Kimkim Trip Reviews

We are so impressed by how well our trip was organized. All transfers and tour guides were always on time and we had Nikola available for questions 24/7. Antonia has been wonderful too getting us organized before our arrivals. Croatia is beautiful and we had the best time. Thank you Kim kim and your entire dedicated crew❤️
Jodi

This was our first experience with KimKim.. Our local specialist Marta was superb! She was knowledgeable and utterly responsive, even on a Sunday afternoon when we contacted her because our flight to Lisbon was delayed. She also reached out to us during our time in Lisbon to ensure things were going well, something we very much appreciated.

We were grateful for Marta's recommendation of an outstandingly beautiful and relaxing Lisbon hotel (Torel Palace), her close coordination of many activities, and arrangements for an incredible guide/driver, Marta Sophia George David, for two amazing days of out-of-Lisbon tours--one to Obidos, Fatima, and seaside towns and the other to Sintra, Cascais, and Belem.

A word about our guide/driver: we cannot compliment her enough! A former journalist, Marta David has encyclopedic knowledge tempered by deep love of Portugal and the ability to speak to history and current events with deep insight. Her contextual passion touched our souls in an soul-expanding way. She also knew where to find the best gelato shops!

Based on our experience, we will use KimKim again and recommend it to others.

Hotel Review

Torel Palace

Lisbon

Torel Palace is an accessible retreat in the midst of Lisbon.

Authenticity & Character

Every part of this property is gorgeous! Beyond charming . . .

Location

The fact that we really could walk to various neighborhoods but nevertheless could retreat from the busyness in an extraordinarily beautiful place with some of the best views in the city!

Staff

So pleasant, helpful, caring, and accommodating!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom was a bit cramped, but then what can you expect in a 1902 palace?

Activity Reviews

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Sintra is a must-visit. The castle in Old Sintra is incredible--a great self-tour. Our guide took us to a second palace/garden to tour in Sintra (not Pena Palace). It was breathtaking, but physically very, very challenging with steep, uneven cobblestone "steps" (or drop-offs). Lunch was at a local restaurant that was delightful! We loved visiting the westernmost point in mainland Europe; thought Cascais was interesting but little more than an overrated "mall" with a good gelato shop; did an Estoril drive-by, and were very grateful for an add-on, half-an-hour stop in Belem.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fátima Pilgrimage Site: Half-Day Excursion

Lisbon

Our guide Marta was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Home-Style Cooking Class with Market Visit

Lisbon

A fun morning with an interesting an eclectic group!

Quality of Experience

A good experience, It would have been better if we'd been given copies (or received by email) the recipes we prepared.

Food

The lunch we prepared was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The cooking teacher was personable and a good cook--but she didn't offer many explanations about what she was doing or why,

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Great music; too lengthy an experience.

Quality of Experience

Music was great! Timing was slow. Food was okay but not great. Probably not the experience for first-time fado attendees.

Food

Cod (the specialty of the house) has bones and gristle in it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our waiter literally disappeared!

Transport

Difficult to get to for newcomers to Lisbon. We tried to walk from the Torel Palace and ended up looking for a cab after getting hopelessly lost.

Explore Lisbon by Electric Tuk-Tuk

Portugal

A good overview.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pick-up at the hotel (again, this was our first time in Lisbon).

Sunset Sail on a Traditional Wooden Boat

Lisbon

Interesting and informative--but the cruise was crowded, uncomfortable, and cold.

Quality of Experience

The traditional boat was way too crowded!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

That's just it: we had been in Lisbon for our first time for less than two hours before the cruise began, and finding transportation (cab) back to our hotel after the cruise was difficult.

Our trip to Norway was very nice. We had several surprises along the way, from the initial
planning (pre-covid) to the actual trip. At the end of the trip, we were dumbfounded to be
affected by the SAS Airline strike, which resulted in our being stranded in Norway.
I really compliment our Kimkim consultant, Linda, for doing her best to help us. She never
failed to respond to our emails and also helped to research options for us to get out of
Norway. It was very comforting knowing she was there and paying attention to our dilemma..
Kimkim did a very thorough job of planning our trip in meticulous detail, trying hard to
do exactly what we asked. Even with all the many, many changes, cancelations, rebookings
and delays, I must give them kudos. I wouldn't hesitate to use Kimkim again for this type
of trip.

Our family of 4 took this trip for 8 days in Southern Spain in mid-June. Patricia was very helpful in planning a trip to our timeline and interests. We ended up spending 3 nights in Seville (with a day trip to Cadiz/Vejer) , one night in Ronda, and then 2 nights in Granada. Between Rhonda and Granda we did a half day of hiking in the Caminito Del Ray gorge. We enjoyed all the stops. It was a good mix of culture, history and recreation. Rhonda and the Caminito Del Ray were especially beautiful areas. Our guides and drivers were all friendly, on time and knowledgable. We especially enjoyed Aldara's tour in Triana area, Maria's tour of Cadiz/Vejer, and Blanca's tour of Alhambra. Hotels were all centrally located, of good quality, and had plenty of food for breakfast. Overall the trip was worth the extra expense in planning and logistics for this special occasion trip (our 25th Wedding Anniversary). Thanks Patricia and KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Eurostars Madrid Gran Vía

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

This was a very nice hotel in Madrid. Very modern facility.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

Authenticity & Character

This was a beautiful hotel with a lot of character. We loved the tea time in the afternoon.

Location

The hotel was in a great location, very shaded area. Easy to walk to everything from our hotel.

Staff

Ivan was quick to help us out whenever we had a question or needed help with our bags.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legado Alcázar Hotel

Seville

This was a beautiful hotel within a short walk to the cathedral and the alcazar. The breakfast food was fresh and plentiful. Three courses everyday with a wide selection of breakfast items. We also enjoyed tea in the afternoon. the staff was helpful and attentive at all times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided tour of the Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens

Granada

Blanca was a wonderful guide. She knew the history of the Alhambra. She made the tour fun and interactive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ronda - Hiking of El Caminito del Rey - Granada

Ronda

We love hiking. We never have hiked on a trail like this. Spectacular scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ian was entertaining throughout with his knowledge of the area. He made the hike fun.

Transport

Southernmost Spain's beaches, villages and delicacies!

Spain

Quality of Experience

We could see Cadiz and Vejer through our guides eyes. You could tell how proud she was of this part of Apain.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers throughout the entire trip were pleasant and knowledgeable of the area. We never needed to worry about the drivers on the entire trip as they were always where we needed them at the time we needed them.

Transport

The cars were always clean and air conditioned and very comfortable for the rides between cities.

Seville Flamenco & Tapas Experience

Seville

Aldara was great. Loved the character and food from small restaurants that she chose.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided biking tour of Seville Old Quarter

Seville

The biking tour in between the tours of the Alcazar and Cathedral was fun. I really enjoyed seeing Spain Square.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cristina was very knowledgeable and pleasant.

Transport

Brittany and the Kim Kim team were terrific!

Our 8 day itinerary was wonderful. The process was seamless; each hotel was prepared for our arrival and all of our drivers were on time! It was so nice to not have to worry about getting from one place to another and we could sit back and relax during our travels to each of our locations.

I will highly recommend your service to friends and family.

Special thank you to Brittany who helped move up our final pick up time. The local news was reporting an incoming storm and we wanted to get closer to the airport to avoid any travel delays due to heavy rains.

Pura Vida!
Carol

Hotel Reviews

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Top of the world location, views were breathtaking. Restaurant food was excellent. My only note would be to mention in your site that there are no elevators. We had to carry bags up three flights of stairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Our room was beautiful and the location was spectacular!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Beautiful grounds! Loved the hot springs!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lush tropical environment!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges & Baldi Hot Springs & Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great time and our guide Ronald (Jimenez) was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Food

Nice to have a snack at the end!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time using KimKim, but we plan to use the service again in the future. It was so easy to communicate with out agent, Marianne, and we had a wonderful trip to Italy.

We were easily able to share what our desires/plans were, including specific dates and locations, and what types of activities we wanted to do. Marianne and her team put together a great itinerary that covered what we requested. We were able to stay in contact with Marianne even after booking to make small changes (our flights were changed so that we arrived earlier and were able to request an additional tour the afternoon we arrived). Additionally, when one tour was canceled due to the leader testing positive for COVID, Marianne immediately contacted me with new arrangements for another tour. We were greeted at our first hotel with our printed vouchers, itinerary, and even souvenir books for the two areas we visited in Italy. One of the easiest parts of the trip was that our hotels and train travel was booked, as well as private tours, so we didn't have to worry at all about these details once we were in the country. Additionally, with the private tours, we skipped the long lines, which in addition to the phenomenal tour guides, was well worth the cost. We look forward to using KimKim to book a similar trip in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Impero Hotel Rome

Rome

The location of the hotel was great- very close to the train station, and within walking distance of many of the central Rome attractions, and even had a variety of restaurants all around the block. The toilet didn't flush well, and didn't improve after we informed staff, but there happened to be an extra bathroom near our room for the meeting rooms, so it was fine. The breakfast was large, and erred on the side of boring and Americanized, but was good enough to start the day. The air conditioning was very welcome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My husband thought the bed was lacking in softness.

Culture Hotel Centro Storico

Naples

We were so grateful to the helpful staff and the air conditioning! The breakfast was delicious, and the atmosphere of the hotel overall was welcoming and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Modern furnishings and bathroom

Location

Easy to get to the marina and the centro storico

Staff

Helpful and shared great information about Naples

Cleanliness & Comfort

We noticed ants the last day we were there

Activity Reviews

Visit the Vatican Museums and Sixtine Chapel with a private guide

Rome

Martina did an amazing job! We had a tour with Martina from RomeGuides the day before at the Colosseum and Forum, and touring with her a second time was a great experience. She was able to connect the history we had experienced at the Colosseum and Forum with all (SO much) we were seeing at the Vatican. Rather than just going through room by room and pointing out art, she wove a story that pulled everything together, culminating in the papal suites. We do wish we had had more time to see the modern art collection at the Vatican museums (which we didn't know existed until Martina briefly walked us through), but there was so much to take in, we would have probably needed another tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the Colosseum and Forum area with a private guide

Rome

Martina from RomeGuides was phenomenal! Her husband, who we were originally scheduled with, had an emergency, so Martina conducted our tour. We are so happy she did! She was extremely knowledgable and engaging, and did a wonderful job of helping us better understand the history of Rome (there's SO much history!)

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seeing and hearing the history and architecture

Transport

This kind of tour can only be enjoyed on foot!

Private guided tour on Naples

Naples

Ludovica was absolutely phenomenal! She was extremely knowledgeable and did a wonderful job showing us around the centro storico. She answered our questions and shared details about history and architecture that kept us readily engaged for the whole tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There is no way to experience the heart of Naples except on foot.

I can't speak highly enough about the itinerary that the Ireland Walk Hike Bike team created for us. Dean created a custom 13-day self-drive tour for me and my husband. We loved all of the lodging, restaurants, hikes, bike rentals, and points of interest he recommended along our route. I never could have pulled off a trip like this without his guidance. Other staff at Ireland Walk Hike Bike were also very helpful (Francis, Maurice, and Jess) - assisting with reservations and other specific questions we had, including while we were on the road. Without question, I would recommend them for anyone visiting Ireland. Thank you to Kim Kim for introducing us to Ireland Walk Hike Bike!

We planned a trip exploring highlights of Jordan and Egypt, and it was made easy by Ibrahim and his team! They were flexible with itinerary changes and made everything fall together. Highly recommend this company!

Everything was planned and even when plans changed they made backups that were great options to help us have a great time. Love all the tour guides and learned so much more than I would have not having them! Everything was top notch and would recommend him to everyone for an amazing trip!! I will use him again!!

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel NapoliMia 

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trastevere Afternoon Aperitivo & Food Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

We had a great time. The hotels were wonderful and our guides were professional and fun. Luis was very responsive and communicative. The trip was well planned and we loved our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Áurea Convento Capuchinos by Eurostars Hotel Company

Segovia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carlton

Bilbao

Excellent location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Airport transfer (return)

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From San Sebastián to Bilbao (or viceversa) along the Basque Coast

Spain

A beautiful trip and the guide was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michelin starred restaurant

Spain

Excellent food

Quality of Experience

A bit loud as it is a smaller restaurant; it has two loud parties the night we were there.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rioja Premium Wine Tour

Spain

A bit too much wine for me (not for my husband though). The picnic was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Camino de Santiago Trail

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class

Spain

Our Chef took us to the market and helped us cook. Have never cooked Basque food before. It was different and I would do another cooking class again in the future.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Free Time

San Sebastián

Lovely place to just walk around and do people watch

Quality of Experience

Adiyabold and his team were amazing in providing an excellent trip in Mongolia and making our honeymoon very special. They really went the extra mile

Activity Review

Bayanzag and Amaraa's family

South Gobi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip of a lifetime! sigurdur was attentive, and made sure an excursion was rescheduled when it was cancelled due to weather, so we could make sure we got in all of our priorities on our trip. The Kimkim team was outstanding from start to finish.

I first contacted kimkim re a preset 3 day itinerary they advertised for Uluru. When I mentioned we were also going to Perth/WA she offered to book that part of the trip as well. Ruth turned out to be in California at the time. I thought that would work out as I am east coast US and doing these things at night EST can pair well working with someone in an earlier timezone. However, she was working with her Sydney office, who was in turn working with people in Perth. This ended up being a bad situation, which I will admit was made worse by our being last minute, but having to go thru so many channels and the time zone differences every time you ask a question created major communication delays. In the end, they were unable to find availability for the Uluru package, although I was able to book it directly on my own. We were scheduled to go on a day trip to Freemantle & Rottnest Island. Our itinerary instructed us to be ready to be picked up at 8:45 am at the hotel. Turns out this was TOTALLY WRONG. The boat leaves at 8:45, and you're supposed to be there earlier. According to the doorman & concierge no pickup came for us at 8:15 either. Ruth also suggested and then arranged an overnight side trip to Cervantes for us. The hotel up there was pretty bad. If the problem was hotel availability she shouldn't have sent us up there. (As a side note, we did a walking tour with a local guide in Perth. This local guide was mortified that it was suggested/arranged we take this trip to Cervantes and she did her best to scare us into not going!). After this Cervantes trip was arranged, there was drama over the car rental closing early the day we would be coming back, and we were forced to decide between paying a surcharge to drop at an alternate location or come back early. There was really no good option but we were already locked in to the Cervantes hotel. If this was going to be an issue Ruth could have arranged the days in a different order. After the side trip we went back for one last night in Perth. We had to leave so early for our flight that we could not have breakfast (and Ruth knew about our early flight as there was a lot of back & forth about whether we would return the rental car the night before and taxi to the airport or return the rental on the way to the flight), the hotel did could no accommodate us with any food to go so that was another unnecessary expense paying for a breakfast included room.

We used kimkim to travel to Croatia, Greece, and Italy (separate times), prior to using kimkim for a 12-day trip with family to France. Isabelle had positive reviews, so we started our booking processes with her. We were traveling with a 14-year-old, 87-year-old on a walker, and three relatively spry adults and so I made sure to carefully articulate that with Isabelle up front and reiterate often. We were also spending four days with family, requiring no hotels or scheduling on her part for that time.

We gave her maximum flexibility to use trains, planes and suggest hotels and tours based on the broad interests of our group. We started planning 6 months in advance to give us the best schedules and options. Our budget began at $200 p/p p/day, but we increased it to $250 p/p p/day at her urging. She was very patient with my father-in-law, who struggled to understand and use kimkim successfully; we had several last minute requests. My pre-travel experience with Isabelle was positive, save for about 10 days when she was completely non-responsive. Then, about a week before our trip was scheduled to start, she let us know she was leaving the company and someone else would be assigned to support us. No one contacted me proactively, so right before we were scheduled to arrive I contacted kimkim customer service...

Upon arriving in Nice, everything went very smoothly and we had a nice hotel and excellent tour driver who took us through Eze at sunset, which I recommend.

We originally asked for the most direct train from Nice to Pau upon departure, as we had a family reunion scheduled that night. During our planning, Isabelle insisted that our best option was to fly from Nice to Toulouse, then take a train from Toulouse to Tarbes. We agreed. When the tickets came (often during planning, only sample schedules are offered) it had us waiting in Toulouse for 4.5 hours. When asked about the schedule, Isabelle insisted it was still the best option and that we could also "enjoy Toulouse" before taking a train to our family. We believed Isabelle when she said taking the plane and train were the fastest option... but wish I had checked. There were several direct routes she could have selected, with far better schedules, that would have allowed us to spend far fewer than eleven hours in transit. Our flight was at 7:20AM, meaning leaving our hotel in Nice at 4:30. When we arrived at the airport in Toulouse, our transportation wasn't there. We couldn't get in touch with the driver or our replacement support servicer from kimkim (it was 8:20AM on Saturday). We finally got a response from the driver who had forgotten about us. After waiting an hour, we were druven by a very kind gentleman to the Toulouse Gare. Unfortunately, contrary to Isabelle's suggestion, there was no way to "enjoy Toulouse", because the Gare (train station) had no place to stow luggage. Isabelle hadn't coordinated for a driver or tour, so lugging bags through the cobblestone streets for 4 hours after being up since 3:40AM, didn't seem like a great option.. So we were stuck in the train station that was under serious construction for a whole morning and didn't arrive in Tarbes until 15:10.

If you visit the south central area of France I highly recommend a trip to the Grottes de Bettharam; especially with children. It is not fir the mobility-challenged, because you will do an hour of walking and stair climbings in wet, uneven conditions, followed by a boat and train through the most unbelievable natural caves, lit using electricity in a beautifully artistic manner. It is truly an eartly and manmade marvel all-in-one.

Leaving our family near Pau, we were supposed to take a train to Biarritz. The original proposed schedule on the trip summary wasn't the same as what was actually reserved. Our family was shocked by the train schedule and connection, since it had us going from Pau to Bayonne and then waiting in Bayonne an hour before heading to Biarritz. Biarritz is only a ten minute train ride from Bayonne and there were more direct trains available on that specific date that she didn't choose. So rather than lug suitcases around two stations and have another long layover that made no sense, my in-laws extended the rental car they were using when we visted family and we drove to Biarritz in an hour. When I shared the concerns with kimkim about the train schedule and our decision to drive, Isabelle's replacement (Valentine) agreed that the schedule made no sense and that driving was a good option. We lost the money we'd paid for the trains and the private transportation from the station, had to pay for gas, and two more days of the rental.

On arriving in Biarritz, we were astonished to learn that the hotel Isabelle booked us all into had no lift. We contacted kimkim and were told this was a historic property and couldn't have a lift, but hotel staff would help with bags. The hotel staff did not help with the bags, but the point is that an 87-year-old with two knee replacements and a recently-shattered ankle, on a walker, cannot go up and down three flights of stairs! Well, there was absolutely no real sense of urgency about the situation at all and no alternative hotel offered. We struggled to get him and our bags up (and for him, the going down was even harder). There was also no parking at the hotel, and there is not even a drop-off area at the front. Very important things to disclose. The suggestion Valentine offered when I explained how difficult the parking situation was (street parking several blocks away and lugging the luggage with my father-in-law on a walker), was to park in public garage even farther away... We spent over $130 Euros on parking before being able to return the car. The Hotel Edouard VII is a lovely property and had kind staff with a beautiful breakfast. But it is absolutely not appropriate for anyone with limited mobility. Biarritz is by far one of our favorite places: Le Sin in the Cite de l'Ocean is not to be missed! What a fantastic restaurant. And Petit Place, right on the water with your feet in the sand (inside the restaurant!) is the best place to watch the sunset.

After Biarritz was Paris, where Isabelle booked us in separate hotels. My in-laws were concerned about some reviews of the Off Seine where we were staying (lots of entertainment and right on the Seine, so can be loud), so Isabelle offered to put them "right across the river" in a quieter hotel. Well, they ended up being a half-hour walk away. Their hotel had no AC (something that should also be disclosed). We could take the metro 5 stops to visit, but they had to get taxis to meet us for our tours which were scheduled from our hotel and other activities that were planned. Isable booked us for the catacombs on our first full-day in Paris, but did not schedule transportation there or back. It is not easy to get taxis that can accommodate five people, and it was very expensive, so if you have a larger party and taking the metro is not a good option, make sure kimkim handles transportation well ahead of time. Taxis and private cars (Serge and Tony reserved by kimkim both had problems) have a hard time finding the Off Seine hotel and getting down to entrance (which is blocked on one side by a gate and the other by barriers). A visit to the catacombs is a perfect way to spend a couple hours, although another tour that is not appropriate for anyone with mobility challenges. If you're there on a weekend, you get spit out into a nice street market and area with good restaurants.

If you stay at the Off Seine over a Sunday, be sure to reserve for brunch well in advance. It's wonderful. I would also recommend scheduling a boat tour to the Eiffel Tower through the Off Seine (they have a relationship with a nice boat operator). We went in the morning and it was cool and a lovely way to see Paris. The Off Seine is a great property, generally, but we had no AC our first 30 hours and the electricity kept shorting out, affecting our lights.

Upon departing to the CDG airport, Isabelle booked us a private driver. As mentioned above, the hotel Off Seine is apparently very difficult to access, so he was 30 minutes late picking us up meaning a bit of a scramble at the airport.

In the end, Joel (my France kimkim support) and Mariana (general kimkim customer support) tried diligently to find solutions and ways to compensate us for the impacts of Isabelle's poor planning and selections. As she is no longer with the company, I fear we were just the unfortunate recipients of a lack of care/concern, knowing there would be no consequences to her professionally. My previous experiences with kimkim have been completely different and almost exclusively positive.

We had a remarkable family trip to Colombia recently. Michael from Chaska Travel was incredibly flexible, attentive to details, and prompt in getting us information and making adjustments to the itinerary to match our interests and needs as a family with 3 kids ages 4-10. Very much appreciated arrangements for all internal travel as well. With Michael's help, we had a seemless trip that started in Medellin, including a day trip to Guatape and Penol Piedra with our wonderful guide Will and continued in the coffee region. Will even provided us a list of recommendations for vegetarian-friendly restaurants for later in our trip in Cartegena; we went to several and all were delicious! Our guide Jose was terrific and knowledgeable as was our driver Mario who knew so much about birds! Jose even checking in with us after we had left his company to make sure we we had reached Cartegena and were continuing to enjoy our trip. The coffee region was beautiful and lush and we enjoyed our hike to the waterfall with a nature guide. Cartegena is beautiful and our hotel was perfectly located. A bike tour was the perfect way to get around and learn the layout of the old city and much better for the kids than walking! We are thankful to Michael for finding a way to get us to Hotel Las Islas which was a truly wonderful experience in terms of service, activities, food, and the setting. A truly memorable trip that was a pleasure to plan and take with the help of KimKim and Chaska tours!

Hotel Reviews

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

Excellent location in the Old City of Cartagena with clean and comfortable rooms and friendly staff, great morning breakfast on rooftop.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Salento Real Eje Cafetero

Salento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Finca Hotel del Cafe

Santa Rosa de Cabal

Beautiful setting on a coffee farm surrounded by lush vegetation, the hotel has a lovely central courtyard and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Park 10

Medellin

Great breakfast, very friendly staff! Rooms are large, clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Islas

Barú

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit the National Aviary of Colombia

Colombia

The aviary is impressive but it was just too hot and humid to fully enjoy on the day we went. The educational show at the two set times is okay but not a huge loss if missed (especially if not fluent in Spanish). We rushed through the last several exhibits before the arena to get to show in time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Bioluminescence Tour

Isla Barú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

Great way to get a sense of the old city and see the main historical sites before exploring further by foot although a little hard to navigate on bikes with traffic and narrow streets. Guide was a little nervous with our kids but they were fine. The vendor for the bikes would benefit from improving their helmets which did not adjust/fit well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour to Frailes Waterfall & Salento & the Cocora Valley

Salento

Great hike -- thank goodness for the rain boots provided by the nature guide!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Rosa Hot Springs

Colombia

The Santa Rosa Hot Springs are an impressive setting and the hot springs were fun, although crowded when we went as it was a holiday. Getting in at first was confusing due to the crowds but once in, all was straightfoward. We had some issues with dinner as almost no vegetarian items on their menu were available and arrangements had to be made for our driver to stop at a restaurant in town with us so we could eat. Worth considering in determining the timing of when to go to hot springs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Guatapé

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tricia was very responsive and helpful before and during the trip. It was so nice to have someone “on the inside” help with planning and booking. We loved our trip and all went almost flawlessly. Very grateful!

Hotel Reviews

Reine Rorbuer

Reine

Beautiful and authentic, best place we stayed! Amazing views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfy beds/ pillows

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Really lovely cottages on the water, lots of space and amenities, great dining.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Decent location for accessing Bergen attractions, felt historic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

Very lovely, nice, new rooms, good meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely views and convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Victoria

Oslo

Staff not overly friendly or helpful, rooms small and not clean to my standards

Authenticity & Character

Dining room

Location

Central/walking distance to many attractions

Staff

Friendliness and helpfulness

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathrooms could be cleaned to a higher standard

Activity Reviews

Midnight Sun Kayak Tour

Norway

The scenery was the highlight here. Our quite was a little scattered and I actually would have liked to paddle to an actual “destination”…but the scenery was undeniably amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trollfjord Cruise

Norway

This was beautiful, but had done another cruise on a smaller boat elsewhere and actually enjoyed the smaller boat experience more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Hike with a Local in Bergen

Bergen

Our guide was lovely and really feel feel we saw things we would not have otherwise happened upon. A very nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was very kind and informative

Transport

Flåm Zipline

Norway

Just a single zip line, but gorgeous and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordsafari Extended

Norway

Personal, adventurous, beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall we had an amazing experience on our trip. Everything was well organized and planned with detail which was a relief. I was surprised to have the same guide for all the days we’d stay in each city but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fabiola, Jose and Oscar were knowledgeable and fun. A few improvements with choice of hotel and preparation for tours could be made but nothing extreme. We will definitely be using Kim Kim for our next adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Punta Faro

Isla Mucura

Beautiful grounds, very clean rooms. Environment is relaxing. Only con would be overall size and amenities offered. Beach is not very big but not many guests stay at the hotel in general. Only one restaurant but offers tasty buffet. More than two days might start to seem repetitive.

Tips for future travelers

The location prohibits music

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Campana Hotel Boutique

Medellín

Great location, clean and good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

Overall very pretty, our experience may have been bad luck but we could not sleep at night because there was very loud music next to our room coming from another building. Police had to be called twice to address the issue at 4am. Breakfast is sufficient but a bit bland, location is close to many touristy areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Deco

Bogotá

Great food and clean rooms. Location has pros because it’s walking distance to everything but loud at night if you want sleep.

Tips for future travelers

Take ears plugs for the noise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour to Totumo Volcano

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Guatapé

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecological Walk - "La Miel" Waterfall

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Hike in Chingaza National Park

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Salt Cathedral at Zipaquira

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The car was a bit small in the back, not much leg room for long trips. Driving was also a little choppy for those who get motion sickness.

Very attentive to details and understood our needs that were reflected in a wonderful experience.

Below may be helpful...but plse note that the constructive feedback is not a reflection of disappointment, more so a commentary to the company for future reference.

Hi Ina,

Back in Vancouver now and just reminiscing about our wonderful stay in Greece. I will absolutely do a review for you , but I thought that I should offer some constructive feedback. Below:

Athens:

- Hotel was fantastic and memourable...highly recommend for future bookings
- 1st dinner, though the food was fantastic, unremarkable location
- bike tour of Athens was just OK...unremarkable guide...would not recommend
- Acropolis visit was excellent, and the guide very engaging...highly recommend

Paros:

- too early of a transfer to the ferry...too much waiting
- great ferry experience
- fantastic hotel and having the two rooms was a good call
- driver on Paros was fantastic and a big personality
- 1st dinner magnificent in Naoussa (sp?)
- sunset boat trip, a highlight...great crew and highly recommended

Naxos:

- Ok hotel; probably better options to explore...would not recommend
- bike tour was great...good guide and a great way to see the island and Naxos town if you are fit enough...good choice
- probably would have preferred 3 nights in Paros vs the 3 in Naxos...but still a nice visit
- nice call on flying back

Athens Riviera:

- Ok tour from airport
- unremarkable lunch...do NOT recommend
- great hotel and location...highly recommend to complete the tour

All in all, you did a fantastic job, and I would recommend you highly. We'll be back.

Sincerely, neil

Hotel Reviews

Liana Beach Hotel & Spa

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Contaratos Beach Hotel Paros

Naousa

Great location near Naoussa (sp?).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Foundry Suites

Athens

Great location, amazing roof patio and view of the Acropolis...HIGHLY recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Roc Club Vouliagmeni

Vouliagmeni

Greek Riviera is a must visit in a fabulous location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cape Sounion Driving tour

Greece

The drive was unremarkable with no history or guiding. BUT the hotel town made the experience memourable...must do.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

no storytelling, lunch selection was unremarkable.

Transport

Naxos Bike Tour

Naxos

Really good way to experience the island.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Naxos

Naxos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sunset Boat Trip

Paros

Must do.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Dinner in Paros

Paros

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Acropolis Afternoon Tour

Athens

Must do...even with children.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoy Athens by Bike!

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner in Athens

Athens

Great food, unremarkable decor.

Quality of Experience

Food

Local Transfer in Paros

Paros

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago and Joël expertly planned a most memorable trip to Lisbon and north. Tiago communicated with us immediately when we were in the planning stages and meet us the first day to settle us in and suggest a site seeing route appropriate for the jet lagged. For two days Joël shepherded is throughout old Lisbon, and a fun day to Cascais and Sintra. We experienced Lisbon and the Atlantic Coasts that we would not have seen by ourselves. Plus he introduced us to the Portuguese seafood and fish cuisine.

Once we rented a car, the itinerary develops for ids was varied and exciting; the accommodations were perfect.

Highlights: at the risk of listing them all, Douro Valley, Porto, Tomar, and Évora and the sites at those locations too my list.

We had a terrific experience through KimKim and we will recommend to others and hopefully take another trip with you soon.

We really appreciated the care and attention that Valentine took to listen to our wants for a family trip to France and make it a reality. The experiences and accommodations were wonderful and we'll have many memories from this trip. We will definitely suggest kimkim to friends and family to book their next international trip!