Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall this was a great concept and great trip. Gorgeous scenery, perfect accommodation, attention to detailing and availability by kim Kim and slotrips was perfect. We would recommend this trip. As we were on t he “non-guided” trip some of the trails are not marked, so stay on the blue line on phone given you. We would also advice asking locals before you get on trail as they know where the trails are and alternates. Especially after severe weather, as we experienced. A couple of our roads were blocked due to weather but there were alternate routes around. People /hikers are friendly, accommodation fantastic, and this is a great country to visit and a great concept to have a smartphone with trail details and a “demanding voice” to tell when off course. :)

Christos was very helpful with the planning of our trip to Greece. He was prompt with his responses and he listened and adjusted the itinerary according to our needs and requests. Everything went exactly as scheduled and when we had an issue with one of the excursions, he was understanding and did his best to handle things expeditiously. We visited Athens, Aegina, Hydra and Spetses. We thoroughly enjoyed each place, but the Hotel Rastoni in Aegina was especially beautiful. I would not hesitate to use kimkim again!

Overall, we had a wonderful trip. In general, the excursions Stephen planned and booked for us were a big hit all the way around. A couple didn't quite make the grade, and I'll mention below specific thoughts on some of the elements of the trip.
The hotel in Paris was not up to the standards it should be to be rated 3 stars. I would not recommend it to anyone. The first room they gave us was ridiculously small for 3 people. The lamp shade was torn, the bathroom sink fixture was broken and the tilt of the ceiling was such that anyone standing up would bump their head. We asked to be changed, and they were able to accommodate us. The second room was better, but still had issues. The towel bar under the sink was broken, which I mentioned to the staff, but they didn't repair it. A shelf was missing in the shower, and only bare screws showed. The hotel is in a lovely area walking distance to many different attractions, or a short subway ride. Their morning breakfast room was also very nice, and the breakfast they served was very good. The front desk staff seemed inattentive at best.
The Louvre tour was excellent, including a very good guide.
The tour guide for the tour of Montmarte was outstanding. She really knew her art and art history, and was very cheerful and pleasant.
Chunnel to England was the way to go - easy and smooth.
Our hotel in London was very nice, except they put us in a basement room. There was a lingering smell of mold and mildew in the corner of the room, which was unpleasant. Other than that, it was fine. We probably should have asked to change rooms, but repacking bags, etc. is a drag.
London Eye and Tower of London were great fun.
We missed the Sherlock Holmes tour due to us going to the wrong meeting place. I highly suggest you don't include the address for the company that runs the tour since that isn't the meeting place. Or at least pull the meeting place information up much higher - above the address of the tour company.
The speedboat ride on the Thames River was a blast. Highly recommend for people who don't easily get upset stomachs. Very fun.
The Buckingham Palace tour was excellent - including a fantastic tour guide.
The Jack the Ripper tour should be booked only with STRONG warnings that it is incredibly graphic and provides far too much information on just how each and every woman was killed and dismembered. Seriously, this tour is not for the faint of heart, or young children. There was a 10 year-old on our tour who was way too young to be hearing much of the tour. I had to turn my head away from some of the slides he showed. Don't book people on this tour unless they're well-informed on what they'll be hearing and seeing.
All the drivers we had were pleasant and well-informed. Only one driver - the one from the Paris train station to our hotel in Paris - seemed a bit clueless and not particularly interested in doing a good job. Everyone else was very professional.
We really enjoyed our vacation, and are happy we used KimKim.

Our tour consisted of Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Harris and the rest of the Kimkim team was very responsive in answering our questions as we built our itinerary. The only thing we didn't really get any value out of was the visit to the farm, prior to the delicious home-cooked meal that the cooking class made. We also didn't agree that the caged rabbits should be picked up by their ears, which the tour guide assured us was okay. We also didn't like seeing that the eight rabbits were in a small caged, all cramped together.

Other than this, the rest of the trip and the accommodations were great! Although the hotel in Athens was a typical, small European hotel, it was very close to Acropolis Hill and the major sites. The Mykronos hotel was great, other than the Air Conditioning didn't work well, so we had to open the windows at night. The staff at the Mykonos hotel was top notch!!! Lastly, the hotel in Santorini had a great view and nice hospitality, but would have been nice to been in one with a small pool, as many hotels beside us had.

Overall, a great trip!!!! Would definitely use Kimkim, again, as they were very easy to plan our trip, based on our wants/needs.

What an amazing trip! A beautiful country with friendly interesting people and the perfect itinerary. It’s hard to express how impressed I was at every step of the way with the planning and organization that Miha, his team at Slotrips, and our guide, Aljaž, delivered. Bravo guys!!!
From the outset, the organization of the itinerary, with the explanations, and various options presented on the Kim Kim App let me know that I was in for a exciting experience. The group communication, coordination, and sorting out of various people’s issues worked beautifully and was very reassuring. We knew we were in good hands.
The personal itinerary that each person could save as an app on their smartphone and share with friends and family was such a great touch. We always had access to it and could easily use it to discuss what was coming next, what we wanted to do, and when and where we needed to be. Everyone was able to be on the same page at the same time. The restaurant recommendations were also wonderful.
The coup de grace was the personal smartphone with the trip information, GPS directions for the hikes and bike rides, emergency contacts, and local data plan. We never felt lost. Well okay... a few times ;-) where the trail was covered by snow or overgrown. But we were quickly and easily able to find our way and get back on track by following the blue line. What a way to leverage new technologies and set a new standard for adventure travel!!! Again, I was super impressed.
After the first few days of self-guided success, we wondered why we even needed a guide for the second half. Yet Aljaž brought us a whole new level of understanding and appreciation. He brought us to a few more out of the way places that would have been harder to reach on our own. He was very attentive and accommodating to the desires of the group. We learned a lot from him about Slovenia, it’s history, and culture. I found his excitement and love for his country infectious and he really became part to the group. We were sorry to see him go at the end.
You guys really hit a home run in my book. (and that’s coming from a very seasoned traveler). Thank you for a wonderful and very memorable experience! I will recommend you highly to anyone looking for a similar trip!

I wanted to take my son on a trip for graduation from Medical School. We decided on Iceland a few weeks before we went. I told Preeti what we wanted to do in Iceland for 7 days and she made it happen! The trip was great...a perfect mix of hiking, excursions and driving! Our last hike to Glymur Falls was especially memorable/challenging for me but after I crossed the log bridge, waded across the top of the falls, hiked straight down the rocky trail and lived to tell you that it was worth it as the views were spectacular! After that hike, we went to the Blue Lagoon and that was the end to a great trip! The stopping places each night were perfectly spaced to allow maximum sights each day. All of our accommodations were nice...some of the breakfasts were better than others. We enjoyed all the restaurants she recommended! Thank you for planning such a great trip for us!

My adult daughter and I just returned from a seven day Norway Fjord and Viking Adventure (June 17 through June 23, 2019) and could not have been more satisfied with our journey that was handcrafted for our special interests by Linda.

Linda collaborated with us every step of the planning. She was accessible and responsive, listening to our "wants" list and devising an itinerary that included well known sites of interest as well as our own unique jaunts. The end result surpassed our wildest expectations. Linda had to preplan multiple modes of transportation, tour events and guides. Everything went smoothly and she selected well appointed hotels that were so conveniently located as our bases of exploration in Oslo, Flam and Bergen.

We made a special stop at Viking Town with Nick, a fabulous private guide who was very knowledgeable and passionate about Viking life, lore and history. We also felt so fortunate to get a tour in Bergen with a local, Ingrid, who was simply delightful and eager to share her love of Bergen, highlighting what it is like to live in this beautiful and interesting city.

We could not have been more satisfied and will always remember being only 2 of 7 people cruising a fjord in the early morning as the mists hung upon the cliffs and we were humbled by the sheer beauty before us and the sounds of the roaring waterfalls we seemed to encounter at each turn.

We would recommend kim kim and, in particular, Linda's selections and guides without reservation for anyone considering a trip to Norway.

Cheryl and Samantha Steindel-Cymer

We had a really great vacation in Nepal organized really last minute by the lovely Sangita, who was always quick to answer out questions and really made our trip personal. She not only gave us advise and helped us with the bookings, but helped us buy the extra gear we needed. Bipin amazed us with his great knowledge about Kathmandu and the hindu temple Paspudinath, and we really had a warm a friendly host experience, we loved having dinner with this lovely local couple, who are not only very kind, but also prompt and professional.
Our 5 days trek to Poon Hill is a really memorable experience. We are newbies to longer treks and our guide Robin was super, he not only took us to great places but he showed us some interesting plants, he helped us with electrolites, band aids ;-) very approachable, helpful and really fit ;-) our porter Manoj was really nice as well, running through the mountains and valleys with our bag. Thank you all for your kindness and lovely organization. A special thanks to Sangita on organizing us to meet a sound healing a crainosacral therapist.We had a really great vacation in Nepal organized really last minute by the lovely Sangita, who was always quick to answer out questions and really made our trip personal. She not only gave us advise and helped us with the bookings, but helped us buy the extra gear we needed. Bipin amazed us with his great knowledge about Kathmandu and the hindu temple Paspudinath, and we really had a warm a friendly host experience, we loved having dinner with this lovely local couple, who are not only very kind, but also prompt and professional.
Our 5 days trek to Poon Hill is a really memorable experience. We are newbies to longer treks and our guide Robin was super, he not only took us to great places but he showed us some interesting plants, he helped us with electrolites, band aids ;-) very approachable, helpful and really fit ;-) our porter Manoj was really nice as well, running through the mountains and valleys with our bag. Thank you all for your kindness and lovely organization. A special thanks to Sangita on organizing us to meet a sound healing a crainosacral therapist. it was great. Such a nice time, we would love to come back.

Kimkim did a great job organizing an amazing Peru experience for my family of five and our extended family. We had children ranging from age 4 to 14 and they all had a great time seeing the classic Costa, Sierra, y Selva of Peru. All of our guides were knowledgeable and helpful. Alejandra in the Andean portion and Oscar in the Amazonian portion were especially fantastic! We had numerous family members joining and leaving at different times and the organizational team at Kimkim didn't miss a beat! Everyone made their connections and got to experience the portion they chose without having to stress over the details. Thank you all!

I recently had a 10 day adventure w a culinary flair trip in Croatia w 1 day in Bled, Slovenia. Our guide, Robert (Robi) Pincevic was awesome. I gave him a list of activities I wanted to do, ( hiking, biking, kayaking) , places I had to see like Plitvice NP and walk the walls in Dubrovnik. He sent a sample itenerary that seemed to have read my mind. A couple tweaks and the trip was a go. We( group of 4) started in Dubrovnik and ended in Zagreb. Lodging was mostly family run B and B's. 1st place waterfront outside of Dubrovnik w a kayak for early morning paddles and nice trail along the water. Ston wasn't on my list but was suggested by Robi and indeed it is not to be missed. We stayed right in town w the walls in site, the family run Inn even wash our clothes while we went to Mljet NP. Another place not to be missed. After taking the car ferry to the island it was biking, swimming in a seclude cove. Plitvice NP is the reason I planned my trip to Croatia. I wasn't disappointed, we stayed at a local B and B just outside the park do we could beat the crowds, the host Velinka showed us around then asked if we want a rakia tasting. Of course! Good sleep that nite! Then at breakfast, packed us up the leftover homemade bread for our lunch. Not prearranged but inquired about a day on the water, sailing of motorboat. Robi made a few calls and it happened. We went to kolocep in a private boat instead of being on the ferrys schedule, had grilled calamari a specialty of the island. Then was able to go snorkeling in the caves! Nice touch. It was so nice having a private guide/driver who knew the area, didn't need mapquest once. Also seemed to know somebody in every town and was excited to tell us about the areas history. I have been on 5 guided trips and when I get back home I always say that I could have done that trip myself...but not this trip. Robi made the difference, we were able to see and experience so much more than had we been driving ourselves or w a tour bus. One more special touch we had lunch prepared by a local family in their home one day. Oh so good!
Trip was early June, 2019. Weather perfect for everything including swimming in the Adriac sea. Word of advice pack a beach towel there were so many opportunities for quick dips.
Cindy

Our trip was to Barcelona and the Coasta Brava (staying in Calella de Palafrugell).
James planned a great itinerary for us! He asked the right questions to learn what we would enjoy and made great suggestions. Our favorite parts of the trip were things that we wouldn’t have done without his help in planning. (The more forgettable parts were the “must dos” that I found on lists and asked him to include!). In fact, it was James who suggested visiting the Coasta Brava and it was the perfect suggestion: we saw medieval towns, a vineyard that juxtaposed the old and new worlds (12th and 21st centuries), the world of Salvadore Dali, and the gorgeous coast.
We had great tour guides throughout (Gracia, Ariadna, Craig, Laia, Jose Luis, and Olga). They were all punctual and personable. They cared about our comfort (bringing water, etc.) and were willing to adjust the tours to our preferences. We loved having time to really talk to each guide and learn about the culture and people as well as the history. When we had meals included in our day, the restaurants selected were perfect: authentic, local, friendly, tasty.
Everything was seamless. Our transportation was arranged, tickets ready, etc. When there was a small error on our first day, James and our local assistant, Rocio, took care of it calmly and easily; they even apologized with a thoughtful surprise in our room despite the error not being theirs. Bad weather also required us to change plans as the last minute. After speaking with us, Rocio put together an itinerary that was better than we could have imagined! It turned out to be a highlight rather than a disappointment.
We got more out of our days by having guides. We had never done a vacation with private guides before and were pleasantly surprised by the small extras we enjoyed (learning to make tomato bread and tinto de verano at lunch (Jose Luis), eating fruit from the tree and fresh cheese from the cheese maker during a bike tour (Olga)).
This was easily one of the best, if not the best, vacation we’ve had. I’m so glad I took the gamble to work with kimkim and TailormadeAndalucia. I look forward to doing so again! Thanks, James and Rocio!

This was the trip of a lifetime! We are very grateful to Travel12 for putting together a very detail oriented and authentic tour of Greece, the whole team is so professional and absolutely fantastic.

Our first day landing in Athens we were met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in Athens without any issues. Our driver was very courteous and knowledgeable about Athens. On our way to the hotel we caught site of the Parthenon and that was it! We were awestruck and ready to take in all we could of Greece! Tasos booked a comfortable central lodging close to many restaurants, bars, nightlife and lots of people from all over the world. It was very easy to find a nice restaurant with live music and awesome food.
It was a short walk from the hotel to the Parthenon, where we went on our second day. Our tour guide Alex was very down to earth and it was very nice morning spent with him touring the Acropolis and making our way up to the Parthenon. We had the afternoon to explore Athens on our own and Alex quickly setup a plan to see the most of Athens in the time we had. We visited the Acropolis Museum, Hadrian's Arch, the National Gardens, and walked the beautiful streets of Plaka where we had the best pizza of our lives!
Next we were off with Key Tours to the Corinth Canal, Epidaurus, Mycenae and Nafplio where we had a nice seaside lunch before ending our day in the town of Olympia where we enjoyed spectacular views from our hotel.
The historical site of Olympia is a must see. Our half day tour of the historical site Olympia was made all the better by our tour guide Demetrius, who was an actual archaeologist! The grounds here are amazing and filled with enchantment. After our tour Demetrius also had some suggestions for us to explore the town of Olympia. We hopped over to the Archimedes Museum, which looks simple at first but has lots great information about the inventions of Archimedes, some inventions are even hands on! After that we checked out the shops and had some delicious fresh fish at Taverna Orestis. We decided to hike up the mountain back to our room at the Arty Grand. Good thing they have a nice spa because we were absolutely winded by the time we made it back! I don't regret it though because we earned the gorgeous views you can only enjoy walking. After some relaxation we headed back to Olympia for some shopping and gyros. We met a nice shop owner who explained that he also had a farm where he grew all kinds of chiles including habanero, anahiem and the carolina reaper!
The next day we were taken by private driver to the fantastic Temple of Apollo at Bassae. Nicolas was very friendly, he stopped a few times in some nice spots along the way to take photos. Little did we know Nikolas was not only very friendly and a family man but also a Greek national hero for saving a woman tourist from drowning! After the tour he took us to the bus station, made sure we were taken care of and also gave us some olive oil from his family farm.
Day 6 we took the train to Meteora which is absolutely amazing and one of my most cherished memories from the trip. It is so amazing what the Monks did there and the views are out of this world.
Day 7 On to Delphi where we had a traditional Greek lunch provided at a nice restaurant with the best view ever at the top of the mountain. Private tour of Delphi. Our tour guide was very nice and shared some extra secrets with us (hopefully soon she will make it to Mexico!). Next our driver Lampros, who was excellent (we wish him luck and a wonderful life with his soon to be bride!) took us to the port, and made sure everything was in order for our boarding of the ferry to Chania which was like a mini cruise ship.
Chania is a beautiful island where we traveled with GS tours to visit 7 local villages and got to try out local cheeses as well as see the process of how they make it, a delicious traditional lunch made by Maria, toured a family tskoudia distillery with the best tskoudia in Chania, our tour guide was the best and a local who had lived there his whole life, I cannot remember his name but I wish to give him the highest kudos I can in this review, he was great and knew so much of the history, was so friendly and down to earth, he climbed up this wall and picked us some blackberries off a tree at one point. We visited Gramvoussa beach as well as our favorite Balos Beach with crystal clear waters!
After that we transferred back to beautiful Athens and swiftly whisked away back to our home in Houston, Texas.
It's really hard to describe in words the goodness of all the Greek people we encountered and the beauty of their country, they have a word Philotimo though that I think describes them perfectly.
At one point my credit card came out of my pocket on the bus and a nice lady returned it to me, a taxi driver got us out of a jam, our tour guide helped us get into one of the monastaries when we didn't have any cash.
Thanks to KimKim and Travel12, especially Tasos we were able to go on an adventure and enjoy Greece for 11 days. Tasos and his team were always available to help with any questions or concerns we had. We will definitely be using their services when we return to Greece

This was the trip of a lifetime! It truly exceeded our expectations!
First time we worked with KimKim, and we definitely recommend them!

Yossef was fabulous to work with not only before our trip, but was in touch with us the entire trip making sure we were comfortable, cared for and enjoying our vacation.

We absolutely loved our driver, Ismail! Not only was he a very safe, cautious driver, but he was such a great companion to have with us. He pointed out various things along the way, made sure we were always comfortable, and on Friday afternoon, he kept his cool in all the crazy Casablanca traffic. He definitely made our driving time enjoyable. I feel like we were leaving a good friend when we said good-bye to him at the airport.

Our guide in Chefchaouen, Yosef, was equally as great. One of the high points of the entire week was sitting alongside the river at lunch with Yosef and Issmail. It was relaxing, super tasty and something we had no idea we would get to enjoy. We were able to engage, learn, and just enjoy the country, the culture and speak freely.

The Hammam! We didn't know what to expect and that made the adventure all the more fun! A definite must do!

The home visit was so much fun. Not only was it relaxing, very tasty, but it was great fun having Yousef and Issmail there with us. Super evening!

The two riads were beautiful, welcoming, relaxing and a comfortable, quiet respite after our days of touring. Hospitality at both was over the top! We felt like royalty.

The ENTIRE experience was more than we could have ever imagined.
Thank you for making our 25th wedding anniversary the trip of a lifetime!

I traveled with my two boys 10 and 12 years old, we visited Bogotá, Sta Marta, Tayrona, Cartagena, Isla Baru and Cali, everything was so smoth transportation always on time, accommodations, Tayrona trip with the guide, Wilson was excellent my boys learned so much, in regards of organizing our intynery? Laura was always patient, worked with our budget, and always very professional and understanding of our needs. I definitely recommended it.
Ligia
Louisiana, USA

The Kimkim team was amazing! The personal touch makes all the difference. We felt well cared-for and thoroughly enjoyed our adventure. Kudos to Christos, Dimitris and all the team. Thanks to my experience with Kimkim I will definitely visit Greece again!

This was the perfect travel experience and one that my wife and I will remember for a lifetime.

The accommodations that were booked for us in every town were in a beautiful setting, always very comfortable and with an extraordinary staff. We were especially impressed with our room in Sault maintained by Kevin. Not only was it in a beautiful valley each and every space was perfectly furnished. Dominique who was our host outside of Roussillon was very helpful and took great pains to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Our hotel in Vaison-la-Romaine “Hostellerie Le Befroi” had one of the greatest meals we ate in all of France.

The food was also of the highest quality. Each location that was booked was very accommodating and the meals were delicious.

The travel book provided to us was very accurate and provided a great guide to this long journey. We never once felt lost or out of place as the directions were so clear throughout.

The equipment was of the highest quality. The EBikes provided by Sun EBike and our specialist Estelle was fabulous. Estelle also gave us a great tip about a professional bike race that was happening so we could be prepared in our route. We were given panniers that were large enough to fit all of our gear and still have space. The GPS provided to us had pre loaded maps for every day and was very clear and kept us on route.

The greatest part of this trip was the journey itself. Every hill and valley we rolled through was more beautiful than the next and we could not imagine having had a better experience.

Thank you to Simon and So Provence So Alps for this vacation that will live with us always.

This is the first time I have worked with KimKim And have absolutely no regrets! They paired me with a company called Peruvian Soul who exceeded our expectations! Jesus and Carmen were exceptional with the planning and always available. We got to meet Carmen in Lima, she is so sweet and caring. She would check on us throughout our trip. The local guides were beyond amazing especially Julio in Cusco. He was always available and very knowledgeable. He wanted to make sure we were okay at all times and just such a wonderful person. I highly recommend Peruvian Soul to help plan the most amazing vacation to Peru. Santiago, our guide for the Inca trail was so patient with us during our trek and made it so worthwhile! Macchi Picchu is unbelievable! Truly a wonderful experience!

All of it was great. Each aspect was wonderful. The hike up Pacaya, the tour of Antigua, Atitlan and the lake was beautiful. The cooking class was exceptional. Thanks for a memorable trip.

Ken Farnham

Abdellah arranged an amazing few days for us - from the red city to the mountains to the ocean, giving us a little taste of everything.
The service was excellent from making the booking, the pickup at the airport, and the various tours. And Abdellah constantly checked in with the driver and tour guides to make sure we were having a good experience.
Karim, the driver is a thoughtful young man, who took really good care of us and answered all our questions. He is a really good driver.
Hassan, our guide in Marrakech is very knowledgeable and suggested small adjustments to the city tour based on our interests. He patiently answered all our questions.
Lahsen, our guide in Imlil deserves a medallion, as I am not sure how it got me up and down the mountain. The hike was tough for me, and he managed to make it fun and a memorable experience.
My husband thoroughly enjoyed the mountain bike trip Abdellah arranged with Hisham, who went above and beyond what was expected.
Our accommodations were very comfortable with caring hosts.
We had a great time. Thank you Abdellah and team!!!

I don’t even know where to begin. Everything about our experience was fantastic. Our friend was originally visiting Jordan solo when my husband and I decided to tag along. Carmen was so accommodating in switching everything from a single person itinerary to a party of three. Any questions I ever had were answered very quickly.

Our itinerary was well laid out allowing us amble time at each location. We had a rather short trip and while we did move a lot to fit everything in, it never felt rushed or overwhelming.

Our driver, Azzam was so kind. He was right there at the airport when we arrived. He’s a champ because after dropping off my husband and I at the hotel, he had to head back to the airport to pickup our friend who was arriving on a much later flight. It was a late night for him but there he was a few hours later ready to take us to our first location. He answered any questions we had and just seemed like a really nice person.

I enjoyed all of the hotels we stayed in. They weren’t chain hotels (i.e. Hyatt, Holiday Inn) so you felt like you were getting a more authentic experience.

Visiting Petra was incredible. We had one little hiccup where Petra at Night was on our itinerary but the tour was not offered the night we were there. Carmen contacted us the next day and we were immediately given a refund for the cost of those tickets. We were very appreciative of that.

Being at the Dead Sea, Petra, the Wadi Rum desert, a Bedouin camp, it was all a fantastic experience. I could have never put a trip like this together myself so I’m grateful to Carmen and her team for everything they did. Thank you!