Kimkim Trip Reviews

Ibrahim and Amr have been amazing, helpful, and patient putting together a busy itinerary for our 12 days in Egypt, from Cairo to Red Sea to Bahariya Desert. We had multiple tour guides during this trip and each and every one of them were amazing and knowledgeable. We almost cancelled camping in the White Desert when we got to Hurghada, but so glad we didn't. It's probably one of the best experiences of the entire trip. Can't wait to visit again in the future!

Activity Reviews

White Desert - Cairo

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cairo - White Desert

Bahariya

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit West bank and East bank

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kom Ombo & Edfou

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple and Aswan

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Egyptian Museum, Salah El Din Citadel & Old Cairo

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour Alexandria

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to visit Pyramids and Sphinx - Camel Ride

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family cannot say thank you enough to Tasos and the KimKim team. Tasos worked with us to create a vacation that exceeded all of our expectations. Tasos provided us with a detailed outline that we iterated together to match our specific ideas for our desired Italian vacation - exploring traditional foods, staying in a Tuscan Agriturismo, and experiencing Rome. Every city included at least one private tour for our family with guides who understood that if our kids are engaged, everyone is happy. And all the transfers were pre-arranged, so there was never any stress. On the morning of our 8 AM Vatican tour, there was a car waiting outside our hotel at 7:30 to take us across town.

On our last night in Italy as we walked around the lit-up Coliseum, none of us wanted to go home. 19 days in Europe with their parents, and our teenagers wanted to spend more time with us! In fact, most days in Italy ended with one boy commenting on how awesome the day had been, and other boy agreeing. Next summer our family vacation will be to Greece, and we are excited for the adventure Tasos will plan for us!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Capo d'Africa—Colosseo

Rome

This hotel was interesting, with fully staffed lobby bar and roof top bar, but no patrons. The one night we went to the roof top it had a night club feel, but we were the only ones there. The breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Three blocks from the Coleseum!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean, comfortable and good size, especially for Europe.

Hotel Gran Duca Di York Milan

Milan

The staff at Gran Duca di York in Milan was very attentive and having a happy hour in the hotel was great for our larger group.

Authenticity & Character

We felt welcome

Location

Center of Milan

Staff

Very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean and comfortable, but small

La Bella Modena Centro

Modena

This small hotel is owner operated with a part-time front desk. The owner is available by phone, and was very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were the most efficient use of space, with innovative closets.

Location

Just outside the old city, everything was close.

Staff

The owner/manager was attentive and went out of her way to help us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable.

Fattoria la Loggia

San Casciano in Val di pesa FI

Fattoria la Loggia was everything we hoped it would be! Most of the guests were families with children, and the atmosphere was warm and family friendly. The pool was fabulous and definitely our boys favorite. The three-bedroom apartment with a kitchen was great for our family. On our Parma and Modena days, we bought cheese, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar on our tours; we supplemented those with some fruit and bread, and that was our dinner for two of our nights at la Loggia. As we expected, there was no air conditioning. Keeping the shutters closed during the day kept the apartment from getting too hot, and with fans we were able to sleep well. The managers also gave us a wonderfully fun and delicious cooking lesson outside with views of the vineyards. We would highly recommend staying there!

Authenticity & Character

Italian villa!

Location

In the center of Tuscany and 30 minutes from Florence.

Staff

The cooking class is fantastic.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Be ready for no air conditioning...but with the right expectations the fans are enough!

Activity Reviews

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

What a way to start the day - a black car waiting for us at the hotel curb at 7:30 for our 8 AM early entrance Vatican tour. All of the pre-arranged transfers really made a huge difference! At the Vatican Sarah was another wonderful guide. She gave us a wonderful tour of both the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, and while there is no way of covering all of the art and history of these two places in three hours, she chose well which pieces to focus on and gave us both historical and religious perspective.

Bike The Appian Way

Rome

Biking the Appian Way with Fabrizzio. What a fun way to see this important part of Roman history! The tour started with a ride across Rome through the Jewish Quarter and past the Circus Maximus before heading out the Appian Way. This was a real bike ride (no e-bikes for us!) with some strenuous sections. We rode past Italian villas on the way to the Catacombs. On our way back we continued clockwise around the Forum, biking by the Arch of Constantine, down dei Fori Imperiali and past Curia of Pompey, where Cesar was assassinated. Fabrizzio was interesting and gave us many new tidbits of information on places we had seen. He also trusted that we knew what we were doing on bikes - this was not a tour for rookies! Back at the shop, Fabrizzio and the owner shared with us some of their favorite spots.

Catacombs & Underground Rome Tour

Rome

This was really an interesting tour. The Capuchin Crypt was very unexpected, a bit bizarre and beyond interesting - the bones of monks made into art. In one of the crypts shoulder blades were arranged as butterflies. Even though we were only there for about 30 minutes it was absolutely a must see! For the Catacombs portion of the tour our guide was a geologist who had helped map these Catacombs, admitting to having been lost in the Catacombs as a student more than once. We did not get lost!

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

This tour with Sarah Napolitani was also one of the very best tours we have ever been on! We were a few minutes early, and Sarah took us straight out, so we were one of the first into the Forum when it opened at 8 AM. She timed our route so that we avoided the massive crowds of tourists for as long as possible. But once we got to the Coliseum avoiding crowds was no longer possible…the crowds were insane! But we just followed Sarah and let the chaos go on around us. She provided a very interesting mix of history, funny stories and thoughtful moments that had all of us mesmerized. We had so much fun with her!

Private Sunset Rome Walking Tour & Orientation

Rome

This sunset walking tour was wonderful and a great way to get to know the city. Our guide, Giuseppe, helped us to get our bearings, giving us a great overview of the city and where we wanted to spend more time. He also taught us how to drink from one of the many Big Noses of Rome and gave us a great recommendation for a restaurant to eat at that evening.

Cooking Class in Tuscany

Italy

The couple who manages Fattoria la Loggia were engaging teachers, the setting was spectacular and the meal we made was delicious! Fresh pasta with roasted vegitables for dinner and tiramisu for desert.

Florence Highlights Walking Tour (Semi-private)

Florence

Our tour guide, Antonella, gave us the very best tour we have ever been on! She was so engaging (even to our two teenage sons). It was certainly a “Renaissance” tour. Antonella was so proud of her home city; she gave us such a complete understanding of the city and how it changed the world. She shared such a wonderful mix of historical facts mixed in with human interest, that we were captivated every moment. When we mentioned that we were reading a book about Michelangelo, she began to cater to stories and artwork that were specific to Michelangelo, complimenting what we were already learning about from the book. She was wonderful!

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

A car waiting outside our hotel when we needed it, fantastic!

Private Modena Walking Tour

Modena

Our guide, Elisa, was a local teacher who gave tours in the summer. She was a very fun guide who gave us a wonderful tour! We enjoyed the mix of history and trivia she gave us.

Milan Highlights With Duomo

Milan

The tour in Milan was the right tour for us because it focused on exactly what we wanted, the Duomo and La Scala. Nina (our guide) was very informative and extremely thorough and wearing the headphones allowed us to wander but still hear everything she had to say. But at 4 and a half hours it was a little too long. A little less detail and an hour shorter would have been better (especially with our teenage boys).

Lorena did an amazing job putting this trip together! We wanted to see a lot in a short period of time and she made it all happen. We didn’t have to worry about a thing once we were here. It was truly an incredible trip! The marble caves were insanely beautiful and seeing the towers in Torres del Paine was worth the difficult hike. We also loved walking on Grey Glacier. All of our drivers and guides were great as well!

This trip was planned with such precision, I actually have no idea how we would’ve done it without Lorena! She thought of everything for us, and with the geography of what we wanted to do, that was no easy task! Our drivers, especially Leonides, Ramon, and Luis, were so sweet to us.

Fantastic trip!! We originally planned this trip to take place in March 2020 . Obviously that did not happen and we ended up rescheduling multiple times as we waited for travel to be safe again. Huyen Nghiem and the entire team stayed in contact with us (over the course of 2.5 years!) to make sure we had the best possible support both during planning and the trip itself. We were finally able to take the trip in October 2022 and it was 100% worth the wait. Vietnam is a stunning country filled with wonderful people, delicious food, and beautiful landscapes.

... and it's all thanks to Irene! She was very patient as we learned KimKim and helped us to plan, and then setup a wonderful vacation that worked well for both me and my wife. What's more, whenever we found ourselves missing our driver, on a late train, or just confused in general, she was a quick message away to help us navigate our trip. She even checked in on us a few times to make sure we were having fun and enjoying ourselves as much as possible.

We started our trip with a group tapas tour in Madrid, led by Neomi, who was very knowledgeable and made excellent suggestions at every step. It was truly a blast! We got to sample numerous delicious beverages, food, and make great conversation with our fellow travelers. Next, we enjoyed a guided tour in Madrid, where we learned all about its history, even joking and having fun with our guide (whose name I unfortunately cannot remember - but she was amazing!). Our time in Seville was also well planned, with Barbara showing us the Great Cathedral and the Alcazar our first day, making some fantastic recommendations for dinner. The day trip to the White Villages and Ronda was filled with beautiful scenery, fun shopping, and good food that truly left us wanting more. Granada is a gorgeous city, with so much to see, including the much (and rightfully) touted Alhambra. Our guide, Gabriela, was very knowledgeable and fun, leaving us once again feeling more like we'd been shown around by an acquaintance, rather than a stranger we hardly knew. We discovered a nice coffee house - Cafe 4 Gatos, that I would strongly recommend for good coffee and excellent food (bring cash!). Finally, our dinner at Aben Humeya was the perfect end to our last day in Granada, coupling delicious food with a view neither of us will ever forget.

I know I've gone on for quite a bit already, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that every hotel Irene found for us was fantastic, with comfortable beds, polite helpful staff, and delicious breakfasts. The drivers were all polite, professional, and very helpful. And our information packet was very thorough and helped us avoid making numerous mistakes we likely would have made on our own.

Thank you Irene and everyone who helped make our trip such a success!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Very location with a lot of history in the building, converted in a very charming and aesthetically pleasing way. Extremely helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intelier Casa de Indias Sevilla

Seville

Nice location with comfortable beds. Polite, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel One Shot Luchana 22

Madrid

Nice location with very comfortable beds. Polite, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip : Ronda and White Villages

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour in Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lunch in La Bola

Madrid

City tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit la Alhambra

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Restaurante Casa Suecia

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aben Humeya

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amalia was an amazing local specialist. She was very quick with her replies and altered our itinerary multiple times until we fit everything we wanted to do in!
Travelling between islands was very easy with the arranged pickups and drop offs, we had no issues figuring it all out when we got there!

Activity Review

Welcome to Naxos

Naxos

Less touristy, beautiful beaches and a cute town!

We can't say enough positive things about our experience with Jessica and Chiara. If you can afford it, the concierge approach to planning and experiencing your family vacation is the ONLY way to go. It's worth every penny! The investment was worth the amazing service, attention, and care we received throughout our trip to Italy. During a turbulent time when the service industry is inconsistent and at times lacking, Jessica and Chiara were a breath of fresh air. Jessica, who is the head of Storywalking in Italy, worked with our budget to create an itinerary to maximize our 8 day family vacation. All her recommendations were spot on. Chiara checked in frequently to make sure every detail of our trip was locked in. We loved our tour guides from LivTours (Adriana, Sara, Raf, and Frederica)- they were great with our 9 yr old son who wasn't always so awake or chipper, but they ALWAYS got him to smile at some point during the walking tours.

We felt like Jessica and Chiara were our personal travel assistants. Whenever we had a concern, question, or need, they were prompt in their response and always came up with a solution or recommendation.

We highly recommend using kimkim, Jessica, and Chiara to plan your next family vacation to Italy. You won't regret the investment. It's worth the peace of mind to ensure you have the best stress-free vacation.

Hotel Reviews

The Independent Hotel

Rome

convenient to the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

even though it's not located in the prettiest and trendy part of Rome, it was convenient to the train station.

Staff

very attentive and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

large room and well appointed

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

Love the location and staff!! Room was generous for European standards. Great breakfast too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

so convenient to everything!

Staff

Nina and her colleague with the braces (forgot her name) were super!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

our room was spacious and didn't feel crowded for three people. Beds were very comfy!!

Hotel Giorgione Venice

Venice

Small room and a little dated BUT great location and staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

so convenient but tucked away from all the noise!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

just a little dated and musty

Activity Reviews

Family Experience: Vatican Tour for Kids

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Frederica was super! She kept our son engaged with the activities in book provided with the tour.

Transport

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Raf was great!!

Transport

Family Experiences: Uffizi for Kids Private Tour

Florence

Very family friendly way to cover a museum which isn't always fun for kids!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara had her work cut out for her but she was super with our 9 yr old!

Transport

Learn how to make Pizza and Gelato

Florence

My son's fav part of the visiting Florence! A must for families but also fun for all ages

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon was a great instructor who made it fun to learn how to make pizza and gelato!

Transport

Best of Venice tour: Murano Island & Guided Walking Tour with St. Mark's Basilica

Venice

Great way to visit Murano, see Venice, and learn the history of this unique Italian city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

boat ride to Murano was wonderful

Private Evening Gondola Ride Venice & City Stroll

Venice

Adriana, our tour guide was great. We had a tired, grumpy, and hungry 9 year old. She walked us straight to dinner at the end of the tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gondola ride was so magical!

Thank you for reaching out and asking about our trip. It exceeded all of our expectations! First, Kimkim and Himalayan Trails executed everything perfectly. The people that surrounded us were always very professional, caring and made the trip seamless.

Rajiv did a great job of introducing us to the important historical sites in Kathmandu and Patan. What a great day that was. We were in informational overload and I had to let it sink in before going back and reading more about the sites we saw.

Our guide, Wang Chu, and porter, Neema , we’re first rate. I think one of the most important things a guide can do is understand his clients and Wang Chu was able to do that very quickly. He made adjustments throughout the trip that catered to what we were looking for and made our experience unbelievable. We often times felt like we were the only ones on the circuit and saw things I know other groups did not get to witness.

The trek itself was difficult at times but rewarding in every instance. The scenery was spectacular and Wang Chu taught us a great deal about the culture, livelihood and history of the Nepalese people as we trekked from village to village. What a great classroom and teacher!

I am glad we chose the Manislu circuit and I would recommend that to anyone interested in trekking the Himalayans. It offered a good challenge, varied landscapes and what felt like a relatively less travelled path.

Thank you for setting everything up for us and sticking with us for almost two years due to travel restrictions!

Again, thank you, Kripa, Rajiv, Sanzeb, Wang Chu, Neema and the whole staff at Kimkim and Himalayan Trails for making it a wonderful, memorable trip!

David Makepeace

Morocco is a crazy place to visit and without the assistance of Hakim to set up our travel and Mahdi to act as driver and guide we would not have been able to navigate this wonderful country. The hotels were set up in advance. The hotel staff were all super friendly and helpful in finding restaurant reservations or even in having a quality dinner at the hotel. All of our hotels included breakfasts which was nice. Mahdi was a fabulous driver, obeyed all driving rules and was so knowledgeable about geography, history and commerce within Morocco. I would strongly recommend kimkim to anyone wanting to visit Morocco and suggest to ask for Mahdi as driver.

My family and I travelled to Costa Rica in October 2022. We had the best time! Sergio and his team made our experience completely seamless and yet adventureful. My husband and I are used to blazing our own trail when we travel, but this time having our 10 & 7 year old daughters along with us we wanted to capitalize on our time and have activities that they would find engaging and provide them opportunities to learn along the way. Sergio and the team at Serendipity provide this and so much more!

We visited Tortuguero, Turrialba and Puerto Viejo. Each location had well thought out activities that allowed us to explore the local culture and environment.

While in Tortuguero we enjoyed a canal tour and learnt about Costa Rica's conservation efforts and national parks. We watched a turtle lay her eggs on the beach and our highlight was an evening walk where a bunch of baby turtles were hatching and making their way to the ocean.
Our guide Jose engaged with the kids and made sure they felt safe, he also helped them spot some tree frogs and bull frogs by the pool at our hotel. It was a rainy couple of days but Jose showed up with ponchos, a sense of humor and a whole lot of fun!

On our 4th day we said goodbye to Tortuguero and met our driver Andres. Andreas was our driver for the duration of our stay in Turriabla and further to Puero Veijo. Andreas was such an amazing guide, he was incredibly knowledgably about Costa Rica and was very helpful translating for us when we needed some help. He safely delivered us to our hotels and always stayed to make sure we got checked in safely. He was wonderful with our kids and even had Disney radio cued up for them in his car!

In Turriabla we went rafting, canyoning and for a farm tour. Our guides while we were rafting, Jonathan and Poco were amazing! Jonathan had a great sense of humor and painted or faces with mud and taught us how to balance rocks on the shore line. The river was beautiful and warm. Poco was great to point out wild life along the shore. While were were rafting, Andres drove down stream and took some action shots of our family to share with us. Andreas also capped the day off by making us the most delicious and beautifully presented picnic we've ever had, he'd made pasta, salads, fresh fruit and even dessert!

The following day we enjoyed a canyoning trip and farm tour with our guides Ceasar and Sergio. They were also very knowledgeable. Our youngest was scared during canyoning and Sergio, who also has young kids got to her level and explained what would happen, how he would keep her safe and also confidently assisted her down the falls. But the last waterfall she was laughing and having the best day! We enjoyed lunch with Ceasar and Sergio at their family farm and then proceeded to a farm tour with Sergio, where we were able to sample fresh fruits and home made coffee. It was a day for the books!

Andreas safely delivered us to our final stop, Puerto Veijo, we were sad to say goodbye, over the last 3 days Andreas had become a trusted friend along our adventure. We arrived at Congo Bongo where we met the owner, Marisol, she was so welcoming and we felt like family instantly. She was an amazing host, providing free laundry service (which was much needed after a few days of rafting and canyoning!), farm fresh eggs, clean accommodations and an amazing eco-village for us to enjoy. Puerto Veijo was a great place to cap off our trip, it was laid back and we enjoy time playing in the ocean, walking to Manzanillo (If you're there check out Colores, the local Greek restaurant - great staff and good food!). Our days were enjoyed touring a chocolate tour at a local indigenous farm, our guide Theresa was incredibly caring. She spoke the local Bri Bri language which added so much value to our tour. We attended a cooking class with a local chef, Glenda and made a traditional Rondon Soup. The following day we went snorkling and on a light hike through the national park where we swam with a lemon shark, sting ray, a variety of fish and coral.

Our final stay before departure was at the Studio Hotel in San Jose. the roof top pool, art, food and Piano / Violin show we were treated to on our last night perfectly summed up our family vacation.

We came home with so many amazing memories and stories, we could never have planned a trip like this on our own. We met amazing people and experienced so much of Costa Rica! We are so grateful to Sergio and the Serendipity team for creating a memorable family vacation. If you are considering Costa Rica, reach out to Sergio, he will enhance your experience and take away the stress of traveling.

Sergio - Thank you for being a phone call or message away whenever we needed to adjust timing, ask advise and for easily rearranging activities based on the weather.

Pura Vida!
Jody

Hotel Reviews

Studio Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

The art, piano, violin players were all incredible!

Location

about 40 mins to the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Congo Bongo EcoVillage Costa Rica

Manzanillo, Limon

Authenticity & Character

Marisol has done an incredible job with this eco-village I found her entrepreneurial nature and creativity refreshing. The world needs more people like Marisol

Location

A close walk to Manzanillo, but about 15-20 min drive to Puerto Viejo. This was nice as it was quite and away from the business of Puerto Viejo, although if your looking to be closer to the action and restruants in Puerto Viejo you'll need to find transport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marisol cleaned our house every day and helped with our laundry. Thank you!!

Casa Turire

Turrialba

Authenticity & Character

We loved the Cuban feel and 1950's vibe this space had

Location

Staff

The staff was so helpful, friendly and accomodating, they offered games for the kids and suggested local scenery to take in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laguna Lodge

Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jose and the tour guides were very helpful. The front desk staff was not overly friendly or helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auténtico Hotel

San José

We weren't here very long, just slept and left, but the room was clean, the hotel was beautiful and the waiter at dinner was very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Underwater Wonders of Cahuita National Park

Costa Rica

Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Dive into Afro-Caribbean Culture with Exquisite Cooking Classes

Costa Rica

Local Farm Experience

Turrialba

Canyoning in Turrialba

Turrialba

Rafting on the Pejibaye River

Turrialba

Our guides were incredible!

Quality of Experience

Food

Best picnic lunch ever!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Boat Excursion Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Nighttime Turtle Nesting Tour

Tortuguero

Super cool experiance!

A Journey into the History and Culture of Tortuguero Village

Tortuguero

Cute town, I wouldn't recommend going at night. No street lights and it would be very dark and unsafe.

Everything fell into place, plane and transportation and tours, loved Sydney and the harbor and went to a concert in the Opera House, got rain at Ulrulu but that was a good thing as multiple waterfalls developed across it’s face. The eucalyptus forest on the return from the great ocean road was like a jungle version of our redwood forests in No Cal
Great planning for a wonderful trip. Now we’re in NZ

This was our first time in Spain and our first big trip since Covid-2020 shutdown. We did not have a lot of free time to do our own research and book a trip on our own. Luis understood the types of activities we wanted to do and the places we wanted to see. He provided a lot of background information on the places we will be visiting and summary itinerary with times and locations of tour meeting places. He responded on a timely manner whenever I sent a message with requests or questions. The accommodations he booked for us were exactly where we wanted to be - centrally located and near public transportation. They were clean and comfortable. The staff in the hotels/apartment were cheerful and helpful.

We enjoyed the private walking tours Luis arranged for us. It allowed us to see many sites at a more flexible pace. Our guides - Almudena (Madrid), Maria (Toledo) and Luca (Seville) were very knowledgeable of the area and pointed out things that we would have missed if we were just walking on our own. We appreciated that they were checking in on how we are doing with all the walking. They were all open to receiving feedback as to what is and is not interesting to us.

Luis also arranged for group tours to Cordova, Granada and Ronda. We were first concerned about going on a larger group tour but the tours were well organized and efficient. Although the bus ride were long, they were comfortable. We were in awe of the Alhambra as well as the view of the town from Alhambra. Just amazing! It was unfortunate that I got sick and missed the Cordova tour.

The last trip that Luis arranged for us was a small group tour to Montserrat from Barcelona. It so happened that our guide only had 1 tour that day so we had the flexibility to stay a little longer in Montserrat and listen to the Boys' Choir. It was a blessing to hear the angelic voices of the choir.

Overall, we had a great time! Exhausted but full of fond memories! Thank you Luis and staff for helping us enjoy our first time in Spain.

This was our first experience with a custom tour. Usually, we do all the planning ourselves or have relied on a small group tour provider. The plan Tiago put together was well organized logistically, incorporating our specific asks. Hotels were well chosen, in some cases exceeding our expectations. It was our driver/tour guide Diogo that made our trip so fabulous.
Since this was our first time in Portugal, we wanted to get a full sense of the country (as much as possible) in 12 days.
We started in Porto with a Port tasting and excellent food tour. With Diogo as a our driver and guide, we headed to the beautiful Douro Valley for a vineyard tour, staying at an iconic hotel. On following days we visited Obidos for Jinja, Coimbra ostensibly to see the library, which turned out to be a delightful town. As we pulled into Tomar, I had my doubts. Diogo hooked us up at a local bar where we had a great time with the local football fans watching Benfica beat Porto.
Over 3 days in the Algarve we hiked the cliffs, took a boat tour of the caves, went to surfer beaches and ate fresh caught fish along the beach before heading for 4 nights in Lisbon. As part of our excursion to Evora, Tiago arranged for us to tour a cork oak farm which was particularly interesting. We saw all the must-see spots in and around Lisbon - the Pena Palace, a Fado show, the Coach Museum . . .
Having Diogo as driver took the pressure off our group of four- we could easily enjoy the local beverages and take in the views. Plus we got to see/experience things I don't know we would have without him. His knowledge and obvious pride in his country was evident at all the cultural sites and while driving across the country.
Bottom line: we had a great trip!
Tiago provided us with a custom roadbook with local info and suggestions. It would have been nice to receive that info more than 3 days before departure.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hospes Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Great room, candy delivered to the room twice daily. Well located. Excellent staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Pousada Porto-Rua das Flores was very comfortable. Rooms were small but nicely appointed - every bit of space was well utilized. Hotel was well located which made it easy to walk all over the city. The reception staff when we were there let us down a couple times - they were distracted, and made careless restaurant suggestions. Which is a strong reason to get friendly with locals and other travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

comfortable, well designed , albeit small rooms

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk (morning)

Lisbon

Food tours in Porto and Lisbon were two of the best we have anywhere - and we do alot of food tours. Great variety of foods and places. Heck, this tour started with the best chocolate cake in the world!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cork Farm Visit

