded on the boat and I felt like we were just being herded around.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip - we really enjoyed our guides and the spots we saw. Andres and Aron were our guides and planned a great day for our group. We had a wonderful time and would recommend them!

We enjoyed our trip and the time with our driver and tour manager, Sallam, who is also apparently a Tik Tok celebrity in Morocco. He was knowledgeable and always willing to answer our questions or converse with us. Sallam did a great job coordinating with the local guides and getting us to our destinations in a timely manner. All parts of the itinerary were followed and the tour gave us a good overview of Morocco which is an amazing country with wonderful people. Sallam was always eager and informative to share his culture and teach us the history of his country and people. Sharon accommodated our request to have A/C in all accommodations, including the desert camp in Merzouga, which was amazing. We were impressed by the riads and hotels we stayed in as well. The local guides were all friendly and gave us a good overview of the cities we were in; we especially appreciated the tour with Muhammed in Marakesh. My suggestions to improve on this tour would be to provide more options for the lunch places our local guides lead us to... the restaurants were all very tourist oriented and the meals were very similar to one another. In the areas that have more options, allowing us to choose among recommended places to eat would have been great. We also felt that the cooperatives many of the local guides took us to ate up much of our tour time and the wares were overpriced. It was also difficult to tell if some of these cooperatives were actually sanctioned by the government. Other than those suggestions, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Morocco.

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Bea was supportive, accommodating and patient throughout our planning process and always cheerfully and promptly responded to our many questions and requests. We had an unexpected incident during the trip with one of transportation providers, and she was immediately available to support us. After the trip, she continued to follow up and provide updates regarding the incident. We enjoyed the trip, and I would recommend her and her agency without reservation to anyone planning on making a trip to Spain or Portugal in the future.

My travel buddy and I took our bucket list two-week trip to Athens and the Greek islands. It was absolutely wonderful. Everything went according to plan, and we would highly recommend Nadia for any travel arrangements in the future. We began our journey flying from Sacramento to Athens, stayed in busy Athens for 4 days and then island-hopped to Chania on Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, and Naxos. We booked several fun excursions through Nadia and our trip included transportation to and from airports, hotel reservations in boutique hotels, transfers, pickups and drop-offs from our hotels and excursions, and communication throughout. Our excursions included a beach day in Santorini, a beautiful and fun-filled day on a sunset catamaran sail and a separate wine tasting excursion on the beach in Mykonos, and an excellent electric bike tour in Naxos. Having everything arranged upon our arrival was such a relief, especially the transportation. All of the drivers were waiting for us, helped us with our luggage, and delivered us to our destination safely.
This was our first time planning a long and multi-stop vacation, and Nadia was on top of all of the logistics. One lesson we learned for future is to communicate our expectations for the accommodations, especially when traveling out of the country. While many hotels in the U.S. have pools and fitness centers, that’s not always the case with European and boutique hotels. When the temperature hit the high 80s and 90s, we would have enjoyed a swimming pool or a hotel with close beach access. However, we didn't communicate that with Nadia. Luckily, one hotel had a pool and we were able to get a ride to a beach with umbrellas and comfy lounges. At the same time, we were very pleased with the delicious breakfast buffets or breakfast options that were included in most of the accommodations. Nadia and the Kim Kim platform made it very easy to communicate, see links to entertainment and excursion options, and plan our trip with confidence.
Nadia was very helpful, full of information about hotels, excursions, and travel options and, as a result, our trip was effortless and well worth the cost of paying for a travel planner. We look forward to planning the next trip with Kim Kim.

While the rooms were fine, I never received from Isabel a list of what it was we paid for. The total bill was $1785. I would appreciate your company sending me an itemization of charges.

Eleni planned an amazing trip to Italy for my family! Everything from the planning stages to the spectacular trip start to finish was superb. The experiences were so enjoyable and engaging for the whole family (4 teenagers included)- especially the private tour guides through Rome (Giovanni and Lorenzo), Pompeii (Mina), and Naples (Frederica). Each one had great personality and local insight. We learned so much, laughed a lot, and had a ball. My favorite part was a stunning and breathtaking boat tour of the Sorrento and Amalfi Coasts with our skipper, Paolo. Another highlight was the pasta making class with our wonderful chef, Leo. Each hotel was perfect and unique with an attentive and helpful staff. Our drivers were always on time, pleasant, and had lots of local insight. We had a little mixup on our trip back but the KimKim team handled it immediately. It was so helpful to have extra people from the team available to help if we needed anything during the trip. I would not want to plan another trip without Eleni and the team. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

Amazing hotel with lots of history, character, and charm in the Trastevere section of Rome. Staff was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Murrano Beach Sorrento

Vico Equense

A beautiful and immaculate hotel in quaint fishing village. The hotel manager (Tomas) was so attentive, knowledgeable, and very helpful when planning our activities and meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza Borbonica Naples

Naples

A perfect place to stay in Naples, right in the middle of things but on a pedestrian only street. The rooms were so unique and beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Family-Friendly Rome By Golf Cart

Rome

Giovanni was friendly, outgoing, and clearly has a love and passion for Rome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

We loved our tour guide, Lorenzo. We all learned so much. It was especially engaging as we got to go underground the Colosseum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta & Tiramisu Making Class

Rome

We had a wonderful teacher, Leo and a fantastic experience. After learning how to make fresh pasta and gelato, we all sat down to dinner and enjoyed the finished product. Leo was fun, charismatic, and so personable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Pompei and Wine Tasting Vesuvius

Italy

Mima was the best tour guide we could ask for, she had my teenagers thoroughly engaged and asking questions. She was funny and so knowledgeable and we all learned so much. To top it off, we headed to the beautiful winery with gorgeous views and even more delicious food and wine!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

This was definitely the highlight of my trip. Paolo was our skipper and he was fantastic. We spent the whole day on the boat with spectacular views, spent time in Amalfi and Positano, and went swimming in the deep blue crystal clear water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples Street Food Tour

Naples

The perfect way to see and experience Naples. We all loved Frederica. She was so genuine, funny, and knowledgeable. She took us off the beaten path to see a true glimpse of Naples, old and new. The street food was delicious, especially the gelato from the chocolate store. Her love and passion for the city shines through her!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex was great on the Naxos food tour...

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Campo de' Fiori

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adriani Hotel

Naxos Town

The breakfast was absolutely amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The breakfast!

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The breakfast! The views from the deck!

Activity Reviews

Food tour in Naxos town

Naxos

Alex was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Tour around Naxos

Naxos

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chris and his team were fabulous in creating this trip for my family. Everything that they planned for us was amazing. Our accommodations in Athens were very nice. Our tour guide (Elanie?) in Athens was amazing! She even got a little gift for us at the end. I'm very happy that we included a short stay in Athens. It was truly worth seeing some of the sites.

Santorini was amazing! Most beautiful place that I have been so far. The accommodations at the hotel Agali Houses were perfect. Amazing views of the Caldera. Vassilini and her staff were exceptional in recommendations for dinner and beach. We spent the day at Perissa beach and enjoyed the water and sun. Our tour guide for Akrotiri ruins and the wine tour was another great day full of history and fun. The sailing yacht was a very small group, personal service provided by the captain and his finance' Johanna. A must tour in Santorini. A nice little shop to stop in is the Art & Icon Studio in Fira.

This was a trip postponed from 2020. Many thanks to Chris for being patient with the covid delays. This trip was truly amazing! Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

Very nice accomodations and centrally located. The street noise can be a little loud at night until the bars close.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agali Houses

Firostefani 00

Very beautiful views. Nice rooms. Vassilini and staff very helpful. The only possible drawback is the number of steps up and down to your room. 220 steps one way. For us it was fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

small yacht cruise was amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights & Akrotiri

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful time in Morocco.
Everything was well planned, the riads beautiful, and
Nourredine our driver was amazing. Abdel from original travel was very responsive and adapted the schedule when we had specific requests. Our group of 3 were all very happy and would book with original travel again any time!!!

Overall, we had a wonderful time in London and Paris. While Kimkim got a lot right, such as hooking us up with great tour guides and finding good accomodations in nice locations, there were some glitches which would prevent me from using them again. The main issue was with timing; there were many instances where there simply wasn't enough time to get from one place to another, resulting in us missing some of our paid activities. For example, we had premium Big Bus tickets and a boat tour on the Thames as part of the package, but were unable to use them but for a brief 30 minute bus ride on day 2 (it was at the end of the bus route). Once we arrived in London, the Big Bus tour had shut down, so it wasn't an option on that day. The next day we had plans to go to the Warner Brothers Studio (Harry Potter) early in the morning, despite my request for no early morning activities. We then had to rush (literally had to run) to catch a bus to take us to the Tower of London; we arrived late and missed many of the attractions there, since it was near closing time.
Since the Big Bus tours closed at 6:30 we were only able to ride for about 30 minutes on day 2.
We never were able to use our boat tickets (which I presume we paid for) or take full advantage of the Big Bus tour, which would have been a nice introduction to London.

On the plus side, we thoroughly enjoyed our private Jane Austen walking tour in Bath and the Stonehenge tour. Our final day in London we were scheduled to visit Westminster Abbey after a Changing of the Guard tour. We did not have sufficient time scheduled to see the Abbey; however, since we needed to catch the Eurorail to go to Paris the same day. We ended up rushing our visit to the Abbey and were unable to see much of it.

There were several discrepancies and inconsistencies in the printed information we received from Kimkim. For example, on day 2 in Paris, our itinerary noted that we were to go to the Louvre for a tour. We showed up to the tour only to realize that the tickets themselves were for a later date. That discrepancy in printed information caused us to miss out on other plans. It should be noted however, that when we went back to the Louve two days later, the tour was wonderful. The worst issue came the last day - our itinerary stated that our driver would be at our hotel to take us to the airport 3-3.5 hours before our flight. Unfortunately, our driver had received different information and left us at the hotel 3.5 hours before our flight. There was a taxi strike happening that day so we had to scramble to figure out how to get to the airport and make our flight. I called Stephan (William was not the contact during the trip - my rating above is for Stephan) from High Point Holidays who said he found another driver but it would cost me over $300. I was shocked that he took no responsibility for this mix-up and expected me to pay to make it right. He later called saying he found another driver for less money, but again made no offer to compensate me. We ended up taking the bus to the airport. It was very stressful, and we would have missed our flight, but luckily, it had been delayed. Finally, in both London and Bath, we arrived at our hotels to find that our rooms had not been paid for. This was awkward and time-consuming to remedy (I had to call Stephen both times). Also, at the Black Fox hotel in Bath, we had a room with one double bed, although I had requested separate (twin) beds for the entire trip. The hotel told me they weren't informed of my request and had no other rooms available. I had to share a bed with my teenage daughter which was something I had hoped to avoid (she kicks!). I brought this to Stephen's attention at the time, but he said nothing about it.

I love Kimkim's concept but the poor timing issues took their toll on us. I brought all these issues to Stephen's attention during the trip and asked for a partial refund to offset our costs for the Big Bus tours we couldn't take, but I never got any response.