Kimkim Trip Reviews

The guides in general were friendly, funny, accommodating and helpful in giving us information on restaurants. We got to see sloth bears, few snakes, monkeys, hummingbirds, toucans etc.

However, towards the end of the trip we found out that many of these guides are not well informed about the subjects they are talking about. For example the guide from Don Juan tours (coffee, cacoa and sugarcane plantation tour) explained how caffeine is removed from coffee and that chemicals are used to do this. I researched this information only to find out that chemicals are no longer used but newer technologies that are much safer are being used.

I also asked another guide who was with us on the cloud forest tour if he was trained in identifying species of animals and birds. He told me that he was not trained. We got to speak to another tourist who told us that he requested a guide who was trained as a bird watcher and knew about the different species and their habitats and got to see the elusive "Quetzal" bird. We then realized that it is important to request for guides who are trained in their job.

We were happy with the transport service as they were prompt and accommodating.

Hotels were clean and tidy.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

Great views, spacious and clean rooms and comfy beds. The hotel looks like a chalet built in dark wood. Good restaurants close by. Not an ideal hotel for people with reduced mobility as it quite steep to get anywhere around the complex.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5-7 mins away from town center by car.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport

San Jose

Clean and spacious rooms with comfortable beds. Breakfast was good too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Denny's is right next to the hotel which is open 24/7.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Spacious, clean with comfortable beds. Free shuttle service to and from the airport with Denny's next door that is open 24/7.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lavas Tacotal

Fortuna, San Carlos

Beautiful views of Mount Arenal. Clean, spacious rooms with comfortable beds. There is a great restaurant next door to this hotel that serves delicious Korean and Japanese food. This was a break from eating beans, rice and plantains for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Further away from town and costs $15-$20 per trip to town and back.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

This is a good tour if you are traveling with children. It is packed with activities and information about cacao, sugarcane and coffee. Many of the guides have outdated information so doing a little research and reading on these before you get there helps. They have a wonderful store at the plantation but we had very little time to taste the different varieties of coffee, teas and chocolates.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Great hike. Was extremely busy with bus loads of tourists everywhere on the trail. If possible book a tour at 6 or 6:30 am with a knowledgeable and trained bird guide. We could hear the legendary but elusive bird "Quetzal" but couldn't see it. The group that went earlier in the morning saw it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

Children got to see a huge Tarantula and bioluminescent beetle. Overall a great tour. Only recommend doing one night walking tour if you are visiting Arenal and Monteverde.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Saw sloth bear with baby, frogs and lots of other creatures. It was good experience. Important to note that night walks are similar in Arenal and Monteverde so doing both was a bit of an overkill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

Cave is on private property with a river running through it. Expect to get drenched. You are told to expect snakes in the cave in the rainy season. We saw lots of spiders and bats. Water was about 1 feet deep with narrow passageways good enough for a slim person to crawl through. Our guide spotted a toucan. Pineapple snacks were bursting with flavor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Road to and from the caves is graveled and uneven. It was a long tedious ride.

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

We got to see iguanas, an elusive animal called Tira and birds. We had a very informative guide. This float was on a raft. It had rained heavily the night before and the river was quite full of water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Saw howler monkeys, snakes, spiders and other critters. Our guide Maria seemed to be in a hurry to return home and did not continue with us to the waterfall (half of the tour). Nature was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Horseback Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our horses were a bit out of control and poorly trained. For somebody who has had multiple horse riding experiences, my horse was either galloping or stopping for a chomp. It was the same for most horses in our group. Scenery was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim and specifically Ashley really came through for me on my trip to Vietnam. I had planned to do a biking tour with another organization and they cancelled 2 days before I was leaving. I was in a panic but then remembered that a friend of mine told me she always uses Kimkim for all her trips. I reached out, filled out a simple form to indicate what I wanted to do and when I woke up in the morning my whole trip was planned! We made some minor adjustments in the morning and then I was off. I did this trip solo for the first time and loved having someone on the other end to help recommend local places to eat or things to do during my down time. I also loved having a driver to meet me at every event I did - got me to the airport, picked me up at the airport, took me on tours - it was amazing! And it's so great to have someone who knows the country. I will be using them for all my trips going forward (I told everyone on my trip about them!)

Hotel Reviews

Silkotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Loved my stay here. My room was huge and the bed very comfortable. The staff was also so helpful and kind. And the location could not be beat. Close enough you could get to the shops but far enough away that you couldn't hear anyone. Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town but also quiet

Staff

Great staff - very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Verdure Lotus Gradeur (former Halong Aquamarine Cruise)

Ha Long

Such a fun experience. The rooms were really lovely - bed was so comfortable, I had my own balcony and the bathroom was huge! Really enjoyed the whole experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cat Cat Galerie d'Art

Sapa

Such a beautiful hotel. I took the stairs every day so I could see all the art they have on every floor. The staff was super helpful and kind. Bed was very comfortable and the food amazing - would definitely stay here again

Authenticity & Character

Love the art - so beautiful

Location

Staff

Always willing to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

What a great place to stay. The staff was so helpful and were always there for me when I had questions, needed to store a bag or even wrap my bag before going to the airport. And I loved the food at the restaurant! Great location, great bed and great staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi City tour - Joint in tour

Hanoi

I learned so much about Hanoi and some about the Vietnam war. Great way to get introduced to Vietnam and Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi (Verdure Grandeur Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

A must do when visiting Vietnam. I was so surprised at the rooms on the ship - so roomy and comfortable. I had my own deck outside my room which I loved. The staff was so nice and I met some really great people. Highly recommend doing this

Quality of Experience

Food

Great food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay (Verdure Grandeur Cruise )

Ha Long Bay

This was a lot of fun and an easy kayak day. We also got to get up close to some wild monkeys.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour

Hanoi

I wish I would have done this early on in the trip so I could better undetstand the food I like. I learned so much and can't wait to go to a local Vietnamese place to try some new things!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Biking trip Cam Thanh Village - Joint in tour

Vietnam

This is a must do when visiting Hoi An. An easy bike ride through the rice fields and villages. Then a fun boat ride on the river where you can catch a crab, throw a fishing net and spin in a boat. Great for pictures. Food was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My Son Sanctuary Luxury Tour - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Very interesting and beautiful tour. Our tour guide, Michael, was the best part. He made the tour not just interesting but fun with his quirky style.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

This was definitely beautiful but unfortunately a foggy day. Still worth the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

This is a must do when you go to Vietnam. It was just my guide and I - we did a 5 mile trek through the Mnong countryside - right through farms, rice fields, people's homes and villages. My guide was very knowledgable. I loved the local woman who joined us for the last 2 miles - she helped me stay upright so many times. Such a memorable experience that I would definitely do again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an absolute blast during our 5 days in Morocco, thanks to Hakim's excellent planning and our driver Rachid's knowledge, humor, and wonderful personality! All of our requests were met in the planning process (locations, extra pit stops, tours & dietary restrictions) and the Riads & Hotels that were picked were absolutely stunning, centrally located and exactly what we our travel weary bodies needed. We did both a food tour & guided city walk through Marrakesh, both of which were expertly conducted by our local tour guides and we walked away incredibly full (food tour) and absolutely amazed at the history & culture of Marrakesh/Morocco (guided tour). It is definingly extremely helpful having someone walk you through your first day at the Souk in Marrakesh!
We truly enjoyed our experience and can't wait to come back!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Chergui

Marrakech

Stunning Riad with good sized rooms, great staff & a beautiful pool right in the courtyard! We stayed 2 nights and had a wonderful time - it was a nice, tranquil atmosphere, which was especially lovely after the busyness of Marrakech!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

Once you find the hotel (a little difficult, but everything is a touch hard to find when you've never been before) it's a beautiful little oasis in Rabat. Staff was very helpful, breakfast was delicious and dinner at their sister Riad was delightful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Absolutely stunning locations, once you get up all of the front steps you have an incredible view of Chefchaouen. Room was beautiful and had everything we needed for our 1 night stop.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Morocco

Definitely in the top 5 of our experience in Morocco - our tour guide was so knowledgeable, and did an amazing job of giving us the history, background and cultural significance of so many spots throughout Marrakech. The 3 hours flew by and we both walked away with a lot more knowledge of Morocco/Marrakech because of this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

Our food tour was delicious! We tried plenty of food we would have never thought to try on our own - our guide was extremely knowledgeable and was very accommodating of my dietary restrictions, making sure we added an extra stop so I could experience more options.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Rabat to Marrakech

Morocco

Our driver Rachid took us on a quick tour of Casablanca since we were driving from Rabat to Marrakech and didn't want to drive right passed without a little stop. He made sure we had time to visit Hassan II Mosque & take a tour, as well as drive us around the city. It was a perfect stop on our 3.5hr journey!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot express how wonderful our trip to Italy was. We stayed in a small region since we only had 8 days - Sorrento/Almafi Coast, Rome, Abruzzo region. Francesca was a pleasure to work with - she took all of our desires and turned them into one in a lifetime experiences! Everything was planned with the most thoughtful details - from private transfers, private tours, private cooking class, and even a last minute private mountain picnic. We are so grateful and so happy we trusted Francesca with our trip!

Activity Reviews

SORRENTO-POMPEII-ROMA: PRIVATE TRANSFER TO ROMA; POMPEII 2-HOUR TOUR WITH A PRIVATE GUIDE

Italy

Our private guide was very knowledgeable and informative. This was definitely a highlight - I didn’t know much about Pompeii.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class experience

Sorrento

Incredible! The home/b&b was exquisite… lovely outdoor kitchen and views! Chef was very knowledgeable and so much fun. This was the best experience I’ve ever had on a trip and would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

CAMPANIA: AMALFI COAST SCENIC TOUR WITH PRIVATE DRIVER

Sorrento

Our driver, Giuseppe, was wonderful. He knew the right places to stop and have us plenty of time to explore. Such an incredibly beautiful area!

Quality of Experience

Food

Trattoria dei Carni

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good morning. I wanted to provide some feedback.
Firstly, all the drivers and tour guides were lovely, knowledgeable and accommodating. The country is beautiful and hotels have been good.
In terms of the activities, we have mixed reviews.
Rafting and zip lining were great. I will add though that the transfer from our private van to the group van which took us from rafting to lunch was a bit chaotic. Too many people crammed into the van and we easily could have left something behind in the first van. We didn't even have a chance to say goodbye and thank our driver or raft guide.

The horseback was ok. The waterfall experience was pretty although packed with people. I would explain in the description that the 500 meters distance to the waterfall is very steep and quite tiring to climb back up.
In the afternoon we followed Chris' (local emergency contact) advice and did the Volcano hike. It was a very nice hike. We opted out of the hot springs as when we arrived, there were hoards of people lined up. I later ran into someone who said it was awful- super crowded, dark, and dinner was bad. Needless to say, I’m glad we skipped it.
On to the sunset cruise, which was advertised as a small group. First of all, once we got to the marina, we all had to line up, check in, present passports(which we did not have- fortunately we had driver’s licenses), and proceed to wait for 45 minutes before boarding. There were about 100 people on the boat and by the end, half the people were drunk and acting inappropriately in front of our kids. The music was blaring the entire time (and not lovely Latin music but party music). It was basically a party boat or booze cruise. This was a major disappointment.
The surf lesson was great! The instructors were super friendly and prioritized safety for the little ones.
Overall, we’ve enjoyed our visit, but next time we’d appreciate more authentic experiences (read:less touristy) with fewer people. Also, the descriptions of activities are too vague. For example, they need to include the timing of things. Thank you. I hope this information is helpful.

The best time in Morocco!
We were two families - 4 adults and 5 kids (age 8-16). Said and Ali helped organize the trip starting in Tangier to Blue city to Fes to Marrakech including the Agafay desert. We had the best time with Tarik, our driver! Definitely a trip of a lifetime for everyone! Everyone was very helpful and accommodating.

We are very active travelers- meaning we get off the overnight flight and go straight into tours…seeing as much as we can see in the time we are in wherever we are visiting.

All I had to do is tell Mieke that’s what we wanted, and that we didn’t want to think about anything but seeing as much possible, and boom— she delivered just this.

Every tour guide and every driver was always where they were supposed to be on time. Not one misstep or someone not showing up. They had all communicated with one another and literally the logistics of the entire thing were perfect.

The Netherlands were amazing!!!! Every single guide and driver were subperb.

Plan your trip with Mieke- she’s seriously the best!!! I

Our Chile tour specialist coordinator Lorena, she made our trip so amazing, in short 11 days she arranged most I want go place work with local tour company, everything is on time, and perfect guide, we really appreciate her and really recommend kimkim company to all my other friends!

Hotel Review

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marble Caves Kayak Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Rovaniemi, Finland was amazing! Moonika was so helpful and customized our trip with all of the adventures we wanted while in Lapland. I would highly recommend Kim Kim for folks who are interested in traveling, know what they want to do, but would like someone else to plan the logistics for them.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Guests and Staff communicate via What's App and they are at your service with anything that you may want!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nova Skyland Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

So convenient, right in the Santa's Village complex - Such a wonderful location!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

Reindeer sledding was so much fun! We bundled up in a sleigh and off we rode. We had a snack and hot chocolate after we got to feed the reindeer and the family who ran the location were absolutely fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing two week, 10 person, guided van tour of New Zealand! Our driver and tour guide, Robert Miernik , was excellent! He was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and kind, with a great sense of humor. Robert also anticipated our needs and had great ideas for sightseeing and dinners. Franck helped finalize our tour, which had been delayed three years due to COVID. Our tour included both north and south islands, from Auckland to Christchurch. We saw green, rolling countryside with grazing sheep, geysers, beautiful fjords and lakes, glaciers in Mt Cook National Park in the NZ Alps.
Highlights from our group: Hobbiton Movie Set Tour, Rotorua with the incredible geysers, Maori Cultural Experience, Tongariro National Park, a helicopter ride to, and stepping out on, the Tasman Glacier, bike tour through beautiful wine country, bungee jumping, tram dinner in Christchurch.
It was a unforgettable trip!

Excellent and appropriately adventurous tour of Chilean alpine world, Patagonia (Torres del Paine, El Calafate, El Chaltan) and End of the World. Ana worked with two of us to identify great lodging and enriching experiences--all within our budget. Transport through two countries was seamless and all taxis were on time and well briefed. Also friendly and helpful in making adjustments to our schedule, booking internal flights, and suggesting places to eat and places to go at each locale. She's a pro!

Trip was reasonably priced overall and well worth it. Weather was uniformly good in destinations--despite forecasts and fears. Contact Kimkim or Ana for our itinerary, lodging, and activities. Wouldn't change a thing. Local contacts connected to us on What's App and local tour guides were fun, informative, and professional (except one who needed an attitude adjustment!).

We spend some eventful pre-trip days in Santiago/Valparaiso guided by a friend and some good times in Buenos Aires afterward. I've been to nearly 100 countries and will now put Chile and Argentina towards the top of my list. Naturally, there's plenty more to see and do there but our itinerary is a good start!

Thanks to Kimkim and Ana for making it happen!

Hotel Reviews

Cilene del Faro Suites

Ushuaia

Great location and staff. Gave us an upgrade on room. Good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meraki Lofts

El Chalten

Good price.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Calafate Parque Hotel

El Calafate

Great location, helpful staff, nice amenities.

Hotel Bellavista

Puerto Varas

Great location, helpful staff, comfy rooms.

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Rustic and comfortable. Good for relaxing after a trek and excellent meals. Friendly and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine National Park

Puerto Natales

World class venue and experience. 22k to towers magnificent but challenging hike. Other hike to caves and between entries also excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chiloe Island: Ancud, Castro & Dalcahue

Puerto Varas

Long ride to interesting locale. Local museum was great but towns not particularly interesting or charming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Osorno Volcano & the Petrohue Falls

Puerto Varas

Nice environs and plenty of time to see volcano and walk around at your ability/discretion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Pleasant boat ride and interesting info on glaciers. See Glacier museum beforehand. Well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A huge thank you to Lacey and her entire team for making our trip to Thailand so special. We had very little time to plan, so left all of the details to Lacey. She did not disappoint. Everything -- from the hotels, to tours, to guides, to drivers -- was wonderful and so well coordinated that we got to enjoy the short time we had to spend in such a wonderful country. We specifically enjoyed our private guides, Pom in Bangkok and Frankie in Chiang Mai, who made the trip particularly interesting for our entire family, including our two teenage boys. We would easy use Lacey and Exotic Voyages again and recommend them to friends and family, without hesitation.

Again, thank you, Lacey.

Hotel Reviews

Hyatt Regency Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Samut Prakan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great for easy access to the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is clean, but dated and in need of an update.

Avani+ Mai Khao Phuket Suites

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

U Chiang Mai Hotel

Chiang Mai

Loved this boutique hotel. Beautiful rooms, great location and wonderful drinks by the pool. The staff was also extremely friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the center of the old city in Chiang Mai.

Staff

They were so friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Encounter oriental gastronomy in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Frankie, was wonderful!

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Pom and our driver Sumit were excellent. Highly recommend both

Transport

Amazing service, well thought out itineraries, great bus drivers and amazing local guide in Medellin! Thank you so much!!!

Lacey was always very quick to answer and provided excellent service. She custom made an itinerary based on exactly what we requested. Local guides were helpful, at our service, and provided many helpful tips and guided our trip marvelously. We did need to check about being notified of flight changes within the itinerary as we were not the ones who had actually booked the flights. Hotel selections went from good, to better, to amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Cape Panwa Hotel

Phuket

Both a pool and lovely private beach! Breakfast selection was huge, although if you want an americano (or any coffee other than the regular drip) you have to pay extra. Many restaurants on site, and the free shuttle between the hotel and sister property was very handy. More food selection in town, including nightly street food vendors. The location is ideal, especially if you're looking for a quieter spot. I didn't check on diving, but there are many excursions the hotel can help you book.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thai Akara - Lanna Boutique Hotel

Chiang Mai

Great looking property. Rooms were huge - ours was adjacent to the pool. Service throughout was great and breakfast had a very good selection. The pool bar, for being a hotel bar, was very reasonably priced. The location was also amazing for the night market, and being within the "old fortress walls" meant the hotel was in the heart of the area, handy for the weekend night market.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

W22 by Burasari

Bangkok

Friendly service, stylish boutique hotel close to Chinatown. The rooms and housekeeping were fine. Corridors were not airconditioned, so they got quite warm. There is a very cool motorcycle museum on the ground floor. Breakfast selection was serviceable but not great. Coffee could have been stronger.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Afternoon session)

Chiang Mai

This is a life-changing activity! The ride there was long, and the road up to the sanctuary is a bit rough and winding, but it is well worth it! We learned how to greet elephants, then fed, bathed and helped put more mud on them (this helps prevent sunburn and helps them cool down!) We would have appreciated knowing we were in a red-truck taxi and not the airconditioned van. These are simply amazing creatures and your support helps to keep their sanctuary going. And NO RIDING!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Letting us know it is a red-truck taxi, no AC. And that it is a long trip there.

Our recent trip in last two weeks of March 2023 entailed travels to Tokyo, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, and Osaka. The arrangement of the trip by our Guides Claudia, Xavier and Irish was superb in the form of being responsive to all our questions., queries and concerns. The selection of Hotels and their locations was great, well thought out, convenient and excellent. The itinerary was great. We did get to see a lot of Japan in variety of settings and it’s rich history and religious diversity and tolerance. The guides and people that we interacted were very helpful in all possible ways.

My only concern with the trip was that compared to travels around the world, travel in Japan entailed a lot of time was spent getting from point one to the next and I think about more than Thirty percent of stay involved in walking, finding the right train stations and connections. These train train stations are large and getting to the correct. Entrance point and exiting the correct exit was confusing at times and tiring to say the least. This cut down a lot of time that we could have spent on seeing things we were suppose to visit. The trains, train schedules, train stations and and exits were not just confusing for us but at times was also too much for the Local Guides who were accompanying us.

There is to be better way of getting around Japan than what we had encountered.

My last concern was getting back to Airport there was never any instructions about making reservations on Narita Express . Our assumption that we could get on the direct Narita Express from Tokyo made us almost miss our Flight. Trying to get to the JR Rail offices and getting reservation is almost exhausting and all the great fun and excitement of the trip kind of evaporated in the last hours.

This is not Kim Kim.s fault but I conclusion was that Japan after being shut off for three years is not ready for the onslaught of Tourists that seem to have converged during our visit. The staff at Japan Rail was significantly lacking in their knowledge to respond to the questions from Tourists not just us but people in front of us at all their offices or at Information centers was very obvious and added to the long queues.

Overall Thank you for making this great trip possible.

Kirti and Ila Patel

Day 1-Starting in San Jose, we were greeted by our driver, Mario with Ride CR for our transfer to La Fortuna and our hotel, Lavas Tacotal. On the way, we stopped at the La Paz waterfall for photos and for local fruit from a roadside vendor. We tried a caimito or milkfruit, it was delicious! Upon arrival at Lavas Tacotal we were directed to our bungalow which had a lovely view of Arenal. The room was very clean and the beds were comfortable. We really liked the separate rooms for the toilet area and the shower. Water pressure and temperature were also very good. It would have been nice to have a reading lamp in the room, however. There are two restaurants very close to the hotel. We chose the steakhouse across the street. The food was ok but not great.

Day 2- Our tour to Arenal was scheduled for 2:30pm on our agenda but we learned the the tour operator, Jacamar Tours, had us scheduled for a 3pm departure. Our tour guide took us on a moderate hike around Arenal where we spotted a howler monkey, montezuma oro birds, and a screech owl. After our hike we were transferred to Ecotermales for dinner and a soak. The buffet was very good and we really enjoyed our time relaxing in various pools.

Day 3-Tour operator, Ride CR picked us up for our transfer to Monteverde promptly at 8:30am. A brief car trip brought us to the shore of Lake Arenal for our boat transfer. Once on the other side of Lake Arenal, we were greeted by our driver Bryan who drove us for the remainder of the journey to Monteverde. We were not allowed to check into Hotel Heliconia until after 3pm so we chose to have lunch in the hotel restaurant and then walk into town and explore until check in time. The hotel's lobby and restaurant area have been recently renovated and were very clean and pleasant. Our room was clean and the beds were comfortable, however, again, a table lamp would have been nice for reading before bed. Water pressure in the shower was plentiful as was the hot water. We did notice a strange sewage like smell in the bathroom that seemed to be worse at certain times of the day. We enjoyed the complimentary coffee in the room and the quiet location. The breakfast offerings at the Hotel Heliconia were by far the best of the three hotels we stayed at. That evening we had a tour to the Children's Eternal Rain Forest with Ocotea Tours. Our guide Walter did his best to find animals hidden in the jungle but given the high winds the area was experiencing this proved difficult. We did see a side striped palm pit viper, an orange kneed tarantula, and some scorpions, however.

Day 4-An early start for our tour to the Cloud Forest with Ocotea Tours. Our guide, Daniel, was very knowledgeable and helped us spot a family of spider monkeys, a hummingbird in her nest, a black faced solitaire bird, and the resplendent quetzal (both male and female!). The hummingbird gallery after our hike was truly spectacular-a must see!

Day 5-We were greeted by our driver, Matthias, promptly at 7:45am for our private transfer to Quepos. The ride was long but Matthias made time for us to have a rest at a roadside restaurant and shopping area. Upon arrival to Karahe Beach Hotel we were too early for check in so we hiked up the hill for lunch at Rafael's Terraza's Restaurant. The hotel had assigned us a sea view room that was renovated but we learned that we had one bed and not the two we had anticipated. Our agent Brittany was helpful in securing us a small refund for our trouble which we appreciated. The hotel is broken up into two sections, the hill side and the beach side, separated by the main road. Our room was on the hillside. It was very clean and the bed was the best of the three hotels but were not able to use the safe, it was broken. One of the two table lamps stopped working on the second day. The water pressure and temperature here was not good. The A/C was very cold and welcomed for such a warm and humid destination. The last thing I would mention is that there was no tv in room-I did not care about this but wanted to mention it. It looked as though there were plans to add one because the one electrical outlet in the room (not even an outlet in the bathroom) was six feet up the wall. Luckily, we positioned a chair to balance our cell phones on but it made charging them a bit more complicated.

Day 6- The breakfast at this hotel was the worst of the three by far. It started after 7am which made it impossible for us to even get a cup of coffee before departing for our tour to Manual Antonio. The presentation of the food and the food quality was not good. We did enjoy having a beach bar and loungers on the beach for our use as hotel guests. That afternoon we were picked up by Tucanes Tours for our Damas Island Kayak trip. Our tour guide, Cesar was very nice. We did spot some white faced capuchin monkeys on the tour but nothing else. I am not sure I would recommend this tour again as I found it underwhelming and the water we kayaked in looked very polluted. Dinner was provided after kayaking at the Tucanes Tours restaurant rest stop. It was a classic Costa Rican casado which gets the job done but was overall pretty flavorless.

Day 7-We learned of a special bird watching area called Esquipulas and made a decision to change our tour from Caracara to Esquipulas. Tucanes Tours was kind enough to switch our tour for no additional charge. We were met by Carla at 5:00am for a private tour to this special bird watching area only around 30 minutes from Quepos. She was very enthusiastic and knowledgable! We saw so many birds! Esquipulas is a really lovely area and quite a bit cooler than Quepos. We spotted a stick bird and it's chick, two species of toucans, honey creepers, king vulture, wood peckers, and many others. It was a very good tour.

Day 8-
We were picked up by Olandro from Ride CR promptly at 6:30am for our transfer back to San Jose for our flight home. We made it to the airport for plenty of time to do last minute shopping and have brunch.

Overall, everything was just about what we expected. However, I would mention that Costa Rica is not a place for those who get car sick. The roads are very bumpy and often windy. Monteverde and Quepos are very hilly, so you should be in reasonably good shape to get around on foot. You also must be fit enough to bring your bags to your room up steep hills. And, having some Spanish speaking knowledge would be very useful! Luckily for me my travel companion is a pretty good Spanish speaker.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

New restaurant has great food and lovely decor. Our room was clean and comfortable but if you like to read at night, there is no table lamp. Coffee maker with coffee in room was nice and the coffee was good. Bathroom had good water pressure and hot water. Strange sewer smell in bathroom but maybe that was just in our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Being so close to town was great. Steep walk to get back to hotel, however.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Newly renovated room had the best bed with terrific pillows and linens. Safe in room was broken. Table lamp stopped working after first night, luckily there are two lamps in room. One electrical outlet in entire room-none in bathroom. AC was very good. Water pressure and temperature were subpar. View from room was very nice. Our room did not have a TV but that was not a problem for us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Across street from the beach with beach bar and loungers. Great restaurants close by.

Staff

We left the housekeeper a tip in the room and she did not take it. We had to chase her down to ask her to take the tip!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was the great. AC was very good.

Hotel Lavas Tacotal

Fortuna, San Carlos

Great views of Arenal, bungalow room was clean and beds were comfortable. Good water pressure and very hot water. The breakfast options were good but the coffee was just so so. There is no lamp in room so if you like to read at night this hotel might not be for you. No safe in room. Sushi restaurant near hotel and steakhouse across the street. You can walk to a traditional SODA in about ten minutes. All other restaurants are a taxi ride away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of Arenal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Carara National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

I did not go on this tour.

Damas Island Kayaking

Manuel Antonio

This was just ok. Saw some monkeys at the beginning of the tour. The water appeared quite polluted.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was pretty bland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

This was one of our favorite hike. The cloud forest was so beautiful and we spotted so many animals and birds. The hummingbird gallery was so much fun. You will never see more hummingbirds in one place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

It was very windy when we were there and this made it hard to hear animals. This made the experience rather underwhelming but it's not a zoo so you have to expect that you might not see much. The guide did the best he could given circumstances.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & EcoTermales Hot Springs Visit with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great buffet dinner and the pools at Eco Termales are wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip has been just brilliant-From airport pick up to airport drop. Picked up from the airport by our driver Mustafa with a placard with my name written on it(felt like a celebrity)🤣. Mustafa speaks English amazingly so no difficulty in communication. His driving skill is perfect as well. My partner is amazed by it🤣. We have different hotels every night so a total of 6 hotels for a week trip and all of them has been so comfy. Morocco trip has been comfortable and very much enjoyed. Sayid has been our guide in Marrakesh and he is good. Kamal our guide in Fes is very knowledgeable of the history and the streets in the Medina. He even took us to the secret market of leather that only happens for an hour every day. We were the only tourists in the secret market as not all guides knows about it. I can go on and on in this review but to wrap it all up—- THE TRIP WAS AMAZING 🤩

Hotel Review

Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

Comfort in the middle of the desert

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We felt like VIPs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hot shower in the middle of the desert? Yes please

Activity Reviews

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Incredible place. Just wow

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Morocco

Our guide Adbul has been so good. Old man with lots of energy and knowledge about the place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

We would have been lost inside the Medina for thousands of years without Kamal. He was just brilliant and knowledgeable about everything in the Medina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erg Chebbi to Fes by way of the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

That visit to the wild monkeys was fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Unforgettable

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ouarzazate to Erg Chebbi

Morocco

Very comfortable ride with non stop of incredible views

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Sayid took us everywhere. Amazing day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Across Portugal planned the perfect trip, enabling us to experience all of the wonderful things Portugal has to offer! From staying in beautiful hotels in the right locations, to day trips to historic destinations and gorgeous coastal towns, to educational guided walking tours, to our amazing driver Paolo, the trip enabled us to immerse in the culture, history and beauty of Portugal. Our travel agent Joao was with us every step of the way through Whatsapp, giving us our daily itinerary, suggesting restaurants and ensuring we enjoyed every aspect of the trip. We just fell in love with the country and its people and plan to go back for an extended stay next year! Thank you KimKim and Across Portugal for this amazing experience!

Angulu and our porters were superb. We absolutely loved every minute of our trip to Gokyo. The views of Everest and the other 8000s from Gokyo Ri and Rengo La were stunning. At one point we thought we were going to need to turn back due to snow, but the team kindly waited a day and helped us move quickly when the weather cleared. The tea houses were cold but comfortable, and everyone was very kind.

Activity Reviews

Trek from Gokyo to Marlung (17,585 feet / 5360 m) via Renjo La Pass

Marlung

Acclimatization day, Climb Gokyo Ri (5357m)

Gokyo

Now I understand why they say Galapagos is the trip of a lifetime. It would be hard to go there under any circumstances and NOT have an amazing time, but arranging it through KimKim and specifically with our local expert Tamer made it a breeze. Tamer is a great listener and incredibly responsive and caring. He worked with me to ensure this trip for myself, my teenage daughter, and my elderly aunt with some health issues would be incredible for each of us, all the way down to the itinerary that would include seeing specific animals, making sure the ship's crew was aware of my aunt's food allergy, and having wetsuits reserved in case the water temp for snorkeling wasn't comfortable. Here's why I'll happily book through KimKim again in the future: 1. They arrange exactly the trip I want without my having to spend any time researching, 2. I don't have to think about a thing from start to finish, because transfers, accomodations, and tours are all arranged, 3. As a woman traveling with her daughter, I feel safe knowing drivers, guides, etc. are vetted, and 4. I get all that for a few hundred dollars more than if I planned the trip myself. What's not to love?