Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a wonderful first time in Croatia. Ante was extremely helpful and professional, providing us with an excellent service. We highly recommend using kimkim! Thank you Ante :)

We had a truly amazing time in Costa Rica. Sylvia organised everything so well. It's hard to know what the highlights were as there was so much which was just fantastic, but here are some that stick most in our memory:

• The first very rainy boat trip through the rainforest to Laguna Lodge, with Clarence taking good care of us throughout.
• The butterfly garden at the back of the Selva Tropical restaurant
• Witnessing a giant turtle laying her eggs (so many of them)
• Mauricio the driver stopping the car to show us a toucan on a tree beside the road
• The sunset view of Arenal, with rainbow, from the amazing Tabacon Springs where we also enjoyed a very good supper
• Swimming in the river at the bottom of the waterfall at Arenal
• The hilarious chocolate-making lesson
• Everything about Monteverde - the night walk and Sky Trek/zip-lining day particularly. It's a very special place. We had a nice meal at the popular Tree House in Santa Elena if you need a recommendation for anyone else (although some other tourists spoke highly of Morpho which has just opened up a new restaurant slightly out of the centre).
• Stopping to see the crocodiles under the bridge on the way to Manuel Antonio
• The Costa Verde hotel at Manuel Antonio which was fantastic in every way. What a view for breakfast! Their restaurants across the road were great too.
• Iguana Tours were brilliant at Manuel Antonio. They seem to really enjoy what they do. Andrey was our guide in Manuel Antonio National Park and JJ led the rafting expedition. We also went on a boat trip with Iguana.They own their own smallish catamaran and looked after us really well. Good food. Live banjo music. And we even saw whales.

Sylvia worked with us to create a perfect trip that met our specific requests and budget. She was very responsive and checked in with us before the trip and a couple of times during it. Our flight in was delayed by 14 hours and Sylvia rearranged pick-up and transfers from the airport with no fuss.

Our family of four engaged Heimdal Tours to show us Mykines Island. It was an amazing experience! Our guide Tummas was extremely knowledge about the history, flora and fauna, and the people of the Faroe Islands. It was a busy day with more than one ferry to Mykines, but, even with the additional crowds, we felt like the island was ours. We would highly recommend Heimdal Tours.

Veselka was great to work with. She listened to what I wanted and helped me plan an incredible trip. All of our hotels were in incredible locations and were in the budget that we wanted to be in. In Dubrovnik we stayed at Hotel Lapad. In Hvar we stayed in the pedestrian area in the old town at a hotel called Villa Nora. It was very charming and old. It was more like a bed and breakfast then a hotel. Every room is different, but they were all clean and very nice. In Split we were also in a pedestrian area but we were attached to the wall of the palace. It was amazing. The rooms were small but the location was perfect. Our last place was in Rovinj. We stayed at the Angelo D'Oro. The room here was incredible! I think it was our nicest room. Breakfast was included in all the hotels but the breakfast areas in Hvar and Rovinj were the most beautiful. We sat outside in gardens! All the breakfast were great but those were exceptional. It was a great hotel near the pedestrian walkway and amazing restaurants. Our hotel in Dubrovnik was a short cab ride from the Old town. We were picked up at the Dubrovnik airport and taken to the hotel. Our friends bags didn't come and Veselka was amazing helping us get the bags. It took 5 days but once they landed in Dubrovnik she got them to us in split. In Hvar we went sailing for a day that included a great lunch and swam in the most beautiful blue water. Our guide told us to call him H, was very nice but a little quiet. At times it was nice that we had some space and at other times it was a little awkward but an amazing day overall!! We also went on a hike through the small/abandoned villages in Hvar and had a local lunch. Bertie the chef was fabulous. This was one of the most incredible experiences. The food was outstanding. They made there own wine, grappa, sweet wine and olive oil. The only thing I didn't like were the anchovies but I tried them! I don't remember the guides name. He said to call him good looking. He was hilarious and had us laughing the whole time. I would recommend this to anyone. We had another guide in Rovinj. his name was Luka. He was really nice and informative. He drove us through all the hilltop towns. We went wine tasting at Kabola vineyards, olive oil tasting at Chiavalon and truffle tasting at Karlic Tartufi! What a fabulous day. At each of these places the hosts were incredible. They taught us so much. They provided food to go with the tasting as well which was very unexpected.

We had a wonderful experience in Nepal, and I can't say enough great things about Chhewang and Sonam from Responsible Treks. This was our first time to Nepal, and Chhewang was extremely helpful in designing the perfect itinerary for us. He assessed our capabilities and interests, and proposed several options. He was patient and responsive with our questions and flexible to meet our needs at every step.

We trekked the remote region of Nar and Phu, and then part of the Annapurna Circuit. We had a day in Kathmandu before and again after trekking. For us, this was the perfect balance of varied landscapes, authentic cultural experiences, and "off the beaten path" trekking. We were hesitant to visit during the monsoon, but would do so again in an instant. Many areas we trekked were in the "rain shadow" and so we had plenty of sun, in addition to enjoying the lush green landscape and "off season" quiet serenity this time of year.

Our guide, Sonam, is the best of the best. He took great care of us including getting us safely over two high mountain passes, taught us so much about the landscape and local culture, and made every day fun. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, making tweaks to our itinerary based on how we were feeling. The trek was a great value and Sonam consistently looked out for us to ensure we had the best treatment at teahouses. My wife celebrated a birthday during our trek, and he worked with the locals to surprise her with a cake!

This was our first time using kimkim. The experience was wonderful, the fees were transparent and, most importantly, they connected us with an excellent local partner for our trip.

We had a wonderful trip to North and West Iceland with our 2 year old daughter! Everything that Zeynep recommended was wonderful and completely doable with a toddler in tow. We especially loved seeing the geothermal areas in Myvatn, our awesome boat ride to see the puffins from Husavik, and the pebble beach on Snaefellsnes peninsula where a seal swam right up to us! Such a gorgeous country, and Zeynep's arrangements kept us out of the tourist crowds while still letting see so many amazing things.

Thank you Zeynep and kimkim, we had the most wonderful days in Iceland!!!
Everything was so well organized and worked as swizz clock that we had to worry about nothing, just make sure we will get to next place in time.
We had asked for budget accommodation, but were amazed how great and cozy all hostels, gueshouses and hotels were - Sunna’s guesthouse in Reykjavik had the best location! Guesthouse Lambastaðir was so cozy, just like somebodys home and the late night hot tub was brilliant. Same in hotel Katla. I’m not surprised all the places were fully booked.
Zeynep, we are so greatful fore the trip plan you had made for us. We visted almost everything you had marked on handwritten map - it was clever to use different colours, which made it really easy to understand. And small hints like the lobster restaurant Fjöribordid, wow!!! So worth of vsit.
And we loved ice hiking at Solheimajökull. It was the only day pouring rain, but we got everything we needed to stay dry. We really loved our guide who was so professional in hinking, but also fun and friendly as person. We will treasure that day for a lobg long time. And eveything he told about glaciers and melting really got us thinking about global warming and the results. Thank you Asgard Beyond!
We can also say only greatest thanks to Zodiac tours for boat tour on Ice Lagoon, what a experience! No one should miss it if in Iceland.
I left peace of heart to Iceland and hopefully will return some day to explore more. Just loved it!
Eneken and friends

Everything was great, the fact that I was able to message back and forth in a "conversation" style on KimKim was very easy going and helped as I was able to request changes as they happened up to the trip.

One of the best things about my trip to Jordan when booking through Kimkim was my driver, Yahya. I wasn't sure about doing an individual trip to another country. But my driver was great company, he was a good converser.

He talked me through what to expect, how to get the most out of my trip, also made recommendations to see things, such as on our way to Dana Village, he knew of a great spot to view the sunset so we were able to catch that. He had great recommendations of places to eat. All in all, he made the trip a much better than what it would have been otherwise

He even brought a Hotspot so I can stay connected on the trip.

I started from Amman to the North, Jerash and Ajloun. These places held ancient and medieval sites of Romans, a complete city, and a Muslim castle.

The next day was Madaba, Karak and Dana village. I really enjoyed Dana village and seeing the 500 year old village. The highlight of the visit was going on a hike with the local bedouin man that has lived in those mountains for more than 60 years.

After that was Aqaba and Dead Sea. Aqaba is a nice city, it was nice to see another bustling city since I left Amman. I enjoyed my stay there next to the sea. The Dead Sea resort I was at for some reason didn't have access to the beach open. Only to their pools, which was a let down.

After that, being back in Amman before my flight back was great. I was able to get some good falafel and shawerma one last time.

Slovenia was such a memorable trip. Our Kimkim organisers planned the holiday just as we wanted it...a mixture of sightseeing and activity. The Julian Alps are a must for anyone who enjoys picturesque scenery and cycling/river activities.

I have done a good few trips and this one was definitely up there with the best. I travelled the length and breadth of Chile - which has plenty of the former and very little of the latter, so it meant a lot of flying north and south. I feel like I got a taste of the entire country, from Atacama to Patagonia. Could doubtless have spent longer at a few key places, but on the other hand, Chile is such a long way to come from the UK I felt I had to pack as much in as possible on this one trip. I met some lovely people, both other travellers and tour guides (especially Roderigo, tour guide to Valparaiso, Elvin, guide to Osorno and Petrohue, and Victor, guide to Chiloe island). My interactions with natives were curtailed by my regrettably poor Spanish - it was noticeable that many Chileans spoke little or no English, including airline staff and even people at Information desks, so English speakers should be aware that many of the service personnel do not have the level of English that some other countries do. This is not a criticism, and the attitude of the Chileans that visitors to Latin America should speak decent Spanish is perfectly reasonable. Having some command of the native tongue is obviously desirable, and I am sorry that mine was limited. That aside, the people were helpful and things ran smoothly - I was impressed by the efficiency of the Chilean airline Sky and the airports that I passed through; the embarkation, departures, and bag claims were some of the fastest I've experienced, which takes a lot of the hassle from flying. The scenery throughout was spectacular, notably in Atacama, Lake District and Torres del Paine. I also enjoyed a couple of days in Santiago, which is an underrated city. Some great food and drink, not least the pisco sours. All in all, a memorable trip and a country I would strongly recommend. Thank you kimkim, and Maria!

Our wonderful trip to Norway went off without a hitch. Linda was knowledgeable, cooperative and flexible during the planning process. She was willing to Skype with us as well as communicate by E-mail. All the arrangements she made -- hotels, cruise ship, and other transport tickets -- were fine. She did as she was asked when we wanted to be near an airport or a train station. She was also very pleasant personally.

The only thing that might have been better is that a couple of the rooms were a bit below our usual standard (at 1 Scandic in Oslo, e.g., room was extremely tiny and there was no closet and -- amazingly -- no place to lay out clothing flat, as in a bureau or on shelves; our cruise cabin was directly behind a lifeboat, hence had no view). However, I suspect she was trying to minimize our cost (and cost was very reasonable). The lesson I have learned is that I should make clear if I want higher-grade accommodations.

All is all, a memorable vacation! I would recommend to other that they plan such a trip with Kimkim/Linda.

Vivian Berger

The whole trip was amazing. Alexandra and Julio were very knowledgeable guides and both went out of their way to make our trip as pleasant and fun as possible. Machu Picchu was amazing and our guide made sure we got the best shots which is priceless taking into account how packed it was. Clara was super helpful and always ready to answer any questions and accommodate changes in our schedule. Thank you guys for making our trip to Peru such a memorable and special experience!!

The trip was fabulous. the guide (Alejandro Pinto) was superb. He has excellent knowledge of the local birds and was happy and helpful throughout despite being ill. The most memorable part was staying in Tatama. An excellent place. Good food and great hospitality.

Loved the trek so much! Didn’t really think about much before I go. Alex and Erin are very experienced in terms of giving good advice on the drier route during monsoon season and taking care of my arrival. Ngawang is such a experienced guide and he was very helpful along the trek. Food is very good and satisfying during the trip too ;)

The Colombian Project’s Eastern, Central, and Western Andean Ranges and Valleys 16-day tour exceeded my expectations! We visited a variety of birding areas, so the tour was a great introduction and sampling of the birds and birding in Colombia. Our bird guide, Alejandro, was energetic, enthusiastic, and located many hard to find birds.
I enjoyed dining at a variety of establishments, many of which included local fare, and staying in a variety of accommodation types, all of which were clean and comfortable. Although there were a couple of long rides in between destinations, the large and comfortable van with big windows allowed for great viewing of the beautiful landscapes along the way.
I’m an avid birder and traveler, and this is one of my top experiences thus far - thanks to the Colombian Project’s planning, experience, and personnel!

My Oslo tour experience was a great one. Thank you very much Ingrid for booking this at such short notice. I really enjoyed the long walk along the river because it was beautiful and quiet especially in the middle of a very busy city.

My guide, Stig, was very helpful in explaining the history behind the tiger for example close to the train station. Stig also shared facts about other things we saw and was of tremendous help in showing us around other places we needed to visit before we left for home. You guys are the best! Thank you:)

All of Ingrid's recommendations were terrific. We had a great experience! She even went above and beyond to give us directions at each site. The glacier hike at Folgefonna was amazing! But the highlight of our trip was a sunrise hike to Priekestolen. Driving around on our own was a great way to explore and see the "real" countryside... it's beautiful!
Thank you Ingrid!

My Trip to Slovenia started off with a request to “Solo hike through the alps, away from crowds and tourists". Miha contacted me and wanted to understand what I had in mind. Living in Silicon Valley and working in tech, my desire was to reconnect with nature and pursue a solo-hike through the Alps. I had envisioned doing this in Austria just based on its familiarity with my past travels.

As Miha and I exchanged messages, Miha who converted my desires into a well defined route to combine seeing many regions in Slovenia, which would allow me to decompress from the fast pace life in California and prepare for my solo hike through the Julia Alps, down into the Soča River Valley, through the Karst region onto Prian. He ensure everything I asked for was awaiting my arrival!

Once Miha and I talked live we settled on the plan and waited for weeks to pass and my flight to Slovenia, for an amazing 10 day trip.

I can summarize my trip by saying a Slovene saying; Sekira mi je padla v med!

Meeting Domen on my arrival, we had a great conversation reviewing maps and the route over beers and burgers and then I was cut loose to explore Ljubljana, where you can still feel the presence of past dragons and the vibe of a modern but well preserved historic city. From the street musicians to the open cafe's and restaurants to eating carniolian sausage at a very small sausage shack (Go there to find it, you will know when you see it along the way to the Castle over the three bridges).

Then onto Lake Bled, 6 kilometers around the lake, meeting Bobbi the artist who paints with watercolors, to experiencing the fairytale setting of the surrounding area. You do not pass up wood-fired traditional meals or the amazing cream cake you can learn about. My stay in Bled was a stepping off point to finalizing my gear and pack, since the next day was on to where my hike would start, on a ridge on the border between Austria and Slovenia.

Getting dropped off in the woods with a short hike up to the border ridge, onto Vosca Peak to start my path through the Julians, to visit Tonka prior to getting to Vrsic pass, hiking along the Soča river, overnighting in a hay barn at a local farm and onto Bovec, then to a Winery older then the United States and Caves where the Reka flows underground, onto Prian with Aljaž to hike sea cliffs and swim in the Adriatic!

Every aspect of the trip exceeded my expectations, the friendly culture, amazing people I met along the way, the nature, food and local beer. I rarely noticed the weather, but thunder does make you hike faster off the peaks :). I cannot wait to return to share this trip with my wife and to introduce her to all my new friends.

My trip can be summed up in one word; Zaklad!

Amazing crew of people at SloTrips, I cannot wait to reconnect with them on my next trip to Slovenia and possibly Croatia! Everyone should strive to take a hike in Slovenia in their lifetime and reconnect with nature and a great culture forged over many thousands of years. You are in great hands with the Miha and the SloTrips team!

-Kim

It was pretty good but I had to check some details. Flemmet at Bergen did a good job too. We had a good time in Norway over all. Thank you for the arrangement.

Steve and Katy and the Aspiring Adventures team did a great job. They helped plan and set up a highly custom tour of Peru for us and really dealt with a lot of added complexity and changes when the weather impacted the original trek we had planned; and then when one of us had some health issues and had to change plans. Really appreciated their hard work and expertise. Very happy with the trip.

Our guides arranged by Aspiring Adventures (Arturo in Lima, Justino in Sacred Valley/Trek/Machu Picchu/Cusco, and Wilhelm for Mt. Biking) were all fantastic. Highlights:

In Lima, Arturo took us to the Central Market and we walked around and tried about 15-20 kinds of fruit that don't exist in North America, and then took us to a local place (we were the only tourists there) for a fantastic lunch. If you are a foodie, don't skip Lima and see if you can book Arturo.

Trekking was great, stunning, but at those altitudes actually quite hard--be aware. Even if you are in good shape hard to catch your breath.

Machu Picchu and the hike from there up Waynapicchu were fantastic. It is amazing that a place as celebrated at Machu Picchu can still exceed expectations. If you aren't trekking in, make sure to get in line for the bus by 4:30 or 5:00 am to miss most of the crowds and see the sunrise. (Our guide made sure we did and it was well worth it.)

We went Mt. Biking in Sacred Valley for a half day followed by a gourmet picnic in the most beautiful setting (all arranged by our guides). First time Mt. Biking for all of us. It was amazing. Route chosen was 90% downhill and exciting but manageable for first timers. Totally recommend (my 15 year old declared this day to be the best thing we have ever done on any trip.)

Aspiring Adventures also arranged for us to have a cooking class in Cusco at Marcelo Batata with Chef Jose. (http://www.cuscocookingworkshop.com/culinary-experiences/cooking-class-or-culinary-experience/) This was fantastic. We have had great experiences with cooking classes on other trips, but this was by far the most fun and interesting chef/teacher we have ever had.

Highly recommend Aspiring Adventures.