Kimkim Trip Reviews

Thanks to Yuri and KimKim Travel, our trip to Spain was fantastic. We had a great selection of activities so every day was different. Our favorites were the Winery tour in Rioja, the day trip yo Montserrat, the Tapas tour in Madrid and the Vermut tour in Barcelona. Yuri was very responsive throughout the planning process and even when we had questions during the trip.

Activity Reviews

Private Vermouth Experience

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montserrat & Lunch at a Farmhouse

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Wine Experience in Rioja

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tapas, Taverns & History Walk

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

AMAZING! Working with Randall to plan the trip was only the tip of the Iceberg of Awesomeness! He listened to what kind of trip we were looking for (Birding) and gave it to us. Having never been to Costa Rica I depended on Randall to set us up in the right places with the right guides. And he did! This was a completely flawless trip. The lodging was great. Each place was very comfortable and welcoming. All the transfers were on time, safe, comfortable, and friendly! The tour and birding guides we ended up with were all friendly and knowledgeable. Every one of them were able to answer all our questions, about birds, animals, plants, and Costa Rica in general. I will recommend working with Kimkim and Randall unconditionally!

Hotel Reviews

Issimo Suites Boutique Hotel & Spa—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

A beautiful hotel in a beautiful setting. The rooms are very comfortable. Walking to the beach was easy! Everyone was very friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

We really enjoyed this lodge. The location is amazing. There are a lot of trails and birding on the property. The food was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is an easy walk to town!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amor Arenal

La Fortuna, San Carlos

This was one of the most amazing hotes I have ever stayed in

Authenticity & Character

The food and drinks were all local and the location can NOT be beat!

Location

Staff

Friendly, amazing and helpfull

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

This is a nice conviently loacted hotel. The shuttle to and from the airport were very dependable - every 15 minutes! Breakfast was included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Every person was very friendly!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

What a beautiful park. There is a lot to see, the guide was knowledgeable and friendly! The beach is beautiful and there is time for a quick swim if you want. There are a lot of people in the park and lot of groups.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Hotel - Pez Vela Marine - Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling Tour

Manuel Antonio

This was a fun way to spend a morning. All the gear was provided and fitted for us. The boat was nice and roomy. We were taken to 2 different places to explore. Lots of fun fish an octopus and a couple eels! We ended with a tour of the mangroves!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching Half-Day Tour

Monteverde

Kevin could find the most hidden of birds! He was then able to explain where they were. We had a blast wandering about looking for birds. There were times when we could not keep up with all the different birds around us! What an experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

What a beautiful area! Henry was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about the birds and he was able to point them out to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Twilight Hike in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

Oscar was a really good guide. He knew where to look and how to explain where the frogs and snakes were. We were able to see quite a lot on this hike!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eco Garden Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

So many frogs and a few snakes. The knowledge the guide had of the different frogs in the area was amazing. I learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Ronald was an amazing guide. He really knew his birds. The area was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano - Unique Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

This is a Must! The number of different birds, animals, and plants we saw was incredible. The knowledge of the guide and boat driver was unbelievable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a really fun 2 part hike. The first part was up a bit on the sholder of Arenal Volcano. The second part was though a meadow and forest area. We were there in March and the bugs were not an issue! The trail was rough and uneven. That is not a problem - just FYI.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karim was an amazing guide. He explains the journey in detailed with patience and takes care of our safety. The journey has been great! Especially love the blue city, ride w camels to Sahara desert. Another guide Ali that brought us through Skoura was amazing. It was an educational session for us about the Kasbah. Another guide Abdel was really friendly and warm in Marrakesh. Overall it was a wonderful tour. Thank you for the enjoyable holiday!

Thank you Liz for our recent adventure in Australia. The Sydney Harbor Bridge walk was phenomenal. Very intimidating when viewed from afar, but quite achievable and exciting when being done. Once in a lifetime experience. The Sydney City tour with Graham was awesome, very knowledgeable. The Blue Mountain tour was excellent with many beautiful views. The Sydney Opera House tour was unforgettable. Our side trip to Cairns with the snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef as the highlight was exceptional. Floating and hiking the Daintree River and Rainforest was the ultimate experience. The raucous birds and traveling bats were like nothing we had ever seen. Again, thank you for helping us to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Australia.

Activity Review

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

Although intimidating at first sight, the bridge walk is a must do for anyone traveling to Sydney. Once on the bridge, the views are breathtaking and with all the safety gear and excellent guides, we never felt unsafe. We were accompanied by a 90 year old woman celebrating her birthday with her daughter and she MOTORED through it. Put the rest of us to shame. Easily the highlight of our entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago and Joel did a fantastic job showing us all that Lisbon and the surrounding areas have to offer. They were fun and informative.

Activity Reviews

winery visit with wine tasting

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Évora Guided Day Trip

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time on our trip! We spent four days in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris and four days near the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Some highlights of Paris were the motorcycle/sidecar tour, and the pastry tour were both top notch. We greatly appreciated already having the tickets for the train, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Seine River cruise. One thing to consider with the river cruise is that while it is a great perspective from which to see the city, it was hard to hear the descriptions of the sights. We basically needed to use our phones to know what we were looking at, leaving us underwhelmed. That said, the dusk tour did present us with some beautiful views of the lights coming up over the city. Our hotel in Montmartre (Hotel Terrass) was lovely with a comfortable room and both hot and cold breakfast options and afforded us easy access to sights, restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and the Metro for further exploration. The top floor dining room was super for views of the city. We could even see the Eiffel Tower off in the distance from our room! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful (one staff member even gave us some extra Metro tickets she had which was really nice). They also helped us with information about the strikes with respect to transport. The highlights of Nice were certainly the gorgeous beach and promenade. We also had the opportunity to explore some of the medieval hilltop towns, including an impromptu visit to a museum with a small, but intriguing collection. Our driver for this tour, Giorgi, was very informative and personable, helping us to get a better understanding of the culture. We highly recommend the e-bike tour as you can really see so many parts of the city efficiently, but at a comfortable speed. Lucie, our travel coordinator, was very responsive to emails and did a fine job helping us to craft our itinerary. We would highly recommend her!

We began in El Calafate with a quiet afternoon. We took a boat excursion to Perito Moreno recommended by our kimkim agent, Erin. It was perfect! My first site of this glacier brought tears to my eyes. The next day we returned to kayak in front of the glacier. Perfect! An iceberg turned over right in front of us and moments later, a whole side of ice came down off the wall. We went on a multi day horse ride with Niebepo Aike and rode through rain, fall colours, snow and brilliant sunshine. Our guide, Juan was amazing! The program also included a hike to the Hidden Glaciers. All breathtaking views. Thank-you to Erin for helping us plan such a wonderful holiday. Unforgettable! I only wish Kimkim would also include flight bookings as part of the service.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Amado

El Calafate

A very well-located hotel right in the middle of town. The room was clean and comfortable and the staff was great. A simple breakfast is included, but nothing was fresh and it was bad.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central location

Staff

Very helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The first room had a better bed

Estancia Nibepo Aike

Colonia Francisco Perito Moreno

We took the multi day horse riding program. The Estancia is very comfortable and the outposts we rode to were rustic as advertised. An amazing experience.

Authenticity & Character

The outposts were authentic

Location

The views are incredible

Staff

Our guide Juan attended to us with such care!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The second outpost was a little more comfortable

Activity Reviews

Visit the Southern Face of Lago Argentino, Return to El Calafate [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 5]

Argentina

Beautiful ride back to the Estancia followed by a tasty BBQ. Felt rushed off the ranch to meet shuttle schedule

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shuttle schedule

Visit the "Glacier Balcony" [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 4]

Argentina

We were expecting to ride, but the horses were only used to meet the boat. This was an unexpected 5 hour hike, but it was beautiful just the same

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puesto Rosada to Laguna 3 de Abril [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 3]

Argentina

Another great day that began in snow and ended in sunshine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Estancia Nibepo Aike to Puesto Rosada [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 2]

Argentina

We rode about 6 hours to an outpost. It was very rustic. We had all weather and an incredible experience. Be prepared for weather changes as always when in the mountains. It was just my husband and I and the guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Juan was a great cook!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing horses and comfortable saddles with huge pieces of foam for added comfort

Transport

The horses!

Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Well equipped and lots of fun. I felt safe even when a nearby iceberg turned over right in front of us. Don't get too close to the icebergs!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Admire the Famous Perito Moreno Glacier [Mayo Trek - Alternative Excursion]

El Calafate

Great choice of boat company....not too large a group. The guide was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Calafate to Estancia Nibepo Aike [Multi-day Horseback Riding Day 1]

Argentina

The first day started at 5 pm and was just transport to the Estancia and dinner

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Juan....our ride guide!

Transport

The transport is at the convenience of the outfit, not the customer. The first day was not really any kind of activity day other than dinner and the last day, we felt rushed to meet the shuttle schedule.

Catherina put together a great trip for us and was very responsive to our feedback and worked super hard to give us a unique trip within budget. JJ our guide was helpful, friendly and able to accomodate small changes in plans along the way. Thanks for hooking us up with Go Wild for the Acentenago trip. They were great and it was awesome to know we were supporting the local Acentenago community

Hotel Review

El Recreo

Lanquin

Great hotel but a little out of Lanquin which meant we didn’t get to see the town itself. Rooms were tidy, but basic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Somewhere more central so that we could look around the town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acatenango Overnight Group Activity

Guatemala

The hike was hard but the journey was well managed with regular breaks. The base camp site was great and Benjamin made amazing hot chocolate. The small group format was awesome, glad we weren’t with one of the bigger companies

Quality of Experience

Great product and well executed.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Benjamin was so helpful and provided excellent service. Once he found that we enjoyed running down the loose dirt he found more sections and then ran in front clearing the path when the kids were running down the hill at the end of the hike

Transport

Semuc Champey

Guatemala

Walk was good and the pools beautiful and lots of fun. The experience of riding in on the back of the truck also added to the experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driving on the back of the truck was fun and made the trip feel more authentic

Ram Tzul

Baja Verapaz

This was a good activity to do to break up a long trip. However, the waterfall itself was not that impressive and there were not many orchids. This was an ok thing to do, but would not necessarily recommend

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

I am speaking for my whole family when I say this was a 5 star experience. The lodging and activities planned by the Kim Kim Group from initial selection to the actual experience were excellent. What was particularly amazing was how well everything was coordinated and how prompt all the guides/activities were. It would have been very difficult to put such an itinerary together especially when visiting a location for a first time. We look forward to using Kim Kim again in the near future.

Pura Vida

BOB

Amazing trip of a lifetime!! Herve did a wonderful job planning and activities were fabulous! Sandra a great tour guide in Buenos Aires! Pablo a great guide in El Calafate! The indigenous tour guide was wonderful as well! Thank you!!! Made many great memories!

We are still basking in the afterglow of this spring break trip to Greece. Our local specialist Chris started things off by customizing the itinerary to suit our needs - 9 days total, not too hectic, get to see key sights/sites, not too expensive but not cheap (the Goldilocks itinerary), etc. So, what we decided on was 3 nights in Athens (main attractions: Acropolis and museum and Delphi), 2 nights in Heraklion (main attractions: Palace of Knossos and museum), and 3 nights in Santorini (main attractions: Akrotiri prehistoric excavation site, sunset, scenery). There were 3 of us on this trip - father, mother and teenager. All the transport (to/from airport, between cities, to/from sites) was taken care of by Chris and his team and there were no issues.

Note 1: We visited Greece in the first week in April which I think is the right time to visit. The temperatures were in the mid 50's - mid 60's Fahrenheit, and though there were a couple of rainy days, the weather was generally very good. Besides, though it seemed crowded, we were told that the crowds in summer dwarfed what we saw in spring. I think that would explain why the prices in spring were reasonable. Pack some water resistant jackets/umbrellas, sweaters, comfortable walking shoes. We took sunscreen but didn't need it.

Note 2: Tips, though not mandatory, are encouraged for the guides and drivers. Ask your planner what they recommend. We tipped about 5%-10% in restaurants.

Note 3: The carry-on bag allowance for Aegean Airlines is only 8 kg (less than 18 lbs), and they check at the counter and gate, so pack accordingly.

Athens: Seamless pickup from the airport to the hotel (Athens Manor Houses), check-in and find the room to be clean, spacious, and wonderfully located. Guide for Acropolis was Christina - knowledgeable and friendly young lady - got our steps in visiting the Acropolis and Acropolis museum. What can I say - the Parthenon is amazing as is the Acropolis Museum! I only wish we had time to visit the National Archeological Museum because it is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of Greek Antiquity artifacts worldwide. C'est la vie - maybe next time. We also took a day trip to Delphi - and even though it was a rainy day, it was wonderful. Our driver was Giannis - informative and friendly. Our guide at Delphi was George who was very helpful. Giannis then took us to a fantastic restaurant in Delphi called Taverna Vakhos - superb food and great views! We then stopped at some scenic spots on the way back to Athens. Back at Athens, one small food joint stood out - "Not Just Falafel" - great, inexpensive food. Athens reminds you of big cities such as New York - lot of people of the go, noisy, never sleeps, etc.

Heraklion (Crete) - The land of the Minotaur, the Labyrinth, Theseus, etc. We wish we had stayed here for more than 2 nights. The people were very friendly and laid back. Food was out of this world - I highly recommend a restaurant called Peskesi in Heraklion. We stayed at the Olive Green Hotel - fabulous room, great location, helpful staff. We were able to walk around in town (less than 10 minutes from hotel) and get some shopping in besides the dining. Btw - there is a laundry service about 2 minutes from the hotel - very efficient - drop off up to 5 kgs (11 lbs) of clothes for cleaning, and it is ready for pickup in 2-3 hours for 7 Euros. Any way, back to the sights. We spent half a day or so, visiting the Heraklion Archeological Museum and the Palace of Knossos. Our guide Lina met us at the Museum where we spent about 90 minutes taking in the amazing history of Crete - artefacts from as early as 2700 BCE. The Minoan Civilization was the first advanced civilization in Europe, leaving behind a number of massive building complexes, sophisticated art, and writing systems. Mind blowing! Our driver, Alex then drove us to the Palace of Knossos. You really have to see it - the palace itself seems to be a labyrinth - wonderful frescoes, advanced architecture, running water, sewage system, etc. Lina was a wonderful guide.

Santorini (Thera)- yes the scenery is like in the paintings we see in some Greek restaurants. Outstanding. We stayed at a place called Above Blue Suites in a town called Imerovigli - and were provided a suite that would probably be frightfully expensive in summer - had a Sauna, private pool/jacuzzi, spacious rooms, etc. Please note the check-in time though. We got to the hotel at around 10:30 am, but had to wait until almost 2:30 before they checked us in. We did leave our luggage at the hotel while we found a place to eat. We liked a couple of restaurants in Imerovigli - To Anogi, and The White Lounge. Imerovigli is a few miles from the capital Fira (30 minute walk), and several miles from the more touristy Oia. We loved where we stayed - the sunset over the Aegean Sea was truly amazing. Anyway, we spent a few hours visiting the Akrotiri prehistoric site and Museum. Our driver, Konstantinos, and guide, Hara, were great. We decided to add a visit to the Lost Atlantis Museum for an additional Euro 40 to the transport company, and additional for the museum tickets. The next day we hired a car (Euro 200 for 3 hours) and driver, Thakis, to drive us around to some scenic spots, visit Oia, and finally stopped off at Taverna Kritikos for a simple and tasty Greek lunch, I highly recommend this restaurant - it's run by an elderly lady and the food is superb and inexpensive.

