Kimkim Trip Reviews

We worked with Jasmine and Hiroshi of Oshinobi Travel, and regret the decision.

Although their service did provide several memorable experiences (Miyokaiku carpentry tour, Yoko the guide for Nikko, Emi's help in coordinating connections), these were overshadowed by repeated disappointments:

The wrong ryokan was booked for the Nakasendo trail, and this was a major disappointment. But even more upsetting was the lack of response to making any correction or taking any responsibility for the oversight. Instead, fault was seemingly placed on us (via the Kim Kim dialog). I requested a refund, and was denied.

Even when we cancelled planned arrangements--such as a guide we no longer needed--no compensation was offered. We enjoyed most of their guides, but some did not have the requisite knowledge / experience of the places we visited (temples, gardens, etc.)

The hotels they selected on their own were standard Western rooms, except for specific requests we had made. We did enjoy the ryokan they booked in Kyoto. The places you stay matter in terms of the experience you have.

The train bookings were also standard / basic, and could have easily been upgraded, given the cost of the trip.

Overall, for the ~$30,000.00 we spent for 10 days, we felt we had an average experience. We had booked with Esprit Travel in the past--and for less--and had trip experiences that were exceptional. We will book with Esprit next time we visit.

Hotel Reviews

The Tokyo Station Hotel

Tokyo

Simply a Wonderful hotel... With History, a Soul, and wonderful staff and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Okunoin Hotel Tokugawa

Nikko

Also sterile, western experience.

Hatago Tawaraya Ryokan

Nakatsugawa

The Wrong ryokan, and hence our disappointment. Not much of a Soul, but clean.

Kyoto Yuzuya Ryokan

Kyoto

Loved this place, and its location. We will return.

Authenticity & Character

A true ryokan experience.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shourekiji Temple Stay

Ayabe

Enjoyed the interactions with the hosts, especially the participation in the Buddhist traditions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very remote--1.5 hours from Kyoto

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Leisure Time at Nikko

Nikko

Our guide, Yoko, did an amazing job here. Although she had been told we were planning to hike, we went to Nikko for the temples and World Heritage Sites. This took some adjustment on her part, which she did artfully, and took us on an amazing tour. At the end of the tour--which included almost Everything at a leisurely pace--she even sent us off by taking us to various food spots (including saki) for the train ride home.

Embark a Special Himeji Miyadaiku Carpentry Tour and Castle Exploration

Japan

Our best arranged experience, overall. We met the master carpenter at his shop, where he educated us about joinery and various techniques. And then the carpenter himself took us on the tour of the Himeji castle, which he himself had restored 10 years earlier. The guide / translator also did an exceptional job.

Private Transportation Service

Japan

The private transportation was very expensive. We requested a car after we cancelled a previous arrangement, and Hiroshi gave me a price of $350-400 for the morning of the request. We walked instead, had immersive experiences in Kyoto, and then simply took a cab back to the ryokan for a total cost of $8.00.

Svetlana was amazingly responsive to all my change requests and sudden needs. The sites that she suggested were all wonderful and the vouchers worked without fail. I would use her again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Reviews

Menlo Hotel

Galway

a very nice hotel, just not located near downtown so you have to drive to get anywhere. it was a 30 min walk to downtown. Nice restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

not near downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perryville House

County Cork

an amazing old building right in the town of kinsale. A delightful room with amazing breakfasts and a lounge for alcohol in the afternoon. The staff were all very helpful although they did want a time for arrival for breakfast since the hotel was full. There is very limited parking but the porter was great at helping secure a spot the next morning when a space opened up.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Green

Dublin

nice hotel with good breakfasts. Very responsive. Quirky room set up as we had to use two elevators to get to room as it has incorporated two distinct buildings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

they have an executive lounge but it is not like what you find in other hilton or marriott lounges

Activity Reviews

Waterford Crystal

Waterford

wonderful 50 minute tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Dance, Music & Dinner

Dublin

we had read that the would be a "tourist trap" "poor ventilation", and was "packed like sardines" We really enjoyed it and never felt locked into our seats. the attitude was great of all the staff and the food was wonderful. the entertainment was really fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My wife and I just returned from a self drive trip to Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia. We worked with Nikola and could not have had a more pleasant experience. He crafted our trip exactly to our interests. He is super patient, because I made many changes along the way. He is from Croatia, and is an expert. During our trip he kept up with me everyday via WhatsApp and was available to us the entire way. He responded promptly via WhatsApp to the few questions I had along the way. His choice of hotels were fantastic, and the order in which he booked our trip provided for the most time in each city. ‘Also, he sent me an APP for my phone prior to departure which detailed our trip, and sights along the drive that we could stop to visit if we wanted. It covered every detail, even how to park at each hotel. We literally felt as if he were with us the entire trip. Having his help immediately along the way, if needed, was priceless. We do not like group tours, so this option is the best for us. This is our 3rd KimKim trip, and I no longer try to plan independent trips myself anymore. I will only use KimKim as they vet out local agencies who are superb in their product. ‘Thank you Nikola. We will speak again when we return to the Balkans.

We had a fantastic trip to Iceland with KimKim's help. They were able to take our love of outdoors and different fitness levels into account so we both had a great time. As people who like traveling alone with a car, but wanted a break from all the trip planning they were a godsend with recommendations that matched our interests. Clear planning made for a smooth trip. The scenery was beautiful. We were outside all day almost everyday and then had very comfortable hotels to recover in. We look forward to having them help us with our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Central location made the city very walkable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dís Cottages

Grundarfjordur

We would give the view 10 stars if we could. It felt like we were the only people in the world. 10 minutes into closest town where the grocery store has an excellent auto coffee machine if you want something more than drip coffee.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Geysir

Bláskógabyggd

Beautiful hotel 5 minutes walk away from the geysirs. Had a delicious dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Kría

Vík

Great centrally located hotel in a small town. Wonderful views and our favorite breakfasts of the trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Silfra Snorkeling Adventure

Iceland

The water was very clear. There was a padded insulating layer to put on under the drysuit which was very helpful. A double layer of long underwear also helped. The staff were very knowledgeable and highly skilled.

Quality of Experience

The wet suit was not the most comfortable thing in the world, Wonderful views and had good time in the water.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thórsmörk Super Jeep Experience

Iceland

Great small tour. The valley is beautiful and our guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Packed lunch we purchased was nice. Not a fan of vegan brownies, but this is a personal preference.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Walk and Kayak Experience

Iceland

Both the kayak and glacier hike were very informative and had beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatnshellir Lava Cave Experience

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Very interesting tour of caves. Very informative. No bathrooms on site, which is clearly marked by sign. Free bathrooms less than 5 minutes away at lighthouse museum. It wasn't a problem, but it was unexpected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Jordan was amazing. I was connected with Samir who helped me plan this trip. From the beginning until the end, Samir was so communicative and helpful in answering any questions I had. I told him some places I knew I wanted to visit and he offered suggestions on an itinerary to make sure we saw what we wanted to see. Even when one of the places we wanted to stay was booked, he continued to check on its availability and because of his perseverance, we were able to stay there!
Mohammad, the driver that he chose, was so amazing. Mohammad was always waiting for us when we were to meet. He was very personable and diligent and made sure we were happy with our itinerary. He didn't even complain when we showed up with a ton of bags that had to come out of the car each time we stopped for the night.
I would not hesitate to contact Samir again if we ever return to Jordan.

I can't say enough wonderful things about our most amazing trip to Africa. I’m still in awe of the experience. From the breathtaking landscapes to the vibrant cultures and the incredible wildlife, every moment felt like a dream come true. Each place (Sun City, Sabi Sands, and Victoria Falls) that we visited brought something new and unforgettable. The safaris were absolutely magical — seeing lions, elephants, giraffes, and leopards in their natural habitat were both humbling and exhilarating. The guides (Peiter at Sabi Sands and Kheto at Victoria Falls) were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, which made the experience even more meaningful. We were also deeply impressed by the people we met and their hospitality. We had the chance to get to know some of them and learn about their culture and background as well as try their cuisine. David especially went above and beyond and we hope to ‘meet him at the tree’! These experiences left a lasting impression on us all. We will never forget the sunsets over the savanna, the amazing stories of the friends we made, and the majestic animals we were with. You helped make our dreams come true!

I highly recommend KimKim as a travel service. We received amazing individiualized attention to all of our travel needs during the two and half weeks in Turkey. Murat and Hulya provided overall management and were immediately responsive to issues that came up as well as providing detailed directions and communication at every stage of our trip. We had some concerns regarding cleanliness and suitability of the hotel room in Istanbul and Murat helped arrange for an upgrade the next day. The communication piece was really outstanding. She provided detailed information about drivers and tour guides and even checked us in on flights. All of this made our experience so comfortable when the logistics of travel can be overwhelming and confusing especially when you have multiple destinations as was our case. We were picked up and dropped off by dedicated and professional guides and drivers. We had three different guides; one for Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Izmir/Ephesus. All of our guides were friendly, responsive, punctual, interesting and most important, knowledgeable about the area toured, Turkish history and the sites visited. In Istanbul, Betul was clearly very experienced and knew the city extremely well. She took us to all of the important sites and we loved learning about the culture, city and especially the food from her. She even made a dinner reservation for us. In Cappadocia, we had an amazing guide, Esin. She was really awesome; her knowledge of the region and history was truly illuminating. Just a lovely human being who was flexible to our needs and enthusiastic and passionate with her guidance. For the last leg of our trip from Izmir to Bodrum, our guide Ecem provided clear information and was very helpful and accomodating. One of the advantages of this trip was that we were picked up and dropped off every day at our hotel and all travel was just so well coordinated. Thank you for all that was provided.

Wow! This was my first trip using KimKim. My wife and I wanted a special trip in Sicily with our adult children to see the sights and connect with relatives in a remote part of the island. Our local specialist Chris was excellent in every way. My wife broke her leg in January so we had to put the trip planning on pause until we were confident she would be ready. Chris was very accommodating with this and with some minor last minute changes. Everything was excellent from the airport transfers to the local guides to the hotels (with the exception of the hotel in Palermo which was very noisy). We had a private cooking class in Taormina with Luca. 3 members of our group are gluten free. They had one station set up that was gluten free and another for gluten tolerant. Our guide for the Mount Etna hike to Vale de Bove was incredible. He is part of the Italian mountain search and rescue team. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers we had were professional and very personable.

Hotel Reviews

Saracen Sands Hotel & Congress Centre

Isola delle Femmine

We asked for a hotel near the PMO airport because we had a 0550 Flight in the morning. The hotel is a very large convention hotel. The room was clean but smelled strongly of mold and vinegar. The concrete was spalling on the wall. The worst problem was the *very* loud birthday party with DJ in the courtyard until 11 PM our first night. The desk staff promised there would be no party on our second night before our flight. They lied. There was a very loud DJ in the courtyard facing our room and the other courtyard had a party with loud music. At 10PM we insisted on a new room. The Staff accommodated us by moving us to a recently built villa but that required us packing and moving to a new building outside the hotel campus. … Less than 3 hours of sleep before a very long trip home. … FYI the beach was filled with garbage, very unappealing but not under the control of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Positive: they moved us into a quiet room at 10 PM. Negative Staff lied to us by stating there would not be a party on Saturday night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very loud, don’t stay if you want to sleep before midnight.

Hotel Villa Athena

Agrigento

This is probably top-10 in hotels we have stayed in. The views of the temples are incredible. Be sure to plan to enjoy a meal in the outdoor dining area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Chiaramonte

Ragusa

Stunning views, Very clean and modern rooms. Beautiful pool. One of the best meals we had in Sicily.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Countryside relais

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Great location. Very nice rooms. Be sure to enjoy the rooftop bar and restaurant with views of Mt. Etna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Agrigento - Scala dei Turchi - Valley of the Temples

Agrigento

Lorenzo was literally one of the best tour guides we have ever had. His deep knowledge of history gave context to the site. His style is extremely entertaining and he made the whole tour super fun. He talked for 2 hours and the tour went by in a flash. Lorenzo is one of the few people I would specifically seek out if I were to visit Sicily again. I wish I could give 6 stars

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ragusa & Agricola Occhipinti guided tour

Ragusa

Ragusa is worth a quick visit. Our driver was amazing. He took us to a great spot on the superior village to get a view and then took us to the lower village. He dropped us in the Piazza, pointed out a great gelato shop and told us he would meet us by the garden. This gave us the perfect opportunity to stroll through the Main Street in an unhurried manner. Occhipinti gave an excellent tour and the wines were quite good. (We ordered a couple of cases to ship home). However, the vineyard is a bit out of the way and probably not worth a special trip unless you are in the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Etna hiking & wine tasting

Italy

Our guide Dario is a serious mountaineer. He was very fun, entertaining and informative. He is also a member of the Italian Search and Rescue team so we knew we were in good hands. We had a fantastic view of the Vale de Bove, a UNESCO heritage site. I have done lots of backpacking and climbed many mountains, but this was one of the most stunning sites I have seen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day excursion to Taormina with a Sicilian cooking class

Italy

The cooking class with Luca was a highlight of the entire trip. Half the group was gluten free. Luca had a separate gluten-free station set up for the pasta making portion of the class. Luca was fun and engaging and even experienced cooks learned a lot about Sicilian specialties. The class was super fun and the food was delicious and abundant. … Our guide for the Taormina was a solid “B” grade and was the weakest link of the trip. She was grumpy that our lunch ran late and started the tour with “I have a doctor’s appointment so it is OK if you want to have time to walk around.” She was technically ok but seemed rushed and distracted.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most spectacular time! So many hidden gems and experiences. Our favorite was shopping in the market and cooking a local provençal meal.

Hotel Reviews

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

Aquabella Hotel & Spa was great. Just like our first hotel, we had a lovely experience here without any issues. The service was very accommodating and helpful throughout our stay.

Lamartine Residence

Nice

Our stay at the Lamartine Residence was fantastic. There was a bit of a mix-up when we arrived as they thought we were a party of six, so there were extra cots in the room. But they handled it smoothly and promptly removed the extra beds after we clarified we were only three. The staff went above and beyond with their customer service, making our stay enjoyable and welcoming. The room was super awesome and perfect for our needs.

Activity Reviews

Morning food and wine tour

Nice

The morning food and wine tour in Nice was incredibly well done. Though it turned into a long day combined with our visit to Monaco, the guide was fantastic and took excellent care of us. I've been on several food tours before, but this one stood out and was very rewarding.

Self-guided tour to Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape

France

The self-guided tour to Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape was mostly enjoyable. Unfortunately, we ended up visiting on a Sunday, when many places were closed. It might have been better to explore the area on a Saturday to fully appreciate all it has to offer. Despite this, I understand the timing due to the travel distance from Aix-en-Provence. It was still a worthwhile experience.

Market visit and Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Guided visit of Commanderie de Peyrassol and Lunch at "Chez Jeannette"

Flassans-sur-Issole

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica, visiting Arenal Fortuna and Manual Antonio. We enjoyed our stay at the Volcano Lodge and were blown away by how beautiful Los Altos Hotel was. Everywhere we went we were met with polite, friendly and helpful staff. The Kimkim team was very helpful in planning our trip and making the vacation relaxing.

We had such an amazing time!
Everything was great and went very smoothly. Our driver/guide Hamza made everything seamless. Friendly, calm and constantly paying attention to any needs and details. I know Morocco so I was looking for an experience beyond the "standard tourist package". We got what we were looking for. Local guides were excellent especially Khalid, our guide in Fez. Our stays were at authentic locations, mostly beautiful Riads. Food was to die for and for our "en route" locations, Hamza made sure that they were safe and clean. Everyone was so welcoming. We felt immersed in the culture and nature and explored so many facets of Morocco. We are already planning to come back!
Thank you to the whole team and special thanks to Hamza!!
See you soon again, Insha'Allah!!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Wow

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit noisy, right accross the street form a night club restaurant, not a deal breaker however

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Village du Toubkal

Imlil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Oasis Camp Merzouga

Taouz

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RIAD VILLA AMOOD

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Merzouga Desert to Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Private Sightseeing Tour in Rabat

Rabat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Casablanca Int. Airport (CMN)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Volubilis

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Quad Bike Ride in Merzouga Sahara Desert.

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we had a blast!

Merzouga Area Desert advanture

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Imlil Valley & Lunch with a berber Family

Imlil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a great hike, our hiking guide was attentive and knowledgeable

Transport

Hammam Experience 5 Pm.

Morocco

Quality of Experience

The service was great, we felt so pampered

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes Food Tour

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Family's Guided tour of Fez

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide Khalid was amazing

Transport

Explore Chefchaouen with your local guide

Chefchaouen

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of our planning and questions were handled very well snd quickly by Karri and the team. Arrival in Oslo was seamless. Hotels, all were of very good quality and location for our activities. Train and ferry tickets issued under one bar code did 6 people certainly simplified our travelling.

Overall we had a great experience from start to finish

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Steps from the ferry dock. Rooms quite warm even with windows open. Close to business and shopping areas. Clean building and pleasant staff

Authenticity & Character

Efficient competent staff

Location

Steps from the ferry dock and shopping/ restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Tremendous location overlooking the fjord. Great breakfast and friendly welcoming staff

Authenticity & Character

Helpful staff. A lit if attention to detail and presentation

Location

Easy walk from the ferry dock and close to business section of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

Helpful and friendly staff. Easy walk from the r train station. Friendly atmosphere

Authenticity & Character

Location

About 10 minute walk from train station and village centre

Staff

Helpful with all requests and queries

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom a but small, but very functional

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Well located in central Oslo. Very good breakfast buffet. Accommodating staff

Authenticity & Character

Vetyckean, organized and well appointed

Location

Easily walkable to transit stations , restaurants and sight seeing locations

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjærlandsfjord Cruise & Bøyabreen Glacier Visit

Balestrand

Felt a bit rushed between the ferry landing, catching her bus to the interpretation centre, viewing the centre and then going on to the glacier. More timdd ed in the interpretation centre would have been good. Didn’t get to see the exhibits, watch the videos and grab some lunch without feeling rushed. Add 20 - 30 minutes to this portion of the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I’m

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

First time experiencing the Nordic experience of sauna and cold plunge. Fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Efficient check in to a well maintained facility

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fortunately, our custom tour arranged be Kadri and Fenn, resulted in little necessary communication to KimKim….BECAUSE….YOU arranged everything without a glitch!
Our vouchers, tickets, etc … for a group of 6… perfectly arranged!
I would recommend your services to anyone!

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Great location! I was surprised at the care and concern taken to access our room…but it was in a busy location…and very happy for the feeling of security.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Absolutely perfect local for funicular, market, and walk to the fountain.

Staff

There seemed to be confusion about what time breakfast was available…the desk staff told us 0730 and our friends were able to access breakfast at 0700.

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

The location speaks for itself.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

This was a lovely spot, but not much fun dragging luggage up the hill and stairs….not a problem for our group, but maybe for others. The staff were very helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

Authenticity & Character

It felt very “original”

Location

I loved our waterfront view

Staff

The staff were very patient with any question!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Be prepared for a small room and a smaller bathroom…but the common area was spacious

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Amazing breakfast selection- top notch! Comfortable, a bit warm because of the outside temperatures! Would revisit!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjærlandsfjord Cruise & Bøyabreen Glacier Visit

Balestrand

I loved it…but I did not have enough time at the information centre.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

It is definitely a “must do”

Quality of Experience

It was a fun event with friends!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable

We had a fabulous experience with Across Portugal! Marisa and her team were always providing us updates and reminders. They also were flexible and accommodated a train change when we wanted to switch up our schedule a little. I would highly recommend and I look forward to using them in the near future!

Tokyo: hotel Cerulean was amazing! Excellent service and spacious room. One of the best hotels we have ever stayed in. Our guide Yumi was not great. It was a rainy day so she finished the tour at 2pm but did not give much suggestions on what else to see. The Yanaka historical walking tour was very nice.

Kyoto: Our hotel was convenient because we did lots of buses. The room was spacious, but nothing like the Cerulean in Tokyo. Our guide Masaaki Tanaka fooled us because we saw him at first and he is an older gentleman but he was quicker and more fast paced than us. He was excellent, very knowledgeable and very interesting. Took us to eat in a beautiful noodle house and it was raining as well so instead of going to Kiyomiu-dera Temple we went to the indoor museum where there is 1000 buddas. Very fascinating.! Had another full day with him in Nara and temple there and he was excellent.
Our other guide was Yuki, she was soft spoken and very good as well. Had a long great day with her in the Bamboo forest.

Osaka: The Westin Osaka was very nice and had good service as well. There is alot of construction going on around it there so it was a bit of a walk to the main city and train station that had all the restaurants and stores. Would have prefer to stay closer to that area. Met with Yuki again and she took us on a city tour of Osaka. The museum was very interesting, probably would have skipped the Osaka Castle, was alot of walking. The food tour at night was alot of fun and the guide was funny and very quick. She took lots of pictures, would love to see them. Hiroshima guide, was very knowlegeable and spoke great english. Gave us a full tour and great place for lunch. Forgot her name, but Im sure you must have it.

Hakone: AMAZING!!!!! The hotel was first class, the buffets were fabulous, the springs were so relaxing and the scenery was spectacular. Our guide to see Mt. Fuji was May - excellent and a great photographer too! He was witty and bought us alot of local treats so we could enjoy them. Extremely knowleagable of the area and took us to an open air museum, including Picassos, that was not on the itinerary. This Hakone open air museum, should be on the list. Our driver, Joan was professional, on time and a sweetheart! This was the perfect ending to a hectic tour of Japan. Thanks to Angel and KimKim for all the assistance and patience with us!
Arnie and Carmen

Simply put: this was the most amazing trip of my life. Hassan was super helpful, knowledgeable, and was great at listening to what we were looking for in a trip. He put together the most amazing package for us.

The hotels, restaurants, and tours were awesome. This was our first trip with a guide and itinerary, and what we realized is that it was so refreshing to not have to wake up and make a tonne of decisions as everything was laid out for us. We could then change the plans depending on our energy levels of the day.

And Khalid...our driver for 10 days. Wow. He was top shelf. His mannerisms, personality, friendliness, and kindness was beyond expectations. His knowledge of everywhere we went was unbelievable. He had a great sense of humor, answered all our questions, and swiftly became a member of our "family".

My absolute favorite, and bucket list item that I didn't know was a bucket list item until I did it, was riding a camel in the Sahara and staying in an amazing camp in the Sahara. Absolutely stunning and the #1 experience of my life (it knocked Machu Picchu / Amazon jungle off the top spot).

Fes and the market was an incredible experience as was the gorgeous and unique Blue City, Chefchaouen.

We chose to have two meals with Berber families, and both experiences were amazing. The food and hospitality was unmatched.

Morocco is stunning in beauty and I could not believe the diverse landscape as we traveled around it. I am thrilled with the route we took and wouldn't trade our experience for anything.

Thank you Khalid, for being a true ambassador for your country and hospitality.

Shukran 🙏

We loved our 8-day visit to Morocco. Our driver, Tayeb, was an excellent source of information about the places we were visiting, historical background, cultural insights and other, more practical matters. He was also totally flexible about how and where we spent our time, adjusting schedules whenever our priorities shifted slightly. We visited Marrakesh, Casablanca (briefly), Rabat, Fes, Chefchaouen, and Tangier (with stops at a few other locations along the way). All in all, we found Morocco a fascinating country, a charming mix of old and new, with very modern infrastructure in very traditional settings, and very open and hospitable people. KimKim was endlessly patient with us in the initial planning for the trip, and helped us put together an itinerary that gave us just the right exposure to their beautiful country. We can certainly recommend their services to any who are considering a visit to Morocco.

Pedro and his team were exceptional. The planning and execution was exactly what we asked for and if there was a little glitch, he was ready to do what he could to fix it. The accommodations were excellent, the transportation was flawless and we would use Pedro and team again in a heartbeat! Thank you KimKim for connecting us to such a stellar travel specialist!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Beautiful stunner of a hotel. We were surprised by our balcony overlooking the ocean. Wished we had another night at this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Nothing, just felt like it catered to a different clientele

Location

Short walk into town, but far enough away not to be bothered by the congestion of the main area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfy. Room was spacious

M'ar de Ar Aqueduto

Évora

Beautifully appointed modern room. Shower was tricky. Breakfast was average as compared to the prior hotels. Pool area was lovely and inviting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from main square

Staff

Assisted us with our luggage and was helpful in giving directions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

Great location. Mattresses were firm, shower was excellent & they provided a washing machine, which was a pleasant surprise!

Authenticity & Character

Very spacious, apartment units.

Location

Staff

Housekeeping was requested, but never came to clean our rooms.

Cleanliness & Comfort

There were little bugs in the downstairs unit.

Montebelo Vista Alegre Lisboa Chiado Hotel

Fantastic hotel. Great location in Lisbon. Everything was first class. The room was small, but the comfort of the beds made up for that. Breakfast was the best!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds!!!

Activity Review

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Always on time. Helpful in making restaurant suggestions & reservations. Informative about what we were experiencing

Emanuela helped spectacularly plan the itinerary for my honeymoon trip to Iceland. My wife and I found it very easy to communicate to Emanuela what we wanted to do and found that everything that she recommended to us was just simply amazing. Even with flight delays causing us to get to Iceland a day later, Emanuela helped us with modifying our itinerary and making sure we didn't lose anything we had already booked. We were completely thrilled with our food tour group as Stefan from Your Friend In Reykjavik was incredibly funny and also very informative regarding Icelandic cuisine, history, and culture. My wife and I enjoyed learning from our tour guide on our lava tube cave tour and also our lovely chats with the wonderful people who work at the horseback riding stable in Vik! My personal favorites, outside of all the food we had, were certainly Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi because I could walk around and under Seljalandsfoss and I had to walk through the canyon to get to Gljúfrabúi. We would recommend Emanuela to anyone looking to make their way to Iceland! Thank you again for all your help and we both hope to be back in Iceland very soon!

What should have been my first clue, I got a call from a hotel in Dublin at 2 AM in the morning trying to confirm our stay for a day before we even left Canada.

Second. The final e-mail outlining our details of the trip was addressed to someone else and it created a lot of
confusion.

The info from the service provider was very awkward to use and it took some time to sort it all out.
The information we needed access at least once every day of our trip was a royal pain to get to.
It involved many hidden steps every time.
The process is listed below….
1) Find the email containing the trip info
2) Find where it says read more.
3)Open trip summary.
4) Locate view details.
5) Scroll to. The current day.
6) Then open show details.
It shouldn’t have involved all those steps every time.
Our excursion to an abandon village never listed a time for our private tour. Luckily we decided to just go there and we arrived at the correct time. Lucky.
The distillery tour indicated that we needed a voucher for the tour. Wrong. They had quit giving tours last year. Fortunately we did get a self guided look at their equipment and had a tasting that is always free.
We booked a this trip to Ireland because of the wonderful experience we had with your company with our trip to Croatia two years ago.
To put it succinctly, if this was our first experience with KimKim Travel it would have been our last.

Hotel Reviews

Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport

,Santry, Dublin 9

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Hotel Athlone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glasha Meadows BnB

Doolin

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kylemore Pass Hotel

Co. Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Stuart made the stay very enjoyable. Hated to leave. Very friendly atmosphere.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Óstán Oileán Acla

Achill Sound

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tara Hotel

Killibegs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Causeway Hotel

Bushmills

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enniskeen Country House Hotel

Newcastle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Kayak Tour in Strangford Lough

Ireland

It is a good tour of the lake but be prepared to get wet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Orchard/ Cider tour with Tasting at an apple Farm in Armagh ( 2 hours)

Ireland

Very informative tour. They do more than just cider.

Quality of Experience