Kimkim Trip Reviews

The Elia Ermou Athens Hotel was amazing! It was a four-star experience with excellent food and a perfect location right in the middle of downtown. This definitely stood out as a favorite during our trip.

The Traditional Naxian Small-Group Cooking Class was probably our favorite activity. It was so interactive with plenty of activities, including a farm tour and some history lessons. We even got to dance at the end. Overall, it was an excellent experience that we thoroughly enjoyed.

This probably was our favorite hotel. In the heart of the Marrakesh medina, this hotel's tile work and furnishings were amazing and our room was so beautifully done it made us feel like we were in a room at a palace. A truly great staff who worked really hard to make sure everything was perfect. Also, the best breakfasts we had the whole trip!

We were a little skeptical as we rode down the lane to get to the hotel as it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. However, the minute the front door opened we were enchanted! It was a true oasis with flowers and vines surrounding a lovely large courtyard and beautiful rooms. The rooftop had a Hammam and BOY DID WE LOVE THAT! We ate dinner there and it was wonderful, as was the breakfast. A truly delightful place to stay in Ouazazate.

This adventure was one of the highlights of our trip. From the camel ride at sunset in the sand dunes to our luxury tent to the delicious meal and the exuberant Berber drum circle - it was all perfect! Thank you to the manager Hassan for spending time chatting with us and outlining some of the Berber traditions and cultural highlights. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

A great location in the Medina with a stunning interior that has authentic renovations. The staff was extremely solicitous and accommodating. The rooftop was a perfect place to watch the sunset.

The location was perfection and the room was large and airy. We loved being able to roam the streets of Chefchaouen and then quickly pop back to the hotel to stow our purchases in the room so we didn't have to lug them around. Great set up for breakfast and an excellent staff.

Beautiful riad in the medina with a rooftop plunge pool and fabulous restaurant. As we had just arrived in Morocco, it was wonderful to relax on the rooftop after arriving and have a delicious dinner right in the riad. I highly recommend!

Totally amazing experience! The location of the Saraha Sky Luxury Camp is absolutely perfect as it is set within the spectacular sand dunes. The camel ride was so fun, and we really didn't think we would like that part. The camel guide was charming and knew all the photos to catch in order to capture the beauty of the sunset. The camp itself had really nice tents with super comfy beds. Dinner and breakfast are served and the staff does a Berber drum circle after dinner around a camp fire. An absolutely wonderful place and experience.

Loved this lodge when we got there! It was a little difficult to find in the dark with snow coming down but once we finally found it we loved it! Highly recommend!

Very pleasant hotel, great location, extremely pleasant staff.

Magnificent experience.

The building is very beautiful. I did not care for our English speaking guide.

Amazing experience. I felt safe the entire time. I was very expressed with how professional our leader was. He was personable. The driver was there for our pick up on time. The breakfast was lovely and relaxed.

We did not get a private tour, so how can I review this? And I did not appreciate finding out once we were in Rabat, there was no tour guide.

First class hotel. Beautiful room with lots of room, soaker tub and roomy shower. Incredible view of the river. Service was top notch. Pool is incredible but jacuzzi is part of the pool and not very hot. But pool overall was heated so it did not matter so much.

Great location if you want to be off the grid but not much nearby. It was all about the kangaroos and the incredible views. They even upgraded our room which was realty nice. Staff were pleasant and helpful. Hot water turned off on accident one morning but manager Joan (?) got it fixed right away and even offered a bottle of wine as compensation for the inconvenience. A wonderful experience.

Nice hotel, good service, good location. Pool was too cold for outdoor use.

More like a condo than a hotel. Room was nice, especially nice balcony and a washer and dryer. Lots of rules made us a little uncomfortable (extensive charges if you get locked out, if you get reported for noise, etc.) . Pool was nice but jacuzzi was not hot (when we asked, we were told it was a “spa” because it had bubbles and owner did not want to turn up the heat. He said he’d check with management and adjusted the heat but it was only a degree warmer, if that. Bottom of the jacuzzi is so rough it hurts to sit on. As we specifically chose this one one to have a good soak after a long day, it was a definite disapppointment.

