Kimkim Trip Reviews

Andrea was so helpful every step of the way. He planned what was truly a dream vacation for us. He took the time to understand the type of trip we were looking for and gave us great tips along the way. When our train travel was disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances he responded quickly and helped us find an alternate way to our next stop, and since our travel delay resulted in us missing one of our planned activities he came up with alternatives for us. Nothing can replace a local’s knowledge and wisdom and I highly recommend trusting Andrea with your trip if you’re coming to Italy!

Our trip to Norway was spectacular! The country is beautiful and people are really friendly. Julia is super amazing and gave us exactly what we were looking for. We booked and paid in full before the pandemic and had to delay the trip for 2 years. KimKim kept their word and there were no additional fees. Truly amazing and a welcome change!

My wife, Paula, and I knew we wanted to go to Italy for our first big post-Covid trip but had no idea where to begin. A Google search led us to kimkim, which led us to Andrea. I can't imagine planning this trip any other way. Andrea was so helpful in taking the time to get to know us and figure out what we would enjoy. He had answers to all of our questions and put together an itinerary that we were really excited for. Every detail was taken care of - hotels, train tickets, tour vouchers, private transfers - all of which were delivered to us in a beautiful PDF document that became our bible. The only thing we had to do was take care of the plane tickets and show up.

Not only was everything planned for us, but we received some much needed help on our trip in real time. Ready to take the train from Cinque Terre to Venice, we arrived to the train station to a fire and all trains were delayed. With a tour of Venice waiting for us upon arrival, Andrea put together a plan B and C in no less than 15 minutes to get us where we needed to go. The trains started running again in due time but we would have been clueless if we needed to figure something out on our own.

We had the trip of a lifetime thanks to kimkim and Andrea. We will definitely come back to kimkim for our next trip.

From the very first conversation with our guide, Nikola, we were immediately drawn to kimkim. He went above and beyond to customize our trip to be exactly what we hoped for- a mix of excursions, leisure time, and unique experiences. He was quick to answer all of our questions and worked to keep our trip within our budget. The kimkim platform makes it very easy to leave feedback on the itinerary so we were able to let him know the pieces we loved and those we wanted changed. It was a very individualized trip and we felt like more than just customers. Nikola was genuinely excited to share the beauty of his country with us and his expertise as a local was invaluable.

Upon arriving in Croatia, Nikola greeted us with a welcome gift and a printed copy of our itinerary. He stayed with us until we were set up in our rental car and ready to go. Our itinerary included Plitvice Lakes, Split, Korcula, and Dubrovnik. Our trip plan was complete with suggested stops to make along the way, like Rastoke, a quaint village with gorgeous waterfalls running through it. Recommended activities, sights, and restaurants at every destination were also included. Nikola was available at any point via WhatsApp with any questions and requests we had, like making dinner reservations for our last night in Split after a day trip to Bosnia.

Based on our conversations, Nikola knew our love for wine and local cuisine so we were thrilled when he booked us a private wine tour in Korčula and a culinary experience with a local family in Dubrovnik! Both became highlights of our entire trip. Additionally, every hotel accommodation we experienced was perfect and provided us with delightful breakfast each morning! We cannot say enough good things about Nikola and the experience we had with kimkim because of him. We have recommended it to everyone we’ve spoken to since coming home. We will be using these services in the future!

Hotel Review

Villa Toni Design Apartments

Split

Where do we even begin? From the moment we arrived in Split, Tonci greeted us with such warm hospitality that immediately made us feel at home. Not only did he assist us with parking and luggage, but he spent ample time providing us with a detailed overview of suggested activities, restaurants, & sights to see. The staff here genuinely care about your time and go above and beyond to ensure you have the best experience possible. As others have mentioned, breakfast packed in the early morning for ease was an added bonus. We were able to contact the staff easily at any time during our stay for questions and further recommendations. Every recommendation he gave was superb! It is apparent that he has immense pride in his beautiful hometown and absolutely loves to share that joy with all who visit. At the end of our visit, Tonci escorted us to the catamaran to safely see us off to our next destination. Like I said, above and beyond service! We will be staying here again should we be given the opportunity to return to Split!

Tips for future travelers

Just beware of the narrow street if you're driving there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The host is seriously the absolute best and we were well-cared for during our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

This experience was a highlight of our trip. Learning about the family history, home, and culinary expertise was a delight. We loved harvesting fresh veggies from the garden and the meal we enjoyed was absolutely delicious. Ivo and his family are incredibly kind and welcoming and it was an honor to be welcomed into their home!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Game of Thrones Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Ivana was extremely knowledgeable about Game of Thrones and the city. We felt like we were hanging out with a friend as we explored the streets of Dubrovnik. Highly recommend her services!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing experience. Charlotte did a fantastic job of taking our wish list and making it come true. Everything was smooth from car rental and hotels to suggested detours and excursions. Thank you for making our dream vacation a reality. We will definitely turn to KimKim for our next vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

What a beautiful hotel! The grounds were amazing and the view of the volcano was perfect. The staff was incredibly kind and helpful. We loved our stay and will definitely suggest Case Luna Hotel & Spa to our friends!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The detail to the grounds. The plants were amazing and the morning birds were a sight (and sound) to experience.

Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa

Ballena

Paradise. The grounds, room, spa, restaurant, view and staff were amazing. And the Mix Massage was the best I've ever experienced. Thank you for turning our dream vacation into a reality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stand-Up Paddle Boarding on Lake Arenal

Costa Rica

Marcos was our favorite tour guide on our trip. His knowledge of the area was amazing and his passion for birds fun to hear about. I wasn't a bird lover at the start of this excursion, but listening to Marcos and seeing his passion for the birds made me realize beauty I have been missing. He even suggested some additional excursions to fill our trip AND on the return home stopped at the location to make sure we got signed up. He also took a few detours on our return trip to the hotel to point out restaurant and a few other locations we had inquired about.Thank you, Marcos!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning in the Arenal Area

Arenal/La Fortuna

I've never experienced anything like this and it was amazing. Fun, beautiful and exhilarating.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Uvita

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayak or Outrigger Tour in Playa Agujas

Costa Rica

Would have been 5 stars if the weather was better. It was a little too rainy and choppy for me and the water was dark from all the rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Arenal/La Fortuna

Most relaxing evening ever! And in a beautiful environment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Hike in the Forest

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide's knowledge was amazing. Loved listening to the sounds of the jungle and seeing some amazing animals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canopy Zip Lining Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a great time. We ended up being the only two people on the tour and enjoyed getting to know our guides and learning more about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I highly recommend booking a trip with Tiago! His love of Portugal (and its history) was apparent from the very beginning. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, whether we were in Lisbon, Cascais or Sintra. His logistical skills were next level, ensuring we had enough time to see/experience the things at the top of our list. Admittedly, this was a new way of traveling for our group and not only did he tailor the trip to our interests, but he also succeeded in meeting the needs of each of us individually. I am not one for completing reviews, but I (and my group) were so impressed and appreciative of Tiago’s time and expertise, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him again! Looking forward to our next adventure in Portugal already!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marina Atlântico

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Hotel Internacional

Porto

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Activity Reviews

Sample Cozido das Furnas (Furnas stew)

Furnas

São Miguel: Furnas Valley Tour

São Miguel Island

Central São Miguel Guided Tour: Lagoa Fogo, Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande & Gorreana

São Miguel Island

Western São Miguel Guided Tour

São Miguel Island

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

Azulejo Tile Workshop

Lisbon

We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Spain. Marina and Kim Kim arrangements made it most enjoyable.

Tapas tour was great. Our guide Lindsey was accommodating, engaging and lots of fun!

Geza (our walking tour guide in Madrid) was terrific! We were on this tour the day after Real Madrid won the European championship —so excitement was in the air. He explained many historical facts and interesting nuggets of information we would have never known about on our own.

We took a train to Toledo for a city tour and zip line experience. Manolo, our guide, was also exceptional! City and cathedral were beautiful! He seemed to know almost everyone in the streets of Toledo. We especially enjoyed the many insights he had about the overwhelming artistry of the cathedral.
Our olive oil tasting gave us the opportunity to meet Laura (one of the most hard working moms in Spain😊). She and her husband work the olive grove that’s been in her family for many, many years. They’ve transitioned to organic and how “hands on” the complex process is to make organic Extra virgin olive oil.
I could go on and on it those are a few highlights of our 5-6 day tour.

Thank you Marina for all your patience, many helpful suggestions and tips.

Hotel Review

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

We stayed at roommate Oscar Nice large clean room Great breakfast Friendly accommodating staff Someone at front desk was fluent in English

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Visit of Toledo

Spain

Quality of Experience

Most everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Previously mentioned

Transport

Prompt and pleasant

Isabelle put together a fantastic trip for us. It was a great mix of guided tours and museum visits on our own. The accomidations selected were nice and centrally located to each of the city centers of Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. While we are usually a Hilton family, it was nice to stay in two boutique properties and then one hilton property on our trip. Great variety.
Our guides Gregori and Sarah were amazing. Gregori expertly guided us around Versailles and Sarah showed us Brussels' city center and many hidden gems along the way. The day trip to Bruges and Ghent was a great experience when in Belgium.
We did experience an issue where our guide canceled on us for a day trip in Amsterdam. While we were disappointed, the guide woke up ill and tried everything to rearrange our trip with another guide, although unsucessful. Life happens. The guide refunded our money immediately and Isabelle worked hard to ensure that we were still all set for our airpirt transfer two days later with the same guide. Everything ran smooth thanks to great planning and immediate assistnace when needed.
This was my second trip planned with kimkim. I have used another, similar travel agency in the past for three trips as well, but kimkim surpasses everyone else with value and personalization. We will be back for our next adventure and our trip left us wanting to explore more of France.
Thank you Isabelle.

Sorry it's taken sooooooooo long to reply to this however ive only just found this email in my junk folder while looking up the old trip details... Hope it's still good with Randal and all you guys ?

Our guides were outstanding. Lucy in Prauge provided a detailed history of her country. We learned so much from her . Bernie in Salzburg was very informative as well and recommended many things to see and do as well as places to avoid. Our guide in Vienna was very excellent too. She spent extensive time with us and made sure we were comfortable with the transportation in the city. She was super smart on all of the history of Vienna. Our guide Alice in Budapest was very kind and took lots of time with us . All of them were so very good!!!

We had the best trip with the perfect mix of tours, activities and free time to explore with our teenage girls on their first trip to Europe. Our tour guide Sara in Venice, Giulia in Rome and Luiciano for the Capri tour were exceptional!
We LOVED the Limoncello day in Amalfi. The food tour and hotel roof top were definitely highlights in Naples, but if doing it over again we probably would skip Naples and stop in Florence instead.
Overall, great planning and we were so appreciative of Jessica being available quickly whenever we had questions.
Thank you for an amazing trip and a lifetime of memories!

Activity Review

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

Our favorite activity of the trip! So fun, interactive and amazing food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was nothing less than spectacular! Harris and his team are always so amazing to work with. Harris found the perfect places for us to stay and he always keeps in mind the things we want to see or do. From 5 star resorts to suggestions on what to do during our free time Harris delivers! Harris even helped my husband set some surprises up for me on private chats. This trip was different from our last visit and it was just as enjoyable in a completely different way. This trip was more about relaxing, enjoying the scenery and just doing our own thing. We did have one guides tour with Lambros, he was great! Very knowledgeable and personable. Can’t wait for our next trip! Thank you everyone at KimKim!

We hadn't used an online travel agency before and were nervous about doing so, but our experience was great! Our specialist worked with us to plan a very customized trip and was very patient as we changed our mind on attendees and activities a couple times. That specialist left kimkim about a month before our trip, but kimkim quickly assigned another specialist who took great care of us.

With regard to our actual trip, it went very smoothly. We toured Venice, Florence, the Amalfi coast, and Rome. Our detailed itinerary contained almost everything we needed, and we were very pleased with almost all our accommodations. The few times we did have some questions or need clarification, we messaged kimkim and received quick and thoughtful responses.

The trip felt like it was very customized and personal rather than a package. Kimkim made helpful suggestions of what to see and do, and we have some great memories as a result!!

I'm glad we used KimKim! The site was interesting to use since it takes your interests, timeline and and budget and makes suggestions to get you started, but also allows you to make selections and modifications. It was great not having to book each transfer, hotel, and tour on our own. When we needed to make changes, Brittany was great at getting back to us quickly and making things happen.

Hotel Reviews

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

This hotel was beautiful-online photos don't do it justice. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. The view of the volcano from our back patio couldn't be beat (room 503). The restaurant and bar had very good food and drinks. The pool area was very nice and relaxing. The covered jacuzzi was great to sit in during the evening rainstorms. The grounds were beautiful-it seemed the staff were tending to it throughout the day. The front desk staff were helpful with every question or need we had, and were very helpful in arranging transport into town. I would stay here again.

Tips for future travelers

If you want to be close to "the action" of town this is not the place for you-you'd need to take a taxi.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds

Location

Everything

Staff

Everyone was friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and beautiful

The Falls at Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

It is unfortunate I cannot give 5 stars. The grounds are lovely with a nice pool and seating areas, and a great bar. The bar/restaurant staff were really great, and the food was excellent. The animals that came through the grounds in the afternoon were a real treat-Agouti, Iguana, and the squirrel monkeys. Most of the rooms in the back of the property seemed lovely, but we had a "front side" room. These rooms face the front of the building and the main road. The room was basic-not aesthetically pleasing or anywhere you'd want to spend any time. The lamps were broken. On our last night we came back to the room and found it flooded from a backup in the shower (we hadn't used the shower yet that day). Of course things happen sometimes, but the woman in charge did not know how to handle the situation. It took persistence on our part to get the management to set us up in another hotel for the night since they could not accommodate us with an equivalent room. They did end up moving us to another lovely hotel nearby for no charge and waived our food and beverage charges-which was nice. If we were in a better room, and had been taken care of promptly when the shower issue happened, then I would give 5 stars.

Tips for future travelers

do not pick the "front side" room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacón Hot Springs with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice hike around the 1968 lava field. The hot springs were nice, but the grounds were difficult to negotiate at night. The dinner provided was really good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Carla was a very nice naturalist guide. We were able to see several animals, and she was very informative and patient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

I can't review this tour because it was cancelled due to a lightning storm. Brittany with Kimkim handled the refund process for us with no problem.

Working with Mieke was great. She offered cool and interesting suggestions such as the Upside Down which turned out to be a really fun activity for our family. She also put together an itinerary that gave us flexibility to do some exploring on our own as well as getting us tickets to the must see Van Gogh museum. The transportation in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands also worked out smoothly with tickets that gave us flexibility in travel times. Our favorite tourist destination was the Gravensteen castle tour- it had everything you want to see in a castle plus a very funny audio guide. Loved it and missing the Netherlands and Belgium already.

Oriana was great helping plan our trip. The trip was also amazing. We had a great time.

Hotel Reviews

Palmera Camp

Wadi Rum

This place exceeded our expectations, and the staff was overly attentive and super amazing.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea Resort

Dead Sea

Everything was great about this except the front desk staff, some of which were downright rude. We did have one dinner at the fine dining restaurant that wasn't great (lamb so overcooked it was inedible), but we went back the next night, and they were overly attentive and took super great care of us.

Staff

Movenpick Petra Resort

Wadi Musa

The hotel was ok. Not great, but apparently the best place to stay when going to Petra. The Petra entrance is right across the street, making it a great location. But, it is not a 5-star hotel.

Staff

The St. Regis Amman

Amman

Truly a 5-star hotel.

Activity Reviews

Petra visit

Petra

Petra is simply amazing. The guide was great. Not too much, but the right amount of information. Starting early in the day (7am) was key.

Petra/ Beida/ Wadi Rum (120 KM)

Jordan

I'd prob skip Little Petra. It is underwhelming after you've seen Petra.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a trip to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We coordinated with Harris and hisTravel12 team. Harris is patient, professional and very adept at finding the perfect locations to fit our travel style. We juggled some dates and locations and Harris always responded with a confident “I will take care of that”. Having a team in country that is accessible 24/7 is invaluable. We had a hiccup with a rental car schedule and a quick whatsapp call and they resolved it very quickly. Drivers, rental cars, ferry tickets, shuttles all great, our driver in Athens, Lampros was very accommodating, and hilarious. I could keep going but will finish with this “ just relax and book the trip, Travel12 will make sure it is exactly what you want. “

This was our first trip to Morocco and we felt we needed the guidance of area experts. When we travel, we like to understand the community in which we are traveling and to experience the culture of the people…all while avoiding tourist traps. From the first communications, we could tell that Sharon would be a great travel partner for us: she is responsive, courteous, and full of helpful ideas. Those traits carried through out our planning and travel process; we never felt like we were on our own. The driver who was assigned to us helped us for our entire nine day trip; he was personable, very thoughtful, and kept our safety top of mind. When we settled in each destination, we found the accommodations selected by Sharon and her team to be quite lovely and very culturally authentic. The guides arranged at each site were all friendly, knowledgeable, and adept at speaking multiple languages. Our first trip to Morocco was most certainly made possible because of Morocco Immersion and it left us confident that we will return to this colorful and vibrant country.

Excellent tour, very well organised. Drivers and tour guides very kind and well prepared.

Activity Reviews

Hurghada

Hurghada

very nice and comfortable hotel

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

West & East Bank Luxor

Luxor

Amazing visit of the Valley of the Kings, Karnat Temple and Luxor Temple

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour to visit Pyramids& Sphinx and Old Egyptian Museum

Cairo

Great guide, very interesting explanation of Egyptian history

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Absolutely one of the best family vacations we have had. Extremely organized and excellent communication before and during the entire trip. We will absolutely use Kim Kim for our next adventure.