Kimkim Trip Reviews

I have recently done the Annapurna Base Camp trek. From my first contact with Ngima it was so easy to arrange and Ngima answered all my questions promptly and helpfully and made the whole booking experience so problem free. The trek was everything I had hoped for and more, we were blessed with glorious weather throughout and reaching Base Camp at sunrise was a truly memorable experience. I was travelling with my son (I am 65 and my son 29) and our wonderful guide Pemba was so professional, caring and fun to be with, and very interesting explaining to us about the local life and region. He was also so supportive to me while I struggled with what seemed like endless steps to climb on some days! He coped and understood so well the differences in age and ability between my son and myself and I was so thrilled to make it to Base Camp. Our porter Pasang was also a joy, never seemed to stop smiling despite having to carry our —-hopefully not too heavy —load. I cannot recommend both of them highly enough. My one bit of advice would be—-take more cash than you think you need on the trek—-EVERYTHING is extra, drinks, snacks , loo roll, phone charging, internet when available, showers, drinking water, etc and it really mounts up .
A huge thank you to Ngima and his team, a truly wonderful experience. We were sorry to leave.

To be honest, we put a lot of trust in Kimkim as we weren't paying a great deal of attention to the finer details prior to heading OS. So in reality, it could have all gone very poorly!

Luckily for us our faith and confidence in the service was not misguided and we had a great time. Being unfamiliar with a place like Nepal can be very daunting when it comes to planning a hike / trek so we appreciated the insight and experience offered by kimkim. I would also recommend the specific hike we went on for beginners; it's low altitude and not too rough with regard to physical capability (climbing lots of steep stairs etc!). I imagine that experienced hikers could cover this distance and climb in around 2days if they were rushing it but the additional time was welcomed so we could enjoy each location and also have some rest.

We had opted for a more budget option with regard to accomodation and even then, the places we stayed were quite good. We had 4 nights in the below locations:
-Guest house in Dhulikhel; Amazing roof top view of the valley and mountains but the room was very cold and the shower cold. Beers were 600 NPR each.
-The Monastery was an overall highlight and had a superb hot shower! (it takes some working out as there are several taps which feed into the shower tap.. you'll work it out!. We had dinner and breakfast with the monks and they also had a little cafe for coffee, tea and other extras you might want. Surprisingly, there was secure and very good quality wifi throughout the location (cost 30NPR per day) no beers here of course!
-The Balthali Guest House was also very good. We had a relaxing afternoon with a few beers on the roof in the sun and then enjoyed getting amongst the local ladies to strip the dried corn for a couple of hours. The farm fresh and local food was excellent and we may have had a few too many local Rum's before bed.
-The homestay in Panauti was cool, we very much enjoyed the cooking class and the guided tour of the town. It was super cold here and the evening fire was very welcomed! The hot shower greatly appreciated before our long flights back top Australia.
All in all the trip was great fun, was well organised and our guide was great, thanks Ļāmā Ťãmãņğ Đāwâ !

We had a fabulous trip. I had asked for an active, adventurous itinerary, and that's exactly what we got. I'd have to say the highlight was river rafting, and camping on the river. It was gorgeous and fun and our guide Maurice was absolutely fabulous. He was a great guide on the river and fun companion, sharing lots of interesting things about the river, animals and Costa Rica. The food was excellent and the camp was comfortable, the rafting was exciting but we felt safe throughout.

The trip to La Fortuna was easy, and our guide Roy for the hanging bridges and waterfall was great. We really appreciated that he wasn't in a rush and that we could take our time through the woods and enjoy. He had interesting information to share about all the animals we saw.

The ziplining was fun and enjoyed by all. It was great to have the woods all to ourselves, and was a good experience even in the rain.

The only glitch in our trip was the trip from Arenal to Quepos. Initially a vehicle that was too small for our group was sent, so we had to wait about 45 minutes for a 2nd vehicle. We all fit in the 2nd vehicle, but not by much - it was very cramped, and the driver was not smooth.

Our time on the coast was lovely - snorkeling was fun, and it was good to have a day on our own. We organized a night hike for ourselves which was also fun.

We reached out to Randall partway through the trip to change our hotel in San Jose for the return. The KC hotel was not in a neighborhood where we could easily walk to restaurants, and we got hassled a bit when we were out even though it was not late. He was very accomodating, booked us in the Sleep Inn which was perfect. We were able to walk to a nice restaurant for our final dinner in San Jose. I also appreciate that he was able to hold a spot on the tour for my husband, as he wasn't sure he'd be able to join us til just a couple of weeks before the trip. Overall he was very helpful and a pleasure to work with.

I just came back from Myanmar and it was amazing!
Kimkim paired me up with Wai Lin, I couldn't have asked for a better person to help me plan my trip he was responsive, helpful and he definitely made my experience in Myanmar truly enjoyable.

KimKim and Linda are the way to go! We got the trip that we wanted, with expert advice along the way. For me the Fiords were absolutely enchanting, I could have lost myself in them. For Paul, the whales were the highlight.

We did not get to see the Northern Lights so we already figure another trip to Tromso. Besides it being magic, I got my hair cut there and love it!

Thank you

Returned about a week ago, from a wonderful experience in Nepal that will be in my heart forever. After discussing my winter trekking options with Ngima Dorji Sherpa, the owner of Nepal Myths and Mountain Trails, I decided on the Khopra Danda Trek. Every day was amazing! I was greeted at Kathmandu Airport by Tashi, Ngima's son and began my trek the following morning.

This was a solo trek for me, and I was accompanied by two outstanding people, my guide Gelu and my porter Lakpa. They made sure every day was perfect! While every day on the trail had beautiful views, the top of Khopra Danda is breathtaking. I cherish my time in Nepal! When it was time to fly back to the States, I was met earlier at my hotel by Ngima and escorted to the airport.
It was an amazing trek from teahouse to teahouse, and a great experience for me. I truly did not want to leave.

Just back from 13 days in Medellin, Tayrona and Cartagena, Colombia.
What a wonderful country, full of beautiful scenery, friendly people, good food, interesting (though somewhat tortured) history.
Of course, not all is rosy, and the guidance of the Kimkim team and Marine was crucial in keeping us safe and fulfilled.
Medellin, for example, has its rough spots, but we never felt insecure or vulnerable.
The day trip to Guatapé was great, as was city tour, Park Arvi. Staying near Parque Llera was great.
Cartagena was a great experience too, and staying at Bovedas Santa Clara allowed free access to the Sofitel, a world class beautiful resort.
Tayrona was unique as well though be forewarned, no hot water showers!
Summary.....all connections went without a hitch, all guides, drivers on time, all reservations as described. The trip was perfectly tailored to our preferences. I was very happy with the Kimkim engagement and would definitely use them again.

Ibrahim in Jordan was a fantastic guide and Mohammed was a great driver. They worked well together. We like our history so Jerash was fabulous. The hike through Dana Valley also was a highlight as was Jerusalem. Re the design of the trip, the only dud day was the trip to the Dead Sea. The hotel where we had lunch was depressing and the beach was ugly and cordoned off with barb wire.

Our winter trip to Iceland was amazing. Preeti helped us find great accomodations for our large family and tours we wouldn't have known about without her -- such as the only ice cave tour that allowed us to bring our 8-year-old. She was right to tell us that certain things we wanted to do would require too much driving and was able to suggest alternatives that fit our schedule better. We especially loved the dogsledding. There was one problem with the car rental when we arrived and we had to scramble to make new arrangements, but after the trip KimKim quickly helped us get a refund.

Trip was better than we could have ever expected. The entire process from the first messages with Bas till the fairwell hugs with tashi and Jigme at the airport and everything in between was beyond words! Tashi as a guide is phenomenal, can’t fault him. And Jigme was his perfect side kick. Nothing was too hard for the boys. Thank you for a wonderful trip!

Had a fantastic trip. Well worth it. I would recommend Kimkim to anyone that would like their trip organised for them. Andy was really easy to communicate with and our guide Dat was very knowledgeable and accommodating.

Hi
Had a good trip . Good driver and guide . V interesting tours.
Food was also V good.
Only disappoint was the second nights accommodation, described as a homestay, l have stayed in many homestays across vietnam while they are all different this one could not be described as a homestay as there was nobody living there!
Because of this although I enjoyed the tour l would not use you again or recommend you as the homestay sold was not genuine. I appreciate the original homestay was not available but the one provide was not acceptable.
Thanks jon

I reached out to KimKim because I had a difficult time planning the itinerary for our Italian vacation on my own. Giorgia did an excellent job with helping us plan. She had great recommendations for tours and things to do in Florence. She booked a small group tour of the Colosseum including the underground and other off-limit places. She also booked us for a small group tour of the Vatican. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and seemed to love sharing the history of their city. Giorgia also booked us for a food tour in Florence. We loved trying the local foods and our guide was a lot of fun.

Giorgia had excellent communication with us and answered all of our questions. She even reached out to us during our trip to make sure everything was going smoothly.

I would definitely recommend Giorgia and KimKim to anyone looking to plan a memorable vacation!

We loved the trip to a Myanmar, especially our guides in Bagan (Ankar) and Ny Ny in Inle Lake. We loved doing the little canoe trip with Ny Ny in his village and tea with his family. Of course, Bagan was amazing.

This was a great trip, from the start of the planning to the flight home! Anne responded daily to all my questions/concerns and this made the trip planning so smooth and easy. Our guides, Lu Wine and Zawturn we incredible! They were very friendly and the trip felt more like visiting a friend who was showing us around, as opposed to hiring a guide.
We got to really feel the local scene in Mandalay! We went to local markets, spoke with Budist monks and nuns. It was great!
We learned so much about the temples in Bagan and the religion.

Also, our guides and Anne had backup plans for everything. For instance, we wanted to ride bicycles in Mandalay but it rained so we had a driver pick us up and we went to a monastery where we got to talk to a young monk who told us about Budism and what it’s like to be a monk. This is an experience we would not have had if we didn’t book the tour.
In Bagan, the weather was nice so we got to Bike, but I ran over something sharp and got a flat tire. But our driver followed not too far behind and was quickly able to meet up with us so our trip could continue. Anne and her team really thought of everything!
Also, considering the expertise, thorough planning, and great accommodations, I’m surprised the price is at such a good value!
Our guides an Anne showed us the real culture of Myanmar that most tourists I’m sure miss. If you wanted to be among locals and try local food and see places visited by locals and some tourists, then this is the perfect trip for you! I would happily book again!

We are a family who travels a lot – for work, adventure, and play. We travel together and individually from places as diverse as Afghanistan and Ethiopia. So we are capable of organising stuff ourselves. Sometimes though life is too busy, and coordinating the views and opinions of 4 sets of people living in different places is just too daunting.

We knew we wanted to travel around Burma. I knew we needed someone to organise and advise. I can’t remember how I came across kimkim and their partner in Burma Myanmar Pure, but as soon as I was put in touch with Anne Cruickshanks at Myanmar Pure, I knew I was having a conversation and not being sold to. How do I know? Well, there are serious ethical issues surrounding the decision to travel to Burma and everyone in the family was uncomfortable. Anne did not shy from the questions we were asking but provided us with perspectives to help us make our own decision.

On the design of our trip and the itinerary we communicated a lot. Anne wanted to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted – what kind of experiences did we want? How active? How adventurous? How much travelling from place to place and to what? We went through a number of itineraries. Anne didn’t mind starting again if we felt it was not quite right. At the last minute Anne accommodated an extra person in our group – it was not trouble whatsoever (or rather it might have been, but Anne did not let on for an instant).

We had seven days and we went to Mandalay, Bagan, and Lake Inle. We had three separate young guides – obliging, positive and informed. They knew just how much to join in and how much to stand back.

Nay cycled us around Mandalay – round back streets, up hills, onto tiny ferries, around markets, into Muslim and Buddhist communities, along rail bridges and gave us a lovely Burmese picnic by the Irrawaddy surrounded by munching cows. In the evening we visited a proper local temple with rituals that were more fairground than religious. Then a really great barbecue shop. Nay was great company.

Thet Wai took over at Heho, meeting us with bikes almost straight off the plane to cycle to Nyaung Shwe. We had a truly lovely snack break in a village with exceptional food. Then we cycled to Nyaung Shwe on Lake Inle (through rice fields – stopping and asking farmers dumb questions). A great lunch.

Everyone travels by boat across Lake Inle, and everyone visits weavers and local crafts shops. It is touristy and it is designed to make you buy, but hell you have to give something back. Wai gave us a really good tour of the floating gardens and of the floating/stilt houses, shouting with joy when we found a pig house sitting over the water, inaccessible to dry land. A suggestion here – some of the houses are beautiful and spectacularly painted. Don’t waste time watching the sunset over the lake, ask to stay in the village on the water and watch the sun go down on the houses (we didn’t but I wished I had). Lake sunsets are boring – you can see them anywhere. We swam from a house in the middle of the lake and watched a couple having their wedding photos taken (people don’t usually swim…).

The undoubted highlight was Wai taking us to have lunch with his family (absolutely incredible food and so welcoming and curious about us), and then to great hilarity giving us a go with leg rowing on two of the family boats). We all had a go and it was brilliant. This is something people don’t do – and it was Anne and Wai that made it possible. I predict it will be the next bog thing at Inle.

The next day we had a gentle walk around the hills and good noodles in a place with a great view. Thet Wai is a legend.

The final stop was Bagan with a new guide called Arkar. He was laid back, patient and very good humoured. A really good guide. We had a day’s fun zooming around the temple complex on electric scooters (all coloured like Power Rangers) and eating in local places. Brilliant. We had final cocktails on our own boat watching the sunset over the Irrawaddy (best boat and best position).

All the hotels were very comfortable and well situated.

So thanks kimkim, Anne, Nay, Thet Wai, and Arkar. You are brilliant. It was an extraordinary holiday – open to what was going on in the wider country, but adding value to people working hard to make a living at a local level.

Koy, Hilary, Doy, Guy and Matt. December 2017

Both our guide in Yangoon and Bagan were very well prepared and considerate. In particular our guide in Bagan was a delight to work with and we are glad to have met her. All members of the guide staff were professional and pleasant to work with.

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is amazing, as one can read in many reviews. Perhaps the most memorable place we visited was the street market in Bagan.

Very knowledgeable and helpful!

We loved our time in Morocco! It was especially great because of our driver/guide Saleh. He was very professional and respectful to us. We were very satisfied with Hotel Amlal, beber camp site, and Hotel Casablanca. The only issue we had was with Hotel Akabar. It did not really meet our expectations and the hotel and dining staff were not great. It was the only accommodation that did not provide us with any water during our dinners, and did not give us an option for dinner like the other accommodations. We would go out to buy water for our meals at Hotel Akabar. Other than this, we truly had a great experience and we are so grateful for our driver and guide Saleh! Please give him a special shout out!

The trek was amazing. The views were spectacular and those in my group were really friendly. Ngima was an excellent guide, open to suggestions while also keeping us on a good schedule. The teahouses/lodges we stayed at were better than expected. The Poon Hill sunrise hike and our stay in the village of Ghandruk were the most memorable parts but, all in all, we made a good amount of memories and friends throughout the trek!