Most of the staff were amazing - made you feel special. Needed cream for morning coffee. Got half of an espresso cup at the bar. Next time they said they didn’t have it but I reminded them they did. This time they charge me $5! Not thrilled about. Pool not kept up (always had to get rid of other people’s towels, etc.). Otherwise pleased with the hotel and services.

What a great day! Driver Travis was knowledgeable, pleasant, and passionate about his work. He was a true advocate for the wildlife and their habitat. The penguins were adorable, to say the least. Due to a no- show, we got an upgrade on seating for the best penguin viewing. It was pretty chilly in the evening. A long day but well worth it!

This was a great tour. Garry did an awesome job making sire we got to see all kinds of wildlife while being respectful of them and their habitat. It was an amazing day with lots of beautiful scenery, wildlife, etc. Bus was not so comfortable as seats were narrow and it was quite bumpy in the back. He did a good job of dealing with some challenging guests. Rain limited some of the spectacular views/photo ops but you can’t change that. One of our best days despite the challenges!

Third day we did the honey tasting, lighthouse tour, Antechamber Bay tour, and gin tasting. Honey tasting was nice and lowkey. Lighthouse Tour was interesting with great views. Antechamber Bay was a nice hike with guide Paul who graciously took us last minute. He was pleasant to spend time with and knows all the plants. Gin tasting was interesting, though I don’t think it will turn me into a gin drinker! It’s hard to rate all these activities together.

We did a full day nature tour. Saw lots of amazing things. Driver was knowledgeable and did a great job of getting us to see all the sites but being respectful of the land and wildlife.

The first day we did the Sheep Shearing and Kangaroo Experience activities. The sheep shearing experience included seeing the Kelpie dogs and actual shearing of a sheep. Very interesting and enjoyable. The Kangaroo Experience is basically a guided walk on the property to see the kangaroos when they come out in number in the evening. Learned a lot about the kangaroos.

This was a fun day! Visited four wineries, three for tasting and one for lunch. 7-9 tastings at each winery can be a lot of wine if you drink it all! We had a fun group of people and driver did a great job of remaining professional but enjoying our fun!

We did not see any dolphins and it rained most of the time. Did not even see fish! The mangroves were interesting, not so much the ship wrecks but since there were no dolphins, we had to see something. But, despite the rain, it’s always good to be on the water.

Ours was not a skyrail tour; time in Kuranda and train tour. Fun train ride through beautiful country. History is interesting.

The highlight of our trip! Snorkeling was beautiful! There was quite a current at the first stop but staff was very safety conscious and prepared you well. I used a noodle to make it easier. Did not need a wetsuit but they were available. A very special day. No underwater photos, unfortunately. The boat was awesome with a great non-slip deck.

Please note: this review is for a different tour but it forced me to put in a star review. . We did not do this activity. We did the “Full Day Private Daintree & Cape Tribulation Exclusive Tour (Private Tour).” Tour guide Ben was awesome! Very knowledgeable and passionate.

Please note: this review is for a different tour but it forced me to put in a star review. . We did not do this activity. We did the “Full Day Private Daintree & Cape Tribulation Exclusive Tour (Private Tour).” Tour guide Ben was awesome! Very knowledgeable and passionate.

Great day! Animals at the farm were up close. 500 steps up at the end of the hike was tough but I needed the exercise! Guide Kathy was great, knowledgeable about history and wildlife/plants.

What a fun time. A little stressful as it was my first time surfing at 65 years old! Instructor (Marty, I think) was very patient and took extra time to show us around.

So much fun and saw a lot of whales! Would be a fun cruise even if you didn’t get lucky.

Interesting tour, including history and construction. Did not get to see one smaller theater because guide said there was popcorn on the floor - would have rather seen it before clearing than not at all. Had to check you backpack which was nice in a way but also a bit of a pain. Restaurants at the venue were very crowded!

Great overall tour. Driver Nick (?) was pleasurable and knowledgeable, even suggesting photo opportunities, restaurants, etc.

The rooftop onsen was amazing. We so enjoyed looking out on the city at night. Breakfast offered some Western items that were much appreciated.

What a treat to have our own private onsen and dining area! This was a truly unique experience, and one we are so glad that we did. The food was interesting and diverse which made the menu printed in English very helpful.

Everyone was attentive to our needs in this quiet and peaceful establishment. We very much enjoyed speaking with the son of the monk of this temple, meeting his girlfriend and his brother's family. The onsen was always free when we wanted it which was a delight. We optioned to take the guided tour which was very interesting. After a stay in busy, crowded Tokyo, 2 nights in this peaceful locale was just what we needed. Definitely, we felt the love and care that those who worked and lived here felt for this temple lodging.

If I had known that the drive to Himeji from Osaka was 2 and more hours, I would have suggested an alternative. Over 4 hours of driving in a car just to see one site was not worth the time. We are glad, however, that we went by car and not by train. A visit to a block printing museum which had been offered as a special treat could not be done due to the traffic. Not realizing how the timing was going to play out, we spent way too much time at the castle and should have been hustled along which we would have readily done since that block printing museum was something we looked forward to seeing. The castle was definitely interesting, but not worth the time we spent there or the time it took to get there and back. We ended up beingdropped off at the airport much earlier than expected, but not having enough time to slip in the museum.

Due to rain and cold, we did not go to the tea farm. However, our guide was very resourceful and took us to a tea museum which gave us all the information on tea growing and processing that we had hoped to get at the tea farm in a much more comfortable setting. The rain, which could have hampered us, did not, and we had a thoroughly enjoyable day both at the museum and strolling around Uji..

The River Boat ride was much too long and not all that interesting, though the boat guides were animated and fun to watch. The bamboo forest surpassed our expectations, mainly because we road through it on rickshaws which allowed us to be on what felt like a private path away from the maddening crowds on the broader boulevard. It was quiet on that path allowing us to absorb the beauty of the forest. The tea ceremony was quite interesting with the kimono dress up. Unfortunately, none of the three of us could sit on the floor, and the young man doing the ceremony did not act pleased with us. It felt like we were reluctantly given small stools or chairs to use, but even these were extremely uncomfortable for our 77-yr old knees. Though we enjoyed watching the ceremony, it was a torture to sit through.

Seeing photos of the Golden Pavilion is better than actually viewing it in real life, and it actually looks more impressive in photos than it does in person. Much too crowded, though seeing the large, golden Buddha was interesting. We felt the guides at the temple were a bit surly when one chastised one of us for putting her hand on a railing to balance herself when taking off her shoes. There were no places to sit or to balance offered. I guess with all the crowds, they have to be super vigilant. The Fushimi Inari Shrine was worth the visit even though very crowded, and one cannot help being impressed with the amount of love and devotion that went into the many torii placed there. We also enjoyed walking the grounds afterwards. The Art Performance was very well done, and our trip to Pontocho Alley proved to be our spot for two dinners while in Kyoto.

The Kenroku-en Garden was wonderful, and we enjoyed walking its many paths. Touring Kanazawa Castle was also very interesting. We were continually amazed at the amount of effort that has been put into restoring and maintaining so many of Japan's heritage sites. Learning more about the Samurai history was fun. Unfortunately, we did not get to visit the old Samurai house, for a lengthy wait for a bus to the site prevented us from getting there on time. Here a taxi would have been the way to go, for we soon discovered that splitting the taxi fare to most locations made in feasible economically and certainly saved a lot of time and inconvenience.

I am not sure that we needed to see both Gokayama and Shirakawago. The visit the day before to Hida Folk Village was a delight. It was so peaceful walking through the grounds and seeing the village as it had once been. Gokayama and Shirakawago were a bit of a disappointment, for the old buildings are mixed in with new and there was too much emphasis on attracting the tourist through the many shops which ruined the ambiance of the place. The two villages are so similar that visiting one is probably enough. We did thoroughly enjoy our visit to the 500-year old Iwase House, for this was unique and the couple that run it took their time talking to us and answering our questions. We loved the experience with the old instruments and the short performance of the old song they did for us.

All was very interesting, and our guide was wonderful. When he discovered how much we had enjoyed the Festival Museum in Takayama, he took us to another such museum in an old quarry in the hills above the Hida Folk Village. This museum offered animated action on the floats which were fascinating. Without him, we would not have found this place, for it does not readily show up on a Google search. The Limestone Cave was interesting and very well done, but if you have been to such caves, it was just like all the others.

Perfect -- though not surprisingly, we did not see Mt. Fuji!

Too many people and too much to see. It is all a jumble in our minds with nothing of the amazing temples and shrines standing out in our memory or photos. Fortunately, our guide knew a quiet spot for lunch which we greatly enjoyed. We are also so very glad we were in a private car for this trip which was much more comfortable and relaxed than the trains would have been. In retrospect, it might have been a better idea to spend a night or two here to allow one a more relaxed visit to the various spots so that they did not all run into each other seeing one on top of another.

Unfortunately, there are two columns outside the train station where we were to meet. Arriving by taxi and not by the train, we were dropped off at the wrong spot and did not realize that until past the meeting time. Thankfully, our Tokyo guide was able to sort everything out, though even after being dropped off near the restaurant we still had trouble locating the guide. It turned out that the food tour guide was waiting for us, but as she only held her sign at waist height, in the crowds, we totally missed her. Once we connected with the group, all was well. They allowed us time to catch up with the rest of the group, and we enjoyed a delightful evening.

Walking through the gardens on our first day in Tokyo was the perfect choice for us, and we enjoyed have tea on the island in the Hamarikyu Gardens. Unfortunately, we could not do the river cruise as the high tides (due to full moon) prevented the boat from going under the bridges. Our guide knew a bit about the gardens which was appreciated by the two garden enthusiasts in our group. She also was very informative about the Shinto and Buddhist religions and how they interact with the Japanese. The market was every bit as crowded as we expected, but our guide knew a quiet place for us to stop and have lunch.

This was the castle to see! Where Scotland has so much history.

Such a treat to experience REAL history.

Honestly I cannot say enough about our guide, Alister. He was thorough and oh so thoughtful. His research on our family heritage and then driving us to the specific locations was so valuable. We were able to see, walk, read and touch where our family lived hundreds of years ago. We have memories that will be with us forever. Thank you Alistor and KimKim!

Truly breath taking. Majestic, solemn, and facsinating. I need a full day!

Easy to tour on your own, they have personal audio players so you can spend as little or as much time as you like.

Pool is very misleading. More of a big bath tub.

Our experience with the Discover Granada’s Iconic Alhambra & Generalife Gardens activity was quite disappointing. There was a scheduling error with the booking, and despite attempts to rectify it, we couldn't visit Alhambra properly. Our tour guide was difficult to understand, which made it hard for the kids to stay engaged. We only ended up walking around the outside of Alhambra without accessing the gardens, which was a letdown. The communication about the error was appreciated, but overall, it was a confusing and underwhelming experience.

The Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk was an unexpected highlight of our trip. Initially, we thought it would just be a nice way to get out on the first day, but it ended up being a surprisingly delightful experience. The tour was well-organized, and it wasn't just about visiting big tourist spots. We were in a small, eclectic group which made the experience intimate and enjoyable. The variety of tapas we tried was impressive, and the whole family loved it. This turned out to be one of the standout activities of our vacation.

Really a paradise to escape stress

Peaceful

This was our favorite hotel of the trip. The lobby, bar/restaurant and room were all clean, comfortable and modern. The breakfast was delicious and had a large variety. Especially loved the bloody mary and mimosa bar at breakfast. Very close to the sights and many restaurants and shops.

The staff was helpful and informative, the breakfast was amazing, and the room was clean and comfortable. It was a few steps from the closest water bus station.

The Rome Food Tour in a golf cart was a bit confusing to us. The description we received did not match the actual tour. We expected multiple food stops and some sightseeing, but the tour mainly involved visiting a food market. Our guide was pleasant and knowledgeable, and he did his best to accommodate some sightseeing upon our request. Overall, it was still a decent experience, but not what we anticipated based on the description.

The Doges Palace and St Mark's Basilica Walking Tour in Venice was fantastic! Our tour guide, Loredana, was knowledgeable and delightful. She made the experience truly memorable and enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour.

The Pisa Half-Day Tour was enjoyable, but we found that the time scheduled for us to be in Pisa was a bit too long. We ended up taking an earlier train back to Florence, which worked out fine as no one checked our tickets. While the tour itself was nice, I would suggest optimizing the time spent for future travelers.

Beautiful

Amazing