All things must pass - and so did our Greek vacation. Kudos to Chris and kimkim.com for planning such a great trip - everything was as promised. This is the first time we tried kimkim out, and quite understandably, I was a bit nervous. Thankfully, they were the real deal! Thank you Chris and kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Olive Green Hotel

Heraklion

Fabulous room, great location, helpful staff. Wonderfully located. We were able to walk around in town (less than 10 minutes from hotel) and get some shopping in besides the dining. 5-minute walk to restaurants and museums. This is a newer hotel and it had spacious rooms and a nice balcony. Btw - there is a laundry service about 2 minutes from the hotel - very efficient - drop off up to 5 kgs (11 lbs) of clothes for cleaning, and it is ready for pickup in 2-3 hours for 7 Euros.

Authenticity & Character

The balconies were nice and big

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

The staff and people here were very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was a newer hotel with spacious rooms

Above Blue Suites

Santorini

We were provided a suite that would probably be frightfully expensive in summer - had a Sauna, private pool/jacuzzi, spacious rooms, etc. Please note the check-in time though. We got to the hotel at around 10:30 am, but had to wait until almost 2:30 before they checked us in. We did leave our luggage at the hotel while we found a place to eat. We liked a couple of restaurants in Imerovigli - To Anogi, and The White Lounge. Imerovigli is a few miles from the capital Fira (30 minute walk), and several miles from the more touristy Oia. We loved where we stayed - the sunset over the Aegean Sea was truly amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff let us leave our luggage at the hotel before checking into the hotel

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

Seamless pickup from the airport to the hotel (Athens Manor Houses), check-in, and find the room to be clean, spacious, and wonderfully located. Walking distance to one small food joint stood out - "Not Just Falafel" - great, inexpensive food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historical Santorini Guided Tour

Santorini

We spent a few hours visiting the Akrotiri prehistoric site and Museum. Our driver, Konstantinos, and guide, Hara, were great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were knowledgable

Transport

Private Knossos & Museum Tour

Greece

We spent half a day or so, visiting the Heraklion Archeological Museum and the Palace of Knossos. Our guide Lina met us at the Museum where we spent about 90 minutes taking in the amazing history of Crete - artefacts from as early as 2700 BCE. The Minoan Civilization was the first advanced civilization in Europe, leaving behind a number of massive building complexes, sophisticated art, and writing systems. Mind blowing! Our driver, Alex then drove us to the Palace of Knossos. You really have to see it - the palace itself seems to be a labyrinth - wonderful frescoes, advanced architecture, running water, sewage system, etc. Lina was a wonderful guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Guide for Acropolis was Christina - knowledgeable and friendly young lady - got our steps in visiting the Acropolis and Acropolis museum. What can I say - the Parthenon is amazing as is the Acropolis Museum! We received a gift from the driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emanuela was great every step of the way! Response time was impeccable and to me that’s the most important sign of excellent service.

All the guides including Barbara. Iliara we’re superb and professional

All parts of our kimkim experience were amazing. Logistics regarding booking transfers and guides all done for our family with ease.

Highlight of our trip was definitely the private guide touring Barcelona. Our guide and driver were both friendly and experienced. They made us feel welcome in their country and city.

Our lunch with a local was a great way to walk around and learn about the area and culture. It is a good tour of 3 different restaurants and was delicious. I would definitely say this is an adult experience as our kids lost interest after the first restaurant.

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Montserrat & Lunch at a Farmhouse

Barcelona

Small group tour-nice to meet other travelers. Guides were fun and thoughtful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch with a Local in Eixample

Barcelona

Great to speak with local and get local restaurant experience. Realize it is a good tour of 3 restaurants (not just 1).

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day of Barcelona Highlights

Barcelona

Our guide was absolutely amazing. Great with kids. She knew how to navigate all the tourist attractions so we could skip the lines. We were able to see so many things in a day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Driver Karim was amazing. He is experienced, kind, and friendly. His eagerness to please and his intuition to read our every need was truly mind blowing. His mission was to give us the very best Moroccan experience….and he succeeded. We had the best vacation ever. The Moroccan people are kind and greet you with open arms. I have never felt so welcomed. All the sites we visited and experiences we had made for an unforgettable vacation of a lifetime.

Our family of three generations (grandmother, 74, daughter & husband, and grandchildren, 18 & 14) all absolutely loved our first ever visit to Japan. Our first overall impressions were of the politeness and respect, the cleanliness (of streets/stations/trains/shops/hotels) and the efficiency and punctuality of the trains. Our guide, Suzuki san, on our first day in Tokyo, was so informative, interesting and friendly. He realised that on our first day a quiet walk along the river with beautiful cherry blossoms was a good introduction - then we ventured to the shops, which the grandchildren especially loved. We all thought the Meiji Shrine was wonderful, and the Togo Shrine, where they were celebrating an anniversary, so there were monks chanting, and stalls outside. The next day another guide, Yoshiko, took us to Sensoji temple, which although impressive, with all the stalls, was extremely crowded. Earlier we visited the fish market at Tsukiji, which was fascinating. Moving on to Kyoto, which we loved, and June, our guide was really good and explained everything so clearly. The Golden Temple was one of the highlights, and we loved the Nishiki street market. We had a tea ceremony, which was impressive, and went through the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, which we all liked very much. We changed our planned itinerary the next day, as it involved many hours travelling to see cherry blossoms in Yoshino, and we all thought that would be too tiring, and we saw many, many beautiful cherry blossoms in and around Kyoto. We gave June the day off, and looked after ourselves in Kyoto.
On our way to Osaka we had a tour of the Suntory Whisky Distillery, which the adults enjoyed, particularly my son-in-law - the children weren't allowed on it, so had to wait outside. On to Osaka with June, who showed us the beautiful Castle Gardens. Thence to Hiroshima, and the wonderful Japanese garden, followed by the memorable and thought-provoking Peace Memorial Park. Our guide, Fumiko, was very interesting and sympathetic. Finally, our fabulous Onsen hotel in Hakone. It was wonderful to be in the countryside, out of the cities, and we all enjoyed our Onsen baths immensely. The six course Japanese dinner was delicious, and beautifully served. Then back to busy Tokyo! Our hotel was by the Shibuya Scramble - so we were in the thick of it! We found a karaoke bar, which for me was a novel experience and fun.

Hotel Review

The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa by Hulic

Kyoto

The hotel is so comfortable, and very well located. The staff are friendly, and polite. The breakfasts were so good! We really loved the lounge/bar/restaurant up on the top floor, with stunning views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Hakone

Hakone

This was heavenly, being right in the countryside, in the hills, and experiencing the wonderful, relaxing Onsen baths. The hotel was amazing - the rooms were large. Our 6 course Japanese dinner was truly memorable. We didn't want to explore Hakone the next morning - as it was our last proper day, so it was relaxing to enjoy the hotel and garden, and then make our way back to Odawara to catch the train to Tokyo in our own time. It would have been tiring to check out/go to Odawara/do the tours/come back to the hotel to pick up our bags, then back to Odawara station, then to Tokyo.

Hiroshima & Miyajima Day!

Japan

The Shukkeien Garden was beautiful and peaceful and not too crowded, despite the cherry blossom season. We then visited the Castle briefly, which was quite a warrior-like building, reminiscent of the samurai. Then we went to the Peace Memorial Park, which was very special and thought-provoking. We didn't go to Miyajima as it was so crowded, with long queues, and it would have been very tiring. We were very happy with what we did see. Our guide, Fumiko, recommended a very good Okonomi-yaki restaurant for our supper.

Transfer to Osaka - The Kitchen of Japan - Guided

Osaka

The Castle Garden was beautiful, but very crowded. We didn't do the food tour.

Suntory Yamazaki Whiskey Distillery

Japan

A very interesting tour, and even if one didn't like whisky, the tasting was worth doing!

Traditional Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

We all enjoyed this very much, learning about the traditional rituals, and tasting the matcha tea.

One-day trip to Arashiyama, a true cherry blossom paradise!

Kyoto

A beautiful place, with lovely traditional houses, shops and restaurants

Visit Kyoto's most famous temple- Fushimi Inari - Taisha

Kyoto

Very impressive, and a special place

Nishiki Market

Kyoto

Really fun and interesting, with all the different foods on display, and eating/tasting available

Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and Ryoanji

Kyoto

A beautiful, peaceful place

Explore Asakusa

Tokyo

Impressive, but very crowded

Toyosu Fish/Tsukiji Market Food Tour

Tokyo

I've already reviewed this earlier

Quality of Experience

Modern Tokyo Tour and cherry blossoms

Tokyo

I've already reviewed this earlier

Quality of Experience

Arrival to Japan

Japan

We had very long queues, due to Covid checks and immigration, which was quite tiring, after a long flight, even though we had done all the QR codes on the Visit Japan Web. Our greeter met us successfully, but didn't seem to know about our driver, who was also waiting for us. Eventually, we rang him and met up. Our greeter sorted our our Suica cards. Our driver gave us a comfortable journey to our Pullman hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip of a lifetime! Our driver and contacts were amazing and not a detail was dropped. Will definitely book with them again! Make sure to add the Sahara Desert to your itinerary.

All the hotels, transportation , tour activities and car rental were as described by Nichole. Overall I was very pleased by the whole experience.

Our guide Youssef was amazing!!! He was extremely informative about our trip route, coordinated various cultural experiences, gave us tremendous insight about Moroccan culture, history, and its people. He engaged us during the entire trip, including many long drives as we did the clockwise route. He also went above and beyond expectations in bringing us to late dinners and picking us up afterwards. He ensured our safety throughout the entire trip and we felt very comfortable with him. I would highly recommend him to anyone exploring Morocco!

Activity Reviews

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

We already rated this on Abdul's trip advisor site. Highly recommend him!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech – Visit Of The City ( No Drive).

Morocco

Our tour guide Chama was amazing! She was extremely informative and provided us with tremendous insight about Marrakech. She was very passionate and engaging. Highly recommend her.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Gorge – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Telouet – Marrakech ( 5 Hour Drive)

Morocco

Very very pretty drive. Loved the views.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erg Chebbi – Tinejdad – Todra Gorges – Tinerir – Dades Gorge( 4 Hours)

Morocco

Drive was fine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your camp

Merzouga

We didn't have a camel trek to our camp. However, we booked Kam Kam dunes and our hotel accommodation included a sunset camel trek.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fez – Ifrane – Azrou – Mildelt – Errachidia – Merzouga ( 7 Hours Drive).

Morocco

Long drive but Youssef kept us engaged.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

Our local tour guide didn't give us as much insight as we thought we would get from the Medina and seemed more interested in taking us to shops, where we felt pressured to buy something. I would have enjoyed more cultural and historical information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Volubilis

We enjoyed the tour guide and learning about the place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Blue City

Chefchaouen

Highly recommend that everyone explore this city. It's well worth the drive. We originally reserved a hotel outside the Medina and Youssef brought us to a much better hotel in the heart of the city, which contributed to an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My family (2 adults, 2 kids ages 9 and 11) spent 9 days in Costa Rica. We started in Arenal/La Fortuna. Our hotel, Tifakara Lodge, was amazing. The room was very private and comfortable, the included breakfast was wonderful, and the pool/hot tub area was very relaxing. While we were there, we went to Sky Adventures for zip lining. It was very fun, but we all felt like we had missed out on some of the amazing views because it was raining and pelting our faces as we made our way down. I would definitely do it again though. We also did a hanging bridge hike there that was great, and then had lunch at their cafe. The second day we went on a tour of the Arenal volcano and the lake. Again, it was raining, so our view of the volcano was limited but the guide was interesting and we all enjoyed it. The third day we traveled to Monteverde, but before we left we walked up to the La Fortuna waterfall from the hotel. The trip to Monteverde took about 3 hours, and included crossing Lake Arenal by boat. We stayed at El Establo Mountain resort. Our room was a family suite, and had a good amount of space. However, the hotel is on a hillside and requires either very steep walks to the room or other buildings, or waiting for a shuttle. I would not recommend this hotel for anyone with any kind of mobility issues. Otherwise, it was very large compared to our first hotel and felt less special and more like a large (somewhat rundown) resort. The next day we toured the cloud forest with a guided group, and then went to Don Juan’s chocolate tour in the evening. It was so much fun, and my kids loved all of the chocolate and coffee samples. We also did a little night hike there and saw some different wildlife. The following morning we toured the Children’s Eternal Rainforest in the morning with a guide. He showed us some very unusual birds, snakes, and plants and helped us get pictures of everything. In the afternoon we were driven to Manuel Antonio. There we stayed at La Mariposa hotel, which was lovely. We had a two bedroom “apartment”, which included a kitchen area that we didn’t really need, two bedrooms, and a large balcony overlooking the pool/ocean. The view was amazing. This was the only hotel that did not include breakfast in the price, but they did offer a large buffet breakfast where we ate both mornings. The first day there we spent the morning in the national park. This tour was a little disappointing because our guide was asked by someone to add several people to our group while we were getting started, so our group went from 8 people to 15 in about 5 minutes. That’s a lot of people to look through a scope anytime he spotted something interesting- most of the time the animal had moved before everyone got to see whatever it was. Also, it was very hot and crowded in the park. For what ended up being a fairly short tour, I felt really drained afterward. The tour rather abruptly ended at the beach, and we were left on our own there. We stayed and swam for about two hours, then took a taxi back to the hotel. Be aware that this was by far the most chaotic city that we visited - but it was Holy Week before Easter and we were told that everyone was on vacation. On our last full day we toured the Kids Saving the Rainforest facility. If you have young children, possibly 8 and younger, this is a great tour for them to see some wildlife in a more zoo-like setting. Most of the tours we went on involved looking through a scope at wildlife, but this is a rehabilitation center where the animals are in large cages. It’s not a long tour either, but I found their program interesting and was impressed by what they are accomplishing. From their we had one last drive to San Jose, and flew home the following morning.

Hotel Review

Ti-fakara Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna

This hotel is beautiful, the employees are so friendly and accommodating, and the rooms are private. The breakfast is amazing - not the standard buffet. You choose off of a menu, plus there is a buffet of breads, juice, etc. There is a fancy coffee machine available all the time. We all took advantage of grabbing a coffee and sitting by the pool in the afternoon. They also include a night walk every evening, where you can see amazing frogs and insects. My only negatives- the rooms have metal roofs, and it gets really loud when it rains (often). Bring ear plugs. Also, the bathroom includes an outdoor shower, which we loved, but it essentially means that the bathroom is always damp and humid, so nothing dries. Neither of these things would keep me from going back - this was my favorite hotel that we stayed in.

Authenticity & Character

The landscaping is beautiful, the wildlife is right there, and it felt very relaxing.

Location

The hotel is not “in town”. It costs us $10 per taxi ride to go to La Fortuna for dinner. That was a fair trade for getting to be in a serene location.

Staff

The staff were accommodating and friendly. Everyone spoke to us as we walked around. I used the WhatsApp number to ask several questions, and always got a prompt response. They arranged taxis, etc. whenever we asked.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very clean, and housekeeping did a good job every day. The furnishings, etc. are pretty basic, but comfortable. The outdoor shower was open to the bathroom, which kept it quite humid and nothing ever got dry in there (bathing suits, towels, etc.).

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

This was my least favorite tour of our trip. There were too many people in our group - most tours we had between 4-8 people, this was 15. Every time the guide stopped to show us something, it took forever for everyone to take a turn looking through the scope - many times the animal had moved before everyone saw it.

Quality of Experience

Limit group size to 10 max

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It seemed like we were left at the beach. Fortunately it was easy to get a taxi, but tge tour ends pretty abruptly.

Chocolate & Night Hike Experience

Monteverde

This was so fun - probably my kid’s favorite tour of the trip! Our guide was great. In addition to learning all about making chocolate and coffee, there were lots of samples. We also did a little night walk and saw sloths, kinkajous, a snake, etc. There is also a store for stocking up on chocolate and coffee.

Quality of Experience

Fun, guide had great energy, included my kids

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport