Kimkim Trip Reviews

What an amazing week!

Margoth helped us put together a fantastic, varied 8-day sampling of Colombia, starting in Bogotá and the surrounding Andean Highlands, making a quick detour to the Coffee Region, and ending with some (relatively) relaxed days on the Caribbean Coast.

We really enjoyed all the different experiences, from the unique, remote, soaking wet landscape of the páramos, to the hot, bustling streets of Cartagena, and ending with a blissful day on Isla Barú.

We had Byron as our guide for our first four days, touring Bogotá and the surrounding area. He was absolutely brilliant — knowledgeable, friendly, and professional from the first minute to the last.

Our favorite excursion was the Chorrera waterfall hike, a fun adventure with Byron which took us through some of the most beautiful countryside we have ever seen.

The cooking class at Sazagua was also wonderful, even though by that time we were exhausted -- the chef was quite the character, and kept us laughing as we made some delicious food which I will be attempting to recreate at home!

The rum tasting in Cartagena was a really fun way to start off the more relaxing third of our trip, and the tropical fruit tasting also surpassed our expectations. I have a lot of allergies, and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to participate very much, but with Margoth’s help, the staff at Oh La La went way out of their way to accommodate me and make things fun for both of us.

Our guides in the Coffee Region and in Cartagena were also competent and professional, if less fantastic than Byron. In particular, our Coffee Region guide was quite negative about the Cocora Valley, and while we were interested and saddened to learn that most of the famous wax palms are slowly dying (and cannot be replaced due to the removal of the surrounding forest to make way for agriculture), his overall disparagement of tourism in the area was depressing, surprising to hear from a tour guide, and even seemed hypocritical considering that he was contributing to erosion in the park by walking on the grassy slopes instead of the step paths. He did perk up some while showing us Filandia and teaching us about the local coffee, which are clearly his preferred activities.

Our drivers throughout the trip were all skillful and professional, and most were also very friendly, sometimes feeling like extra guides. I especially enjoyed chatting with Alexander in the Coffee Region, Johannis (sp? Our driver to Chingaza), and the driver who took us to our hotel in Cartagena (whoops, forgot his name), and we were impressed with the way Edwin skillfully handled some mechanical problems on the way back from Chorrera.

We were initially a bit nervous to travel to Colombia after growing up hearing bad things in the news, which was part of the reason we decided to use a tour company, even though I am usually an independent traveler. In the end we felt safe throughout the trip and it went very well, but when a few things did go wrong (a bit of altitude sickness, the aforementioned car trouble), Margoth and her team were so responsive and got things right back on track. We felt very taken care of and were able to spend our time enjoying instead of stressing or worrying about details. I am now considering going through Kimkim again for future trips.

We were very impressed with Colombia as a country and with Aracanto as a tour company, and would highly recommend both to anyone looking for a South American adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique las Carretas

Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar

This was a great find, with a fantastic location, a small pool, a great breakfast, etc — and the staff were so helpful and kind (when my friend wasn’t feeling well one morning, they made her a special soup for breakfast!) Excellent experience and value, but I do recommend bringing earplugs as it got a bit noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

Cartagena

Lovely beach resort. The swimming area is a bit small and they close both the beach and the pools right at sunset, a bit early for my taste. It can be a bit of a hike from your room to the lobby and restaurants, but for check in and check out they bring you and your luggage on a golf cart.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

Really lovely hotel. We loved our cooking class and watching the birds at breakfast. This wouldn’t be the best place to stay for someone afraid of dogs, as several (big, friendly) live on site… then again, Colombia wouldn’t be the best country for someone afraid of dogs.

Authenticity & Character

Felt family run and friendly

Location

Near the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great showers

Residence Inn Bogotá

Bogotá

Great place to ‘land’ in Colombia. The rooms were spacious and the breakfast was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The breakfast staff was great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved the spacious, well laid out room.

Activity Reviews

Walking Tour Cartagena Highlights and Fruits

Cartagena

Nice informative walking tour of the old town, I learned a lot about the history of the area and the meaning of the knockers on the doors. It was super hot up on the old city walls, so we stopped for refreshments before continuing to the fruit tasting. I was worried I wouldn't be able to participate much in the fruit tasting due to my allergies, but they went above and beyond to accommodate me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to due to the friendly staff and the experience of seeing and tasting so many different things. The last part of the tour took us through some of the street art of Getsemani, which was also cool to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner Reservation at Candé (live music)

Cartagena

This is a very lively restaurant with live performances. The food was very good as well. It was on the louder side for my taste and was a bit of a confusing wait to get drinks and seats.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

A fantastic start to our time in Cartagena. We got to try 8 very different rums, and the bartender was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Cooking Class and Dinner

Colombia

This was really fun. We were worried about cooking since we were tired after five busy days of touristing, but the chef kept us laughing the whole time. The dish we made was a delicious chicken dish somewhere between a risotto and a curry. I will definitely be making it again at home with the recipe, spices, and pot we were gifted!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cocora Valley, Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town

Colombia

The sites were beautiful, but this wasn't the best experience of the trip, partially because we were exhausted, partially because the trip was a little rushed due to delays after our plane came in late the night before, and partly because our guide wasn't very excited about Cocora Valley -- it's clear he goes there too often and thinks tourism is having a detrimental effect on the local nature, which we can understand, but it was a bit of a bummer especially when we were quite tired. The towns were very cute and we loved the overlook from Filandia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chorrera Park with Waterfall

Bogotá

This was our single favorite excursion during our trip to Colombia. The countryside was beautiful from the car and the hike, and the waterfalls themselves were spectacular. You get to go behind Chiflón, and close enough to Chorrera to feel the mighty, wet wind blowing from the cascade.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chingaza Natural National Park Tour

Bogotá

It was very cool to learn about and see this unique landscape. The drive there and back through the countryside was also beautiful. I appreciated how the team stopped whenever I wanted to take a closer look or a picture of a roadside shrine, abandoned factory, or tiny calf. If you are on the fence about which excursion(s) to take from Bogotá, I would prioritize Chorrera and Guatavita over this one (especially because you can see a little bit of the páramo landscape on those tours as well), but if you have time, it is great to see these Andean wetlands and the unique forms of vegetation that thrive here.

Quality of Experience

Food

It was a picnic lunch with simple sandwiches, but I enjoyed going to a supermarket to buy the ingredients, and the chicharrones and guava candies gave it a local touch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at El Cielo - Please confirm on your side

Colombia

It was a lovely and special meal, but not the best I have experienced… mostly because the pacing was a little off especially at the beginning (three times, we had just put the food in our mouths, with no chance to savor or discuss it, and they were already whisking it away and describing the next thing… and yet the whole experience still took over two hours). The reservation process was also rather bizarre, and they didn’t seem to understand the recommended procedure of calling a cab for us (eventually, and awkwardly, they called us an Uber). Still, I very much enjoyed washing my hands with chocolate and watching the flaming brandy at the next table over, and several of the courses were both creative and uniquely delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day City Tour of Bogotá Highlights

Bogotá

We saw the highlights of the Gold Museum and explored the pretty neighborhood of Candelaria and busy Bolivar Square. Our guide, Byron, was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately, because of spending the morning in Usaquén, we were a bit rushed and did not have time to go up to Monserrate, but the weather was not great for a view anyway.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Usaquén Stop with transportation and Chocolate Workshop

Bogotá

This was a lovely way to spend our morning in Bogotá. Usaquén is a cute area and we quite enjoyed shopping at the flea market, though I could have spent even more time there. At the chocolate tasting, we learned a lot about how chocolate is made and how the terrain and the process contribute to its flavor profile. I also got to try the famous local snack of chocolate and cheese!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral and Guatavita Lake Tour

Bogotá

We loved this tour for our first day in Colombia. There was a fair amount of driving, but we enjoyed seeing the countryside along the way. During the short hike to the lake we learned a lot about the Muisca people, the history of exploitation by Europeans, and the local plants. Our guide Byron was knowledgeable about everything! We had a quick lunch at a local bakery, and then it was off to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, which was really unique and cool. I was astonished to learn that it is still a working salt mine in addition to an active church!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

Very smooth pick up at the airport and drop off at the hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Harry Sasson

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Excellent tomato soup

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helena was an amazing trip specialist. She provided us with so many options and ideas, and helped us to finalize what we wanted/did not want to do, as well as answer any questions or comments we had. There is no other way to describe our trip other than perfect! The private transfers, hotels, and locations were all perfect for what we needed! I will definitely use KimKim again for our next future trip, as well as continue to recommend to friends and family :) All we had to do was book our flights and make some dinner reservations. Couldn't have been easier! Las casas de juderia was an amazing hotel we stayed at, truly breathtaking. A great way to end our trip.

Our family vacation to Morocco was amazing! Said and Abdellatif were very professional and helpful during the whole process. They catered to our requests right away, and were very understanding of any changes to the trip last minute.

Our driver, Mohamed Hammami, was wonderful! He was always prompt, professional, and an incredibly safe driver. We reached all of our destinations on time and had nice conversations along the way.

Each tour guide was very informative and helpful in our navigation of each city. We learned a lot about the history of Morocco and enjoyed spending time with each guide.

I had a really great experience planning and booking this trip for my family. Alvaro was great - very patient, accommodating, and willing to revise the trip a number of times based on our requirements. However, our experience on the trip was not great. According to our trip plan, a guide was supposed to meet us at the Baltra airport in the Galapagos and help us navigate from the airport, onto a bus, onto a ferry to Santa Cruz island, take us to our hotel and help us get to our afternoon activity. The guide did not meet us. Cell coverage in the Galapagos is very poor, so we were basically stranded trying to figure this all out on our own. When we finally connected with Alvaro, he told me that he did not know why the guide didn't meet us and that "this never happens." Not particularly helpful. The woman who finally met us at our hotel in Santa Cruz provided no explanation about what had happened and where our guide was. Also, she did not speak any English. That was fine because we speak Spanish, but it would have been a problem if we did not. On the last day of our trip, we were returning to Santa Cruz from Isabela Island and, again, a guide was supposed to meet us on Santa Cruz (which I confirmed several times in advance) and no one met us. Ultimately, the Galapagos-based tour operator refunded us $110 for the missing guides. I do not think that was enough of a refund for the inflated cost of the trip or for our stress and inconvenience. I would not recommend booking with KimKim. There seems to be a major disconnect between KimKim and the Galapagos-based tour operators. We spent a lot of time on our trip dealing with coordination and logistics and stressing out about the next steps in our itinerary. It was disappointing.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Loja Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

The owners/operators of this hotel were really helpful and kind.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Hotel Fiesta

Puerto Ayora

This was a great hotel! Good location, awesome pool, very comfortable and nice rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada del Mar

Santa Cruz

We had a lot of trouble with our tour operator and the hotel owner went above and beyond to try to help us and make our experience better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

Sebastian was a great guide! Very friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Airport on Baltra Island - Flight back to Mainland

Galapagos Islands

Dario was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the entire experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano (AM) & Speedboat to Santa Cruz Island (PM)

Galapagos Islands

Rain was in the forecast, but the guide did not offer us the chance to turn around or change our plans. We were absolutely soaked and the clouds obscured any view we would have had. The park rangers were unhelpful and refused to help us call a taxi to come "rescue" us from the volcano.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was not looking out for our safety or comfort.

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

Puerto Ayora

The guide, captain, boat staff were all excellent! The food was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

The guides were great! We enjoyed this activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hola Galapagos! Arrival to Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

The guide never met us and we were stranded at Baltra airport trying to navigate the bus to the ferry to the hotel all on our own. There is very limited cell reception in the Galapagos and we weren't able to connect with anyone from KimKim to help us out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No one met us

Transport

It was an absolute pleasure planning my trip with Bea! She was extremely helpful with plenty of great ideas with places and activities to do. After I chose what I wanted, she handled all the reservations and let me know where to go to meet up for each activity. When I didn't have anything specifically scheduled, she gave me a list of highlights of what I might be interested in checking out. She handled rental cars for me and even included directions on how to get to the places I was headed to. At each city I visited, she gave me a list of many different restaurant recommendations that included their websites so I could look them over and decide where I wanted to go. While on the trip, there was a feature called "chat" so if I had any questions, I could communicate with her. It was the most comprehensive, well planned trip I have ever taken thanks to Kim Kim and Bea!

Hotel Reviews

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

We thought it was a special hotel with a uniqueness to it that was charming. The location was good to shopping, restaurants, places we wanted to explore. The room and bathroom were pretty spacious and comfortable. It was a bit challenging to navigate the different buildings in order to reach our room. There were many food choices at breakfast that were really tasty.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alfama - Lisbon Lounge Suites

Lisboa

We were originally slated to stay at this hotel, but they changed it and so this review is for Dear Lisbon-Gallery House. This was definitely our least favorite hotel. It did not feel like a particularly safe area that the hotel was located in and it wasn't really close to anything that we wanted to see or spend time at. The lobby and breakfast area were very nice but the room was not to our satisfaction. There were many stains in the carpet in our room. The breakfast had many options and were good and the hotel clerk was very helpful and sweet.

