Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall I was very pleased with the trip and had many pleasant experiences. Naxos was by far the highlight of the trip. It didn't have the crowds and commercialism that were present on Santorini. It was very noticeable that the residents of Naxos smiled more and seemed happier than their Santorini counterparts. On Naxos the guide who took us on the bicycle tour deserves special mention, he was outstanding. The cooking class on Naxos also deserves special mention. In Athens the guide on the photography tour went above and beyond what could ever be expected and his efforts are much appreciated. I would recommend this tour to everyone, even if they have no strong interest in photography. Finally, a constructive criticism is in order. I don't think it's in your best interests to refer customers to the Acropolis Select Suites. The facility is not up to expected standards and the food is the worst I have experienced in all my travels.

Jasmine did a great job listening to me and booking everything. The trip to Australia was beyond my expectations. I definitely will use KimKim and the services provided for all my trips that I can! The value is amazing!

Emanuela was exceptional! Couldn’t have relaxed for the trip without their help! Appreciate all the attention and assistance that was given. Picking up the car reserved for us with hotspot was so easy! We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to go back!

I interacted with so many people and I can't all remember their names. Everyone was very nice and helpful from Noriela, to each of the hotel crew and tour guides. We had an excellent time. I've been in many trips and the Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Iguazu falls and Rio is up there.

Thank you very much!
-Fel

Brahim invested time and effort to fully understand our requirements and put together a 3-day itinerary that took the 2 of us from Marrakech to Fes via the desert. Our driver (Adnane) spoke good English and made sure that we had everything we needed to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Ingrid was our guide for our visit to Oslo and Bergen . Luckily my cousin and I travelled together for the most part , or we would have been quite lost .

Initially I arrived earlier than she , and somehow got to the bus for the hotel for the night , the Gardemon Airport Hotel , which was suggested by our Svalbard leader . The hotel was very nice , the food fabulous , and a wonderful walk nearby .

We next flew to Tromso and Longyearbyen for our artic adventure , which was unbelievably wonderful , except I did not see the whales that others were able to see .

We returned to Oslo and both of us were a bit nervous about the location of the hotel which in reality , could not have been easier - The Thon Opera , at Ingrid's suggestion . The restaurant was not great - expensive then closed for repairs .

Then we went to Myrdal to get the Flam train . It turned out to be easier than expected , and the ferry to Balestrand was lovely . It was nice to have the tickets paid for in advance . The hotel in Balestrand was GREAT - thank you Ingrid - then another ferry to Bergen . In the rain . I wish I had known to expect so much rain . . .

Bergen started off negatively . In the rain . Ingrid had sent maps , but they were useless . First of all , they faded in the rain , and secondly , without directions or street names . It took almost 2 hours to find the hotel , which was not great . Dark and unattractive , dining area right at the front door . We were surprised to find that a ' superior room ' was reserved for us , but it had only one bed ! We had to down grade to a room with twin beds , no view . Also dark . The hotel was not a great choice , the staff less than cordial . We would have been better off some place like the Hotel Bergen near the old wharf . We had a GREAT meal at Lyskevet ?? The inadequate directions and maps were the most frustrating part of our visit .

We returned to Oslo Thon for the night , and a dinner at a restaurant that was not great - a new one , started with an A - Atla ???

So we survived but had many frustrations .

the guide for the food tour in Athens was awesome! Andreas Morgridge
The guide for the farm tour in Mykonos was awesome as well, as was the food and the ladies that cooked. I just can't recall their names.

The wood boat tour in Santorini was good, the swim in the hot spring area of the volcano was oversold, it was cold and difficult to navigate.
Overall the wood boat tour was good and the sunset was beautiful

I would change 2 things, it is very very confusing the ports in both Santorini and Mykonos, and there is long wait and hard to get luggage on boat and find seats,etc. This should be discussed and be clear from the beginning, although I asked for the ferry instead of the plane to save money, I think if I understood the hours lost and we had a short tour, I would have chose the planes.
The second thing, on last leg of the trip, port at Rafina to the hotel, it was not a far walk, but with luggage, 6 hours of traveling , later at night and iffy location, and a bit up hill I would have preferred a transfer here.

My husband and I went on a 10 day tour of Myanmar for our honeymoon, and it was the best decision we could have made. What a beautiful country with amazing people! The whole Pure Myanmar team took extra care of us from our first contact until the end, treating us like friends.

We loved every part of the trip and were sometimes moved to tears of happiness -- some highlights being the circular train in Yangon and Shwedagon Pagoda, the elephant preservation in Kalaw, watching the sunset on U Bein bridge near Mandalay, the Pennywort Cooking Class and cruising Inle Lake during the pagoda festival.

If you are considering visiting Myanmar with Pure, you won't be disappointed. Just do it!

Thanks Anne, Cherry, Nay, Tim and Naing and our skillful drivers for an extraordinary life experience.

We had an excellent 2 week experience in Morocco. The only thing we wish we had done was to spend a day or two at a coastal town. Otherwise we saw urban, mtns, the gorges, the desert and even Chefchaouen. We started in the southern area in Marrakeck which worked out well. Turns out that the prices of items in Fez are much lower than the other areas. We were told that a lot of the linens and leather etc was made in Fez which helped to lower the prices. We resisted buying on the front end of the trip saving it for Fez which was the last few days of our trip. So the lower prices were an added perk. The tannery in Marrakech was a highlight however the Fez tannery was even better. We loved the Secret Jardin in Marrakech preferring it to the Marjorelle Garden. Fewer crowds and we were really interested in the old water system of getting water from the Atlas Mtns. Our guide, Ayoub, picked us up in Marrakech. He was a young, extremely nice fella. I appreciated his temperament and his values. He is also a musician and he shared with us his talent by showing us videos of his songs. He also shared videos of his Berber village customs associated with dancing and singing. As well as videos of similar things but from different tribes. It was a great cultural experience topped off with our arrival at the Gorge's hotel with entertainment that was very similar to the videos that Ayoub shared. Perfect timing! As we approached the desert he shifted to different music to get us in the desert grove. We were traveling with our late 20 year old boys who so appreciated that both our driver and our guide were mid 20s.
Ayoub seemed a bit inexperienced in that he needed coaching on telling us what to expect for the day. Clothing, water, money and timing in particular. He got much better as the trip progressed.
Our elder son would have appreciate more input about history. The same son, got an eye infection. Ayoub was really helpful and flexible. First taking us to a pharmacy for meds ( The meds did not help.) The next day we went to the hospital (no service) and then to a private doctor (immediate service and no payment). It took all morning to do this and still Ayoub was able to adjust the schedule so that we could still go visit a Berber household. The Berber father, Mohamed, is quite a character. He lead us on a hike in the gorge which was probably the high light of our whole Morocco experience. It was so unexpectedly beautiful and surprisingly cool. This was followed by a meal in his house. I was given a tour of the house by his wife, who did not speak one work of english, but we hugged several times, shared gifts and photos. Our group referred back to Mohamed several times as the trip progressed.
It was awkward paying for the lunch. Before we left on the trip I was of the understanding that it was included. Ayoub told us that there was a change and that dinner was included that day but not lunch. The problem was, that we did not know how much to pay him and Ayoub did not provide any guidance.
Lodging- often our lodging was upgraded and we ended up in the suite. Quite a treat!!!! We appreciated the 2 places that had swimming pools. It was a great way to cool off during the days of 100 degree temps. All of our lodging was interesting and very comfortable.
Food in Morocco was delicious. However after about 7-10 days of Tagine we were ready for some variety. Our cooking class in Fez was great. Our teacher was a grandma and did not speak a word fo english but she was a delight. She effectively demonstrated the steps and there was a translator when needed. We all really enjoyed the class and the teacher.
The highlight of the trip for our boys was sandboarding. They loved it and shared stories and videos for the rest of the trip.
Ayoub is a talented photographer. He often took my big camera to get photos of the whole family and individuals. He ran up and down lots of sand dunes to get amazing pics of us on the camels. I am the family photographer so it is a treat to have some pics of me and to have such great pics of the family.
Our driver, Jilel, was very good. Also young like Ayoub. Our older son in particular enjoyed him. He provided a contrast with Ayoub. Ayoub is from a middle Atlas Berber village. He is surprisingly progressive and has compassion for women. Jilel is from Marrakech and has already been married and divorced twice, currently has 3 girlfriends and yet, has less progressive views. He was a courteous, cautious driver but able to pass when needed on the mountainous roads. He was always on time. We suggest that he figure out how to get to the riad before he begins driving. We always got a bit lost the last few minutes of the day. He brought levity to the group which was very much appreciated.
All in all it was a GREAT trip. Wonderful memories and a great time for the whole family. We found the people to be exceptionally warm, inviting, generous and helpful. Everyone should visit Mococco!

We are so happy that KimKim connected us with Abdellah, because we have had the most wonderful experience travelling through Morocco in a private tour that he organised for us.
He was so easy to talk to, and so accommodating as he tailored the tour to suit us and our schedule.

Abdellah chose for us the most wonderful riads and hotels for us to stay in during the tour. But the most special night was our visit to the Tiziri Desert Camp in the Sahara at Merzouga. This was a magical experience that we will never forget.
He also organised local guides for us in Fès and in Marrakech who were brilliant: we learned so much from them about the history and culture of this wonderful country.

Best of all, Abdellah chose for us the perfect driver, Karim. Karim was a delight to be with every day and he was kind and patient and lots of fun. We feel we have made a new friend, he was so lovely to us and shared so much with us about his land, his family and his Berber heritage.

My wife and I sincerely thank KimKim, Abdellah and Karim for our fabulous Morocco holiday.

The KimKim portal turned out to be an excellent tool to work with Silviu during the planning stages of the trip. It is easy to navigate and by keeping and allowing full access to the running dialogue, I found it a very good repository for reference and sharing with the rest of our group.

Silviu was responsive and very willing to tailor the trip to our requirements. He included everything that we had set out for him as our "wish list" for the trip and offered some options for our consideration as we planned the journey which was very helpful landing on our final itineray.

Silviu was very accommodating during the planning phase as well as throughout the trip. He was knowledgeable about the countryside while sharing history of the various towns, villages and regions while we were on tour. The accommodations were well appointed, comfortable with great amenities and the food was beyond our expectations. The bicycles that Silviu provided and maintained were very good quality road bikes that performed excellent.

His transport vehicle was comfortable for the transfers that we made between cities.

A taxi picked us up at the airport.
Taxi transfer to airport.
It was good but felt like there was not much to do. We were on our own a lot of the time.
The printed itinerary felt like there was a lot to do.

The Mulafossur waterfall was amazing.
We sat the trollfingur and the giant and the hag.
The old capital was adorable. The scenery was stunning. We did an amazing hike with Tummas in the mountains. Wow. Scared and enjoyed it at the same time.

We really enjoyed the trip and Collin was great about listening to what we wanted and making it happen for us. For the most part, the trip was easy and enjoyable and things ran smoothly. The accommodations, food and guides were excellent for the most part.
There were a couple of communication errors -- For the Salar de Uyuni trip, we were not informed of any details during the 3 days, so for example, we were not told to bring suits and towels for the hot springs. Also when we arrived to our hotel in Sucre, we were told they did not have a booking and we were sent to a different hotel, where they told us they had booked a matrimonial suite with one bed for us. Everything worked out in the end, but it was a little stressful and we don't understand why we weren't told of the change until after we had arrived at the wrong hotel.
For the Salar de Uyuni tour, we had been told it was just us on the tour, but when they picked us up to leave the next morning, they left us waiting for another family for over one hour and we didn't depart for the salt flats until after 11:30 am. This family expected a French language tour and came with a screaming 5-year old child. They kept us waiting several times over the 3-day tour, resulting in some rushed sight seeing and late arrivals in the evenings. The Uyuni guide was good, but also said some things that we thought were less than professional. While we understand this is "luck of the draw," we can't help but feel that this wasn't quite the tour we had arranged and paid for.

We loved our trip to Peru. Although it was a lot of traveling we were able to visit Arequipa, Iquitos, the Amazon, Cusco, Aguas Calientes and Macchu Picchu within 12 days. Our visit to Tahuayo Lodge was a true adventure. We were able to explore and see Amazon wildlife with the help of our amazing guides, Herzog and Eduardo. The accommodations and food were great and Siomey was our friendly face at mealtime who ensured our food was always delicious. Julio Cesar took wonderful care of us in Cusco and getting us to Macchu Picchu and all stops in between! Freddy gave us a wonderful Cusco city tour and Eddy personally walked us through Macchu Picchu taking special care with my Mom throughout the entire tour - lots of steps! We felt very well cared for and although I have been to Cusco and Macchu Picchu a few times, I still learned new things during our tours. The trip was well coordinated and most everything went very smoothly.

We had an amazing trip, and experienced the local culture in many different areas of Nepal and saw breathtaking views ! It was like nothing else I have ever experienced . We felt very well supported by our guide Bhim when we visited ghandruk , and our guides in Chitwan. They were all amazing and friendly and full of information and knowledge in their local areas eg. the jungle animals, mountains, history of the area etc . Our trip planner Sangita and her husband bipin were so great and responded to our calls and text when we had unexpected changes to our itinerary.. eg plane or bus late , help with translating , even spoke to the locals at times, to help us plan changes we decided to make on the spot etc , we felt very relaxed and could focus on enjoying every minute knowing whatever happened we were very well supported and never on our own no matter where we were :)) we have had an adventure we will never forget and the best time!! Thanks so much to everyone:))

We were a group of 4 people visiting Iceland and we took several tours - the South Coast, Golden Circle, Silfra, Snæfellsnes, and the Blue Lagoon. Zeynep built our itinerary and gave us very clear instructions on the time and place to be for these tours. I will even give her credit for arranging for the terrific weather. When our return flight got changed, Zeynep was right on top of it and updated our return trip to the airport. Thorough, organized, and friendly! We were more than happy with the excellent service Zeynep provided and very grateful for her plans that allowed us to have a first rate visit. Thank you very much!

We enjoyed the guest house. First opportunity to see northern light. Also diamond beach. And glacier. And black sand beach. Everyone was helpful. And all accommodations where great.

Could not recommend Kim Kim enough, service start to finish was 1st class

Liz was our travel agent and she did a great job. Everyone at Andean Travel was really helpful. They provided additional guidance when we had a situation.

All our guides and drivers were great. The guides were all very knowledgeable and were able to answer our questions. I really loved the Machu Picchu tour with Javier? and the Sacred Valley tour with Ruth. They ensured that we had a truly unique experience.

I also really appreciated that we did not have to wait for transportation. All the drivers were waiting for us when we arrived in an area.

Our holiday was intended to give my wife and me a first time taste of cultural Greece.
Tasos from the Travel12 team suggested a great mix of archaeological sites as well as food and wine experiences extending from Athens to islands in the Cyclades, the astounding monasteries of Meteora to the Peloponnese and then Delphi. Our drivers were excellent, punctual and always courteous and friendly. All of the guides were exceptional, Tania and Constantine of Alternative Athens, Anastasia in Mykonos, George on Delos, Ilias with his deep knowledge of Greek history and the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Mystras as well as his home town of Nafplio. Lastly Tania of Alternative Athens led a tour of Delphi, a wonderful place.
We can recommend the wooden boat cruise in the caldera of Santorini, with a Greek BBQ dinner on board and a saxophone player entertaining us at sunset with a wonderful view of the white clifftop buildings of Oia, breathtaking!
We can also recommended a cooking class on Naxos where we picked vegetables with Jacob from the garden of his working farm and prepared stuffed tomatoes, eggplant and capsicums which we then ate with delicious white wine, nice!
The Travel12 team were always readily available with guidance and solutions to any problems that occurred. All in all a wonderful holiday experience.