Kimkim Trip Reviews

Adriana created such a memorable 2 week anniversary trip for us and will definitely use Kim Kim again for touring countries. The Costa Rican hospitality is so special, the genuineness of the people made all the difference at every place we stayed. We went from coast to coast experiencing such different environments and wonderful adventures. We decided to not rent a car ourselves and splurge on private transfers between the towns and we are so glad we did. It was a very surprisingly special part of the trip meeting so many more lovely people and made it zero stress. The boat transfer across Lake Arenal was like adding another adventure plus it cut an hour driving time! I was surprised by the quality of the guides we had at every location. The guides at Mawamba Lodge were incredible with their knowledge base of botany and zoology, Piedro took us on an unforgettable night hike. I was really hoping to see a sloth on the trip in their natural environment and we saw several in each location with the help from our guides from Mawamba, La Fortuna, and Monteverde. Really made my trip! We have had many discussions about our 'favorites' but it was too hard, it was that great of a trip - each place was so unique and special in different ways! My husband would say the top of the trip was the side striped pit viper in the cloud forest of Monteverde, that was exhilarating! Our guide was incredible at spotting such a variety of creatures after dark! Mine was one of our guides in La Fortuna pulling over on the side of the road as he spotted a sloth climbing in a tree, he got me some amazing pictures with the help of his binoculars up to my phone! Each place Adriana planned for us was so special and we loved ending at Jardin del Eden Hotel in Tamarindo, it was perfect for us. Small and intimate, just an amazing place to truly exhale and I came home just a noodle of relaxation! Looking forward to using Kim Kim again, they really catered the vacation to us and what we wanted and the result was a life lister vacation for sure! Thank you for the unforgettable experience!

Hotel Review

Jardín del Edén Boutique Hotel - Adults Only

Tamarindo

We loved the smaller more personal experience. Staff knew our names and were really attentive. The dining area was gorgeous and the food was really good. The day beds were awesome at the pool and the beach and never had an issue getting a great spot. The outdoor hot stone spa massage was excellent.

Tips for future travelers

I wish I booked less activities and spent more time enjoying their beautiful grounds.

Authenticity & Character

The grounds around the pool were gorgeous with iguanas enjoying the paradise.

Location

I loved being in a secluded area away from the noise but a short walk to the noisier beach area. I thought the beach access was perfect that way.

Staff

They were attentive at all meals, pool drinks, etc. Most made the effort to learn guests names and make it more personal.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean.

Activity Review

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

We got an amazing guide that really made me appreciate the care and work that goes into making great beans. I was not a coffee drinker but am now! It was like going wine tasting. It was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great job in communication, responsiveness, and personalization! Highly recommend!

KimKim saved the day and helped make a last minute anniversary trip a dream. I usually like to do all my own booking with tons of time spent on reviews etc. but I just didn't have the time (or patience) for it this time. Our local expert Rebecca was amazing, she took my direction and delivered a trip that fit our normal traveling preferences. Was super easy, responsive and provided amazing service while we were on the trip. I have recommended KimKim to a ton of friends and colleagues and will be using again! Thank you for simplifying the planning process while making it a personalized trip.

Ingrid was very responsive to all of our questions and concerns before and during our trip. We had a great time!

We loved our trip to Brasil, we enjoyed a different kind of Brasil, the Atlantic forests, the colonial villages, nature world patrimony at its best, away from the crowds.
And all the experience was enhanced by great guides, great choices.
Loved Paraty, the trekking we made with Rocco Belleti, the best guide we could ever had, and also the Boat ride with "Peixe" with a fresh fish meal aboard. Loved our free day witch Rocco that took us in a beautiful boat ride in "Saco de Mamangua", with a great trekking in the "manguezal", and a beautiful fish lunch in the surroundings.
We also loved "Ilha Grande", paradise on earth, charming boutique hotel, we had a great day with Carlos, that guided us through the best 10km of treckking ever, till we get to the wonderful "Lopes Mendes" beach. The next day boat trip around the island was also very good. Not only Carlos chose a very good travel agency but also gave us some precious tips for that day.
At last Rio de Janeiro, we had less time, but Lucas did its best to provide us with a broad view of the way of life and best spots of Rio.

We had an amazing time in Portugal!  Marina was wonderful; we absolutely could not have planned this trip without her help. While we were in Portugal, the support we received from Karin was also so helpful.  I will definitely use KimKimin in the future.

Some of the highlights included: 
-Porto was a favorite! Thanks to Nelson, the day trip to Duoro Valley was one of the best activities/days that we had on our trip. Nelson went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed the day, learned more about Portuguese history and culture, and saw sights we may have missed otherwise.  I honestly cannot say enough good things about Nelson; he was absolutely wonderful.  

-Also the tour of Porto with Sara was great.  Sara did a great job taking us to some unique points in the city.  Additionally, she assisted us with restaurants and other recommendations in the city.  Sara is really lovely.  

-The day trip to Sintra was also a fantastic experience.  Sintra is magical and Marta was wonderful.-The Lisbon walking tour was also very good.  This tour helped us understand so much about the history of Portugal as well as see a lot of the city.  Our tour guide Filipa had a great personalityand kept the tour interesting. 

-Lagos is absolutely beautiful!  While we enjoyed the Catamaran, we really enjoyed the Sunset experience with Pedro.  This activity allowed us to see the surrounding areas outside of Lagos and understand just how much more there is to see and do in the Algarve region.  Pedro really did a great job; he was very personable and made the whole experience really fun.

Other:
-It would be good to mention that flat shoes are required for pretty much all of the streets in Portugal. :)
-The Tivoli hotel in Lagos did not meet expectations.  While the rooms were clean, the service and the breakfast were lacking.  For example, every time we went to get towels for the pool, the front desk did not have any available. This is not a hotel I would stay at in the future. 

Thank you Patricia and team! You planned an ideal first visit to Spain for us. You made sure that we saw the most important highlights of Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona, but also included really authentic 'non touristy' excursions. The private tours you arranged were wonderful. All of our guides were knowledgeable and really made an effort to customize our experience. Highlights included Carmen's extensive knowledge of history and politics related to the sites we saw in Madrid. In Seville, Aldara's tour of Triana, the flamenco show, and the traditional tapas at a local bar was fantastic. She is truly an absolute joy! In Barcelona, we enjoyed seeing sites with Elena and loved our day trip with Mariana to visit two local wineries. All of the hotels were conveniently located and our transfers were on time and the drivers were extremely professional. Patricia checked in frequently to ensure things were going smoothly and adjusted our dinner reservations to accommodate our last minute needs. She even booked our PCR tests so that we would have no issues with getting our results before returning to the US. Patricia's service was EXCELLENT from the first inquiry to our flight home. We highly recommend her! We loved Spain more than we ever thought we would and we know it was due to Patricia's careful planning and her knowledge of the best things to see and do.

Although we have traveled extensively, I felt that Morocco was a destination that would require a driver and guidance from local experts. When I discovered Abdellah and Original Travels on KimKim, it seemed clear that he was more than qualified to plan our trip. I just turned it over to him, and set very few parameters. We wanted to be immersed in local culture, to understand the people and their rich history, the way of life past and present. Abdellah was happy to suggest an itinerary, to help us navigate through Covid challenges in the fall of 2021, and to lay out a detailed trip plan. He was very responsive at every step. When we finally arrived in Casablanca and found that some of our luggage was still in LA, he stepped in and navigated the process of getting it delivered to another airport close to our next destination. For the next 2 weeks we were blessed to have Karim as our driver, our guide, and our friend. Karim was attentive, understanding, and patient with us every step of the way. We were intensely curious about Karim's background as he was raised with a nomadic family in the Atlas mountains. He openly shared his life, his family, and his goals with us, and took us to see people and places we would have never discovered on our own. After two weeks in Morocco, we felt sad to leave Karim, our new friend. We could not have hoped for a better experience in this country so rich in history and tradition. I cannot emphasize enough that you will be in great hands if you turn over your trip planning to Abdellah and Karim. They are absolutely the best. We will be forever grateful to them for sharing their country with us.

Sam was a dream to work with when planning my trip of a lifetime to Spain! I was able to provide Sam with my goals and interests, and he tailor-made the perfect trip for me. It was packed with traditional Spanish culture, art, food and drinks. I was able to see the vast landscape that Spain offers through adventure filled day trips. Every details was taken into consideration. The accommodations, drivers, tour guides, and food was phenomenal! While I was in Spain, Fran was always a text away if I had a question or just need a recommendation on a place to visit! They truly are the dream team! I can't wait to someday share the special country with my family. I will be sure to use kimkim in the future! I could not recommend them enough.

A perfect 19days tour of Ecuador. Many thanks to Isabel for her patience and help in the organization of the trip.
Our excellent guide Cristobal Cabezas had a lot of experience and knew all the perfect places to spot birds. He made this trip unforgettable. He was sympathetic, polite and very patient while we were taking pictures, a pleasant companion and good driver, sharing a lot of information about the history, politics and people of Ecuador.

Ecuador is a save country and Covid proof. Nature is very diverse and untouched.

Hotel Reviews

Hosteria PapaGayo

Machachi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waita Lodge

n/a

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria Pampallacta

Papallacta

Authenticity & Character

Lo

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Edén Treehouse

Mindo

Authenticity & Character

Lo

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Hotel Baquedano

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Birdwatching and time at leisure in Mindo

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We couldn’t be happier with our kimkim experience. Im not easily impressed and I don’t write gushing reviews often, but this one had to be written. We would use kimkim again for any kind of trip in a heartbeat! Our maiden two-week trip through Croatia for our 25th anniversary was exactly what we imagined and was curated perfectly by the local travel team arranged through kimkim. Our local contact Sarah was so responsive and easy to work with throughout the experience from the planning phase, and throughout the trip if needed. The process was seamless from beginning to end. I didn’t lift a finger or waste time on research. (Except a few special restaurants that they helped us get reservations with) We simply told them our budget and what we had in mind and they crafted a beautiful trip with fantastic local guides, friendly drivers, fabulous hotels, and special experiences both on and off the beaten path that matched our interests. The trip had just the right balance of everything that we were looking for. We are experienced travelers who have tried many kinds of travel from doing it ourselves to luxury tour companies and kimkim beats everything we’ve tried! We’d give kimkim six stars if we could! Can’t wait to plan our next trip with kimkim.

Don’t even hesitate.

Our first trip to Spain and second time using Kimkim and their local experts. Patricia did an excellent job sorting out our requests and building a perfect trip. Connections, shuttles, and guides all fit our plans very well. All the recommendations were spot on, Costa Brava, Girona, Llfranc, Barcelona, Seville, Ronda, Gibraltar and Granada all set for us to enjoy and not worry about details. The ability to contact someone in country and that knows the area is invaluable, we had a few last minute requests and Patricia always came through. I could go on and on but the real review is that we will be returning to Spin and will be using kimkim and Patricia @yourtriptospainandportugal again. Thank you.

Emanuela planned a trip that was one amazing experience after another. We followed her recommendations and were not disappointed with the sites, the lodging, and the restaurants. The guides for the glacier walk, Northern lights, and ice cave were extremely knowledgeable. Each was a unique experience. She customized in a few places based on our preferences and that worked really well. Iceland should be on everyone's bucket list.

Emanuela planned one of our favorite vacations ever. Our decision to go to Iceland was last minute so we turned to kimkim and Emanuela to plan out our itinerary. The itinerary/plan was very detailed and included activities that we enjoyed doing. Every suggestion that she made was great including her recommendations for local bakeries. We even credited her for the wonderful weather we had. Going to Iceland? Using Emanuela to plan your trip is a must.

Marina worked extremely hard to put together a last minute trip to Spain. We were traveling with our 6 yo son, and she was able to incorporate family friendly activities and tour guides that included fun stories and activities for kids. Great communication, friendly, responsive, and professional. We had a great trip and highly recommend Marina and Karin. Thank you!

Oh my after over 2 years of planning this trip, covid, and cancelled flights I have to say our 16 days in Morocco was over the top. I think I can speak for the rest of the group that traveling through Morocco was awesome. We saw so much and got a real feel for the country and the people. I love to negotiate as do the Moroccans. But as soon as a deal is done, tea , laughs and hugs are in order.
As an experienced long time traveler, our guide Hicham was fabulous and truthfully he became our friend. I have invited him and Sharon to visit if they ever make it to CA. Not only was he attentive to all our needs he actually had us over in his apartment for Moroccan Pizza one night.

The 2 cooking classes at Abdouls home and Khadija's was so yummy. The food so delicious, fresh and creative. Love those Tangines. We loved the tourists places to eat along with the locals as well. I have to say during this tumultuous time in our lives dealing with Covid 19, this trip was a piece of cake. Never did we feel uncomfortable throughout Morocco and flying on a different airlines was a piece of cake.

My favorite of course was riding the camels in the Sarah Desert to our camp. The sand and its color and shades made my heart sing. The food so good, the drums and our lodging reminded me so much of safaris in southern Africa. My roomy and me got up to see the sun rise. Our tents were so beautiful and luxurious. I decided not to ride the camel back but 4 wheeled back to the start. Yippee over the dunes. But the sand and the shadows was captivating. I had to ask Mustafa to stop to I could take it all in. I could have stayed another few days.

I could go on and on, but if you are thinking of Morocco, please contact this great company and request Sharon.

Andrijana planned us an unforgettable honeymoon in Italy. Our week in Rome and week in Tuscany were absolutely fantastic. The private tour guides were some of the best I've ever experienced, and we learned a lot of insider knowledge directly from locals. Our accommodations were perfectly located in each location, and the drivers they hired for us were reliable and professional. Every detail was worked out ahead of time, and they were there to support us when we had questions.

She even helped us get COVID tested for our return trip per US requirements, making what could have been a difficult trip stress free.

Everything was perfect and I would highly recommend both Andrijana and Kimkim.

Our trip was absolutely wonderful, and it's hard to say what our favorite part was. Marina was absolutely fantastic in helping us plan our trip, and responded quickly and kindly when we asked for changes. A few standouts...4x4 adventure near Porto, Douro Valley wine tour, day in Coimbra, Knights Templar tour in Tomar, lunch at the olive tree farm near Evora. Overall an absolutely amazing trip! Thank you again to Marina, and to Karin for serving as POC for one week.

I can't thank Simon and Ambre Marie enough for all their planning and recommendations for our group! Everything was truly wonderful, from when we arrived in Marseille to our last night in Eze. Our guides throughout the week - LuLu, Arthur, Alex, Nathalie and Stephan - were all excellent, and the towns and locations visited spectacular. A highlight for us all was Captain Laurence, on our boat tour out of Marseille - she is wonderful. Our first dinner in Marseille at Restaurant Une table au Sud was truly memorable - we would definitely recommend this restaurant! And we cannot forget the Olive Oil Tasting/Cooking Class at Moulin Sant Jean in Fontvieille - another high point! Chateau Eze we will remember as a highlight of the trip, along with the fabulous dinner at the hotel restaurant on our last evening.

Accomodations: The Intercontinental in Marseille was beautiful and the food and service very good. La Maison Dauphine in Aix was the perfect guest house for the six of us. I would be sure when booking that your customers are aware that there is no lift - fine for us, but could be an issue getting to the third floor for some. Véronique was a gracious host, assisting us with restaurant suggestions and reservations. La Divine Comédie in Avignon was beautiful, but we would not recommend it. We are dog lovers, but huge weimaraners trying to sit on your chair while you're eating breakfast in the dining room did not seem appropriate when paying luxury prices. On our first night, having toured all day and bearing wine and cheese from our travels, we asked to utilize some utensils and plates, which were provided but at a fee per person - again seems out of line with the price point. We were also sitting in the garden at 5PM in the afternoon when one of the staff came out to tell us we were being too loud ( I know - Americans!). If it was late in the evening, a fair concern, but at 5PM in the afternoon? It was also VERY difficult for the guides to find us and to load and unload luggage at this location.

Overall, we couldn't have been happier with this long planned/delayed trip for our group. Many thanks for your thoughtful understanding of the type of experience we were hoping for - you definitely delivered! Best: Karen, Tom, Maggie, Brian, Jack and Kandy

Abdella and Ahmed Made Our Lives Easier
I'm big traveler and have planned most of my trips, but due to a last minute change we picked Morocco with about a week and a half notice. Abdella and co were very helpful and flexible in explaining our options and providing us with a custom itinerary. In hindsight, I'm even more grateful that we booked for Morocco with them, because driving on our own would have been truly hazardous! The accommodations were all excellent, Merzouga and the desert was a particularly legendary highlight, but Fes as well deserves plenty of time as well. Will certainly consider using KimKim in the future!