Kimkim Trip Reviews

Every transport person, every guide was incredible.

Hotel Review

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Hotel Fabian was probably the most modern among our accommodations. We did face a minor issue with a pipe under the sink that fell out and caused some water to spill everywhere. However, the staff was prompt in fixing it immediately. This dedication to customer service was impressive. Overall, the room was immaculate, just like I require, and it was a pleasant stay.

Activity Reviews

Husky Safari

Finland

The husky safari experience was fabulous! It was a beautifully serene and gorgeous experience. We got to pet the huskies and saw sixty eager dogs ready for their sledding run. Even though there was a little mishap with my daughter-in-law falling off the sled, and her mom breaking her pinky, it was an unforgettable experience.

Reindeer Adventure

Levi

The reindeer adventure was amazing. The host shared so much knowledge about the reindeer and treated us to a wonderful experience. We even got to feed the reindeer, which was a delightful experience, something I can't do back home in New York. This was truly an astonishing experience, and it broadened my understanding of these majestic creatures.

Northern Lights Tour with Professional Photos

Finland

The Northern Lights Tour was absolutely wonderful. Our guide, whom we called the 'Lights Hunter,' went above and beyond to ensure we had a memorable experience. We stayed out late into the night and saw the beautiful auroras with shooting stars that added a personal touch to the experience. This tour left a lasting impression on me.

We just returned from a fabulous trip thru Southern Spain planned by KimKim. Marta was our travel specialists and she did a wonderful job.

Itinerary--Malaga-Granada-Ronda-Seville
Had tickets for the Picasso museum in Malaga, which is far better than the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. Tickets were wonderful as we walked right in past a very long line of people waiting who had not purchased pre-timed tickets. Stayed at the Only You Hotel. Hopping place with very lively bar.

Granada was our favority city. Very walkable. Stayed at AC Marriot Palace, centrally located by the University. Marta arranged a flamenco show in Sacremonte, which is not to be missed. Daytime tour of the Alhambra with our guide Marta was fantastic.

Travelled to Ronda via private car. Although countryside was beautiful, it rained most of the way.

Our hotel in Seville was amazing--the Palacio Villapanes, an SLH hotel. The bathroom was luxurious and my daughter appreciated the full soaking tub.
Took a walking tour of the Triano market with cooking class--made paella from scratch. That was also one of the highlights of our visit.

We never needed to use the emergency phone # as every single driver, transfer, guide, ticket etc were expertly arranged in advance by our agent. Hassle free vacation. Loved it.

The planning was easy to do and adjust as needed and the 2 hotels we stayed at were awesome. We stayed 3 nights at Arenal Manoa near La Fortuna. Our room was spacious, but somewhat dated. But the grounds were gorgeous as was the pool with the swim up bar. There were plenty of thermal pools on the premises, but none of them were really warm. Breakfast was full of plenty of delicious items to eat including an omelette bar.

The second place we stayed at was La Mariposa, which did live up to its fame of the most gorgeous view. The infinity pool was huge and so refreshing. They also had a good breakfast spread. We thought it was strange though that they had no body wash for guests (we ended up buying a large soap) and they were still using little plastic containers for the amenities which does not feel very eco-friendly at all. There was an older gentleman at the front desk when we checked in that was very rude and I have seen other comments about how they were poorly treated upon check in. All the other people who worked there were lovely though.

As far as our time with serendipity adventures, who was the local tour company, the drivers were where they needed to be when we needed them, but unfortunately, they obviously do not take good care of their vehicles because our first car broke down halfway through our ride to La Fortuna. We had to wait over an hour for another driver to show up and finish the way in another car. Then the driver that was going to take us back to the airport in San Jose, shows up with a flat tire. They did make good and found a driver for us about a half hour later and we were fine for our flight but that would be my one criticism. All of the guides we had for rainforest tours were very knowledgeable and friendly. If you do have a guide going through the rainforest, though, make sure they have binoculars or a telephoto lens so you can really get a close up of the animals. Our first guide, unfortunately, had neither nor did he have his laser pointer to actually show us what he was looking at so that made it more difficult but the second guy had what we needed.

Very easy to book. Our whale watching got canceled and I received a refund with a week of returning. Had a great experience. Our travel agent was very responsive when we had questions. We loved Iceland and can’t wait to travel there again.

All guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The guide at the Alhambra was somewhat difficult to understand. There was a snafu in Cordoba- no guide met us. It took almost one hour for a guide to appear. None-the-less she was excellent.
All hotels had central locations. The hotel in Madrid was noisy. The hotel in Granada was charming and our favorite. The "boutique" hotel in Sevilla had very small rooms and dangerous bathrooms. In addition to a slippery shower floor (not safe for an older traveler) the shower faucets were difficult to use and very hot. The hotel is aware of this problem and tries to provide a tutorial when you check in. This hotel provided a champagne celebration which was appreciated.
All of the hotel breakfasts were excellent. All of the drivers were courteous and professional. Your support staff was helpful- especially when the EWR-LIS TAP Air flight misconnected and when the SEV-LIS-EWR flight was cancelled entirely. Based on this I have learned that TAP Air is an unreliable airline.

Our recent trip to Panama was so extremely well organized. Emily, our travel coordinator, did an excellent job and when there was an issue, she jumped in and got it fixed. We appreciated her communication with us along the way. Our trip started in Panama City and our tour guide Luis was EXCELLENT! He knew so much about everything and was open to answering all our questions and engaging in conversation about what was so special about his country. He took us to a wonderful restaurant in Old Town for lunch. Our driver, Luis #2, was always prompt and helpful. We appreciated both of them immensely. We really enjoyed the private boat tour with Luis in Gamboa. Being on the lake with the ships passing through the canal was a once in a lifetime experience. It exceeded our expectations. Boras del Toro was very laid back and the Isle of Colon boat tour with Miguel was amazing. We loved Starfish Beach. The food at the local restaurants in town was very good too, Our driver there was also prompt and went above and beyond to see that we were well taken care of. It was a nice way to wrap it all up before heading back home with a one night stay downtown with the rooftop bar overlooking the city. Our driver back to the airport was also prompt and courteous.

Hotel Reviews

Central Hotel Panama

Panama

Perfect location in the heart of Old Town. Beautiful hotel. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tryp Panama Centro by Wyndham

Panama City

Clean, spacious room. Beautiful rooftop pool and bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gamboa Rainforest Reserve

Gamboa

Spacious room and bathroom. Loved the balcony with the hammock overlooking the rainforest. Hotel also had a beautiful lobby and nice food options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Tour Guide on the truck tour of local wildlife was very good, especially for a no cost option.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Playa Tortuga Hotel & Beach Resort

Bocas del Toro

Hotel was probably an incredible resort at one time but is in need of some maintenance and cleaning. The attention to detail was not there. Pool water was not clean and pool and beach loungers were not comfortable. Room was musty but that resolved after a few hours of having the air conditioner on . Stains on the sofa fabric. Breakfast was good. We moved after one night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not in the center of town but only a 10 minute drive away.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Panama History and Cultural Experience

Panama City

Luis, our tour guide was exceptional!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainforest boat tour

Gamboa

Exceeded expectations. Luis, our guide, again was exceptional. Between seeing the ships traversing the Canal on the lake and meeting some local wildlife up close and personal, it was a great way to transition from the city to the jungle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The best of Isla Colon and surroundings

Bocas del Toro

Seeing things from the water gives you a whole other perspective. We enjoyed both Bird Island and Starfish Beach!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

MIguel was an excellent boat operator and guide. We enjoyed being with him

Transport

Our driver had to deal with road closures due to construction. He would park and walk us to make sure we got to where we needed to be. The same experience in picking us up. I consider that excellent service!

Self guided day - Time at leisure in Panama City

Panama City

We were on our own and went to the Amador Causeway and rented bikes and rode up and down the causeway with the locals on the bike path. That was a lot of fun!

The Hosteria Senderos was a wonderful Inn. The food was amazing. Design Suites in Calafate is beautiful with great views and rooms, however the dinner we had there was poor at best. The breakfast bar was good. We did find an excellent Restaurant, Morrison, and ate there twice. The W Trek was fun. The food was decent and we had good weather. Overall things were smooth and we enjoyed it. Thanks Erin and Nora.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Outstanding Service, Food and accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Nestled between Streams and Mountains.

Staff

Outstanding Front Desk Help!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pristine

Hosteria Senderos

El Chalten

Quaint and Perfect for trailside convenience.

Authenticity & Character

Mountain Town

Location

Closest to some of the most challenging Mountains in the World.

Staff

Superbly Gracious!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rustic but clean.

Activity Review

Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I thought I already let you know my thoughts, but I will repeat them here.
While Costa Rica is an amazing country that I have visited four times, this trip had serious problems with transportation. The van that was supposed to be handicapped accessible was totally unsafe and uncomfortable. Even though your company tried to make adjustments, it was still a problem. There was one night when we were all stuck on a narrow, winding road for over 20 minutes. It was dangerous and frightening, as well as jostling. There were other times when the van couldn't make its destination. The first tour we took had several stairs that were not wheel-chair accessible also.
I feel like you should not be calling yourself a company that can serve handicapped (wheel-chair) clients.
In the future you should let people know the limitations and give better advice about where to travel within the country. I know the road conditions are not your fault, but it is your responsibility to let travelers know the situation.
In a positive note, the people and the hotels were wonderful!

Activity Review

Private Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

This is the best planned trip I have ever been on. Katie’s help was beyond expectations! The itinerary was seamless and easy to follow! Senja was my favorite place on the trip. It is the most beautiful place on earth. The fjord trip from Flan was another favorite. The guided city tours were exceptional giving a good overview and local content about history and the people. I love Norway and what it stands for: protection of the environment , free education and healthcare, low crime, emphasis on healthy living, recycling, electric transportation, care for its people. It was a spectacular vacation and I was sad to leave. The glaciated peaks and arctic air and water will be forever in my mind. Thank you so much for a beautiful trip! And Katie you were wonderful! I have never experienced the kind and thoughtful connection you provided on any tour I have taken. You are one of a kind. I would definitely book with you again.

Hotel Reviews

Norwegian Wild

Vangsvik

Authenticity & Character

Location location location

Location

This hotel is across the street from a national park. The views from the cabins are breath taking across the fjord.

Staff

They went the extra mile.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Easy access to train to the airport. There was a fire alarm at 2 am that had us leave the hotel and stand in the cold for about 1/2 hour .

Location

I liked the location. It was easy to use the buses and train

Staff

The staff was excellent. They helped me locate my iPad at the airport . A lady was on the phone quite awhile to ID my iPad . I took the express train in picked up my iPad and came back in an hour.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mefjord Brygge

Mefjordvær, Senjahopen

We had a house so we each had our own bedroom. That was nice for Chris because I snore. It was comfortable, local and not fancy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The snow capped mountains and fjords were breathtaking

Staff

Everyone was helpful and guides were entertaining. However, they were not up on the geology of the area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not much really. It was an authentic local wood house.

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Nice hotel centrally located. The down comforters are too hot.

Staff

Staff was helpful and answered all of out questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Room was right next to breakfast area. Very convenient.

Location

Staff

Didn’t use the staff much. Just to check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Safari

Senja

It’s hit or miss to see the northern lights but our guide made them available to see

Quality of Experience

Good informative guide

Discover Senja

Senja

It was a blustery day with high winds. We did see a lot but it was very cloudy and overcast. The tour guides did a fair job considering the conditions.

Arctic Boat Safari in Senja

Senja

Best part was watching the sea eagles and seagulls dive for fish. We got a really good show. Pictures were hard to get.

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

The guide was well informed and gave us lots of history. The only improvement would be to not talk while walking . It was hard for me to hear everything. If the guide stopped and faced us while talking it would have been alot better.

Free day in Senja

Senja

Went for a walk in the national park. There was fresh powder and it was beautiful. We didn’t need snow shoes so that was nice.

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise from Bergen

Bergen

Lots of waterfalls!

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

This fjord was very special . I think all people visiting Norway should experience it. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Quality of Experience

Felt like I was in a National Geographic video! The beauty was overwhelming!

Transport

The ferry was perfect! Comfortable and easy to view surroundings!

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Guide was good. Probably walked 10 miles that day. I loved walking thru the different neighborhoods. We got a museum pass for use after the tour and the next day. Put in a lot of walking. Plus learned how to use the busses!

Flight from Southern Norway to Tromsø

Norway

Flight was a normal flight. Got this picture out the window

We had a wonderful trip to Central Vietnam thanks to everything that Lucy arranged (drivers, tour guides etc.)!

Activity Reviews

Hoi An Walking Tour & Making Lantern - Joint in tour

Hoi An

It was fun to experience the culture show and make paper lanterns!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip To Bana Hills - Visit Golden Hand Bridge

Vietnam

Loved going up the cable car, seeing the waterfalls, and exploring the Golden Hand Bridge and surrounding area!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful area to explore

Food

Good lunch buffet--a lot of variety!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trinh was an amazing guide and the driver was great!

Transport

The transport was nice and they always provided us with water!

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital - Hue Full Day Sightseeing

Hue

Trinh was an amazing tour guide--very knowledgeable about the history of Hue and everything that we saw! Plus, she took photographs of my sister and me. She was so thoughtful and amazing!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful architecture and history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing drivers and tour guide (Trinh)!

Transport

Drivers were friendly and on time!

This was a last minute trip during the end of the high season. Monika was great in collaborating on the type of trip we wanted, responsive to changes and available whenever we needed something. She made it happen despite the time crunch! The quality of the tours was excellent - smaller groups, professional and well informed. Great overall experience!

Hotel Reviews

Lake Tekapo Holiday Homes

Lake Tekapo

Great - a little far to walk to town.

Bella Vista Motel Wanaka

Wanaka

Distinction Te Anau Hotel And Villas

Te Anau

Nice but a little dated.

Heritage Queenstown

Queenstown

It was fine a bit of a walk to town, not a lot of character, regular sized hotel room.

Activity Reviews

The Crater Experience - stargazing Tekapo

Lake Tekapo

I'm a big supporter of dark sky initiatives, unfortunately due to the 1:30am booking we were booked on the previous (incorrect) night and had some issues rebooking it, although with Monika's help we ultimately did. Very late time, so not sure I would do it again unless an earlier time was available; made it harder to enjoy and tired the next day. Alternative is to find a dark sky in the area yourself.

Mou Waho Island self guided

New Zealand

Very nice mini-trip and hike.

Mt Cook half day Heli Hike

New Zealand

Hike and tour itself and guide were great, however we waiting over 2 hours until our flight was ready, which we were not expecting.

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Te Anau

Very interesting. There was a child crying which wasn't great, not sure why they allow young kids. Guide very knowledgable.

Walk the famous Milford track and cruise on Milford Sound

New Zealand

Guide was great, it's a long day. Recommend if you can not driving a long way to your next destination. We booked this late so had to drive to Queenstown at the end of the day, due to no availability in town (Te Anau).

White Rafting Kawarau River

Queenstown (NZ)

Water was to low so this was cancelled.

Bike the wineries

Queenstown (NZ)

This was a lot of fun. Outfitter great. Recommend doing most of the biking first!

Onsen Hot Pools

Queenstown (NZ)

Nice if you want to soak in a hottub outside of town, nice view, but not something I would do again.

Funyak Safari

Queenstown (NZ)

I would have given this 5 stars, one of the best days of the trip, loved the scenery and the rafting. However while the guides were really good, the Jetboat operator was driving dangerously close to large objects (rock walls, bridge stantions, etc.) that if we had hit one people could have been badly hurt or killed. I have been operating power boats for a long time and was shocked that he was putting our lives in danger for a few "thrills." Not okay. He also got my daughter very wet on a very cold and windy day without warning. Not great. The picnic was A+.

Through KimKim we were connected with amazing Colombian agents from Aracanto, Margoth and Felipe. Everything was planned and reserved online easily, and when we arrived for our first day we were welcomed with a gift (travel necessities and more) and by our guide.
Everyday was an adventure with guides and reservations made at enticing restaurants....restaurants we would have never known to book. Each guide not only told stories, they had lived the stories of the city. They were able to connect us personally to the land, town, city or region with their own encounters. Plus everyone was so passionate about their region and proud to share the diversity of Colombia.
At the end of our trip I unfortunately fell ill, BUT Margoth went the extra mile to assist us. I will never forget the care and extra work she magically did to ensure our comfort.
Thank you KimKim for creating a collection of highly knowledgeable and caring agents worldwide.
Much Gratitude~Dorrinda Carlson

We loved our trip. Our guides and tours in Buenos Aires were wonderful, and the Ventana Tango Show was a big highlight. Iguazu Falls was great to see and it was fun getting drenched going under the waterfall. We really enjoyed our day driving to Aconcagua Provincial Park, and our guide was fabulous. Wine tasting in Mendoza was fun, and we loved the lunch at the winery. Bariloche was beautiful, and our kayaking experience in the rain was magical. We feel like we really got to experience Argentina and we had a lovely time!

Activity Reviews

Dinner & Tango Show

Buenos Aires

Food was good and the show was thoroughly entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Grafoodie Tour

Buenos Aires

Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the graffiti murals, tasting the food, and learning more about the Argentinian culture and history. Our guide was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was knowledgeable and fun to be with.

Transport

On time, polite, good driver.

Half-Day Buenos Aires City Tour

Buenos Aires

Our guide was wonderful. Got a good overview of Argentina's history and culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Brazilian Falls tour

Argentina

It was nice, but the Argentina side was better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Iguazú Falls Argentine side

Puerto Iguazú

Loved the hiking and going under the waterfall on a boat. Beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There were 6 of us and the guide didn't always count us. A few of us took a wrong turn at a junction when the guide was far ahead.

Transport

Great Adventure Boat Trip (Iguazú National Park)

Puerto Iguazú

Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day High Andes with trekking to Durazno Gorge

Mendoza

Loved this activity. Beautiful scenery and fabulous guide. Nice pace of the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a lot of driving, and the vehicle was really comfortable. Especially appreciated the hooks and places to put things at each seat.

Half-Day Wineries and Olive Factory Tour

Mendoza

Especially loved the small winery. The winemaker was fun and interesting. We visited 3 wineries and there was not an olive factory tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day History and Cooking

Bariloche

The scenery was beautiful and our guide gave us good info. The cooking class was disappointing. We folded an empanada and dipped some meat in breadcrumbs, but we didn't actually learn how to cook anything.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Kayak & Trekking at Lake Mascardi

Bariloche

The kayak guides were excellent and the rain gear was awesome. We paddled in the rain and stayed dry. It was a fun experience and we were the only ones on the lake. The "picnic" they gave us for lunch was amazing, and showed they put a lot of care into it. The hiking part of our day was cancelled due to rain, so we didn't experience that.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our vacation in New Zealand and hope we have the chance to come back for more adventures!

Some highlights:
-Afternoon Wilderness tour: great guides, good pace, informative
-Hobbiton: on time early morning pick up, tour was lovely - wish it could have been longer; lunch was very worthwhile. Hobbiton was a magical place to visit, truly special. The transfer to transport service was smooth (though our luggage sat in van trunks and got a bit warm, so good thing we carried around any heat-sensitive items)
-Te Ra Guided Experience at Te Puia Rotorua: we learned a lot on this tour despite the misty rain - the bubbling mud pools were neat to observe and so cool to see our first kiwi birds of the trip; very easy to get to via Uber from our hotel
-Zealandia: AMAZING! We probably heard bird song (and cicadas haha) more than we saw creatures, but we did see numerous Kakas, Tuataras, a North Island Robin, several Shags, and THREE Little Spotted Kiwis. Will and Judy, our guides, were lovely.
-Full Day Lord of the Rings Tour: of course you have to use your imagination and visualize how the film crew turned locations into movie sets, but it was neat to see several of the sites. No pictures allowed on most of the tour, though it was neat to see various artists at work. And of course funny photos with Bilbo's trolls outside were fun. No 'Rivendell Ripple' at the end of the tour so that still remains a mystery...
-Gondola: really cool ride up the mountain; easy to find ticket pick up location; views were spectacular; we are glad we didn't book the buffet lunch at the restaurant at the top as we had a lovely lunch at Bespoke Kitchen at the base of the gondola
-Walter Peak High Country Farm Excursion: really cute and fun tour; loved seeing all the farm animals and even though the interaction was brief, we enjoyed feeding and petting the sheep, cows and goats. High tea was delicious! We would revisit many places, but we would love to do the horseback riding tour and high tea at the farm.

Some things we wish we knew in advance:
- Early check-in at the QT Auckland hotel was $150 NDZ. We got an extra bonus hour in NZ as our flight landed over an hour early, so we're grateful for our airport pickup (Warren - he was very welcoming and knowledgeable!) monitored our flight and was able to pick us up and we were able to check into our hotel early, so it all worked out.
-The afternoon wilderness tour included a stop for lunch! We didn't know that in advance, so we spent time in the morning finding a place to pick up a sandwich and be at our pick up location on time. Had we known there was a lunch stop where we could purchase lunch, we would have spent time in the morning doing something else.
-On the way to Hobbiton from Auckland, the transport included a stop for breakfast about 1 hour into the journey. Had we known we could purchase breakfast along the way, we wouldn't have had to coordinate a to-go breakfast with the hotel and ask for our early departure to be accommodated (hotel breakfast started at 6:30am, but our pick up was scheduled 6:30-6:45am). The breakfast stop had two different cafe/restaurant options that had a lot to offer - breakfast sandwiches, pastries, coffee, tea, etc.
-New Zealand domestic flights have next to no security (especially in the tiny Rotorua airport)! HUGE difference from the US. We did get the last sandwich at the tiny Rotorua airport cafe, which was lucky... will be good once the full cafe is available there. At Wellington airport, we are glad we got a bite to eat before going to our gate because there is only one tiny cafe option once you go through security and there's a whole large food court and set of souvenir shops BEFORE security.

Some things we would change:
-The ferry to Waiheke Island was nice, but we would have skipped the hop on/hop off bus as they weren't really able to keep to the drop off/pick up schedule, making pickups unpredictable and long waits thus less time for exploring. We would have rathered figuring out the public bus that runs seemingly more smoothly and regularly. We also needed a map that showed restaurants & shops, not just vineyards - such a highlights map didn't seem to exist and google maps wasn't as helpful as it usually is in other locations.
-Outside of really anyone's control but hotel management's: the lighting in all the hotels were pretty poor, to varying degrees; plus the light switches were overly complicated (too many combinations and permutations to try to figure out how to turn a few on or the bathroom lights on and not the entire room! never have had such complicated lighting at a hotel. Other travelers on tours we were on mentioned the same thing at their hotels so the issue seems pretty common.).
-In Auckland, we should have not included breakfast at the hotel. It was OK but we would have enjoyed going to local cafes instead as the hotel breakfast menu and continental breakfast didn't offer much that we enjoyed.

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Rotorua

Rotorua

Lighting in room was OK in comparison to other hotels. Bathroom set up was one of the best. Clean and quiet hotel and our room view was decent too. Overall the breakfast offered had a good variety (very long line at the coffee machine though!).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza Queenstown

Queenstown

Nice, clean, quiet hotel. If you are on the top floor (7th) be prepared for stairs - the elevator only goes to the 6th floor - not an issue for us but for some guests it might be. Definitely in the top 2 for breakfasts of the 4 hotels we stayed at. The location was very convenient for all of the activities we did!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

QT Auckland

Auckland

Nice, clean, good location. Room lighting was horrible. We would have skipped the breakfast inclusion.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naumi Hotel Wellington

6141

Great location on Cuba St. Having front and back entrances led to some confusion for pick ups for drivers but in the end it worked out. Interesting interior design... some quite dizzying (especially elevator and carpeting). Decent breakfast offerings. Very nice morning staff. The lighting in the room wasn't very good, and too many on/off switches. The bathroom was squeezed into a very tiny room (shower, sink & toilet all in behind a door) and there was no shower curtain so water escaped easily and only one person at a time could access the bathroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Auckland to Rotorua visiting Hobbiton with lunch

Auckland

Just as magical as I imagined! We had beautiful weather to enjoy Hobbiton. The tour does start with a tour bus ride with a little bit of a cheesy video but it's such a small part of the tour. Amazing how they've set it all up again and are preserving the hobbit holes. Loved every minute and didn't want to leave! The lunch was very satisfying.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Lord of The Rings Tour

Wellington

This was a fun tour. Neat to see where some of the movie scenes were shot. The tour of the Weta Cave was neat too though couldn't take pictures during most of it. Enjoyed learning about the artists and seeing their work in action.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walter Peak High Country Farm Excursion

Queenstown (NZ)

We LOVED this! The tour was fun and the high tea was so good. We'd definitely consider coming back for the horseback riding or the eco tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

This was more fun than we expected. It was amazing to see the views. It will be even better once they finish construction on the larger observation deck.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TE Puia: Te Ra (Day Pass) Guided tour (90 minutes)

Rotorua

This was a nice tour though it was raining the day we were there. I'm sure it would be incredible if we had better weather but nonetheless we made the best of it and really enjoyed learning from our guides. We saw the geyser on the livestream just before the tour started - it ended up too steamy to see anything once we were out there! It was very cool to see the bubbling mud as well as the kiwi birds at their kiwi conservation station.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Wilderness Experience

Auckland

This was a great afternoon activity. Friendly, informative guides. At the end at the beach, the guides set up a table with some treats (cookies, juice, tea, manuka honey).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zealandia Twilight Tour - Private tour

Wellington

One of the biggest highlights of our trip!! We saw a variety of species (and heard even more) and were very lucky that we got to see THREE kiwi just waking up and starting their night. Truly incredible conservation work being done at Zealandia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were fantastic. Thanks, Will and Judy!

Transport

We had a lovely conversation with our driver, Sarah, both ways. She was friendly and understanding that our tour went a bit over than planned. We appreciate her time and flexibility.

Mitai Cultural Experience & Dinner

Rotorua

Great cultural experience. We happened to be there when there was a competition going on so the usual performers were away and the performers we saw were younger (late teenage years / early 20s). We wouldn't have known if the hostess hadn't revealed that info as they were phenomenal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

India was a culture shock. We were constantly surprised, and had a thrilling time learning. We saw so many world heritage sites, we ate so much great food, we had so many incredible experiences. All of this was possible only because of our team. Or driver in the north Puron was indispensable, he safely navigated streets and traffic that we found intimidating (terrifying at times) without any difficulty, just another day. Add to that his excellent knowledge of the country and his charming demeanor, he was a cornerstone of our trips success. Additionally the office team was incredible, they helped us plan a action packed trip (just the way we like it) and when there was trouble, like our flight being canceled 30 min before it was supposed to board, they were on it, 20 min later we had new flights, they helped us reschedule events on the fly, and made excellent recommendations. The local guides they chose for us were always professional and knowledgeable. They went to great lengths to make sure we had an excellent time, doing things like explaining how to get through long lines, and advocating for us in crowded, and tense situations. We are very happy with this experience. Would use again.

Hotel Reviews

Zone Connect by The Park

Authenticity & Character

It's a modern hotel that was nicely situated downtown

Location

right next to a mall and many food options

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abad Turtle Beach Resort

Mararikulam, Alappuzha, Kerala

Great spot, nice room, lots of little fun things, like the butterfly garden. Food was excellent

Authenticity & Character

Character for days

Location

Strangest part of our India trip was how empty the beach was here. Almost no one on the beach or in the water. It beautiful sand positioned perfectly to watch the sunset. So strange to have there be no one there. But also very peaceful.

Staff

one time a front desk person chased us for a 1/4 mile to hand us some keys. She could have shouted to get our attention but didn't want to seem rude. They really took good care of us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Mercure Agra

Agra, UP

Comfortable hotel with great staff

Authenticity & Character

saxophone playing Santa really did it for me

Location

easy access to the fort and the tomb

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Narain niwas palace

Jaipur

a beautiful place, but it's historic nature came with some downsides. Power was unreliable, and we were on the top floor without an elevator, this was difficult for some in our party. But great food, great location, excellent staff

Authenticity & Character

more character then I have ever experienced

Location

close to all the sights

Staff

obviously take great pride in their hotel

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean! yes very much so. Comfort was a little more difficult because of the age of the building. But would stay again

Hotel Dev Vilas, Ranthambore

Great experience, lots of little customer service extras, truly lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

quick drive to safari pick up

Staff

really good, they were very aware of us and our schedules, made sure we got dinner if out late, hot towels to wipe off the dust of safaris when we got back. Lovely holiday celebration,

Cleanliness & Comfort

hot water bags in the bed!!! never knew something could be so cozy

Houseboat

an incredible experience. Lots of comforts for a boat

Authenticity & Character

Location

traveled the back waters and made sure not to have the sun in our face for all parts of the journey

Staff

Great cook, and a captain that left us with no worries. Even though they spoke little English we never had any issues.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well taken care of. My one note if anyone is reading this is to remember to bring your own alcohol. We were told there wouldn't be any and so were able to plan ahead. I'm from Wisconsin, I'm not getting on a boat without a beer.

Fragrant Nature Kochi

Kochi

great place, great new years party!

Authenticity & Character

beautifully decorated lobby with plants.

Location

close to all the historic attractions, very walkable.

Staff

helpful, curious, friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

it's hot and humid in Cochin, but we were always happy in the hotel. rooftop pool area was particularly lovely

Hotel Pride Plaza Aerocity

Delhi

close to the airport. Easy check in and check out, very clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Explore the marvelous and historic monument : Agra Fort

Agra

Didn't even know this existed, but it's arguably more amazing than the Taj. Loved it, loved learning about it.

Morning and Evening game drives at Ranthambore (Sharing Jeep):

Ranthambore

Reserving early to get a Gypsy would have been better, but I really can't complain, we saw a tiger and a couple leopards and a jackal, and mongoose, and owls and deer and eagles, and it delivered. It was also very uncomfortable but you don't notice when the animals are out

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guides often only knew one or two things about each animal, they were not wildlife experts and were not fluent in English. Probably the guides in Gypsies know more. They were good at pointing animals out

Transport

the Canters were packed, as a 6' guy I was folded into my seat in a vehicle with seemingly no suspension. To be succinct, canters suck.

Bathe, Paint and Feed- A life-time experience with elephants at Elephantastic

Jaipur

Elephants have been rescued and are living a different life now at the enclosure. They were very docile and happy to take food from us (they knew the drill) We loved getting to make eye contact, give them scratches and in general interact with such an intelligent beautiful animal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

would like to have learned more about the elephant we were with "Lucky"

Contrary to previous experiences with KimKim, this trip was full of missed details and frustrating, last minute, expensive scrambles for transfers. It was very different from my previous trip to Turkey, where everything was impeccably planned and the communication was flawless. On the bright side, Norway was beautiful and the people were lovely and so kind. It’s just a shame that the overall quality of the trip was diminished by the poor planning and communication.

This was our third trip using Kim Kim, and generally speaking we have always received outstanding service, which was why working with Maria was so shockingly disappointing. From the start, Maria was not responsive to our requests and there were an alarming amount of details there were not addressed. For example, in previous trips, all of our transfers were scheduled and included as part of our package, where as with this trip, no transfers had been set up and no transfers were included as part of the package - something we did not realize until late in the planning process. One of the reasons we use Kim Kim is because of the seamlessness and peace of mind knowing that all of the details have been taken care of. When we inquired about one of the major transfers in our trip, Maria suggested we rent a car, at a huge additional expense, which would have been a 9 hour drive, through mountainous, winter conditions. I find this to be ludicrous for a travel expert to suggest. Due to the last minute planning of these details, we ended up having to take 3 flights to reach our destination. At one point during our trip, we had inquired about canceling an excursion. Our local guides never checked in to ask why we wanted to cancel or if there was something going on that we needed help with. It turns out the excursion ended up being canceled by the tour company (who ended up contacting us directly) and it took Kim Kim more than 3 hours to inform us of this cancellation. Before, during, and after our trip, Maria never reached out once to check in and see how things were going. Again, this has not been our previous experience with Kim Kim. The draw of using Kim Kim, who uses local experts, would imply useful information and tips for the areas and destination, and that was completely absent in this trip. For example, that it was recommended we walk from the train station to our hotel in downtown Oslo rather than being over charged by a local Taxi driver. I can go on and on. Additionally, we had an issue with checking into one of the hotels where the clerk had questions about charging the credit card on file. We tried to reach out to Kim Kim and the emergency line and could not get through. On the bright side, we loved Norway as a destination. The excursions were fantastic and fun. We had requested to stay at Sorrisniva, the Holman Husky Lodge, as well as take the Havila Capilla and they certainly did not disappoint, We would highly recommend each of these stays/experiences. The dog sledding with Trasti & Trine, was a particular highlight and an amazing experience. All in all, despite the unexpected challenges working with Maria presented, we loved our time in Norway, and found the local people to be friendly and kind. Sadly, if this had been my first and only experience with Kim Kim, I probably would never use this company again, as in this case, there was no added value.

Hotel Reviews

Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge

Alta

Simply amazing hotel! Everything about our experience exceeding our expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holmen Husky Lodge

Alta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Kirkenes

Kirkenes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

King Crab Safari from Kirkenes during Winter

Kirkenes

This was the most disappointing excursion we experienced on our trip. Not necessarily the fault of the tour company. The weather was too warm, and the ice was not frozen enough for us to actually get to experience the king crab fishing ourselves. We had to stand at a far off distance, while the staff went and picked up the king crabs. Of course, we still enjoyed a lovely dinner of the fresh crabs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dogsledding Day Trip

Alta

This was the most amazing experience of our entire trip. The dogsledding was such an authentic experience. The owners of the company took us out themselves and we had such an enjoyable conversation with them about their own 'professional' competitive experiences dogsledding. Truly amazing. We would do this again in a heart beat. Highly recommend. To top it off, the owners are a Michelin Star chef and provide lunch of the trip. They have their own restaurant and bar on site. Amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Chile - the country is truly spectacular. Our travel coordinator Marcela was excellent, she listened to what we wanted and adapted the itinerary as needed when torrential rains and an injury required some shifts. She even brought over some medications and offered to help in the hospital with translation after a badly sprained ankle interrupted our plans. She also coordinated in-country travel for us after our initial start in Argentina and not having to worry about airport pick up and drop off was very helpful.

We enjoyed hiking, white water rafting and kayaking in Puerta Varas - Ko Kayak was awesome for rafting (we have done this a lot and the rain made this the best rafting trip we have ever done). Our guides everywhere were great - especially Catalina (rafting), Juan Miguel (hiking and planned biking until ankle accident) and Paz (kayaking on Reloncavi fjord). We stayed at the Kalfu Hotel which was a good location for walking and offered excellent breakfasts and comfortable rooms.

In Puerta Natales we did 2 days of trekking in Torres del Paine with W-Circuit and they were great. Tour guides Alex (3 shorter hikes of 2 hours each) and Pablo (Base Torres Hike) were very good. Come prepped with the right shoes and gear and be prepared for 4 seasons in one day. We saw quite a few people turn around on the Base Torres hike which is long (22km). We then kayaked and rock climbed with Jorge from Patagonia Adventures. He was superb and we especially enjoyed pushing our comfort boundaries with the rock climbing which was awesome (we have never climbed outdoors before). We stayed at the Weskar Lodge for most of the time (truly superb food) and had one night at the Best Western which was much better than that chain is in the US.

Our final night in Santiago, we had dinner in a local home with Gloria and Leo - great food and wine pairings and even better conversation. We highly recommend. We appreciated this idea that Marcela suggested!

Hotel Reviews

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Comfortable rooms with a great view. Really great service and fantastic breakfasts. Their meals were truly outstanding - we hadn't expected to stay at the hotel for dinner but the food was so good that we ate 3 dinners there. The only downside is being a bit far for walk to town but Uber was easy and available as needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Kalfu Hotel Boutique

Puerto Varas

Very comfortable hotel with a helpful and friendly staff. The only reason not to have a 5 star rating is that we were on the lower level with a patio (lovely) but it was darker as it was fairly rainy while we were there. Very good breakfasts. Great location for walking around town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk to town and restaurants

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Adaptable and energetic guide for hiking Great guide from La Comarca who was able to adapt to multiple changes to planned hiking and biking trips. Juan Manuel picked us up and took us to a great breakfast place after our early morning flight from Santiago. It was pouring when we arrived and the road to the Alerce Andino national park where we were going to hike was blocked by mudslides from the rain. We went to plan b which was hiking near the Petrohue cascades (good to see) and then plan c which was going up the Mount Osorno Volcano where we had our lunch. We were at the TeSki chalet. Great food and snacks. Juan Manuel is extremely knowledgeable and fun to talk with. Highly recommend for adaptability, tremendous local knowledge and great personality. We were disappointed that due to weather and a sprained ankle we couldn’t do a planned bike tour with him.

Quality of Experience

Different than planned but Juan Miguel was amazing!

Food

Stopped at a great local cafe for breakfast and had super sandwiches, hot chocolate for lunch when we stopped at TeSki!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking on Reloncaví Fjord

Puerto Varas

Fantastic fjord kayaking trip Our travel agent arranged a full day kayak trip on the Reloncavi Fjord from Puerto Varas Our guide, Paz was outstanding. She has a passion for the region and outdoor education and knew a ton about plant and animal life. Her English was very good and she just radiated positive energy and enthusiasm. The truck was comfortable for the ride (1.5? Hours) and we wore full wetsuits and this was our first time in a double kayak with a rudder. The fjord and surrounding towns were lovely. We had perfect weather for pics, saw seals and birds and turquoise water. One of the highlights was our guide Paz who was very passionate about the area, the people and the natural surroundings. Highly recommend. We had lunch at a Chilean family’s home and got to tour their small farm. Really fresh food (lamb stew, greens and bread) before continuing our trip. This was a friend of Paz and seeing the relationships between Paz and the people whose home we visited and ate in was lovely! A bonus was our driver then took us up the Osorno volcano as the previous days had heavy rain so we couldn’t see anything. What a truly gorgeous location!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paz (and our driver) were outstanding!

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Excellent trip. We were on a tour run by W-Circuit. Bus driver was speedy but safe We were picked up at 6:30 am and the bus was comfortable. Trekking poles were provided which helped a lot (we had never used before). The first trip we went on 3 roughly 2 hour hikes to the cave paintings, the waterfalls near Las Cuernas, and the Mirador Condor. We hike a lot and enjoyed these. Great start to our stay in Puerto Natales. These hikes were moderate but challenging in terms of vertical gain and strong winds (at one point we were bent over nearly double at the Condor hike!). Our guide Alex was knowledgeable and funny and very good pointing out plants and animals. A herd of guanacos came out right by us and we all got stellar pics. Beautiful intro to the park which truly has stunning scenery at every turn.

Quality of Experience

Food

Box lunches ordered in advance - noting terribly exciting - sandwiches, fruit, juice nuts and bars.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was knowledgeable and funny - excellent English

Transport

Comfortable for ride to and from park.

Base Torres Hike

Chile

Excellent trip. We were on a tour run by W-Circuit. Bus driver was speedy but safe and we did two tours with the same company two days apart. We were picked up at 6:30 am and the bus was comfortable. Trekking poles were provided which helped a lot (we had never used before). After that we did the Base Torres Hike but with a different guide named Pablo. Great hike but long (6 hours minimum) and very crowded at times. The hard thing is that people hike at vastly different rates. Our guide had us go ahead and wait in places (great system). We saw tons of birds and even a puma at the end! Again, breathtaking scenery and rewarding. Some people may not be prepared for the steepness of this hike and be unable to finish as were several folks on our tour. Acclimate a bit, have good boots, and be used to hiking—this is 22km (13.7miles) RT!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful park with stunning scenery.

Food

Nice to have options to buy food along the trail (we got drinks on teh way down) and snacks at the end before our bus ride home.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo was good and allowed us to divide up so we weren't waiting all the time.

Transport

Very good - comfortable and good driver - plenty of space with 6 of us in the van

Rock Climbing in Patagonia

Puerto Natales

This was AMAZING! Our second trip with Jorge was rock climbing. We have only done indoor climbing gyms before and this was awesome. This was our first ever outdoor climbing experience. We did 4 routes. Very well explained, safety conscious and exciting and Jorge involved us in everything- belaying etc. Tea mid-route was very neat! We were visited multiple times by condors checking out what we were doing. Our kids were amazed by our pics (one climbs and he was impressed). The rock formations were cool to see and climb on - we learned a lot and this definitely pushed our comfort boundaries which is what we wanted.

Quality of Experience

Jorge's knowledge and how he included us in jobs and taught skills was awesome. Beautiful location and the condors were really a nice lucky feature - about 7-8 were watching and circling as we climbed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comments above - we felt safe and confident trying this with him as the guide.

Transport

Great driver - Jorge - and location was spectacular

Kayaking in Eberhard Fjord

Puerto Natales

We did two trips with Jorge. He is probably the best guide we have ever had—extremely knowledgeable on local wildlife, culture etc, speaks really excellent English and very personable. We did a kayak trip on the Eberhard Fjord on a fairly windy day. First time in dry suits! Mid trip we stopped for a 1km walk with spectacular views of the mountains, lakes and fjords. We finished with a lovely meal of wonderful homemade foods in a Chilean home.

Quality of Experience

Jorge was great, incredible views and a wonderful meal at the end

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We learned a lot about Chile and the area from Jorge - super knowledgeable.

Transport

Jorge picked us up

Private Dinner

Santiago

This was a cool thing to do for our last night in Santiago. We were picked up by our host and his friend Felipe who was our guide for the night. Gloria was the cooking whiz and Leo managed the wine and music. We drove into the city center and to Leo and Gloria's home where we had a 4 course dinner and wine tasting with Chilean music. The food was excellent and teh conversation was even better. They are warm and gracious hosts and very welcoming. Felipe did a great job explaining and translating as needed (we enjoyed practicing our Spanish) and we talked about all kinds of subjects. Highly recommend for people willing to branch out and try something new!

Quality of Experience

Great food and very welcoming and gracious hosts and guide

Food

Homemade empanadas, a ceviche, roast and potatoes and a tart with several Chilean wines

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I did all the planning for this trip for my daughter and grandchildren, but did not go with them. This was a special trip for our 14 year old grandson. Luca helped me from day one and was amazing, especially with choosing excursions that would appeal to my grandson. I corresponded with him nearly every day for several weeks, and he was always very quick to respond and so helpful. He listened to my ideas and guided me with his expertise about the climate for the dates of our trip and which area would be best at that specific date. My daughter thinks I am the best travel agent ever, as they had a wonderful trip with everything being just as we had planned. Luca planned wonderful excursions for them with small group sizes. They were met with your guides promptly with no glitches. Hotels were just as Luca described and I loved that he sent me pictures of each hotel. He suggested many places for them to eat that were reasonably priced, and they loved every one of them. Their favorite part was the Amalfi Coast tour and the boat ride around Capri. Having never used a travel agency before, I was very nervous about this. Luca put me at ease and made it all very easy. I have already recommended your agency to all my friends and told them to ask for Luca.

Hussein our driver was exceptional. He is an excellent, safe driver ( sometimes on hard roads) and was excellent with all the young people on the trip with us. I cannot recommend him enough.

The whole trip went well, but we had ONE BAD EXPERIENCE at the end of the trip (Saturday March 1)in Essaouira at the Riad Mimouna. It is a handsome hotel with a beautiful position looking to the Atlantic.
On the last morning we left early (5 to 6am) as we had a drive back to Casablanca and our flight. As I left my room, I was shocked to find the baggage porter from the hotel going round the rooms we were all leaving. He was helping himself to the cash tip that I had left for the women who come in to clean and redo the rooms. I went back to my room, and I noticed the money I had left had disappeared. I called him on it and asked where the tip money had gone. He sheepishly handed it back to me.
I went downstairs and complained strongly to the man on the desk. I am not sure that he was going to do anything - and ay even have been a friend of the latter had access to our room keys, most of which were handed in at the desk as we prepared to leave.
I would be most grateful if you could inform the hotel of this unpleasant incident. They should know that they have an employee like this who steals from other people who work in the hotel.