Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our local specialists Brahim and Hakim were wonderful. We planned our trip very quickly through kimkim and it was seamless. We valued their insight and knowledge of Morocco and recommendations on what was best to do on our short trip. The trip plan was detailed and we had all the vouchers and documents we needed way before departure. Great professional service provided by Orion Trek.

The two guided tours arranged for us in Marrakech and Fes were fantastic. Our guides were very friendly and their eye for detail and knowledge of the places we visited was very impressive. We were asked what we wanted to see by our guide in Marrakech, and we visited the secret garden and Bahia Palace. These were really a highlight! Having a guide is definitely the best way to discover the medinas. You really need someone who knows the streets and history to get the best from your time there. We would have been lost without our guides.
We were blown away by the accommodations selected for us. The Riad's were all beautiful and in great locations so it was super easy to explore the cities after our tours. The staff were all very welcoming and enabled us to feel comfortable. They informed us where to take a taxi and gave us maps and personal recommendations of restaurants. We are both vegetarian and we enjoyed the breakfast provided at each Riad. We wouldn't have found such amazing Riads without the help of a local specialist.

Our party of 4 adults from Thailand were in Nepal for our first time for 4 nights and we all had a safe and wonderful time thanks to kimkim and the team. As the organizer, it wasn't easy to choose a local tour company because there are so many to screen, but I was very happy to have chosen kimkim and this team. Pre-trip, the entire coordination process such as emails back and forth, queries, payment etc was very smooth. I love kimkim's email communication system which basically makes life so much easier than going through regular email chains. Also appreciated the fast response times to queries and for this we have to thank our point man, Chhewang, who met us several times during the trip. Our local guide Gyaljan and trek captain Sonam were both excellent as well, very knowledgeable and highly flexible to accommodate our needs (and we were at times very demanding!) which is exactly what we were looking for in a customized tour. We chose accommodation (btw the Mariott Kathmandu is the best at the moment) but transport, restaurants etc which were pre-arranged were all very good quality. The historical sites in the capital are not to be missed, and we also loved the Chandragiri cable car. However, the highlight of the trip was no doubt our 14km trek (easy one for Nepal) to Nagarkot - the weather was perfect and the views of the Himalayan ranges simply amazing. 5 days and 4 nights was too short. We'd love to go back and if we do, we'll use kimkim and team again.

Hakim & Brahim pieced together our trip based on our desired cities and worked it perfectly around the flights we already had booked. Each place we visited was as compelling and engrossing as the next. On the night we arrived, we met at the Riad and it was the most beautiful room I think I've ever stayed in. It had blue marble walls and a shower fir for a king. That evening we ate at a restaurant called Nomad, which had an open upstairs sitting area with really cool views of the city. Starting in Marrakech our wonderful guide Hussain led us around the city taking us deep into the cities medina, showing us the beautiful Bahia Palace as well as taking us to the secret gardens. Hussain ended the tour with us at Koutoubia Mosque.

From Marrakech we caught a long train to Fes, it was super easy with no changes and we met some interesting people to share our journey with. In Fes, we caught a taxi to our Riad where we were greeted gracefully with tea and biscuits. The Riad was spectacular and the staff were kind and accommodating. The following morning we started our tour in which the guide took us up to the top of the medina before leading us down to the deepest part at the river basin. Without him we would've been hopeless, the narrow windy streets held many traders and secrets that we would've missed without him. It was unbelievable, I loved it. He led us back up and took us to a cafe for food. In the evening we ate at Cafe Clock which shared some excellent views and delicious food.

From Fes, we caught a bus to Chefchaouen which was full of beautiful views. And then we got to Chefchaouen. I couldn't quite get my head around it at first, it was magnificent. The city is built in the mountains and boasts beautiful blue painted buildings all over the city. We accidentally missed our Riad on the way up through the Medina and found ourselves looking down over the city, not many views quite like it. We met some lovely locals in the evening and found some interesting tourists too! The Riad was super cute too and did a delicious breakfast.

On the final day, our private driver took us to Tangier. The views we had been met with on the way into Chefchaouen, were just as good (perhaps better) on the way out. We passed through Zinat and Tetouan on the way and passed some stunning lakes. On arrival in Tangier, you could immediately tell there was more of European influence on the city with it being so much closer. The sight of the sea was very welcomed for it was the first time we'd seen it while in Morocco. We found our way around the Medina quite easily with it not being too big and found some great places to eat.

My first experience of Morocco has left me desperate for more. A combination of the pure friendliness of the local people, the iconic scenery and superb hospitality has made this my favorite trip. The organization from Hakim & Brahim was so pinpoint that there was never any time for concern, the trip only ever allowed me to enjoy myself. Thank you!

My husband and I did the 8-day Imperial cities Private tour with our amazing tour guide/ driver/ security officer all-in-one extraordinaire- Ismail. He has thought of everything we could possibly want and need and nothing was ever too much trouble for him. There was such genuine care and concern for our comfort and well-being as travellers and we felt extremely well looked after. We would recommend having Ismail as a guide for anyone wanting to explore the region as new or return travellers.

Our tour guides in Fes (Kamal) and Marrakesh (Mohammed) were very knowledgeable but more importantly engaging which made the day trips enjoyable. And we loved the unique experience is each Riad and Dar we stayed in. We loved our cooking class in La Sultana and it finished off what was un unforgettable stay in Morocco. The desert sand was a lovely surprise at the end. Thanks Ismail! We will definitely return!

Adriana was very resourceful and helping us plan our memorable trip to Costa Rica. The logistics was amazing we were picked up at our hotel at the specific times and dropped off as well.

The planning from Adriana was amazing. Everything was planned to the dot.

We both had an amazing experiences in Costa Rica. From the hike to Arenal Volcano, to the waterfall, hanging bridges, cooking class to the sea kayaking and snorkeling in Manuel Antonio beach.

We would like to thank for all the planning and logistics from Adriana.

Our 3 week self-drive trip through Nicaragua organised by Lucia at the local tour company Vapues through kimkim was excellent and exceeded our expectations. The initial discussions with Lucia about our interests and pace of travel were quickly understood and an appropriate itenery with realistic travel expectations proposed, negotiated, agreed, and most importantly delivered.
Despite our late arrival in Managua, the Vapues staff were there to assist with the 4WD booking and get us off to a quick start. The tours around Leon to Isla Juan Venado, Cerro Negro, and Volcan Telica were brilliantly guided by Alex and of sufficient length to appreciate the places and give us enough free time in Leon to walk around, and climb the cathedral at sunset.
Self-drive to Somoto allowed us the freedom to experience what we wanted to see en route at our pace. If you like rum, Flor de Cana is well worth the trip as are the boiling mud pools. The Cayon de Somoto 6 hr hike was one of the highlights and Noel was a splendid accompanyment for the adventure guiding us through the safe way to jump 12m into the river. The full tour of the canyon is recommended to see the full range of ecosystems including the roosting micro-bats. The surprise 50th birthday celebrations laid on by Vapues and Canyon de Somoto tours were delightful.
Next stop the cloud forest highlands around Jinotega where the varied birdlife, coffee plantations, and different climate were a surprise. The accommodation (Aguas de Arenal and La Bastilla) was very good, relaxing, and attentive with the few number of tourists making it to this area. In self-driving make sure you get detailed instructions as both are remote and not well signposted! An excellent bird watching tour from La Bastilla taken by a top guide seeing some rare specimens including the three-wattled bellbird, toucans, and numerous hummingbirds was not to be missed. The long day trip to the rainbow waterfall in Penas Blancas was slightly disappointing, but the scenery exquisite. Local side trips around Jinotega to the zip-line, lake, and local black pottery are worth the effort.
Granada next is a gorgeous town with more tourists than anywhere else, although still small in number. Fine churches, museum, cafes and nightlife. We stayed at El Respiro slightly out of town, which is luxurious with fine views over Volcan Mombacho and awoken to the sound of howler monkeys. Trips to Volcans Mombacho and Masaya are strongly recommended, particularly the sunset viewing of Masaya with the lava lake a highlight of the trip. Both guides Tiger and Rene added significantly to the experience. If self-driving get clear instructions of meeting places: if stuck the locals are lovely, approachable, and very keen to assist in any way. Additional sunset kayaking trip with William from Inuit Kayaks was excellent and his ability to spot wildlife deserves respect.
Next stop Lago de Apoyo, lovely spot and worth the trip. Birdlife was spectacular at all times of day. Scuba-diving in a crater lake is not the most spectacular in the world, but seeing endemic fish, and fumeroles bubbling underwater is unforgetable.
Ometepe was very different scenery with the twin volcanoes shrouded by cloud and the associated cloud forest. The climb of Maderas was VERY tough 7km each way with an average gradient of 1:5 on rocky muddy paths makes for an 8 hour, physical if rewarding experience, glimpsing views through the atmospheric cloud. Morning birdwatching kayak trip from Playa de Mangoes guided by Alan was brilliant just leisurely drifting through flocks of water birds, Cayman, and turtles. The brief rain showers refreshed and offered a different perspective. The half day walk to Ramon waterfalls is less physical, better views through the forest and the chance to see white faced capuchins as well as howler monkeys. Also spotted paca along the way. Waterfall would be more spectacular in the west, as would the walk in, but the water was refreshing to plunge and feel the force of the tumbling waters.
Next trip from Ometepe to El Castillo was a highlight of organisation by Lucia at Vapues. 4WD dropped on the mainland, transferred smoothly by 4WD to Colon on the SW corner of Lake Nicaragua ( the last 15km very rutted) the location of the 'port' is not really known to the locals! The private boat whisked us 50km to San Carlos via an observation of nesting migratory birds on a small island in the middle of the lake: pink spoonbills, wood storks, osprey...a real unexpected highlight. Then up the Rio San Juan to El Castillo. This trip would be nigh impossible to organise and very grateful to Lucia. The jungle in the Indio Maiz is again very different to the rest of Nicaragua. The walking through the post-cyclonic regenerating area around Rio Bartola is well worth it to see the poison-dart frogs and serenity of the jungle. Our guide Sayla was excellent with plenty insights into Nicaraguan life as well as deep knowledge of the jungle. The experience was compounded with a full-day kayak excursion travelling 20km from El Castillo into jungle less affected by the hurricane 3 years ago. The open nature of the jungle and the spotting skills of Harlem and Orlando were exemplary with the highlights being the spider monkeys and 3m crocodile where we were recently kayaking😁. The night Caymen tour with Sayla was another highlight with red eyes staring back from all points along the banks. Other night creatures added to the enjoyable, educational, and relaxing experience.
During the trip Lucia was always available to give updates to necessary changes in itinerary (such as cancellation of the white-water rafting trip due to lack of water). Any changes were quickly resolved with optional tours offered. The only slight criticism would be the lack of specific detail in some of the activity instructions and expectations for tours. This has got something to do with our independent nature of travelling and my pedantic characteristics, but more detail would have reduced some anxiety along the way. If a simple tour it would have been significantly easier.
Lucia as the sole point of contact throughout the 8 month duration from initial request to completion was appreciated. I would strongly recommend Vapues tours, even mentioning the name 'Vapues' when on the road opened doors in surprisingly places. All the guides, drivers, and contacts we met along the way were professional. The tours perfectly suited our description of what we wanted so definitely 5/5 for an exceptionally memorable trip.

Overall we had an amazing trip to Patagonia. Laura and Julia were extremely responsive when we needed their assistance throughout the trip. We usually plan our trips and navigate countries on our own, so this was a new experience for us. Not having to think about anything...and just being picked up at the airport and hotels was great. Our experiences with the various guides and drivers and most hotels were all positive.

Such a beautiful part of the world!

The only reason I can’t give 5 stars to the overall experience is because we didn’t receive our final itinerary until 24 hours before we flew to Argentina (2-3 days before our Patagonia trip started), and when we did we realized some of our accommodations had been changed. We booed over 6 months in advance, so the reservations should have been secured.

The first hotel wasn’t great, the second hotel had amazing staff, but still didn’t feel like the quality of hotel we paid for. Laura and Julia made sure the next two hotels were much better. Indigo in Puerto Natales was our favorite.

We also weren’t picked up from for our airport transfer in Punta Arenas, but we just grabbed a cab and they are going to provide us a refund.

The biggest disappointment of the trip was our penguin island excursion being cancelled, but that was due to weather and out of anyone’s control.

Overall it was a very good experience and we would consider using Dittmar and Kimkim again. My advice to other travelers is to make sure to ask for your detailed itinerary a month or two in advance. Read it very carefully and call out any inconsistencies. And be prepared for things to change based on the extremely unpredictable weather in the region.

Laura and the rest of the KimKim staff were incredible and easy to work with throughout the planning phase of our trip and the trip itself. They were flexible in planning as we wanted to spend less time in the large cities and more time in the countryside. Salento was the major highlight for our trip and our guide, Christian, was a pleasure to spend two days with. We highly recommend the Cocora Valley and the surrounding towns including Filandia. Our guide, Carlos, in Medellin was efficient and friendly in showing us the highlights as we only spent one afternoon there. While in Colombia, we were able to communicate with Laura and her colleagues through WhatsApp to make some last second changes to our itinerary. We highly recommend KimKim and will absolutely be using them for future travels.

Overall the trip was fantastic and covered a lot of ground. With that said, there was way to much driving each day. There seemed to be a lot of activities that we were not able to do because we were consistently behind schedule. It didn't appear that the travel times took into effect that we were in a tour bus and were restricted by the laws in Morocco.

The Riad's were great. Perfect locations with all the necessary conveniences.

Mohammed was a great driver, but I kept wanting him to be more. With all the time in the tour bus, I felt like it was a great opportunity for the driver to provide some additional information about the landscape, attractions or Morocco in general. Mohammed was fantastic as a driver! I feel the expansion of the driver to be more informative helps the company as a whole, not a reflection on the actual driver.

Easy to plan and communicate with our travel specialist- he was quick to respond and organized an itinerary suited to our preferences. Would book through KimKim again!

We loved Isabella and Alexjandra as well as our driver. They worked hard to insure that we had a good experience.

I want to give a lot of credit to the organizers of our trip. Everything went like clockwork. People picked us up and ferried us exactly when they said so. All our guides were so nice and very well informed about their culture and history. Magaly, Rony, Maria and Julio were all great. We loved all the hotels especially in Cusco at San Blas where they warmed our sheets with hot water bottles.
We packed a lot in in one week and everything we visited was awe inspiring. Nazca lines, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo and other Inca sites were fascinating. We were lucky with good weather as well. Thank you for making it all a memorable experience.

From start to finish - the initial enquiry, through the planning and amendments to delivery and experience - just brilliant. Randall responded to my every enquiry, request and for reassurance. The mix of activities, rest days, hotels and places was just perfect. Driving ourselves gave us added freedom to see more of the beautiful country that is Costa Rica. We met lovely, welcoming people, ate good food and enjoyed the stunning scenery along the Caribbean coast, interior and Pacific coast. We loved the laid back feel of the Caribbean, the spinal mountain range, the warm waters of the Pacific coast and the fabulous OSA peninsula with all its wildlife above ground and below the sea. All the guides who took us on our hikes and snorkelling were gracious, knowledgeable, considerate and professional. Thank you for making sure our holiday was everything we wanted it to be.

I booked in July 2019 , for a trip in late January 2020, thru Kim Kim and got referred to Sharon at Moroccan Immersions. She was very attentive and booked me the experience I wanted for my first time to Morocco. I was picked up at Tangier airport by Mubarek, a really personable Berber, who drove me to a bank and ATM and then to see the seaside towns on our way to the blue city of Chefchauen. My accommodations at Riad Hicham were really nice. My only complaint is that there is NO heat in any public areas, ex: reception, restaurant , courtyards. I wore all my clothing. Would have liked a warning. This is not a fluke, as I encountered it in my riad is Fes. Besides that, once fully wrapped up, I had the best dinner and desert with the best darn service. Breakfast the next morning was just as delicious. After breakfast we headed to Vollolobis , Meknes and Fes. We drove thru the most beautiful agricultural area that reminded me of California, but way more green. The citrus was everywhere and served fresh all over the place. I had a guide in Meknes who was very informative about the history, the buildings and the market. I was taken to Fes and stayed at another great riad, Riad Al-Makan. Staff were extremely friendly and attentive. Upon arrival I was served mint tea and 2 pieces of cake (Yes!) Had a wonderful chicken tagine dinner with great vegetables, olives, and bread. The next day I had a great tour thru the medina and souk with my guide, Mustafa. I saw the tile making which was a big thing on my list, also the tannery, cactus silk scarves, and carpets. Including All the artisans from copper and brass to wood carving. Warning, the wood is cedar, in case your allergic, which I am. The following day after breakfast, we left for Casablanca. I stayed at Club V’al Danfa hotel, with a great view of the ocean, comfy bed and great breakfast buffet served. I toured Il Hasan Mosque, which was an amazing piece of architecture. The next day Mubarek picked me up at the hotel and drove me to the Casablanca airport.
I really liked Mubarek and all my guides. I felt safe and taken care of and I appreciate how hard everyone worked for my private tour. Thank you.

Cuba was a nice place to get away from being connected all the time. The great weather is a huge plus.

Usually, I personally prefer mid-budget, backpacking style trips, but I was with family and saw that Cuba is easier to see with a guide, so I opted for a guided tour. For my first time in Cuba, I wanted to see a little bit of everything, so I asked for an itinerary which included Havana, Viñales, and the beach. This itinerary is a very common one, and the price appears to be similar to tour packages I found on other sites. Since it is a private guided tour with taxi for the whole stay, it is pricey. There was a mix up with the prices (I received the wrong pricing), and my trip was almost canceled last minute, but Kate from KimKim reached out to me and we resolved the issue.

In Cuba, Darián, who was our guide for Havana and was with us for the early part of Viñales, was very professional and knowledgeable. He used to be a professor so his history and ecology knowledge was immense. If we had any questions, he was very helpful, and went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable at all times. The driver we had was also very skillful, always on time and prompt, and always had water for us in his car which was great. He also took us to a beach for the last day. Beach was beautiful and mostly locals only. The guide at Viñales was great. I recommend the walking tour over the horseback riding tour if you only have a day as you get to see more in detail, have a chance to climb up a steep mountain and walk through a cave as well. Bring some cash as you stop by a farm on this tour which sells homemade cigars and coffee.

The casa particular we stayed at was a bit far from Old Havana, but walkable to the Hotel Nacional and the Malecón, near a popular restaurant and a park with wifi (very spotty/poor), and was very clean. There were two bathrooms (with new towels provided upon request), and the breakfast prepared every morning was very filling and excellent. Also, we asked about beach towels, and they went above and beyond by providing sunscreen as well (we were actually running pretty low). The beds were mostly okay, nothing outstanding, but we were usually tired after a long day, and slept fine. Next time would probably prefer to stay closer to Old Havana.

Overall, the days were packed and busy. We got to see a lot in a short time. I would say this is good for anyone looking to get a taste of Cuba. Definitely would've liked a tad more time in each place we went. I appreciated that we were not really taken to shops (unless we wanted to go) since on other tour packages, I always feel pressured to buy something. The old car tour was just okay, tad disappointing. The places we went in the car tour were not very interesting, and we definitely weren't prepared for it - bring sunglasses and maybe hair tie. I think driving even a short while along the Malecón would've been nicer, and getting some pictures taken with a better background. Plan to come back, but it will be more leisurely paced and hopefully, a longer trip.

Side note: I had baggage issues where Air France/Delta lost my baggage, and Karin and Darián did their best to keep me updated on the bags. I am very grateful for their part in this as the lack of internet access had made me very worried. Unfortunately, I never got those bags until more than a month later, but that is the airlines' fault 100%.

Really enjoyed our week in Egypt our guide on the cruise was Mahmoud and we had Achmed in Cairo. Both did an exceptional job with their explanations and organisation. Can highly recommend the program Ibrahim put together for us , I just now wish we had had more time.
Thanks to everyone involved.

evrything went smoothly, as plan, we had a very good time.
thank you for your help. \the trappers farm was amazing.

This would be a 5 star review except the questions are about booking experience and I had one glitch when asking to change the excursion one day and continued to get a stock itinerary returned to me. Eventually the itinerary was changed but it made me wonder if Esteban was listening to our request.
The actual trip was excellent and I would give 5 star review to Columbus Luxury Travel for our guides, itinerary, and attention to details of our privately guided tour.
Our flight to Flores , our car and local guide there were perfect. He listened to our preferences and chose restaurant and travel times according to our requests. He was knowledgeable about Tikal and the nature life, answering all our questions and had patience with Larry’s attempts to learn the Spanish language.
For the remainder of our trip we can’t say enough about our 5 star guide Juan Jesus or JJ. He made our trip a spectacular memory and we feel we could have a friend for life in Guatemala. We were given a very nice car for our travel on difficult roads and he was an excellent driver. We often felt our lives were in his hands and we were comfortable with his driving. Amazing!
Our accommodations were interesting, varied, and just what we asked for. All the hotel staff were friendly, attentive and made us feel like we should stay longer. Only the Jungle Lodge in Tikal was less attentive with a slow check in and busy staff. The beds were comfortable as we had requested.
Each community we saw was fascinating. JJ was able to give us information about all the different regions, Mayan people, and local traditions and cultures. He was protective, walking with us in Coban at night to find a local restaurant.
We were very sad at the end of our tour when we had to say good bye to JJ.
Columbus Luxury Travel was very responsive when we asked to change our itinerary in the middle of the week after some long days of driving, and were told there would be 5 hrs driving each day for the next 2 days of the proposed itinerary. We changed to an extra night at Lake Atitlan and more boat tours of local villages and a hike in a nature reserve.
CLT also arranged birthday songs and cakes at two different restaurants on Larry’s birthday. They gave us fun memories and we were surprised!
Some of the most memorable experiences were
Driving the rocky mountain roads across Guatemala 🇬🇹,
Seeing the indigenous Mayan people in daily life as we drive through the countryside and villages,
Small restaurant and village interaction with local people like in city of Coban and in villages I do not have names for.
Getting stuck in a rut at the top of a mountain with village locals gathering around to watch us figure out how to get the car out without offering help. 😆
Macadamia tree farm and active volcanos at Antigua.
Touring women’s cooperatives in the villages around Lake Atitlan.
The best experience was visiting a local family home and sharing a meal with Felicia and her family, frying tortillas with them in their open fire grill.

Having a private guide and driver made the tour exactly what we wanted, giving us enough time on our own and lots of individual attention so we could learn about the country.
Our only request would be more detailed information about the tour before we go and so we know better what to expect. This could have been done in a more personalized itinerary and tour map. We continued to receive only a canned general itinerary with minimal details even after we arrived.
We met the staff at Columbus on our last day in Antigua and they were lovely people. I know if we had made arrangements with them in person we wouldn’t have had any problems.
We would recommend CLT and especially JJ to any traveler and hope to see him again.

We were very happy with our trip to Peru. Mily in particular was amazing. she was very responsive before the trip and made an effort to meet us in person once we got to Peru. Our activities ended up being just like on the trip description and while we did not encounter any issues, Mily made it obvious that she would be available for any issues that may have come up. We will recommend Mily to any friends or family that we have for any future Peru trips. Additionally our tour guide Cesar was incredibly knowledgeable and so friendly and you can tell he loves his job and is very proud to show the wonders of Peru to tourists like us.

After finding myself en route to Santiago for work, a friend thought, "you should go to Patagonia and take some photos..." I hadn't thought about it until that moment... and with only 3 weeks out, I didn't think it remotely possible. That's when another friend passed along kimkim's info.
I truly didn't think it possible to put together such a well thought out, well planned adventure with so little time. But that's exactly what Erin was able to create... Essentially, pulling a rabbit out of a hat in a couple of weeks.
Given that my solo adventure was geared towards photography, my itinerary for 6 full days was tailored towards that experience. My journey took me from Estancia La Peninsula for a tour of an authentic Patagonian sheep farm, to portions of the W trek inside Torres Del Paines National Park including the French Valley and Mirador Las Torres hikes. From there, I was able to spend a couple nights in the Serrano River Valley outside the park, and mingle with the horses and herding pups at Pampa Lodge.
Finally, the culmination and the final day of my adventure was a private photography tour with an amazing guide, who took me to some of the great spots in Torres Del Paines as well as some hidden gems that only a true local would know about...
This experience was something that I will never forget. It was surreal and beautiful looking at the Andes Mountain range... meeting some amazing people in Refugias and along the trails... and it would never have happened without Erin and Julia. High fives to the two who made this whole thing so special and unforgettable.