Kimkim Trip Reviews

An Unforgettable Journey Through Rome, Amalfi & Sorrento
From the historic streets of Rome to the breathtaking coastal views of Amalfi and Sorrento, every moment was a wonderful experience.

Rome was the perfect start, filled with awe-inspiring sights like the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Trevi Fountain.
From there, we made our way to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento, which left us speechless. The coastal scenery was like a postcard come to life, with colourful cliffside villages and sparkling blue waters. One of the highlights was our boat trip to Capri, where we explored hidden grottos and admired the island’s natural beauty.

Another unforgettable experience was our visit to Pompeii. Walking through the ancient ruins was like stepping back in time, and our guide brought the history to life with fascinating stories about the city frozen in time by Mount Vesuvius.
A special mention goes to Enzo, our incredible driver. His knowledge of the area, his passion for Italy, and his warm personality made our experience even more special.

This unforgettable trip was filled with beauty, history, and adventure.

My wife and I took a 13-day custom tour of Brazil, organized by Rachel at Kimkim. We visited Rio, Salvador, Manaus, the Amazon, and São Paulo. It took nearly two months of back-and-forth communication before we finalized our itinerary. Throughout the process, Rachel was incredibly attentive, patient, and courteous. Additionally, during our trip, she stayed in constant contact with us to ensure everything was going as planned. All the hotels and guides she selected for us were excellent. A special shout-out to Alex in Rio and Carlos in Sao Paulo, who made our trip truly memorable.

We will always cherish our experience at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in the Amazon. This beautiful lodge, set in the heart of the rainforest, offers modern amenities while maintaining a deep connection to nature. The guides were highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and courteous, and the restaurant was simply exceptional.

Overall, we had an unforgettable vacation. Thank you, Rachel, for all your help!

Hotel Review

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

We will always cherish our experience at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in the Amazon. This beautiful lodge, set in the heart of the rainforest, offers modern amenities while maintaining a deep connection to nature. The guides were highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and courteous, and the restaurant was simply exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Christ the Redeemer & Sugar Loaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was wonderful! All details were taken care of. All transport services were on time. Hotels were very nice. Guides were excellent, so knowledgeable and helpful. Would definitely book another trip through KimKim.

Activity Reviews

Cusco City Tour

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guide

Food

Very nice restaurants and good food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

History and information by the guide.

Transport

Crown Jewel of Peru: Machu Picchu Sanctuary

Peru

Loved the train ride to Machu Picchu and the whole experience of being able to hike through the ruins.

Quality of Experience

Food

All food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All drivers nice and on time.

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

Loved the snorkeling and the baby sea lions that played with us!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful island and black sand beach. Saw turtles while snorkeling, baby sea lion and a marine iguana swimming and out on the beach.

Quality of Experience

Mo

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fabulous time. Puhlia is fascinating and we learned so much more with our guides. Clothilde in Lecce lead a tour that was the perfect balance of food and history. The pasta making class with Juanita in her home was so much fun, and I can't wait to try it at home. The itinerary was a good balance between guided activities and time on our own to explore. All the accommodations were great. It was reassuring to know that there was someone I could WhatsApp at any time to get more info and make an adjustment to the schedule. Absolutely wonderful!

Hotel Reviews

Chiancole Trulli Experience

Alberobello

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Personè Dimora Storica

Lecce

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

VIS | Urban suites & spa

Bari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Alberobello Guided Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Storywalking Experience: A guided walk exploring Matera's history and food traditions from Alberobello

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Street Food Tour of Lecce

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Bari

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fresh Pasta Making Class in Bari

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We just returned from an excellent two week trip to Japan organized by Sandy san of Odynovo in Japan, through kimkim! Some highlights were biking the Shimonami Kaido, spending the night in a ryoken on Miyajima with multi-course Japanese meals included, visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park and Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, plus the cherry blossoms, temples and shrines, and beautiful terrain. We had a mix of time on our own, group, and private tours.

The group tours were through Magical Trip: Kaiori san for the Hiroshima Peace Park and Fuji san for the Tokyo foodie tour were excellent. The groups were generally small, like 5-6 guests. Those were a lot of fun and well planned, and we learned a lot.

Our private guides Chinami san in Hakone, Hisako san in Kyoto, and Yuki san in Kanazawa were all knowledgeable and easy to be with. We ended up canceling one tour in Kyoto because we just needed a break, but since it was too late to get a refund, Jun san still showed up to drop us at the train station, and we instantly liked him too and felt a little sad that we missed his tour. The private tours can be interactive and customizable and are a great opportunity to learn more than you would on your own.

Accommodations and travel within Japan that were arranged by Sandy were all well planned. We had shinkansen tickets with luggage space reserved for most of the hops, and hired taxis between train station and hotel (easy!). Twice during the trip we shipped our checked luggage ahead with the help of hotel staff. The first time was required so we could do an overnight on bikes, the second time was just to avoid the hassle of big luggage on the ferry to Miyajima, although we probably would have been fine taking it with us.

We would probably do a couple of things differently next time:
1) On the Shimonami Kaido, we should have brought along a multi-tool so we could adjust the bikes along the way, and we had too much stuff in our backpacks. WAKKA turned out to be an excellent resource for us - super kind and helpful people who do bike taxi and rental returns, among other services for bike riders in that area.
2) We got excellent mileage from the tiny bit of Japanese we learned for the trip, which increased our enjoyment. Although we never really had any trouble communicating with the locals, we would like to learn more Japanese for next time.
3) We might spend more time in each location next time. Although this trip was a good first trip because it gave us a kind of overview of the highlights of Japan, it would have been nice to do more exploring in each location.

There are so many things to love about Japan (the food, the natural beauty, the public transportation, the clean cities), but I think what we will remember the most is the many kindnesses we received from random people, not just people in the hospitality business. For example, while biking we took a wrong turn and an older gentleman on a motorcycle stopped to tell us we were probably going the wrong way, then insisted that he meet us down the road to take our picture near a landmark! Japanese people are just so nice in general - at least that was our experience.

Anyway, kimkim and Sandy san took very good care of us. There is no way we would have had this good of a time if we had booked everything on our own.

We had an incredible time on our trip to Egypt. It was a full on sightseeing holiday but every attraction ran so smoothly it was stress free, and our guides were early / on time to meet us and were happy to answer any questions we had. Our guides were very insightful and knowledgeable about the places we were visiting. We particularly liked Mustafa, Ahmed and the guide who was with us on the Nile cruise who took us to Philae Temple, Luxor Temple and the Valley of Kings etc. (we're really sorry that we have forgotten his name!).

The overall planning of the trip was made SO much easier by KimKim. Highly recommend and would 100% use them again.

Activity Reviews

Pyramids and Cairo Sightseeing with Camel Ride

Egypt

This is a must see and the camel ride was amazing. We have some really good photos of us in front of the pyramids on the camels thanks to our guide leading the camels.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luxor West Bank to Hurghada

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver to Hurghada was great but our guide who accompanied us fell asleep shortly after we set off and didn't speak to us. The driver could have got us there himself and he spoke more to us than the guide!

Awesome trip to Vietnam! This was the 4th trip that we have booked through KimKim and again it was an excellent decision for us. Working through KimKim and their associated travel agencies is an absolute pleasure. For Vietnam we worked with Doris at Asia Aventura. She put together a fantastic itinerary for us, starting in Hanoi and moving south to Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh and the Mekong Delta. Everything was meticulously arranged, from accommodation, transport and activities. Thank you Doris for arranging such a superb experience for us in Vietnam, and a big thank you to our guides Huyen, Thuy and Ha, who looked after us so well and shared their knowledge of such a beautiful country! We loved Vietnam and its wonderful and friendly people and will definitely visit again.

We were extremely satisfied with the communication with Ali, from the Kim Kim team, for quick and thorough responses. Our preferences and schedules were taken into consideration when they planned our trip and we were also able to choose optional tours and experiences as we desired. We appreciated that because the tour operator knows the country and sights very well, so we trusted them to make decisions about the itinerary and it all worked out well. Our driver Tayeb was always punctual, polite and safe and we learned a lot about the culture and lifestyle from him. He and our other tour guides, Souhel for a walking food tour in Marrakesh and Hamman who showed us the Bahai Palace and the home of Yves St. Laurent all spoke very good English and explained everything very well. They answered any questions that we had about history, culture, or the sight, so that we felt that we understood so much more about Morocco than we would have if we had not had their assistance. They gave us advice about bargaining in the marketplace and about safety information. My husband and I loved the whole trip so much and we are already giving our friends and family your agency contact information for their future use. Thank you very much for caring for us!

Interactive development and tailoring of trip itinerary was excellent. Communications during trip were excellent. Local guides were excellent.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake Biwa Otsu Prince Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Terrace Hachijohigashiguchi

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sotetsu Grand Fresa Takadanobaba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Shinjuku Gyoen (cherry blossom)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Full Day Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chase Cherry Blossom in Osaka with Osaka Castle

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Transport

Osaka Private & Personalised Local Food Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai and Oishi Park

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Miyajima Island and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Well co-ordinated, everything flowed really well. The hotels were all excellent.

I had the most fantastic trip to Morocco with my daughters. We were able to spend an afternoon in Tangier, thoroughly explore the blue city, Chefchaouen, and then fall in love with the meandering market streets in Fes. Even though we had limited time in Morocco, we feel like we much better understand the culture, ideals and people of this amazing land on account of our cooking class in a private home, the time we spent with a family breaking the fast of Ramadan, and, most significantly, through the personal stories and experiences of our amazing driver and guide, Ismail. Ismail openly shared his experiences about what it was like growing up in rural Morocco and he was extraordinarily patient with all of our questions. We were fascinated by how the architecture reflects the history and religions of this amazing country and Ismail, and our other guides, really helped us appreciate this.

Majid made planning this trip very simple and stress-free! We would never have been able to experience, see and learn all that we did in Morocco without Majid's planning and organizing.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

A beautiful hotel right in the center of Chefchaouen with a lovely terrace and a delicious breakfast! We felt very comfortable here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the center of everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fes Nass Zmane

Fes

We felt like royalty staying here. The lobby is authentically opulent and the breakfast buffet is wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ONOMO Hotel Casablanca Airport

Nouaceur

This hotel is clean and perfect for a night's stay before heading to the airport. Nothing fancy, but the shuttle to the airport is timely and clean.

Activity Reviews

Explore Chefchaouen with your local guide

Chefchaouen

Our guide, Abdelwahed, made our tour of Chefchaouen phenomenal! He took extra time with us, he answered all our questions, he explained the history of this magical blue city and we tasted the food as we went. He was extremely personable and was a fantastic teacher to us, his touring students. Thank you, Abdelwahed!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchouen: Cooking class

Morocco

It is such a special experience to share not only a meal, but a meal cooked together, in a private home with delightful people. We highly recommend this cooking class. (And no, it did not take a full 5 hours.)

Quality of Experience

Food

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

We were fortunate enough to break the Ramadan fast with this fantastic family in Fes. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories and comparing our different (and similar) cultures. The food was delicious and the conversation fascinating and their children adorable!

Quality of Experience

Food

A Family's Guided tour of Fez

Fes

This is a spectacular and necessary tour! Not only was our guide fantastic, the history fascinating and the markets beautiful, but our guide was necessary because we would have been very, very lost in the market without him. With 9400 streets and alleys in the market, we had no chance of figuring our the maze on our own. Our guide was full of historical knowledge and he was able to offer us many delicious foods in market (even during Ramadan!) The day we spent in the medina in the old city was a favorite and is certainly full of memories we will cherish.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Doris was so helpful from the first time we discussed my trip to Vietnam. She was responsive throughout the trip when I had questions and was especially attentive because I was traveling alone. The sites and activities she recommended were really fun, my favorites being Hanoi, the Silk Village and Old town, the guide and driver were friendly and helpful throughout. The historical sites in Ho Chi Minh City were fascinating and the guide and driver were friendly and helpful. I also really enjoyed the tour of the Mekong delta, the activities were so interesting and the group I was part of was so much fun. I would love to go again and would be thrilled to work with Doris again.

Hotel Reviews

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

Wonderful, a nice room, good food and excellent staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Sails

Wonderful activities, great food and the staff were awesome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silverland Yen Hotel

Ho Chi Minh City

Nice room, good food and very pleasant staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi: Van Phuc Silk Village, Hanoi City Tour & Street Food Tour

Hanoi

Fascinating watching sill being woven and many shops with wonderful fabrics

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay, Overnight on Cruise

Vietnam

The boat trip was wonderful, the food was grand and I really enjoyed the activities, the smaller boat ride and cave tour were grand.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta (My Tho, Ben Tre) - Ho Chi Minh City (Join in Small Group Tour)

Vietnam

The people in the group I joined for this tour were so friendly and we had a wonderful time on boat rides and the honey farm, the lunch at the village was stellar and I’d love to do it all again

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When we decided to travel to the South Island of New Zealand, we began by asking friends who'd been and by exploring the Internet: so many suggestions to sort through. Then we found Michelle on the KimKim team in New Zealand. She asked us for our preferences and some guidelines. Very quickly she sent us a planned trip. It looked so good, we added another week to make it a full month. Out of curiosity, we also asked Perplexity AI for an itinerary. The AI returned an itinerary close to what Michelle suggested which reinforced her good judgement in our minds. Of course an itinerary is only a starting place for planning a trip; there is so much more to arrange. We gave her the go-ahead to set everything up. And so she did. An amazing number of details she figured out, the arrangements she made -- everything culminated in a complete travel plan all ready to go well ahead of departure time. Almost everything worked exactly as she planned to our great delight. It was so comforting to know that Michelle, a locally-based travel advisor, was there for us every step of the way for our trip. We contacted her a couple of times with changes and she was very helpful. She was wonderful!

Hotel Reviews

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

Kaikoura

This truly is an amazing place. We were surprised by the spaciousnesss and luxury of our suite -- and we didn't reserve a tree house. First class service in all areas. We had several meals there (it is some distance to drive otherwise) and the food was very good, although the menu was limited (which made sense for them). We used this place as our base for going to Kaikoura, so we din't take advantage of all the amenities offered. We would have liked a longer stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Excellent to be in the countryside, but roughly 15 km from town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marlborough Boutique Hotel and Vineyard

Marlborough

First class in all respects. We especially appreciated the courteous service by every member of staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pihopa Retreat

Nelson

This was indeed a "retreat". Its location is in Nelson, but one would think it was in the countryside once arrived. Lovely spacious suite with all the amenities. We appreciated the graciousness of our host and the special kindness she showed one evening when I was too exhausted from a hike to go out for dinner. She brought to our room a very generously-sized cold plate for dinner. We wish we'd had even more nights there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camp Estate at Larnach Castle

Dunedin

This was a unique experience. To be clear, it is down the road from the Larnach Castle and that's a good thing -- much quieter and more upscale. In a word, this place is elegant. Lots of stone floors, wide staircase to the second floor suites, big drawing room, etc. Very comfortable room with all the amenities. We had the special dinner at the castle one night and were disappointed. It was expensive and the experience dragged on for 4 hours. The next night we cancelled a repeat dinner. Staff at the Estate responded by serving us a special cold plate, heaped with more cheese, cold meats, bread, etc. than we could eat. And a staff member had to drive to the castle kitchen to get it for us. That's the kind of place this Estate is. Very impressed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waiorau Homestead

Wanaka

This was not up to the 5-star experience we had enjoyed previously on our trip, so it suffered by comparison. It was certainly OK. This is a small homestead to be sure: up to 6 guests at a time. It was clean and our hosts were gracious. The bedroom was small and limited in amenities. The facilities like pool and hot tub very dated. The on-site dinner very tasty, but expensive. We did enjoy an intimate conversation at dinner with the other guests. A good place to go to "get away in the countryside".

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fitzroy

Auckland

We were put here by our travel agent who believed we'd enjoy being in this neighbourhood of Auckland. Turned out we were in the wrong location. The hotel itself is unusual: an older building converted to several small suites. We had been in a huge suite in an upscale lodge the nights before, so we were under-whelmed when we arrived here. We went out to at dinnertime to explore the neighbourhood on foot and found we didn't resonate with the younger, funkier crowd. We really wanted to be in the harbour area, so we asked to cancel our second night. Our host was most gracious, allowing us to move without penalty. And, we left behind an item in the room. Our host contacted us in the new hotel and drove the time to us. That generous act greatly impressed us. We conclude we'd have been fine there except for the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PurePod Rakiura Stewart Island (Hananui)

Christchurch

We had high expectations for this unusual place. It was challenging to get there -- both driving and hiking -- and it was tucked high on a hillside. Not a good idea if you are unable to walk up hills. The all-around glass building is quite something to experience day and night (we had one clear night for star-gazing). The place was clearly upscale in all respects. Very comfortable. The food provided was fantastic. We felt remote but still safe -- that was the idea and they delivered.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The particular unit we rented was above a town and thus not as remote and quiet as we'd hoped. We highly recommend the PurePod experience but not this particular unit.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Accommodation arranged as part of your Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise - Southern Secret

This was an overnight on a boat, part of a two day adventure on Doubtful Sound. The boat accommodated 12 guests plus two crew members. Our cabins were small, but quite adequate for an overnight. The crew made the trip especially memorable with their friendliness and knowledge. The food was fantastic, including lobster and fish that our fellow passengers caught during the day. This trip was a highlight of our month's adventure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fiordland Lodge

Te Anau

We really liked this first-class place. From the moment we drove to the door to when we left, we were treated with great respect and courtesy. As an example, this was the only place on our month long journey where they parked our car for us! Big place with everything one might want in a lodge. Our room had all the amenities we wanted. We used this as a base for a trip to Milford Sound, so we din't get to take advantage of all the services and features. Food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tussock Hill Vineyard Retreats

Christchurch

We booked one of the two rooms there. It was modern, clean, well-appointed and looked out on a vineyard, overlooking Christchurch itself. It would be a great location for those who intended to hike the steep trails (which we didn't). The room was near the dining room which served until 5 PM. In other words, this is a lunch spot. Dinner items can be had, but that means an early dinner. We did so one night, and the food was excellent. It took about 20 minutes to get into the heart of Christchurch, but the traffic wasn't bad. Breakfast was brought to our room, but one of our days, the kitchen was closed that morning, which was disappointing. A highlight was the twin hot tubs on our very private deck -- very relaxing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Vicarage Geraldine

Geraldine

The Vicarage is, as expected, an older property that has been restored. Located in the heart of Geraldine, it was well-suited for us because we wanted to walk to our meals as this was a one-night stop for us. We walked to the local restaurant/pub and enjoyed being with the local folks at a sheep shearing contest outside. The room was small compared to the other hotels we stayed at on this trip. The bed was comfortable and the room clean. We never saw any staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Birds Ferry Lodge

Westport

For a small B&B, it was fine. Dinner was especially delicious and we enjoyed our conversations with our hosts. Lots of local knowledge. The room was dated but adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rimu Lodge

Ruatapu

Very pleasant staff. Very comfortable room (there were only 4). Beautiful view and a lovely deck where we had dinner one night. Close to Hokitika and the Gorge, but a car is essential. The breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki

Lake Moeraki

While a little dated, this is a big property with lots of guests (some of whom, a tour group, were a little rowdy). The staff were gracious and knowledgeable. The glow worms walk and the eels walk were especially memorable. The food was satisfactory, but we had the sense they were cooking too many plates at the same time -- just didn't feel like an upscale restaurant. It rained all day one of our days, so we did not get to use their kayaks and go on their special guided tours.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Aqua Taxi - Slice of Paradise (boat + optional walks) - full day

New Zealand

We had difficulty finding the starting place for this trip. The boat was late. The sea was rough and our particular hike plan was aborted. We dropped off a t a beach and were told to do another hike to reach our boat pickup place. We had no signal on our cell phones. The 6 km trail was steep in places, narrow and with very limited places to rest. To our knowledge there was no one monitoring the trail and we saw very few hikers on the trail. Part way, I (78 years old) got into trouble walking and fell 3 times. There was no option but to carry on. It took us 4 hours and we got to the beach just in time to catch the boat. This was one of the most traumatic experiences I've had for a long time. It could have been much worse if I hadn't struggled on.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Small boat, rough waters = difficult ride

Scenic Flight Twin Glaciers in a Helicopter

New Zealand

Well done! We enjoyed the ride, even though it was quite brief. Landing on the glacier made it special. The fog rolle din minutes after we landed -- we were lucky to have our flight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip itself was the trip of a lifetime. Thanks to Sebastian’s expertise and planning we didn’t have a single thing to worry about regarding scheduling or transportation. Some of our “small group” tours ended up being private which was a very pleasant surprise, and any time we needed to communicate we always received a very kind and timely response.

What an amazing trip to France that the KimKim Team and Liz put together for us! All our guides and experiences were 1st rate and we learned and did so much! I really don't have a favorite as it was all fantastic and each and every guide we had shared their love of the culture and history in their own special way. They were enthusiastic, friendly and knew the history of all the historical places so well. The trip to the Loire Valley Chateaux Day trip was definitely a highlight as was the perfume- making class and I absolutely loved the French Cooking class and market visit. Oh and the trip to Versailles riding Bikes and seeing the palace was incredible. All the vendors that Kim Kim chose where fantastic. I won't hesitate to book another trip with Kimkim again! Thank you for the memories to last a lifetime!

Hotel Review

Citadines Trocadéro Paris

Paris

Clean, comfortable and great location within walking distance to the Eiffel tower and metro stations very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Eiffel tower, grocery store, Victor Hugo Metro Station, Cafes

Staff

Nice staff, helpful and very good English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Opera Garnier and Covered Passages Tour

Paris

Victor was our guide the day we went to the opera house and covered passages and he was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and a very nice man. You could tell he loved the history and sharing Paris with visitors.

Unlock the Secrets of Perfume-Making!

Paris

Perfume-making was one of our favorite activities! Our teenagers absolutely loved it, and the entire experience was incredible. Working with the perfume specialist to craft a unique scent was great, and bringing home a personalized perfume was a special treat.

Private Loire Valley Châteaux Day Trip: Chambord, Clos Lucé & Chenonceau

Paris

The private tour to the Loire Valley Châteaux was phenomenal. The experience was filled with fascinating history and stunning architecture. This day trip was very enjoyable and stands out as a highlight of our trip.

The Louvre quest for teens

Paris

The Louvre quest for teens was a fantastic activity. Lorraine, our guide, was phenomenal and made the experience engaging with her stories and historical insights. Even our teenagers enjoyed the tour. The Louvre itself can be overwhelming, but with Lorraine guiding us through the highlights, it was both educational and fun for our family.

French Cooking Class & Market Visit

Paris

The French Cooking Class and Market Visit with Chef Dominique was really good. Initially, cooking in his home felt a bit different, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. From the market visit to cooking at his house, everything was delightful. The recipes we learned have been a hit since coming back home, and I've made them multiple times.

This was an amazing trip for our family. We enjoyed the food, weather and everything else that we saw and visited in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba

Very nice hotel but too far away from the main attractions in Tokyo.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Nice location. Very close to main interesting places.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

APA Hotel Kyoto Ekihigashi

Rooms too small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not close enough to the main attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very uncomfortable. The room was very small and didn’t have any room for the luggage. Not acceptable for people who have problems moving around the room.

Activity Reviews

Tea Ceremony in a Traditional Tea House in Kiyomizu

Kyoto

If I compare this tea ceremony with the one we had on our first day of the tour this one is a disappointing. The ceremony lacked of depth and the atmosphere was very much lacking in the way the whole event was held. It was rushed and the explanations were very poor. The quality of the ceremony was very disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a hard time finding the place for the tea ceremony.

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour (Kyoto Return Trip)

Japan

The trip to Hiroshima was the most dramatic of all. I was very impressed with the museum and the architecture of the memorial site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We experienced the regular transportation of the Japanese people in our trip to Hiroshima and back. The guide was very thorough and helpful to us.

Transport

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha to Tofuku-ji Temple Hiking Experience

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

One of my favorite activities. Excellent and fun experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samurai Sword Experience in Kyoto (Family & Kid Friendly)

Kyoto

An excellent experience for the kids. A lot of fun. I must add that the second time our family went to the Samurai activity ( our daughter and her family on 3-24-2025) they were very disappointed. They were rushed. Our grandson was looking forward to experiencing practicing what he had learned but never got to do it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was not very attentive to our needs and was not very responsive.

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Great experience for the children.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nick was an excellent and amazing guide. He was well prepared and knowledgeable about all the things we saw. He brought candies for the kids and he was very helpful and attentive to our needs.

Transport

Great driver and very friendly.

Edomae Sushi Masterclass: Hands-On Lesson with Traditional Sushi Meal

Tokyo

I would recommend this activity to anyone. The hostess was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. What a lovely lady she was and she was very nice and kind to everyone who was there. She even sent me the recipe for one of the food we made. I give her a 100% rating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was an excellent resource for the information given to us.

Transport

Full Day Meiji Shrine,the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace Akihabara,and Harajuku Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very disappointed with the service we received from Rachel. She was very non responsive and didnt properly plan the trip or ask the correct questions. We had confusion at the airport, confusion on 2 out of 3 trips. The only part of the trip that was worthwhile was the food tour.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tour of Two Brothers Peak & Vidigal Favela

Rio de Janeiro

it was not half day. We were picked up 45 min late as they went to wrong hotel. Driver did not speak a word of english. We didnt know that we were going on motorcycles or hiking for 4 hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christ the Redeemer & Sugar Loaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Guide was nice but his english wasnt that good and we saw Christ took a picture and moved on. He provided little to no history .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour in Rio

Rio de Janeiro

The guide was incredible

Quality of Experience

he spoke english and was very informed

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very knowledgeable

Transport

easy

Ruth planned a fabulous itinerary based on my interests. Details were well-planned and communicated. Transportation and excursions went smoothly with no snafus. I especially enjoyed the Kuranda Skyrail and Rail Adventure from Cairns and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast. Brisbane and Sydney are clean and beautiful cities. I felt completely safe throughout my solo and small group travels in Australia. Breathtaking scenery and friendly locals!

Johanna helped up plan an intensive 16-day trip. She was the only person who found a way to fit in everything we wanted to see in our 2-week time frame. The trip included Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, three stops in Patagonia, the Atacama Desert and Santiago. Most of the trip went smoothly but 9/12 members of our group were bumped from a flight but Johanna and her team worked quickly to get us another flight. Johanna and team were quick to respond to any issues and correct any snags (e.g., I had to pay for a couple of things but was quickly reimbursed). The local guides were for the most part amazing (only had one lame one at Iguazu Falls). We very much enjoyed seeing the wonders of Argentina and Chile!

Hotel Reviews

Palo Santo Hotel

Buenos Aires

We really liked the Palo Santo Hotel. One of my friends expressed a strong desire to revisit, especially because of its location in the Palermo neighborhood. It was super convenient with currency exchanges and restaurants nearby. Overall, it was very comfortable and well-situated.

Remota Patagonia Lodge

Puerto Natales

The Remota Patagonia Lodge was a standout for us. The style and aesthetics were first-class, with the whole place having a high-end, spa-like feel. The restaurant was excellent and having a swimming pool added to the experience. I would highly recommend it.

Activity Reviews

Buenos Aires Walking City Tour- Private

Buenos Aires

We had a wonderful time on the Buenos Aires Walking City Tour! Our guide, Diana, was excellent and really enriched our experience with her knowledge.

Visit the Penguin Colony on Isla Martillo (walking tour)

Ushuaia

The visit to the Penguin Colony on Isla Martillo was a mixed experience. While the penguins were interesting and the scenery beautiful, the tour of the museum at Harberton Ranch was excessively long. The content was educational, but a shorter, optional tour would have been preferable as it stretched into the late evening.

outstanding trip .. thank you KimKim for providing a rewarding trip .. no complaints of KimKim
tips for KimKim to add:
- Morocco prefers Morocco cash .. rarely US$, almost never credit card
- Plan 40 MAD dinner per person .. 20 MAD lunch per person
- Travel times on Itinerary were hours more than listed
- Berber lunch and dinner more expensive than good restaurants - was surprised
- add ability to shop at "regular stores" where people live .. not just in tourist areas
- fixed meals in hotels - (could be problem for allergies, vegan, vegetarian) - little flexibility - though we loved the foods
- bring Morocco electric adapter for US