Kimkim Trip Reviews

After coming off a great trip with you guys in Myanmar I had the same expectations for the trip to Thailand but it couldn't be further from the truth. The biggest issue that I had was not having the items included in the list available upon arrival. The hotel was changed lat minute and when I arrived they had a sign out front that said cheap rooms with the price. Fair enough I went into the room and there was a sewage issue that made the room smell constantly. There was a gap under the door that let mosquitoes in at a constant rate but no mosquito net. These in themselves are not deal breakers but I paid $1,900 for 3 nights in a hotel and a guide for 3 1/2 days. The total for the hotel for the two nights that I was supposed to stay there would be $65 USD and the hotel on the last night would be $150 USD. That means that there was roughly $1,700 out there for a driver and a guide for 3 1/2 days. Since the room was unacceptable I went and paid for 2 more nights on my own and in my discussion with Holly I was never once offered a refund for the other night in the hotel. I then questioned the pricing and Holly gave me a breakdown which didn't actually add up tot he entire cost. When I responded back with questions there was never a response. I hate to say this but at the end of the day I feel that I was taken advantage of since its such a high tourist destination area. Feeling that I was taken advantage of did not help to the satisfaction of the trip even though the guide and driver were great. At the end of the day it is not hard to look at a menu or understand the cost of a hotel since they are right in front of you and then listen to the cost from the trip planner. I have no issue paying for value but there was no value added for this trip. I hope that the communications are reviewed and steps taken to make sure that others do not fall into the same situation. Again my trip t Myanmar though KimKim was awesome but the trip to Thailand has since changed my mind.

Alta was my favorite part of the trip, especially dog sledding!! The hotel we stayed at in Alta was great and had an amazing breakfast buffet. The tours we took were a lot of fun and allowed us to view as much of Norway as possible in the small amount of time we had. We did two dog sledding trips, went ice fishing/snow shoeing, RIB boat on the Fjords in Flam, and more. Ingrid did a great job listening to what we wanted to do and helped plan a trip that was really memorable. I can't wait to visit Norway again!!

With our input, Giorgia came up with a great itinerary for our trip to Sicily, and the experience was smooth and stress free. We were paired up with very knowledgeable guides and really enjoyed the street food and culture tour in Palermo and the tour of the temple ruins in Agrigento. The hotels where we we we stayed were clean and centrally located so that we had only short walks to the center of town, The agriturismo was my favorite stay -- located in the countryside with gracious hosts and a veranda with spectacular views of the countryside which we enjoyed while we sipped some wine and relaxed at the end of our day,

The drivers were courteous and arrived promptly, and having a driver really made a difference in our enjoyment of the trip. We would have had some issues finding some of the places where we stayed, especially in the agriturismo which is tucked away and off the beaten path, Having this trip planned for us by an expert allowed us to really enjoy the experience without the worry and work that normally goes into planning vacation of this sort. I don't think I would travel any other way from now on!

Pluses:
+ we loved the people, country and culture of Morocco
+ our driver Moad was good - friendly and drove very safely over the 1,500 kms we
+ 2 places we stayed in Quarzazette and Marrakesh were good

Negatives:
- Larbi, does not review the trip advisor ratings of places he books people into. He claims 3 stars, but the ratings are much worse and the experience is just as spotty.
- the bathrooms in the desert saffari were terrible and the “standard luxury” tent was mattresses laid on carpets. There was no “luxury”. Clearly a bait and switch operation.
- when we pointed out the poor quality about some of the places we were staying in, his reaction was pretty much take it or leave it, you are on your own. This was true especially on our last day in Casablanca.

Conclusion:
- we would NOT recommed using Larbi.

This was my second trip to Nepal. Booked with Nepal Myths and Trails Trekking/climbing Company. So Glad I did. Nigma Dorje is an absolutely amazing owner and operator of his guiding company.
By far the best communication out of the guding companies I’ve used in Nepal. He asnwers all questions and concers promptly and to your full satisfaction! All his staff from his fully certified and experienced guides and porters to his person taxi/driving staff for airport pick ups and drops offs are very hard working and are very dedicated to catering to any and all needs you may have and do it with full smiles. Everything about this company is above and beyond expectations.

Our trekking and mountain climb trip to Mera Peak was a complete pleasure in every aspect. Not to mention our Guide Ang-Gelu Sherpa, was the only guide able to get his clients to the summit and back of Mera Peak saftely in the face of a week of bad weather on the mountain. He along with our high alttitude porters (Dawa Sherpa and Kunga) were able to successfully and in a very short weather window of 4 hours get us to the top with out any set backs.

I would highly reccomend anyone wanting to trek or climb in Nepal to book with this company. Heard soo many horry stories from other clients during this trip about their guiding companies and staff. I will definately be back to Nepal again for more climbing and will be booking again with Nigma Dorje Sherpa. Thanks soo much to everyone at Nepal Myths and Trails for a 100% successful expedition!!!

What an amazing adventure! KimKim.com got us into contact with Marie Stissing from Tiger Tops. Highly recommended. Organisation was impeccable. Itinerary developed by Marie was excellent. Her services are professional and personal. We did a 3 day trek with Mr Saila, an amazing guide and the great Mr Jongkwe as our porter. Mr Mangal did an great job with guiding and advising us with all the transfers. It was like clockwork and he took great care of us. All accommodation was really good and very diverse. It gave us a very good opportunity to get a feel for beautiful Nepal in a very short time. Mr Laxman was a very pleasant and confident driver. We hope to come back and spend more time in Nepal. We will definitely book again with KimKim.com and TigerTops! Thank you!

I have traveled a lot--around 130 countries--and I almost never use an organized tour. I thought I didn't like them. But this trip changed my mind. Mr. Pema, my guide, was impeccable, as was my driver, Mr. Ugee. They anticipated my every need, were beautifully friendly and polite and quite interesting people. I felt like I was traveling with friends. Mr. Pema was very skillful and knowledgeable as a guide to both the sites and the culture, and we had philosophical as well as historical conversations of some depth. Windhorse made all the arrangements painless, kept in touch just enough, and everything, top to bottom, was perfectly done. The wifi in hotel rooms, as it is in many countries with a similar economic base, left something to be desired, but that was outside their control, and I'm sure it will continue to improve as the tourist infrastructure continues to grow. My only wish was that I had been able to stay longer and go further into the country.

Joseph of Jossy Travel treated us incredible, he exceeded our wildest dreams! We were able to see the big five and many other animals and we were so close! Joseph explained interesting facts and told wonderful stories that I am sure we will be telling our family for many years to come. Joseph knows the ins and out and was even able to get us a new card for our camera when we ran out of space., Birthday cake for my daughter, helped us bargain hunt by speaking to the locals. There is nothing this man can’t accomplish for you. We will miss Joseph smile, laugh and just knowing we were taken care of in such a wonderful way.

First of all: kudos to Elina - her attention was first-class and, I am very grateful for it - above all, I value the personalized attention. We wanted to experience the artic environment in Norway and we did get it. Our days spent in and around Tromso are unforgettable - to remember thru our lifetime. We took this trip as an opportunity to experience (first time ever) the cold artic in a leisure way and we did -so much so that we skipped some activities to simply enjoy the scenery and the moments. The schedule was followed as planned, guides showed up as planned, well-mannered and confident - great experience overall, Thanks!

This was my first time using kimkim, and I'm so glad I did! Amanda was great to work with, she gave me great tour options to fit my needs and advice to go along with it. I was able to customize the trip I wanted, and it was super easy when we had a few hiccups along the way (adding additional travelers, dealing with a flight cancellation). As planning became reality, my friends and I spent 3 days trekking east of Kathmandu through quaint villages and beautiful steppes from Dhulikhel to Panauti. After our trek, we were able to enjoy a few days in Kathmandu exploring. One of Amanda's recommendations was a highlight and a visit I won't soon forget - Pashupatinath, a Hindu crematorium. In a place surrounded by death, there is so much life as well, and in a way that I never imagined. As an American, it really opened my eyes to a different culture and perspective.

Overall Andy and our the local guide and driver were excellent. They were responsive and designed a bespoke trip for us , managed all the logistics well and really knew Jordan.

Another epic trip! Mads and his team are first class. Not only great guides but great friends!

Off the beaten path adventures. Lifelong memories.

Our Jordan trip for 8 days covering Amman, Jerash, Mount Nebo, Petra,Wadi Rum, Aquaba and Dead Sea has been excellent. The trip was well organised by Andy Nurse and we had hassle free trip with the driver and car provided to us. The driver Khalid Hdaib was great , friendly and always ready to help.
The whole package organised by Andy Nurse was good value for money.

We were very impressed with how promptly, patiently, and thoroughly Ngima Dorji Sherpa answered all our numerous emailed questions. His attention made us feel at ease that he was personally making sure all our requirements were being attended to. We were personally greeted when we arrived in Kathmandu and fully briefed on the details of our meeting with our guide and porter at Lukla.

Our first trip to the Sagarmatha National Park was a most enjoyable and unforgettable experience thanks in large part to the attentive, sensitive, and patient care of our guide Mingmar Gyaljen Sherpa, and porter Chhiring Sherpa. They answered every question, attended every need, steered us away from potential folly, and genuinely looked after our well being. For this they have gained not only our admiration but also our friendship. We now better understand why the uniquely majestic Kumbu Valley region and it warm hearted people make visitors want to come again, and again!

We had a fantastic time on our trip to Norway. The highlight for me was definitely the two days of dog sledding in Alta. We had two fantastic guides - Elaine the first day, who was very experienced, friendly and helpful, and explained everything we needed to know very clearly, and shared lots of great stories and knowledge about all the dogs and her experiences with them. I loved how they really let us do everything ourselves too, after they gave us some instruction, so we got to walk around the yard and find the five dogs assigned to each of our teams, meet them and get comfortable with them, then we got to harness and hook them up to the sled ourselves. That made it way more rewarding than if they had done everything for us. Our guide the 2nd day was not as experienced with teaching tourists the ropes, but her personal story was incredible (she is only 18, and is the youngest person to ever complete the Finnmark race, which is the northernmost and second longest dog sled race in the world at 1200km), and we had a great time with her as well. The actual experience of dogsledding was one of the coolest things I have ever done, it was amazing, and I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed it.

The first day we also visited the ice hotel in Alta (recommended by the cook from lunch), which was incredible. The ice sculptures and carvings in the walls were unbelievable. Even if you don’t stay there, anyone who visits Alta really needs to check this out!!!

Since we had some time the second day in Alta, we booked an ice fishing/snow shoeing excursion through the same company that did our northern lights outing, and I would highly recommend them as well. Our guide Rolf (and his trusty dog Javri) took us on a beautiful forest hike (on snow shoes) to a lake called Kvenvannet, nestled in the snowy mountains, where he showed us everything we needed to know to try to catch fish in a lake that was about a meter of solid ice with another half meter or so of snow on top. I did catch a small trout, which was pretty exciting. He then made us an awesome lunch of salmon and vegetables cooked over the fire. Which reminds me - you Norwegians know your food! We did not have a disappointing meal all week. The breakfast spread at the Thon hotel in Alta was phenomenal, and the staff there was great as well. I wish we had good bread everywhere in America like you seem to there! The meals we had at the dog sledding place and the northern lights place were both delicious, two very different style soups with local fish and vegetables, and of course really good bread.

The northern lights tour was great, but unfortunately it was pretty much completely overcast the entire time, so we did not get a chance to see them, but we still enjoyed ourselves. I guess we’ll just have to make a trip back!

The 2nd half of the week was great as well. We had an awesome time exploring Bergen, we had beautiful sunny weather when we were there, and we had a great dinner at the restaurant attached to the fish market. After dinner we took the funicular train up to the mountain overlooking Bergen and the fjord where we saw the sunset which was beautiful.

The train rides from Bergen to Flåm were great, and the views were gorgeous. The fjordsafari tour on the RIB boat was really fun as well. They gave us plenty of extra layers so we all stayed pretty warm except maybe the bottom half of my face, I guess I needed a scarf, but our guide (I forget his name) was great, the ride was smooth, we stayed totally dry, and he did a great job of stopping and telling us all about the fjords, the mountains, and the villages all along them. We got a great lunch afterwards at one of the cafes in Flåm before our train ride back to Oslo.

Kevin and Betsi took off that morning, but Cyndi and I had one last day in Oslo where we went cross country skiing at Oslo Winter Park which was great fun and great exercise (we had both downhill skied before, but never cross country). We figured when in Norway might as well do as the Norwegians do!

We had such a great time, and I left Norway just wanting to come back again. Thanks so much for all your help in planning this incredible trip!

We have recently returned from two weeks in Costa Rica and we loved it!
From day one the communication with Randall was amazing. He got back to all of my messages within hours. His speed and kind way were really helpful. We booked the trip a few months ahead and Randall kept in touch with us leading up to it, a nice touch. 

When we arrived in Costa Rica, again everything was very well organised and Randall always kept us up to date with those couple of minor changes in flights or pick up times we encountered. Nothing ever seemed an inconvenience for him and it was great to know I could message him if needed.

In terms of the holiday itself, the places we visited were beautiful. Cloud forest, jungle, Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Lots of animals and activities everywhere plus time to relax. The holiday really ticked all the boxes.

Costa Rica is a stunning country and the way of life there is something I have taken home with me.. Pura Vida!!

From the moment I requested information about the Poon Hill Trek to the moment I arrived back home from the perfectly organized trip, Mingma and his team have been helpful, kind, informative, and attentive. As a solo female traveler, I was a little apprehensive about what my experience would be. Mingma laid out a tentative itinerary in detail that fit my requests and needs. I was extremely pleased. The price for all of the services (airport pickup, hotel stays, flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and a guide) was affordable too! This is a hands-on company! I had a representative from the company accessible to me at all times. Bishow, was my greeter and accompanied me to all of my airport drop-offs and pick-ups, contacted me by phone to make sure my guide and porter where in contact with me, and just made sure I was taken care of. My guide, JB, and porter, Ram, for the trek were very familiar with the trek and were very knowledgable about the area. It was great to have a guide that spoke English as well as the local language and could help with communication! Overall, this company, Mingma, Bishow, JB, and Ram provided a safe and quality experience. I will definitely use them again and refer anyone to them who is looking for a Nepal trekking experience. Thank you guys so much! My time in Nepal was a very memorable and amazing experience!

My son and I had an absolutely amazing experience on the Nar Phu Valley trek. Our guide Chhiring and porter Nara, were fantastic. Chhiring provided us with a lot of commentary about the places, people, and social and cultural influences both past and present. Visiting the villages of Nar and Phu, particularly when there were very few other trekkers, was a remarkable experience but of course the stunning scenery the entire way, was the highlight. When it snowed heavily the night before we were to ascend and cross the Kangla Pass, we were prepared to turn back but Chhiring, having monitored the situation, confidently led us on to the Pass. We often lost the path in the snow but Chhiring expertly picked a line and despite the oft times deep snow, we made it in good time and it was truly an exhilarating moment to reach the top!
Amanda was extremely informative and addressed all our concerns promptly. She was very helpful in both the initial planning stages and very amenable to any changes that we considered. I felt completely confident that the trek was well organized and safe. It was also a pleasure to meet with her and Chhiring before the trek. I would highly recommend Kimkim and Amanda from Himalayan Trails.

Great. Tek was an amazing guide out in the mountains and in the cultural tour too.

I would wholeheartedly recommend kim kim and particularly Sylvia Durado.
My flight over to Costa Rica was delayed due to adverse weather conditions. Sylvia was a lifesaver, altering my booking accordingly. No stress, no hassle.
When i finally got to Costa Rica, everything was seamless!
I had an amazing trip and I cant wait to return!!