Portugal

This is a small vineyard with cork oaks. Our guide explained the interconnectivity between grapes, cork oaks and Iberian pigs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culinary Tour of Porto

Porto

Tour guides were enthusiastic, had lots of local community knowledge. Wide ranging selection of foods. Arrive hungry.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I didn't take this trip but my brother and sister-in-law enjoyed every moment. Eleni was very responsive and extremely helpful in providing me with suggestions for experiences they might enjoy based on their interests. I'd rate this 10/10

Thank you to Samir our tour coordinator and Nadir our guide / driver., for an unforgettable trip to Jordan, Israel’s and Turkey. Samir was very professional and efficient and answered all
my concerns in the most efficient manner. He also organized our trip to Israel
which was last minute .Nadir was professional,friendly and made sure we were happy with our tour each and every day. Nadir went above and beyond in every way possible and I highly recommend him when touring these places. We will always remember him fondly as he was so welcoming and gave us a wealth of information of the places we were visiting. Thank you to the Kim Kim team, Samir and Nadir for making this vacation truly memorable.

Jackie was a complete delight to work with. She was knowledgeable, professional, enthusiastic, and totally engaged with us as clients. We had booked a Galapagos cruise directly with a cruise tour operator, pre-Covid, and then worked with Jackie to set up a land portion for us at various haciendas in the highlands. We ran into numerous cancellations with the cruise, including one that happened *while we were in transit* to Ecuador. Although it was not her problem to solve, Jackie took the time to talk with the less-experienced agency now in charge of that, and it was *only* through her intervention and advice that we had a Galápagos experience on par with the one we had originally booked with a now-defunct company. Her initiative to help us with the very stressful cruise situation showed a level of professionalism and client engagement that was truly above and beyond the call of duty. Our driver and guide for the land portion, Dario, was exceptional — his knowledge was simply remarkable. We particularly liked the Hacienda Cienega (truly superb) and Hacienda Pinsaqui. Jackie arranged for a several surprises that were memorable for different reasons, including a visit to an indigenous community and an opportunity for horseback riding at another hacienda. In closing, we came to feel a great sense of trust in Jackie as someone who had both the experience and empathy to make our Ecuador experience quite remarkable. And when arranging things from far away, trust in the person you are working with locally is paramount.

Hotel Reviews

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

My husband liked it well enough, but I didn’t. The road to get there is horrible and long—-the end result was simply not worth it. The food was not that good and yet more expensive than more upscale haciendas. ; extra charge for eggs with breakfast. I unwisely ordered a salad — forgetting that any greens wouldn’t necessarily be washed with purified water and I guess they weren’t. I got quite ill for days afterwards. The rooms are rustic at best. Granted, it’s a farm kind of hacienda. But it’s a very arduous and uncomfortable drive for a not very remarkable experience. I saw some nose-to-tail horse riding in the cold mist going on. It was clouded in, so any advertised amazing views of Cotapaxi weren’t going to happen. Cotapaxi views are more easily had anywhere else. So even without the getting-sick experience, I just would not recommend this place.

Authenticity & Character

It’s character is what it is — a very remote farm.

Location

Such a long and uncomfortable drive to get to. Nothing to be changed about that.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing can be changed I think, given the structures they are working with.

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This is a lovely hacienda with exceptionally lovely gardens, and a walking path through them and property at large. The common areas were especially nice. Although we were there just as a couple, we were invited to attend welcoming receptions for larger groups (10 or so) that were also staying there. The reception included music from a local Ecuadorian group, Ecuadorian drinks and snacks, and a bit of history about the place. Recommend getting the largest rooms or suites available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Useful for excursions planned by our kimkim agent.

Staff

Management was very engaged and approachable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Jose de Puembo Quito Airport, an Ascend Hotel Collection

Puembo, Quito

We stayed here for two nights to recover from a vert long trip down, and because we we’re starting a tour of the highlands (so it didn’t make sense to stay in Quito at that time). Recommended by Jackie, our Kimkim agent. We felt delighted in the Ecuadorian feel of the common areas, rooms, and grounds. Its atmosphere belies the notion that it is an “airport hotel” — it was originally something else and its property includes adjacent farms land., which guests can walk through. The immediate property had stunning gardens, complete with a few wandering llamas on the grounds. I it was a magical place to experience upon arriving. If your immediate plans are to explore regions outside of Quito, we *highly* recommend staying here.

Authenticity & Character

The Ecuadorian feel of the common areas and rooms, gardens and the paths for guest through the adjacent farm and pasture lands. A fantastic place to land upon arrival in Ecuador.

Location

Outside of the city and therefore convenient for immediate arrival in Ecuador, especially if arriving late and/or taking off for explorations outside of Quito.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda La Cienega

Cotopaxi

Hacienda La Cienega is simply a stunning place. Steeped in history. Amazing staff and food. I would recommend staying more than a single night (we didn’t wish to leave!) and using it as a base to explore the area.

Authenticity & Character

Words cannot describe how utterly stunning it is.

Location

Convenient for day trips out, with a driver.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Panoramic visit to Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

This is a spectacular crater lagoon and another example of Ecuador’s natural beauty. But as important, the area is home to indigenous people who have adapted to and taken responsibility for this locale. The ability to see Quilotoa Lagoon as an example of this, and the chance to visit an indigenous family in a remote area were both profound and thought provoking experiences.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Limpiopungo & Roses farm

Ecuador

The roses farm was jaw dropping. I didn’t expect it to be. I didn’t even have a concept of a ‘rose farm’. This was a real highlight of our entire 2 week stay in Ecuador. The Laguna de limiopunga was also lovely. Allocate enough time there if your schedule (and weather) allows to do more walking around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Dario, seemed to know so much about everything fro. Geology to history to medicinal plants.

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Spain and it was largely due to the planning and thoughtfulness of our agent Marina. She helped us plan a fantastic anniversary trip while staying on budget! She also kept us informed and up to date on any changes and was consistently responsive to any questions we had both in planning the trip and while we were there! Would definitely use her for a trip in the future!

We had a wonderful trip to Argentina and Chile thanks to the Kimkim team. My sister and I are international travelers who typically plan the details ourselves, but for this trip we decided to use the help and service of Kimkim and we are so thankful! Emi helped us plan itineraries to suit our preferences and answered our questions in preparation for the trip. Our drivers were always on time, and Andrea in Buenos Aires was so friendly. The experiences in Mendoza were amazing - we are foodies and wine lovers - the Wine Walking dinner, tasting at Finca Adelma and lunch at Alfa Crux were top notch. Best of all was our Mendoza driver, Daniel, who was knowledgeable and helpful - enjoyable conversationalist while also giving us appropriate space. We added a full day in Chile as well, and Vitor took us to a fabulous winery in Casablanca, a castle seafood restaurant and a tour of the colorful Valparaiso. A wonderful experience - great service at a reasonable price. Will do again and recommend to friends and family!

Hotel Review

Villa Mansa Wine Hotel

Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo

We had a a full balcony of our own, even in the Superior Room. After full days of wine tasting or hiking, it was awesome to come back to our spacious hotel room, then enjoy a reasonably priced meal and great service at the on site hotel.

Activity Reviews

Cathedral of Wine: High end Valle de Uco 🍷🍃

Mendoza

I've tasted wine in regions across the world, and this Uco Valley experience is at the top of my list of recommendations. Finca Adelma was a small family winery with wonderful empanadas. Alfa Crux is glorious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, Daniel was excellent.

Transport

Aconcagua Park & Inca Bridge

Mendoza

Daniel is an amazing driver - knowledgeable and helpful. He is a good conversationalist and also gives space and privacy where appropriate. The entire drive is gorgeous and the hike is an easy walk - good thing, given the altitude :-)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel is exceptional.

Transport

Wine Walking 🍷🚶‍♂️

Mendoza

Excellent food, gin tasting and wine tasting experience. I am a foodie and oenophile and enjoyed every bit of this evening.

Food

The food pairings were wonderful. The goat was exceptional.

we had a wonderful experience booking our italy trip with kimkim. Valeria was very responsive and quick to maodify the trip based on our interests and made great suggestions for tours. All booking were made ahead of time and hotel tour and car reservations went smoothly. guides everywhere were awesome . I would totally book another tour with kimkim. Thansk Valeria and big thank you to all the local folks who made our trip fun and very memorable.