Authenticity & Character

The lobby and breakfast area were nice but the room was nothing special and the rug had many stains on it.

Location

There were many better locations to be in than this hotel.

Staff

The one clerk helped us when we needed to arrange for transportation to get to the airport at the end of our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort

Lagos

We liked this hotel. It had a very nice lobby area. The location next to the beach was phenomenal. The breakfast was really good and they took your order for how you wanted your eggs so they were cooked to order which was nice. There were pretty looking pools but the outside ones were not heated so a little too cold to enjoy in April. In order to go to the old town where there were many restaurant choices, you did have to drive to in order to reach them. The room had a small kitchen area that we didn't use but if we had stayed longer, it would have been nice to have.

Authenticity & Character

I'm not sure it has a lot of character, but it was nice. To get to the outside pools was not very well marked.

Location

Really close to the beach but not close to the many restaurants in the old section of Lagos.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Zahia

Old Medina, Tangier

Loved this hotel! The staff was incredibly helpful, the hotel felt very authentic, the room was really nice. The hotel had a lovely terrace on top. It was in a great location to where we could walk around and see what was going on. I loved the courtyard feel of the place and the breakfast was really really good. Loved this one the most!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of what's going on in the old section of Tangier. The markets selling fish, meat, spices, etc... were right there and so interesting to walk around there.

Staff

Went out of their way to be helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

It was a very unique hotel in an excellent location to everything, easy walking distance. The hotel had a lot of charm and we had a view of the Alhambra which was spectacular. It was not just one room but also had a living room space which was really nice. I didn't love the breakfasts in the mornings.

Authenticity & Character

It's a very unique hotel with a lot of charm.

Location

Close to everything a tourist would want to see and close to restaurants

Staff

They were friendly but I didn't like that when I left the hotel each time, I'd often see one of the clerks outside the front door smoking cigarettes.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was nice to have a bigger area with an included living space.

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

Location wise, it was really good. There were always taxis waiting outside the hotel which made it easy to get a ride. The hotel itself was very nice. There were many breakfast options to choose from.

Authenticity & Character

It was a big city hotel. It was nice, but not any special character to it.

Location

Mentioned above

Staff

We arrived at 10am on the first day, they couldn't seem to find us a room prior to 3pm when check in was. It would have been nice if they could have gotten us a room a bit earlier than that since we had a long trip.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was a pretty big bedroom and very clean.

Activity Reviews

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

The included dinner was delicious with many choices to choose from and the entertainment was so good! Well worth it!

Quality of Experience

Food

There were enough choices to choose from and it was all delicious!

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Our tour guide had a lot of information to share and showed us many of the highlights of Spain. He was very knowledgeable and had a well thought out plan of where the tour should start and end. We loved that at one point we took a break and he got us custard tarts that are customary of Portugal. We thought that was very thoughtful and fun! We also stopped at a cherry jinger place and he again got us a sample of the jinger drink. Just some really nice touches that made our time even better!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tangier Immersion: History, Culture & Daily Life

Tangier

There was a bit of confusion at the start with the tour guide trying to take us to another place that we hadn't signed up for and that would cost more money, and that he recommended we go to Asilah the second day instead of the first, after we got through all of that, the tour guide was very knowledgeable about Tangier and spend a long time with us showing us all around. Because of the confusion, they kindly gave us a bonus of a ride on camels and that was really fun and memorable!

Quality of Experience

Well worth it to learn more about Morocco.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Escape to Asilah, Morocco’s Coastal Hidden Gem

Morocco

There was not much going on when we were there. It was a 2 hour drive from Tangier, not worth the money or effort.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide didn't join us, just the driver to take us there and back.

Transport

The driver did not speak any English so we couldn't ask him any questions about what we were seeing on the way to Asilah or back.

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

We enjoyed learning about Seville Church and Alcazar, the Jewish Quarters and the ancient and current history of Seville. It might have been nice to include the inside of the cathedral.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Night of Flamenco in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Felt like a perfect show to see given where we were. The performers were wonderful and talented. Prior to the show starting, everyone was offered a drink. The chairs unfortunately were not very comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

This is such an incredible place! It needs a knowledgeable tour guide to explain it's history to fully appreciate it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He spoke English, of course, it was a bit difficult to understand him.

Granada Private Walk: City Center & Albaycin Neighborhood

Granada

It was a comprehensive tour of Granada and gave us an understanding of history. Our tour guide was great and at the end of the tour gave us some specific ideas for local restaurants to go to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

It was a favorite activity for us! It was with a small group and we all got to know each other during the four places we went to throughout the evening. We ate some great food and drinks and our tour guide gave us some background information on the places and food that made the experience even better.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Barcelona Highlights: Guided Walk & Iconic Sagrada Família

Barcelona

The tour guide was wonderful and engaged and clearly loves Barcelona and being a tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bryan did a great job in mapping out our first trip to Costa Rica. It was an amazing experience to say the least. He certainly helped us get a flavor of the country and we are looking forward to our return!

Hotel Reviews

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Decent hotel, clean but a little dated. It isn't really near anything and is somewhat off the beaten path. But, there are amazing views of San José from this hotel. The restaurant is just "ok."

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gaia Hotel And Reserve—Adults Only

Quepos

The hotel is dated, the rooms aren't clean and the grounds are somewhat unkempt. The restaurant serves a mediocre breakfast and I would avoid dinner or other meals -- it just isn't good at all. We also encountered our first instance of bed bugs. We didn't know until the last day that we had been terribly bitten. We addressed this with the concierge so that they could remedy the situation. Both the concierge and the manager brushed it off and told me that I must have been bitten by something else. I also sent pictures of my bites and urged them to take my statements seriously. In return, I received an email from the manager saying that it was not an issue. I would not recommend this hotel and would also suggest those choosing to stay there to check for signs of bed bugs before occupying the room. This was an overall bad experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It isn't really in walking distance to anything.

Staff

The only saving grace for our stay was Clarence. He was attentive and amazing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

If I could give this zero stars, I would.

Amor Arenal

La Fortuna, San Carlos

Absolutely amazing service, food, accommodations... amazing everything! We will stay here again. Top notch!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local Flavors Cooking Experience

Manuel Antonio

Our guide and the ranch were both awesome. It was fun to pick our own produce and make our own dinner from the goods.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Costa Rica

A wonderful and vast experience. You can spend a couple of hours or easily an entire day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park

Costa Rica

Our guide made this trip! It was absolutely outstanding and beyond my expectations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Costa Rica

The hot springs and facilities are both really nice. The food is not that great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

This was decent, but there are likely better tours with better tasting coffee and chocolate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hike and included lunch were both amazing. We loved our guide and would definitely recommend this trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

the Casado at the local Soda was incredible!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, our trip to Kathmandu and Nagarkot was an amazing experience. Everything had been carefully planned and very well-spaced out regarding the scheduled activities. Our guide, Boippin, was super friendly, very knowledgeable and very responsive to our interests and preferences. Exploring the city was truly fascinating, with a variety of destinations, from buzzing markets to historical temples and palaces. Our short stay in the mountains (Nagarkot) was really restful, with the only disappointing part being the limited visibility and no view of the Himalayas. The Mystic Mountain is an amazing hotel, and the hiking possibilities in the area are endless.
I would strongly encourage anyone considering a visit to Nepal to opt for guided trips, as they seem the most efficient and safe way to see places, try local dishes and get a taste of Nepal in a limited space of time. Our guide (as well as our drivers) was excellent indeed, professional and passionate about his home land. Thank you, Sangita and team, for planning and delivering such a memorable travel experience to our family!

Our trip was based on Sumatra, Java and Bali. The organisation was impeccable, everything worked very well. We felt safe, treated well and we knew the plan well. All the guides we had were very friendly, competent and knowledgeable. We had many activities and everything was done in details. We enjoyed every single day. A special thank you to Myriam that organised an incredible trip and she has been always available and caring. This is an highly recommended trip.

My guide Oscar and driver Sandro in Bogotá were outstanding; they were always on time, as well as being patient, enthusiastic, kind, funny, interesting and willing to indulge my off-the-beaten track requests. They made me want to see more of Colombia and are full of suggestions for my next trip.

Our honeymoon was amazing due to the amazing services that were provided by Kim Kim and their services held by Alisha. She was able to answer all of our questions and provide us with a driver that made our experience very comfortable. Our driver and contact always made us feel comfortable and allowed to relax and enjoy our honeymoon.

Hotel Reviews

Puri Santrian

Denpasar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Angkal Resort Nusa Penida Bali

Bali

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arya Villas Ubud

Ubud

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bukit Beach Tour & Ketcak Dance Show

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family Adventure: Spot manta rays on a snorkeling trip in Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Family Drive to West Nusa Penida's Beautiful Beaches

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Balinese day in Sidemen

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monkey Forest, Goa Gajah Cave and Sacred Springs of Tirta Empul

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

For as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of visiting the Middle East. My wish finally came true when my friend Leyda was invited on a Catholic pilgrimage to Israel. While Leyda was keen to visit the holy land, she didn't want to be part of a large tour group. She wanted to experience the country on her own terms. Another motivation for her trip was to visit her mother's best friend, Dorita, whom she considers her aunt. Leyda's family has been closely connected with Dorita's for over six decades, and Leyda was eager to see her again, especially since she is now 92 years old.

Knowing of my own desire to visit Israel, Leyda invited me to join her. She also suggested that we take the opportunity to see the Pyramids in Egypt while we were in the region. I was overjoyed at the prospect and readily agreed to go. However, we had limited funds for our trip and were looking for a package that would provide us with a safe, hassle-free, and affordable way to visit many of the holy, cultural, and geographic sites in the area within just 10 days. Finding such a package seemed like an insurmountable challenge.

That's when I turned to KimKim, a reputable travel agency with strong connections in the area. They put us in touch with Samir, who was able to deliver a travel package that surpassed all our expectations. Despite our demanding and specific requirements, Samir was able to provide us with an incredible travel experience that met all parameters and was one of the most amazing of my long, well-traveled life.

The journey officially began when our plane landed in Tel Aviv airport. We were met by Michael, our driver (and guide) in Israel. I put the word ‘guide’ in quotes because Michael told us he is only licensed for driving, not being a guide. He was tremendously knowledgeable, humorous, friendly, knew people everywhere we went and drove well.

We spent our one free day in Israel with Leida’s family in the Dalia Kibbutz and returned to the By 14 Hotel in Tel Aviv. The hotel was excellent, our favorite part was the fresh Mediterranean cuisine offered at breakfast.

Israel was a hotbed of religious activity on a grand scale with Western and Orthodox Christian Easters, Passover and the Holy Month of Ramadan occurring at the same time. Michael impressively negotiated the crazy maze that was Jerusalem on days when the city was partitioned to accommodate hordes of Pilgrims from several religions and scores of sects. He also explained how the city managed the chaos using zones, barriers, checkpoints and many other means of controlling the movement of people based on their intentions and ethnicities.

Our itinerary took us to additional compelling destinations that were steeped in history and a privilege to visit: Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Qurman and Masada.,

We said good bye to Michael at the Allenby Bridge and crossed into Jordan after a relatively smooth passage through customs.

Bart (I’m not sure I remembered his name correctly) was a reassuring sight as we entered Jordan. He exuded a sense of warmth and tranquility, which immediately put us at ease. This was just the beginning of our journey in Jordan, a country that proved to be a hidden gem in the Middle East. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like honored guests, not just tourists to be milked for money at every step We found this hospitality to be the case in both Israel and Jordan.

Bart delivered us to Yazeed (not sure of the spelling) our driver. Yazeed not only took us around per the itinerary, but found more scenic, interesting routes. Thanks to him we were able to see the people and countryside of Jordan that would have been bypassed. He applied his creativity to enrich our travels and we appreciated it.

Petra, of course, was fabulous. Per Yazeed’s suggestion, we saw the site at night. That was a nice adventure. We toured Petra for a full day with Ied, our guide. He is very educated and provided excellent information. We were exhausted after walking the full length of the site and Ied negotiated a camel ride. We rode two beautiful, well kept camels back to the Treasury, serving as much needed transportation, and an exhilarating experience at the same time. That night we took advantage of the Turkish Bath that was attached to our Hotel – another special experience.

Yazeed dropped us off at the Amman Airport after completing a job well done.

Henry met us at the Cairo Airport and handed us off to our driver, Sabri. We really appreciated the smooth transitions that Samir coordinated!

Egypt was challenging, not at all because of the tour itself. We found it to be chaotic, unpredictable, and the tourist-facing people to be extremely venal. This did not keep us from appreciating the greatness of this country and provided an element of adventure as well.

Due to an unexpected unavailability of a scheduled guide, we ended up with Hoda. She was the only person who dealt with us that was in any way disappointing. Her presentations on ancient Egyptology were fair, but several of recent cultural and historic facts she discussed were inaccurate. She was rude to wait staff at our lunch restaurant, telling the waiters in a haughty manner to move food away from her because the smell of it would interfere with her fast. Worst was when she had an attendant in a parking lot throw stones to chase away a street dog that was lying on the pavement not bothering anybody. Finally, she didn’t adhere to the itinerary and we missed our opportunity to see Giza. We went to a carpet factory, which was not on the schedule, that ate up valuable time, so when Giza closed early we were unable to see it. This would have been disastrous, since Giza was our reason to visit Egypt. Fortunately, we had to wait a full day to fly out at 3:15 am the following day and Sami had reserved Sabri for that time. The following day he took us to Giza, where we had a very exciting, satisfying visit to the pyramids and sphynx. We then saw much of Cairo and spent the evening exploring old Cairo.

Sabri took us to the airport where Henry met us for the departure. We were exhausted, but absolutely thrilled and grateful for the experience.

Overall, the quality of our accommodations during our trip was excellent. All were high-end, clean with great service and food. We were pleased to note that Samir pays close attention to quality and rescheduled a hotel Torino to Ambassador Hotel due to less than favorable reviews.
The Helnan Dreamland hotel in Cairo was spectacular. We spent a magical evening in the pool area in what looked like a huge Bedoin tent. A trio of musicians played authentic Egyptian music as we took in the beautiful evening.

The food everywhere was good Mediterranean fare – fresh and delicious with a broad selection.

Often, we saw large groups of tourists being corralled and gaining only encapsulated exposure to people and places. The bespoke service provided by KimKim allowed us to explore at our own pace without being stranded or scrambling because of unforeseen contingencies. We were happy to be independent, but completely taken care of at the same time.

Hotel Reviews

Cairo Pyramids hotel

Cairo

he Cairo Pyramids Hotel was a beautiful resort, and we liked it best during our trip. However, we encountered some issues with locals in Cairo being aggressive when trying to sell us services. Despite these challenges, the hotel's amenities and location made it an enjoyable stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silk Road Petra

Wadi Mousa, Petra

Silk Road Petra was an amazing hotel, and we highly recommend it. The option to enjoy a Turkish bath and massage on-site was an added bonus. Overall, the stay was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holy Land Hotel - Jerusalem

Jerusalem

The Holy Land Hotel in Jerusalem provided a comfortable stay with good service and no complaints. Overall, it was a positive experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BY 14 HOTEL TEL AVIV

TEL AVIV

BY 14 Hotel Tel Aviv offered a fantastic location, great service, and the best food we had during our trip. It was a comfortable and enjoyable stay, and we would highly recommend it to other travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Giza Pyramids Tour with Sakkara & Memphis

Israel

The Giza Pyramids tour with Sakkara and Memphis was a good experience, but it required us to be vigilant and assertive when dealing with locals trying to bargain for services. Our driver, however, added value to the experience by taking us around and sharing his knowledge of the sites.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Israel

The full-day Petra private group tour exceeded our expectations. Our driver and local guide were incredibly knowledgeable, and we felt truly immersed in the history and culture of Petra.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to Masada & Qumran

Israel

The trip to Masada and Qumran was another fantastic experience, with private group transportation and knowledgeable drivers. We got to see many interesting sites and gained a broader understanding of the history and significance of these locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old City Jerusalem

Israel

Our Old City Jerusalem and Bethlehem private group tour gave us the flexibility to explore these historic locations at our own pace. The drivers and guides were very informative, and we learned a lot about the local culture and history during our tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jerusalem, Mount of Olives and Mt Zion

Israel

The private group tour of Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, and Mt Zion was an amazing experience. Our drivers and guides were knowledgeable and allowed us a deeper insight into the culture and history of the places we were visiting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All my guides were super special.
We enjoyed the experience very much. It is our second time using the service.
Sonia was a great help.
Alexxa in Italy kept the itinerary flowing.
Guides and choferes alike were terrific.

Hotel Reviews

Uptown Palace Milan

Milan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Construction right in front.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Flori

Como

Spectacular. My favorite. Well located. Beautiful view. Very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Funi

Bergamo

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel in a mountain

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Trento

Trento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Due Torri Hotel

Verona

Love the hotel and it’s location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glam Boutique Hotel

Vicenza

Hotel not bad. Breakfast could be better.

Authenticity & Character

Small rooms

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small rooms

Hotel Ruzzini Palace

Venice

Very well located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Accessibility, easy to walk around

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms

Activity Reviews

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Must do experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private walking guided tour of Venice highlights

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I love KimKim and would use the platform from now on, travel was easy, you can trust their reviews and the staff responds quick and made excellent recommendations for my friends 30th birthday. It was a blast!

Activity Review

Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had the best time horseback riding to La Fortuna waterfall. Our guide Cell was amazing and the horses were beautiful. I will say the hike is not for the weak, the horses gallop don't walk, and water shoes are needed, but the waterfall was absolutely breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentina is indeed a beautiful country and our trip was made most memorable by the excellent service provided by our travel specialist Ana and her entire onsite team.
Clementina, the local specialist was extremely responsive and flexible to change the trip as needed.
Our guide in Buenos Aires, Andrea Zunino and driver Fabio were both extremely knowledgeable about the city, history, culture and a pleasure to be with, with the pleasant and friendly demeanor.
We had the same experience in Mendoza with our driver & guide Daniel Sciolis and in Bariloche with our guide Gonzalo.
Thank you to the entire team for making our trip memorable!

We had a fantastic trip to Spain. Our KimKim specialist, Beatriz was very easy to work with and everything she set up for us from the hotels, to the travel arrangements, to the tour guides was perfect. We especially liked the Tapas Experience with our guide, Yolanda, and the private walking tour of Madrid with Geza. The arrangements that Beatriz made for us took the stress out of traveling and allowed us to have fun and enjoy the trip without worrying about the details that she already took care of. We will definitely use KimKim again.

Our trip to Spain was fantastic and we owe much of that to Luis for helping us plan such a great itinerary. The activities and guides he arranged were, for the most part, excellent and really brought the history and the culture of the region to life. We had never planned a trip with kimkim before and based on this experience would definitely use it again. If you are planning a trip to Spain or Portugal you can't go wrong with Luis.

First off, our main point of contact, Long Pham, representing Realistic Asia and Kimkim did an amazing job planning our trip to Vietnam and Thailand. He was in contact with us everyday during our trip checking in on us and he made sure that all of our needs were met and made himself available at any hour to assist us. This was top-notch service that we were not expecting, but greatly appreciated as we always felt secure on next steps and where/who we were meeting throughout the trip. He really did care and it showed.

All of our local guides were amazing as well. 95% of our tours were private and each guide went out of their way to show us the "local" take and they really wanted us to enjoy our time and get the most out of our trip. Being from the United States, we were not used to such high level of service for such a reasonable cost pf the trip. I've never met so many people that legitimately cared about our experience and frequently went above and beyond to make our trip special. We will be using kimkim again for future trips.

Thank you Sherif for organising our trip to Egypt! Everything was fantastic and we were very well looked after by all guides, drivers, hotels etc. Thank you! And also to Leena for showing us Cairo.

Luis, of Hidden in Spain, customized for us the exact travel experience we wanted and needed: excellent hotels in perfect locations, great travel arrangements between cities, and private local guides who were knowledgeable and inspiring. A few of the many highlights include the glorious La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Great Mosque in Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada, and the Prada Museum in Madrid. Luis checked on us frequently to make sure things were going well through out our 2 week trip. We love KimKim. We love Hidden in Spain!!

Our experience was wonderful and our guides from Across Portugal were excellent. They were very informative and helpful.

Hotel Review

Maison Albar - Le Monumental Palace

Porto

The hotel was centrally located and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. The rooms were spacious and clean and the restaurant food and service was exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hotel is located to many restaurants, shops, and monuments

Staff

Staff was excellent and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

A definite to do . You get to see the region from the bottom up and all the vineyards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

Elsa our tour guide was excellent. We saw so much and learned of the rich history of Portugal that it was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Excellent wine tasting at Sandeman . Very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

A must do if in Porto. Beautiful landscapes and region.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Excellent wine tour with Fabio at Pacheca winery. Learned a lot about the port wine, region, and history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had great tour guides such as Elsa in Lisbon, Nunno for half the trip and Hugo. All very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant.

Transport

We had excellent drivers : Nelson and Luis. Not only did they accommodate to a couple of suggestions but also gave us details of the regions we were traveling to.