Kimkim Trip Reviews

My trip to Ecuador was wonderful thanks to Kim Kim and their local partners. The guide they assigned to meet me at the designated airport in Quito was amazing, had no problems finding me, and/or need of further clarifications. The customized trip itinerary was seamless , clearly understood, required some last minute changes and easily modified as that took into consideration. The tour guides provided were highly skilled, knowledgeable, and personable in each of the areas of Ecuador I visited. I highly recommend using Kim Kim for all your travel needs/destinations.

Hotel Reviews

Riviera Sucre

Otavalo

Authenticity & Character

Character and charm

Location

Central

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Casa Aliso Hotel Boutique

Quito

Hotel was beautiful and charming. The lobby hostess Michelle was amazing and helped me resolving a personal health issue.

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

So beautiful and charming. Highly recommend.

Activity Reviews

Arrival and transfer to hotel in Otavalo

Ecuador

Hiking around Cuicocha Lagoon - Quito

Otavalo

My tour guide knew about local flora and birds. He was amazing and so much fun hike with.

Eric did an amazing job planning and timing everything. All our tours were small groups, so to get the most of every experience, we work with tourists in our everyday lives also, so we know how important that is. . We liked the Troll expedition company that was chosen for our tours on the glacier. Beda was amazing hiking on the glacier, Bearney at the ice caves. Bearney was especially patient since the weather was so extreme and uncooperative with blowing gravel and pouring down rain. We also appreciated that our companies vehicles did not break down, while we watched many that did.
Horse back riding with Julia was a fantastic experience and learning about the Icelandic horses and getting to experience their Tolt (walk trot). And finally meeting Paul for our local walking culinary tour, you can see he truely lived Icelandic culture. As a fisherman his whole life, his tour gave us a true view of what it was like to grow up in Iceland.
Our first hotel at Fire and frost was amazing and such a perfect way to ease into our vacation. It helped us adjust to the time change while appreciating the beauty around us. I really liked staying in each location two nights so there wasn’t too much chaos packing and unpacking.
I will use KimKim to plan my vacations anytime I can. Even with all the info online, there would have been no way to plan things so smoothly, no way to know which tour companies to use, and no way to know how much time we would want to spend in each site.

Activity Reviews

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Better with Beda!!! What a great time! Once in a lifetime experience! Nice small group attention while we watched some guides with 35+ on the glacier. Lucky with the weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Better with Beda!!

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Bearney was great with our small group, the weather was so miserable that day, but we all made it. We watched so many vehicles break down returning to base. It was comforting to know we chose the right company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Horse riding tour

Iceland

Julia was knowledgeable and our small group made it a quality experience. Truely enjoyed learning and experiencing the Icelandic horse Troit. Having the horse riding suits available to us made the cold windy weather experience enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julia was knowledgeable and made sure everyone felt comfortable as we proceeded.

Reykjavik Food Walk

Reykjavík

Paul was a fisherman his whole life, he showed us a tour from a true local and not just someone working in Iceland for a few months. I appreciated the small group interaction so we could really get a feel for Reykjavík.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the entire trip, the La Fortuna guide in the jungle & volcano tour was excellent! Same for the coffee, sugar cane & coffee tour. The Curu Wildlife Reserve was a highlight of our trip to Parquera with all types of wildlife and an amazing Plam forest. Tamarindo was was nice- a bit touristy but great beach. I would have prefer a hotel near the airport rather than staying downtown San Jose. Great trip, I'll book again with KimKIm.

Our local specialist was not Erin. Our local specialist Pratikshya and she was outstanding. The golden triangle was a great taste of city life to mountains to low land. The hotels / resorts were beyond top notch.

Working with Diana to plan our Portugal trip was such a pleasure!! She and her awesome team have made our 30th anniversary celebration a memorable one.
I really don't know how we could have managed such a wonderful vacation so easily if I hadn't contacted her via KimKim. She and her colleagues took care of every single, minute detail during our 5 day trip. Right from the very first call to the time we boarded our flights out of Lisbon, she was w/ us via What'sApp, checking-in at regular intervals, giving a heads-up regarding the next day expectations.
I also have to give special thanks to our drivers and guides Rafael and Ricardo. They have made our day trips to Sintra, drive around Lisbon, drive to Porto a breeze and such an informative trip - stopping at all the right places and being the best local guides :)
Overall, I would highly recommend Diana and her team to anyone who is planning a trip to Portugal. You will be doing yourselves a favor :)

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver plus guide for the day , Rafhael, was very friendly, punctual and ensured we did not miss any important/interesting spot.

Transport

Very punctual pickup/drop; clean vehicle

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Ana was our walking tour guide for the day. She was very pleasant, friendly and easy to talk to, has a good understanding of local history. 3.5 hrs just flew by going around this historic town w/ Ana. I would recommend this walking tour to folks who are able to comfortably walk around - esp hilly ups/downs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides Sun in Siem Reap and Sam in Phnom Penh were both incredibly knowledgeable and made sure we had a fantastic time. The hotels Kimkim had booked were both excellent.

First class seamless great value. Not a worry the entire trip. If I go on a trip again I would call them first.

Alex did a near perfect job designing our trip. He took the time to understand our needs and expectations and tailored the trip to provide the range of experiences and lodgings that fit our travel preferences. he also provided excellent guidance on what to do and expect at each of our 5 locations, e.g., the decision to add an excursion to Mountain Pine Ridge. The lodgings varied from spectacular (Las Lagunas) to very nice (Ramon's and Casa del Mundo) to pretty basic (Meson de Maria and Falling Leaves, which did have great service however). These choices were very consistent with the guidance we provided to Alex.

Some of our guides were outstanding, in particular, Dary in Antigua, the woman and grower at the coffee farm, Pablo for birding in Finca Santa Victoria, Oscar at Chichicastenanga, Oliver at Tikal, and our cave tubing guide. The rest, however, were mediocre at best. The guide for the Pacaya Volcano hike didn't add much value on a straightforward route, and discouraged us from climbing to the top, which I would have liked to try. The guide for our hike along Lake Atitlan was also pretty unnecessary and didn't add much, as was our guide for the Lake Atitlan boat trip to visit villages. Part of that problem might have been our overall Guatemala guide, Pablo, who was very nice and mostly helpful, BUT his English was nowhere near the level we expected. Therefore, there was alot of miscommunication, and very limited translation for our guides in Lake Atitlan. We really felt like we missed alot of useful information during the village visits and on our hike back to the lodge. AND, there was a major screw-up on our kayak/hike trip, with our bags in limbo for an hour and a wasted hour waiting for the bags after our kayak trip. We also felt like he was trying to scare us away from the full kayaking and hiking experience by overestimating the difficulty. Yes, it was challenging, but exactly what we wanted.

Finally, there was a bit of confusion on our flight from Belize City to San Pedro, but it did NOT turn out to be much of an issue and we all learned from our mistakes.

Again, Alex was a joy to work with and designed a 5 star itinerary for us, and most of the experiences lived up to that standard.. However, the execution by a few of the guides was not quite up to this high standard.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Meson de Maria

Antigua Guatemala

Great location, decent breakfast, beautiful courtyard, charming hotel, BUT, our room was very tired and not that comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cramped room

Casa del Mundo

Lake Atitlán

Beautiful setting, a bit challenging to navigate the property, and our room was small, cramped, and outdated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Lagunas hotel

Flores

Great setting, great facilities, fantastic suite, great food, unreal service. Didn't want to leave the property

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falling Leaves Lodge

San Ignacio

A little out of town, facilities need updating, but the birding and service were excellent, and the food was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Very convenient location, nicest beach on the island, easy access to town and services, mediocre restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Local guide was nice but not very informative, and language was a problem. The visit to the bee collective and the mayan ritual visit were very interesting, but the rest of the trip didn't feel all that authentic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Loved the kayaking and hike and Pablo took some good photos of us on the water. However, the local guide did not provide much info on a straightforward hike through villages, and the logistics from kayak to hike were a disaster. Our backpacks (with wallets) were left at the dock by our hotel, and we had to anxiously wait an hour for the bags to arrive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the famous Chichicastenango Market

Guatemala

Local guide was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Oliver was a spectacular guide, with great information, flexible plans, a special extension to see a falcon, and a great lunch choice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Belize City with Cave Tubing Tour en Route

Belize

transfer went very smoothly over the border, and our guide was excellent on the cave tubing, which was alot of fun and interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Coffee Tour by Bus with De La Gente

Guatemala

De la gente was outstanding...both farmer and local guide and the farmer's wife

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Walking Tour

Guatemala

Fantastic guide, Dary...authentic, charming, and shared her enthusiasm and love for the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Class

Antigua

Great dinner, fun company, and accommodating for dietary restrictions.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

car broke down on what to get us

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Great experience, but not much help from local guide or our chaperone. Also, would have liked to try to go to the top, but not offered, and English was not good enough to make request.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AC didn't work and van was a little dirty

Driving Tour of Almolonga Valley

Antigua

Nice villages to visit, but our guide, Pablo, had limited excitement, energy, or information to share.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finca Santa Victoria Half Day Birding Tour

Guatemala

Pablo was a real character, but a little too full of himself. The birding was ok, but not all that productive

