Kimkim Trip Reviews

Great trip! It was all very memorable ,but if I have to say, the places that were most memorable: Acropolis, Delos Island, and the food/wine tasting on the farm in Santorini. On Mykonos: the Hotel Dorion was fabulous! We also loved the dinner the first night at Manimani --a splendid meal! Of our many guides, I think Effie at Delphi was the most knowledgeable. We also very much enjoyed our male guide in Santorini but I forget his name, unfortunately. Our driver in Santorini was also terrific--very friendly and eager to talk about the terrain, the architecture, the history of the island.

Our driver Mohamed was great. Really enjoyed our Riad in Chefchouen and our hotel in Fez (Sahrai) as well as the cities themselves. The Dar in Ouazazarte was below expectations (people were really nice though). Our luxury tent in the desert didn't have water in the morning which wasnt so nice. Overall though a great trip with many experiences

Carmelo was absolutely INSTRUMENTAL in the booking of my vacation package. Everything was taken care of, from the reservations to the transfers between airports and hotels, and even the transfer from hotel to rental car pickup. He even revised the plan about 4 times cause I wasn't sure. The places were incredible, to say the least. Catania is worth a couple more days than I was able to be there, but I was strapped for time. The farmhouses (Agriturismo) I stayed in were more than accommodating, and I was able to survive with my limited Italian! My group and I got to feel like real locals, staying in these places. In the end, highly recommended service. Thanks for everything Carmelo!

Shalindra was great from the first contact. He listened to what I suggested and offered a good selection of hotels and itinerary and was happy to change when I made suggestions. Anoj was our driver/ guide and was excellent. Initially confusing due to airport changes that were last minute due to the increased security but we caught up finally. Hopefully the next client will be met and escorted to the car park. Anoj was quite flexible and made changes for us to visit the elephant safari instead of orphanage when I commented that I would prefer to see them in the wild. The safari was a highlight of the trip. Only one disappointment when the Pigeon Island day trip was not delivered as expected. This was an expensive day that was changed to another area without consultation which pailed in comparison to the expected. There was no refund or apology. Luckily the additional pricey seafood lunch redeemed the morning. Anoj was very knowledgeable and was a talented guide. He was a safe driver and handled all the armed roadside checks in his stride.
I would not recommend the Spice / Herb garden. It was interesting but was an opportunity for a high pressure commission sale that did not deliver the price discount as promised and left us feeling very uncomfortable.
The recent bombings caused massive cancellations of foreign tourists which left many of the hotels we visited almost empty which did influence the service and meals offered to us but this was out of everyone’s control.
My husband and I had a great time. Colombo Court Hotel and Maalu Maalu Resort in Pasikudah were the highlight for accommodation and the crystal blue water and beach in Pasikudah was breathtaking.
I would recommend both Shalindra and Anoj for anyone travelling in Sri Lanka.
Regards,
Wendy & Ross
Sydney Australia.

The more i absorb the beautiful vacation i just completed i have come to realize the fantastic job done by Ottavia and the kimkim organization. The rides that Ottavia designed were exactly what i had in mind. It's as though we had ridden them together beforehand. Sweeping vistas through vineyards and olive groves, challenging terrain ( for sure ) and great weather provided a side of Italy i was imagining . The lodging at Pieve a Salti was comfortable, the entire staff gracious, the food excellent, and the massage by Fabrizza at the beauty farm was one to remember.

The self guided bike directions were 95 percent spot on and the few missed turns turned into small alternate adventures . The bicycle was well adjusted and experienced no issues.

Certainly i will recommend kimkim to all who ask about my journey. Thank you for the great trip.

Dan

Aljaz, our tour specialist was fantastic! Our trip was planned exactly to our "wants"! We loved the suggestions from Aljaz and our accommodation everywhere was amazing. We had 3 weeks touring Croatia & Slovenia and would never have known all the little stops that made our trip so much fun. We loved the beer fountain in Slovenia - so cool. Kimkim is the best way to travel if you want to do your own thing but still know you have a bed booked and all the sites on offer if you're wanting to keep busy. Would definitely give Aljaz & Kimkim 6 stars and would use them again and again.

We had a wonderful week in Morocco. Abdel helped me figure out an itinerary that touched on all we wanted to see. Said was a wonderful driver and guide. We saw many amazing sights including ancient kasbahs, . Our night in the desert was memorable and much nicer than we expected for “camping”. Our riads were centrally located so it was easy to get out and walk the old cities. Fantastic trip!

Just got back from a fabulous trip to Bhutan. Our guide Thinley and our driver Karma were fantastic. Thinley was a fund of information on the many temples, stuppas and dzongs we visitied and his knowledge on the local flora and fauna added greatly to the trip. His knowledge of the local birds and the way he explained their habits and songs added to the interest.

Even before we left, Vishal had everything sorted out and was prompt and open to the changes we asked for in the itinerary.

The accommodation and food organised by Trophel Tours was first rate and the way in which we were treated was well above what we expected.Even the Chilli Cheese was enjoyed by us all.

The walks and hikes we did, some up around the 4,000m mark were tailored at our pace and fitness level and Thiney made sure that we completed these safely and with photos and memories we will never forget.

Some of the highlights were of course the Tigers Nest, Gantey Valley and Nature Trail, Chimmi Lhakang and the hike through the fields to get there,the Mochu River white water rafting, the day hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal monastery, Chele La Pass and the walk down through the Rhododendron forest, hot stone baths, home stay visits and many many more. Everyday was an adventure and one we did not want to end.

Even the fly fishing organised was successful. Many of the roads high up in the mountains, even though they were rutted and washed away, our driver Karma was calm and steady, the vehicle was comfortable and very well maintained and we always felt that we were safe in his hands. He was the quiet giant but usually had a funny line to throw in just as we needed it.

We also had adequate free time to do our own thing and meet and socialise with the locals in the many stores and bars. This was also a highlight of the trip.

Even the flights in and out of Paro supplied some of the most breathtaking vistas of the Himalayas imaginable

I could not rate this tour highly enough and anyone contemplating a trip Bhutan should get in touch with these guys for an unforgettable holiday

Our thirty day tour of Peru was amazing! We visited Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Chacapoyas, Tarapoto, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Paracas, with excellent support from our local specialist, Nicholas, and each of our fantastic guides. Special thank yous go out to Henry, Gustavo and Julio, who taught us so much over several days, and made all of the pieces of our trip work together seamlessly. The best thing I can say about the trip is that there was not a single place we visited, where I wouldn't have been happy to spend more time. We wanted a tour which included history, culture, food and nature, and the Peruvian Soul plan provided this, perfectly. It was an incredible trip for us, one we feel very lucky to have made with Peruvian Soul.

What a great experience it all was from the beginning of the trip to the end. Our trip to Peru was very adventurous and memorable. We took the Andean Adventure but added additional excursions to our trip. Steve spent much time talking to us and customizing our trip. He was very reassuring about the places that we would visit.
After the trip was booked Katy took over and the experience was just as great. She provided us with all the necessary information, from what to expect to what should be brought.
From getting off the plane to meeting Luis for the first time everything was perfectly organized.
Luis was an awesome guide. He obviously loves his job and his passion for his culture and country is clear. We can't say enough about Luis as you always worry about spending a long time with someone you don't know, but we did not have to worry about it at all as he was fun to be around with and easy going.
Our full day hike through the Andes was challenging at times due to the altitude but at the end, it was a great experience. We finished that day at our homestay. Our host Irene was welcoming and authentic. We felt we had a true picture of farm life in the Andes. Machu Pichu was everything we hoped it would be. Unfortunately, we missed our biking day at the salt mines due to a transit strike but if we were to go back we would definitely try to do it. Thanks to the great team, Luis and Mayli, we organized something else and was able to see the salt mines the day after.
All aspects were memorable and we were especially happy with trying different Peruvian cuisine. Thanks to Luis in the Andes and Arturo in Lima we were able to go to more local restaurants.
We spent a whole day with Arturo on a food tour in Lima. Arturo has a big smile and a bigger laugh and made our day taking us to the market where we tried many kinds of fruit and sharing Lima's history. He also took us to a great local restaurant called Gloton's in Miraflores.

Steve, Katy, Mayli (organizer in Peru), Enrique (driver), Miguel (horseman) and especially Luis ....thank you for an amazing memorable trip. We would recommend Aspiring Adventure to anyone looking for a unique customized adventure in Peru. What a great team!!!

Trekking Manaslu was a wonderful experience, beautiful scenery, people, and the rustic charm of the villages made every step of this challenging trek worthwhile. The planning was impeccable, thankyou Erin. Our guide Nawang was very experienced, professional and patient, as well as being good company. The support from Ngima was fantastic, hard working and always smiling. I highly recommend this trek and the team that made it possible

Lena was great to work with, providing guidance to meet our needs in terms of timing and sights.

Jordan:
Akram Halabi is a fantastic driver/guide. We were so fortunate to have his advice, descriptions of sights, and recommendations. Highly recommend Akram!

We found the day at Jerash and Um Qais to be long and tiring, with the focus being solely on ancient ruins. The lunch spot, Green Valley, which Akfram recommended was the highlight of the day.

The La Locanda Hotel is quite nice, but some rooms have limited electrical outlets for guests' use.

Visiting Madaba, Mt. Nebo, and the Dead Sea was fascinating and fun. The Dead Sea Spa Hotel was a bit "worn around the edges," in need of updating. The dinner and breakfast buffets are clearly focused on large tour groups, and we found the food to be largely inedible, devoid of flavor and quality. Brad got very sick the day we left, from eating improperly washed fruit for breakfast at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel, which had a vastly negative effect on his enjoyment of the first day at Petra.

Petra is, of course, the crown jewel of Jordan. The hotel, The Petra Guesthouse, is lovely and has a great location right next to the entrance of the Petra Archaeological Park. The included breakfast at the Petra Guesthouse was excellent.

I would suggest asking clients whether or not they want to have a family visit in Petra. We were exhausted from having spent the day visiting the sights in the archaeological park, so we would have preferred to just stay at the hotel. Since Brad was very sick, he did not attend the family dinner. I was not provided with any contact information for the driver in Petra to go to the family dinner; and, since "outside" drivers are not permitted in the security gate to the hotel, I had to search around for a driver. The driver and the father of the host family did not have any signs that indicated that they worked with In2Jordan, so I was a bit leary about getting into a car with two total strangers and heading off onto local roads to a nearby village. Everything worked out OK, but the family visit was quite awkward in that only the father of the family spoke English, and he seemed more interested in smoking cigarettes incessantly than in engaging with me or his family. I reeked with smoke by the time I got home, so I had to shower and hand-wash my clothes. Frankly, it seemed that he wanted to get the family meal obligation over with as soon as possible, and I was OK with that approach since I was not enjoying myself at all.

The back tour of Petra to the Monastery was excellent, and the guide (Tariq?) was quite good.

We then went to the Memoriet Aicha Luxury Camp in Wadi Rum. Do not book guests into the "Panorama" rooms, which are miserably hot, to the point that Rich almost passed out. In addition, the plastic domes are worn and torn, with the clear panels for the panoramic view clouded and cracked to the point that you couldn't really see out of them. The front desk manager had told us before we went to the room that the air-conditioning wasn't working very well, and that we would be upgraded for free if we found the rooms too hot. Fortunately, we were able to move to another tent. The camel tour was quite fun.

The jeep ride the next day was very interesting, but lasted 2.5 hours instead of 3 hours because the driver said he had to get to other guests.

By the time we got to Aqaba, we were exhausted and had little interest in going snorkeling or other beach activities, so the time at Aqaba became a day of rest for us. For being a seaside town, Aqaba did not have many decent restaurants that focused on fish or seafood. The La Costa hotel was quite good, except that there were no chairs (including no desk chair) in the room.

Israel:

Our Israeli driver, George, explained that he was not a guide, but only a driver, so he didn't even explain the basis importance of sights on the first day, e.g., Masada and Qum Ran. We would have skipped both those sights since the signage at both places was limited and lacked any real information about the historical significance of the location. Both seemed more focused on shepherding tourists towards their gift shops and restaurants than on the archaeological and historical significance of the sights. Both sights are overrun by tour buses. We then traveled to Jerusalem to stay at the Gloria Hotel, which is in a great location with comfortable beds and good bathrooms/showers. No bottled water is provided by the hotel (unlike every other hotel we stayed in), and the wifi service is very weak and spotty. Since the Gloria Hotel is focused on tour groups, the meals are buffet-style with OK, but not great, food.

There was some mix-up on which day we were to have a private guide for Bethlehem, but once that issue got sorted out, we were SO fortunate that Khadra Zreineh was our guide. She is magnificent! She's knowledgeable about the historical and religious significance of the various sights; she's excellent at knowing how to navigate sights to avoid standing in long lines; she explained the Palestine/Israel political issues clearly; plus, she's friendly, professional, and intelligent. We enjoyed her so much that we engaged her for another day to guide us in Jerusalem. We recommend that you strongly suggest that future guests hire a guide for both Bethlehem and Jerusalem. And, if you can book her services, we suggest that you always engage Khadra as a guide. By the end of the two days, we were referring to Khadra as our Palestinian sister!

We liked having a free day in Jerusalem to get outside the Old City walls.

We liked the Dizengoff Avenue Hotel, which is in a great location (15-minute walk to the beach; 2-minute walk to dozens of restaurants). The rooms are large (except for tiny bathrooms), with two stools at the desk area, which we appreciated. The KimKim/In2Jordan itinerary indicated that breakfast was included, but the hotel had no records or vouchers for us, so we paid independently for our breakfast. If your clients are "foodies," we recommend that they book a table - or better yet, a seat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen - at Claro. While it is not cheap, it is a top-notch, world-class restaurant, worthy of an evening out.

All-in-all, we were very pleased with the KimKim/In2Jordan trip. With a few minor tweaks (eliminating spending the first day visiting only ruins; reserving tent rooms - and not space bubbles - at the Bedouin camp; and eliminating the home dinner with locals in Petra), it would have been a fantastic trip.

Great communication and excellent planning. Never had to worry about a transfer, guide, or accommodation- everything was amazing.

This trip was everything I hoped it would be. On the practical side, all the connections and transfers went according to plan and no time was wasted. We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Carlos (in the Andes - there were other drivers on the coast). Both were friendly and made the time in the car interesting and fun. Through them, we were able to spend whatever time we wanted in each place and they were only too happy to make unscheduled stops whenever we requested.

I hadn't anticipated the drive through the Andes from Cajamarca to Leymebamba would be so important. It immersed us in the beautiful, rugged physicality of the country and took us completely into new territory - like a trip to Oz. The primary reason for me taking this trip was to see the sarcophagi of Karajia and the experience did not disappoint. They have a silent, majestic mysteriousness that must be experienced first hand. When you are walking through Kuelap, you can begin to imagine what a thriving bustling place it must have been in its heyday. The museums at Leymebamba and that of the treasures of the Lord of Sipan should be singled out for the creativity they show in the way their artifacts and information are presented.

Booking our trip to Peru through kimkim could not have been easier! With the help of Jesus, we planned a custom trip to accommodate our time constraints and so we could see exactly what we wanted to. All of the guides were friendly and knowledgeable. We definitely recommend kimkim and will be using them again in the future!

I was attracted and wanted to travel to Nepal for a long time. Be very happy that I had chance to make it happened this year. This was my first time to Nepal. It's really a great experience of trekking in Upper Mustang. I felt very lucky to choose kimkim for trekking planning. Kimkim provided a professional plan based on our request and took care of me whole way. I 100% felt safe and satisfied during the whole journey. Our guide, Chhongba, and backer Ram are very good. We discussed and decided next day trekking route every night. Chhongba always provided his professional advice and be flexible on our request. Also, Chhongba shared culture, food, animal, and so on to me during trekking that I know more and deeper about Nepal. I am appreciated of Chhongba and Ram's taking care during the trip. I definitely will visit Nepal again in the future. There are still a lot of beautiful places need to explore and visit. Hope we can see each other soon in the near future. Thank you.

The local guide team designed a program that suits us - a group of 3 couples. From our arrival until we depart there was not a dull moment. The hotel rooms are comfortable, the places they took us are fun, and most of all the fresh and top notch foods we tasted were just heavenly! Highly recommended for all who wants to experience Basque Country.

Wow!!! What a great experience we had in Peru using KimKim! It was a bit overwhelming to try to figure out hotels, excursions, local guides on my own, so I started looking for help online. Finding KimKim and especially our local contact Jesus made ALL of the difference. We had a FANTASTIC trip with a great itinerary of hotels and activities. We did a half day of zip line, we visited the salt pools. Of course we had a fabulous day at Machu Picchu. One surprise - the horseback riding in the hills above Cusco was a huge hit with the family.

I highly recommend Jesus and KimKim. The communication during the planning phase was outstanding. Jesus even helped us recover a Kindle that my wife left in a hotel. He went above and beyond to make our trip special and unfortgettable.

I was very pleased with the way that Oyunerdene organized my tour based on the information I provided to her. I was able to experience Mongolia’s nature, wildlife and people. The nomadic family I stayed with was great and their gers were in a beautiful setting next to a river and surrounded by gorgeous green hills packed with horses, sheep and goats. My tour guide, Jagaa, and driver, Gambaa, were friendly and genuinely nice, they showed me the warm welcoming attitude of Mongolian people.
I couldn’t have been happier. Thanks to them.

Brahim helped us plan the trip exactly as we wished! We went to each location that we'd wanted to visit. Our driver, Muhammad, was a great driver, very patient, and always punctual. He was knowledgeable about areas we visited and took us to additional stops as we requested.