Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was our first time using kimkim and I am very happy we did! We made a short fuse decision to tack on a family vacation to my business trip to Colombia, and Chio put together a great itinerary for us on very short notice (less than 2 weeks). Responses were prompt and we didn't have any issues during our 10 day vacation.

Highlights of the trip for us include the private graffiti tour in Bogota with Anna, Guatape day visit near Medellin and the cooking class in Cartagena. But all of it was great. We all really loved Bogota and Medellin the most. Cartagena old town was beautiful but a bit too hot and touristic for us.

My only complaint was that it was probably more than we needed to spend, but that's on me since I didn't allow time for back and forth planning/optimization. We had private transport to go almost everywhere, but it was easy enough to get around by secure taxi. Oh...and the Hotel Du Parc in Medellin had the smallest water heater ever and we could only get one shower at a time. All small things. Overall we had a fabulous family vacation in a country that I never had really thought about visiting. We all loved Colombia!

Lisa

Ayu was responsive and had put together a nice itinerary. She was quick to help us upgrade at our last hotel.

Some of the places that stood out were the monkey forest and sideman, and the last resort, samabe, was stunning and good value. The local day was also very nice. The best experience we had was planned from the hotel, samabe, which was paragliding. Biggest highlight of the trip.

Though it was great to see some of the main attractions like the temples, I think we would have liked to include some more off the beaten track locations if we were to do it again.

Our driver, Gustu, was kind and punctual. We’d definitely recommend him.

Ayu did a perfect job planning our 3 weeks Indonesia trip (Bali, Java, and Nusa Penida).
She was very responsive to our needs and requests, and her choices of drivers and guides were excellent. About half of the trip was in various parts of Bali, and we only had a driver in that part. Our driver's name was Agus, and in our view he did a very exceptional job with our trip. The only reason he was a driver and not a guide was, his English is a bit limited, but it was more than enough for us. (Agus knows Japanese and is often a guide for Japanese groups). Agus was very informative and friendly, and at the end of the trip he was a dear friend to all of us. The remaining guide/driver choices of Ayu were also excellent; we had no difficulties during the entire 3 weeks(from landing to Bali to taking off). I highly recommend both Ayu as a travel specialist, and Agus as a guide/driver.

Herbert was fantastic. The only reason I didn’t give this a 5 star was because we initially had another specialist Herbert who was extremely difficult to get a response from. I understand he’s not with the company anymore and Halldor was awesome. We spent 14 days around Iceland and saw many out of the way things that we never would have found on our own. The accommodations were all quite nice and the day excursions were great as was the scheduling. And in fact after we were in Iceland and decided the fimmvorduhals 2 day trek was going to be too strenuous he helped us adjust the plan. Highlights were the Silfra Iceland explore snorkeling tour. We were so glad that Halldor chose this company. There were many to choose from and I know this was the best from what we saw. The glacier hike was also great as were many of the hot springs. All told it was a great trip we couldn’t have done it without kimkim and Herbert and Halldor!

We planned this trip last year, but I broke my foot and we had to cancel. We easily re-booked the whole trip this year, same hotels, same activities. The trip was splendid, we spent time in Copenhagen before and Stockholm after, but Ingrid and kimkim planned the Norway part of the trip with us.

Ingrid was so easy to deal with and so knowledgeable, and always readily available to answer any questions. We were pleased with all our accommodations and activities. We even got to meet Ingrid in Bergen and got a personal walking tour!

We particularly liked Balestrand, the area is so beautiful and just getting there is wonderful.

We generally do our own planning, but our experience with kimkim has been very positive and we will likely use their services again.

I had a great time! Everything was so easy at every step of the way. I especially liked the route that kept me on back roads with minimal time on the Ring of Kerry road.

Wonderful trip! Hiking the Romsdalseggen ridge was a highlight -- absolutely stunning. (One note -- we took the bus from town but learned afterwards that for two or more people a taxi directly to the trailhead is actually more cost effective). Ingrid was fantastic -- we had a few mix ups with transfers but she fixed it immediately.

All I can say this was a trip of a lifetime!! Iceland is one of the most beautiful places on this earth. My daughter and I did the self- driving ring road tour and had a blast. Preeti and her team did a fantastic job of organizing our trip and customizing to our needs. I will definitely be utilizing KimKim Travel again for our upcoming trips. Thank you again for planning an unforgettable trip.

Our guides, Hafid and Osama, were very professional and knowledgeable and spent extra time showing us around the Medinas in Fes and Marrakech. Brahim was excellent in organising the tour for us and was in contact regularly to ensure all was in order. We loved the city of Chefchaoeun and was so glad that it was included in the itinerary.

EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS!!

We just completed a 3.5 week vacation in Nepal that included stays in Kathmandu and other cities, tours of heritage sites and a national park and a trek in the Annapurna region.

We have traveled extensively in Europe and elsewhere and have always made our own arrangements, and have done very well. For a trip to Nepal you need professional assistance and we received exemplary service at every stage of our trip.

Before we arrived in Nepal, Amanda helped us with all the planning and arrangements. They customized the trip for us. They have many pre-planned treks in Nepal, but they can be customized to fit your time frame, experience, and interests. We considered a number of options before settling on our itinerary. Amanda provided us with lots of useful information. We followed her packing guide and used everything on the list, but didn't need anything else. I would suggest for your trek that you have a clean pair of socks and underwear for each day, you can wear the same pair of pants trekking each day but is is comforting to put on clean dry socks and underwear every day. We had lots of back and forth in the planning stage, and their communication system keeps everything in one place so you can easily check on what has been sent or reread information--really helpful.

When we arrived in Nepal, Raj was our primary contact. This turned our to be critical to the success of our trip. He was amazingly flexible, helpful, and knowledgeable. We made a number of changes/additions as the trip went on. Originally, we had planned a trek in the Everest valley during the monsoon season, Amanda prepared us very well for the potential weather related difficulties that could occur. We spent two days in the airport trying to fly into Lukla, but the airport was closed due to weather. After the first day, Raj suggested a number of options if the weather continued. After the second day we decided to change our plans and Trek in a more accessible area. We contacted Raj from the airport and he completely changed our itinerary, booked new flights and accommodations and we flew out that afternoon. It was so impressive!

I also want to point out that EVERYONE was always early for every appointment--every meeting, driver, tourguide, etc., arrived 15-30 minutes before they were expected, which gave us great confidence.

We urge you to request Naresh Nachhiring to be your trek guide--he was spectacular. We had the opportunity to observe a number of guides, and we were so grateful Naresh was our guide--there really is a difference. Naresh is soft spoken, very experienced/capable (doing this work since he was 14), honest, kind, small ego, big heart, he has the "helper gene". On the trek, the guide has lots of discretion, he chooses where you stop and eat and sleep, the places may look alike, but they are not! Naresh always found us the best location, the best room, and he was always looking for ways to be quietly helpful. He adjusted his service to our needs, our pace, our interests. He would leave us alone to walk together, but then he was there to put a rock in a stream to make it easier for us to cross, or point out a safer path through a challenging section, or show us something we would have surely missed. He never pressured us or tried to make us fit his needs, he served us. It was so cool to be with someone who is so experienced, yet he still take such pleasure in what we were seeing--monkeys playing in the trees, a beautiful waterfall or vista, a mountain view he must have seen hundreds of times before, yet still enjoyed. We enjoyed all our time together--he is a real person who is easy to be with, never playing a role or putting on an act. Ask for NARESH!

We had several city guides and by far the best one was Pratikshya--ask for her! She doesn't run through some prepared script that feels like it has been said a thousand times. She is like visiting a new place with a friend. Easy, tells you a little bit, if you want more she knows it. Fun to be with, she really made every experience with her enjoyable, relaxing, informative (without overdoing it). She is relaxed, genuine, honest, knowledgeable. The perfect guide!

At the end of our trip we stayed in 3 locations that were not typical Nepali hotels/teahouses. These are more western in style, but also really enjoyable for different reasons. Temple Tree Resort is in Pokhera, and we stayed there the nights before and after our trek--a real treat, amazing facility and service--we were spoiled and loved it. Namo Buddha Resort, near the Namo Buddha Monastery , is 13 gnome cottages built by a German couple 20 years ago on a hilltop overlooking a beautiful valley. We are not vegetarians, but we thoroughly enjoyed their amazing vegetarian meals made from all organic produce they grow on site--stay here if you plan to visit Namo Buddha. Milla Guesthouse in Bhaktapur is a 4 room exquisite mini hotel built by a Austrian Architect, involved in the restoration of Nepali religious sites. Bhaktapur is rich in history but badly damaged by a series of earthquakes, the latest in 2015, this hotel with amazing service is a gem in the rubble--stay there if you visit Bhaktapur, it is right in the center of everything. We never would have found these three places without Amanda and Raj's help.

We had many drivers, and lots of different experiences from primitive to luxury but all exceeded expectations. We were will taken care of and prepared because we recieved exemplary service at every turn. Highly recommended.

We had a wonderful time and it was very well planned and stress free. Ingrid did a wonderful job both before, during the planning stages and once we arrived at each destination all was arranged perfectly. Oslo was a beautiful city Stig Torset our city guide was personable and so much fun to be with. He made our tour around the city personal and enjoyable. Our stay in Stavanger was also lovely. We hiked to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) with a guide Raul "Off the Beaten Path" recommended by Ingrid and now recommended by us. Honestly i think i would have been disappointed walking up with so many people the normal path. So coming up a trail where we were the only ones on the path was awesome. From Stavanger we took the Bus to Bergen a fun relaxing trip. Once in Bergen we enjoyed the local shops and food and then took a cruise to Rosendal passing through the Hardangerfjord it was a very cool experience. Then off to Voss by train to White Water Rafting with Voss Active. All i can say is Exciting! They were right on time to pick us up at the Train Station. Again No worries everything went smoothly. After Voss it was off to Finse (all arranged by Ingrid) for our three day hike to Vassbygdi Aurlandsdalen the hike was beautiful with more waterfalls then i could count. After our hike we stayed in Aurland in a very quaint hotel. Then off to Oslo by train the next day to catch a plane to Svalbard. The northern trip was planned by us personally, the landscape was beautiful and quite different from the Southern part of Norway. So we were excited to see both parts of Norway. So happy we found Kimkim and Ingrid would use them again in a heart beat.

Thank you Brahim for planning such an amazing trip for us! We had a wonderful time from the moment Mohamed picked us up from the airport until he dropped us again 12 days later. My husband and I have traveled quite a bit with our 3 sons (16, 14, and 10) and we all agree this was one of our best vacations ever. The itinerary had the right balance of tours, driving, and downtime. And it was nice in the evenings for the kids to cool off and swim in the hotel pools. We were lucky to have Mohamed as our driver - he was so thoughtful making sure we always had water, connecting us with the tour guides, and navigating us safely and on time for the whole trip. The highlight was the camel ride in the desert, though we also loved exploring Chefchaouen, the stop in Volubillis, cooking class in Fes, the drive from Merzouga to Todra Gorge, Ait Benhaddou, and ultimately to Marrakech, and our tour of Marrakech. I’m glad we had the day excursion to Essaouira too. The riads were all very nice, with the riad in Marrakech being our favorite. Morocco is a beautiful place, with lovely people, delicious food, and so much culture to take in!

Since we’ve been back, I have already highly recommended friends and family to visit Morocco with Brahim’s help (and Mohamed as a driver if possible), and we look forward to using Kimkim again ourselves for next summer’s adventure! Thanks again Brahim and Mohamed for creating lasting memories for us.

Mario was extremely helpful in suggesting places to go for our 3 week holiday in Italy.
He was invaluable while we were away and was on call the whole time. Of course, problems occur when you are overseas, and Mario was there to translate and fix problems for us..... which included a flight delay that meant we missed a tour!
Thank you Mario for all your help!

Great transfer service on time with very quality cars.
Our specialist Abdellah was always in communication and always checked on quality of service.

Would recommend well.

I had an amazing trip and with the help of Fridur's booking I was able to navigate very easily. I liked a lot that the hotels were near transportation and sightseeing opportunities. It was also pretty cool that the first hotel in Bergen and the hotel in Balestrand were historical hotels. And of course Norway itself was just beautiful, so I will certainly want to return! One thing which may be good to note for anyone visiting Balestrand is that there is a tourist office (where I did an awesome Kayaking excursion!) which will guide you to the nearby hiking and activities. Overall, I am very grateful for Fridur's help & assistance booking. Likewise I would certainly consider using kimkim for future travels as well as recommend it.

A big thank you to the Kimkim team and particularly Ingrid. We could not have asked for better planning and would highly recommend this company if you are planning a trip to Norway.
On a personal note
Thank you Ingrid for for everything you did for us we had the most amazing time and the scenery was breathtaking. This is a trip we will never forget and having it organised for us took any stress away and allowed us to just enjoy beautiful , no breathtaking Norway.
We loved everything Ingrid, we loved the hotel choices (not everyone I guess can afford these) but we loved coming back to a comfortable classy clean hotel room.
We loved the Flåm railway and the tips for restaurants and places to see.
All in all 10/10 or 5 stars :)
Thank you from all of us. We would not hesitate to use your company again and recommend to others
Kindest regards Pam Noel Bryce Pri and little Zayne

All of my communications with David were through the KimKim portal and that was quite smooth - especially in the initial inquiry and reservation of the tours. Our first tour of Mykines with Thomas was absolutely amazing. Transportation (drive from Tórshavn to/from ferry) were all very organized. The hike at Mykines was amazing and Thomas was extremely conscientious of our needs (couple and 5 yo son), other members in our group that needed attention, and perhaps most importantly the natural environment. He taught us a lot about the land, the community, the birds and the animals. Our second trip to Vestmanna was led by David - he did the transport to the various sites. He was easy to talk to and we also learned a lot from him. The boat trip was amazing and that boat captain was funny (repeated in English, Faroese and maybe Danish language) and a brilliant sea captain. He steered the boat into/out of these crazy crevasses and it was dramatic and gorgeous. I was initially skeptical about the cost of these tours but as they were happening we were so happy to be doing them and so grateful for the hard hard work that David and Thomas put in to make them happen. It was definitely worth it.

Martin at KimKim, for the last year, has been dealing with your July Eclipse trip to Argentina 2019. He was always helpful with his replies and bookings we needed to change, I even got to call him once which was great to hear someone's voice, not just typing, sometimes you just need to chat to make sure we understand each other.
This was our first time using KimKim and not the last! Argentina was a wonderful experience and we'll be back!

Thank you again for making this one of the most memorable trips!

regards

Marie & Doug from Canada

Sotiria was so helpful every step of the way. She answered all of our questions and communicated often and provided lots of information. About 2 weeks before our trip, we asked if we could add another person and she made all the arrangements to make that happen. The hotels she booked for us were excellent.
I loved all of Iceland. Each place we visited was beautiful and awe-inspiring. The country was so clean - no litter, buildings taken care of, etc. The people were friendly and helpful. The most memorable experiences for me were getting to see puffins and seals, riding horses on the beach and the glacial lagoon and diamond beach.

My wife and I had a wonderful time visiting Lithuania with the help of our guide Grazina. She was very knowledgeable about the places we visited, several of which were 'off the beaten path'. Also, our local specialist Ieva arranged local guides for other places we visited such as the Open Air Museum of Lithuania, my grandfather's village Zemaiciu Naumeistas, and the city of Kleipeda.