Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a wonderful trip. Eleni's suggestions were spot on and never failed to impress! Each of our guides was friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and a great ambassador for Greece. Special thanks to Eleni for proactively navigating us through an itinerary change due to nationwide transportation strikes that impacted our original plans. Before we knew it, we had new hotel reservations, flight reservations, and tips for how to spend our extra day in Athens. She made the entire trip stress-free, especially the adjustments.

Amazing trip to Argentina thanks to Ana and her team. Ana was great, paid attention to all our needs and organized everything so well: flights, hotels, tours, and rides. We were on a tight schedule and everything worked out really smoothly. All the tour guides, van drivers and contact people were very kind and helpful. We visited Calafate-Perito Moreno, Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires with our three kids. We came back home with great memories. Thank you to the crew who made it possible.

We would highly recommend Lacey from Kimkim, she really listened to what we did and didn't want to do and built our itinerary around us. She was very responsive through out our trip and answered our queries very quickly. The hotels that she chose for us worked well. All of our tour guides were excellent and Lacey's recommended tours were brilliant, we saw and did activities that we would never have done had we done our own itinerary.

Activity Reviews

Hua Hin - Kanchanaburi sightseeing

Thailand

It is weird to say that going to the war cemetery, the death museum and learning more about how the bridge over the river Kwai was built would be an enjoyable experience. It was and we would recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's sea canoe - Hong by Starlight - Joining excursion

Phuket

A really fun and different day out

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi Island By Joining Speedboat

Krabi

We saw some beautiful islands, beaches and coves.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Love Chiang Mai cooking experience (Morning session)

Chiang Mai

When we were picked up from our hotel we were given a menu to choose the food we wanted to cook, then we were taken to the market to buy the food. The venue was excellent and the guide and his support team made our day. Even if you don't cook or like cooking you would find it difficult not to enjoy this experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The moment we decided in November 2022 that Costa Rica was going to be our honeymoon adventure vacation set for March 2023, I set out to create an itinerary that would be a blend of natural, cultural, and heart-pumping experiences that would fit our time and budget considerations. Since this would be our first visit to Costa Rica I sought the expertise from a couple of tour agencies which included kimkim. At kimkim we were introduced to Bryan, a specialist on his home country of Costa Rica. Before, during, and now, a few days returned from the trip, it's clear that planning with Bryan through kimkim was the best thing to happen for us in creating our getaway.

From the jump, Bryan listened to our ideas, asked all the right questions, made wonderful recommendations, provided incredibly prompt and personal responses to our itinerary requests and considerations, and within a short amount of time put together a personalized, 11-day, self-drive, "we can't wait to go," Guanacaste adventure.

Pura vida! We can say it now, each and every check-in along the way was flawless and anticipated by the receptionist; from car rental pick up and drop off, to each of the 4 hotels we stayed, and all 10 tours we booked.

The accommodations that fit our budget and were available at time of booking included Hacienda Guachipelin in Ricon de la Vieja; Volcano Lodge in Arenal; Fondavela in Monteverde, and Golden Palms Papagayo.

Below is a listing of the notable, day by day highlights*, raves*, and faves* of our 11-day Costa Rica adventure:

After touching down in Liberia we picked up our rental car and dined next door at *La Choza de Laurel

Rincon de la Vieja:
*Hacienda Guachipelin breakfast buffet and dining area
*Hike to Las Pailas and Oropendola Falls with guide *Johnny
*Hacienda Guachipelin tubing the Rio Negro with guides
*Hacienda Guachipelin room and balcony

*Rio Celeste self-hike

Arenal:
*Volcano Lodge flora and fauna
*Volcano Lodge private hot tub and view of Arenal Volcano
*Variety of birds gathering at "banana breakfast buffet" at Surá Restaurant
*Volcano Lodge grounds yoga pavilion, out door workout area, and pool
*The welcoming energy of the entire receptionist staff of Volcano Lodge
*Robert at Surá Restuarant
*La Fortuna Waterfall hike with guide *Kenneth (Arenal Star), sighted 3 toucan species, Deivar providing fresh fruits
*Sloth family viewed at Volcano Lodge parking area
*Ecotermales Hotsprings with buffet dinner
*Arenal 1968 hike w/ *Kenneth, anteater encounter, Pablo providing fresh fruits
*Great cups of coffee on Don Juan’s Coffee and Chocolate tour
*Dinner at Pollo Fortuneño in the city of La Fortuna, *Marlon offering great service

Monteverde:
*Santuario Ecologico visit and hike
*Night Walk: Children’s Eternal Forest with guide *Marvin
*Fondavela Hotel perimeter walk
*Selvatura Park: Canopy tour with *zipline guides, hanging bridges, sloth and butterfly tour. Great lunch and best cup of coffee of the entire trip.

