Kimkim Trip Reviews

My mother and I traveled to Argentina in January of 2022 and had an amazing experience booking with KimKim.

Hotel Review

Calafate Parque Hotel

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

San Antonio de Areco & Estancia el Ombu

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A huge thank you to Tiago and his team! They made planning our trip, on short notice, a pleasure. The hotels, tour guides, restaurant recommendation and our travel book where all spot on! We will definitely be using KimKim again!

Erin is simply the best travel agent I have ever worked with. She spent time up front understanding how we wanted to travel and then helped create an itinerary to accomplish this. Her manner is low key, yet responsive. She suggested a unique experience to visit Estancia Mercedes which was one of the highlights of our trip. She stayed with us for 3 years as we rescheduled several times due to covid. She was timely and responsive to every request we made, offering suggestions of her own. On her day off she made sure that there was a backup person we could reach out to if necessary. This trip involved so many logistics due to covid and she coached us along the entire way, even sending reminders when it was time to upload an affidavit or take a covid test during the travel process. We received a detailed day by day itinerary that we both carried with us which was helpful as we navigated various modes of travel and experiences. I highly recommend her services.

Hotel Review

Hotel Lunajuim

El Chalten

Great location and price. The beds in particular were very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

Nara met us at 1o pm to review our upcoming trip. She was pleasant, had all our materials and provided helpful information. We had one activity where we met a boat early in the morning at an out of the way spot and she even sent us a photo the night before to help us be sure we arrived at the correct location. This was useful since the cab driver used it to find our drop off location and we felt is was above and beyond by Lara.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Egypt earlier this month and were very impressed with all the arrangements. There was no hiccup on any of the logistics. Our accommodation was mostly first-class - especially the Kempinski in Cairo and the Old Cataract in Aswan. The only slightly disappointing one was the Ghaliat Eco-Lodge in Siwa. Firstly everything was served on single-use plastic - cups, plates, cutlery etc - but also it had nothing in the way of facilities - no bar, no WiFi, no hair-dryer, no ice etc etc. while it was relaxing, three nights was more than enough there.
Our main guide, Mohammad Shaarawy was outstanding - very knowledgeable on everything and had perfect English. He was also excellent company. Our main driver, also Mohammad, was equally outstanding and there was plenty of room on our mini-bus.
Our guide in Upper Egypt was not so outstanding- very heavily accented English and not as knowledgeable on Egyptology. Also he seemed to mess up on our plans for a hot-air balloon ride in Luxor, which we eventually could not take.
The Sonesta St. George boat was superb and we were very happy with the service, food and comfort.
Our airport collections and transfers worked very smoothly and the only change we would make again is to allow an extra day for this itinerary as it was really full-on most of the time.
We wanted to cover as much ground as possible and thus visited Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Nile Cruise, Luxor, Alexandria, El Alamein and Siwa all in a two-week period.
The highlights for us were going inside the Pyramids, Abu Simbel, Karnak Temple, Valley of Kings, the amazing Alexandria Bibliotheque, and the great Siwa Oasis
Overall we had a memorable trip and learned so much from the really informative guides and were very happy with the service provided by Egypt Promotions Ltd
Edmund

Activity Review

Visit Philae temple & High Dam and Check-in on board Nile cruise

Aswan

High Dam was disappointing compared to other dans we have seen - Kariba, Boulder- couldn’t see the size of it or the sluices and no working model nor tour of the operating of the dam.

We found Guatemala to be more friendly, cheaper, more interesting and way, way safer than the other Central American countries that we've toured, especially Mexico. We felt safe walking anywhere, excluding Guatemala City, including night. People are smiling and unusually kind, both to us and to each other. We did the standard Antigua, Tikal, Atitlan route. The latter was the most interesting, especially when we took an extra day to go to the villages the tourists don't normally visit. And though all guides and drivers were fine, Pedro in Atitlan was the best.

Special thanks to Eduardo at kimkim. He had to plan our trip 3 times (twice delayed due to Covid restrictions.) I ask lots of questions and requested many particular changes to the itinerary. He always responded quickly. During the trip he was very attentive, coming to our hotel to review things and always available on the phone. The only two issues we encountered occurred on Sunday nights and he was available and on top of it even then.

In Flores near Tikal, recommend staying at a hotel on the island, not the other side of the bridge and definitely not the El Patio hotel (we were moved upon request.) The 5 star hotels in Antigua, Camino Real and the Casa Santa Domingo (the latter built around museums and not to be missed) were fantastic. Every hotel, including the $50/nite Regis in Panajachel, included great breakfasts.

Tourism is still down 50% or more in Guatemala so take this opportunity to
Visit.

Charlotte was awesome, she created an itinerary which met our needs with a 7 yr old kid and we were yet able to cover a lot of activities including a dinner with a local Costa Rican family, which was the highlight of the trip!
Charlotte was easily reachable on text whenever we had any questions during the trip and even prior.
We wouldn’t have been able to explore and enjoy CR the way we did , if it wasn’t for Charlotte.
A true professional and an expert at what she does! Would highly recommend her to anyone!!

From the first inquiry and a phone conversation with Sharon everything fell into place. She put together our itinerary perfectly. Everything was smooth transition from place to place. Upon arrival we met our driver, Sallam, who instantly became family. Not only is he a safe driver but he is also concerned with any need you might have. He opened his home and family to us where we shared a meal as a family. That experience was priceless. All the tour guides at the different cities were full of knowledge and great. Our Morocco vacation was exceptional because we used them. Highly recommend them!

We contacted Kimkim in the fall of 2019 based on a referral, and once Croatia was mentioned we were put in touch with Antonia Ljuština - what a find!! Not only did she ask all the right questions, she patiently worked back and forth as our 13 year old granddaughter did her research and expanded her wish list. From the planning, the venues, to the incredible guides and finally her extraordinary service, we couldn’t have been happier. She was there for any questions, 24/7, always ensuring we were looked after regardless of the need. We are in our 70’s, have travelled extensively and have come to appreciate service that goes above and beyond. Our guides Ivana (Dubrovnik), Olga (our food guide in Split), another Ivana (Zadar), Grgo (Hvar), Ljerka (Pula) and finally saving the best for last, Josipa (Zagreb) - were all outstanding. Each place was unique with special memories of Hvar and the Truffle Hunt in Motovun. The seafood in these beautiful coastal venues was exquisite and Josipa’s recommendation for authentic Croatian cuisine in Zagreb was a perfect ending to a magical trip. Of the five grandchildren we have taken through Europe this adventure was the best organized, informative and memorable. Antonia created experiences we 3 will cherish forever.

We just returned from a 9 day trip to Morocco. We traveled as a family of four including myself, my wife and our 10 year old son and 12 year old daughter. Planning the trip was easy and straightforward with Abdel. He answered our questions promptly and with lots of detail. He adjusted the trip to meet our specific needs multiple times. Once locked in, he made all the booking for us and kept us in the loop if there were any changes.
Upon arrival, our guide Karim picked us up from the airport and welcomed us like family. He was punctual, professional, courteous and kind to us throughout. He offered himself and his country to us from his heart and by the end, we felt that he became a part of our family.
We have traveled across the world on our own and in retrospect, we could have easily done the tour of Morocco on our own but it would not have been even close to the same as the trip we experienced with Original travel and especially with Karim. His local knowledge and personal touch made all the difference. We traveled during Ramadan when most restaurants esp in the remote areas are closed for lunch but Karim made sure we were taken care of every single day including lunch with a berber friends family (who welcomed us with open arms) in a small town and a unique Moroccan barbeque by the river. He showed us details we would never have found and through a perspective only a trained local tour guide can offer.
I hope to book another trip to Morocco using Original travel and especially with (my brother) Karim in the future. For those considering this journey, Book with confidence and then prepare yourself for a trip of a lifetime where all you will need to do is to keep an open mind.

Hotel selection was perfect. Best hotel was Naraya Springs, Finca Rosa Blanca and Tulemar were a close second. The Belmar was just OK, but, not great. It would be good to suggest to travelers that distances are great and the ride between points is 3-4 hours in less than great vans. Bottom line-allow more time in each stop than we did. Hanging bridges was fantastic but rather arduous for a person with compromised knees or hips. It is not flat walking. Cloud forest would be better if there were clouds, but, there were none on our trip. Tulemar was great with the private beach, very good experience. The sunset cruise was also very pleasant and a good option for a more relaxed excursion. Snorkeling not so great in this area.

Hotel Review

Nayara Springs - Adults Only

Fortuna

This hotel was fantastic. Everything about it was great. Beautiful setting. Very large room. Private plunge pool and outdoor shower were big plusses. Hotel also provides 24 hour turn free laundry. The included breakfasts were amazing, great food. All of the staff of this property are very customer focused and do a great job.

Tips for future travelers

Stay more than 2 days.

Authenticity & Character

Set in the jungle and you feel very private.

Location

Close to the Arenal attractions

Staff

Everyone pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and very comfortable.

Activity Review

Private Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very attentive crew that worked very hard at making this a nice leisurely trip.

Quality of Experience

As advertised exactly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They worked really hard at pleasing everyone.

Transport

Bad AC on bus.

Diego truly did an *incredible* job planning our trip. He made the whole experience seamless, and whenever we hit any snags (which were few and very minor), Diego's communication was consistently responsive and helpful, and he always got things back on track immediately if needed. The activities he guided us to were amazing experiences and the transportation was just so easy! We loved all three locations (La Fortuna/Monteverde/Manuel Antonio) and were absolutely DELIGHTED with each place Diego picked for us to stay: each was so different, a bungalo suite and hot spring hotel in La Fortuna, a delightful spa hotel in Monteverde with a beautiful view and grounds, and a *gorgeous* beach hotel in Manuel Antonio; each place we couldn't think could be topped, and offered such a unique, comfortable and hospitable experience with amazing amenities (that we fully took advantage of!).

We could not have asked for better service; this trip was incredibly memorable and beautiful!

Hotel Review

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Absolutely beautiful hotel with some of the best hospitality I have ever experienced. The hotel itself is beautiful, and the grounds and surrounding area were magical. We loved the massage services and the staff in the restaurant were so accommodating and kind, and genuinely went out of their way to make our stay so special. The location was ideal and very walkable to the "downtown" area of Monteverde.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I cannot say enough about how wonderful the staff were - we are so grateful for the amazing service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Horseback Riding in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

Probably my favorite activity in our whole trip, this was an incredible experience with some of the most breathtaking views in our entire journey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had such an amazing time! Everything was so well organized, I didn’t have to think about anything other than showing up. Our guides were so sweet and made every effort to make sure we were okay. Michael planned an awesome trip, one I will never forget!

Had an absolutely amazing time thanks to the great planning by Marina. Hotels were fantastic as were the guides that were arranged. The driving trip to Sintra is a can’t miss event and our guide Rui was incredible, making it feel like a trip with our Portuguese cousin. All our other guides (Miguel and Pedro in Porto) and Felipa in Lisbon were top notch.
Truly had a great experience thank you Marina!

Hotel Review

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

Very nice hotel. Great service. Very central to all key Lisbon locations

Tips for future travelers

No controllable AC

Activity Review

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

The guide really makes the trip. Rui was our guide replacing Nuno at the last minute. I couldn’t think of a better and more enjoyable person than him he was terrific!

Samir was great to work with, and both knowledgeable and patient in helping put together an ideal itinerary within my time frame and budget. It made for a well organized and a perfectly paced trip across the major sites across Jordan. Will recommend him to Friends & Family!

Christian was an excellent driver and wonderful guide. He maximized our time in Ecuador to the fullest extent possible. He knew just where and when to take a break and found the most wonderful places for a meal or snack. He had a great knowledge of history and answered all our many questions about Ecuador from nature to economics to ecology and more. And he was a lot of fun to be around- game for anything and even pushed us to do a few things we weren’t sure about but greatly enjoyed!
Most memorable was the Quito teleferico, Quito cooking class, Mindo hummingbirds even though we aren’t birders, Banos waterfalls and hot springs, horseback riding in Cotopaxi and visiting the lovely Quilotoa crater. The hacienda stays were exceptional.
Main thing was that Alvaro pulled off planing our trip with a one week notice!! Awesome job!!

Hotel Review

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

Outstanding service and beautiful rooms. Lovely surroundings. Very quiet and comfortable. Excellent food.

Authenticity & Character

The interior

Location

Quiet but near town and national park

Staff

Personal and prompt service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fireplace in bedroom

Activity Review

Otavalo - Cloud forest of Mindo

Otavalo

Hummingbirds we’re amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Outdoor dining

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an absolutely amazing trip, Mathias and his team were excellent. We were planning a trip for spring break with our 12 and eight-year-olds and looking for adventure that would also be appropriate for this age range. He worked with us on several different itineraries to give us options, listened to our requests for Accommodations, and provided us with the most amazing driver Sebastian who was so knowledgeable about the country, and very patient with our children! He went above and beyond to make sure everything was organized and we had everything needed. It was the little details, like buying fruit in the market for our family, and following up with pictures from our adventures that we really appreciate. My children could stop hugging him at the end of the trip! Mathis met us at our hotel at the beginning of our adventure and checked in with us throughout the way to make sure our expectations were met. He works with top notch Accommodations and vendors. We would not change a think about this trip, other than we wished we stayed longer! We can’t wait to go back and would 100 percent book with Mathis!

Hotel Review

Isla de Baños Hosteria y Spa

Baños

Activity Review

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park - Baños

Ecuador

This past March, my husband and I toured Morocco with Original Travels. Prior to the trip, I corresponded with Abdellah, who managed every detail of our trip through Morocco. Original Travels a Moroccan-owned tour company. Our tour guide was Samir. He was kind, knowledgeable, and easygoing. Samir picked us up at the Casablanca airport and we began our drive through Rabat and arrived at the Lina Riyad in Chefchaouen. The Lina Riyad was the perfect place to land after nearly 24 hours of travel. It was spacious, quiet, and cozy. The food was utterly delicious. I booked a spa experience that included a hammam, massage, and facial, which erased all of the aches and pains from travel. Samir picked us up in the morning and gave us a walking tour of Chefchaouen, taking photos of us and explaining the local culture. He drove us to Fes and we made some stops along the way. In Fes, we stayed at Riad Salam Fes for 2 nights, which featured great food and gorgeous accommodations. The city of Fes is enchanting. We went on a walking tour of Fes, stopping at the tannery, a ceramics studio, the Qarawiyyin mosque, and several craft shops. The next leg of our tour brought us to the desert. We drove through snowy mountains in the morning and then arrived at the golden desert by late afternoon. We spent 2 nights at Tirizi Camp, which was the absolute highlight of the trip. Samir drove us through the Dades Valley, where we bought some goods from the rose collective. We stayed at Hotel Xaluca Dades. The accommodations were nice, but the food wasn’t very good. Samir picked us up in the morning and we found a guesthouse in the Dades Valley where we had a lovely breakfast and a breathtaking view of the landscape. Samir led us on a trek through the kasbahs of Ait Benhaddou. Along the way to Marrakech, we stopped at an argan collective, where we learned how cosmetics and culinary products are made from argan oil. We arrived at Marrakech and spent 2 nights at Riad Pachavana. It was a beautiful Riad with an extraordinarily hospitable staff. The only strange thing was the the bathroom didn’t have a door. There was an 8-foot long hallway separating the bathroom from the bedroom, which offered very little privacy. For that reason, I’d seek a different Riad for my next trip to Marrakech. Abedellah joined us in our walking tour of Marrakech and we lunched at a local restaurant. He arranged for us to get COVID tests at the hotel, in preparation for the flight back to the US. Samir drove us back to Casablanca, and we stayed at the Odyssee Center Hotel.
All in all, we had a lovely trip. Our driver, Samir became a friend to our family, and we are still in touch with him. If an individual person could embody all of the good that Morocco has to offer, that person is Samir.

Hotel Review

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

This was my favorite riad in Morocco. In fact, when I return to Chefchaouen, I would stay here again. It was quite, spacious, very comfortable. The food was exquisite. Throughout my 10-day trip in Morocco, I compared every other hotel, riad, and dining experience to the Lina Ryad.

Tips for future travelers

Definitely eat at the hotel and do have a hammam and massage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The tour that Samir put together for our family of four (parents and two kids 9 and 11) was fabulous. Samir was very responsive when we had to change our travel dates because of flight changes. We spent a glorious 8 days touring Jordan with our amazing driver Nader (Nick). Nader is kind, generous and very knowledgeable about Jordan. Nader recommended we extend our jeep tour of Wadi Rum to a full day. It was the best decision, the desert is beautiful and my kids loved every moment of it. If I had more time I would spend two days in Wadi Rum taking a jeep ride. Also, if I had more time, I would have spent two full days in Petra as opposed to the one day we had. Petra is just too big to properly see in one day. Overall, this was a memorable trip for all of us.

Hotel Review

Strand Hotel

Amman

Activity Review

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

I can't say enough good things about the people of Costa Rica - they are friendly, happy, and proud of their country. Most spoke English, but were very patient with our Spanish, which my 2 high schoolers had fun practicing. The scenery and wildlife were great and the food was delicious.
Brittany helped us arrange a great trip to Costa Rica where we were able to visit Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. In La Fortuna, we got a great view of the Arenal volcano and did a nocturnal walk to see red eye tree frogs and poison dart frogs. Monteverde was probably a highlight for the family, even though it wasn't cloudy in the cloud forest that we were there. We had a great time on the ziplines. We had a very unique & special dinner for my daughter's birthday at San Lucas TreeTop Dining. It was delicious, yet pricey. My favorite hotel was our stay at La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio where there where monkeys and sloths at the hotel and the view over the water was beautiful. Brittany did a great job of arranging transportation and excursions and was easy to communicate with during the planning. We will definitely be using KimKim services to plan our next international trip.

Hotel Review

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

The hotel overlooks the ocean and has a great patio that is very relaxing. The staff were very friendly and the food was pretty good. The beds were a little hard for my taste, but the rooms were very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Treetopia Zip Lines

Monteverde

Our family of 5 (ages 13, 15, 18) had a great time on the ziplines. The guides made you feel very safe and it was exhilarating. There are a few ziplines that you had to ride tandem, but it added to the fun. I definitely would recommend, it was my kids favorite experience of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking my tour through kimkim, made my travel to Colombia worry free. I just told them what my interest were, and they came up with a plan the suited my requests.

Hotel Review

Hotel Kartaxa Cartagena

Cartagena

Loved the hotel and the location. Friendly and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Visit Cocora Valley, Coffee Farm & Salento

Salento

Hiking in the cloud forest was the highlight of my trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport