Kimkim Trip Reviews

Such a calm and relaxing vibe at this hotel in Siem Reap. The food and coffee were both excellent! I especially enjoyed the plant-based food options, and it seems like the chef specializes in them based on the variety and uniqueness of plant-based items on the menu. The pool was beautiful and relaxing, and never too crowded (although could get very hot in the direct sun outside of late afternoon hours). The service was so friendly, and we loved interacting with everyone at the hotel. The design of the hotel itself was also done by an artist, and every detail was meticulously thought through. We loved the sculptures and paintings, which made us feel like we were in a museum (in a good way).

Service is excellent. The hotel workers got to know us so well over the few days that we stayed here. Location is very central and walkable within the Old Quarter. The hotel itself is older, but the rooms were comfortable and had AC. Depending on your room, it could be loud since it is on a busy street. Breakfast had both Western and Vietnamese options.

Highly recommend this place - from the arrival and greeting you with hot tea, the staff was very friendly and attentive

Beautiful place and very attentive and friendly staff

Place is located in a very cute alley, picture perfect and easy to find. Rooms were comfortable and breakfast was great!

The place was nice to stay for one night We had issue with hot water when we checked in and there was no porter to come and pick us up, luckily our driver was able to lead us through Medina

Spacious and a great place to stop on the way from Sahara They hammam was a nice place to clean up and relax after all that sand.

The tour was a mix Of walking tour and driving tour Fez is such an interesting place to visit and you kget the most out of it with a tour guide Great experience overall We enjoyed all the stops that we visited during the trip- learning how pottery is made, how mosaic is made, etc.

This was a very fun change of pace and much needed change of scenery Hike to the God’s bridge is moderately challenging but a great hike to do Akchor waterfall was good but don’t expect it to be anything earth shattering, depending on what other waterfalls you visited. It was a great adventure and I am glad we went. Some negatives - I wish areas was cleaner and more taken care of, sad to see national park and trash around.

We really enjoyed this experience Kids got to go to the market to purchase items for cooking, then we got back to the restaurant and started prepping food and cooking. Great change of activities for us and great learning opportunities.

This is a super fun activity for adults who know how to ride horses because you get to explore and ride through the lake and even gallop if you are comfortable. For kids it was a bit boring because they were just slowly let by the guides through the desert to the lake. Obviously it’s done for safety reason and we have no complaints, just think this is more fulfilling experience for adults. Snack by the lake was a nice touch and allowed us to relax and get rested.

Ibrahim was very attentive and made the adventure fun and exciting for us. We enjoyed riding dunes on our 4x4 and listening to Berber music

This is the highlight of the trip for our family! Camel ride is what you think of when you think of Sahara. This was an adventure of a lifetime

Mohamed is the best and made our trip experience the most enjoyable

Mohamed is the best and made our trip experience the most enjoyable

Mohamed is the best and made our trip experience the most enjoyable

Spectacular castle and reading about the work done in the last century to restore and maintain it was fascinating. Make sure you visit the second part of the castle with Princess Sen's history outlined. The Samurai Garden was also a lovely place to visit. That evening we went back to Osaka Castle where for a small fee we got into the Sakura night festival, which was a really nice alternative way to experience the castle views and blossoms.

We really enjoyed the various castles we visited on this trip (Kyoto, Osaka and Himeji)- each with a different story but all interconnected through history as explained by our guide.

Probably our favourite day of the trip. The boat trip out to Miyajima was scenic, we had a wonderful guide for our kayak trip through the floating torii gate and Taki San was a good sport hiking to the top of Mount Misen with us despite being tight on time! This is a very touristy place to visit so I highly recommend taking the kayak option to get a proper feel for the ancient approach to the shrine. The shops and eateries are busy but lots of fun to wander through.

The museum is a harrowing testament to what happened to this city but very worthwhile despite the inevitable crowds

Another lovely hike into beautiful Japanese mountain scenery - no rain this time!

We did this hike to the top of the mountain on our own in the rain which made it less busy than it might otherwise have been, and also quite atmospheric!

Kyoto was a highlight and our morning wander with guide Taki San was very enjoyable. The kimono aspect of the tea ceremony didn't add much and felt a bit performative rather than authentic as we were just put into the clothes whereas I had hoped to learn a little more about this traditional way of dress.

Very rushed getting onto the boat and the health and safety standards were somewhat questionable . . . Views of Mount Fuji from the water were great but we saw even better on our subsequent day's activities. An impromptu stop at the Mount Fuji visitor centre was interesting and informative.

Kana, the chef who led our personal sushi making class was lovely. Personable and with excellent English. One of our activity highlights.

Sumo experience was a fun and lighthearted intro to the sport of Sumo but very tourist focussed.

We did not stay here

Hera was incredible. She had incredible insights and was a lovely host!

We loved this traditional hotel and onsen. We highly recommend it.

Our final tour was to Himeji Castle with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The castle tour and gardens were amazing. We finished up with the ropeway to Mount Shosha, another of my must see destinations. It was amazing.

On Day 7 we were met by our guide Naoko who was wonderful. We enjoyed her very much. We spent the day in Nara, so fascinating.

We went to the Kinkakuji and Nijo Castle Tour which was fascinating. We had a very full day visiting shrines and ending up at Fushiminari. Fascinating!

We took the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Our first excursion was to the Tea Ceremony Experience. We dressed in Kimonos and were shown the intricacies of the tea ceremony. it was fantastic. After that we went to the Samurai and Ninja Musem. This was one of my special choices and it did not disappoint.

Yasuhiro, called Moshi. He is an English professor and spoke perfect English and also Spanish, as does my wife Norma. He took us to Hakone, and unfortunately it rained all day so we did not get to see Mt. Fuji. He took us up the Hakone Ropeway to the top where we had lunch and toured the shop. When we came down we took a tour boat around the lake. He dropped us at our Honten for the evening. We really enjoyed the traditional accommodations, including the private natural hot spring onsen.

Our guide for the first excursion in Tokyo was Haiyan. She was very helpful and knowledgeable. We saw the Imperial Palace, as close as we could get, since entry was not allowed. The we went to the Senso-ji temple, very impressive. She also helped us get to a location that I wanted to see, The Samurai Store. We never would have found it if it was not for Haiyan.

Great spot for our group of 12. The pool was a hit.

The Traditional Cooking Class was my personal favorite activity of the trip. We had a private garden tour to taste various plants and learned about their uses. Cooking with my family was simple, stress-free, and so enjoyable. We even got to press sugar cane and try different things. This activity was perfect for our large group, and everyone loved working together in the kitchen!

The Rainforest Chocolate Tour was one of the highlights of our trip! The guide was hilarious, making the experience both fun and educational. Our group couldn't stop laughing throughout the tour. It was a unique experience where we learned a lot about the chocolate-making process while being entertained. Highly recommend it for all ages!

We really enjoyed our stay at Naumi Hotel Wellington. It is right off of Cuba street where we could walk to everything - including Te Papa, the National Museum (very good). There is a nice pickup spot for ride sharing on the other side. Breakfast was very good. If you did not like what was on the buffet, you could order fried eggs or an omelet. We stayed there three nights and had dinner at three different restaurants less than a block from the hotel. I will say that the decor was very stripey (you will understand once you get there).

This hotel's location was excellent. We were able to walk into Queenstown's downtown, gardens and docks very easily. It costs extra to park here and parking is limited so make sure you talk to them before you get into town. There is no elevator for your luggage but one of the staff happily took them up to the higher floor for us. The room was clean and spacious. They provided a happy hour at 5 pm with wine and snacks which was an unexpected activity that allowed socializing with other hotel guests.

Great hotel with a great location. We walked everywhere. The breakfast was great for a hotel that serves a lot of tour groups. The room was very clean. We also were able to do our laundry right in the hotel (once we got change from the front desk). Everyone was very friendly.

One of our more unique stays on our trip. This one-room cabin is very isolated but once we got there it was wonderful. We stayed here two nights. Our tour guide got us a package where breakfast and dinner were provided. The unit had a stove, an outdoor grill and a refrigerator. We had steaks waiting to grill and the first night we had a pasta salad and the second night a broccoli salad. For breakfast there were eggs to cook up and yogurt or milk with some granola. Outside, was a sheep farm for as far as you could see. Needless to say, the stars were very bright. They also had a very nice hot tub large enough for two to fit comfortably (and look at the stars). Our host was very friendly and gave us ideas as to what to do.

The skylight in the room was unique. The view outside of our window was gorgeous! We could walk to the lakeshore from the hotel but we typically drove as there was plenty of parking. The parking at the hotel was ok but kind of tight. While they gave you an option to eat breakfast in your room, we instead ate at their breakfast area (which was small but very well organized).

A very nice hotel even though the rooms were a little small for two people and their luggage. If you happen to be located on the 2nd floor be aware that there are no elevators. Breakfast was provided in the shop behind the vicarage which was quite good. The town is small but it has a nice walkway behind the hotel. There was plenty of room to park your car but you will not need it in town as there are lots of shops and several restaurants within easy walking distance.

An excellent hotel with an excellent location. It is just a few steps from the main Christchurch Trolley (which we took advantage of). It was also very close to lots of places to eat for dinner. The breakfast was also very good. We did not have KimKim book the Trolley as we were not certain how we would feel after the long flight. We decided to book it and also added on the Garden Tour. We were glad we did! We first took the trolley all the way around to see what was offered. It was St. Patrick's Day so they told us where all of the Irish bars were. After the first loop, we continued and got off at the Irish Pub stop. Then we hopped on again to go to the Botanical Gardens. The Garden tour was wonderful and well worth the money and time. After walking around the garden some more, we hopped back on the bus to head back to our hotel. A wonderful first day.

What a place! The rooms were lovely, the hosts were wonderful and what a breakfast! They had a nice happy hour for us as well. The only drawback was that we had a 2nd floor room and there were no elevators. Also, the parking is a little tight but everything worked out just fine. The hosts really know the area very well and were quite friendly. The location is not downtown but that was actually very nice. It was only a 10 or 15 minute drive to the Little Blue Penguin Colony and Bushy Beach.

Very friendly staff and a great location. Other than that, there was nothing that made this hotel stand out. They did not serve breakfast here. Fortunately, a short walk away was an excellent choice for breakfast and lunch that we enjoyed - the Federal Square Cafe. The hotel is also a very close walk to both the Sky Tower and the Weta Workshop. We did not have a car here so I cannot tell you about parking.

The Art Deco Masonic Hotel was fantastic! We had the Anna Pavlova suite which had a separate living room with a door separating the bedroom from the living room. The bedroom and living room each had a bathroom. The location was perfect. They have a second-floor balcony that looks out over the ocean where you can see a beautiful sunrise. It was an easy walk to the downtown area. The only different thing about the hotel is that there is no parking there. You use the loading zone to unload your luggage and check in. Then you have to pay to park your car in a lot a couple of blocks away.

The Millennium Hotel Rotorua was okay, but not as charming as other accommodations on our trip. The breakfast staff seemed overworked and the front desk staff acted like you were bothering them. The location was great, which was a redeeming factor. Just wasn't as personal or cozy as other spots.

We had a great day at Tasmas Glacier Terminal Lake. The day was warm so we needed to carry our coats with us to get to the boats. The walk to the boats was not too bad - just a little steep on gravel at the end. There were lockers we used to place our backpacks in while we were on the boats. There were 4 boats holding 10-12 each. Once on the water, all of the boats took different routes so you felt like it was just your boat. The tour guide was great and told us lots of information about glaciers, ice flows and iceburgs.

We were very lucky in that it was a very cloudy day but once evening came, the clouds mostly went away. The crater folks allowed you to use some of their jackets if you did not bring warm enough clothes. We hopped on a bus which took us on a 5-10 minute drive to a depression where the city lights did not bother the viewing (it is a dark sky area so the lights were minimal anyway). There were three or four astronomers (or at least very knowledgable about astronomy) where one main guide showed us the stars and talked about various stars and constellations using a laser pointer. Then they had three telescopes spread out with each telescope pointing at a different object. Then after everyone had a turn, they pointed the telescopes to other objects and we all had a turn seeing those. We were lucky in that the sky was 90% clear. We did the first shift which started at 9pm. The Milky Way could have been brighter on the second tour but I do not know. We definately saw it but it was not quite as impressive as what you see in photos. However, it was a great educational exprerience and it seemed like the children on this trip enjoyed it as well. Of course, simply going to Lake Tekapo was great. Seeing the lake, the church and the power station were also highlights.

Corporate Cabs did an excellent job of picking us up from the hotel and taking us to the airport. Once we were finished picking up the car, we went to the International Antartic Center. This was a very interesting place where we learned much more about Antartica than we knew before going.

It took a while to pick up all of the passengers from a few pickup points but once we all got on the bus things got interesting. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the making of the LOTR movies and knew several individuals that were extras on set. She shared lots of stories making the 2 hour drive to Mount Sunday go by quickly. Is it a little nerdy to get excited about climbing a large hill (Mount Sunday) where nothing now exists but had an important part in the movies? Maybe. But it was fun nevertheless. It was also quite strenuous so be prepared. It was also very windy - which is very common. The views both getting to and on top of Mount Sunday were also very nice. The tour included a nice packed lunch. Some of us ate on the bus while others managed to eat in the wind. Lunch included some wine, fruit juice or a combination of the two. Our tour guide had even more stories for the ride back. We were quite tired by the time we returned to our hotel.

The Art Deco Vintage Car Tour in Napier was a delightful surprise. We toured in a 1930s car and learned a lot about the city's Art Deco history, including its recovery from a massive earthquake. It was surprisingly engaging and exceeded our expectations.

The Queenstown Wine Sampler tour itself was fun once it got started, but finding the meeting location was a nightmare. Instructions were unclear, and GPS misled us. It needs to specify cross streets and better signage for Altitude's Wine Tasting Tour. The tour itself made up for the initial stress.

The Sunrise Tour at Mohua Park was a bit disappointing due to timing. The guide was great, but the timing resulted in not being able to see the penguins as they were molting. It was still beautiful, but not seeing the wildlife as expected was a letdown.

The Glowworm Kayak Tour was a fun adventure. We loved kayaking at night, and the weather was perfect. The tour provided coats, pants, and shoes, but it wasn't clear beforehand, so we brought unnecessary stuff. Better communication on equipment would improve the experience.

The Wellington Lord of the Rings Tour was incredible. Our guide did a great job, showing us not only Lord of the Rings locations but also giving us a fascinating tour of the city. He showed us unique spots, like a weaving mill, which was very interesting. We loved the personalized experience.

The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour was absolutely amazing. It was the perfect day, and the gardens were phenomenal. Loved seeing the Shire and all the Hobbiton charm. It was a standout for sure!

Amazing location on Copacabana beach, very comfortable beds, large room, good breakfast (but very crowded/busy), incredible rooftop pool with very attentive bar service and beautiful views

I recognize this is probably the best option on an island like Isla Grande, but for the price it wasn't quite up to the normal standards - our room was too small for us to fit our suitcases (and we couldn't open them) and there were ants in the bathroom. The view from the rooms is amazing, but we couldn't enjoy the balcony as much as we would have liked because the hotel allows smoking on the balconies and the person in the room next to us smoked constantly, ruining the experience for us. The hotel is also a long walk from the pier and the main part of town which was tough with our daughter especially since it rained on us the first day. Overall it was okay, and maybe the best option available, but it was our least favorite hotel that we stayed in.

Absolutely loved this place! A ton of historic character, amazing location in the old part of Paraty, very nice swimming pool and bar, the rooms were large and comfortable, and the staff were so nice.

Very comfortable, good breakfast.

Marcelo was a wonderful guide again on this day. We loved visiting Sugarloaf. We ended up skipping the old town part of the tour because I wasn't feeling well, but we were grateful to have a private tour so we could be flexible on our plans and adapt as needed. Marcelo helped make sure everything ran smoothly and took care of everything, and recommended a great restaurant for lunch that everybody loved.

We had an amazing time with Marcelo. He was so nice and informative. We loved seeing Christ the Redeemer and many beautiful beaches in Rio. Marcelo showed us a great place to try acai and watch people hang gliding off the mountains. We loved having him as our private guide so we could be flexible and stop where we wanted. Definitely recommend Marcelo to any travelers visiting Rio!

The people running the class were so nice and made my daughter feel included. All the food and drinks were delicious and we loved the explanation of the ingredients and Brazilian culture/history. There were just a couple of issues. The class started extremely late because one of the other parties in the group was running late, and also because no one had informed the instructors that I was vegetarian, so one of them had to go to the store to buy more ingredients. Even if the class had started on time it still would have been late at night for my daughter, but with the delay, I had to take her back to the hotel before we even got a chance to eat the main dish. It was disappointing that the disorganization affected our enjoyment of the class. I wish we had been able to book something earlier in the day.

We loved the island, the boat ride, the nature - but wished a private tour had been available. There was a lot of waiting around for the group, and we were at the swimming/snorkeling areas at the same times as all the other groups, so it was very crowded. Also there was no kids snorkeling equipment available so my daughter was very disappointed by that. We also received a couple of mixed messages about the meeting time, and no one told us in advance that we would have to pay extra for snorkeling equipment, so communication could have been better. None of the guides spoke English and we relied on other people on the boat to translate for us because we had no idea what was going on.

We really enjoyed the waterfalls and distillery tour. The restaurant where they took us for lunch wasn't very good, but it was okay. We wish we had booked a private tour because being part of a group made the experience less enjoyable - there was a lot of standing around waiting for other people in the group, and the guide had to repeat all the information in multiple languages.

We had a great time walking around and exploring with our guide.

We were tired after our overnight flight, but we enjoyed the tour and our guide was very nice.

Great hotel. Breakfast offered many different options.

Room was nice . Breakfast was ok but nothing unique. We would satay here again

The La Sagrada tour was very good. Guide was very knowledgeable. It is a 5 for the La Sagrada and less for the Park Guell. We did the park at night and it was very cold so we couldn't enjoy it as much

This was one of the best tours we took. Excellent guide who was very knowledgeable not only of the tapas but also the history of the area. Highly recommend

Excellent tour. Primarily due to the tour guide (Maria). She was very knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and made this very enjoyable

Excellent show

Tour was ok, but we went in the spring so there wasn't much to see in the vineyard. Vines were pruned so no activity. This tour would be better later in the year when the grapes were picked and wine being made. The wine tasting and the Tapas were delicious

By far our best activity. We had never experienced anything like the ice caves. And the quality of the tour with Siggi was so special. Would highly recommend adding this to your trip!

Our experience at this hotel was one of the most pleasant on the trip. It was very private, very peaceful, very magical. Our meals here were some of the best we had on the trip, having a private on sun was incredible and suited our comfort level with public nudity haha. We felt very taken care of here and wished more places were like this!

Comfortable hotel but it does show its age a bit. The staff was wonderful and the facilities were easy to navigate. Ski in/ski out was awesome though! The rental shop is smaller than big resort shops so be patient. I unfortunately had to wear ski boots that were half a size too big

Beautiful, clean modern, it was a sophisticated way to spend our first nights in Japan. Conveniently located, made it easy to walk from there or take public transportation.

It was a fun experience to learn how the broth and Ramen are made, but in retrospect I think what I was really hoping to make was more of an udon noodle. We appreciate it, however that the techniques we are in there are very easily reproducible at home, especially because we already have a noodle adapter for our KitchenAid.

How can you not have fun learning how to wheel a sword?! Playful, short and sweet, though I wish we had time to spar or something.

We had so much fun, getting dressed up in traditional garments and learning about the tea ceremony. Everyone got an opportunity to take pictures in the Japanese garden in our fineries, and it was very pleasant.

We had a lot of delicious food, but most importantly it was a really nice primer for the area

Our tour guide on this trip was incredible. She was super informative, was great about giving us lots of background information, and kept us moving so that we didn’t miss out on anything.

Great location! Right across from a grocery store. Go to Skool Beans!! You won’t be disappointed

Loved the bartender Melina from Poland!! She was so nice and we had a great chat!! I wish her the best of luck getting her farm with chickens to make her Polish cake. I hope she sees this (from Natalie!!)

Wonderful place in the city. Close to everything. Staff was excellent!

Great hotel and lived the jacuzzi. We missed our second morning of breakfast so we were bummed as I knew we paid. We were promised a bagged breakfast with sandwich, fruit, pastry and juice. Just make sure you check your bag. All we got was a sandwich and juice. But the hotel is beautiful!!

Truck got stuck multiple times. They didn’t let us stay long in the cave. Wish it would have been cancelled and refunded for the time and experience

Great experience. I was nervous to go but it was well worth it and not as hard as I thought. Garreth was an amazing guide!!

Imagine traveling back in time to the golden age of the Mughal emperors… that’s the impression that Juan experiences when they arrive at the Oberoi Rajvilas… elegant facilities, beautiful gardens, fantastic team… Amazing overall experience

We arrived late in the afternoon to an incredible view of the Taj Mahal from our lovely room with a balcony…Oberoi hotels are always excellent, and this one it was no exception… Very friendly, helpful team, great food, beautiful grounds, and facilities… Super location within minutes of the Taj Mahal…

Quiet, tastefully, decorated, everything we needed in our beautiful suite… Lovely staff, who are always attentive and available to help… Great location… Beautiful view of New Delhi… The restaurants are excellent, as well… A wonderful stay… We would highly recommend anyone coming to Delhi to stay at this beautiful hotel

We spent the evening at a local temple and observed special worship service

We really experienced where the local people of Agra eat…small street food and back street sources….amazing

We met our guide before sunrise and headed toward see the Taj Mahal as the sun came up…quiet and beautiful

We traveled through the city of Agra to a spot on the river with a view of the Taj Mahal at Sunset… Although there are many people around, the site is unbelievably beautiful… we also toured the very first marble mausoleum ever built!

Mr. Dharmender took us on an incredible food tour of old deli… several little shops on side streets… we tried everything from sweets to savory foods and delicious beverages… it was a lot of fun and Mr. D is very knowledgeable

Mr. Dharmender took us on the amazing walk through the monumental district of New Delhi and the historical old Dehli… we went to an historic mosque, explored the back alleys, rode in a bicycle rickshaw, and visited a Sikh temple…

Wow wow wow! Great stay at the Taronga zoo! Highly recommend. We had 3 Koalas outside out room windows.