*Palo Verde National Park Boat tour with guide, *Ulysses and Capt. Miguel.
*Great lunch served at Hacienda El Viejo

Papagayo:
*Golden Palms Papagayo resort: receptionist *Angie; comfortable room, lovely pool; easy access to Playa Buena; great rocky beach walk around point
*Kuna Vela morning “sail” and snorkel in Culebra Bay with *Capt. Israel and *First mate Andres.
*Lunch and dinner at Hacienda Blu Beach near Golden Palms
*Lunch at Eco Camping Papagayo

*Suzuki Vitara 4x4, Sport Mode setting, total miles driven about 340

Had an incredible trip to India! Jay was very attentive and listened to my needs to build an incredible itinerary for me. He was even able to include a celebration on Holi for me to attend (when people would normally not be working) which was much appreciated and a once in a lifetime experience! My trip overall was the perfect balance of activity highlights and downtime. As a solo traveler I felt safe at all times. Had great tour guides and drivers and attentive staff greeting me and making sure I had everything I needed at each new destination. Absolutely an effortless and seamless experience! Can’t wait to book another Kim Kim adventure soon :)

My husband and I booked a pretty last-minute trip to south Africa and we were not easy customers! Lize was so incredible patient and helpful, and communicated well, and quickly. This trip wouldn't have happened without her, and it really was glorious! Tangala Lodge was perfect for us, even though it wasn't originally where we were planning to stay. Amenities were basic and clean, yet service was absolutely 5 star! And not a trivial detail--the transfers our stay involved we're SO smooth they were easy to forget! My husband and I never had to wonder how we were going to get from point A to point B.

We went to Morocco with our family friends - total of 4 adults and 4 kids ranging between 7 and 1yo. Megan was excellent in answering our questions and preparing us for our travels.

Once we arrived we met our tour guide Yassine who was phenomenal and exceeded our expectations

Overall an excellent trip , I would highly recommend.

Except for few glitches which were due to small non communication all other arrangements were great and we enjoyed our trip.

We wanted to plan a memorable family vacation to Costa Rica, but felt daunted by the task. We decided to use KimKim and were connected with Fio who helped turn our ideas of areas we wanted to see and things we wanted to do, into a manageable itinerary.

Some of the highlights were the guided tour at Manuel Antonio National Park with our guide, Socio (with Endemic Bird tours). We ended up being the only family on his tour so we had a very personalized experience. His knowledge and ability to spot wildlife in the jungle was extraordinary. We also enjoyed our hotel Costa Verde - we had wonderful ocean views from our balcony and saw toucans and macaws, as well as monkeys and sloths. The room was nice and the grounds were enjoyable - beautiful views from the Anaconda restaurant for breakfast. We also enjoyed evening dining experiences at Cafe Milagro and Claro Que Si. Wonderful food and atmosphere in both.

We were glad to have a rental 4x4 vehicle for the trip - which made it easier to see more areas and definitely needed 4x4 as the roads were not easy in many of the out of the way places like Monteverde.

We enjoyed zip lining in Monteverde at Selvatura Park, but unfortunately we had our first attempt at doing so canceled due to lightning. So one thing we learned is to plan activities for the morning hours to avoid potential rain and maybe storms in the afternoon. The morning weather mostly seemed to be predictably clearer than the afternoon. Selvatura let us reschedule our zip lining tour for the next morning, so we were able to squeeze it in before leaving for Arenal Volvano the next day - and we thoroughly enjoyed the zip line experience so it was worth it to squeeze it in. We enjoyed our hotel - Fondo Vela (again we were glad for the 4x4 as it was tough to get there). It was beautiful, peaceful and the rooms were very nice. We also enjoyed St Elena and Taco Taco restaurant there. We wished we had more time to spend there as it was a very beautiful area with just the right amount of tourist action (didn't feel over touristy).

Our hotel in La Fortuna was nice - it was right off the main road through Fortuna so it was a little underwhelming location wise....but the grounds were pretty and they had a nicely maintained pool and we at at Puira, the adjacent restaurant which was very good. It'd a nice view of the volcano. Fortuna is very touristy feeling - more so than Monteverde and St Elena - but we still enjoyed it. Put your guide Kenneth and driver Roy were fantastic for our La Fortuna waterfall guided hike and the hanging bridges (again we were wishing that we'd had these activities scheduled in the morning as it down poured through out our hanging bridges tour (we consequently didn't see much and we were soaked thru), but it was interesting to be in the middle of the rainforest in the middle of torrential rain so our guides helped us make the best of it. We also thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate and coffee tour while in Fortuna at Don Juan (our guide Yen was very knowledgeable and it was a great tour). We also did our own hike at Arenal Volcano National Park (nice views and easy hiking, pricey entrance fee though for our family of four). Lake Arenal is really pretty and we were once again grateful for the car as we took our time as we drive toward Bijagua, and stopped a few places along the drive around the lake. Unfortunately our son left his iPad at the hotel (Arenal History Inn) in La Fortuna so we had to make the drive twice to go back and get it (I messaged Fio and Nancy thru KimKim and they very wonderfully made the connection with the hotel management to help us get the iPad back from the hotel room he had stayed in). They definitely went above and beyond to assist and it was comforting to feel that they had our backs if something came up that we needed some help with.

Bijagua was very peaceful and felt very authentic- not very touristy. Our tour guide, Freddie, on our Rio Celeste hike was also very skilled at locating animals and spotting things in the jungle including some varieties of beautiful birds and a tapir! We all noted that many of these hikes can be done without guides, but the guides do offer a significant benefit to seeing all sorts of wild creatures and have so much knowledge to offer so it really was worth it to go with guides. We loved our bed and breakfast accommodations in Bijagua - Sueno Rio Celeste (the owners - Marci and Bryant were so hospitable and kind - they recently purchased the Inn but had many valuable suggestions for us including a visit to a jaguar sanctuary about 30 min drive away). If they hadn't told me they'd only been there less than a year, I never would've guessed with how seamlessly they ran the B&B and the wonderful wealth of knowledge they had to share about the area. The grounds are gorgeous - I did yoga and qigong on their newly built yoga deck and was surrounded by monkeys and birds and lovely jungle views. It was so peaceful and another place we wished we had more time.

Our last full day in Costa Rica we spent driving to and exploring Tamarindo - it was very busy and lots of beach/surfer action and tourists. We are at Ocean right on the beach which was nice. Our hotel and overall experience of Tamarindo was underwhelming- our hotel Pasatiempo was just okay - the pool area was nice and the beds were comfortable, but there was bass thumping and music from adjacent bars into the very early hours - lots of partying and tourists which is what some want, but it's not our scene so we were left underwhelmed by Tamarindo. We did thoroughly enjoy our Turtle Night Viewing Tour with Reynolds and Bernie. They drove us to the National Park/protected beach at sunset and filled us with an exceptional amount of information about turtles in our way there. This was our absolute favorite part activity/tour in Costa Rica - they guided us on the dark beach with red lights only and we witnessed baby turtles hatching and several turtles coming out of the water in various stages of digging and prepping their nests for laying eggs. We even saw one turtle laying eggs. It was amazing and a must do activity (but it seemed that having a knowledgeable guide was essential - Bernie and Reynolds seemed to know much more than many of the other guides and so our experience was better - we were the only group to see the turtle lay eggs - the others had all left before this occurred...we felt very fortunate to have Bernie and Reynolds as our guides). Our turtle experience is something none of us will ever forget! Pura Vida!

Overall our trip was fantastic and it was very helpful to use KimKim and have Fio and Nancy's assistance. It was a memorable trip for sure and we appreciated the hassle free planning and organization from Fio.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME…Until I return!

Silvia found the perfect guide in Gummi—one who took special time and attention to make sure we all had an unforgettable experience. Not only do I feel like I saw the landscape and majestic beauty of the land, but I also saw the kindness of the Icelandic culture and community. Iceland has captured my heart and created the most cherished memories.

I have already recommended the KimKim team to all that have asked!

Gummi & Silvia—thank you! This trip was magical!

We experienced a 6 day 5 night holiday with Olman's planning. It was perfect. All transports were perfect. Most were private. The ones that werent were small group. We did not pack light because of extension of cruise at the end. The transport across Arenal lake was a bit of a effort lugging suitcases across muddy embankment but the lake approach to Arenal was fabulous and the first view of volcanoe was truly special. Recommend packing light! We had asked for nature and animals and we got to see all. The hotel choices were all perfect. Thankyou to all who made this trip memoriable. A slight change in itinery was adjusted and we were well taken care of. Advised to check emails last and first thing of the day in case adjustments have been made by the company and an earlier pickup than scheduled has been planned. Would recommend KimKim travel. We have travelled extensively and we were very impressed.

Hotel Reviews

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Beautiful authentic hotel close to airport but in the hills looking over san Jose. Room was lovely!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Our room was at the top of the hill facing the mountsin. Lots of wildlife right outside our door. Staff were so kind. Bathroim a bit dated but bed was comfortable and clean. Has it's own hotsprings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Need a car or rely on cabs to go to other restaurants.

Staff

My cleaning lady was so helpful. She found me a needle and thread to sew my back pack.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ficus Sunset Suites

Monteverde

Close to restaurants and small mall. Beautiful grounds comfortable rooms. Traffic noise in early morning but because of Monteverde's hilly geography it was hard to avoid.

Authenticity & Character

Nice wood. Clean and comfortable.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The ziplines were top notch. Quite an exelerating experience. Need to be somewhat fit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an amazing time. Our tour guide Robert was amazing. He kept us busy every day and when we had down time he assisted us in making other arrangements. The accomodations were excelent, the van was perfect. I don't know who Eloise is but Franck did a great job.

Panama was an epic trip. We were looking for a beach vacation and wanted to see the Panama Canal. The itinerary and service provided by Reyna was excellent. Reyna checked in with us throughout the tour. The trips/transfer to and from the Pearl Islands and to Bocas del Toro were arranged by Reyna and her team and we had no problems at all. She communicated with our hotels and drivers throughout the trip. The drivers were helpful and informative. One of the tours Reyna recommended was a rain forest boat tour of Gatun lake- which is entered via the national park in Panama City. This is a real treat and not to be missed and gives a real perspective of Panama canal's history and geography. Our guide for Gatun Lake and then a visit to Colon, Jenny who is a local, was excellent. I really appreciated her enthusiasm and she clearly knew area well- not to mention where to get the best raspado in town. We spent two nights at Oro y Mar on Isla Contadora which was the most elegant hotel on the island with a beautiful private beach. This was a quiet stay as the island is small. We stayed at Island Plantation in Bocas del Toro- I can't say enough about this place- beautiful with a pool, private beach and far way yet close enough to the town to go into town. We took day trips from there with Kawi Voyage Eco-tours and our guide Sophie Garcia was fantastic. We packed a lot into this trip but it never felt like too much. Thank you Reyna and your team!

Elisa was very responsive and easy to work with. She had great suggestions for things for us to do and was open to moving around our itinerary to fit our specific interests. We saw a lot of this beautiful country in just a few days with her help. We would love to visit again and work with KimKim again.

We just finished our 9 day trip to Norway for our family of 9 (5 adults and 4 kids) and had such an amazing time. Julia was so helpful in every part of the planning. Even when we had questions alon gthe way she was always so responsive. We loved the experiences in Kierkenes at the Snow hotel - the husky sled ride, king crab hunting, northern lights spotting and overnight stay in the snow hotel was so memorable. Oslo, Flam and Bergen were also awesome. Just such an amazing time. Thank you KimKim (and Julia) for helping with this trip! Memories for a lifetime!

We had an absolutely amazing time on a one week tour of Morocco with our two children. Our trip planner and booking manager, Ali and Said of Original travels, did a fabulous job planning our trip and selecting activities and accommodations and went the extra mile to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. Our driver Ayoub was the best! He was warm and friendly and welcoming, had a wealth of knowledge about all the places we visited and went out of his way to help us with our children. We were touched by the warmth and hospitality of the Moroccan people.

What a spectacular anniversary and adventure trip! We want to return & explore further with Gummi when we are able to in the late summer/fall of a year. From start to finish the experiences of traveling to Iceland was made simple & efficient with Silvia! Skól! Salud! Cheers! Drink! Thank you! Gracias! Our accolades & appreciation for Gummi & Silvia are infinite.
Gummi proved to be the perfect guide and ideal travel historian/explorer/caretaker/leader for the 5 of us. His temperament, attitude, insights, perspectives, transparency, frankness, humor and constant support were priceless! Just a cool f*ck*ng VIKING that helped us discover Iceland in unique and unparalleled fashion. Everyone, including the five of us loved & was amazed with the SuperJeep. So many tourists kept posing for pictures with it when we were both in & out of the mammoth Goliath. Gummi & Goliath the duo will fondly be remembered. Next time in Iceland, we will have Gummi drive a 6-door, 13-washing machine long x 5-washing machine tall, 56" tire real-VIKINGJeep. We will explore the rest of the island, visit more hot lagoons, spend a few more days in Rekjavik, enter the Artic Circle, and learn more from Gummi, while being catered to & cared for like toddlers. The accommodations were stellar. The perfect timing & ease of doing laundry was spot on! We got to see the Aurora Borealis twice. Once the evening we arrived at Hotel Strattca, after 36-hours of traveling & immediate adventure with Gummi & the 2nd on a remote night at Laki Hotel! From Geysirs to Ice Caves, a City Food Tour, the Valley of Thor, including two awesome hikes to experience glaciers from a majestic peaks & valleys, delicious fancy dinners, and Kiki for a Drag Show on St. Patrick's Day capped with tasty hot fries from Mandi, our time was packed with fun & excitement. We had tasty breakfast each morning at our hotels & dinner on-site each of the first 4-nights. All of which were convenient & yummy! I am not sure how this trip could have been improved. The weather was perfect, aside from the strong breezes that persisted for all our outdoor explorations! Luckily we all came prepared & pulled out every accessory & layer to ensure we were remained warm enough & protected from the harsh breeze. Hot feet & hot hands were great items we packed. There is so much more to add that explains how awesome & perfect this experience with Gummi & Silvia proved to be worth every cent. We extend our deepest gratitudes, huge hugs & a hearty VIKING roar with a joyful f*ck you in our appreciation.

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

This place was fabulous! We were able to walk everywhere & explore many parts of Rekjavik from the Skuggi. From the Sun Voyager, to Harpa, the Rainbow Road, Kiki, Bravo, 3 Frakkar, Fish Mrkt, Mandi, the Iceland Phallological Museum, the Bar at the End of the Rainbow, the lovely Sky Lagoon, and everything in between we loved Rekljavik & the Skuggi was the perfect location. Here again we loved the radiant geothermal heat.

Authenticity & Character

We talked about the black & grey motif with the Behind the Mountains theme everyday. It was conveniently located & unique. Almost hidden in this one-of-a-kind city.

Location

Was perfect for our exploration of Rekjavik.

Staff

Everyone was pleasant. The front desk staff were impeccable, kind, gracious & positive with every interaction. The breakfast staff kind & fast. We felt rushed with the ending of breakfast each morning. We were disappointed that things as easy as the coffee were whisked away & dumped down the drain right at 1000. We appreciated the ice cold water that was available 24/7.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This place was lovely ! We appreciated the small window that remained open during our entire stay. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator.

Hotel Laki

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

We enjoed Maga. She gave us our first fermented shark experience & enjoyed it with us. The bar was perfect & even had playing cards for us to enjoy during our stay. The 2nd night we enjoyed playing cards, drinking & stepping out on the bar balcony intermittently to take photos & pose with the Aurora Borealis! It was beautiful as it danced across the sky! The morning breakfast was diverse & tasty. I think we all enjoyed the Skyr here the most of the 3-hotels. The dinner buffet was delicious each evening & the ease of use of much appreciated. We are so glad we used the laundry service, which was flawless.

Authenticity & Character

One of a kind! The bar & balcony were so much fun! The remote location gave a pitch black night were the Northern Lights & stars were on dynamic display. Thanks for the playing cards!

Location

As we had a private guide, and this location was excellent for him to help us have unique & remote adventures.

Staff

We saw Maga every morning & evening! She was ever-present, personable & memorable. We adore her. The other ladies supporting the bar & meals were excellent too. The chef was nice & present for each meal.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was not filthy, but it could have been cleaned with a bit more attention to detail. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator.

Stracta Hotel

Hella

We enjoyed the drinks & dinner each night! The hot tub & sauna were awesome on our second night. As it was very cold & during the week, we have these two our small group. We got to see the Northern Lights one the first night & the awesome glassed wall & roof tunnel with easy access doors, made this all the more spectacular. We loved the radiator geothermal heaters & it was nice to have a refrigerator. Vlad was very helpful, responsive & accommodating of our requests. The breakfast was huge & diverse with something for everyone. Even filter coffee! We enjoyed our stay here!

Authenticity & Character

Glassed wall/roof tunnel were excellent! We enjoyed the hot tub & sauna. Easy access to Aurora Borealis which was an amazing sight to experience.

Location

We had a tour guide & this place was located nicely for our adventures along the way.

Staff

Vlad was awesome!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hunting the Northern Lights with a Guide -Private tour

Iceland

We were able to view the Northern Lights at both Hotel Strattca on night one & at Laki Hotel on night four. So we never had to hunt much for this experience. One slight regret is that we did not expect to see the Northern Lights while in Rekjavik, However, on our first night their, night 5 of the trip, the lights were bright & visible throughout Rekjavik. We sadly did not even look for them that night. That night may have been a great night for a evening hunt north of the city to see the bright lights one last time.

Quality of Experience

Þórsmörk & Eyjafjallajökull - Private Superjeep Tour

Iceland

This adventure was amazing & left us speechless at times. Between the hike to the top of a mountain, unique views of glaciers, seeing an artic fox in the wilderness, crossing a flowing river twice, walking in the Valley of Thor & getting pictures with beautiful views, this experience was 100% awesome! This private SuperJeep tour is the way to explore these sites & enjoy your remote adventures in Iceland. Gummi was stellar & we have only positive praise to celebrate our time with him. Aside from the Jeep on this tour, we had it for the first 5 days of our trip. This proved to be one of the best decisions made for this trip. Gummi & Goliath as we named the vehicle made this experience one of a kind & great in every way!

Quality of Experience

Food

Hotel Strattca made us a sack lunch for the day! The wrap was delicious & we loved Prince Polo treat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gummi f*ck*ng rocks!

Transport

The SuperJeep was awesome in every way!

Journey Through Time & Tectonics – Thingvellir National Park Exploration

Iceland

With our private guide Gummi this experience was unique & unparalleled. We enjoyed the sites, stories & exploring the national park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gummi was terrific!

Transport

The SuperJeep was a must & with Gummi driving the experience was stellar!

Kvernufoss

Iceland

This walk & waterfall were fabulous! We loved the site for pictures & our private guide even got some cool group shots with the waterfall in the background. It was too slippery for me to get too close to the waterfall or behind it, but this would have been cool.

Quality of Experience

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

This activity was neat, but the tour group was too large in my view. The experience was straightforward & rather quick. The hard hat & crampons were much appreciated. This was a unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was nice & funny. The group was just too large to remember her name or even hear her sometimes.

Taxi to and from the Sky Lagoon

Iceland

As noted in the other transport activity, Arnar was awesome! We loved his black Mercedes van. The trips were excellent. He was prompt, courteous & kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arnar was awesome!

Transport

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

This place was magnificent! From start to finish you never feel like you are near buildings or in something man-made. The entry from the dressing room is awesome. The 7-step ritual is a must do experience. The lagoon is lovely & we enjoyed much time just chilling, relaxing, rejuvenating & enjoying some drinks. This was a great way to spend our last afternoon in Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Transport

We appreciated Arnar taking us there!

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Ragnar was rejuvenating, energetic, hilarious & clear! This experience was facilitated 100% of the time by Ragnar. His direction, simplicity, personal touch with unique insights and delightful presence were much appreciated. He made this a unique experience that we all loved the most of all aspects of this trip! We felt like every part was awesome, but this one was once in a lifetime for sure. The ice caves are change regularly with the seasons of Iceland. It was amazing to walk on & in a glacier! That largest glacier in Europe.

Quality of Experience

100% MUST DO, when available & in season.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ragnar Rocks! Hilarious historian & expert!

Transport

This was a nice all-terrain well-equipped vehicle. Ragnar knew how to expertly drive it.

Caves of Hella - The Underworld of the South

Iceland

This place was so cool, unique & insightful about Iceland. We adored Stefan, our private guide, & greatly appreciated him staying late & giving us our own private tour. I will forever remember his kindness, humor, & classic Iceland wool sweater.

Quality of Experience

High-quality, personal, intimate & full of unique history.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We adored our private tour from Stefan, the guide. We appreciated his staying a little late & his flexibility.

Taxi to KEF Airport

Iceland

Arnar was excellent in his beautiful black Mercedes van. His kindness & expertise were much appreciated. He took us to & from the Sky Lagoon & to the hotel for our departure. All were seamless & fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arnar was awesome!

Transport

100% perfect & appreciated!

Geysir Geothermal Area – Iceland's Natural Hot Springs & Geysers

Iceland

We were awe struck by this & enjoyed it very much. It was very cold, very windy & rather early an experience as we arrived in Iceland early & this was on our way to more adventure.

Quality of Experience

Easy, nice & rather quick!

Gullfoss Waterfall – Iceland's Mesmerizing Natural Wonder

Iceland

It was quite cold & windy this day. However, the brief time we spent walking around & enjoying this massive waterfall was spectacular!

Quality of Experience

Reykjavík Food Walk

Iceland

Lily Bjork was amazing! Her positive energy & vibrant presence were perfect for a terrific exploration of the food in Rekjavik. I had my first horse, enjoyed fermented shark with Brennivin and adored the perfect Icelandic Hotdog with chocolate milk. Our private tour guide Gummi treated us to this exact hotdog place upon arrival in Rekjavik. The atmosphere & experience facilitated by Lily resulted in 12 of us, most of the tour group, enjoying drinks at the Jungle afterwards. We went briefly to see Lily perform on 3/17 at the Irishman Pub.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone loved Lily!

Transport

Easy & nice walk around Rekjavik.

I had a wonderful time with my two young adult children in Cartagena and the islands. From the very beginning, I worked with Michael to plan a trip that had something for everyone -- some culture and insights into Colombia as well as some rest for the family. The choices of hotels were great -- the Cartagena hotel was in Getsemani, a very cool area and outside some of the crowds of the Centro, and had a great rooftop pool. The hotel is Isla Mucura was also fantastic. We had pretty much one driver who had lived in the US and was very knowledgable about the area and gave insights into Colombian life. The young ladies who were our tour guides were both very enthusiastic about Colombia and where they lived and we very much enjoyed touring with them. We had a few excursions, including a bike tour of the old city, an evening dinner cruise and a tour of the mangroves outside of Cartagena, all of which taught us various aspects of the region. Thanks to Michael and the team he assembled for a memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Punta Faro

Isla Mucura

I loved every minute of the resort -- perfect for a very quiet few days away. The facilities were nice -- not too fancy but felt like you were at one with the nature around you. It is a decent sized facility with a lot of opportunity to walk and do water sports right off of the beautiful beach. My family did a bioluminescent plankton tour and said it was incredible as were the spa facilities. The 2 hour ride was very pleasant there -in the hotel's boat - the return was through rougher waters so be mindful if you have issues with boats. Every night, they moved the location of the dinner outside and it was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

Nice accommodation with a great rooftop pool and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

About a 10-15 minute walk from the Centro, a short taxi ride away.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

I thought it was great -- think it could have been a little longer to give us more information. Our guide Carolina was very knowledgable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caribbean Dinner Cruise

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

It was a good introduction to the area and the surrounding fishing culture.

Quality of Experience

I felt as if I was getting a local experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barranquilla Express Tour

Colombia

The guide was absolutely fantastic and told us many many things about the city and its history. The town was nice enough and had some lovely parts but the main attraction was the museum of the Carnival - the biggest event in the city every year and one of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the world. Aside from that and the architecture of the area, I am not sure it warranted a separate day trip from Cartagena -- would have been a good tour on the way to the national parks from Cartagena.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great and had wonderful energy.

