Kimkim Trip Reviews

All in all a good trip. Well organized without a hitch on all the connections. Costa Rica itself is amazing, if not a little over sold. A couple of the tours were a bit disappointing, especially the Manual Antonio tour thru the park. Way to many people, to commercial and very little wildlife. Hotels were all good except Monte Verde which had a small room and the Wyndham in San Jose which is very dated with bad (very) beds. An upgrade helped, but this one is questionable. Greg and Gustavo, thanks for all of your work, we would not hesitate to use you again now that we have a better idea of what we might like...
Rick and Simone

We enjoyed a fantastic family trip to Costa Rica! All three locations were fantastic, and the activities really let us see so many different animals. Adam and Jessica were very helpful especially with changing weather conditions right before the trip started!

Hotel Review

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Fantastic location, very quiet and peaceful. Easy to get into town and such a spectacular view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arenal Volcano Hike & Paradise Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great hike and our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and the history of the area. The hot springs and meal afterwards was a perfect way to enjoy the evening.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

As a senior woman travelling solo my 6 night tour of southern Sri Lanka could not have been more perfect. Kapila, a lovely gentleman who was my guide and driver, was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and flexible. Whether a riverside yurt/tent in the forest, beachside, or downtown urban setting, all the accommodations were perfect: clean, modern, with helpful staff. The arranged safaris and tour of the Galle Fort were amazing, but I think my favourite part was Kapila sharing a visit to his Buddhist temple and just completely relaxing on the beautiful Weligama beach. I could not have asked for a better experience.

My mom and I had an absolutely amazing time on our week long Kim Kim-planned Morocco trip. Our travel consultant really took our preferences and requests into consideration to plan a brilliant - and varied - experience. We loved the riad (and hammams) in Marrakech, the rugged beauty of the High Atlas Mountain kasbah and the gloriously luxurious desert camp in Adafay. The few times there were minor hiccups, our driver, coordinator and travel specialist were very responsive and fixed the issue quickly. We would highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

Convenient location near the souks, beautiful architecture and design, delicious food and friendly staff. They have a small room you can reserve for hammam or private massage (which was ok).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only issue was there was no door to the bathroom/toilet

Inara Desert Camp

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah du Toubkal

lmlil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedside heater didn’t work but otherwise an amazing accommodation

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Relaxing Hammam Experience

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Imlil Valley Walk - Toubkal NP

Imlil

Mohammad was our favorite guide (besides our driver Mustapha). He was honest and funny and real, and he was very considerate to tailor the hike to my mom’s level of fitness.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Visiting the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca was a beautiful experience. Aside from this, I'm glad we did not spend too much time in Casablanca since there isn't much to do, as our travel consultant advised.

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

The Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech was mostly enjoyable as we got to explore the souks and major gates of the city, which were quite walkable. However, our guide, while nice, seemed to have a preference for taking us to pricier places, which wasn't ideal. It felt like there might have been a kickback involved, leading us to overpay for some items.

Guided Tour of Majorelle Garden

Marrakesh

The Guided Tour of Majorelle Garden was beautiful and very much worth the visit. The location was a little out of the way so it required transportation, but the garden itself was stunning and a great addition to our itinerary.

Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

The Marrakesh Evening Food Tour offered delicious options and was adjusted well to our dietary needs, but it felt rushed. It would have been nicer at a leisurely pace, as originally planned, to fully enjoy the food and atmosphere.

Day Trip from Marrakech to Essaouira

Morocco

The Day Trip from Marrakech to Essaouira was quite lengthy due to the travel time. While Essaouira was nice, we might have preferred another day in Marrakech instead. Some downtime or independent exploration time would have improved this day trip.

We had a lovely time. The service before departure was great - listening to what we wanted, lots of clear and regular communication and the Kim Kim and local team also helped us with some refund issues after we’d left.

The team on the ground were lovely. Good fun and great guides.

Doris provided a memorable itinerary for our trip. Guides (Brian and Toan) and drivers provided a wealth of knowledge and expertise at each site throughout the journey. We are not tour style people, however, this was well crafted to provide history, sites, landscapes, and activity. Beautiful country, rich culture , delicious food, and wonderful people.