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Japan thanks in large part to the help of KimKim Travel specialist Shona Zhang. We traveled from Sapporo in the Northern Island of Hokkaido to the Southern Island of Kyushu.
The guide in Sapporo was Yuko Sayu who did a great job explaining history, culture and any questions we had. Her communication skills we very good and her knowledge of Sapporo and of the Snow Festival. Se were able to see things we would have never experienced on our own. Yuko is a lifelong resident of the Hokkaido and gave us great insight into the lives and culture of the people there. The Hotel that KimKim Travel had arranged for us was comfortable and the the location was perfect as we were walking distance to the ice and snow sculptures as well as a myriad of eating options and shopping. Yuko recommended some excellent places and things to eat locally as well as things that were unique to Hokkaido…”Genghis Khan” bbq pork, local crab and sushi, Sapporo style ramen, as well as the Sapporo Brewery museum and the world renowned Nikka Yoichu Distillery in neighboring Otaru city. The night ice sculptures and lights along the Otaru canal were beautiful. The transportation was well planned out, on time and very accommodating.
We next flew to Fukuoka in Kyushu where we met up with our guide Asako Iwai who was born and raised in Kyushu. We were able to take a van from the airport on an excursion to Nagasaki where we visited the
Atom Bomb Memorial and Museum. That was a moving experience and more so because Asako knew so much about that history and the thoughts of the local Japanese. We spent 2 nights in a very nice Hotel convenient to the train station and close to places where the local people ate and shopped. There were many pleasant surprises in Fukuoka including old castle grounds, beautiful gardens at Ohori Park, Fukuoka tower, all with a rich history that Asako explained to us. We sampled local cuisine, including the local sake and pastries. We then rode the bullet train from Fukuoka to Kagoshima…a real treat to see the efficiency and speed of that rail system.
In Kagoshima we met our guide Mikiko Horikiri. She guided us on a ferry to Sakurajima Island where we were able to enjoy a free foot bath in the warm volcanic heated water, and visit an observation point to get a clear view of the Sakurajima active volcano. So much of area’s culture is based around the Volcano and the effects it has on the local people and the enviroment. Miki gave us a great overview of life there. She pointed out numerous places to shop and eat and had great recommendations of what to try…Kurobuta (black Pork) tonkatsu, Unagi, and a special Chicken dish served at the Senganen Garden. One highlight was the Shimadzu Satsuma Kiriko Crystal Glassworks where we viewed craftsmen blowing the glass and artisans etching the intricate designs into the glasses. We even got to try our hand at etching our own glass shochu cups to bring home as keepsakes.

We had very good accommodations and transportation while in Japan and all three of our tour guides were top notch! We especially appreciated Shona at KimKim Travel who took a personal interest in us and make sure all our questions and needs were addressed in a timely manner.

Thank you so much!
Reid Saito

Hotel Reviews

Ibis Styles Sapporo

The Ibis Styles was perfect for out stay. We were able to room 3 in one room which was significant savings. The Japanese breakfast showcased authentic Japanese cuisine with many choices. The western style breakfast was also available. The service and Front Desk were very helpful although they did not always speak English but with the cell phone translators we were able to get by fine. The location was great with walking distance to the Ice Scuptures and Snow Sculptures during the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival). There are many eating places, pubs, and shopping malls within a few blocks making this hotel a great place to stay during the busy ski and festival winter season.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the Susukino Street which is a great nightlife and eatery scene.

Staff

They Were help full and responsive to our needs and questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and quiet, the cleaning staff was very efficient through in their cleaning.

Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Fukuoka

Fukuoka

Nice hotel with a very good location in Fukuoka. The combination in Japanese and western style breakfast buffet was excellent and provided us with a chance to eat without leaving the hotel in the morning. The staff was very helpful and accommodating when we shipped our luggage to the next hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was very close to shopping and great restaurants.

Staff

The staff was very helpful and made an effort to communicate in English using translators and maps.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kagoshima Tenmonkan PREMIER

Our room was very good size and was able to accommodate three adult adults. The Breakfast buffet was both Japanese and western food and was all very good. The hotel location was central to downtown Kagoshima and had easy access to restaurants and stores.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu

Tokyo

This hotel had a great location in the Shibuya District of Tokyo. It provided easy access to shopping and restaurants and was located very close to Shibuya train station. They provided both Japanese and western style breakfast buffet every morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

2025 Sapporo Snow Festival

Sapporo

A fantastic display of snow and Ice Sculptures taking months to make every year. The scale, diversity and number of sculptures is truly amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yuko was an excellent guide with so much local knowledge getting us place and coordination with the drivers.

Transport

Comfortable vehicles and prompt service.

Full day to Kagoshima with Sakurajima

Kagoshima

Our Guide Mikiko, born and raised in Kagoshima took us on tour of the city and of Sakurajima Volcano. It is truly an amazing sight to see so many living in the shadow of an actively erupting volcano.

This was the first time I ever used a trip planning agency and I’ll 100% do it again to new destinations. Ha organized our first time trip to Thailand. She had very timely communication and listened to what we wanted (and delivered!). Even when we wanted to make some last minute changes, she made it happen. Our guides Kan and Victor were incredibly nice, punctual, informative, and walked us through every process including right up to the check in counters at the airport. Looking forward to doing another trip through KimKim!

had a fantastic time and everything was perfectly organised from start to finish. Jimena and Nara replied to all our questions before the trip the day we sent them. Chileno camp site is wonderful - ignore the bad reviews of the camp - I just do NOT understand some people. Hotel Lago grey and the grey glacier were simply awesome
The trek to the towers was tough, but worth it. Bear in mind that Kim Kim’s estimate of the time needed was not generous enough in my opinion - I would allow 8 hours from camp back to the pickup at the welcome site to be safe. Also the bus station is a little more than 25 minutes from Hotel Big Sur
These are just minor details of course and I would recommend this trip to anyone
Ps we are both over 60 and did it - no problem
Thank you Kimkim! 😀

Hotel Reviews

Camping Chileno

Torres del Paine

The campsite at Refugio & Camping Chileno was brilliant. I don't understand why there are so many negative reviews online. We had a great big tent, comfy sleeping bags, and the site had a bar and a restaurant with friendly staff. It exceeded our expectations, and we were very satisfied with our stay there.

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Hotel Big Sur was really good. We really enjoyed it, and the room was great. The staff were friendly, and it was conveniently close to everything, including the waterfront. The breakfasts were also good. The only downside was the walking distance to the bus station for a trip out to Torres del Paine. The walk was uphill and definitely took more than the 25 minutes stated in the itinerary.

Activity Reviews

Grey Glacier Boat Tour

Chile

The Grey Glacier Boat Tour was absolutely wonderful. The scenery was stunning, and I was impressed by the overall experience. It was a bit choppy, and my husband felt a bit seasick, as did a few other people. But it was still an incredible experience, and the glacier was amazing.

Self Guided hike to Las Torres lookout [Chileno - Base - Central]

Torres del Paine

The hike to Las Torres lookout was long but worthwhile. The itinerary underestimated the time it would take. We expected to spend about two hours at the top, but we only managed about ten to fifteen minutes before having to head back. It took us about eight to nine hours in total, without stopping much at the summit. Future travelers, especially those not accustomed to hiking extensively, should plan more time for this activity.

We loved our honeymoon trip to Thailand and Cambodia. All of our private guides were top tier. They shared very interesting factoids about details we may have missed that enhanced our experiences at temples, landmarks, etc. The layout of the trip beginning fast paced and ending with relaxation/beach time was perfect. Beginning with the early morning sunrise over Angkor Wat scared us at first due to the early rise time, but so so worth it! We loved most of our group tours as well. My recommendations are ask about closing times and work to pace yourself as the guides will mostly go at your pace, and research all of the companies you’re recommended before booking.

Our favorite day was probably in Chiang Mai visiting the Elephant Nature Park in the morning and doing a group cooking class in the evening at Thai Organic Farm. ENP really really takes wonderful care of their injured and otherwise rescued elephants and it is so fun to see them so happy playing with their handlers and munching on their favorite watermelon treats. We also loved that they have cats and dogs. I wish we had had a little more time to see the water buffalos, but other than that—no complaints. For the cooking class, DEFINITELY go hungry. We made so much delicious food that we didn’t have enough room for all of it!

Our very last group tour billed as a whitewater rafting day. The tour booked was the definition of a tourist trap, unlike everything else we did on this trip. Our biggest gripe was the visible elephant abuse we witnessed despite expressing strong opposition to any company participating in said abuses. That being said, even the activities were underwhelming, there was a constant pressure to pay more to do said activities longer, and the location was over 2 hours away from our hotel in a van with broken AC. This did not ruin our whole experience, but I mention it because if you’re reading this you may want to ask about and research the group tour companies before you book so you can be more aware before booking than we were.

Hotel Reviews

Chanalai Hillside Resort

Phuket

Great location close to Karon beach. Beautiful swimming pool with just the right amount of shade throughout the day for relaxing in. We were upgraded to a poolside room and that really was such a special thing that really made the end of our honeymoon trip that much more special. Kind and helpful staff. Nice breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Crown Hotel & Spa

Incredibly warm, kind, and helpful staff. Fantastic spa inside. Two beautiful pools. The best breakfast of the hotels we stayed in on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

W22 by Burasari

Bangkok

Fine accommodations. They put us in a room with two single beds which wasn’t our favorite on our honeymoon. The room was a little small, but sufficient as our plan was never to spend a ton of time in our hotel room. Breakfast was ok. Nothing great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

White Boutique Hotel and Spa

Wonderful staff, top tier spa, comfortable rooms, nice pool, decent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Phuket – White Water rafting full day tour – Join in

Phuket

Definition of a tourist trap. Elephant abuse. Poor upkeep of ATVs. Staff doesn’t even seem to enjoy working there. No one really ever seemed to be having a good time except occasional moments on the very short lived 5k raft ride.

Quality of Experience

Underwhelming activities, disinterested staff, elephant abuse

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Most of the staff gave the energy that they hated working there.

Transport

Make sure the AC works in the transport vans.

Explore the Complex of Angkor

Siem Reap

Worth it to wake up so early for the sunrise!!

Full day Bridge of River Kwai and Erawan Waterfall

Bangkok

We enjoyed the bridge and history, but it took up too much of our day. Swimming in the waterfalls was one of the main activities I was looking forward to on our trip and we didn’t end up having enough time to swim much and missed the last two levels of the waterfall because we didn’t know that they closed so early. This was a little disappointing. The waterfall was truly wonderful and I loved swimming I just wish I had had more time there. I could’ve spent all day just at the waterfall.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre & the Roluos Temples

Siem Reap

Definitely add these temples! Banteay Srei was my favorite temple we saw. The carvings are breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Swimming & Snorkeling on the Phi Phi Islands (Join speedboat)

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Morning Visit to Elephant Nature Park Join-in tour

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai – Half day cooking class at Thai Organic Farm (N) (Afternoon)

Chiang Mai

Boat Trip Along Mae Ping River

Chiang Mai

The Boat Trip Along Mae Ping River was nice and relaxing, albeit not particularly special. A little hiccup with the plan occurred when we headed directly to the river from our arrival and had to dig into our luggage to get sun hats and suitable attire. It would've been helpful to know this change in advance. Still, the cruise was enjoyable.

Kim Kim put together a wonderful trip for our family along with their partner Serendipity Adventures. From the hotels to the activities to the drivers everything was top notch. Serendipity provided a contact for us that was super-responsive and helped make sure our trip went smoothly, whether it be arranging pick ups or recommending restaurants and other activities. Booking with Kim Kim took all the stress out of our vacation, allowing us to relax and enjoy. Highly recommend!

This was my first experience using kimkim and their local agent, Diana, in Portugal, and I will not travel again without contacting them! It was the most seamless, wonderful trip I have experienced. Every detail of the trip was arranged prior to our departure, all with our feedback and suggestions, as needed. Having never been to Portugal, we were grateful for Diana's suggestions on locations to visit and the amount of time allotted for each. I am a female who was traveling with my sister-in-law and 27 year old daughter, and we all agreed it was the most amazing experience.

The private driver service was a game changer! Prior to our travel, we had suggested to Diana that we may not need a private driver; however, she responded that this was the best way to travel without stress and enjoy local knowledge as we traveled. Our main driver, Costa, was beyond amazing. He was professional, polite, kind, attentive, and always receptive to our requests to stay longer in a location or move on. It was like traveling in a high-end van with a tour guide and secret service (no safety concerns, but Costa watched our every move)! Costa helped arrange for restaurants during several stops, and we were treated like royalty by the staff. We had our most amazing meal overlooking the ocean in a restaurant in Cascais on Costa's recommendation.

The hotels arranged by Diana were amazing. We were pleasantly surprised at each of our three accommodations, but especially overwhelmed in Lisbon and Cascais. The staff at the hotels were professional and kind, and the breakfast options that were included were excellent.

We also took advantage of a few walking tours and excursions recommended by Diana. Each of the tour guides seemed very concerned at our satisfaction level, and we enjoyed the private aspect of the tours in giving us a chance to ask questions and take detours at our discretion.

In every piece of our travel, we felt that we were offered higher levels of accommodations and service based on the service providers' desire to keep good standing with Diana and Across Portugal. Diana was quick to respond when we had questions, and there were no unpleasant surprises along the way. Many thanks to kimkim and Diana at Across Portugal for the trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisboa

The hotel location, decor, rooms, and service were exceptional. We were on a quiet street, yet only blocks from the high end district. The rooms were beautiful and well-appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Amazing that they were able to bring an historic building up to current and exceptional comforts.

Location

The hotel is on a quiet street, yet only a block or two from city center.

Staff

All of the front desk staff were amazing. The bartender was exceptional, as well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were amazing, as well as the bathroom.

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

The hotel was beautiful and nice that the apartment offered separate bedrooms and a common area, dining table, and kitchen. It was on a very busy and noisy street, and the bedrooms were up a flight of narrow stairs with a tight turn, making luggage a bit of a challenge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel provided easy access to the river as well as central Porto.

Staff

At check-in, we were offered a quick tour of the apartment, but no assistance with getting our luggage up the stairs to the bedroom. We also asked for a recommendation for wine and pizza and were directed to a hotel that did not serve pizza (which seems trivial, but we were very specific in our request).

Cleanliness & Comfort

The apartment was very clean, but there were no extra amenities such as extra towels or pillows.

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Every aspect of this hotel was amazing. It was one of the nicest hotels experienced by anyone in our group. We did not want to leave!

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is spacious and well designed. The fresh floral arrangements and design were impeccable.

Location

The oceanfront location cannot be beat. The restaurant, bar, pool, and balconies all have amazing views of the ocean.

Staff

The cleaning staff offered turndown service, fresh towels throughout the day, pillow options, etc. and were so kind and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel offers every amenity. It is exceptional.

Activity Reviews

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

Lisbon

The private tour of Lisbon offered just the right level of detail on the history and current state of Lisbon. Our tour guide was kind, fun, knowledgeable and professional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We felt that we would have liked to have our guide as a friend. She was kind and fun.

Transport

This was a walking tour that was just the right level of challenge and comfort.

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Our driver was beyond amazing in his professionalism and knowledge of the area. We enjoyed Pena Palace but especially enjoyed Sintra and the brief tour of Cascais.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We cannot say enough good things about our driver. He was extremely professional, kind, attentive, and helpful. We loved Costa!

Transport

The high end van and private driver offered a wonderful way to see the area.

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

The atmosphere and music offered great insight into the Portuguese culture. We appreciated how much all native Portuguese love the Fado music. It is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Porto is beautiful and we walked through some amazing locations. Our guide offered an extensive history of Porto and Portugal as a country - perhaps a little too extensive, at times. We would have preferred to cover a little more ground and see more sights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very kind and knowledgeable. He could benefit from being a little more aware of the attention level of his visitors. To his credit, he is very passionate about the history of Portugal and the style of buildings, etc.

Transport

We would have preferred more walking and less standing and talking.

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Beautiful location and interesting tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

The Douro Valley is amazing and beautiful. We enjoyed the views and the winery tour; however, the time spent in the car seemed a bit excessive.

Quality of Experience

Having been on vineyard tours in other countries, we would have foregone this experience due to the travel time to and from the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Douro River Escape: 1-Hour Exclusive Cruise

Portugal

The guides on the boat were wonderful; however, the boat tour was a bit underwhelming. We traveled a short distance down the river and back and really did not see anything overwhelming - perhaps because we live in a part of the world that also has beautiful rivers and hills :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

The lunch was wonderful. We did enjoy the tour of the vineyards, but having been to other vineyards, we would have opted not to do this experience.

Quality of Experience

Lunch was exceptional!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cascais-Sintra Exclusive E-Bike Adventure

Portugal

The weather was not conducive to a bike tour that day, yet the guide suggested we continue. We thought we would be transported to the park by car, but we left the hotel on bike after only a brief introduction to the e-bikes and traveled on side walks and through the narrow city streets. Due to the wet tiles on the street, one member of our party wrecked their bike after two previous near falls. Thankfully, she wasn't seriously hurt, but had a large bruise on her cheek and a sizeable scrape on her knee. We returned to the hotel without seeing the park. Our travel agent, Diana, was exceptionally concerned about the injury and make sure our injured traveler did not need additional care. Diana also immediately refunded our fees for the tour.

Quality of Experience

I am an experienced biker; however, I was very uncomfortable following our guide through city streets with pedestrians. The workings of the e-bike deserve more than a brief introduction.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking a trip via a travel agent is something new to us as we’ve been the type who like to book flights and hotels only and keep the day flexible.
Boy was I glad I gave kimkim a try mainly because:
- it’s a bit last minute and I didn’t have a lot of time to do research
- we have a teenager son and it’s getting to a point where a successful trip means letting him bring a friend along (which tend to be super hard to coordinate a multi-family trip), or involving more local guides and planned activities so I can delegate shepherding him along to the tour guides
- I was also hoping he can practice the Spanish he learned in school in a safe space 1:1 with a local guide on private tours.

- Helena and team took care of all the hotel and train bookings saving me a lot of hassle entering passport info and lining up train and hotel logistics
- Helena was able to recommend activities based on our interests and timing of arrival, as well as lead time for heading to train stations and airport which was super helpful (googlemap timings doesn’t take into account for time for getting lost/not knowing exactly where to turn/going through security etc)

Helena went through iterations of planning and also identified a bug in the system with pricing (I got a little suspicious when updating the itinerary didn’t change the price) and got everything resolved in a timely fashion.

We are super happy with the cooking class (the food was some of the best we has while in Spain! And the guide to the market took a lot of stress out which stall to pick to get our shopping done!)

Our next favorite was our Seville tour, our guide was superb exposing us not only to history and architecture, but also fun facts and hidden gems. She’s also a great listener and made helpful recommendations from dining to shopping.

I am so glad Helena recommended the Segovia tour (such a dreamy historical town!) and our tour guides was very knowledgeable.

Our Madrid local guide was awesome trying to speak a little Spanish slowly with my son, and gave us recommendations which areas he wouldn’t recommend for tourists and where to eat if we want the local experience.

It was also helpful the espiritu local agents checked in with us during the trip and was super responsive when we had questions, even on a Saturday!

Highly recommend if you want to pamper yourself saving time on research/comparing tour options and pricing, yet still want a tailored experience (instead of big group bus tours where you are just rushed along).

Hotel Review

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Location was perfect in a trendy area, yet still close to a lot of the tourist activities as well as museums and Retiro park. Staff was courteous and helpful, and breakfast variety was great. I took off one star mainly because of: 1) the hotel should really invest in renovating the bathrooms to include ventilation- otherwise the steam and smell is just permanently trapped which wasn’t pleasant 2) if you are staying on a Fri or Sat night the noise from nearby bars at night can be quite loud.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything and a few mins walk to Gran Via metro that lands us in chamartin or Atocha station for day trips without needing to connect to a different line.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Issue without bathroom vent per overall comment

Activity Review

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

Going around the Triana market for specialty stores and products was awesome! Very fun to learn about local foods and spices. Instructions for cooking class was clear and great pacing. Chef also kept things entertaining and very informative. And the best spinach with chickpeas dish and chicken paella I have tastes!

Quality of Experience

Food

Loved the chicken Paella and spinach chickpeas!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really didn’t participate in the planing of the trip but Jerry kept us in the loop and we provided some suggestions. Our personal guide Mohamad was wonderful He went above and beyond to make sure we were well cared for. All of our local guides were wonderful with the exception of Ali, my guide for the waterfall. I sent the review of that apparently to the group chat and pasted it to the review link as well. If you did not receive that, please let me know

Hotel Reviews

Desert Luxury Camp Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

Fabulous location. Fun staff. Beautiful views. Our favorite hotel

Authenticity & Character

There are several staggered camps in the desert. This was comfortable and the staff was attentive and fun. It was advised that we bring our own cocktails which was great advice as they do not carry any

Location

The sunrise and sunset views are spectacular

Staff

They were fun and very accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable. The window coverings were sheer which didn’t bother us but may be disturbing to some people

Kenzi Basma Hotel

Casablanca

Nice room. Comfortable

Location

Hard to evaluate. We had a driver so everything was convenient

Staff

Staff very welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and hotel very clean.

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Beautiful hotel. Room was lovely. Staff were very helpful. Hotel can be a bit confusing to find your way around in but you frequently saw staff who would point you in right direction. Lovely rooftop views and a beautiful spa

Location

Right near main market

Staff

Very helpful and attentive. My husband became ill and they provided special meal in room and extra cleaning

Cleanliness & Comfort

Frequently checked to see if we needed anything

Riad Laaroussa

Fez medina

The hotel is beautiful. Our room was large and comfortable. There was a loft in our room as well as main level. Beautiful rooftop views for dining

Location

Everything was walking distance

Staff

Very attentive. Everyone was welcoming and happy to have us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable

Euphoriad

Rabat

Lovely hotel with beautiful views Rooftop dining for breakfast was very nice

Location

Staff

Everyone was very welcoming and available to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and beautifully decorated.

Hotel Xaluca Dades

Boumalne

We were only there one night but everything was very nice

Staff

Staff always available for questions. Staff wanted to be sure their guest were comfortable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

Our guide was clearly excited about sharing this adventure with us and made it fun and very interesting. That main main market in Marrakesh is a wonder to behold as it evolves over the course of the day from a busy area with everything from snake charmers to wedding shopping venues, to a loud, boisterous, fun filled place with something for everyone to enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Just loved the experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was young, fun, enjoyable to be with and passionate about his city

Transport

Can’t say enough about Mohamad. He was the best

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Marrakesh

We had the same guide as our evening tour and as I mentioned, he was fun, enjoyable company, very knowledgeable and passionate about his city

Quality of Experience

Just very interesting to see how people from around the world live

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was fun, knowledgeable and enjoyable to be with

Morning Guided Tour in Casablanca

Morocco

Great tour of the city. Fun to see the area. Guide had many suggestions about places to dine. Tried to make reservations for us for Ricks Cafe but they were booked out several days

Quality of Experience

Very interesting. Enjoyed learning about their faith. The grounds are spectacular

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Mohamad was the best. Our guide for this tour was knowledgeable and answered all of our questions

Transport

Guided Tour of Hassan II Mosque

Casablanca

Very lovely mosque. The history of its origin and the planning to ensure its future is remarkable. The grounds are beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Ouzoud Waterfalls, Return to Marrakech

Morocco

I sent a detailed note on another link.

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The alleged guide that met me at the hotel merely rode in car . Please refer to the detailed message I sent to Hakim

Transport

Mohamad was the only shining star on that adventure

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

My wife said the traditional Hammam & Massage was a really amazing experience. It was very relaxing and definitely one of the highlights of the trip. After all the traveling, it was exactly what she needed to unwind and recharge.

Gustavo and Greg did a great job meeting our primary request for amazing eco-resorts where we could kick back in a jungle environment. The first property was so relaxing that we blew off a nearby hike that we'd scheduled just to sit around by the hot springs all day. At the second property we did get to do the fun excursions they recommended, but the hotel itself was also so nice that we would have been happy just to hang out and explore the grounds.

We spent 8 days traveling the length of Vietnam from North to South, with excellent guides (KC, ChickyTrung, Tin Tin).

Vietnam is an extremely beautiful country with people who are kind, open, and engaging. We loved having a private tour guide for each city we visited, and we truly enjoyed the introduction to the food we had on food tours in Ha Noi and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

The old town at Ha Noi was both fascinating and beautiful and the shopping there was really fun. We had outfits made for our daughters using their custom measurements.

Hien Do did a masterful job organizing every element, making this one of the easiest trips ever to plan, with a rich array of experiences we got to take part in. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Karim was our local guide throughout the tour, he was fantastic. We toured Morocco for 11 days and really saw some great sights. Halif was our driver and he was amazing. Both shared a lot of their Berber heritage. Our only hiccup was our local guide in Fes, he marched us through the Medina and took us to several spots just for us to make expensive purchases. We would have rather experienced the Medina and with some minor purchases along the way. I believe we only met Mohamed briefly in Marrakech, Karim was our tour specialist. This was a trip of a lifetime that I’ll never forget, completely amazing!

Hotel Reviews

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

This was an amazing hotel, great city views and good food. Very comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Wow! Camel ride to the luxury campsite, our tents we great and the staff treated us very well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

We did not make it to Moulay Idriss or Meknes, so a little disappointed

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes

Fes

This ended up being a full day. We were rushed by our local guide through the Medina. Lunch was over 2 hours and we stopped 4 times for quite a bit of time where we felt pressured to make purchases

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Better local guide

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

36 days in Chile was wonderful and as all human endeavors, one cannot anticipate and plan out everything detail without having some surprising like adverse weather along the road. Our kimkim people were always available to answer our questions and as weather and road conditions required, we had very fast help to adjust our itinerary to continue onward safely for our fun filled adventures. Thank you Marcella and all of our local guides and drivers for you customer service focused approach to our travelling needs.

Hotel Reviews

El Refugio - La Casa de Don Tomas

San Pedro de Atacama

Loved the hotel between our adventures. Great food and all of the staff were fun and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bellavista

Puerto Varas

Nice facility in a picture-perfect location, but cold water in a shower without doors to hold the water back was not fun at the end of a long day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hot water showers

Activity Reviews

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quick action from local agents saved our trip from an accidental mistake…….turne doubt to just add to the fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour - Private

Santiago

Guide and driver were wonderful and fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to the Summit of Toco Mount

San Pedro de Atacama

Wow, Gudelia took control and got us to the top. So glad wd made it for the pics

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike in Devil's Throat

San Pedro de Atacama

Red rock hike was great and the guide was a world of info

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chiloé Island: Castro & Dalcahue

Puerto Varas

Long all day trip with not much to do, a day off would of given more energy fro the next leg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Lago Grey

Chile

Loved it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Rafael National Park & Glacier Boat Trip

Chile

Yes it was a top adventure

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago Cooking Class

Santiago

Best way to end and savior our 36 day adventure end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to Socorama with Overnight in Putre

Chile

Guide and driver helped us soooooooo much and we has a great adventure

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

YES do it again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport