Kimkim Trip Reviews

CBF. It was an amazing trip.

The trip to La Paz, Sucre and the Altiplano including Potosi, Uyuni and southern altiplano was excellent. We had a few days to adjust to the altitude flying in from NYC and Mexico City in La Paz (we all speak Spanish so no need for English guides etc and well connected to diverse local communities). We headed of to Copacabana and Titicaca Isla del Sol with Carlao a fine guide and caring individual and stayed at the excellent EcoLodge before heading back to Tiwanaku and la Paz. The walk was strenuous on Isla and perhaps too long. Would have made more sense to visit the ruins and then take the boat closer to the Lodge. Breathtaking experience.

We flew to Sucre for a few days enjoying the amazing art of the Tarabucu and Jalka indigenous groups before a drive by Wilfredo to Potosi and trip into the mines. Wilfredi was exceptional. Both a local Potosino and from a mining family he graciously shared all of his intimate knowledge and insured we were well looked after. A trip highlight as we paid respects to El Tio and imagined Cerro Rico's impact over centuries.

From there W drove us to Uyuni where we stayed at fine lodge and were handed off to Carolina del Norte tour group with Ariel our driver and guide. Spectacular day at the Salar. And then a deep drive south into the desert, lagos, lagoons, flamingos, vicunas, llamas, volcanoes, etc at the border with Chile and back up to Uyuni for flight to La Paz.

Extraordinary trip we will remember deeply and a long list of things to look up, come back to and savor.
Milenka mil gracias por tu atencion y cuidado. Un abrazo fuerte. eric

Overall we had a great trip. Unfortunately we had two night in Ajloun which were dreadful. We were so cold we slept in most of our clothes (coats, scarves and hats), there was no running water and nobody else staying there so clearly everyone else knew that it’s not a great place in winter so I was disappointed that we had x2 nights there. We missed out on two other places which were on our itinerary; Lots cave (because it was closed that day) and bush walk on our last day because our driver didn’t know about it.

As a picky and non-speaking Mandarin traveller, I did spend some time searching for the right guide for our Xian trip.

Fortunately, I found KimKim website by chance.

With some basic itinerary in mind already, I emailed KimKim my inquiry to which Max promptly replied within 24 hours. Right after, Max arranged for Eric, our designated local Xian guide, to touch base with me.

Although using the KimKim app was sufficient, I would definitely recommend using the WeChat app as well, which I used more frequently to communicate with both Max and Eric.

We took the bullet train (about 4.5hrs ride) from Chengdu to Xian. When we got to the Xian train station, we were immediately greeted by Eric (who I must mention is friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating and very fluent in English) at the arrival hall.

With only 2 days to explore Xian, we kept our itinerary as simple and flexible as possible. We managed to visit the Muslim Quarters, the historic Great Mosque and the very impressive Terracotta Warrior museum.

A nice bonus while in Xian was that it snowed on our way to the Terracotta Warrior museum on our second day of visit. Most of the city was covered in snow by the time we left the site! The downside from this though was that we had to cancel our visit to the City Wall. The cold weather had become too much for my daughter to do another outside excursion. Admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised when Eric refunded me (the City Wall tickets) immediately even with the last-minute cancellation.

Also, I was incredibly impressed when Eric and our designated driver were able to get us to the seafood restaurant (my daughter and I had been dying to go to!) in the nick of time even though we were delayed by traffic.

BIG thank you to Max, Eric and the driver for their outstanding service and for making our brief Xian trip fun and memorable!

David and Gabor where great in helping us plan our honeymoon in Ecuador, modifying our activities and adjusting everything to perfection! They also spent about half a day with us in Quito, showing us around the Old Town. Highlightsip included the great Yacuma lodge in the Amazon with our amazing guide Yacu, our ascension to the 1st refuge on mount Chimborazo and a great day trip to Isla de la Plata. We wanted adventure, and we got it!

Mystical Myanmar 🇲🇲
We are so Inlove with this Country
At first we almost didn’t go due to Fake news on television and certain news outlets
Fortunately we found Lin Lin with Kim Kim Travels
We now have returned from our Mystical Journey and are looking forward to a return trip in the future
Thankyou KimKim Travel
I put my total trust in your company and Lin Lin 👍 made all our dreams become reality

First stop Yangon Myanmar 🇲🇲 1 day and night
Absolutely a great place to kick start our Journey
The Shwedagon Pagoda a must see
The Bogyoke Market... Everything you could possibly need
Walking around here you will feel safe and find a city growing and bustling
Trains....city parks.... taxis... movie theatres...
Malls.... street vendors and very tasty treats
Local life here is Friendly with big smiles and caring towards foreigners
Mingalabar 😁

Don’t be afraid to fly! The flights are fast affordable and with so much to see and do if your time is short this is the best way to get into and onto your destinations

Lin Lin was such a sweetheart to help me plan our Journey
I’m sure I have left out many things we did.. but feel free to contact her for all your needs LinLin

Off we go from Yangon to Mandalay Airport
3 days and nights
Hotel Yadanarbon 👍perfect
We were met with a Sign with our names our knowledgeable guide and driver cold water and smiles always smiles and warmth
Mr. Joe and driver Mr O ..Big Love
Kyaw Soe Win guide
Driver Mr Aung
Exploring this city was eye opening and all I could say is Wow
Woodmaking crafters and Kalaga Tapestries for generations and generations are still making these by hand and are absolutely amazing
Jade and jewels Market OMG More time haha
Gold leafing workshop such an eye opening day
How the ladies make their sunscreen and protect their skin so Beautiful
Clay Pottery these lady’s Absolutely astounding
Pagodas ...Shrines .... Horse and buggy ride our horses name Honey .... small souvenir stalls ... delicious foods dances....Double bridges....toad mountain ... the worlds biggest book
Golden Monastery Shwenandaw Monastery Royal Palace 19th century
A Daily Prayer at the female monastery Absolutely eye popping and so blessed we are able to witness this wonderful experience .... Respect for everyone is their motto and I am blessed to say I found my inner peace here ... my light is shining brighter . A quick boat ride to Ava ....City Of Immortality...
Sunset at Ubien Bridge ... breathtaking
I conquered my personal fear ... of bridges... I actually walked up high on this beautiful bridge constructed in 1782 the royal Center of attention. The longest teak wood bridge worldwide 1.2 km and we made it safe and sound to the end. What an amazing bridge to conquer
What an unbelievable day of love
We started early and fell asleep happily exhausted But definitely wide eyed and ready for the next day to begin

Off to the airport to be met after a short flight to Bagan 2 days and nights
Amata Boutique Hotel Amazing!!!

Our Guide and Driver we learned so much
Very knowledgeable Guide ... Mr Maw and driver Mr. Awe Awesomeness
your knowledge and love for your country has enlightened us forever...Big Love
I was unsure of the hotel Lin Lin suggested but after talking with her I decided to trust her choice! So happy we did Absolutely Georgeus Resort Pagodas in the parking lot wow the staff cooks cleaners I just can’t say enough
Fields of Pagodas.. Temples history culture ancient times future lessons
Local School girls riding bycyles along side our horse cart our horses name Lovely I learned how to drive lovely up into the Fields of Bagan to the highest point where we enjoyed a sunset
We learned so much ... in Ancient times the brilliant minds of ancestors that saw to the future and how we are so blessed today to be able to take part in this history.....Time is more than a word.
Absolutely Amazing
Horse and buggy rides
Lacquerware I never knew the delicate work that goes into every piece Amazing
Nyaung Oo Market bright colours foods crafts souvenirs wow
Local vegetables Markets the colours smells tastes ...fantastic .... I am a very picky eater .. with that said I enjoyed everything!
Private Boat Ride along the Ayeyarwaddy River.... views of Bagan .... local villages snacks drinks sights sounds smells another wow moment
we banked and watched the sunset ...
wow wow wow
NOTE..... Do not climb on Temples or Pagoda these are sacred you will be fined and can be jailed!!

Next short flight to Inle Lake 1 day and night
Golden Island Cottages Absolutely Amazing
Floating Resort
Met by our Diver Ozawa and our guide Khan Su Haing ... Sue we adore you !You have a special gift
If your travels bring you to us in Canada you are Welcome to stay with us anytime! My prayers include your happiness 😘
Off to an Umbrella workshop owned from past generations of families teaching the skills and passing it forward.... to be able to see a tree and watch as they mash it pound it soak it dry it widdle the wood make the paper string the bamboo oh my Such craftsmanship and pride wow Thank you for sharing your wisdom
One legged fisherman Awesome . floating Resort cultural dance shows ... puppet shows ...silk and lotus making....weaving workshop .... old teak monastery... floating villages floating gardens fresh fruits vegetables.......
lunch at the Intha ladies home built on stilts of 4 sisters ..a piece of my heart is still there with them ... the food they made for us was fantastic and the candy so delicious to see how joyed these ladies are with their lives makes my heart pound.....school children walking home singing ...Happiness is everywhere.... by boating along the lake Seeing everyday life talking with locals my take away is love hard work and an Absolutely stunning village of sharing caring survival and kindness

With every great Journey ours is at a close only to be met by a Surprise! by our lovely guide .... Su. on her time off to bring us More Candy .... such a kind and giving young lady ... Big Love sweetheart and many blessings

My itenery is available ....just contact kim kim travels and ask for Lin Lin
I hope All of you can come to Myanmar to take part, enjoy and to engulf your passions in this Mystical Beautiful Country

Words of advice
Do not climb on the Pagodas, Temples and Shrines !!
these are sacred ... consider these as your churches or mosque... this is against the law ! And also A Terrible Disrespectful thing to do

Money changing.. we took Crisp 100.00 USA bills no folds no markings clear crisp only !!!
They will and did refuse to change anything less quality! As we are Canadians I cannot comment on other countries money
But we learned this is the best way to change our money
Also Bagan Airport had the best exchange rate ...Alhough we changed money at any local money exchangers in all other cities and were happy with the rate
Remember to use what you have before leaving the country as it is not acceptable outside for exchange

Bartering.... yes this is what the people expect But remember to go by an amount that you and the seller can Part happy ...This is their only incomes ... be kind

Tourists! Be respectful to everyone! We all are on a Journey none greater than the next person !
Remember you are representing your home countries. Enjoy yourselves but also respect fellow travelers and local people as well .
Most importantly .... Tourists money is needed here to help the people of Myanmar advance and grow
They are proud people and are learning about us as we are them
My motto Treat people as you want to treated Kindness First

Please do.....Spread the Truth about this Beautiful Country Myanmar and share Kimkim travel as they are Absolutely worth every penny without all these wonderful guides drivers and Sales representatives
Our Journey would not have been as Fantastic and Amazing as it was💝
Blessings and safe travels

Thankyou LinLin 👍❤️

Shelly Smith,

We are really glad we booked our trip through KimKim and Carmen. We had a great holiday and enjoyed the interesting experiences Carmen organised that were tailored to our preferences and not just the standard package. We think having an in-country travel agent who is able to network with the local people and find slightly different experiences and accomodation makes a big difference. We particualrly enjoyed our trekking and homestay with Eisa in Ajlun and staying with Gail at the Little B&B on the Hll in Petra. Our driver Yahya was very friendly and helpful and had excellent English. The support from Carmen and the ops team was prompt and effective when we had any queries, again we think working with an in-country agency made a difference.

We thought Jerash was fabulous - give yourselves enough time to walk around the whole site, particularly to the north gate as it has some of the best sections of road and column. While you're at Jerash we recommend going for lunch at the Lebanese House, it really is rather good.

In Madaba take the time to visit some of the other mosaics, don't just do the map and go!

Petra is way more than just the Treasury. If you take the time to walk around and particularly take the side trail to the Place of High Sacrifice you get to see many more sites and you can go into them, and without the crowds.

Anne is great and super efficient, helped me to finalize the 12-day trip schedule quickly just one week before the trip, by adapting to my budget and major interests as much as she could. The trip was very well organized covering all the places I wanted to visit and also lots of interaction with the locals. All the tour guides and drivers are professional and very friendly. Myanmar is an amazing country with very unique history, culture and local customs, people are genuine and extremely friendly. Food is also great, make sure you try the tea leaf salad, the best salad I’ve ever had! Bagan itself and the hot air balloon flight was the highlight of the whole trip, maybe one day I will go back again!

We had an excellent trip trekking strting at POKHARA - Panchase - Bhadure -Sarangkot our tour guide Chhirig CAP Lama was extraordinary helping us all along. Others Ngima,Santa and Karma were also friendly and helping. we enjoyed our trek immensely.
National Park Chitwan Jungle Villa resort , our guide was DUKHI RAM CHOUDARY who had an excellent knowledge of the animals and village . He seemed very passionate and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed the National Park and recommend people to go and visit anytime.

We completed a trek to pikey peak with guides Gelu and Tomba. We completed this over four full days, staying at tea houses in between. This trek was brilliant and whilst challenging at times it was thoroughly enjoyable. The guides and porters were so lovely and the teahouses were great. The trip was organised brilliantly with great communication throughout meaning we could relax knowing it was sorted.

Pikey peak was a great trail. We went through villages, fields and through a forests, such a mix of terrain it made each day different. The views at the summit were incredible, we were lucky with our weather and got up there for sunrise, could not have been better.

Everyone on this trek loved it and I would definetly recommend to others

Ajith was our guide and he was very good. Loved the walks

We had an amazing time in Myanmar, thanks to all the guides and drivers! All the guides spoke very clearly and were very knowledgeable. They went out of their way to assist us in every way possible. We felt very safe while being driven around by the drivers.
Accomodation at Mountain Top Hotel was of a high standard.
All the tours ran to schedule with more than sufficient time at each venue.
I would happily recommend Kim Kim tours to anybody wishing to visit Myanmar. Thank you.

This trip was exceptional. We were travelling for about 9 weeks throughout southern Chile and Argentina. Everything ran smoothly. Accommodation was delightful, guides were awesome, especially Inti in Puerto Varas, and Eduardo in Puerto Natales. I have no hesitation in recommending the team at Terra, especially Marie and Emily, they went way beyond what we expected. Our thanks go out to them for a hassle free trip.

Our overall trip experience was great. Our guide (Fernando Fabre) was the best we have had in our many prior privately guided trips throughout the world. Our accommodations were good to excellent and met our expectations for the price we paid. Our local specialist Gabor provided us with excellent trip planning and coordination services; and we will definitely be using Kim Kim for our future world travels.

What an incredible first time ever experience with a travel agency and to luck upon Kimkim and Yenyi in particular was a real dream come true. Yenyi was available 24:7; was incredibly resourceful and pleasant all at the same time. Her ideas and creativity made our excursion to Costa Rica an incredible vacation. It's not easy traveling with almost grown children but Yenyi made suggestions (including separate rooms) and fun activities like rafting into and out of an eco lodge one of the best family experiences ever. She and Kimkim are the true dream makers. Thank you Yenyi (and Kim Kim) we won't travel anywhere without you!

We had a fabulous trip. Jordan is very beautiful and the trip enabled us to see its great beauty. Our driver was extremely helpful, had great english and a wonderful love of his country as well as a new and very reliable car. He was willing to give us as much information and colour as we asked for which was plenty. He also tuned in quickly to how we wished to engage as tourists, and happily took us to more out of the way places to eat which we loved. The highlights were Petra and Wadi Rum. While we enjoyed the drive through the desert we would not visit the Dead Sea again..nothing there to do really and might have been better to extend the stay at Wadi Rum

Kim Kim did a great job and the office was always accessible if needed ( although we didn’t,need them as the trip was so smooth)

To begin with Tamara and the Why Jordan team did a comprehensive and very professional service from itinerary to drop off at the airport. At no time did we feel unsure of procedures or plans for the next day which is in direct contrast to our experience in Egypt.
Our driver/guide Mohamed Ali was all you could ask for. His attention to detail, protectiveness to our family, detailed explanations of sites and customs and flexibility to our whims throughout is a great credit to your company and countrymen, a real gentleman in the old-fashioned sense. We would not hesitate to recommend Kim Kim, Why Jordan and specifically Mohamed Ali to friends and family.
Regarding other guides, both guides in Jaresh and Petra were well informed, courteous and entertaining, excellent. Our guide for the day in Wadi Rum was lazy( never left his car to guide us), had limited English and the filthiest car I have ever been in... a real disappointment. Our bbq lunch in the desert was a meal on plastic chairs in a deserted old camp. Why would we prefer lunch in an ugly place compared to our night camp. In such an amazing place to see it in such a disappointing way lets you and your team down badly. An open LandRover and small fire under the shelter of some rocks away from civilization was all we wanted to enjoy the charm of such a desert place... disappointing.
Richard Allen

Overall great trip. Would have eliminated Punta Arenas. Loved El Calafare and would have liked to stay there two nights. although the location was great, the hotel in El Calafate was awful. Not clean. Hotels in El Chalten and Ushuaia were great. Enjoyed trekking on the glacier the best. Also enjoyed Ushuaia. Overall very nice trip and well organized and coordinated

Laura

Dear Victor,

the trip was amazing and we were well looked after throughout! Especially the Tu Lan cave-trip was absolutely stunning and amongst the best I have ever experienced. The kids were completely in awe and we will all never forget the trip, the many friends we made and the many experiences we made. It is impossible to list all the other experiences but clearly, each component had its own value and exceeded our expectations.

Our guide for the food tour was very good, friendly, knowledgable and explained a lot.

Hung, our guide from Oxalis was amazing. He adapted the tour for us, added an additional cave (which required a lot more climbing), and was full of energy and fun.

Ni was an excellent guide with lots of energy making sure we always get the best out of it. She adapted the programme perfectly around the weather (rain, rain, rain) and our interests.

I have a few areas were changes could be possible (not to be regarded as criticism, just for future planning):
1.) Swimming in Ha Long is not allowed. Should be taken out of the description
2.) The hotel in Phong Nha (I think we were in a different than in the programme) was not the greatest. I would suggest two possible improvements: a) IF staying in this hotel it should be highlighted that they can wash the clothes from the treck but the laundry should be handed in before 6pm to avoid express charges - this could then be in the programme and used to plan packing and getting things clean and dry again after the treck. b) It would also be good to allow for a late breakfast. After the trek we were super-tired and a sleep-in, then breakfast, then cartrip would have been appreciated. b) Alternatively, rather than staying overnight in the Phong Nha area the car trip to Hue could be done immediately afterwards. This would allow us to sleep in the car but gain a whole day.
3.) The hotel in Hue was quite loud with lots of party across the road.
4.) In Hoi An the first fisherman experience was superb. Friendly, happy and "off the beaten path". The second fisherman village was then very touristy and a bit of a shock. The basket boat row could well have been done with the first fishermen (or skipped). Maybe alternatively, one could learn about local ways to grow crop and harvest and process it.
5.) The Mekong trip was interesting, but somehow less exciting than the previous parts of the trip. I had expected more nature and was a bit disappointed. In total we spent too much time driving relative to the experiences made. While it is important to understand that various religious groups live together in harmony (and I think it reached the kids that this is by no means the standard), the visit to the Cham village was rather disappointing. It also feels wrong to walk along a street and look at people. The floating market was nice but the number of tourists outnumbers the locals. Tra Su made up for it (but only lasted for about 1 hour).... We had fun in the evenings though, eating locally, strolling around and enjoying the locals (who enjoyed us...). If a "Mekong Experience" could be organised from HCM - maybe in combination with the tunnels it would save two days and a lot of driving. I would then rather spend another day or two in the Tu Lan area. Alternatively one could try to save a day and use the time to see Angkor What. It would also be nice if the car had internet for the long drives (the car from Pho Nah to Hue to Hoi An to Danang had internet which was very welcomed).

As said, these comments are not a criticism, we thoroughly enjoyed our journey, were exhausted from all the input (and still are), and thank you again for the great organisation and putting such a dense and exciting programme together.

Best wishes,

Eike.

Experience Jordan did a great job with our group and we have no hesitation in recommending them. Raisa was very helpful in sorting out the inevitable pre-trip niggles. Once we got onto the trail the guys running the camp were excellent and the food was wonderful. For sure the only way to arrive at Petra is via the hiking trail from the north.

The real star of the show was our guide Jawad. Do not hike Jordan without this guy! David.