Kimkim Trip Reviews

Olman did an excellent job planning a 10-day trip to Costa Rica that delivered the kind of experience my family of four (2 adults, 12 and 17 year olds) was looking for. We visited 3 locations (La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio) with a balance of nature-based adventure and relaxation. The recommended accomodations were great. The vendors for all tours were professional and experienced and the guides were top notch. Olman worked with me ahead of the trip to tweak the agenda to fit our needs. He was flexible and patient and provided so much information that I felt I knew exactly what we would be paying for prior to needing to send any money. I have never before worked with a travel provider to help plan my trips and I typically spend many hours over weaks and months putting together an itinerary. I was anxious about relying on someone else - but Olman made it easy, enjoyable and the delivered product was fantastic. For future travelers, my one recommendation is to start every day as early as possible. This will maximize your time enjoying what Costa Rica has to offer in the morning/early afternoon, avoid afternoon rainshowers and also allow late afternoon evenings for relaxing and meals (as well as early bed-times earned during adventurous mornings!). To that end, the only change I would have made to my schedule was that our zip-lining day in Monteverde did not commence until the vendor picked us up at 10:20 am- which kind of killed the whole day. I would highly recommend starting the day earlier - and driving yourself to the vendor's location so that you are not reliant upon their return transportation schedule.

Our trip was specifically geared toward our desire to see as many of the major waterfalls in Norway. Tricia put together the customized itinerary along with three tours - a hiking trip to The Valley of the Waterfalls, a kayaking / hiking trip in Øvre Årdal, and a kayaking trip to the Seven Sisters in Geiranger. The custom itinerary hit all of the major waterfalls in western Norway and the tours were wonderful. We unfortunately had some issues with the rental car but Tricia and the team at Ethical Travel have been supportive in trying to resolve them as much as possible.

We (my cousins and I in differing age groups) planned a two week trip with Moreno to Italy to include Florence, Rome, Pompei, and Sorrento (lodging in Vico Equense). Moreno and his associates arranged most of our lodging, transport and excursions. We feel with few exceptions the trip was beautifully planned and was a fantastic blend of learning and leisure. I can't express enough the value of private transportation and private tours if you are planning to see and do a great deal in a short time in Italy. These are predominately touring cities so in the interest of time management, private transport and private tours were a blessing.

If you get the opportunity to chose your travel guide in Rome be sure to request Sabrina. She was wonderful at both the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and the following day at the Colosseum. She brought the experience to life and was passionate and knowledgeable about the area.......be sure to request her!

The boutique bed and breakfasts were a game changer as well. Caio

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Ancore

Vico Equense

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful building.

Location

for the most part you must take transport to other areas as there are limited dining options

Staff

GREAT staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

I need to rate comfort low as the bathrooms - especially showers are VERY small and difficult to manage a shower in them. secondly, we had an A/C issue the first couple of days which was difficult.

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Excellent staff and very helpful. It was nice to have staff avail later in the evening (11p).

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soggiorno Battistero

Florence

Located in the center, it is well positioned to get to and from important areas. As for the room itself, if you are on the upper floor it is more inviting, bigger space. Plan to eat a big lunch and dinner as the breakfast is light fare and will not sustain you for a long period of time. Bathrooms/bedrooms upstairs were well appointed but the rooms on the lower floor were a bit small for our taste.

Authenticity & Character

Location

If noise isn't an issue, the location is great. Felt safe.

Staff

I only experienced issues with one staff member, I found him to be less than helpful but the rest of the staff were very accommodating and easy to communicate with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfort - it was a loud area but to be expected as it is in a square. We weren't prepared and wish we would have known better. When you travel to Italy a good nights rest is important.

Activity Review

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

We had the very best tour guide - Sabrina. She was awesome, interested, entertaining and informative. It was one of my favorite tours due to her enthusiasm of the history .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Most Memorable
1. The cooking classes: Toscana Mia was my favourite! Simonetta and Paola welcomed us into their home and it felt so authentic! The Giglia class in Florence was my second favourite. We did end up preparing the same food as our first class in Rome but the instructor was wonderful.
2. Day trip to Cinque Terre with Tanya. I loved it because we got to experience 3 of the towns. The lunch in Vernazza was excellent. I loved the mini hike and boat ride. Tanya was a pleasant, knowledgeable guide.
3. The Food and Wine walking tour of Trastevere! Excellent guide and delicious food. Eileen was so fun and shared many great cultural food aspects of the area.
4. Wine tour of the Val D’Orcia area with Georgia. This was a lot of driving but we learned so much about wine. Loved the lunch at Il Cocco.
5. The view from our hotel room La Cisterna was breathtaking!
6. Favourite overall hotel was VOI Donna Camilla Savelli in Rome. Best breakfast and most welcoming staff.

Some Issues and Questions
1. Value for our money spent on the trip. I understand that KimKim does not offer an exact breakdown of the separate costs. However, in order recommend KimKim to my friends and family, I would really like to know some general percentages of what we spent on accommodations, private transfers with Icarelimo, the tours and activities.
2. Knowing some names of restaurants nearby our hotels would have been so appreciated.
3. The self-guided aspect when visiting different areas was somewhat vague. For example, In San Gimignano, we ended up booking our own 2 hour walking tour of the town to learn more.
4. I was confused about buying my own tickets to Accademia in Florence. My impression was that I needed to buy these tickets because, as part of the Florence walking tour, we would only pop in to the Accademia. As it turned out, the tour of the Accademia was thorough for us and I felt we I didn’t really need to buy the tickets myself.
5. Buying the tickets to The Colosseum was super confusing, based on the your information. I couldn’t get the tickets ahead of time so I used Viator. When we got there it was so overwhelming and we could have benefitted from a private tour.
6. If I were to plan another trip, I would have built in more down time because the pace of this trip was somewhat hectic. A possible solution would be KimKim asking more about how much we want to walk ( we are 60 and good walkers but still felt exhausted and overwhelmed at times).
7. Of course, nothing KimKim could do about how crowded we found all the places we stayed, except to offer alternative ideas of where to visit when we began our planning.

Hopefully, KimKim appreciates this feedback. Overall, we had a great time in Italy. It was an expensive vacation at a very busy time of the year but we loved our time visiting and learning about all things Italian. The hotels were mostly situated in good places for walkability. I loved having the breakfasts included. The drivers, guides and hotel staff were overall friendly.

Hotel Reviews

9Hotel Cesari Rome

Rome

Very much in the middle of the heart of Rome. Great walkability but very busy street and some noise. Loved the rooftop patio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Cisterna

San Gimignano

Amazing views from our window. Bigger room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel

Florence

Small room, no view and a bit far from where we walked each day. Good breakfast and very kind female host.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Donna Camilla Savelli

Rome

Loved the location in Trastevere. The old monastery and courtyard had a relaxing oasis feel in busy Rome. Great breakfast, lovely room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Val D’ Orcia Wine Tasting

Italy

Really good day of learning about wine and visiting Montalcino and Montepulciano

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Chianti

Italy

My favourite!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking Class in Florence

Florence

Fun class! The instructor was very good. A lot of her time was spent on the 5 children in the class

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Our guide was having difficulty organizing the group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence

Florence

Yes, would totally recommend this because of scenery, lunch, activities and what we learned

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

Just excellent. Super personable guide! Wonderful food and cultural insights

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Last minute change(s)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Campo De' Fiori Market Visit & Pasta Making Class

Rome

Great instructor, lovely lunch that we prepared. However we were disappointed that our original tour of market and cooking class were cancelled.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Words just don’t do it justice we had an amazing trip thanks to kimkim Rebecca was amazing she went above and beyond our expectations she set up every detail we didn’t have to worry about anything. We were greeted when arriving and from there on to amazing tours with local guides that described sites answered questions I can not describe how each and every guides passion for their country shined thru with such delight I would highly recommend and will plan on using kimkim again for future travel

Hotel Reviews

Senses Suites

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mykonos Bay Hotel

Mykonos

Amazing beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Amazing staff so much fun

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Foundry Suites

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santorini - Free Morning & Santorini Catamaran Gold Sunset Cruise (Small group cruise)

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - Sights, Wines & Clicks Private day tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - Walk, Drink, Eat Sunset Small Group Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos-Day Trip to Delos island & Mykonos Free Afternoon

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos - Walking Tour with a Local

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - Acropolis at Sunset & Plaka neighborhood | Private tour with an archaeologist/guide

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - Markets, Ruins & Ancient Athens Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - The City

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Athens

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amandine did an amazing job planning the trip exactly what we wanted but also providing great suggestions and recommendations! She literally thought of everything! We wish she could plan all of our trips!!!

Exploring the Mendoza and Los Andes.
Although I normally don't use a travel/tour service I decided to give KimKim a try since I didn't know a lot about the area. I am very happy that I made that choice. Herve arranged for our trip. After some short correspondence about our interests and travel style he put together a wonderful itinerary that included 6 wineries and a day of exploring the mountains, a lovely hotel and time to explore the city on our own.. We were met promptly at the airport by our driver, Gutiamo
who would be our driver for most of our stay in Mendoza. The Diplomatic Hotel was very nice and centrally located. The winery tours exceeded our expectations. Our guide, Clarisa took us to 3 exceptional and unique wineries each day. The wine pairing lunches each day were excellent. Matias was our guide to the Andes and although we had some car problems everything was solved seamlessly.

Hotel Review

Diplomatic Hotel

Mendoza

Perfect locations for exploring Mendoza. Our room was clean and comfortable. Breakfast was excellent as were dinner and lunch. The staff was very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

This is a modern , luxury hotel so it caters to tourists.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Aconcagua Park: private tour to America's highest peak

Mendoza

I might have given 4 instead of 5 because there were car problems and we did not get to see Punta de Inca. But, our guide, Matias, and driver were so proactive in getting the car problem resolved that the tour still deserves a 5. We did see Aconcagua, spent 3 hours in the park. Our car problem gave us some extra time to explore Uspllata.

Quality of Experience

Food

Very authentic

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car had problems and we had to wait for a replacement.

Premium wines of Uco Valley

Mendoza

Our driver, Gujillrmo and Guide, Clarissa were excellent. Both were friendly and knowledgeable. Although they were always prompt, we never felt rushed. The three wineries were each very different but all excellent. The tastings were informed and relaxed. Our wine pairing lunch was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mendoza Premium Wine Tour

Mendoza

Our guide, Clarissa, and driver, Gujillrmo were excellent, very friendly, informed and helpful. It was booked as a small group tour but we ended up being the only ones on the tour. The winery tours were very well selected for their variety and uniqueness. Each tasting was very informed and we were able to take out time and never felt rushed. The tastings were small, never more than 6 people and at one tasting, we were the only ones. The wine paring lunch was excellent, set in the beautiful outdoor terrace.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing guidance from Isabelle and Lizbeth at Rutopia. Hotels, guides, excursions all excellent.

Gary was absolutely AMAZING. There wasn't a glitch. Gary covered every angle from airline and car transportation, hotels to excursions.

We had drivers waiting for us everywhere they were courteous and punctual. The excursion to The Great Barrier Reef was a highlight that we would have most likely missed if Gary had not recommended we see this when we traveled to Australia. Kim Kim Tours and Gary are OUTSTANDING and I would highly recommend them if you are considering a trip.

Thank you

We were looking for an off-beaten track for our trip and we were not disappointed. The whole trip was wonderful, thanks to the team -- Alfonso, Yolanda, Juan, Inez, and Javi -- who took us to places we otherwise would not have known about in Bilbao, San Sebastian, Pamplona, and La Guardia. The whole trip was seamless, from the private transfers to the visits to the wineries, museums, Michelin-starred restaurants, and the olive gardens! Communication was excellent. Alfonso continued to take care of us after the itinerary was complete, helping us get a private transfer to Bilbao from Logrono.
This was an amazing experience and truly well-recommended!

Right from the very beginning when planning our trip the experience was excellent. Hara planned our trip and on the first draft got 99% exactly what we wanted. We requested one change and she made an excellent choice. Everything from the personal driver pickup from airport to hotel to ports was perfect. The hotel choices were amazing. One of the best trips ever!

Hotel Reviews

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The only issue was the first night strong winds were causing something to rattle over the ceiling. We mentioned it to the staff and the fixed the problem for the next night.

Sandaya Luxury Suites

Paros

Perfect location, awesome room, great views and amazing staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They were extremely friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

The cruise was cancelled due to high winds so we were unable to go on the cruise. KimKim refunded our money.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

2 friends and I have just returned from a fantastic trip to Morocco. Working with the patient Sharon for the past year allowed us to get the exact tour we wanted, for a reasonable price. Best of all was our local guide Hicham who made every day memorable. His flexibility and sense of humor were greatly appreciated! Even when we went off the itinerary, such as a trip to the Emergency Room one night, Hicham was there translating, comforting and making it all as easy as could be. It is hard to pick a favorite day or activity because we loved all of them. The visit to his family home in the Valley of Roses surpassed our imagination. Hicham's family and friends made us feel welcome and at home. In fact, all of the Moroccan people that we met could not have been more friendly. We are already planning our next Morocco trip!

Hello : Overall our trip was a great success and we would love to visit Mexico again We would also love to use Kim Kim again for other countries or trips in the future. It was a big investment for us but well worth it for the marvelous experiences provided by Kim KIm.

The wonderful parts: We were so stress -free on this vacation. Having a cheerful and courteous guide pick us up each day was a joy. We enjoyed meeting Jose, Liliane, Luis, the driver Giovanni, and the guide from Puebla (Ayleen??) I misunderstood her name, but she was delightful. They were excellent ambassadors of their countries. We will treasure our memories of the floating gardens, the beautiful energy of central Mexico City (my kids enjoyed the free concert of the Fabulous Cadillacs in the center of the city), and the stunning food. As urbanists, we were impressed by the streetscape and landscaping throughout the city - especially the plantings along the high traffic railroads in the city! Even in less trafficked and poorer areas we noticed the effort of plantings. Also - holy moly the murals ! No one told us we would see such remarkable street art.
We immensely enjoyed our stay at the Historic Central Hotel and would absolutely stay there again if we were ever to return. We so appreciated the complimentary water bottles. The seating areas were so welcoming that (particularly with jet lag issues) various members of my family left their rooms to just sit in the gorgeous atrium at various points. The breakfasts there were terrific, and the concierge and wait staff there were charming, interesting people who seemed happy to be encountering and welcoming visitors to their country. Visiting the Casa Azul was sensational - how many museums in the world are dedicated to female artists? It felt really special. The pyramids were, of course, stunning. Most of all, what we enjoyed was meeting people and seeing our teenagers try out their beginning Spanish with patient, friendly, and proud people who made them feel like welcomed neighbors to a beautiful and special country.

The not-so-wonderful parts: Our hotel in Puebla was clean and centrally located. However, when we ran into difficulties with the AC, we had a series of increasingly unpleasant interactions with the front desk and the staff member who assured us that they had AC. They told us there were no other free rooms, they told us things would be fixed the next day, etc, etc...it was pretty miserable. If they could have simply agreed with us that it was broken and apologized, and moved us to an open window room, we could have been far less frustrated. Thanks to Kim Kim, things were partly rectified (we moved into a room with windows that opened), but I still don't think that hotel Diana was ready for international travelers who expect more straightforward dealings (and perhaps a modicum of English from the front desk).

The things that could be better for future travelers:
1) We were a bit frustrated to run into so many places (with Liliana) that were closed to the public on Saturday and that we couldn't visit. Similarly, Puebla is not best explored on a Monday, as we found out.....almost all the museums
and the central cathedrals were closed! So I don't know if it would have been possible, but in retrospect, perhaps those issues could be part of a plan.
2) Direct folks to a different hotel in Puebla

Thank you for all your excellent work! I can tell it is a business for you all but a business with a heart.

We can not recommend Robi enough. Our trip was well organized and exactly what we were looking for. From the day we landed to the day we left Robi made sure we were taken care of. He arranged all of our transfered from the airport to the different islands we visited. And then when we did the self driving part of our trip he made sure our car was delivered to our hotel.
We enjoyed everything about our trip and can not think of one negative thing to say. If you are planning a trip to Croatia Robi is great at arranging anything you want for you. He will customize your trip to fit your travel style. Our group was my husband and I and 4 adult children and we all had a fantastic time in Croatia!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marul

Split

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Skradinski buk

Skradin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cornaro Hotel

Split

Beautiful hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

We loved this hotel because we had 4 adult children who loved the resort lifestyle and the pool bars. If your looking for a quiet hotel you should look somewhere else. It was quite loud in the lobby of the hotel but the rooms were still quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marko Polo

Korčula

Not a bad hotel but air conditioning was broken when we were there plus there was construction outside the hotel so when we opened the window it was very loud.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorgo Palace

Ston

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Villa Argentina

Dubrovnik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dubrovnik and Elaphiti islands - Lopud and Koločep boat and hike

Croatia

Enjoyed walking the walls in Dubrovnik. In the afternoon Goran did a great job boating us out to the Elaphiti islands. Awesome seeing Dubrovnik and surrending islands from the boat. Great lunch in Kolocep!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Split and transfer to accommodation

Split

Goran was waiting at the airport to pick us up. We had an enjoyable ride down to Dubrovnik with Goran telling us all about Croatia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tomaz thanks for doing our itineraries we had a great memories to treasure in Switzerland. The people are very helpful if we have questions and they are very friendly too. The Swiss pass is very helpful too were able to see the olympic museum , Jesuit church, the oldest library and many more. We love nature so Switzerland was perfect. We had some minor problem about the vouchers in Vinorama & the Matterhorn but you respond right away when i called we do appreciate that. Again from the bottom of our hearts a big thanks

Meldy

Hotel Reviews

Ruby Mimi Zurich

Zurich

Authenticity & Character

close to every thing

Location

near to the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel des Patients Lausanne

Lausanne

Authenticity & Character

the room is huge

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alpenblick Superior

Zermatt

Authenticity & Character

close to the gorge

Location

quite far from the train station , need a taxi

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Artos Interlaken

Interlaken

Authenticity & Character

10 min walk from train station, garden i like & the view

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waldstätterhof Swiss Quality Hotel

Luzern

Authenticity & Character

close to train station

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Montreux on your own

Switzerland

Lavaux vineyards , & Chateau de Chillon something to remember

Quality of Experience

Vinorama in Lavaux

Switzerland

Beautiful scenery, we got lost , instead of going down we went up to the houses

Quality of Experience

Zürich city guided walking tour

Switzerland

The weather was hot , over all its ok, we can do it without a guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

transportation is through swiss pass so i

Cheese Tuk-tuk tour

Lucerne

Pascal showed us around Lucern with wine & cheese fondue, potatoes are abundant unlike the one in Grindelwald Bebbis restaurant 1 small potatoes not even cook, 1 broccoli & the cheese not enough, , potatoes is not even that expensive not to recommend that restaurant it sucks

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have travelled to Europe many many times but this time, I felt like a VIP! From the very first moment when my travel companion, Debra, and I, Janis, were met at the airport by a nicely dressed man who drove us in a Mercedes to a beautiful modern hotel in Milan, I was impressed. And first impressions count! The hotel in Milan was perfectly located next to the train station, which made it so easy for getting around, especially to the city center. Our room was lovely. Great way to begin our trip! We did spend more than an hour that first afternoon trying to find the car rental location, in preparation for the next morning. We didn't have the name of the local agency, even though I had inquired, only the umbrella company. And the local agency was located a couple of blocks away from the train station. We did finally find it, but it was a struggle. When we picked up the vehicle the next morning, it was very dirty inside. It had not been cleaned at all. And it had no gas.
So we had to immediately fill it. This was the only low point in our trip.
We proceeded to Merano and spent three nights there, really enjoying the little town I had booked accommodations in: Marlingo.
So, then we left for the KimKim portion of our trip, stopping first in Bellagio. Our accommodations were in the old part of the town, in a neighborhood all locals knew, so even when we got lost walking, we were kindly directed to our accommodations. (I'm now going to rate the activities and guides on a 10-pt scale, with 10 being outstanding.). The first morning our guide Silvia showed up at our hotel, exactly on time, and we set off for some incredible hiking with her. She was wonderful and we enjoyed her and her knowledge of the area immensely. She even brought a coffee heater with her and snacks so we could overlook Lake Como on our break. I can't say enough good things about Silvia. What a gem! (10!)(However, we puzzled over how much to "tip" all of our personal guides and drivers. That would be a good thing to include in trips for visitors like us, especially since it was just the TWO of us.)
The next day, we walked to the bicycle rental, got fitted for e-bikes and met our guide Philip. He was also FABULOUS! He took us all over, on steep roads, through narrow streets and on to the top of the mountain, where he recommended a restaurant, which we ended up reserving for that night's dinner. When I had a little accident the next day, I was able to contact him for a dental recommendation. He too is a gem! (10!)
Then we moved onto Stresa. What a lovely old 'classic' hotel, and right next to the ferry to the islands. Very convenient.
Without any guided tours there, however, it didn't have the same engaging 'personality'/ambience for us as Bellagio did, because of Silvia's and Philip's warmth and charm.
Next, we drove to Alba and our hostess at Cortiletto d'Alba was extraordinarily warm and welcoming. She couldn't do enough for us, including showing us where the free parking was! Our meals there (breakfast was included, but we also had dinner there two evenings) were wonderful. Each of our accommodations was so unique from the previous. We truly enjoyed the variety. Silvie was our guide through Alba, and she was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. (8). Finding the restaurant for lunch was a little confusing, but it was delicious. That morning, driving into the hills for the wine tasting was a real adventure, as the roads there felt more like old narrow 'wagon trails.' But we found it, and joined six others in a lovely wine tasting with the most sensational views. It was phenomenal. (10!) Having both been in Tuscany, separately, on trips a few years ago, we relished the beauty and the quiet of the Piedmont. There were few people - not like in Tuscany. We'd go again in a heartbeat!!
And the truffle hunt: what an experience that was! We were again picked up by a driver in a very nice car, up to where we met the trifalau and his girl dog Buca. The driver left, and the three of us plus Buca tramped through the woods. When the trifalau (Carlo, I think) gave the signal, Buca began sniffing around through the woods, starting to dig when she smelled a truffle buried deep in the earth. We found two truffles, and learned SO much about truffles. It was an experience I've wanted to have for years; this was exceptional! (10!)
Then we drove to Genoa, where we were met by our driver who drove us to Monterosso. What a joy not to have to schlept our bags onto a train. Again, VIP treatment and we loved it!
And we so enjoyed our accommodations in Monterosso: perfect location in the village and the host was so kind to us. Francesco was our guide from Corniglia to Vernazza and he was excellent and very caring. (9)
The pesto making experience was such GREAT FUN! Both being cooks, we appreciated all the little insights Simone told us about the hands-on process. We each got an apron, we were fed heaps of food for lunch, and every couple received a half bottle of Cinque Terre wine. (10!)
The sunset cruise was a little disappointing. We didn't have the name of the company, only the name of the boat. Locals tried to help us, but told us the boat (by the name we had - Guiliana) was moored in Monterosso. It was only with the help of six locals that we finally connected with the right boat company. It was other guests scheduled for the same boat that made our departure even later. There were 14 of us plus the driver/guide. Most people had to sit on the flat padded part of the boat, but we chose the rear where we could sit with our feet on the boat's floor (much more comfortable). The appetizers (foaccacia) were stale and tasteless. We fed the pieces to the seagulls. The guide opened up 11 bottles of Prosecco but Debra and I only drank a few ounces as it wasn't very good Prosecco. The sunset was beautiful and the guide told us a bit about each of the five towns. (7)
The driver back to Genoa was right on time (actually early) and he dropped us at the appointed places, Debra to the airport and me to the train station, for my trip to Nice.
Jessica was a joy to communicate with and make such a customized plan. I was impressed by AXUS - what a helpful and informative app! I can't recommend Jessica enough. During the trip, Barbara too was such a help, and always available despite the hour of our needing assistance or clarification. On a scale of 1 - 10, STORYWALKING gets an 11!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Stella della Marina

Monterosso

Authenticity & Character

Clean and modern. Lots of stairs however!

Location

Staff

Host/owner/manager is such a hard worker; he does it all; and very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal

Stresa

Classic, old style hotel - very elegant - beautiful location. Free parking on site. Right next to the ferry to the islands. Fabulous breakfast buffet. Our room had a lovely balcony.

Authenticity & Character

Charming "old world" feel

Location

Just off the water, a short walk to the main portion of Stresa along the water

Staff

Bartender

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Cortiletto d'Alba

Alba

The staff is so warm and welcoming; truly exceptional people. Location is perfect, very close to the old part of Alba. There is free parking, although it can be difficult to find. Delicious food, for breakfasts, and dinners are exquisite (make reservations; it's popular!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andirivieni Bellagio Guest House

Bellagio

Authentic, charming accommodations. Free parking right at the entrance. Good staff. Terrific location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

STAR HOTEL ECHO

MILANO

Location

Right next to the train station; you can go anywhere in Europe from here!

Cleanliness & Comfort

A beautiful and modern hotel, filled with art - really a knockout!

Activity Reviews

Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour

Italy

Pesto Experience

Italy

Alba & Barolo Exclusive Experience

Italy

The Ghisallo Family E-Xperience

Bellagio

Philip gave us four hours.

Bellagio peak: Monte San Primo

Italy

Cinque Terre Trekking Adventure

Italy

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

I forgot to include this in my overall review. Perhaps it's because it wasn't much of a event. The vineyard owner was late. She took us through her family's vineyard, describing different methods of growing the vines. Then set us up at the table with the first of four wines to taste. Then she was through with us. Establishment was short staffed and the wine shack is on the public trail. So it took us a while to figure out that we weren't going to be served the other three wines unless we asked at the wine shack. The employee apologized and tried to make up for our being ignored. The wines were just okay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had to wait a long time for a bus because the first bus was too crowded. And the only way down after the event was to walk, or wait two hours for a bus. Good thing we were prepared with good walking shoes and walking sticks - otherwise I would not have been able to cope with the rocky steep trail. I don't think this was worth it.

Trang was our travel agent and went above and beyond. She took care of our Visas when we couldn't get them to go through the system. She also helped us when Air France screwed up our luggage on the way home.
Our local guide was Huy and our driver Chong. Huy was very knowledgeable and spoke fluent English. We requested a different/specific hotel in cat ba and it ended up being the only negative experience we had. Trang and Huy knew better. We should have listened to their recommendations. Having Chong and Huy with us the whole 9 days made for such an easy adventure. They did a great job! I would highly recommend them.

How to arrange a seemingly impossible vacation with grandchildren?? Contact Kimkim to be sure. We wanted to travel to
The United Kingdom with a 12 and 15 year old , but were unsure how to make these arrangements. Stephen made the trip happen seamlessly. From pickup at the airport into our hotel in London, to travel from Bath to Oxford and return to Heathrow we had knowledgeable and most importantly, reliable guides. Stephen worked with us for several months to fine tune the overall trip to our particular interests, and kept in contact during our stay. Thanks so much.

Hotel Reviews

Courtyard by Marriott Oxford City Centre

Oxford

Easy walk to central business district. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath

Bath

Great location within easy walking distance of central Bath. Wonderful amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleveland Hotel

London

Within easy walking distance of several underground stations. No breakfast, but many convenience stores nearby also. Kitchenette provided all necessities. Wonderfully divided room for adults with children.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Punting in Oxford

England

This was a wonderfully relaxing way to end our whirlwind visit to England. Wonderful boxed lunch was included with our tour so it was even better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable cushions in the boats

Oxford: Harry Potter Tour with Divinity School Entry

Oxford

Our guide's accent was so strong that we could hardly understand what she said. She did call to say she was running late, which was good, but then she was another 15 minutes late for our appointed time. We had trouble keeping up when she walked and the things she showed us did not impress. Stood beside the ice cream stand rather than strolling the courtyard. We ended the tour in a market looking at Alice in Wonderland balloons!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking was entirely too fast.

Historical Walking Tour of downtown Bath (not much distance covered!)

Bath

Our guide, Andy took us for a wonderful 2 hour stroll through the town. He is an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Audio guides allowed us to take our time and enjoy.

Private driver/guide

England

Mike Rowland was a wonderful guide stopping at a tiny Cotswold village and providing lots of history and information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Stonehenge from Bath

Bath

It is surely a must do when in the UK

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bath - A Hawk Walk you say?

Bath

The grandkids were able to have a hawk land and feed about 30 times. Wonderful energetic guide, Alice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cab driver was very prompt when summoned

Guided tour of V & A museum

London

Wonderful guide Luciana took us through the museum pointing out many interesting things that we surely would have missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luciana made this a great experience

London Eye timed entry tickets

London

Able to board quickly and individual cars were roomy

Quality of Experience

Hop-on, Hop-off Bus

London

Don't do it. We were stuck in traffic and the audio for the bus was worse than terrible. They played irritating music between narration which was in our case 90 5 of the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very crowded and impersonal

Transport

Better audio

Tower of London Early Access Tour with Beefeater

London

Tour was listed for 8:30, but due to an underground closure we missed by 10 minutes. We also were perplexed trying to find the meeting point. Allow lots of extra time for travel in the city. Our guide never contacted us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Entry tickets to The Churchill War Rooms

London

We loved this experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private transfer to your accommodation. Then check-in or bag-drop

London

Let us know of his arrival by text.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

To a person, the local guides were terrific. It was also reassuring to be met by transfer folks to get us to our destinations. Rhodes turned out to be our favorite experience.
Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Vista Del Porto Luxury Suites

Rethymno Crete

Excellent space and accommodation. Enjoyed the kitchen and spacious terrace. Surprised how noisy it was even on non harbor side throughout the night. Attentive but not intrusive management. Conveniently located to sites and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Callia Retreat Suites

Good stuff: really helpful staff, quiet and calm location away from congestion, just a block away from terrific winery with dining, lovely pool area with good views. Good, varied breakfast. Disappointing: small room, only window was the door, which meant difficulty with privacy. A couple of rooms would have better privacy and sea views—on second floor. Shower was small with no closure to keep water from spraying. Sometimes all lounge chairs at pool occupied.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Calm and quiet; it was an uphill walk to town.

Staff

Enthusiastic and competent staff almost to a person. Excellent housekeeping staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall very clean the bed was in concrete frame with rim that made it somewhat uncomfortable for getting up and out.

Rodos Park Suites & Spa

Rhodes

Fabulous staff that went out of way to help: desk staff, breakfast, and George the lifeguard. Comfortable room with balcony terrace for our lunches. Easy walk to old city. Green and lush surroundings. Only downside was too loud traffic noise. Electric vehicles really needed here! Good spa experience for massage.

Authenticity & Character

Comfortable

Location

So convenient to old city to get access prior to cruise hordes.

Staff

Went out of the way to be helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Experience in Rethymno

Rethymno

Really enjoyed our guide Ioannis, an appealing and expert individual. Lovely walking tour that uncovered the past as well as more contemporary insights like women’s suffrage in early 20th century.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We opted to depart following excellent winery lunch (4 pm) as it was long day, and we were staying nearby. Definitely go on day when Prehistoric Museum is included (not Tuesdays) as it is essential to understanding the site, or go on your own as we did. The lost Atlantis experience may be better suited to children. Stellar guide Tanya.

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent wine tasting with interesting and tasty four course meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rhodes Walking Tour

Rhodes

Rhodes was unexpectedly stunning, our favorite among three islands visited. Nicholas, our guide, was a delight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Trip to Explore Knossos Palace and Museum from Rethymno

Rethymno

Superb guide and amazing place. I recommend reading the historical fiction by Mary Renault, The King Must Die.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Typography Museum, Byzantine Collection & Walking Tour in Chania

Greece

This is a gem of a museum somewhat outside Chania. Excellent displays on history of printing and writing. Interactive.

Quality of Experience

Excellent museum docent

Lorenza was awesome! We had a couple of hiccups in our travels and she was right there to help us during each one. We were amazed at the level of communication, the customer service and care she showed. I truly feel she is absolute the best available anywhere! I have already raved to other travelers about Kim Kim and Lorenza. I will definitely be calling her again when I travel to Italy.