Hotel Review

Eldora Hue

Hue

Loved this hotel. Best hotel during our trip

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hue - Thuy Bieu Eco-village, Cooking Class & Imperial Citadel

Hue

Toan was excellent guide, providing insight and knowledge to this area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you the KIMKIM company for connecting us with local Egypt from Egypt Promotion. entire team was fabulous including guides, driver and other team members. our trip was planned and executed with precision by local team, congratulations. from our arrival at the airport on day one till we left on day ten we were superbly attended. we want to show our sincere gratitude to: 1. Mr Hasham (our guide: First of all, he is wonderful person, very caring, extremely organized. Our 3 daughters loved him. He is very knowledgeable about everything Egypt. One of the best things we loved about him was his punctuality, gentle mannerisms, and sense of humor. He made our trip memorable. 2. Mr Mahmoud: he was our go to all person from airports to hotels, and in between. In short, superb team. We highly recommend them without reservations.
One of the best parts of the trip was The Nile Cruise with Dahabiya, amazing. Thank you all from bottoms of our hearts for an unforgettable experience.

Hi Kim Kim,
Chris and Diana Knauer just returned home from Thailand. The following was our experience.

Tina was super helpful at the inception. She suggested things to do, hotels to stay and the flow out the trip.
All transfers were effortless and in time in clean and roomy vehicles.
The hotels selected were great.

I will recommend Tina and Kim Kim to my friends for future travel.

Thanks

Chris Knauer

Hotel Reviews

Raya Heritage Hotel

CHIANG MAI

great ambiance and staff

Authenticity & Character

people, staff and accommodations

Location

central which was great

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anantara Bo Phut Koh Samui

Surat Thani

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok

good location but bathrooms /bedroom a little small. Good breakfast, great staff and on the river for convenience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cross River Kwai

Kanchanaburi

Nice hotel on the river but i would not say this is a five star hotel. Staff great, Nice hotel, clean but far removed . If i was to stay in Kanachanburi again i would stay closer to the waterfalls as this is the only thing to do, which was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Doi Suthep Temple Tour

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Temple Tour with Market Visit!

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bangkok!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erawan National Park visit

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai-Half Day

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

i

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A private speedboat tour of the Angthong Marine Park

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure with Quad Motor or ATV ride in Samui

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A private boat day trip to Koh Tao & Koh Nang Yuan

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok by local transfers and Temple Visit

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Margoth and team designed a trip that was perfect for us. All internal flights, accommodations, transfers and tours were well organized. Our guides and drivers were friendly and knowledgeable and everything worked seamlessly. I would highly recommend the Kimkim team.

Monika helped to curate this amazing trip to New Zealand. We had an amazing time and really saw much of the South Island. Every experience was unique and wonderful. Our guides were great especially the heli hike on Mt Cook with Charlie. The fly cruise fly is the way to go to see the fjords. The flight was breathtaking. The star gazing was incredible and the hot springs after was a plus. Our wine lunch in Otaga was incredible. I can’t say enough and loved the recommendations given on way from one place to next. Just amazing !!!

This was a great way for us to get a feel for Costa Rica and an understanding of the available options for further travel. All of our tour guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic and their experience and sighting skills made a huge difference to how much we were able to see.

Hotel Reviews

Tenorio Lodge

Bijagua de Upala

Tenorio Lodge was my favorite of our 3 hotels. Small, owner operated and lovingly maintained it had an astonishing array of birds, from Toucans to Baltimore Orioles, coming in to enjoy daily feedings of bananas. Also sported a pair of resident sloths, and a tapir trail through the grounds. We stayed in Cabin #6 which was airy, comfortable and very private. Breakfast was excellent, if we went back we would probably go into Bijagua for dinner--we had a very tasty lunch at El Barrigon.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Very attractive hotel with comfortable and stylish room. The grounds right around the hotel were beautifully landscaped but we saw only an occasional hummingbird on the grounds. The trails were not very inviting--poorly marked, and the loop we followed wound along the service side of some of the buildings. The food was excellent, albeit expensive. Staff was helpful and efficient, but felt quite corporate compared to Tenorio Lodge where it felt like a family operation.

Bahia del Sol Hotel

Guanacaste

This hotel had a stunning location right on the beach, and beautifully landscaped grounds-- I found it odd that we didn't see any pollinators on the many tropical blossoms. The reception staff was very helpful. Our standard room was a let down from our first 2 hotels--primarily because it had no windows. The room itself was comfortable and stylish. We liked being able to walk around the town of Potrero Beach and had a couple of nice meals at the Shack and La Forketta.

Activity Reviews

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Private Hike

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

It was raining, and the only trail open in the park was the waterfall walk, but our guide gave us a great tour. He spotted several snakes, I tasted a termite, we made it to the waterfall and back. Our driver was extremely attentive to wildlife along the road to the park and stopped so we could get a good look at howler monkeys and a king vulture. The fruit snack at the end of the hike was delicious, and we were delighted when the driver and guide accepted our invitation to lunch on the way back to the lodge.

Day at Selvatura including Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The hanging bridges walk was a chance to experience the grandeur of the canopy. I enjoyed simply breathing in the surroundings, but we would have understood what we were seeing much better with a guide. I would skip the sloth and reptile displays. The butterfly garden was worth a visit--we had a particularly good guide for the Fauna exhibits who had a special interest in insects. The next day we booked a last minute tour at the Monteverde Biological reserve, which I highly recommend. It was a nice complement to the canopy walk at Selvatura.

Palo Verde National Park Safari Cruise

Costa Rica

This is remote--we enjoyed seeing the countryside, but it was a long time in the car. The boat tour itself was excellent, and the captain was very skilled at spotting wildlife and maneuvering the boat in close for a good look. It was in our favor that it was low tide and there was a breeze. The lunch and stops at a community center with a craft stand run by single moms as well as a stop to see traditional pottery were both quite interesting and a nice change from many of the souvenir shops with made in China goods.

This was a great trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. 2 weeks was exactly the right amount of time to see everything we wanted to see. It struck the proper balance between activities every day, a variety of excursions, with the right amount of rest time in between. Transportation around town was excellent. Pickups and drop-offs at the airport were smooth, enough of the people in Indo-China spoke English to get by. The education about history was very informing. Bike rides, although challenging at my age of 73, was good exercise and allowed us to see the local people and how they lived. We saw some cultural events, some flavor of the local food. There were 3 cooking classes. We saw a variety of places in Vietnam and understand the role that Vietnam and Cambodia play in the modern world. The only negative is that we probably did not ask questions of Ashley often enough. She eventually answered them. Ashley did a great job of planning our trip. We would do it again, except Vietnam is on the other side of the world and the plane rides were exceedingly long.
Ron Goings

Our 26 day trip to Thailand and Vietnam was absolutely amazing from the moment we landed and our final departure . Sunny was the best and we loved every minute of our very moment of our adventure.

I highly recommend Sunny she was very easy to communicate with while on trip.

The hotels were great and all the guides were very knowledgeable and friendly.

We will definitely use her again

Overall we had a great time. A few bumps along the way. Three of us got sick on different days on Isla Baru so that slowed us down a bit. But we still managed to have a good time
Time in Cartagena was well planned and and tours were well appreciated. Tour guide Anna did a very good job. We enjoyed our time very much.

My son and I had an amazing trip to New Zealand in December 2024. I could not have pulled it all together without Michelle from Once upon a trip New Zealand. She was absolutely wonderful to work with. I gave her our wish list and she put together the ultimate itinerary to fit our interests. I would highly recommend Michelle!

We had a wonderful trip with so many various experiences. Jesse did a fabulous job setting up all the tours, transportation , hotels. All of our local guides were amazing and made our trip so special.

Lorena did an outstanding job all the way around. Our accommodations were excellent. Transfers (with one exception) excellent and timely. Lorena always responsive and helpful. This was an epic trip for us and we owe great thanks to Lorena for that!

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour - Private

Santiago

Sole was fantastic! Great tours. Deep and thoughtful knowledge. A pleasure to be with Sole!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skorpios II - 6 days/5 nights Cruise

Puerto Montt

Definitely a trip to do., Small ships. Greater food. Incredible experiences.,

Quality of Experience

Private Dinner

Santiago

Gloria and Leonids were suggest gracious hosts and it was an honor to have a meal in their home. Highly recommend this to anyone who has the chance. Just an amazing experience. I will never forget the “third flavor”.

Quality of Experience

Food

Gloria prepared an amazing dinner, paired with Leonides excellent wines. What a gift it was to be with them!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso & Wine Tour - Private

Santiago

Old town Valparaiso was excellent! Highly recommended. Sole took us on an awesome tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montes Winery - Tour Premium

Chile

Great restaurant, and great wine.

Quality of Experience

Fly-Fishing Program Magic Waters Patagonia

Puerto Bertrand

My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting and exploring Morocco with the help of kimkim from January 21 - January 29, 2025 (9 days). We put 1,318 km (819 miles) on the Mercedes! The following was our itinerary: Arrive in Casablanca; Rabat (1 night); Fes (2 nights); Midelt (1 night); Merzouga (1 night); Boumalne Dades (1 night); and Marrakesh (2 nights). Majid was the local specialist who, from the moment we booked our trip, was instrumental in guiding us along our amazing journey from city to city and across the Moroccan countryside. He was the perfect quarterback who drew up winning plays and called for last-minute changes to ensure all of our needs were met. There were also several tour guides who helped us become intimately familiar with the religiously and historically significant aspects of each city and site we visited, and we appreciated each and every one of them. So, now, for the best part of the trip: Mouad. Mouad was our driver/guide/friend with whom we spent several hours each day, as we traversed the Moroccan shorelines, the High Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert (we will, by the way, never forget the sight of the stary night in the desert!). From the moment Mouad greeted us with his big, bright and contagious smile, we knew that we were in for a treat! He greeted my wife with a bouquet of flowers, which was so very thoughtful of him. He was, quite literally, happy, talkative and engaging the entire time. He went above and beyond each and every single day to make sure that every single one of our needs were met, no questions asked--zero hesitation. He then surprised us with a heart-shaped cake to celebrate our 13th anniversary, in the middle of the Sahara Desert no less! We cannot say enough wonderful things about Mouad, and Majid was not kidding when he told us (initially) that Mouad was one of his star players. We left Morocco having made a special friend! I encourage kimkim and Majid to continue to recognize the professionalism and love with which Mouad performs his work (although we're sure he does not even consider it work!) by giving him a call (+212-658-774107) to say Thank You! We sure are grateful to Mouad, Majid and the entire kimkim Team for making our Morocco trip one for the ages!

I loved the choices Valentine made for us, Especially her recommendations while in the Black Forest.

Paula & kimkim! What a stellar team! Mahalo so much to Paula for her patience in coordinating our remarkable trip to New Zealand (Auckland & Queenstown) and Australia (Sydney & Cairns).
Paula's knowledge of both of these amazing destinations truly helped us enjoy our trip to its fullest!
Why choose kimkim:
1. The personal attention that we got from Paula not only allowed us to embark on a trip of a lifetime, but we gained a new friend - Paula!
2. From confirming hotels, booking flights, to arranging airport transfers, tours and so much more - this was by far, the best way to travel - peace of mind and worry free! Our hotel, M Social was very modern and perfectly located to all activities. The daily breakfast buffet started our days with delicious and healthy options!
3. Our guide Jono for the Auckland Food/Drink City tour was so engaging and very informative as we walked through downtown Auckland and stopped at several eating and drinking establishments! We made new friends along the way and Jono kept us informed and full of joy! The tour and food/drinks and desserts is a must do!
4. Our next stop was Queenstown! My new fave place to visit in the future! Our hotel here was the Millenium - another awesome choice - walking distance to the hub of the town and other activities.
5. Paula arranged for us to take a tour to Milford Sound via coach (Mercedes glass top) and this did not disappoint at all. Our driver was very informative and shared so much about the area and culture along the way, He stopped at some points of interest and the views were absolutely spectacular! We even stood in the field where they filmed the Orcs running through in the movie Lord of the Rings! Arriving at the Sound and journeying on the ferry was surreal. The sound is stunning and we saw dolphins, seals and sea birds. We opted to fly our of Milford Sound at the last minute and THAT was AWESOME! I highly recommend that you do this! The pilot flew us close to the mountain range seeing the glacier tops and lakes too! It was thrilling beyond belief!
6. Our next adventure that Paula booked was the Jet Boat Ride! OK, as a 70 year old, I was a bit weary of this one. However, it was SO MUCH fun and exhilarating - I am ready to go again! Our guide, Dane was Maori and gifted us with his knowledge of the area and its cultural significance. This is another must do....not matter how old you are!
7. We allowed for some free time at our destinations in order to do some spontaneous things and discover things on our own. We rode the Gondola in Queenstown and hung out downtown. The food did not let us down. EVERYTHING was delicious!
8. Next we were off to Sydney where Paula booked us into the Intercontinental. My fave hotel now in Sydney! Breakfast buffet included - clearly the best we have had - ever. Here we did our own things - visiting the Opera House, taking in La Traviata at the Opera House one nite, walking through the Royal Botanical Garden and simply going on adventures in Sydney on our own.
9. Our next stop was Cairns! Flights were all arranged by Paula! We go there, and it was storming. Our snorkel cruise was cancelled due to the weather. As this was pre-paid, the vendor provided a letter for us to receive a refund from our booking agent - kimkim. Upon our return, Paula quickly worked on this and we will receive refunds within a week!
Although our cruise was cancelled, we still found fun things to do while in Cairns. Our hotel, Flynn Crystalbrook booked by Paula, was another winner - centrally located with morning buffet breakfast included.
Paula worked her magic to allow us to have a stress-free, beyond comfortable vacation. Balancing "must see & do" experiences along with free time was perfect. We had SO much fun and learned a lot about the area, the culture and the people.
For all of this Paula, mahalo palena 'ole - with deepest gratitude. Marcie