Kimkim Trip Reviews

On Christmas Day 2019, I told my then-82-year-old father that I was going to take him to France in 2020 to visit the places our ancestors lived in the 17th century before immigrating to La Nouvelle France (present-day Quebec and Nova Scotia). Dad is the family historian and an accomplished genealogist, so this was my effort to make a dream come true for him, though it turned out to be a tremendous gift for myself. The pandemic delayed our plans, but our trip to France in April 2023 ended up being both worth the wait and worth every penny/euro spent. The return on our investment was remarkable, with quality accommodations, expert guides, wonderful assistance from our private driver, and some delicious meals included. Truly, this trip was among the very best experiences of my life, and I will be forever grateful for it.

We started to plan by highlighting the locales we most wished to visit, and then Josee, our local specialist, recommended excursions, secured expert guides, and made arrangements for accommodations. At every step she was professional, helpful, and encouraging. My father is in good health, but he has some stamina/mobility issues, so I wanted to establish some safeguards to ensure his comfort and access to all we wished to see. Josee could not have been more helpful! Not only did she help me prioritize places to visit, she also made sure that we had private guides, a driver with a wheelchair in his van for my dad to use as needed, and an emergency number to call in case of any glitches. We only had to use the emergency number once when plans for one night's accommodations fell through; in a matter of minutes, Josee helped us secure an alternate place to stay, at no extra charge to us.

It's hard to express how meaningful this trip was for my father and me. Our time in Paris was nothing short of magical, with a lovely stay at Les Villas des Artistes, in walking distance to wonderful restaurants, bookshops, Les Jardins de Luxembourg, and more. A luncheon river cruise on the Seine was the perfect way for Dad to see the sights of the city, and we enjoyed a marvelous tour of Sainte Chapelle with an expert guide, who also walked us over to see Notre Dame from the outside, and the Parisian Flower Market. An excursion to Monet's gardens in Giverny with another guide, Paul, was absolutely wonderful. He was a font of knowledge about Monet's life and art, and he also was able to tell us a lot about the surrounding areas and their history as we drove between Paris and Giverny.

Our driver, Christophe, who would stay with us for 6 of our 9 days in France once we left Paris, picked us up and brought us to Chartres for the next leg of our journey. He was courteous, attentive, professional, and helpful. Chartres is a lovely, walkable town, with the Chemin de Memoire offering great opportunities for exploration and reflection. Our guide for a tour of the Chartres Cathedral and the surrounding medieval town, Claire, was incredibly kind and knowledgeable, and the sights we saw were breathtaking.

We ended up staying in a small town in Perche, L'Aigle, for the next stop, in a community near to the village where the first ancestor of our family name came from, Tourouvre. We enjoyed exploring L'Aigle (look for the beautiful "Remarkable Trees of France," and the small Eglise Saint Martin), but the highlight was when our driver took us to Tourourve, where we went to the church where our ancestor was baptized and saw his name on a plaque. The church is called L'Eglise Saint-Aubin, and it includes stained glass windows commemorating the immigration of many people from Perche to Quebec in the 17th century. It is a must-see for Franco-American and Quebecois visitors with roots in the area. A nearby museum, Les Museales de Tourouvre, has a permanent exhibition devoted to these immigrants, and we stumbled upon it in a stroke of good luck. The person at the admissions desk even gave us a printout of the materials they had in their digital archive about our ancestor. I should add that our driver wasn't expecting this side trip, and he was very understanding and patient during what turned out to be the most personally meaningful day of our trip.

We next spent two nights in Bayeux in order to tour sites associated with D-Day: Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery, Pointe de Hoc, and a drive by the British Cemetery. Our guide, Stephane, was brilliant, and I only wish we'd had more time to spend with him! He even followed up with additional photos and resources for us to peruse at our leisure. On our own, we also managed to squeeze a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry museum to see the famed 11th-century tapestries commissioned by William the Conqueror to document and celebrate his conquest of England. This was an unexpected addition to our itinerary, and we felt so fortunate to be able to see it. Our stay in Bayeux at L'Hotel Lion D'Or was spectacular, and the Bayeux Cathedral was another special stop.

Finally, we went to Liseux to celebrate the centenary of the beatification of St. Therese de Liseux, an important figure in our Franco American family's Catholic faith tradition. It was sheer luck that our visit coincided with this celebration, though when I said so to our wonderful guide, Ria, she said that it was, "providence." In any case, it was an event never to be forgotten, and the tours of the visitor's center and the basilica were moving and informative. The Mass itself, led by the Cardinal, and attended by over 1,000 people, including many members of the clergy, was beautiful.

I will recommend KimKim to anyone planning a trip abraod, and especially to those travelling with or as elderly people who next a little extra tlc. I know that I will turn to KimKim again in the future, and I am so very grateful for this trip.

Megan St. Marie
President, Modern Memoirs, Inc.
www.modernmemoirs.com

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes

Paris

A lovely boutique hotel, with excellent continental breakfast. The surrounding neighborhood includes terrific restaurants (La Closerie des Lilas, Le Dome Montparnasse, creperies near la rue Montparnasse) and not-to-be-missed bookstores, Tschann Librarie and Tschann Jeunesse, and the Jardin des Grands-Explorateurs and Les Jardins du Luxembourg are less than a 1/2 mile away on foot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyriad Lisieux

Lisieux

This was our least favorite among all the hotels due to its location and lack of things to do in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Lion d'Or et restaurant la Table du Lion

Bayeux

A fancy and special hotel with beautiful rooms but no elevator. Such a great way to cap our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Cosy Bayeux

Bayeux

Au Petit Paradis

Sainte-Gauburge-Sainte-Colombe

We had a mix-up with our reservation, but the innkeeper was understanding and recommended another hotel nearby. This place would be great for people with their own car who want to stay in the countryside.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Mercure Chartres Centre Cathédrale

Chartres

We were very happy with this hotel. It was comfortable, and there were restaurants within walking distance. We also had time to explore the surrounding area and visit the Chemin de Memoire.

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Activity Reviews

Private tour of Lisieux (2-hours)

France

The private tour of Lisieux was a serendipitous experience. The tour guide, Maria, was a devout Catholic with extensive knowledge of the saint's life and the memorial site

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

We had a guide named Stefan, who had spent 40 years studying the history of the battles of Normandy. The tour started with a visit to the British cemetery, followed by a trip to Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery, and the visitor center. We also visited Pointe du Hoc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private tour of Chartres (2-hours)

Chartres

Our guide, Claire, was wonderful and knowledgeable. The tour of the medieval part of the town and the Chartres Cathedral was breathtaking and moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day tour to Giverny from Paris

Paris

Our guide, Paul, was knowledgeable and friendly. Monet's gardens were spectacular, and we had a fantastic time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch cruise on the Seine (Premier Service included)

Paris

The lunch cruise was fabulous, with delicious food and great views of the city. It was an excellent way for my dad to see parts of the city without having to walk too much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

Our guide was knowledgeable, and we enjoyed the tour of St Chapelle. Unfortunately, the Conciergerie was closed early, but the company said they would credit our account. We also visited Notre Dame but couldn't tour it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ana and the team at Shanti helped us plan and book a phenomenal trip through Bali! She had all the local knowledge needed to help us customize our itinerary to our interests and prioritize activities that worked for us. She set us up with amazing local guides, including our driver for the week (Rusna!), a trail guide on Mt. Batur, and a guide through the highlights of Ubud. Most importantly, she was an on the ground, local contact available throughout our trip to answer questions and help us with any changes. Highly recommend the KimKim custom planning experience broadly and Ana and her Shanti team specifically!

Hotel Reviews

Biu Biu Resort

Jimbaran

Gorgeous, cliff side location. Drinks and extra amenities were a bit expensive compared to other places, but overall experience was positive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A/C in our room was hit and miss and the room was definitely "rustic."

Arkamara Dijiwa Ubud

Bali

Beautiful grounds, super helpful staff, and comfortable room. They provided a shuttle to central Ubud during regular hours and had special agreements with approved taxis that they could book on our behalf in off hours. The front desk was always accessible via WhatsApp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Moksha Eco Friendly Boutique Resort

Tabanan

Gorgeous grounds, great food, and exceptional staff. Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful, scenic grounds but not located near other amenities. Felt isolated.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit the UNESCO Jatiluwih Ricefield

Indonesia

One of our favorite stops on the trip! An absolutely gorgeous walk through rice terraces with scenic mountain views beyond. We would have loved to spend more time enjoying this place!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit Goa Gajah Cave

Indonesia

This was a super super touristy place. As one of our first popular temple visits we did, we weren't aware and equipped to stop a guy from coercing us into a tour and insisting on payment at the end. We felt trapped in a guided tour we didn't actually ask for and in a show of performative religion that didn't feel respectful to the actual roots of the place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunrise trek to Mount Batur

Indonesia

Tough climb with gorgeous views!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Ubud VW Safari Car Tour

Ubud, Bali

Superb driver who customized the day trip to our interests...and also took fantastic photos (an unexpected bonus!)!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip had a wonderful time.
My only complaint is the lack of communication once the fee was paid.

Activity Reviews

Whale Watching Olafsvik

Iceland

saw hump back whales, sperm whales, orcas, dolphins and puffin, my children were over the moon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horse Riding Tour

Iceland

Beautiful location, beautiful horses and amazing guides

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Nice place but not much to do after awhile

Quality of Experience

Our trip to the Dominican Republic was amazing thanks to Kimkim and our local travel specialist Marina. The trip was well-planned and customized appropriately to our needs and wishes. This service allowed us a stress-free trip preparation experience and enabled us to enjoy traveling to a country where we we not fluent in the language. All of our accommodations, drivers and excursions were awesome! We got the authentic travel experience we wanted, and learned so much about Dominican history and culture during our stay. We much appreciated the included meals, which featured nutritious, locally grown products, and enabled us to sample Dominican cuisine.

An important note to mention however is, if you are like us, and want to support small local businesses, it is good to come prepared with a mindset on what you want to purchase or how much you can spend prior to entering shopping spaces, and being prepared to negotiate on price (or even politely say no). Although the majority of the vendors we encountered were easy-going and helpful, several of the vendors at Tres Ojos National Park were overly aggressive and tried to overcharge for their products. Being prepared for this and having basic level Spanish helps the traveler immensely in these situations. This was a minor issue however, and did not detract from what was an overall great trip to the stunning Tres Ojos limestone caves.

Our most memorable excursion was the hike adventure to El Limon Waterfall, where the views were breath-taking. We were fortunate to have a wonderful guide Andres, who took great care of us on this challenging trek through the forest and rocky landscapes.

Our day trip to Playa Rincon and Caño Frio was also memorable for the natural beauty of the Samana region and our knowledgeable guide Frank, who gave us a wealth of information on Dominican life. This was a relaxing way to spend the last day of our trip.

On the last morning of our trip, we encountered a problem when our driver had car trouble and was not able to pick us up for transport to the airport. It was a simple process for us to contact our travel specialist Marina, who came through for us and arranged for an alternate driver (Cabayeron), who was diligent about getting us to the airport safely and on time. Kudos to Marina for exceptional local travel specialist support during this trip. We love the Kimkim business philosophy and would definitely use Kimkim again for future trips. We whole-heartedly recommend Kimkim to other travelers.

Hotel Reviews

Mosquito Boutique Hotel

Las Terrenas

Mosquito Boutique was delightful place to stay. Located right on the beach, the views were exquisite, especially at sunrise and sunset. The onsite restaurant was very convenient for dinners, and also provided an awesome daily breakfast for hotel guests. The overall vibe of the place was very relaxed and friendly, and hotel staff were very accommodating. Our room was clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hodelpa Caribe Colonial

Santo Domingo

Great hotel for a stay in Santo Domingo. It is conveniently located in the Colonial Zone area with many restaurants and historic places to visit within walking distance. Our room was clean and comfortable. Hotel front desk staff were professional and very responsive to our needs. Complimentary breakfasts were delightful and featured many local dishes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full day excursion to Playa Rincón

Samaná

Quality of Experience

Food

The local lunch provided onsite at the beach was wonderful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Adventure to El Limón Waterfall

Samaná

Quality of Experience

Food

The Dominican lunch provided by Restaurante Santi after our hike was awesome!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Los Tres Ojos National Park Excursion

Santo Domingo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Highlights of our Portugal Adventure:

Helena arranged an amazing itinerary that gave us a taste of Portugal and we'll be back. We appreciated Helena's responsiveness and ideas. She was also great at helping with problem solving when we realized that we couldn't make our connecting flight.

1. Our Douro Valley visit to small family run quinta Maos e Irmaos with personal wine tasting & pairing with owner Rafael followed by wine lunch prepared and served in the family dining room. We really enjoy getting to know the people and the culture so this experience was PERFECT for us. Also we loved our driver Rui Queiroz, who was extremely personable and informative. He gave us a great dinner recommendation in Matosinhos at O Valentim . We were lucky enough to have Rui as our driver to Coimbra as well. We especially loved the stop at the Buçaco Forest and Rui took us to Restaurante Mugasa for piglet which he added on his own since he knew we were big foodies!
2. Day trip to Sintra with our amazing driver/guide Paulo Ferreira Pires...we actually wished we had more time in Sintra. Paulo took us to this really cool small family owned restaurant called Refugio do Ciclista. Again we loved this little hole in the wall family run place where we got to meet the owners. The tour of the Palacio nacional da Pena and gardens were amazing. Afterwards Paulo took us to his wife's restaurant, The Bristol for a welcomed coffee and traditional pastries.
3. Our stay at the Convento do Espinheiro was by far the best of all of the accommodations. We loved wandering around this incredible historic site.
4. Jeep Safari of the cork forest with Joana ....Joana was a wealth of knowledge and we really enjoyed learning about cork. Folowed by the Olive Oil estate tasting with João Rosado...we loved this small family run estate and having a lovely lunch prepared by his wife.

All in all it was an amazing adventure and Helena did a GREAT job. Thank you so much.

Our guide Pietrus was the best. Loved the lodge. It went smooth all the way around

Pascu Robredo gastronomic tour in Balboa was excellent

Gastronomy tour in Oviedo was not what we expected. Noella was a lovely guide and taught us so much about the city. She gave us a history tour, not a food tour we were expecting.
She walked us around the city for two hours and showed us pictures of food on her before she took us to eat.
This would have been wonderful if we had not expected a food tour.

Hotel Review

Puebloastur Eco-Resort Wellness & Spa

Cofiño, Parres

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Bilbao Pintxos Experience: Tapas of the Basque Country

Bilbao

Our trip was amazing. Sharon and our driver Rafiq met our every need. My one and only complaint is the tipping situation. Every person (other than Sharon and our drivers) we encountered expected a tip. And, if they didn’t get the tip they expected they were visibly unhappy. Some even mumbling and stomping away. The tipping is out of control. We believed we had paid for everything in advance and did expected small tips for porters. But did not understand why tour guides and sales people expected tips.

Hotel Reviews

Riad al Rimal

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Perle du Dadès

Boumalne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Merzouga Dunes Camps

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Hicham

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Didn’t stay here because they were having water issues. Stayed at Riad Dar Chrifa. Dar Chrifa was excellent. The host Michael (Toufal) was fantastic. He gave us info on Morocco, some of its customs and culture. He graciously attended to our every need and made us feel at home with his hospitality and humor. He is a real asset for Riad Dar Chrifa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Driving Tour of Casablanca

Casablanca

Our original driver, Rafiq, needed to leave us for another job. He introduced us to our driver for this last day in Morocco, Sallam. Sallam was great! He made our last day wonderful. And Rafiq checked in with Sallam to be sure we were well taken care of.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

My husband wasn’t feeling well. We told the guide we wanted to shorten the tour. He was very flexible and followed our wishes. At the end of the tour we tipped him an amount we thought was appropriate. He stomped away mumbling. It was obvious he was not appreciative of the tip we had given.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day with the Locals in the Valley of Roses

Morocco

I really enjoyed the cooking lesson, but was slightly disappointed thinking we would actually spend time with a family learning more about day to day life in Morocco. Maybe just my miss understanding.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Ifraine and Azrou - Camel Trek to Desert Camp

Morocco

We had a blast!! Our driver, Rafiq, surprised us when he can to the camp in the evening to play the drum, sing and dance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Orientation Walk & Free Afternoon in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rabat to Chefchaouen

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

Met our driver, Rafiq. Rafiq is absolutely the best. He was attentive, flexible and made our stay in Morocco interesting and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver, Rafiq, was the best!

Transport

Lucy organised a most fantastic itinerary for us in Namibia and Mauritius. Nothing was too much trouble in the planning stage and she was very flexible and patient in helping us adjust the details of our trip, answering our queries and choosing the right accommodation. Everything went smoothly once we were there.

Our trip to Morocco was pretty amazing. Morocco is a fascinating country with rich culture. We planned our trip to Morocco as a "rout trip" to visit the country and city where my mom was born. Sharon from Morocco Immersion, (through KimKim), did an amazing job in planning our trip. Sharon took into consideration every information given to her and catered the trip based our requests. We visited Casablanca, Fes, Riad, Chefchaouen and Marrakesh. Sharon and her team thought of everything and made this trip really special.
It was very important for us to experience the culture and architecture, Sharon booked Riads that were beautiful and cozy.
Our driver, Hicham, was one of the key factors to the success of our trip. Hicham, which means - generous, stays true to his name. He was not only a great driver, but a generous, great person, a warm and knowledgeable. He was there to help us with anything we needed. Hicham loves to take selfies and we took a lot of them... Sharon made sure to communicate with Hicham that we wanted to visit the house my mom grew in, and through the local guide Hicham made it happen. Another thing that made this trip special is the fact the Sharon uses local guides in every city. This makes the experience so much special. we felt that we learned from the "locals" and in a way we experienced the local life. Every city we visited has its own charm, and they all were fascinating, beautiful and very unique.
Thank you Sharon and the team at Morocco Immersion for planning and executing such an amazing trip.

Driver Fernando was phenomenal. He took good care of us 4 ladies.

All of the drivers were great. I just don’t remember their names.

Condition of vehicles was 8.

Hotel Reviews

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

The best pools and best beach access. No elevators. Rooms need to be updated. Desk people not very friendly no smiles.

Authenticity & Character

Location

No elevators or accommodations for handicapped

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

Service and accommodations were very Elegant. The breakfast buffet was the best. Everything fresh and décor beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort - Adults Only

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Umami Hotel Garden Spa

Puerto Viejo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Decor, beautiful. Safety good. Staff very good. Would have been nice if they had a real cafe.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

Absolutely exciting! I was a little afraid but glad I did it. I wanted to see a big 🐊 we saw a baby one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

They stuffed to many people in the van.

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had such a wonderful time with Aurora. She made extra special stops here and there to show me authentic food choices and gluten free options as I am gluten free. I really feel lucky to have got to spend so much time with Aurora exploring the culture of Thailand.

Sharon was incredibly responsive and the trip was well planned and we really felt like we got to see many sights in Morocco without feeling rushed. The various accommodations we stayed in were great and Sharon was open to making the trip individualized for us as a family. Every tour guide was highly professional and knowledgeable.

We had an excellent trip, exploring some of the most beautiful parts of France. Highlights included Park Asterix, walking on the Emerald coast of Brittany, the incredible troglodyte villages of the Dordogne, cycling in the Loire and our incredible private tour of the Louvre. Highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hôtel Entraigues

Uzes

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Felt luxurious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Les Terrasses du Midi 3*

Carcassonne

A lovely apartment, great hosts and everything you could want in terms of facilities. Not near the medieval city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Logis Hotel La Chartreuse

Cahors

A very tired hotel, smelled like chlorine. Not a great location, but a good view of the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bon Encontre

Sarlat

Lovely hotel, a bit of a walk from the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Manoir de la Maison Blanche

Amboise

Very friendly host, lots of character. A way from central amboise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Appart'hôtel L'Adresse

Saint-Malo

Great location just outside the old city, nice and tidy hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

Good location, friendly staff, tired hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Les Quais de Lutèce 4*

Plailly

Super fun hotel, great bedding!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Great location, easy to get everywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Roman sites and historical places

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day-tour to Mirepoix, Camon & Montségur Castle

Carcassonne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day excursion in the Dordogne Valley

France

Absolutely fantastic guide and incredible countryside. We want to spend a month in the dordogne!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chambord Horse & Bird of Prey Show

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private visit of Chambord Castle and Gardens

France

Very beautiful area, knowledgeable guide who was excellent with our kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Omaha Beach Half Day Tour

France

Very knowledgeable guide, interesting area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

This was a very interesting tour, but not as engaging for young children. Recommended for teenagers/adults.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Family tour at the Louvre

Paris

I think this was the best tour of our trip. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and fantastic with our kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Biking Day Trip Through Historic Versailles

France

A fantastic way to spend the day, loved it. It’s great to explore Versailles on bike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Germain des Près Food Tour

Paris

Great experience, loved everything about it, including our fabulous guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trip was aligned mutually based on our needs and finally perfectly organized by kimkim guys. All went 100% correct as per our agreement, the service was excellent. Our local specialist was always stand by in case we needed any clarification or help. It was our 2nd trip with kimkim and we had a great experience again. We could focus on our holiday activities, instead of logistics (where, when, how). We don't like to stay at one place only, we prefer to explore the country where we are going to, therefore logistics is quite important and kimkim is providing excellent service in this area.
We definitely recommend kimkim to the others and we will use it in the future again.

Hotel Reviews

Our Jungle House

Khao Sok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Galleria 12 Bangkok Hotel by Compass Hospitality

Bangkok

Good hotel with everything you need. We haven't spend too much time inside. Beds were very comfortable and huge :-) .

Authenticity & Character

Location

The street is very small and narrow, on the other side there is not noise there. Also Skytrain and shops are 5-10 min walk from there, which is very convenient.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Phi Phi Natural Resort

Krabi

Great experience in less busy area of the island.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is located at the northernmost part of the island, not overcrowded by tourists, which we liked a lot. Directly located at the beach. We could watch the sunrise directly from our room and also sunset when walking 10-15 minutes over a small hill.

Staff

Very helpful, whenever we asked for anything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Khao Sok night safari (Our Jungle Resort)

Khao Sok

We were a bit disappointed with night safari. First of all we wouldn't call it safari, however we might be spoiled by real safari in Africa. We would rather call it easy walk through night forest on wide pathways, but a bit overcrowded with lot of other people group, which were unable to keep quiet. Therefore also the number of spotted animals was quite limited (besides insect and some snakes). We were lucky to spot few sleeping monkeys.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day trip to Cheow Lan lake joining tour

Khao Sok

Very relaxing day - the lake is awesome, water is clean and warm. We had enough time for swimming and kayaking, food for lunch was delicious. Hiking to cave and through forest was quite an easy one, we were expecting much more difficult hike. It's easy for kids as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Great experience. Our guide was very actionable and she was explaining everything all the way. Thanks Kanya for great evening.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Austin created the trip that we had no idea we wanted. We basically said to him "we want to visit Ireland" and he delivered the BEST of the country. I cannot stress how easy and pleasant it was to work with Austin. And once we landed in Ireland, it was like he was with us. We followed his guide and had the most amazing trip.

Our trip to Greece was fantastic. They really listened to what our interests are, the age of the group traveling, and developed the trip around that. Everything happened on time, drivers were always on time and we had no hiccups.

Hotel Reviews

The Tanneries Hotel & Spa

Chania

We absolutely loved this hotel! While it wasn't in the middle of town, we could still walk to everything. The hotel itself is beautiful with generous rooms. The restaurant and its staff are excellent and the view is spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Athens Airport

Athens

Nice hotel and the location across the street from the airport was very convenient as we had a 6:00 am flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kivotos Santorini

Santorini

This hotel is a nice hotel but doesn't fit our demographic. The rooms are very dark, with no natural lighting. Because of the indoor jacuzzi everything was damp.

Authenticity & Character

They are trying to tie the volcano ash piece into their theme, but for us it didn't fit the vibe of the island.

Location

Staff

Very attentive - maybe too much so.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adding some natural lighting and ventilation.

DOM Boutique Hotel

Heraklion

Nice hotel with a nice location. Rooms are a bit smaller than other rooms we have been in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was just a little small.

Ergon House Athens

Athens

We really loved this hotel. The location was fantastic, rooms were comfortable and the restaurant was top-notch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Apokoronas Region Seven Villages Private Tour

Chania

This was a very unique tour. It was good because you got to see Crete, but off the beaten path. Definitely areas that most tourists don't get to see. For us, the trip was much more about local food and tasting than most food tours we have been on.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chania Old Town Private Walking Tour with Food & Wines Tastings

Greece

This should not be labelled as a Food and Wine Walking Tour. It is a cultural tour of the City - which we appreciated, however that isn't what the name implies. We started tasting some local cheese, but then finished the evening at a restaurant where we did some wine tasting with appetizers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tasting Menu & Wine Pairing Dinner at Aleria Restaurant

Athens

Half of the group really loved the experience and the other half didn't. It all depends on your food interests and if you like what they are focusing on that evening, it is a great experience. If you don't than not so much so.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

If you are heading to Athens, this is a must see. It explains so much of the Greek culture.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Knossos Palace Small-group Mythological Tour

Greece

This is a super interesting tour and in our opinion, a can't miss. The ruins and the stories behind it all are fascinating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tailored Elafonissi Tour

Greece

This was an unfortunate day, not because of the location or our guide, but because of the weather. To have to spend about 6 hours driving and to have the weather be cold, windy, and rainy when you get to the beach it is very disappointing. I am sure the beach is super beautiful but it wasn't on the day we were there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Santorini Small-group Guided Tour

Santorini

This was a perfect outing for the last day of our 20 day trip. It showed us the true Santorini and Elsa was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip with Enjoy Jordan thru Kim Kim went well. We were a group of 4 that did a 6 days/5 nights around the Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan. Our local guide/driver, Nadir, was amazing!! He went above and beyond (from guiding, driving and even entertainment)!! This is our first trip with KimKim and it's close to no-hassle but we did underwent a couple of issues with the booking and mis-alignment in pricing. Prior to contacting an agency, the group is fully aware that the month of April is peak season, hench, why we reached out to KimKim early (in advance) to ensure we get the Panoramic Tent we wanted in Wadi Rum. Despite of reiterating multiple times, unfortunately, the local tour agency still did not secure a spot. It is disappointing especially after having repeated it multiple times over email of how crucial it is for the group. The second mishap was with regarding to pricing. The initial request was for a total of 8 days (including Aqaba). 2 months leading to the tour we had changed this to 6 days (minus Aqaba). The local tour agent, did not update the pricing up until it was called out.

Activity Reviews

Wadi Rum (Full Day)

Jordan

Our Wadi Rum experience was spectacular. Our local guide, Ibrahim, was very kind and went above and beyond in giving us a phenomenal experience. The drive in the desert is unimaginable, though, I should mention - it is not a jeep drive but a pick-up drive around.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Our local drive/driver was mis-informed about the correct arrival time. We had to wait and search for our immigration guide which took about 15 minutes of waiting/calling KimKim customer service, and we had to wait for about 20 mins for a new driver to come and pick us up.

Quality of Experience

better staffing coordination

Guides, Drivers and Staff

when the guide and driver did eventually come they were welcoming.

Transport

Our trip to Indonesia was a true reprieve from the stresses of regular life, a perfect vacation. Our KimKim specialist Ana organized several lovely events for us but also maintained a comfortable flexibility, listening well and helping us refund things when our energy wasn't up to the big tasks. In particular, our driver throughout the trip, Parma, was one of the kindest, most splendid humans we have ever met and want him to get as much praise possible for hosting us so well. The Komodo Island boat cruise stood out as a spectacular highlight of the trip (we saw Komodo dragons, Mantas, turtles, soft coral, and unreal sunsets). Our guide Tony also stood out as a spectacular and knowledgable friend.

I was very nervous about booking through an online company, as I have travelled before with well known companies. From the moment Dat contacted me, and asked what we wanted to do, his suggestions were all fantastic, and we nervously booked through him, on Version 6 of his planning. We were relieved when we landed in Vietnam, and there was someone with my name on a board waiting….then this happened every flight, or even day tour guides etc…they were all there waiting for us, usually about 10 minutes early on each day. I could highly recommend Dat to anyone wanting to travel to Vietnam…he didn’t miss a thing…I just hope he gets paid well, because we did spend a lot on tipping all his guides and drivers that he had booked, so hoping he does get rewarded for his wonderful work.
Thank you so much Dat…very happy first time online customers!
Lindy and Greg Scott

Hotel Reviews

Adora Art Hotel

Another perfect location…we did end up finding it great to get around HCMC from here. Staff were very helpful, but the markets and great shops were all within 5-10 minutes walk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mekong Lodge

Another great experience, possibly would not repeat, but wonderful to see on first trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Phu Thinh Boutique Hotel & Spa

6 great nights spent here…very relaxing and once again very central to walk anywhere. Even the restaurant owner opposite this hotel became our personal taxi whenever we wanted to go to beaches or tailors etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ÊMM Hotel Hue

2 nights spent here were most enjoyable…the only place we did get ripped off by a taxi driver for going only 2 blocks, as we mixed up the map of where we were headed!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mina Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Another fantastic location chosen by Dat…

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central again…he chose so well

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Verdure Lotus Gradeur (former Halong Aquamarine Cruise)

Ha Long

Another great place to stay for one night on Halong Bay…great big bedroom…lovely food etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well we sailed around Halong Bay

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Prague Saigon Hotel

Good location for tourists, just near Walking Street (pub street), and also close to big market.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very handy to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Continue Mekong Lodge - Ho Chi Minh City

Cai Be

A wonderful morning …spent at the market and industrial area of Cai Abe…we did enjoy this before heading back to a HCMC where we had a couple of last days to shop.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Lodge

Cai Be

Once again a great experience, if I have to be honest, we didn’t love the local singers performing in their home, as it was all in Vietnamese and we couldn’t understand what they were singing etc.. The bike ride itself was good…very interesting life on the island…even funnier for us was seeing the ferry how we got over to island. Then we had a great cooking demonstration back at the lodge.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh city tour - Cu Chi tunnels - Joint in tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Very moving day…the war remnants museum, then to Cu Chi Tunnels….very sad but interesting to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cam Thanh Fishing Village Tour & Basket Boat Ride

Hoi An

Another interesting day, riding through to a fishing village then lunch in a local restaurant again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Ancient Town Walking & Street Food tour (N)

Hoi An

We were taken to museum, temples etc, which are in every town…but still always good to see once. Food was delicious again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue Halfday City Tour (N)

Hue

It’s great to learn a bit about the tradition of the country you are visiting, but half a day is really enough for us in things like this…we did enjoy, but also loved getting back to hotel for a swim.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi (Verdure Grandeur Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Went sailing to see the wild monkeys in Halong Bay.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay (Verdure Grandeur Cruise )

Ha Long Bay

Another great trip to Halong Bay…they even brought me a birthday cake out and sang to me…which was a lovely touch….and then also to Helen who’s bday was 2 days later.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class

Hanoi

Another fantastic experience…going to local market…then going to Chins home to help prepare our large lunch…then a walk around her village to friends homes, who grow/make different things…then onto a tea factory. (Unfortunately, we all did get the runs for a couple of days following this day…so not blaming anything really!)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc - Joint in tour

Hanoi

Another wonderful experience…they are amazing how they row these boats with their feet.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Afternoon City Exploration and Street Food Tour

Hanoi

Really enjoyed Hanoi…the food tour was great, trying traditional foods in several places.

Quality of Experience

B

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We found the Vietnamese people so lovely, even though we struggled with some accents!

Transport

All transport was a wonderful minivan for the four of us.