Transport

The was a demonstration which required us to detour on the return -- made it a 3 hour trip one way. Not the drivers fault of course.

We had a great time using KimKim to see Jordan! Samir did a great job tailoring the trip to our wishes, and the hotels selected all worked out well. Getting through customs was smooth, and our driver, Wasef, got us to every destination safely and on schedule with a few extra photo opportunities thrown in. Getting to see the Holy Sites in Jordan was great, and Petra and Wadi Rum are must-sees. I would happily recommend using KimKim as an ideal way to see Jordan if privacy and flexibility are priorities for you!

This was our first time using a service like kimkim, and we are very glad we did!! Without their service, we wouldn't have been able to do all the things we wanted to do during our trip. We're also glad we were chauffeured by professional drivers in streets of Italy. Eleni and her local counterpart were extremely responsive to our questions and requests. All the drivers and guides showed up almost precisely 10 minutes before our agreed times. A huge shoutout to all the guides, who were extremely professional and added so much to our trip--in particular, we truly enjoyed our time with Antonella in Firenze, Giuseppe in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, and Sabrina in Rome!

Hotel Reviews

Splendor Suite Rome

Rome

This hotel was a bit disappointing because all other hotels during our trip to Italy were wonderful. It felt like an airbnb as opposed to a hotel--self check-in outside regular business hours. We were traveling with our two teenage sons. We found out we didn't need a second room, because there was a sofa bed in the family suite that they could have used, which was not clear from their website or when we were presented with the proposal. More to our frustration, we were woken up a few times during the night because of the hallway noise. Our room (106A) was adjacent to 106B, from which we could hear everything, and the occupants in 106B were unpleasantly loud late at night. Since there was no one at the front desk in the evening, we could not ask for timely intervention. Perhaps, they should have given 106B as our second room to avoid this. At least one time, the noise source seemed to be the staff; in the morning, there were bags of laundry right outside our door.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff didn't come across as if they were interested in making the guests feel welcomed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison la Minervetta Sorrento

Sorrento

Truly a splurge! The views from our rooms were breathtaking. Unique and original decor. Lovely breakfast spread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view, the view, the view!

Staff

The front desk staff were professional and welcoming. We didn't feel particularly welcomed in our interactions during the breakfast, but it could have been due to the language barrier. It took time for our coffee orders to arrive and they were variable in quality.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alessandra

Florence

We had a family room with beds for 4. Worked out great. Tucked in a street near Ponte Vecchio with small artisan shops. Delightful!

Authenticity & Character

The owner and his staff were delightful hosts.

Location

Close to Ponte Vecchio. Small shops and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best shower during our entire trip.

Activity Reviews

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

With so many visitors and so many things to see, it was a very full three-hour tour. We gained much knowledge about Vatican and the artwork that adorns their buildings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giovanna with LivTours was extremely knowledgeable!

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Wow, the inside of Colosseum was facinating beyond our imagination. There was so much to learn about Roman Forum, too. We feel so lucky to have done this tour with Sabrina. Her explanation painted vividly how the lives in Colosseum and the Forum might have been.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabrina with LivTours was fantastic!!

Private Amalfi Coast Driving Tour

Italy

The highlight of the driving tour was the stop for us to hike the Path of Gods trail. It was fantastico!! Because we fit the hike in, things got quite late in the day, and by the time we got to Ravello, everything was closed. The weather was gorgeous during our hike and by the time we were leaving Positano, it started to rain and the visibility fell. We're so grateful that Giuseppe drove us safely throughout our tour, because the road is curvy to say the least. He was also extremely knowledgeable about farming in the region, which we appreciated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were lucky to have Giuseppe in charge of us! So professional, knowledgeable, and pleasant. Thank you for everything!!

Transport

Private Pompeii Tour & Mount Vesuvius visit with lunch and wine tasting

Pompeii

The Pompeii tour was fascinating--thank you, Natalia! There is travel distance between Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and the lunch site, so we were glad we had the entire day arranged and coordinated. The view of Bay of Naples from Mount Vesuvius is very worth it!!

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant/winery seemed all catered to the tour groups.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Grazie, Natalia and Fabio!

Transport

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Antonella, our guide, was fantastic. She laid out the basics of the city's history first, which made the other explanations logically hold together. Her love of her city made it all the more special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff