Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a lovely time in Japan and enjoyed getting to know the culture and the people. We now know the people of Japan are very polite and patient people willing to help us when we needed, even though language was not always possible they were very helpful. Our first guide was Seiichiro Hara which we knew as Hara walked our legs off for 8 hours which we have discovered was not necessary as we could have done a few taxi for some of the walks between some of the places Hara took us. We also were a bit shocked that we had to not only pay for our tickets on one tour but we had to pay for Hara's as well maybe that was not the right thing for Hara to do. Our guide for Kyoto was Wakako Nakagawa and she was amazing she listened to us and took us to places we were interested in and even took us shopping to the right places to get the things we were looking for and told us about other places we could go to get other things. Still taking us to see all the places we wanted to see about Kyoto. Our guide for Nara was Reiko Karita who was very knowledgeable on Nara and its history and had great suggestions for us to see and wasn't worried about taking a taxi when needed. Reiko was also very easy to talk to about life in Japan. One highlight for us was speaking to school children who were learning English and wanted to ask us questions they were delightful.

Our trip was amazing! From start to finish we were taken care of. Sharif and his crew were very friendly and their hospitality was great. Sharif was very knowledgable about the area, spotting Mantas, Dolphins and baby sharks! We had some enforced changes to our itinerary, as we were unable to see Padar island which was a disappointment, but we always had interesting places to go, snorkel and view the wildlife. The crew cooked us a banquet for every meal, so we never went hungry! The facilities were basic, but we had everything we needed.

The highlights of the trip were definitely the animals we saw. The Komodo dragons on Komodo island, swimming with Manta Rays at manta point and watching the flying foxes exodus in their millions against the backdrop of the sun setting were really special.

The 3 days on the boat were an amazing experience and we would both highly recommend it to anyone.

Chris was very flexible in the modifications we made to our schedule and had some on the spot great suggestions along the way.

I joined a group departure on Manaslu Circuit and was very satisfied with everything, we had a great knowledgeable guide who made sure everything was ok, the porters were also great, the whole trip went smoothly, amanda was very helpful and always answered my question quickly, she also helped me to arrange a car which drove me to chitwan after the trek, no complains :)

We used Why Jordan travel agency based in Petra through KimKim. When you arrange a holiday where you are reliant on the tour operator for your driver and guides you put yourself totally in their hands.
Tamara from Why Jordan worked with us to plan the 6 day trip across Jordan taking in Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. It was a whistle stop tour and every step of the way the events unfolded as previously planned. From the reception at the airport including sorting the visas to our driver Mohammed who was with us for the entire trip it ran like clockwork and provided us with a very personal experience.
The places were amazing and the guides were always extremely friendly and knowledgeable whether it was trekking from little Petra or walking round the temple of Artemis. Our Driver was also a mine of local knowledge and in our eyes exceeded his brief along with always being on time he was able to show us Jordan on route to the planned locations.
Everyone we met throughout our trip contributed to an amazing holiday and we would happily recommend KimKim and Why Jordan along with the country and its people to anybody planning such a trip. Jorden is a place everyone should experience and we feel privileged to have been.
Peter and Theresa.

My trip to Nepal was rather unique in that I was taking my Chinese girlfriend and her 20 year old niece. Their idea of Trekking was wearing high heels to the mall! not that they don't enjoy a good walk for a picnic outside...they just aren't wired for Nepali Trekking. I explained the kind of adventure to that I wanted to provide them and Erin our trip planner pit together the absolutely perfect trip with just the right amount of adventure and luxury. It took several months to get the itinerary just right, but Erin patiently adjusted every day plan to meet our exact desires. We really left every detail up to her and the trip could not have gone smoother from the moment we landed to the minute we departed Nepal. Erin met us the first day at the hotel...gave us a great orientation and went over every day of the trip in detail. She then proceeded to walk us to her favorite money xchange house and then to the best restaurant in the area. The attention to our needs was amazing. Erin and Raj the trip manager checked on us at every stage of the trip to make sure everything was going to plan. They even met us at the airport with a mobile phone preprogrammed with important contact numbers? Who thinks of these details. The guides, the drivers, the hotels and every persoin involved in our trip was outstanding. Erin even met us on the last day at the hotel for a casual debreifing to help her smooth out any trouble spots in the operation for the next guests. Attention to detail makes the difference and KIMKIM knows how to manage the details. We had 14 days, five different destinations, tours almost everyday and everything ran like clockwork. two thumbs up! A+

We were having company trip to Nepal and we are really satisfied with the service provided by Nima and Chhewang. We couldnt describe how wonderful and how professional this travel company is. Firstly the recommended travel plan was suited to our group of people. And both Nima and Chhewang always give fast response before and during the trip. They answered our thousands of question patiently. During the trip, our tour guide Nima was good at forming a joyful atmosphere and able to identify our needs and reacted accordingly. We went to Kathmandu and Pokhara, having river rafting, paragliding and trekking to Australian Base Camp. We had an absolutely incredible trip that was very low stress due to the tremendous effort of the travel team. If you are looking for a memorable and wonderful trip in Nepal, I am sure they are the best choice.

First of all, this was my dream trip which is well organized and to new places which I really wanted to visit. I usually plan all of my leaves and it takes a lot of time and effort to select the places, hotels, type of tours and other. For this trip and by sudden I saw kimkim team and decide to let them plan my trip with my husband. It was really easy to use this web to plan and complete all the payment through the website. Also, connecting me with Karin who is really really supportive and well known of the places we’ve visited. The plan was reviewed 2 times with few changes, and Karin did the thing I like (activities, changing the hotel, and agreed on the timing). Karin was available all the time I need her help and support. Few things happen at the beginning with the transportation but we handled it. All of the hotels were really nice and lovely. All of our tour guides were helpful, kind and know the places we visited and give a lot of information which helped us understand everything. We’ve loved: the private city tour of Granada by bike and the Las Alpujarras tour. Others are nice too.

I would like to thank Karin for her effort from day 1 till we are back in the air plane she was asking and communicating with me. I would like to thank all of the tour guides for their professionality and kind. I told everyone about kimkim team .

Thanks to kimkim, our 4-night, 5-day Nakasendo adventure in October was amazing. We have been highly recommending it to friends and family. All arrangements were professionally, efficiently and patiently handled by our pre-travel contact Andy, our trip guide Atsuko-san and our local guide from Usui Toge to Yokokawa, Riki-san. The online information was very helpful and was among the deciding factors for joining our Nakasendo group. A delicious kaiseki dinner in Kyoto with Atsuko-san on the night before our hike for our group of 12 set the tone for the beautiful breakfast and dinner settings we experienced during the entire trip. The accommodations were comfortable and full of atmosphere, whether the inn we stayed at was rustic and charming (Tsutamuraya in Otsumago and Iseya in Narai) or refined and charming (Komanoyu Ryokan outside of Kiso-Fukushima and Nakadanaso Ryokan in Narai). All the towns we passed through were so enjoyable to explore, but I especially loved the historic beauty of Magome and Tsumago. We were so impressed by Atsuko-san's attention to every detail, like arranging four different options on the last day to meet the needs of those traveling directly to Tokyo, those who chose to visit Karuizawa first, those who wanted a longer hike and the rest of us who chose to ride up to Usui Toge and then hike down to Yokokawa. Atsuko-san even escorted us from Tokyo Station to the frenetic and huge Shinjuku Station in order to point us in the right direction. Well done, kimkim and Oku Japan!

It was a pleasant trip. Chhiring and his crew were fantastic. Definitely will come back and use the same guides. The only comment is mark up price is beyond the standard of 10%

Our trip to Myanmar was truely amazing. We had hoped to achieve meeting the locals & becoming part of the culture in a real way & this is what happened for us. Myanmar is a beautiful country & the people are warm & welcoming. They gave us such insight into their lives plus showed an interest in us as people also. We were very grateful for the hotels Anne had chosen for us & staff couldnt do enough to make sure we were happy. We were able to go into the villages & non-touristy areas & found it was refreshing not to be harassed by market vendors. Our guides along the way were exceptional. They interacted well with us & were full of great information plus their English made communication easy. Our cooking class was fantastic firstly visiting the local markets to buy ingredients then cooking in our cook’s home We especially loved riding around Kalaw on electric bikes, visiting villagers in their homes on our Treks & being transported around Inle Lake in the long boat. We had lunch with a family known to our guide in the floating village. . There was always time to stop along the way. Most evenings were free as we requested. We were very grateful to Anne who professionally organised everything. . She was totally approachable giving attention to detail from beginning to end. Anne was always willing to listen & adjust the schedule to suit our needs.
We were able to relax & recharge. Our trip was magical. A perfect way to experience a bit more off the beaten track , less touristy exciting plus time to relax & take in all Myanmar has to offer.

We planned our trip with Andy who was accessible and communicated clearly. He made special arrangements for those that needed them. Once we got to Japan, our trip was amazing.
Akosan was such a gracious, accommodating, professional, knowledgeable guide. Despite the disparate needs of our group, she never made us feel that we were asking too much and always accommodated us. She took the time to listen and then shared her wonderful cultural and historical wisdom. She made the trail come alive! We had different hiking abilities-all were accommodated with sometimes as many as 4 options in a day provided. We transited with ease between locations, as Akosan was always organized and on schedule. SHe is a master at time management and set reasonable expectations for all of our schedule.
from the WE all had little needs and accommodations were top notch. We enjoyed

All Guides are very good, and Am happy with their services.

We did a Jordan and Jerusalem 4 day trip and it was amazing! Tamara was very patient with us as we had her change things to make the trip exactly how we wanted. We flew in and arrived late on Saturday night and were delivered to our hotel where we did dinner on our own. The next morning breakfast was included and then our driver Talal picked us up and spent the next four days with us. We toured Amman where Talal bought us Turkish coffee and coffee cookies that we enjoyed before touring the Citadel. We then drove to Jerash and then down to Petra. We stopped at a few extra places along the way to see things Talal knew we would enjoy (Moses rock and Shawback castle)and then checked into our hotel in Petra with a gorgeous view of the mountains. We were picked up the next morning for a walking tour of Petra where we had a local guide describe everything to us. We then walked up to the Monastery on our own before having our driver pick us up to take us to Wadi Rum for a Bedouin camp experience. While there we did an auto tour of the desert and a camel ride. The next day Talal met us once again for a drive towards the Dead Sea. We stopped at Mt Nebo and Madaba along the way. We were able to get checked in early at the Dead Sea hotel and ended up with a view of the water. Floating in the Dead Sea after “muddling up” was a highlight of the trip! Our last day we were picked up for our day in Jerusalem. We were met by a new driver on the Israel side and he took us all over Jerusalem and then the old city. After our full day we returned to Jordan where Talal met us for our last meal in Amman and a city tour by night. Talal took us to an amazing place for dinner where the food just kept coming! We sat at low tables with food served family style. The saddest moment was when we had to say goodbye to Talal at the airport for our flights back to the US! We felt very safe the entire time and were always asked if we needed anything at all. Talal always stopped and bought us fresh cold waters, etc. we can’t wait to plan another adventure in Jordan!

We were very pleased by the places and lodging chosen for us by John. We particularly loved the remoteness of Mawumba Lodge and then later the accessibility of Shahwamda Lodge to to the Jaguar Rescue Center, where we were able to see baby sloths, and eat the best swordfish ever at Pura Gula restaurant. Our guide Umberto was professional and knowledgeable, and our drivers--Ronnie, Patricia, and Jose--were wonderful ambassadors of their country.

I thought the hotels and guides were great. The first two nights in Aix Provence were the best as far as service and hotels go. This small hotel provided great service and an excellent room. The cooking school was enjoyable with a trip to the market and then a quick wine tasting before the class. The food proved amazing and the event filled the day. Don't suggest having any more meals that day. The hotel in Arles was quite beautiful. It was a treat to stay there. The wine trip the next day was the highlight of our stay in Provence. Eric the wine tour guide was excellent. The private tours were wonderful and the places were beautiful. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Our hotel in Avignon was nice but not exceptional. It was located in a great place and they gave us a nice room with a deck overlooking the city. We enjoyed our touring around the area by rental car and managed to fill the day with the high-points of the region. All and all the package proved very good. I would highly recommend Simon. He was able to readjust our schedule due to a flight cancellation that eliminated our first day. Simon's rescheduling enable us to almost recapture the elements of the lost first day. The only item that was a bit negative was the cost of the private transport in Provence. Our driver, while very nice charged much more than estimated in our itinerary. But that didn't diminish the excellent services and information provided and the great assistance Simon provided for us. Many thanks to Simon.

This trip was really perfectly arranged by Ngima and his company, from flight arrangements to the incredibly good communication. We constantly felt well taken care of at all times. Ngima was in constant communication with our guide to make sure we were doing fine since my husband got the flu before the trip and I was afraid I would have to change our itinerary during the trek. I need to specially thank our guide Chhongba and our porter Dawa, they instantly became friends and without their caring attitudes we would not have such an amazing trek. Our guide exceeded all our expectations, he was on time, organized and always made sure we were well fed and with everything we needed ready to begin our day without any complications. He always happily answered all doubts and concerns and would stop along the way to show and explain interest points which made the trek a beautiful cultural experience. At Tengboche he was kind enough to guide us inside the monastery show in us how to proceed with blessings. We cannot thank him enough! We would love to trek again in Nepal some day and definitely would do it with Ngima’s company, this trip was just perfect. Thank you so much for everything done to make sure we had a great trek! Hope I’ll see you guys again soon!

Overall we had a fantastic time and the help Priya provided was great. We changed our minds a few times and Priya was more than happy to accommodate which we appreciate. A few of the hotels were slightly out of date but that was our only gripe. Driver Gopal was amazing, and all guides provided were good fun and very interesting. Thanks again.

Everyone in the group had a great time and appreciated the efforts made by Simeon, Ivan, Branch and the other driver.
We enjoyed the hotels which were all very reasonable.
The hikes to the mountains were memorable a d Ivan had a lot of knowledge and was very helpful to anyone who was struggling.

I can't say enough good things about our experiences in Bolivia with kimkim. Our guides were all very knowledgeable. Guida was especially good in explaining the history of indigenous people of the AltoPlano. Each one was personable and experienced. Xemina showed us the wonders of the cable cars system and let us experience LaPaz in the air and on foot. Teresa did a fabulous job interacting with the ladies of C.O.M.C.A. collective. That experience was especially meaningful, as my son Warren is a weaver, too. We enjoyed the ladies of the collective and the work they are preserving. Elias in Uyuni was very experienced in maneuvering in the Salar. Although he didn't speak English, we managed to get a lot our of our tour with him. He provided us with a delicious meal in the most remote place in the world. How he navigated the salar is still a mystery to me. The Palacio de Sal was a beautiful hotel. Juan the driver was a professional. I can't imagine navigating the streets of LaPaz on my own. The help you provided on the last day was most appreciated. You were so prompt and flexible in meeting our sudden changes. Thank you for the unforgettable days we spent in Bolivia. Mary and Warren Aldrich