Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a great time working with Lucy and her team. Lucy listened to what works for our family and took that into account when she was planning our trip. Our trip was multi-generational and had a lot of activities and a lot of moving around. Everything was well organized. All we had to do was show up! Lucy booked a lot of really special meals and activities for our family. We were all looking forward to the safari, but our trip was so much more than that. We had a great time and are still talking about our trip!

We had such a fantastic time from start to finish! We had never used a service before but when our travel dates changed and we had to start from scratch because there were no vacancies to be had for a party of nine, kimkim and Holden came in clutch. In only 24 hours he had an even better plan than our initial one!!! We laugh about how grateful we are that our first plans fell apart.

The biggest bonus to using kimkim and that Holden addressed thoughtfully and thoroughly was logistics. We had an idea of all the things we wanted to do but were overwhelmed with trying to figure out the best areas in which to stay, how long to plan to get where, how many daily activities to schedule and how to do it efficiently. In the end, the pace was perfect and we loved every single excursion provided through Serendipity Adventures-Mariano, Alex, Julio, Ricardo, Antonio, Jeffery and Jarrell were kind and capable guides. We even made a last minute change because we wanted to watch the USA vs. Costa Rica game with some locals. Kimkim (Wilman) was happily accommodating.

Turns out that both the places we stayed-which were not on our radar-were perfect for us. Arenal Monoa & Hot Springs Resort was a treat given the amount of rain we had while visiting. The staff was courteous and hard-working; we hardly wanted to leave to see the town just minutes away. The daily view of what we started to call "our" volcano was breathtaking in all its versions. At Margaritaville in Playa Flamingo, the all-inclusive feature and reasonable size of the facility made things relaxing with teenagers. They could roam independently and meet their own needs when they were tired of being forced into games of corn hole and pool volleyball. The beach was the visual highlight and provided plenty of
boogie boarding fun!

So much more that could be said but all my accolades probably have people thinking this is a fake review. It's not. To keep it real, the roads and navigating are atrocious. If you or anyone in your party has trouble with car sickness be forewarned. Worth it in the end though! Pura vida! We loved Costa Rica.

Thank you kimkim team and Holden for knowing what would make for wonderful memories:)

Hotel Reviews

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo

Guanacaste

We loved that Margaritaville wasn't a mega resort where you have to wait for elevators to arrive and we could physically check on our teenagers with ease. The staff, especially upon check-in and check-out, were efficient, helpful and welcoming. The placement on the beach makes for a beautiful setting.

Authenticity & Character

It certainly has a theme but it is not over the top.

Location

We loved that it was a relatively short distance from the airport and so scenic once you arrive.

Staff

The staff at the pool bar quickly became friendly faces we enjoyed seeing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms themselves were quite nice and housekeeping kept it spotless.

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The resort and grounds were lovely and the staff was hard-working and courteous. The view of the volcano and abundance of wildlife right on the property was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

The view while dining from the main restaurant is fabulous!

Location

The 3 hour drive from the airport is a bit of a grind but once you are there, it's lovely. I wish that excursions could be a more convenient distance away. The majority of ours were close to 2 hours away.

Staff

Everyone was kind, welcoming, and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The grounds were well cared for and the rooms were serviced with attention.

Activity Reviews

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

Private Sunset Cruise

Costa Rica

WOW, just wow! We had the most amazing sunset cruise and snorkel. This experience exceeded our expectations. Jeffrey and Jarrell were top notch. Their love of sailing was evident and put us at ease to enjoy the experience. Jeffrey shared his sailing knowledge willingly and informatively while Jarrell was our snorkeling and sea life expert. They were a great duo. We were so impressed with their attentiveness and genuine interest in our having an enjoyable and relaxing time. My son started to get a little seasick and Jarrell somehow realized and brought him something helpful to drink. The meal we had was fresh and simply delicious. Their margarita was exceptional! I told them both that they made their mothers proud!

Quality of Experience

The experience was the epitome of PURA VIDA!

Food

Simple, fresh and authentic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Genuine and attentive young men that made the outing very memorable.

Transport

What could be better than a 50 foot sailboat all to ourselves?

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui River (Class III-IV)

Costa Rica

We had a blast and felt secure the entire time being that we were a small tour of just two boats and a safety kayaker all for us! The guys were super fun and easy to be around. Do it!

Quality of Experience

Serendipity was fantastic. We loved the guys including the cook who made us a delicious meal! Our teens were so happy!!!

Food

That was a little feast after our time on the river. Who knew you could make that happen with a hot plate and a cooler?!?! Our kids devoured the chicken tacos, guacamole, and pineapple! Jeffery was hard-working and kind. We really appreciated him.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was our driver and his ability to spot wildlife on the drive was mindblowing! He is FULL of information while being humorous. We appreciated that he took a stop for us to use a nicer bathroom and get a snack on the way there.

Transport

Alex was prompt and detail-oriented. He was looking out for our best interest from start to finish.

Private Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano National Park Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mariano was a blast! We learned so may fun facts from him. His sense of humor eased the long ride there and back. The park was full of surprises including white-faced monkeys, an eyelash viper, and various other creatures. The falls were so pretty and the fact that a member of our party is named Celeste made it more special.

Quality of Experience

Food

We liked that it was a typical kind of Costa Rican lunch. We seemed to hit the buffet late so there were limited options.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano was a delight!

Transport

Dios mio! We had all kinds of issues with roads but our driver hung in there with a good attitude.

Mieke did a wonderful job in accommodating our wishes and planning our trip to The Netherlands/Belgium since our family ranged in ages from 18 to 82. We had a great variety of private tours including the food tour with Bo which was fabulous in Amsterdam, a private walking tour in Ghent with Christine and despite the rain a great walking tour in Bruges with Roland! They all were so knowledgeable about their respective cities and shared their love of their country with us. They made is so easy to get around from place to place with the public transportation and private transfers as we needed. Their food recommendations and optional activities were very well thought out and provided us with extra excursions where we needed to fill in last minute. Part of our trip included visiting family from The Netherlands and the assistance in planning this part of our trip timeline was extremely helpful as well! The day-to-day instructions/timeline was great for planning each day and made the entire trip easy and fun!

We appreciate your assistance and highly recommend your services! Thank you for helping us make our holiday a memorable and positive experience!

Hotel Review

Boutique Hotel Beekhuizen, Velp

Velp

This hotel was a bit of heaven in the forest! The room was beautiful and spacious for a European hotel. We loved the outdoor patio to view nature. The breakfast was outstanding and the hospitality was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

The large windows in the room provided a beautiful view of the grounds of the hotel.

Location

This hotel is away from the hustle and bustle and there are many paths in nature to enjoy the beauty of the area.

Staff

The staff was very welcoming upon arrival and served a fabulous breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable and rooms were spacious.

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Grand Dutch food & history tour in small group

The Netherlands

Bo was extremely knowledgeable about the food and the city of Amsterdam and shared a lot of history with us. There was plenty of food/drinks offered on the tour and we were completely satisfied.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

This public transport pass made getting around Haarlem, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Gouda super efficient and easy.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Easy to scan on/scan off and follow instructions on map to get exactly where we need to be.

We had the most amazing trip to Costa Rica. It was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. Many of our excursions were booked through Serendipty Adventures and they were fantastic.
Full day hike with Mariano was so fun. Beautiful sights amd lots of animals along the way. Monkeys, Sloth, Snakes... and eating termites!
The white water rafting was my favorite. It was quite a ride. The trip was about 1.5 hours of rapids and some down time too. We got out twice and swam a little and jumped into the river. It was great.
The amenitites at Hotel Arenal were lovely and the rooms were nice too. I loved coming back to the hotel and relaxing in one of the many hot spring pools. The food and drink were great too.
The 2nd half of the trip was relaxing at Flamingo Beach. The Margaritaville Hotel was the perfect setting. We enjoyed the pool and beach equally. The ocean had great waves for boogie boards and the pool was perfect for lots of volleyball and relaxation. We had a great meal at all of the restaurants too.
We had a private sunset crusie through Serendipity Adventures and Gerald and Alex took great care of us on our 50 ft sailboat.
This really was an unforgettable trip and were so happy we went the Kim Kim route! Thanks again for the adventure!

Amandine did a fantastic job planning our honeymoon trip including stays in Paris, Lake Como, and Rome. We were able to visit every landmark/tourist spot on our wishlist and had enough time each day to explore on our own. The restaurant recommendations were great as well as travel tips for how to get to each meeting spot for tours. We had a very smooth trip and all our travel transfers were clearly laid out for us.
Our only issue we had was finding space on the train for our large suitcases as we weren’t traveling first class. We aren’t as familiar with train travel being from the US so this may not be an issue for others :) overall we had an amazing trip and thoroughly enjoyed our time in Europe!

Elena was a wonderful help, always attentive and able to answer our questions. She was very knowledgable, as well as punctual. Elena was great with setting everything up, getting us in touch with our tour guides and making sure that everything was going smoothly. We would definitely recommend this service to others and cannot wait to be back to plan our next trip.

Italian Summer

Loved our trip to Italy. We are a family of five (2 adults, 3 kids) and we had a wonderful time! Shout out to Giorgia and her team for their patience and stellar organizing skills. Travel app was amazing and so easy to use! Loves our guides - Martina, Luigi and Francesca!

Activity Reviews

Private Visit to Pompeii with Wine Tasting & Light Lunch

Italy

Pompeii is amazing and I highly recommend it if you have the time. Our wine tasting and light lunch afterwards was also delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was at Cantina Del Vesuvio, which has been owned by the Russo family since 1930. Absolutely authentic and delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Family Experience: Colosseum Tour for Kids

Rome

Loved this tour and our tour guide, Francesa, was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Italy

This visit is highly recommended, but please note that it is a long walking tour! If you go in the summer, none of the buildings (except the Sistine Chapel) have air conditioning. But still very enjoyable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge’s Palace

Venice

This tour was so informative! Kids and adults enjoyed it immensely!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

A must do if you are in Venice! We took a gondola ride in the evening and it was beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

At some point several months ago, I searched the Internet for help planning a Spain vacation. This was to be an important event as I had planned to propose to my girlfriend in one of the most romantic places I had come across years ago - the gardens behind the Alcazar in Seville, Spain. The important note here is that I didn’t have a lot of time to do my own planning … so the objective was just some lodging and logistics… What I ended up with was way more and way better than I could have imagined. I’m so incredibly grateful that one of the links that came up was kimkim, and that I reached out to them just to see what was possible Importantly, my first experience and conversation with kimkim built trust that they could help me because of the professionalism and credibility they conveyed. The plan was thoughtful. There were check ins to make sure they were on track, but the actual vacation, the hotels that they booked, the experts they aligned with us to show us around like the Prado museum in Madrid, or the expert that showed us around the Alhambra in Granada, was simply amazing…. We remarked to one another throughout our vacation, how great the experience was … we were able to see other groups in some of the same venues and that experience compared to ours seem dreadful - it’s so superior to have a personalized experience versus being part of a large group… kimkim set up with us a personalized experience and that made all the difference …the hotels were perfect for us as well as all transportation, resources, and transfers. We’re all set up and all things arranged and effortless for us. I cannot recommend them enough - if you want something special and personalized and memorable and comfortable, I recommend you take advantage of the resources and services from kimkim. Here’s something that blew us away. Unbeknownst to me, one of the experts kimkim set up, Cristina in Seville, set up a professional photographer to take pictures of my proposal in the garden. They led us to a perfect spot and without us knowing, took pictures when I popped the question. Oh and she did say yes! One important addition ….we had time to do our own thing intermixed with a lot of experiences that they organized. Overall, I would give them a score of 15 out of 10. We are very grateful to Coraima and Summer from kimkim. And we are very grateful to all the people that helped us in this vacation, the drivers, the experts, all of the hotels’ staff, the restaurants, the events… It was all perfect. Perfect.

Hotel Reviews

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

This is right across the street from the cathedral, perfectly located for everything, the staff was amazing, the buffet was amazing. I’m still pinching myself that every hotel that Kim Kim booked was perfect.

Authenticity & Character

There’s literally ruins underneath this hotel that you can see

Location

I would not stay anywhere else

Staff

I don’t know how to put it in the other way, but when the staff learned that we were newly engaged, they made it their mission to make us feel special.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gravina 51

Sevilla

This was also a perfect hotel, the breakfast buffet was amazing. The staff was incredible, our room was amazing, we were so happy with this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Super comfortable, luxurious.

Location

We could walk everywhere,

Staff

One of the night staff, David, was especially helpful to us. I don’t remember the name of the person who helped us when we checked in, but she recommended a restaurant that turned out to be amazing in Seville Spain.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room Mate Alba

Madrid

Can these people be anymore kind helpful, friendly? We don’t think so. The breakfast buffet was delicious, the room was perfect. The location was perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Right in the middle of the writers district, this place had so much charm.

Location

Close to everything important, you can walk to everything, the palace, the museums the park the Playa Mayor, the shopping.

Staff

I would give the staff seven stars. If I was given that option, they were terrific.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private La Alpujarra Villages Day Trip

Granada

The Private La Alpujarra Villages Day Trip was a unique experience. While our guide encountered a language barrier, we managed well with translations, and he was pleasant to interact with. This wasn't a big detriment to the experience though, since it seemed to fit the relaxed atmosphere of the villages and we still had a good time soaking in the local charm.

Private Visit to Seville’s Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Cristina was amazing. Took us to both the Alcazar and Cathedral. Super intelligent. Knew so much about the history of both. But what stood out was her kindness …. she went to the trouble of getting a photographer for us to photograph my proposal. She went above and beyond and we couldn’t be more appreciative of and touched by her help in making our day special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cristina was perfect and so very kind.

Transport

Private Day Trip to Ávila & Segovia

Madrid

We were picked up by Martin, who knew a lot about the area and of our two destinations, Avila and Segovia! Martin was awesome! We toured both cities and spent time in the Segovia Cathedral and Castle. I was blown away by the Aquaduct in Segovia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ask for Martin!

Transport

Self-Guided Retiro Park Walk

Madrid

Quality of Experience

It was a hot day, so after we walked the park, we went to La Castela, the greatest bar in all of Madrid.

Private Prado Museum Visit with an Art Historian

Madrid

Eva was our guide and she called the Prado her second home and that was an understatement! We received an insider’s view on all the great pieces. Fabulous tour and experience!!! You can’t take pictures inside the Prado, but I have included some snaps of the must sees.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk & Royal Palace Experience

Madrid

Eva was our amazing guide! Knew so much!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eva knows her stuff!!!!

Transport

From the transportation to the accommodations, every part of the trip was wonderful! I would recommend Kim Kim to anyone planning an overseas vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lapland Hotels Tampere

Tampere

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquarius Resort

Lappajärvi

I would recommend room darkening shades. We just happened to stay during the mid-summer holiday. It was a little difficult to sleep with the bright sky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Original Sokos Hotel Arina

Oulu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

The train was clean and the staff very helpful. I had a little trouble sleeping on the train due to the motion, but a fun experience.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Trip from Nauvo

Turku

A definite high light of the trip!! Sami was great!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turku City Walking Tour

Turku

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sauna Tour

Tampere

Nothing better than a Finnish sauna and a dip in the lake!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Industrial Past of Tampere

Tampere

Our guides really went out of their way to help us!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oulu Walking Tour

Oulu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnish Legends and Stories Around the Fire

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korouoma Canyon Wilderness Hike

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unfortunately, we did have some car trouble on the way home. Our guide did his best to remedy the situation.

Arctic Nightless Night Boat Trip

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

The salmon was amazing!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki and Suomenlinna Private Tour

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed our trip to Kenya and Tanzania.. the accommodation in all the places were very good and comfortable Except in Serengeti National park “ Heritage luxury tented camp “ . The word luxury should be taken out under the name ; this place is like a dump and under managed .. Tthere was no water flowing in the sink to brush our teeth or in the shower. When turn the faucet on in the sink, the faucet handle comes out .. there was no water/ hot water to take shower and the toilet do not flush .
the tent we stayed “ Thomason” should be sold a one person tent.. it is very small and dark , if 2 people are staying in that room , if sleeping at side closer to the wall to get out of the bed , you have to climb over the person sleeping or squeeze out from very space left between bed and wall ( I have bruised by doing that ) ..
we were part of group.. all the group members room lot more spacious then ours ( most of the room had a double bed and 2 single beds) ; I feel if all us paying the same price then all the rooms should be similar.. I feel we are entitled for some refund for not having decent quality room ( no running water; no flush able toilet, small and dark room & small space) .. this is unexpectable .. This place needs overall attention/ renovation and better management..

Hotel Reviews

Sarova Lion Hill Hotel

Nairobi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Camp

Maji Moto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ashnil Mara Camp

Maasai Mara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hi

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Speke Bay Lodge

Bariadi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Embalakai Authentic Ngorongoro Camp

Karatu

Authenticity & Character

Location

U u

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No hot water to shower or brush your teeth and wash your face

Tumbili Lodge

Olasiti, Arusha

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fair Acres Boutique Hotel

Karen, Nairobi. P. O Box 1121 – 00208 Nairobi.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kibo Safari Camp

Amboseli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp

This place is very very bad .. there was no water flowing to brush our teeth or to take shower, the toilet do not flush properly.. when we turn the faucet on, the faucet handle came off .. The wooden steps ( especially the bottom one) to main restaurant is not stable the tent we stayed is Thomason , which should be a one person tent with single bed .. the double bed was close to one side of the wall , getting in and out bed was since you have to climb over the person your sleeping with .. the tent is dark ( lights was covered with red shades) .. very disappointed with the quality of this place.. only good part is the animals roaming around near the camp and once we heard lion’s roaring near by .. This place requires overall attention/ renovation and good management..,

Authenticity & Character

Everything

Location

Overall major changes/ improvements is required

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything

Activity Reviews

Lake Nakuru National Park Game Drive

Nakuru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maji Moto Maasai "Olpul" Bush Camp

Maji Moto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maasai Mara Game Drives

Masai Mara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Serengeti National Park Game Drives..

Tanzania

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Serengeti National Park

Tanzania

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ngorongoro Crater Tour

Ngorongoro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ngorongoro Crater plus Crater Rim Walk

Ngorongoro

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giraffe Center

Kenya

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Kenya

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nairobi National Park

Kenya

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

While all the guides were friendly and knowledgeable, James of Zing Tours was far and away the best, especially when it came to interacting with our children.

Hotel Reviews

No 15 Great Pulteney

Bath

Location

The Peacock at Rowsley

Matlock

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilde Aparthotels, London Paddington

London

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Bath to London Heathrow Airport

England

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bath Private Tour

Bath

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chatsworth House

England

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Haddon Hall

England

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Peak District with a Private Driver Guide

Peak District

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peak District

England

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hampton Court Palace

London

Oxford University and City Walking Tour

England

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason

London

Westminster Abbey

London

London Eye Fast Track Tickets

London

I used Kim Kim travel to help me create my much anticipated family trip to Japan this summer. Because my husband and I were traveling with our children, ages 13 and 10, I wanted to be sure that everything went smoothly. After doing my own research online, I had a list of the places and activities that I wanted to visit and experience in the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto. It was easy to schedule the initial 15 minutes phone call to discuss my basic preferences for travel accommodations and the things that were most important to me. I wanted a smaller, more intimate experience with just my family instead of a larger group because I was traveling with young children and needed flexibility if we wanted to end one of our days short to return to our hotel. (Sometimes kids get tired). After relaying my wants on the initial call, I was connected with Ben via email. Ben was wonderful! Over the next few months, he and I emailed back and forth on the Kim Kim site about every minor detail of my trip. He was able to take my list and organize which activities were near each other so that our time was efficiently spent. We were able to visit every place that I requested, including a few random restaurants that my kids and I found online that we wanted to experience. He booked 2 fantastic hotels for us in Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as our train tickets to travel to and from both cities. He reserved the times and tickets for the majority of our activities. The best part of all were the 2 wonderful and knowledgeable local guides that accompanied my family around each city. Ms Yoko was our guide in Tokyo and she was amazing! She was an expert at navigating the Tokyo subway and train system. Every restaurant and store that I inquired about, she was able to write down directions for us on how to get there on our free day. Ms. Yoshida was our guide in Kyoto and she was also outstanding! Not only was she extremely knowledgeable about our activities there, she was also helpful in making suggestions to make our time as efficient as possible. Having our personal guides really put that special touch on our trip. With all that said, this travel service is a MUST! I HIGHLY recommend using Kim Kim for your trip to Japan. It is a great way to experience the country and the culture.

Hotel Reviews

PROSTYLE RYOKAN TOKYO ASAKUSA

Tokyo

Great location close to many attractions as well as the subway.

Authenticity & Character

The food at the restaurant was a good cultural experience

Location

Close to subway and many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

KAYA Kyoto Nijo Castle, BW Signature Collection by Best Western

Kyoto

The beds were comfortable and the shower was great. The breakfast was also very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Day Trip to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo (by private transfer)

Japan

Beautiful scenery. We enjoyed this a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr. Q was our private driver and he was great.

Transport

Experience the Magic of Kyoto with a guide : Monkey Park, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market (By public transport)

Kyoto

We enjoyed hiking up the mountain to see the monkeys. My daughter enjoyed feeding them. Great exercise experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya in Public Transportation

Kyoto

Both the kimono tea and Samurai experiences were fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tokyo's Rich Heritage : Tsukiji Outer Market,Imperial Palace,Sushi Making Class, Senso-ji Temple，Nakamise-dori by public transportation

Tokyo

We loved the sushi making experience with Chef Tuki and his assistant Ms. Yoki! We highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Great sushi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Fusion: Odaiba, TeamLab, Harajuku and Shibuya food tour（Day tour with public transport）

Tokyo

Team lab was my kids’ favorite activity! A very unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gustavo was very easy to work with from the beginning when we were trying to come up with ideas for our holiday to Greece. He was able to accommodate a variety of changes to our itinerary when we were first were organising and was easy to contact via the site. His suggestions for accommodation were amazing!! Leah was also easy to work with and able to assist whilst we were away and quick to respond.

Our favorite excursion was the day trip to Balos Lagoon and Falassarna Beach, which was suggested by Gustavo.

Thankyou!!

Hotel Reviews

Aqua Luxury Suites Santorini

Imerovigli

This is a lovely place to stay in Santorini. The staff here were very friendly. Breakfast was lovely and can be served in your room or in the restaurant which has an amazing view. We were in the cave suite which easily accommodated our family of two adults two kids. Just remember - sofa bed, is literally sheets on a sofa. Only disapointment is that with this room - you don't get a view from your room or a plunge pool - so just check which room when looking at the photos!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to Fira and of course, amazing views.

Staff

Very friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

City Lion

Heraklion Crete

This apartment was in a very convenient location in Heraklion. It was quiet, there was a small kitchenette to use. Was comfortably able to accommodate our two children (one on the sofa and the other on a trundle bed type arrangement). The main bedroom was upstairs with a balcony and small view. The staff were so lovely! You can also order take out from a nearby restaurant that delivers to the room. No meals included in the stay, but this isnt a problem as it is so close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Cute place to stay and lovely staff

Location

Location was amazing, can walk to all the restaurants and locations with ease.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Salvatore Monastery

Chania

The location and uniqueness of this accomodation is amazing! We loved staying here. The breakfast provided was incredible and the beauty on the deck, amazing! So close to walk to the many restaurants and harbor. Only negative was the air conditioning being quite loud. Good set up for our family.

Authenticity & Character

charming place to stay.

Location

So incredibly close to everything and a beautiful view.

Staff

Irene was very nice and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Caldera Catamaran Cruise

Santorini

This cruise was definately worth doing. All members of our family enjoyed. Lovely views, ability to swim and snorkel and great lunch provided. Guides also provide some local information of sites seen. Can be quite a long trip - travelling in July means that sunset isnt until 9pm - but you stay out on the water until you have seen the sunset which is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Island Villages & Akrotiri Day Trip

Santorini

We had a lovely guide Sakis, who was able to accommodate our requests for the itinerary - we had independently booked tickets to the cultural symposium in Megalochori which we were able to attend first as part of the time. We had been to Oia and Pyrgos the day previously so we adjusted the itinerary. He took us to see the windmills with our extra time. Worth going to Akrotiri also. Lunch was not included in this day trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Knossos Palace Experience

Greece

Our tour at Knossos Palace was great and was with a very knowledgeable guide. She was able to provide us with all the details of the palace. It was quite a quick trip to the palace and might have been good to have a little longer but because we had the pick up/drop off included time was limited. Having said that, having this arranged certainly made life easier as it looked a little crazy for those trying to arrange transport themselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Visit to Zeus Cave & Lasithi Plateau

Greece

This trip was a real let down and we would not recommend. We knew that Zeus cave was closed (undergoing repair) when we booked, but decided to go with this day trip to see more of Crete. I suspect the whole thing was a little dodgy - we didnt get a tour guide, we had a man who was very nice, but admitted he had never been to some of the places before and just followed the points in the itinerary. He was not able to tell us about anywhere we went. Definately dont need to go and see the village that was under the dam - it does NOT match the description provided..

Quality of Experience

This trip was not what was described

Food

Food was great and was included, taken to a restaurant from a long time local in a small village. This was probably the highlight of the tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we didnt get a guide. Rather someone that was driving us to the points provided to them on an itinerary, some of which they had never been to themselves previously.

Transport

Balos Lagoon & Falassarna Beach 4WD Day Trip with Lunch

Chania

Our family loved this day trip! our guide was Vasili, he was very knowledgeable, great with the kids, took us to great spots for photos and was very friendly. Lunch was amazing. Good to experience having your own deck chairs/umbrella already arranged as part of the tour. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karen was absolutely fantastic and a pleasure to work with. She created an itinerary that totally worked for our family and was very receptive to our input. She was on top of everything!

Jane and team set us up with a wonderful trip to England and Scotland. All our accommodations were top notch and excursions were wonderful!

We had a great trip. Can I review this on the trip chat so I can see the names of places?

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Reykjavík Saga

Reykjavík

Good location. New and very clean. Appreciated the AC because it was a hot day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon Hotel

Hofn

Wow! The hotel is brand new, and smells of delightful wood. Gorgeous architecture, and spectacular views! The restaurant was wonderful as well. We wished we could have had a second night there to enjoy the hot tubs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

the VIEWS!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Skálakot Manor Hotel

Hvolsvöllur

This place is really cool! What a special location, plus being on a horse farm was awsome. The staff were phenominal. Restaurant was amazing, rooms were authentic and views gorgeous! Beds a bit harder, per my husband. But still was a great place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Went above and beyond

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

The rooms were very nice, very clean. We liked the common areas, but it was a bit awkward sharing with strangers. The hot tub was unusable. The surfaces were covered in a slimy biofilm. We reported this to the staff (all of whom are very very young), and they drained and refilled the tub, but did not clean it. So we could not use it. The restaurant was ok.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hot tub was the issue

Hótel Húsafell

Húsafell, Borgarbyggð

We liked the secluded location, close to the waterfall. Lots of activities like hiking. Great restaurant!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apótek Hótel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Great location. Very kind staff. Rooms are lovely. And one of the best restaurants in the city!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

A very nice experience. Great guide (Magnus). Our only complaint was the group had some elderly people who needed a lot of assistance and slowed the process down significantly. Poor Magnus had to basically carry one woman out!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you, Clothilde, for planning our amazing trip to Switzerland! Everything went as planned without any interruptions. We began our trip by landing at the Zurich airport late at night, and our driver was easy to find at the pickup location. He quickly and safely got us to Interlaken. Our hotel was great...very clean, great location and very comfortable. We had our first full day with nothing scheduled, which was great since it left it up to us depending on how jet lagged we were. We ended up just fine and took a train and had a nice day exploring Lauterbrunnen and Murren on our own. The next day, we rented bikes and rode along Lake Brienz (beautiful blue/green water and under the shady trees), then we had the chocolate making lesson, which was fun and delicious! We ended up with so much chocolate, we left with a whole bag for us to enjoy on the rest of our trip. The following day was our paragliding session, which was one of the highlights of our trip. It was so beautiful and actually very serene up in the sky! Due to rain, our kayak excursion was cancelled, for which your company quickly refunded our money. The next day we took the train to Zermatt. Very easy and enjoyable, although I was a little nervous as to how difficult it would be with 3 train connections. Your recommendations and directions made it easy to navigate. It was a fun adventure to do it on our own. Our hotel in Zermatt was so beautiful and our room had a huge patio facing the Matterhorn. We loved it! Our first full day there, we had a half day private guide take us up into the mountains. He was very interesting and we had a great time with him. Our tour was scheduled to end back at our hotel, but he said that if we wanted to, he could stay with us up in the mountains for our full 4 hour allotment, and then gave us suggestions on other areas to hike before coming back into town. This worked perfect for us...he was very knowledgable and flexible with whatever we wanted to do. The next day was the Glacier Matterhorn Paradise, which was so cool. We got to walk on a glacier and see the skiers. What an amazing view! The next day, we had the same driver (that picked us up at the airport) take us to Geneva with a stop at Vinorama. That was an interesting winery tour, very unique and beautiful! We had a great charcuterie board and tasted 6 wines. Our only full day in Geneva was spent in Annecy, France, which was great! Not a very far drive to get there and such a cute town. We had a 2 hour walking tour, which we enjoyed. Our driver was flexible with us, as we felt we didn't need 5.5 hours there after the walking tour(as it was hot that day) and he agreed to pick us up earlier, after 3 hours (which was just the right amount of time for us). He was flexible with us as we requested he drop us off at another location instead of our hotel. The hotel in Geneva was amazing as well! Overall we had a great experience with KimKim and I wouldn't hesitate to book a vacation with them again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bristol

Geneva

Great location and felt very fancy in the room!

Authenticity & Character

It felt very high end with the room decor.

Location

Close to Lake Geneva and shopping/restaurants.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Christiania Mountain & Spa

Zermatt

Amazing view of the Matterhorn from our room! Very comfortable!

Authenticity & Character

Cute and clean hotel! Pretty flower boxes on patios!

Location

Walking distance to everything we needed, trains, shops, restaurants. The best view of the Matterhorn from our room!

Staff

Very helpful and efficient!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean room and comfy beds.

Hotel Jnterlaken

3800

Beautiful historic building in a great location!

Authenticity & Character

Historic yet modern amenities.

Location

Close to center of town, train station and river. Behind the hotel is a beautiful church and park.

Staff

Helped us arrange a taxi and gave recommendations on how to use train.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, and room had air conditioner, but I think it had a hard time keeping up with the high temperatures we experienced in June. I think it was an individual room a/c unit, not throughout the whole building.

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Annecy

Annecy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tastings and visit of Lavaux vineyards, UNESCO World Heritage

Switzerland

Quality of Experience

I'd say the tour could have been a little shorter since it was so hot out, but that's unpredictable!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Riffelsee and Riffelberg tour!

Zermatt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide!

Transport

A paraglide session!

Switzerland

Very smooth and efficient company! They have this down to an exact science! It was so fun and not scary. We had amazing views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate workshop in Interlaken!

Switzerland

Soooo yummy!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kim Kim put together an AWESOME experience for us! We traveled to Kenya in April for 10 days as a family of four, with two girls (ages 11 and 13). Our itinerary was as follows: Nairobi (2 nights), Ol Pejeta Conservancy (2 nights), Nakuru (2 nights), Maji Moto (1 night), and then Masai Mara (2 nights). I was a little worried it would seem like a "bag drag" with all the separate locations, but it didn't! Everything was executed well and went smoothly with just enough downtime. While planning the trip, we were also concerned about traveling during the rainy season; however, we were reassured by local experts that it would not impact our experience. It did affect us, but only in a positive way. The afternoon showers often occurred after lunch and during our siesta, and our evening drives were filled with animals emerging to enjoy the cooler weather after the passing storms. Not to mention, the crowds were minimal. We saw the Big Five on day three and continued to see everything we had dreamed of.
Our two favorite things:
1. Our driver, Andrew, was the best! He made us feel comfortable, safe, and communicated well; he could also drive that Land Cruiser! We were all sad to say our goodbyes and feel like we made a friend.
2. Maji Moto was an incredible experience for all of us, but especially the girls. We felt honored to be a part of the Masai for two days, and camping in the bush under the stars, eating goat, and listening to them sing was something we will never forget! I am very grateful to all the members of this camp for their time and for teaching us not only about their culture but also for letting us experience it for a short period. What wonderful people! If you do go, pack some extra school supplies and clothing for the kids. We brought a little but not enough, and wish we had brought a whole suitcase!

Hotel Reviews

Olive Bush Camp

We loved our awesome family tent and enjoyed hearing the hippos while we fell asleep. The food was incredible, and the staff were terrific. I highly recommend Olive Bush Camp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Camp

Maji Moto

If you're looking for a full cultural experience and are up for a bit of adventure, you must give this place a try. I wrote more about this place in my trip review. Please take a look there. It was the highlight of our trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake Nakuru Lodge

Nakuru

We had a fantastic view and loved the pool after our day drives.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms need some updating, but we would still stay again!

Sweetwaters Serena Camp

Nanyuki

Loved this place! Tents were very well appointed, food and service were fantastic and we loved watching the animals at the watering hole.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fair Acres Boutique Hotel

Karen, Nairobi. P. O Box 1121 – 00208 Nairobi.

Wonderful Rooms. The only complaint was that we had to move rooms the second night, and wish we could have just been assigned one room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Maasai Mara Game Drives

Masai Mara

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara

Maji Moto Maasai "Olpul" Bush Camp

Maji Moto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Nakuru Full Day Game Drives

Nakuru

Lake Nakuru National Park Game Drive

Nakuru

Night Game Drive

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Very cool experience! Definitely worth giving it a try.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Behind Scenes Chimpanzees

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Conservancy Game Drives

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Quality of Experience

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Giraffe Center

Kenya

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Kenya

Worth the quick visit. Very educational and enjoyable, with great interaction with the elephants.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nairobi National Park

Kenya

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall we had a good experience, but there were highs and extreme lows (good excursions and they tried and customer service, but logistics and transportation was a nightmare). I go with travel agents when there is a logistically challenging trip I need assistance on to ensure low stress and efficient trips. I can honestly say this was the MOST STRESSFUL trip experience I have ever taken, and we have traveled with 3 generations of family in and out of the USA before.

The Bad:
-We had several logistical issues small, medium, and large. I was very clear that we had an 80 year old with double knee replacements and I am limited to about 10,000 steps max. My steps were mostly spent chasing cabs down in our recurring transportation issues. The travel agent was made aware of this, did not ask the appropriate questions and thus did NOT accommodate properly for this. We had so much stress and wasted time fixing everything.
-Our stadium tour was not booked on the day planned and had to be updated days before the trip.
-Our cooking class was great, but was changed the night before to a town not close to where we were staying. we had a mad scramble to and hours spent figure this out for the next morning. Kim Kim luckily set up a transfer but the address was wrong on the building so we had to walk to each building buzzing the owners until we found them.
-Both of our hotels were in nice historical areas but we could not get a van taxi for 5 people to drop or pick us up at the locations. We had to walk/run to various different places and had several Uber cancelations.
-Several locations we could not get picked up. Two time we had walk to a gas station for a taxi since there were none around and Uber would not pick us up (AS Roma Stadium and Ostia Antica).
-Our Bari rickshaw trip (good once figured out) got scheduled for a walking tour so yet another scramble and wasted time changing that up.
-Our speed boat tour of the caves near Bari was the absolutely wrong location link, yet another mad dash but at this point I had no confidence in our travel logistics and showed up two hours early at the supposed meeting location.
-We needed to get a train from Bari to Rome since we flew out of Rome the morning after so we asked Kim Kim to set up one to make sure we did not miss the train. The driver was told by someone to go to the airport, so once we noticed we were going to the wrong place we got to the train station running with our luggage and my 80yr old mother with two knee replacement to get on the train as the doors closed.
-There were other discrepancies in the itinerary in addition to the location and scheduling conflicts, like one area said breakfast was included and another did not.
-A medium issues was the in the hotel rooms: we had a window that would not close in 100F degree heat that was not fixed, a sink the leaked, a shower drain that would not drain, got put in separate buildings. We would have chose a less historic area if we knew about all of these issues.
-Steps up to the bathroom on 2 of the 3 rooms we stayed, which may mother tripped on at least once...I can't believe no one even asked about steps, safety bars, or anything having to do with all the mobility concerns we told them about...I could not imagine if someone used a walker or wheelchair!
-I HIGHLY recommend setting up more set transportation ahead of time on the itinerary so a lot of the issues would be prevented.

The Good:
-Our travel agent was pleasant to work with and had good excursion recommendations.
-The excursions were good to excellent.
-The travel agency made a good effort to resolve the issues.

Activity Reviews

Polignano a Mare: Speedboat Cruise to Caves with Aperitif

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bari by boat

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at a Local's Home

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Alberobello, Monopoli and Locorotondo from Bari

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the "Sassi" of Matera and all the traditiones

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Bari and the old city with street food tasting - By Rickshaw

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Highlights Tour: Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este Half-Day Tour from Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Golf Cart Tour of Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ostia Antica Tour | Half Day Trip

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Rome

Rome

Carlos was amazing driver to Sentra. Busy palace and town but we escaped to the beach for lunch.

Ricardo was great. I wish he would have had water in the van. We were for many hours to Porto and Douro with no water. Other than that he made great suggestions and was a great guy during our time. So helpful.

Knowing in advance we had a kitchen would have been great info to share. We had no hot water on night 1 in Porto until 11:30 pm.

The Pine Cliffs resort was so BIG and our room clear at front gate. Everything was a bit overwhelming. Maybe in future we would choose a smaller hotel. Was not aware we needed to make a reservation for dinner and wound up eating so late because all restaurants were booked. So many young children.

All in all we loved our expeditions and seeing this beautiful country. Thank you

Hotel Reviews

The Pine Cliffs Resort

Apartado, Albufeira

Hotel is gigantic and a bit overwhelming. Need reservations for dinner well in advance but need to know this. Lots of children! Young kids and babies. Very family friendly but as a family with older children we were looking for a bit more relaxing feel. Our room was very nice but way at front near exit. Would have predatory be closer to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

No hot water day 1 but was corrected late into the evening. The garden was fabulous and rooms very clean. We were on the top floor so lots of stairs. Be prepared

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Liberdade

Lisbon

No hot water day 1 but was corrected late into the evening. The garden was fabulous and rooms very clean. We were on the top floor so lots of stairs. Be prepared

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Sintra was beautiful. Must see but be prepared for long lines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos was so great. We had a great day

Transport

Flavors of Lisbon: A Gastronomic Tuk Tuk Adventure

Lisbon

Do not recommend. Not authentic and cobblestones made for uncomfortable ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport