Kimkim Trip Reviews

When we started to organize our trip until the very end was fantastic! Ngima organized our trip perfectly and when we met him we clicked immediately and became friends. He is really a great guy! Our guides for sightseeing Kathmandu and Pokhara were excellent, showing us every little detail and shared stories of both cities. Annapurna panorama trek was such unforgettable experience with beautiful sights and nature. We had great guide Angelo who took care of us as we are his family. Together with the best porter with the most beautiful smile ever! Acconodation and food during trek were amazing. We will surely come again and will give our faith in Ngimas hands again!

Activity Reviews

Fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu

Pokhara

Pokhara Sightseeing Tour

Pokhara

Trek from Ghandruk to Kimche

Ghandruk

Trek from Dhampus to Landruk (6,234 ft / 1900 m)

Dhampus

Trek from Astam to Dhampus (1700m)

Dhampus

Eco lodge and their owners fantastic people! Food was exceptional!

Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Drive to Astam.

Astam

Kathmandu Sightseeing tour to Boudhanath, Kathmandu Durbar Square and Pashupatinath

Kathmandu

Guide and driver fantastic! Talked a lot! Find some great stuff about Kathmandu and Nepal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Kathmandu & Evening trek briefing

Kathmandu Int. Airport (KTM)

Ngima waited for us and welcomed us! Felt really welcomed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek from Landruk to Ghandruk (6,365 feet / 1,940 m)

Nepal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we had a wonderful trip to vietnam for 15 days , Our specialist Ha helped me plan the trip . we conversed many texts and she answered all my questions in detail. we first went to Hanoi, the Halong bay for overnight stay, then Hue, Hoi An, Danang , HCM city then to Siem Reap Angkor Wat . we booked our international flight ourselves, but Ha arranged all internal flights, from Hanoi to Hue , then Danang to HCM city , then HCM city to Siem Reap. the flight arrangements were very smoothly . all our guides were very attentive and all drivers drove very safely. total we had 7 guides throughout our trip , all very professional and spoke good enough English to understand

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Somadevi Angkor Resort & Spa

needs to update the interior

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Somerset Ho Chi Minh Hotel

Ho Chi Minh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Pavillon Hoi An Luxury Resort & Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

not in the downtown area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Indochine Palace

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Era Cruises

Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Somerset Grand Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanoi Full day city (S) - water puppet show

Hanoi

Our guide Cheung was very attentive, answered all our questions, took us many places

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Morocco was absolutely FANTASTIC! The itinerary was flawless. The destinations, riads, guided tours, transport, just everything! A special shout out to our amazing driver yusuf, who was with us throughout. Morocco is a must visit destination, where every city we visited was unique in its own way. My favorites, however were ChefChaouen, the hike to the Berber village in the Atlas Mountains and the piece de resistance, was the amazing Inara camp in the Agafe desert. Communication with Said was prompt and efficient and i have to say, this was one of my most memorable vacations ever! I will definitely be recommending your services to all my friends and family!

The good, the bad and the ugly…
Pros:
1 Samir, our local specialist was easily available whenever I needed to contact him. This was necessary as there were multiple hiccups. Additionally, the people he subcontracted to, Bethlehem tours were in touch with me and readily available.
2 We had assistance with the border crossings to make sure that process went smoothly.
3 Our drivers were on time and affable.
4 Our tour guide Hussam was amazing! He really made the trip for us in the Israel portion of the trip!
5 Nick was quite entertaining and willing to do anything for us.
6 Israeli breakfasts are amazing.

Cons:
1 I had been given our drivers phone number by Samir, and when that changed, I was not informed of the name change or the telephone change.
He also did not let me know that we were not doing the sunrise hike in Masada. These changes should have been communicated to me.
2 The hotel in Nof Ginnosar was an absolute dump and should have had a rating of two. Extremely dated with bugs. The food was mediocre and there was nowhere else to go.
3 We liked the personality of our driver Johnny and He met us promptly at the airport in Israel. He was always on time and most importantly, he showed up at 3 AM to take us to the airport to go home. However, He took the long way from the airport to our hotel which was clearly obvious to us because we were mapping it on our phones. He would not take instruction and we went in circles taking an hour and a half for a half an hour trip. We were then taken to the incorrect hotel. We eventually made it to the correct hotel. When we returned to Israel, he again took the long way to the hotel through the downtown traffic instead of the freeway, even though I showed him multiple times on my phone how to go. He ignored my suggestions and was on the phone with his wife/family.
3 When we started booking with Kimkim, we wanted to book our own hotels, and they would not let us. I understand that that is likely one of their biggest sources of revenue. However, with that comes the responsibility of making sure the bookings are correct. It was extremely important to me that we had the panoramic tents in Wadi Rum. When we got there, we were told they were no panoramic tents. After many calls to Samir and the office and many delays, we were given one panoramic tent. This was a huge disappointment because my adult son was particularly looking forward to the stargazing which is the whole point of the panoramic tent, and the price that you pay for it. Samir tried to blame it on the hotel, but it was truly the responsibility was his. He apologized for the hiccups on the trip, but was not straightforward with me concerning the tent situation. I am still awaiting the refund from Kimkim for the difference between the panoramic tent and the tent that my adult children ended up staying in since we were unable to get the second panoramic tent. The office should have confirmed these reservations and clearly did not. This is inexcusable, particularly given the expense of this trip. This reservation should have been confirmed. They tried to make it up to us with a dinner in Tel Aviv, which was appreciated , but cannot really make up for the disappointment.
I will make an addendum to this review to let the reader know if I receive the refund due to me for the downgraded room.

Hotel Reviews

Movenpick Petra Resort

Wadi Musa

Shams al weibdeh hotel apartment

Amman

It was nice to stay in apartment with a little more room as opposed to a hotel room. The breakfast, however, was very mediocre. There were multiple restaurants we could walk to in the area that were good.

Nof Ginosar Kibbutrz Hotel

Tiberias

This hotel should’ve had a rating of less than two. It was extremely extremely dated. They were bugs in my daughters room. The food was mediocre at best. They need new beds, new furnishings, new sheets, comforters, and pillows. Do not stay in this hotel. Very disappointing.

Tal By the Beach Hotel

Tel Aviv

Ambassadore Hotel Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Activity Review

Masada Sunrise

Israel

We didn’t get to do this because the site did not open until 8 AM and the sunrise hike would have put us there at 6 AM with nothing to do but to wait until the guy could take the cable car up to the side at 8 o’clock. Make sure you work out these details before you go.

The activities and planning provided by Martin were fantastic - we couldn't have asked for a better combination of places within the 11 days we were honeymooning in Thailand.

Having KimKim book all of these locally and provide transportation to and from was much easier than us managing it ourselves.

That being said, there were some hiccups that I think Kim Kim can improve on. It should be clear what level of service the local specialist is obligated to provide while on the trip -- as certain activities got delayed because of transportation issues. One clear example is when we landed in Surat Thani to go on a night safari in Khao Sok, we were severely delayed (1+ hour) because our driver incorrectly took another passenger! When we faced this issue, we tried communicating with Martin to fix things, but ultimately had to call multiple different kimkim lines to get the driver -- and they ultimately called a taxi to get us there. It would probably make it way easier if they just directly connected us with each local transportation driver.

I also think the digital organization of the trip on kimkim.com could benefit from having a mobile app or some place to clearly attach all of the invoices within a singular trip itinerary. Mobile App makes sense given that you are traveling but always have your phone on you. I had to get around that by uploading this all to my iCloud and managing through folders. It could also make it easier to communicate with local service providers (like drivers).

Hotel Reviews

Our Jungle Camp - Eco Resort

Tambon Klongsok, Ampur Panom, Suratthani

Staff were amazing and very helpful. Food was great, and I wish we got to stay longer!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

Good location, needs some renovation in the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Amazing hotel - we had a lot of fun here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

So central to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Take a Thai Cooking Class

Chiang Mai

Amazing to see that we could make thai dishes ourselves!

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Loved this to kick off our trip!

Ancient & Hidden Ayutthaya by Bike

Bangkok

Great for people wanting to learn about Thai history!

Spend a Day with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an excellent and amazing vacation!

Hard to single out one place. I learned a lot about a part of the world that I never really thought about. It was exciting to be in Buenos Aires when they won the soccer championship. We were there at the right time to share their joy. All places we visited were beautiful. The guides were excellent. I can only say that it opened up a whole world I was ignorant of. We have been to Europe several times. This trip gave me a new understanding of the world.

This is our first time using kimkim for our travel. We were a little hesitant to go with travel agencies but wanted try it out on this trip since we could not find any local specialists for our Thailand visit. Kimkim and our local specialist Dat came through and made this trip a memorable one. We enjoyed the trip and Dat was just a WhatsApp call away through our entire trip. We were able to reach him any time of the day and he was ready to help us right away. Thanks Dat for that. It made us feel safe and secure while traveling without having to worry about where to go, who to meet and what our next destination would be.
We were in Bangkok for 2 days, Chiang Mai for 2 days and Koh Yao Yai for 3 days. The itinerary was just right. Not too full and not too empty. We all enjoyed the visit to the Doi Inthanon National park and the elephant sanctuary the most. The local guides in Bangkok and Chiang Mai were very knowledgeable and were able to guide us to all places and explain the history and provide context. If only we were able to secure our overnight train tickets to Chaing Mai from Bangkok, it would have been a perfect visit for us.
After Bangkok and Chiang Mai, our expectations were raised for the relaxing visit to Koh Yao Yai but was a little underwhelmed. We shared our thoughts on this to Dat and he immediately contacted the resort and did his best to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Thanks again for your prompt action on this Dat. Much appreciated.
Overall we enjoyed this trip to Thailand and we will be recommending Kimkim and Dat to our friends and families.
Some recommendations for future travelers to Thailand:
1. It would be good to have some input before the travel on what type of dress to pack. Especially if we are visiting temples, we need to get long pants for women.
2. Bangkok traffic is notorious. We felt that we spent a lot of time in traffic going to various places.
3. Flying between destinations takes away nearly half day in each airport visit. Overnight trains preferable where possible.

Hotel Reviews

Baan Taranya Resort, Koh Yao Yai

Authenticity & Character

Location

There were boats moored at the beaches. The beaches had low tide every single day of our visit making playing the beach for kids next to impossible.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

White Boutique Hotel and Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Doi Inthanon Hill (N)

Chiang Mai

The hike in the national forest was a highlight of this trip. We all enjoyed it the most. The weather was also perfect. Visit to the waterfall and the temple was also very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damnern Saduak Floating Market - City tour (N)

Bangkok

The long tail boat ride to this market was fun. The market itself was very vibrant and one of a kind.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Ayutthaya (N)

Bangkok

The guide was very knowledgeable and patiently explained the history behind the palace, ruins and temple in Ayutthaya. The trip back to and from Bangkok was very long. We felt that we spent more time on the road than actually visiting places in Ayutthaya.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Tour (join-in) - Doi Suthep Hill (N)

Chiang Mai

It's a family experience not to be missed. The elephants were super friendly and the staff were very knowledgeable and accommodative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible family vacation in Columbia with our guides Alba (Medellin) and Santiago (Bogota). Felipe was incredibly helpful in arranging an itinerary and trip plan based on our specific needs. Memorable experiences in Medellin were a coffee farm tour, and visiting Guatape and climbing El Penol. In Bogota we loved the Salt Cathdral at Zipaquira and the Guatavita Lake tour, Gold Museum, Monserrate, and chocolate experience. The transporation and dining arrangements were seamless. I highly recommend using this service if you don't have extensive knowledge about your destination -- it is money well spent.

Hotel Reviews

NH Collection Bogotá Teleport Royal

Bogotá DC

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Medellin Marriott Hotel

Medellín

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral and Guatavita Lake Tour

Bogotá

Incredible experience. We learned a lot about the history and people of Colombia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The planning process with kimkim was very easy. I went with them to organize 5 days in the northern part of Morocco because they offered more flexibility in arranging the itinerary. Every other company I looked at had a trip to the desert as part of the tour, and we didn't want to do that. I never spoke to Yassine, but had two conversations with Louis and he was great. The first conversation was early on fine-tuning the schedule, and the second was when our flights were delayed leaving the US. He told us not to worry and took care of sorting out the impact of our late arrival in Morocco. We ended up losing a day in Fes, but once we arrived everything went just as planned. Our driver Salim was very friendly, reliable, and competent. He told us a lot about Morocco as we drove from place to place. We felt like we were in good hands with him behind the wheel. We spent a day with Hassan as our tour guide in Fes. We started at a few sites outside the medina and then spent the rest of the time inside the medina. Along with seeing what was there, we combined it with a food tour. We sampled authentic food from stalls, all delicious. He did a great job showing us around.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Cherifa

Chefchaouen

This was the second property we stayed at on our trip. It was nice, but since the riad we stayed at before in Fes was so gorgeous it was a slight letdown. Still there was nothing wrong with it and if it had been the first place we had stayed I wouldn't have had a comparison. The food and service were both good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well located to explore Chefchaouen

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad & Spa Dar Bensouda

Fes

This riad was lovely. The courtyard spaces were beautiful and the roof terrace was very nice. Our room was lovely and made you feel like you were somewhere special. We had dinner at this riad one night and the food was good. Breakfast was the standard Moroccan fare and it was fine.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully decorated.

Location

The medina is so confusing I don't know if we were in a good location or not, but I think it was.

Staff

Very helpful and friendly. Served mint tea and pastries on arrival.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

This was the least impressive of the riads we stayed in. It was fine, but not as beautiful inside as the others. The service was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I probably would not include Rabat again if I was to do this trip again.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

In my opinion, if you don't have a guide you will get hopelessly lost and not enjoy yourself. Our guide did a good job. When you are taken to see the ceramics being made, the tannery and the weavers outside the medina it is also a selling opportunity. We were not interested in buying pottery, leather goods our carpets and Hassan was happy to move us along. I don't know who takes a cut if you are to buy something and maybe most tourists really are interested.

Quality of Experience

Except for the selling stops, we learned and saw a lot.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hassan was very personable and easy to communicate with.

Transport

If you're considering a trip to Vietnam, choose Realistic Asia! We were so so pleased with them! This is the first time using KimKim, and we were a little bit concerned that they would create a mainstream trip plan for us, but WOW, it surpassed our expectations!!

Hien was responsive from the beginning stages of planning to the end of the trip, switching a thing or two in the itinerary as we wished, adjusting pick up times as our flight was delayed, and promptly replying to our inquiries. We are a family of four (parents and teenagers) wanting to focus on Vietnam's culture, (street) food, outdoors and farming traditions. We were impressed by the way she planned the attractions because they didn't feel repetitive, nor overwhelming. There was a good flow from one day to another. We went to Hanoi/outskirts, Halong Bay, Hoi An/outskirts and HCMC/Mekong.

Some of her local guide/operators were worth mentioning: Mr. Quang, in Hanoi had just the right balance of good humor, information and respect; Mrs. Ann in Hoi An was kind and a patient translator as I had many questions to the farmers at the Thanh Dong organic farm, and Nana, from Vietnam Vintage Vespa, who was gentle, fun and very personable, and provided the most memorable food tour through the alley's of HCMC (your teenagers will love this!)

The hotels all offered a wonderful breakfast spread in the morning. Del Vostro in Hanoi was our favorite, as far as quality and customer service, but I can't forget to mention that we really enjoyed the rooftop bar/sauna/amenities at the Cochin Zen, in HCMC.

I feel like this review could go on and on because this trip really crossed all the "ts" for us, but I'll list a few more highlights without giving too much away:

- Food tour with Mr. Quang in Hanoi, including a surprising need-to-know-basis home that serves as a family restaurant, where we ate at a table in someone's bedroom. We also enjoyed that he included a stop at the Vietnamese Women's Museum (yes!) in between restaurants and pagodas.
- A day trip to the Ba Vi eco village, where we visited small producers of all sorts of things. We rode bikes from one house to the next, entering their homes, seeing their crops and animals, learning about the work they do, then having a cooking class and being treated with a truly delicious lunch. Amazing!!
-Kayaking in Ha Long Bay - absolutely gorgeous!
-Hoi An Ancient City - we had no idea of how picturesque and lantern-enchanting this little gem of a city is. What a great surprise! Make sure you have space in your camera roll!
- The night Vespa food tour in HCMC (or Saigon, if you're in the South) - again, it really gave us a much better sense of the city as we moved from one district to the next quite easily.

Hotel Reviews

Cochin Zen Hotel

A serene boutique hotel in the busy District 1 Saigon. The moment you come into the hotel, you feel comfortable and safe - the decor, the lighting, the service (they bring you a refreshing tea.) The breakfast is excellent. The bedrooms were clean and comfortable. I wasn't impressed by the bathroom, in particular the bathtub/shower. The tub was way too high to get in, and the shower would splash water on the floor. The water pressure is fabulous, but they should consider it when designing a half-enclosed shower because it'll splash on the floor and make a mess. This hotel offered a top floor bar on a deck with a small (non-heated) pool and a nice view. A great place to relax, have a drink or dinner. I used their steam room and my family used their small efficient gym. We liked it.

Le Pavillon Hoi An Paradise Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Very good hotel, spacious, clean, offering an excellent breakfast spread, a (non-heated) pool, and courteous staff. The rooms are nicely decorated, but I'm not giving them 5 stars because our bedroom had a bit of a smell. We think it came from the (beautiful spa-like) bathroom because the set up didn't exactly drain the water very well. I mean, it was a gorgeous bathroom with sliding doors, perfect wall tiling, awesome looking bathtub but a shower without doors and the water splattered everywhere. They should probably consider making it a bit more functional.

Renea Cruises Halong

Hon Gai, Ha Long

We had an enjoyable stay at the Renea cruise. The staff was attentive and the boat was comfortable enough. We were overjoyed by the surrounding Ha Long Bay and the amazing kayak trip/cave tour. The boat is a bit dated, but charming. The food was plenty but not the best and we found hair in it a couple of times. The guide was very sweet and eager, if not a bit too enthusiastic. It's taking a 3-star because it was decent, but a bit old.

Dal Vostro Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Beautiful boutique hotel in an older building. They did a good job creating charm from the entrance to the bedrooms. I confess I was hoping for more in terms of their spa area/massages but this didn't impact my rating. The cleaningness, style and functioning of the facility, the comfort of our bed (the best mattress,) the breakfast, the attention from the staff (concierge Tony was super and articulate) and the location all contributed to my rating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Saigon By Night - Vintage Vespa Street Food Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

This tour was simply the highlight of Saigon for us. If you have teenagers, they will love it. Nana started the tour by assuring that we were all safe, and the four drivers were not speeding. Given that traffic in Vietnam is quite intense and...crazy for western standards, I caught myself thinking that I was being the most irresponsible and the coolest mom at the same time! Nana made us feel extremely comfortable. She is so enthusiastic and personable. "Let me tell you about my city," she started by sharing a bit of history of HCMC and about her family past generations, that was a nice touch. She created a real authentic food tour through streets and alleys of Saigon, as she likes to call it. "This is how locals eat." She took us to have some traditional food, seafood, dessert, and to have a drink at a pub and watch some live music. That was so unexpected! Oh, look forward to "happy water" in your tour! Overall excellent service. This was A++ to my kids. I felt like I was in the original Blade Runner movie, totally immersed in various streets and alleys of Saigon.

Quality of Experience

Personality, enthusiasm, eagerness to help and make us feel comfortable. She took many pictures of our family so we didn't have to spend time taking photos, but hanging out instead.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Competent drivers, courteous, excellent service.

Transport

Brand new vespas! They did a whole tutorial of how to mount/dismount the Vespas.

We had a fantastic trip to Vietnam and really appreciated all the assistance provided by Ashley! She was very accommodating and patient as we requested a few modifications to our itinerary as we became more educated on the options.

She was extremely responsive and informative, and I would highly recommend both Ashley and Kimkim!

Our Guayaquil guide, Corina and our driver, were amazing in their historical knowledge of the city and country, flexibility in the moment based on our interests, and steadfast in ensuring our safety. We had an amazing time looking at all of the effigies across the city in preparation for Ano Viejo. Our walk up the 444 steps to Diego Noboa y Arteta was finished w a lovely and delicious lunch. The rest of the week in the Galapagos was equally fun and interesting. Viviana, our guide, met us in Balstra and escorted us to Santa Cruze, all the while explaining the history of the islands, the economy, the differences between the mainland and islands, and of course introduced us to many amazing animals and sites from land iguanas to gigantic tortoises in their natural habitat. Seeing the evolution of various tortoises who come from other islands where they have different vegetation was spectacular. Thank you to the whole team for a truly eye-opening trip!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Tintorera

Puerto Villamil

This was a clean and family friendly hotel, but very basic. Appears to cater to the Ecuadorian mainland guests because nobody spoke English. But it was absolutely clean! And they were friendly so if you are ok w bare bones, it is just fine and very authentic.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast was cooked and served right in front of you on the outdoor stove.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sir Francis Drake

Puerto Ayora

This was an unfortunate experience. The hotel appeared dirty and not well maintained so as soon as we checked in, we asked our guides to transfer us somewhere else.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exe Galería Man-Ging

Guayaquil

Very basic, but clean if you need somewhere to stay and you arrive late at night and don’t want to pay for amenities that you won’t use. The artwork in the halls is a bit overwhelming though and it’s a bit dark.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oro Verde Guayaquil

Guayaquil

This is a lovely, modern, clean hotel with all of the amenities, including almond milk for those dairy-free concerned. There are different restaurants and a cafe to choose from. We actually switched hotels to stay here because it was so nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of Guayaquil

Staff

All went above and beyond to welcome us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Puerto Ayora Departure Transfer: Farewell to the Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Our guide Julio was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

This might have been better if we had not been snorkeling the day before and it wasn’t the 7th boat ride we had taken.

Quality of Experience

Food

They made me a GF lunch which was amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

The speedboat was fine though it would have been a little nicer on a larger boat where we could have walked around or had lunch. The guide and tour of Las Tintoreras was fine though I think it would have been better as a private tour instead of a large group. Also, the guide was very nice but didn’t appear to understand English very well as she couldn’t answer questions as much as tell us information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Viviana was amazing! The tortoises, the Charles Darwin center, it all was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guayaquil City Tour - Free afternoon

Guayaquil

The tour of the effigies was amazing. Corina’s knowledge about the history of the city and country and the economics of both, was really helpful. We loved the whole tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an amazing experience travelling to Nicaragua with Kimkim. I was a bit skeptical at first because I have never travelled with this agency before but they really surpassed my expectations. Reyna worked closely with me to accommodate my needs and always made sure everything is okay and if anything else is needed. There was active communication at all times. We stayed one week in Nicaragua and it was the perfect escape for whomever enjoys being in nature, surrounded by great people and eating delicious food. Every guide we had the pleasure to be with picked us up on time, was extremely helpful with any questions we might have had and you could tell they loved doing what they do.

In the future I would definitely book another trip with kimkim and was overall very impressed.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Marimba

Apoyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Charco verde

Rivas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Caite San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Patio del Malinche

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

always attentive and very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Masaya Volcano - Lava Rock Night Tour from Apoyo Lagoon

Apoyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at leisure

Apoyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Maderas Volcano

ometepe

We are not experienced hikers but we were able to succeed. It was not easy but the views were incredible. We were told this was a beginner's hike and it definitely wasn't. We also were not well prepared with the attire but overall it was a whole new experience for me and I am glad I was able to finish the whole hike.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Juan del Sur - Sunset Boat Journey

San Juan del Sur

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mombacho Volcano - Crater Trail

Granada

Quality of Experience

Food

no food that is why I rate it neutral

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Las Isletas Kayak adventure

Granada

Quality of Experience

Food

we did not have any food so I would rate it neutral

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim helped us plan a fun-filled family vacation in Costa Rica at the last minute! We went on beautiful nature hikes, saw sloths, monkeys and other animals and got to try new things like white-water rafting. We had a fantastic time the entire trip and made so many great memories.

Our trip was well-organized. We had some travel snafus and but we were able to stay in contact with someone on the team so our trip could continue smoothly. The tours we were booked on were fantastic and ran smoothly. The guides were great. All around great experience .

The trip plan David developed for us involved travelling through three diferent parts of the country, Tayrona National Park, the Guajira and the Orinoco, and gave us an idea of Colombia's amazing cultural diversity and natural beauty, just as we had hoped. We have both fallen in love with the country and are very much wanting to go back. It's difficult to say what were the highlights of the trip, as the thing we appreciated most was the possibility to travel, stay and eat with local people, and getting an insight, even if only for a few days, into their way of life. Tayrona was the most familiar in feel as we have travelled in rainforests and stayed in eco-lodges before so it was a good place to begin. You feel as if you are in the clouds slightly above the treeline, and we counted a dozen different bird species just from our bedroom window. We could have gone into the nature reserve nearby but instead walked by ourselves along the road to the coast to orient ouselves. The reward was a blissful view of the Caribbean at Los Cocos in unspoiled natural glory - the forst reaching into the sand, a couple of local families playing football, a dog running freely in the sunset. At Los Naranjos nearby there is a botanical garden with the most beautiful trees.

The food and cocktails at Tayrona kept up the holiday feel but nothing could have prepared us for what happened next, which was when the real adventure began. We were driven to Riohacha which has an amazing frontier city feel - which is indeed the case, as after this comes the desert. Before dawn the next day we were picked up from the hotel by Paola, the leader of the local company who took care of us for the next few days, by Leiner, our guide, and by Oder, the driver, who himself is Wayuu. We could not have felt more welcome and also in safer hands. This is important as it has to be stressed that this is not country in which you can casually venture on your own. It is a place where it is necessary to respect the local people who live here. It is also difficult country, beautiful but inhospitable, and it needs intimate knowledge to get around. Oder the driver was also vital as it is very rough territory for even a 4-wheel drive. He was brilliant, keeping us steady whatever the ground, and taking time so we never felt remotely in danger. Leiner was a terrific guide: knowlegeable, friendly, fluent in English and possessing fantastic people skills. We enjoyed stunning views of windswept landscapes with sparse vegetation but amazing birdlife including Red Cardinals, eagles, vultures and hawks. The sea is everywhere. Attending a local sea turtle conservation project and learning about the way solar technology is used to produce drinking water in this parched land was an inspiring example of grassroot -level community renewal: small scale, local and democratic.
After a quick stopover in Bogota we prepared for a flight to Puerto Carreno, and transferred to 4x4 to reach the Orinoco river. The first sight of the river (the second biggest in the world) was truly unforgettable. Under the guidance of Rosevelt our extremely practical and competent guide, and two lovely travel companions, we spend the next few days travelling down the Orinoco by boat, staying at Tuparro biosphere reserve, Sarrapia, and El Remanso in the Mavecure. There is something unusually lovely about the Orinoco river: the abundance of flora and fauna, the geology with its striking rock formations, and the rapids described by Alexander von Humboldt as the eighth wonder of the world. But the most important thing for us was understanding the river as the lifeblood of so many different communities; connecting different places, providing water and food, as well as identity and belonging. While we felt our lack of Spanish imposed limitations on the way we interacted with people we nevertheless learned so much about the ways in which indigenous communities in the region are connecting traditional ecological knowledge to solutions to the contemporary environmental crisis while protecting their cultural heritage. And, as we discovered while watching the World Cup finals in El Remanso, the language of football really is universal. While tourism can be a highly ambiguous phenomenon (something of which people locally are very much aware), you feel that communities here are managing to get the balance right, and have created infrastructure that allows people to see the astonishing natural abundance of the region, and learn about its cultural diversity, without doing damages or changing its character. Let's hope it stays this way.

Hotel Review

Quetzal Dorado Ecolodge

Zaino

What a lovely spot! The view from the central terrace opens out over the valley, the river and the mountains in the distance and is almost impossibly beautiful. We particularly appreciated the emphasis on sustainability. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere relaxed. Special compliments to the kitchen staff for the very tasty food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking to Cerros de Mavecure

Inírida

The Mavecure may be the most beautiful place we have ever seen. The hike is incredible we are told but forgive us as we chose instead to watch the world cup final with the local community. This was unforgettable.

Quality of Experience

Food

River fish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rosevelt is just so capable. He looks after you without saying a thing.

Transport

The boats. Never travel by car ever again.

Trip to Cabo de La Vela & Punta Gallinas 3 days - 2 nights

Colombia

This was an astonishing and beautiful experience, made possible by Leiner our amazing guide and Oder who drove us so safely. At the heart of it is an encounter with the Waiyuu people. The natural landscapes are incredible, topped only by seeing the turtle project explained at the Punta Gallinas community centre. We watched pelicans at sunset but we most enjoyed learning from our guides.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I would put ten stars here if possible.

Transport

Streams and mountains in Tuparro National Park

Puerto Carreño

In terms of sheer natural beauty, this is one of the most astonishing places we have ever visited, with every changing vistas and a final view of the Orinoco rapids. Edgar, the guide who took us op the mountain was incredibly friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the area and its flora and fauna.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Portugal over the wintertime was fabulous and we are back with some wonderful memories and a good understanding of Portugal.
With exaggeration, Our family loved every minute of it. The accommodation suited as very well as with the entire itinerary . Our guides throughout were fabulous and were very insightful.
The local trips to Douro Valley, Sintra and rural Algarve will leave us with long lasting memories of the regions I would highly recommend this to other tourists.

Once again, thank you very much to Marta for the planning and for being with us through the journey. I will most definitely return for another trip with you.

Thank you Theresa, for planning a seamless trip very last minute for me and my daughter to Malaysia. Plus, I greatly appreciate offering alternative itineraries “on the fly” after unexpected weather impacts arose. Each step of the way our drivers and activities were waiting and ready, all very courteous and offering additional advice and insight. Your suggested itinerary met all our touristy goals. This is my second time to use KimKim’s services, I’ll be back soon!

Hotel Reviews

Strawberry Park Resort

Their Christmas buffet and Malaysian Santa was very festive for an American away from home at Christmas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved being up on the hilltop with cool breeze and great view from the cozy balcony.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mutiara Taman Negara Resort

Kuala Tahan

Authenticity & Character

The chalet was cute and gave yiu the feeling of sleeping in the jungle, especially as monkeys pounced on the roof.

Location

It was fun to cross the River and feel very secluded from the world.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Park Royal Service Suites Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Room was very neat and clean. Breakfast buffet offerings were very good. Location was good, quick Grab ride to anywhere we needed to go.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Taman Negara

Taman Negara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Travel from Kuala Lumpur to Taman Negara via Batu Caves and night trekking

Malaysia

Had to check this off the touristy list … just beware of the monkeys, they were aggressive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

thanks for helping plan a wonderful trip that will leave us lifelong memories! I will of course refer friends to Lorena and Kimkim since we are very happy with the end to end experience you offered.

The guided tours in Valparaiso with Claudia and the all day one with Simple Patagonia in Torres Del Paine were excellent. Pick ups and drop offs were professional and on time in clean comfortable and safely driven vehicles

The penguin tour to Isla Magdalena and the all day boat tour to the glaciers were highlights

The hotels - both boutiques in Valparaiso and Chiloe were divine as was the 5 star comfort in Puerto Varas.

Finally Lorena and her staff in country were always available and super responsive via WhatsApp and so flexible that they were able to move us to an earlier bus when we decided to leave Punta Arenas 3 hours earlier to enjoy more of Natales. Someone picked up the old tickets and the new tickets were handed to us by the driver!

An amazing service experience and Lorena worked so patiently with me to co develop an itinerary that had some self driven days like Chiloe and Lake District and a lot of guided stuff in all other places

We had an excellent trip with the help of Lorena. She picked great destinations and excursions for our 7 person group ranging in age from 10 to 75. She selected excellent accommodations for our budget. It was great always being a walkable neighborhood since we didn't have a vehicle. Having access to someone local who spoke English via WhatsApp throughout the trip was wonderful and helped me manage my stress levels greatly as the group leader - especially when the airlines canceled a flight!

Chile was a wonderful country to visit. Everyone was very polite and hospitable. We felt safe and really enjoyed the experience. Patagonia and the lake region were amazing.