Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a wonderful vacation in Vietnam! Every location we visited was memorable in its own way, ranging from the bustle of city life in Hanoi and Saigon to the mountains and indigenous communities in Sapa, the rock formations in the Halong Bay and the waters of Nin Binh and the Mekong Delta.

Camellia (local specialist from the Footprint Tarvel agency) made every effort to understand what we were looking for and did an amazing job planning out the itinerary in detail. I had a mix of phone/email interactions to finalize our plans.

Camellia was fantastic! She was creative in dealing with the situations on the ground since Vietnam had just opened to international tourists a few weeks before. We had excellent local guides in each place that gave us the experience we were looking for.

We loved the variety of the food. For those looking for adventurous items, they’re available too!

We were one of the first international travelers that the country was seeing in two years. They warmly welcomed us and were very appreciative that we were visiting.

For those of you thinking about going to Vietnam, jump in! You will have a fantastic holiday with warm, positive memories leaving Covid behind as a distant memory.

We were extremely pleased with the overall experience we had with KimKim. Our local specialist, Monica took our ideas and provided us an itinerary that was specific to us. She offered excellent ideas and options and promptly answered any questions we had.
Alessia, our overall coordinator was excellent. From the first time we met her we felt a connection with her. She was warm, welcoming, so very knowledgeable and a joy to be with. Her command of the English language was comforting and just made everything easy. Alessia was precise in her coordination of our activities. She arranged every appointment with guides, drivers, etc. so that everything ran smoothly. She provided an updated itinerary every night for the next day.
In Venice, in addition to Alessia, Sylvia provided a guided tour to St Mark’s Cathedral and Doge’s Palace. She was knowledgeable, informative and cordial. We especially enjoyed the uniqueness of Venice. For the next several days, Simone was our driver. He was friendly, helpful and his good English was appreciated. Simona, our city guide in Florence did an excellent job of informing us of the depth of history, culture and arts in Florence. We were especially amazed that the church of Santa Croce was the burial place of so many famous Italians and there is a statute in there that may have inspired the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. Our day in the Tuscan countryside was my favorite. The stop in Sienna was fun and the wine tasting and lunch at Casa Emma in San Donato was a fitting celebration for 50 years of marriage. Our guide in Pisa, Vincenzo, was also knowledgeable and friendly. We were surprised at actually how much the leaning tower is actually leaning and what has been done to stabilize it. Our last few days were spent in the amazing Cinque Terre. Chiara was our guide of the five lands. Again, she was pleasant, knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy the day with us. We were disappointed that because of the weather we couldn’t enjoy the lands from the boat, but Chiara adjusted the schedule so that we still had a fun day. Two other drivers took us to Milan and then to the airport. They were both prompt and did an excellent job of delivering us to our designated places. Of everything, the planning and attention to detail was evident to us and very much appreciated.

Hotel Review

Santa Croce Boutique Hotel

Venezia

The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff at Santa Croce Boutiques Hotel was above and beyond our expectations. The room was clean and convenient to surrounding areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The friendliness of the staff and their desire to meet our every need.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full-Day Private Excursion to Siena & Chianti Wine Region

Florence

We enjoyed seeing the countryside. The lunch and wine tasting in the beautiful surroundings was a memory we won’t forget.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip plan was great. Andrea made sure to provide us with a real taste of the cities and country sides of her beautiful country. The Guides in all locations were knowledgeable friendly and accommodating. We would recommend such a trip to many of our friends.

Hotel Review

BOG Hotel

Bogotá

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Salt Cathedral & Zipaquirá

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

But Jennifer was not our local contact but certainly put together an excellent itinerary

Hotel Review

Guayaba Inn

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas

Low key. Serene. Easy walk into town. Very close to Na Bloom museum. Great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Visit 2 villages in Los Altos de Chiapas: San Juan Chamula and Zinacatán

San Cristobal de las Casas

Surreal. Unreal. Wish I could have taken a long long video. Will have to stay in my heD

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Here is what I posted on TripAdvisor…

We started to work with Luis on an itinerary and made many changes until we came up with a final version. Along that process, Luis was patient and helpful with great suggestions. Once we arrived in Spain, the hotels Luis booked were excellent and all very central and perfect for easy access to things tourists want to be near. We wanted a few tours included and I stressed that I wanted only “small group” tours. Luis found us perfect companies that specialize in small groups and in each case, the tour guides were excellent ! He was in regular contact with us along the way and when we had a few questions, he was quick to respond. Everything he organized for us worked perfectly !
I highly recommend Luis and Hidden in Spain!
Maureen R.
Vancouver

Bea planned an incredible itinerary and worked with us so closely to develop the perfect, custom plan for our trip. She suggested activities and accommodations we would have never found they made our trip unique and extremely memorable.
It was such a positive experience, the team was so responsive to feedback and we were so thrilled with the outcome. I had incredible peace of mind knowing every detail was taken care of and they were always there if we needed assistance.
I recommend KimKim to all of my friends and we will definitely use them again.

Hotel Review

Quinta de S. Bernardo Winery & Farmhouse

Mesao Frio

This was our most favourite place of our whole trip and we adjusted our itinerary to meet their 2-night requirement because nothing else compared in the Douro. The facilities, the views, the wine, the food, the amenities and the service were unparalleled. It’s a most special place that we’d want to return to every year. Truly a hidden gem.

Tips for future travelers

Allow yourself a few days here to enjoy the property and surrounding areas

Authenticity & Character

Third generation family working the land and making wine - so authentic

Location

Most incredible and breathtaking views of the Douro

Staff

The staff were amazing - such attention to detail and always moving in the background

Cleanliness & Comfort

Every last detail was thought of and attended to

Activity Review

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

We had the most fantastic tour with our private guide. It was hands and away the best way to experience Porto. The four hours we had together flew by and the tour was one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ravi was quick to respond to our inquiry about booking a trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Every detail, from our airport pickup in Delhi, the private car to Agra, our hotel in Agra and our guide for our tour of the Taj was perfect. Our guide took us to lunch at "Pinch Of Spice" in Agra which was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable and personable.

I really appreciated the service that went into planning our trip. We stayed in Estoi at Palacio de Estoi. I appreciated staying out of the way of the more touristed areas. The food was good, the room and view was lovely, the pool was very nice. Taking a car to where we wanted to go worked out really well. We had a really nice boat trip out of Rio Formosa with a guide Joao from Fantastikspirit out of Olhao. Loved the hotel Almalusa hotel in Lisbon. The breakfast at the Almalusa was really nice and the location perfect. We rented electric bikes and rode to Belem to see the monuments and monastery which was great. We also saw a a great exhibit at the Museum Colecao de Berardo- Berardo's personal collection. We did have to call a couple of times for some minor hiccoughs and the team handled it. We are vegetarians and it was easy to find good food in Lisbon.

Hotel Review

Pousada Palacio De Estoi—Monument Hotel & SLH

Estoi, Faro

The palace is away from the most touristed areas but nestled in the hills of the Algarve with lovely grounds and view. It was really nice to stay away from a crowded area. It felt special. The restaurant was good. The pool has a lovely open view. The location was good and we drove to all the spots we wanted to see- old town Faro, Lagos, Sagres and Cabo Sao Vicente, Rio Formosa. We even drove to Sevilla Spain - 1.5 hour away to spend the day.

Tips for future travelers

You need to book your dinner meals as the restaurant has limited seatings.

Authenticity & Character

What's not to like about a restored Roman villa?

Location

On a hillside with amazing grounds and views.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the room was large

Activity Review

Ria Formosa Nature Walk with a Professional Naturalist

Portugal

Beautiful ride. We didn't see a lot of birds but the excursion was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unbelievably Amazing Family Trip to Norway

Linda very patiently worked with me to plan what ended up being a twice-postponed (due to the pandemic) family trip to Norway. Family travel can be challenging, especially with teenagers-- but Linda's arrangements were spectacular! She really took into account our interests and helped us plan a trip full of adventure. Our guides-- especially our hiking guide, Heidi and our kayaking guide, Craig-- were amazing! The excursions were well-planned, exciting, and took us to some of the most beautiful places we've seen. Each day planned by Linda had a great balance of activity and time to explore. She helped us with complicated travel arrangements (trains, busses, ferries...), and figuring out how to navigate our visit during the Easter holiday week. We felt as though we got to cover a good amount of ground, and our accommodations in the fjord towns were especially wonderful (an area where we weren't sure what would await us when we arrived, since there aren't options as plentiful as in the cities). I cannot rave enough-- this was our first experience with KimKim, and I'd recommend Linda to anyone! Thanks for all you did to make our trip so spectacular and memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

STAY HERE, in the fisherman's cabin. Very small, but comfortable and (essentially) IN the fjord. We loved this cabin!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central to town, able to walk everywhere!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gudvangen Fjordtell

Gudvangen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking Adventure in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Unparalleled experience being IN the fjord. A fun way to see the area, great adventure, learned about the small farms and towns along the way. Even an unexpected meal cooked for us on the shores of the fjord. This adventure was one of the highlights of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Truly exceptional guides. Craig was our main guide-- knowledgeable, friendly, fun, and made us feel safe from the first minutes of the trip. Craig was training a new guide (Trechelle), and the two of them led an exception afternoon of paddling and exploring.

Waterfall Hike Overlooking Aurland

Aurland

Our guide, Heidi, was really great. A perfect balance of information and just letting us enjoy the hike. So friendly, chatted with our whole family. When we had extra time, she drove us to another lookout point which was as spectacular as the hike!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above-- a really exceptional guide!

Transport

Angela from Greece Adventure Trips organized our trip at short notice (just a few weeks). She was prompt, friendly, and figured everything out. She organized all of our travel within Greece and it went flawlessly.
Our trip started with an evening in Athens where we stayed in the Elektra Metropolis hotel (wow --- great location right in Plaka with great street walks and just 10 mins walk to the Acropolis). That evening, we did a walking tour of the Acropolis with the most amazing guide (Alex --- he is a trained archaeologist and he taught us so much in just two hours, great story teller, friendly and kind -- Alex also gave us great information on what to do during the rest of our Greece trip). I think we should have spent another day in Athens but I had been insistent we should spend most of the trip in the islands. Next time!
The next morning, we took a ferry from Piraeus to Naxos. Very scenic few hours, though very crowded on the ferry because it was the easter week. On Naxos, I think we were there just about at the start of the tourist season, since many places were just opening. Our hotel 18 Grapes was a boutique resort, very laid back and luxurious. The food from the small resort restaurant was amazing --- especially the sumptious and scrumptious breakfast served with style and personal charm. We took a short taxi ride into the city to walk around, check out the stores and restaurants. On day 2, we rented electric bikes at a great place called Aurelia Bikes and biked around half the island, getting to see some of the beautiful villages in the interior. We got really lucky finding Aurelia Bikes --- they manufacture their own bikes optimized for the region. When unfortunately I got a flat tire a few miles away from the store on the way back, the owner was kind enough to come out in a truck to pick me up.
The next day we took a ferry from Naxos to Santorini. Here, Angela had booked us into the Santo Maris Luxury Suites in Oia. Ultra-fancy resort hotel and just a few minutes walk from the heart of Oia (with the beautiful views, white and blue buildings, shops and restaurants). We hadn't pre-planned this, but because it was right in the midst of easter week, the same evening the citadel of Pyrgos on Santorini had its annual celebration (which is something unique --- tens of thousands of lanterns light up this citadel on a hill) --- we got to go walk around in the midst of it and enjoy the amazing experience. The next day, we did the caldera hike from Oia to Fira (beautiful, picturesque, though in hindsight should have heeded everyone's advice to go from Fira to Oia instead).
Finally, flew out of Santorini, thru Athens, and onward. Every step of the way, things went flawlessly.
Much kudos to Angela for making great default choices for us. She did also suggest various guided activities on the islands but we decided against because we just wanted to chill and do stuff on our own. Also, our party had two vegans and two vegetarians, so we weren't entirely sure a planned culinary tour or wine-and-cheese tour would work out so well for us. But for most families or groups, that would be an added plus.
In hindsight, I think I'd have added a day in Athens. The ferry has different ticket options and I think if I'd known that, I might have picked a ticket option with more of a view). I think I'd have been a bit more prepared for how touristy Santorini is (Naxos is so laid back in comparison). But those are just minor details that would have have added at most a bit more icing to our amazing Greek vacation cake.

My wife and I had a wonderful time in Chile. Emilce did an excellent job setting up pick-up times, transfer, flights and hotels. Everything was efficient, and we were able to maximize our time on the trip. We especially enjoyed our stay at La Casona. The winery was beautiful and relaxing. The sommelier was knowledgeable, and the food was delicious. We felt comfortable during our entire trip, and Emilce and her team were responsive to any questions or needs. We would highly recommend kimkim and Emilce and look forward to planning our next trip.

Hotel Review

La Casona at Matetic Vineyards

Lagunillas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Vinolia: Wine Tasting

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything from planning to the actual travel days were stress free. We were able to completely relax and follow the small group excursions that were conducted with excellent driver/guides.

The planned days and routes gave us enough excursion and relaxation time throughout our trip.

I highly recommend kimkim for your personally curated vacation!

Hotel Review

La Villa Nice Promenade

Nice

Location was close to the beach bit not to the shopping areas closer to old town. Rooms were nice and was very charming. Staff was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Decor

Location

We wished it was closer to old town.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cozy rooms.

Activity Review

Uncover the Gastronomic Treasures of Nice

Nice

Went with some girlfriends to visit another friend in Columbia. I was unsure about an online travel agency but KimKim and Michael had very good service. Our 2 main guides and all the transfers were also good.

We had some changes with another person being added after to our original plan. We also had to change the last hotel on our itinerary on the fly but I realize this was our fault as we told Michael that our friend was in Santa Marta while she was really was in Minca. So we changed on the fly to spend an extra night in Tayrona instead of Santa Marta and have a relaxing day, but of course it was too late for a refund on our last hotel.

I don't think we were quite prepared for the "night bug" situation in the Colombian jungle (i.e. you must go to bed early and turn off all the lights if you don't like giant insects!) and if I knew I would have gone for hotels with both A/C (better sealed rooms) and mosquito netting. Strangely by coincidence, our hotel in Minca was down the road from our friend ... but the "night bug" situation was rather terrifying even with the mosquito netting (although I don't think there are any fancier hotels in Minca). I think our original hotel in Tayrona had AC + netting but we had to change once we added another person to our trip. Our plans were not done far in advance so I would advise any people with similar insect fears to get the nicest hotels possible with A/C + mosquito nets. If you have no compelling reason to stay in Minca I would stay in Santa Marta and do the day trips to Minca instead, and enjoy the bug free nights and hot water in Santa Marta :)

Tayrona National Park was beautiful but we weren't prepared for the exertion of hiking 14 km total in searing heat. We really enjoyed the bird-watching and coffee farm in Minca.

In Santa Marta, I could have skipped the city tour and spent the day at one of the nicer beaches outside the city ... we still managed a half day at the beach which was lovely.

Based on the experience I would definitely use KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

CASA BAMBÚ

Los Naranjos

Only 8 huts so you may get the pool to yourself. Good food although portions too large. Very nice staff. When we went - end of April - loads of beetles come out and are attracted to light once it got dark. Makes sitting outside impossible after about 7:30 pm (unless you have no bug phobia). Light in room may also attract beetles so we all went to bed early and stayed in bed in the dark, looking at our phones. Would give hotel 5-stars if there was mosquito netting in room and a screened area outside where we could hang out without being attacked by beetles.

Sweet Harmony by Xarm Hotels

Minca, Magdalena

We mainly stayed here because our friend lives in Minca very close to this hotel. However, we were terrified of the bugs at night and went to bed early with the lights off to keep them away. Room was very stuffy with the doors closed. No hot water or lukewarm water depending on which room. Some room's had no frosted glass on bathroom and was totally visible to hotel guys who were digging a trench in the morning (so she couldn't take a shower in the morning).

Casa de Isabella, a Kali Hotel

Santa Marta

Very close to tourist / restaurant area downtown. Has a nice little lounge and tiny pool area. Breakfast is okay although not amazing. Rooms are fine, good hot water.

Tips for future travelers

It's noisy downtown so bring earplugs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Birdwatching in Minca

Minca

Nice quiet area, our guide found lots of birds including Toucans. They give you binoculars if you don't have any.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Tayrona National Park

Colombia

Very difficult on a hot, humid day. We didn't realize it involved such a long hike to get to a swimmable beach. Beach did not have much shade. Would be more enjoyable on a cooler day. Long wait for entrance tickets (although tour guide did that and we got to wait in van).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim planned a very special trip itinerary for us to Italy complete with lodging, tours, transfers, transportation (excluding air), insider tips, etc. It was all made very easy! Very organized and thoughtful.

Hotel Review

Casa Howard Firenze

Florence

This place was so incredible! Like a boutique hotel meets bed and breakfast. No detail was missed. Beautifully decorated, comfortable and charming! Excellent service.

Tips for future travelers

Stay! You can’t go wrong. Cute neighborhood full of great shops and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Sunset & Aperitivo Gondola Ride

Venice

The most romantic, authentic way to see the beautiful water canals of Venice! The Prosecco Champagne during the gondola ride was the perfect touch.

Quality of Experience

We loved the gondola staff that sung through the canals.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly. Answered all of our questions about everything we were passing

Transport

This was our first trip to India. We are experienced travelers, but generally have local contacts that help us arrange a trip. For India, we had no idea where to start. We wanted a trip to see plants, orchids, and birds, along with natural settings, but also wanted a few cultural and historical places too.
After much back and forth, we had a trip planned, all tickets bought. Then covid hit. Two years passed and yet we still wanted this trip. This spring we took the leap and am certainly glad we went. We were everywhere welcome and asked bring more foreign tourists. Imagine being at Taj Mahal and being one of a handful of people of northern European descent. Indians are touring their own country now.. and the Taj with all the colorful saris not tourists in kaki was lovely to see.
There did turn out to be a lot of driving, but that was required to get to the various places we wanted to go. we had various guides, and for all but one ( our "guide" at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary- I would have to give him a negative rating for many reasons) we had good to excellent experiences.
The accommodations arranged were sometimes over the top for we budget travelers but as we did not know the cost it and it was already paid for , we just enjoyed it.
Over all it was nice to just not have to arrange for anything. When we finished with a cultural site or were done with a hike, our car and driver were there, no walking to the car. We seldom carried our bags. Our biggest decisions were what to have for dinner. we have never traveled like this before and I will say it was nice.
We wrote a review of each day on the trip summary for specifics.

I was so impressed with the trip that Anne organized for us. We had various things that we wanted to do, and she was able to accommodate all of those things! The places we stayed were beautiful and comfortable and truly added to the experience of visiting the marvelous country of Peru. We also hit a couple of snags during our trip, and Anne was able to help us think of the best solutions to work around our dilemmas.
The only thing that I would have appreciated was more information on travel/passport requirements before paying for the trip. They gave us the info we needed after we paid, and only then did we realize that my husbands passport would have to be renewed before we could go on our trip. This resulted in about a delay while we waited for my husbands passport, which although it wasn't the end of the world, was a bit disappointing.
Regardless, I could not have been happier with the service received through kimkim with the help of Anne. If you are wondering if they are a good choice, the answer is yes! Thank you so much for such an amazing experience!!

Hotel Review

Pamuri Andes Lodge

Huancavelica

I loved staying here! It felt like camping but with a bed and warm water!! They have beautiful facilities and my only regretting with staying here, is that we didn't stay here longer!

Tips for future travelers

I would recommend that you bring someone who speaks Spanish with you, as its in a part of Peru that doesn't see many foreign tourists. Also be aware that if you fly into Jauja (the closest airport) you may need to be slightly flexible with your trip plans. Our flight was cancelled and then our new flight was delayed. So be aware of that if you choose to come here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Mateo was wonderful! He was very friendly and helpful during our stay. He also spoke English which was a big plus!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Second day at Hacienda Concepción: Sandoval Lake & Canopy Walkway

Tambopata

There is nothing that can compare to the beauty of experiencing the jungle firsthand. Touring the lake and going on the canopy walkway was absolutely incredible and I would do it again and again if I could!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of what we seen it was a trip of a life time thank you

Hotel Review

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

All

Cleanliness & Comfort

All

Activity Review

Explore Oslo's hidden gems with a local expert

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sll

Transport

Sll

This trip was amazingly easy to arrange, reasonably priced, and unforgettable. We got to see everything on our wish list. The hotels were great. Transportation was arranged. We couldn’t have asked for more. Our KimKim contact knew her stuff and really came through for us! We are very happy.

Our family of 5 had an awesome trip to Colombia with the help of Felipe and the arrangements we made through kimkim. Felipe made the planning process easy by suggesting an itinerary and being very responsive to changes I requested before we finalized. Alba, our guide in Medellin, made us feel like family from the moment we arrived. Diva was also terrific for our time in Santa Marta and Tayrona. Staying in historic Cartagena was fun for the kids, and Eduardo was a very informative guide. The drivers were great and it was so nice to have all the domestic travel arrangements taken care of for us. We also appreciated the restaurant reservations, and all the help we got with needs that arose during the trip. We would all love to go back to Colombia, and if we do we will definitely book through Felipe and Margoth again.

Randall knows the country very well and the best things for tourists to visit. He takes into account budget and other constraints! He organiséd a fabulous trip for me and my daughter! Unforgettable ❤️