Kimkim Trip Reviews

Kesaeb was great - always had my back - very friendly and knew his stuff concerning the trek and tea houses - a very knowledgeable and personable person and always on time - if I come back again I’ll definitly your organization again and ask for Kesaeb as my guide - take care - enjoy

One of the best holidays we have ever been on. Beautiful country, beautiful people, amazing food, breathtaking landscapes. The kimkim team - Amanda, Akram, Mustafa - were incredible. Thank you guys!

From been greeted at the airport, my guide, Tashi and driver set the standard of this trip, very high.
Our itinerary was not too manic, but ran like clockwork, with excellent driving, and time keeping, the manners were impeccable. We saw so much, hard to choose a favourite, for me , it was between an Everest Mountain flight, and rafting on river. trishuli.
The visit to Pashupatinath was an experience I wil never forget, made even more memorable by our excellent local guide ,Prajwol, what an interesting man, his memory for facts and figures is second to none, he explained so much, with so many interesting facts, he even took us to a great place for lunch, on both days out with him. The ancient villages of Bungamati and Khokana, were quite a contrast to Kathmandu, but once again, made so interesting, and stress free thanks to Prajwol and our amazing driver, who at all times remained calm, and very pleasant.
I can not thank Tashi and the team from NMMT, and Prajwol for their attention to detail, humour and seemingly bottomless knowledge.
Highly recommend, and so many thanks for creating this adventure for me.

On many of the locations that we visited the detailed information could show that walking in gravel and dirt pathways should be know so as to not ware your best footwear. Asking us if we had out swimwear when in-route to the Delta was not good. That river is very dirty and to swim for someone from the US is not even a question to ask. Also the car travel time to locations should be included so that trips to areas are not booked without reason. Many of the things advertised to tour in the City were not gone to Post Office were not done. When people come from cold areas to Hot they do not have that much energy to be marched around all day. We paid a lot of money for taxi to and from the airport and some trips to the Market.

I had a great experience in Morocco! Brahim did a great job helping me organize my trip. He gave me the best suggestions and was super quick to reply. I really liked the accommodation he booked for me, the riad in Marrakesh was beautiful but the glamping experience in Agafay was definitely the highlight! The tent was very comfortable, the food was the best I had in Morocco and the place itself is magical, you can tell there is attention to every detail.
People in Morocco were welcoming, very friendly and always proud to introduce me to their culture.
The diversity in Morocco really surprised me, from the beautiful Sahara desert to the lively city of Marrakesh, impressive waterfalls, beach cities to remote villages in the Atlas mountains. You can find it all!
I definitely recommend everyone to visit this country with such an amazing culture.

Overall we had a great holiday. Chile is a diverse, amazing and civilised place. Everywhere we went people were friendly and we didn't feel threatened at all. Highlights were the Atacama Desert and the trips run by Rutas Andinas (especially Andreas); they were very laid back and informative. We also loved Torres Del Paine and had the bonus of being on all inclusive, which we didn't realise until we were on the transfer from Punta Arenas. We did a number of trips from the hotel - Grey Glacier, Base of the Tower, Patagon and Laguna Azul, and all of the guides were excellent. If we were to go again I would probably give the Lake District a miss - Puerto Varas is really nice but the Chiloe Island trip, although there is nothing wrong with it, is a long way (400 km round trip) for not that much return. Osorno Volcano trip was good.
We spent 5 nights (in 3 blocks in Santiago) and the Ismael Hotel is in a great position. Lots of positives about the hotel - staff, atmosphere, breakfast, comfortable bed and pillow but be aware there is not much sound proofing in the glazing, so if you are in a room that is low down and either on the noisy side (back of hotel is on a busy street) or in room 413 (next to apartment that has all night parties on a Saturday - till 0700), try to get moved higher. Walking tour of Santiago was good and the Valpariso/Wine Tour was great. Felipe is a good guy. We also went on a Colchagua Wine Tour, which was the only one where we felt we were pushed along by the guide (Vivi). The vineyards were excellent and we had plenty of wine and a good lunch but we kept being told 'we need to move on in 8 minutes; 5 minutes etc', which isn't great considering how expensive it is.
Oxana (supported by Marina) was excellent and planned the whole thing around our wishes. Also, when we had a couple of scheduling issues with transfers they were resolved immediately. One other thing to mention, throughout the tour, regardless of operator, all of the drivers were good and we both felt safe on all trips (bus drivers in Cambodia please note!!).
An excellent trip and I would use KimKim and EcoChile again.

The experience:
Our visit to Amazonas felt like a real adventure!
We were met in bustling Leticia by Darwin, our English-speaking guide, and spent the next 90 minutes awe-struck by the immensity of the river and the expertise of the boatman, who skilfully navigated past tree trunks and other floating debris as we sped our way upstream to Callanoa.
Our ‘home’ at the ecolodge was a beautifully designed 2-storey casita (more than just a cabin). Surrounded by a garden of heliconias and other floral delights, we were immersed in the sounds of birds in the secondary forest – the crested oropendolas with their liquid ‘glopping’ call, yellow-rumped caciques, and a multitude of diverse tanagers - with a rhythmic backing of frogs and cicadas.
We spent three comfortable nights here on the banks of the river Amazon as the river was rising at the start of its annual flood.
Each day started with a tasty breakfast –often in the company of a visiting troupe of squirrel monkeys or black-mantled tamarins. Then we would be hailed by the enthusiastic Darwin and taken off for a visit to the neighbouring village or, further afield, by boat, to flooded forests and islands, where we cruised amongst the trees spotting birds, sloths, pink dolphins and other wildlife. We will never forget the huge horizons and looming cloudscapes (nor the tremendous downpour that caught us midriver).
Going back to the lodge each day for lunch and supper –usually fish (always locally caught) and always delicious - provided opportunities to relax and rehydrate with a beer or exotic fruit juice.
We would love to return to the Amazonas wilderness in the future and, after a blessing from the local shaman at Callanoa, who knows, maybe in spirit at least...
The people who helped to make the trip so good:
-Darwin, a cheerful and knowledgeable guide. He appeared to know the area and the people and interacted well with the local guides to enable us to get the most out of our visit.
-The owner of the ecolodge, Diego. He was often present at meals when he was willing to answer our questions and to explain the ideas behind the Callanoa project. He aims to develop sustainable tourism as a way of restoring the natural forest and to provide the local people with employment and a cash income.

Karin and Espiritu Travel teamed up for a great inaugural trip to Havana. Karin communicated well and responsively throughout the entire pre-trip experience.

Julio met me at the airport and was basically a full-time guide from 9-10am until we packed it in for the day. Julio is a proud Cuban and incredibly knowledgeable about history, culture and life in general -- and very customer service (American style) focused. Luis, another guide in training tagged along for a couple of days and was a pleasant guy as well. Annie, yet another guide, took us out one night for a nightlife tour. Julio and Luis even met us on our last day for no reason other than to make certain that we got in taxis and off to the airport (note: that was a two hour bus ride each way for Luis).

This was Father/Son trip with my 18 year old son. And memorable it was -- I was expecting the old cars, cigars and rum and none disappointed. What i did not expect was the sheer volume of beautiful architecture, the rich and interesting history at nearly every turn, the many color characters that have left their mark - some small, some big -- on Cuba. The food was fresh and fantastic (that is coming from a foodie).

The accomodations were arranged - a casa particulares - by Espiritu. Maria's place in Vedado was very nice. Maria was a terrific host and a great breakfast cook. Rooms were clean, with a/c and hot water.

My family really enjoyed the hike up volcano Pacaya. Our guide was thoughtful and friendly and well prepared.

We had a wonderful, nearly two week, experience traveling around Sri Lanka with the help of KimKim and Sandun. The star-ratings would have easily been fives except for the following:
1. While tour operators have to rely on the competency of the guides assigned to clients, the initial guide assigned to us was clearly unacceptable due to his lack of timeliness, his inadequate preparation and organization, and his lack of honesty. To the credit of Sandun, once we brought our concerns to his attention, he immediately changed our guide. Our new guide, Denver, was one of the best guides we have ever had -- anywhere -- and we have traveled throughout the world. As a result of the inadequacy of the first guide we were, disappointingly, unable to enjoy all of the sights in Anuradhapura.
2. A suggestion for future, similar tours. We enjoyed the train ride from Kandy to Hatton, but suggest that the ride be from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. From Hatton we were driven to our extraordinary accommodations at Tea Trails. But, in order to see the sights in Nuwara Eliya we would have been required to drive 2-3 hours (each way) the next day from Tea Trails (our only full day at Tea Trails) to Nuwara Eliya. Had we taken the train from Kandy, through Hatton, to Nuwara Eliya we might have been able to see the sights in Nuwara Eliya following the train ride, and on our way to Tea Trails, and then spend the full next day at Tea Trails without missing sights in Nuwara Eliya.

Overall, the itinerary was well planned and the lodgings were excellent. And our guide, Denver, as explained earlier, was the best ever. He has a patient temperament; is well-organized; has excellent driving skills; is friendly, humorous, and full of wonderful stories. And Denver is fully knowledgeable and an able teacher. We thank Denver, and Sandun, for making this trip such a worthwhile and, overall, enjoyable experience.

I took the 5 day Pikey Peak Trek and the experience was amazing. Amanda and my guide/porter Rishi met me at my hotel the night before in Kathmandu. They went over my list of what I was packing, and gave me some valuable advice. They picked me up at my hotel and drove me to where we met our public transportation. The trek met all of my expectations. The views were amazing, and the tea houses were great. It was wonderful to submerse yourself in the Himalaya culture for five days. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and my guide was amazing, very helpful, and always asking me what I wanted to make my experience better. I would highly recommend this trek to someone who is in good physical condition and wants to experience the authentic local culture.

We had a great experience in Nepal and, thanks to Kim Kim and Sangita, we could arrange everything to suit out needs. Sangita could not have been more helpful in giving us advice about planning our trip and also making us feel welcome on arrival. We would really recommend Kim Kim and Sangita to people wishing to visit Nepal.

Lena was terrific in every way. She worked endlessly to make our trip exactly what we wanted.
I like the kimkim format, the communication thread, and recommendations. We had 2 different drivers during our 8 day trip, Akram and Mustafa, both were awesome.
We wanted to see the entire country of Jordan, not just the popular places. Lena assured me that the North was less traveled, but well worth it. She was right. We loved Jarash, Ajlun, and Umm Qais. We soaked in the hot spring, Al Himma, on the border near Syria. Who does that? What a blast!
Petra is jaw dropping, Wadi Rum is wild, the Dead Sea is fun. Aicha Camp in Wadi Rum was perfect.
Jordan is a great travel destination!

Overall, the planning for the trip was done well. Monica was very good about answering questions and making changes as we did the plan. The activities were as expected.

It would have been helpful to have more information about what was involved in some of the activities. e.g. we arrived at Sky Park to find out that we were going on a 3-hour hike to the hanging bridges before the zipline. There was not a great deal to see on the hike. There was no time to eat before the zipline at 1:00, and 2 of our party were so tired or slightly ill that they didn't go. The ziplining was great for the 2 of us who went.

similarly, the instructions for what to bring could be clearer. It said to bring hiking shoes and a bathing suit for the river trip. We did not need either. Water shoes would have been better.

the tour to Manuel Antonio was well-done with an excellent guide. We were not quite prepared for the long wait to get into the park. Also, you might tell people to wear a bathing suit if they expect to swim. There is no place to change. The hike itself was great with lots of wildlife.

Travel advice was great. Walk Bike Hike was very friendly. Great B&B hosts.

Wonderful experience and I felt taken care of . Traveling as a single woman I felt very safe.

I have just returned from one of the most memorable experiences in my life. My eight day trip to Nepal, trekking in the Solukhumbu region was incredible. From my initial conversations with Amanda who helped me build a personalised itinerary, through to the planning, support, customer service and guide, the whole team were amazing. Every detail was covered and every question answered (always a bonus when you are traveling to a destination for the first time).

A special mention must go to my guide, Wangchhu Sherpa, who is absolutely top-class. Wangchhu really made the trip with his local knowledge and explanations of the local culture and Sherpa people. At every tea house or hotel we were made welcome with a smile and some great food. We shared some laughs and lots of chats on so many topics as we trekked, taking in some absolutely stunning views and incredible scenery. I'd definitely recommend including Pikey Peak if you can. The 360 degree views at sunrise are stunning. You can't argue with Sir Edmund Hilary!

I have no hesitation in highly recommending Amanda, Wangchuu, Sitaram and the team for a trekking adventure in Nepal. I'll definitely be heading back to Nepal next year to continue my adventure in one of the most stunning places on earth!

THE BEST
* Advance planning with Erin was very good and was personalized. Enjoyed working with her
*Ohmar was very good and was an excellent guide with excellent park history and knowledge.
Enjoyed being with him.
*The two transfer drivers were good. Carlos was particularly helpful in getting us to an earlier bus
departure back to Punta Arenas. He was very pleasant.
*The Aquaterra accommodations were good.
*The Grey Glacier Hotel and later glacier boat tour were both very good.
*The day tour of the park was very good.
*The Refugio Torre Central was a good staging point for the long hike, but there were some other
lodging options one might have considered to shorten hike a little.
*Even though we only had one clear and one partially clear day of the three, the views were
spectacular and what we came to see.
THE OTHER
*Two boat rides are unnecessary; the Grey Glacier tour was much better.
*The two options provided because of the last minute zodiac cancellation wee not good; like take a
chance on another company which may not go, or take an all day boat ride for a 1 hour walk. A
better option would have been to go head and do park tour or have a extra day in the park. Still
had to pay for transfer even though luggage would have been transferred under original plans.
*During the tour day, the hike was a pretty serious climb, considering the long hike to next day.
Might have considered another hike considering our ages and experience.
*For someone my age, a stay at the refugio 2/3 of the way up the Torres Base hike would have
been better. Also provides a weather option.
*The Patagonia B&B was very basic and would not be recommended.
*Lodging in Punta Arenas could have been nearer the penguin boat dock and airport. It was a 50
minute ride from town and back plus long boat ride for 1 hour with penguins at the end of the
season.
*Other than the lost day with the boat ride, the trip was a success.

From the beginning the trip planning was very easy. Sotiria was very responsive to all my requests and followed up on all communication very quickly. The trip itself was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Iceland and were in awe of it's beauty. I was slightly concerned upon our arrival at the airport that our driver was not there to meet us. He arrived about 30 min. after our flight and then took us to our hotel. He was very apologetic and friendly. The information packet provided by Sotiria was very professional and she even included a map with our driving route highlighted and interesting sports marked along the way. We had a few episodes of bad weather during the trip including one road closure due to high winds however Sotiria communicated with me and made sure we were able to get to our hotel. It was nice to know we had a local agent we could call when weather conditions changed. I highly recommend using the kimkim service for trip planning.

Harris went above and beyond to meet our precise needs and budget. I was hugely disappointed when things went awry (through our mistake), but he went out of his way — quite literally by leaving work and coming to find us — to alter our agenda and surpass our expectations. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend Harris to friends and family.

Go see Greece and use Harris to plan your best trip.