Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our family wanted to tour Bulgaria to visit our adopted daughter's birth place, We worked with Simeon Dimitrov to set up a two-week tour that included a visit to the Rila Monastery, hiking in the Rila and Pirin Mountains, and kayaking in the Rhodopes. We visited Plovdiv, the Valley of Roses and the Black Sea. One of our final stops was at the Orphanage in Targovishte that our daughter lived in until we brought her home. Simeon arranged for our daughter to meet staff in the Orphanage. Simeon put together a wonderful, balanced, well-paced itinerary for us. He patiently answered our questions and made sure we saw the best of each place we visited. We enjoyed dining on Bulgaria's wonderful Mediterranean cuisine at the restaurants he chose for us. A highlight of our trip was our stay at a Bulgarian Guest House, where we ate traditional dishes and drank rakkia. By the end of our two week tour, we had fallen in love with Bulgaria! We can highly recommend Kimkim for your tour of Bulgaria- the Crocker Family

Rachid our driver was great. His English was excellent and he helped coordinate our daily activities.

This is the third time I’ve used kimkim to help with my travel planning. Clearly they work with the best travel specialists in the world. For my South African adventure kimkim connected me with Elgin Africa, I couldn’t have asked for a better match!

Deborah contacted me first, she got back to me right away with answers for my questions about budget and best time to visit South Africa. After couple of emails I knew I was in good hands.

Tara contacted me second, she was wonderful from the start, always available to quickly and patiently answer any questions, worked around my budget and tailored the itinerary based on the list of places and experiences I wanted.

This trip was amazing largely to Tara’s impeccable planning, I never had to worry about a transfer, guide (the guides that Elgin Africa works with are wonderful), or accommodation, everything was perfect!

While traveling, Deborah and Tara checked up on me often making sure everything was running smoothly and that I was enjoying my trip.

Anybody planning to visit South Africa should contact Elgin Africa, they are the best!

We started the trip with a free day in Mykonos and spent it at the Kahlua beach club, dinner at Busulas and out at Semeli that night. The next day was a trip to Delos Island. We had the most fabulous, authentic, amazing guide named Toula. We wanted to take her home and have her be our very own Greek grandmother. Took the speed ferry to Santorini and had a hidden Gem and Wine tour hosted by Manos, another great local guide and a tour we very much loved. Our favorite activity the following day was our Catamaran cruise hosted by Spiros & Spiros (yes two men on the same boat with the same name!). Spent the rest of the night with the locals after hours at Vineyart and enjoyed a local flight of wines. In Athens, we enjoyed a very tasty food tour and found our new love of Greek coffee + Freddos. Had a nice meal at Feedel and had our most authentic meal of the trip at "The Traditional". Stopped by Clumsies, Baba Au Rum and Noel for some cocktails along with Oinoscent wine bar to round out the trip. Had an amazing views in Meteora and could not get over the tranquility of the perfectly preserved monasteries. Overall we had zero hiccups, all of our drivers were on time, hotels reserved, tour guides punctual, and a great experience. It was a nice touch to get a welcome call once Travel 12 new we arrived. Will use this service again!

Ginger, David, and Judy will be providing their own reviews; their memory of the specifics (guides' names, in particular) is much better than mine.

I'd just like to express my thanks to KimKim and Christos for putting together such a wonderful and memorable trip. There were really no downsides. One suggestion for improvement, though, concerns the occasional lack of detail, on the schedule/ itinerary, regarding ferry transfers. It wasn't always clear where we needed to be and what to expect. Again, the others will likely be providing more specifics in this regard. Also, it might have been more sensible to have us in a hotel near the airport upon our late return from Heraklion on the final night. Presumably, availability and cost dictated the decision to have us in downtown Athens, at the Pi Hotel. This, by the way, was the least impressive of our hotels, although it was certainly acceptable.

I can assure you that we'll be recommending KimKim to friends and acquaintances. Thanks again for everything!

The trip to Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu was planned meticulously. Paul, our coordinator was on top of things and whenever I reached out to him, he was extremely responsive and supportive. All in all, the trip was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed it. So many beautiful memories. The planning and follow-through were top notch. Restaurant reservations and recommendations were spot on. Hotel Sumaq, Aranwa, and Casa Andina were awesome!! Guide in Cusco - David was fantastic. Guide to Machu Picchu, Marco saved me from me, by carrying my backpack for a quarter of the hike!

Here are some things to consider for refinement:

Novotel in Cusco - nice location but the room size, layout and sofa bed were not very good.
Dazzler - nice hotel but the front desk was not very well informed, consistent or helpful.
Lunch for Hike - we ended up carrying a lot of unnecessary load. If they are providing protein bars, chocolates, and juice, it might be best to ask people to bring their own favorite brands. Should send bananas. Luckily, my guide shared their's with me.
Allergy information - even though we shared our daughter's allergy information, this wasn't passed down or communicated very well downstream.

Bolivia was an amazing country. Lots to see and the people were friendly. Our drivers were great, very accommodating and friendly and handled the rough roads very well. Our guide Carla was good as well, but I do believe there are limitations to this trip based on your preferences. She tried her best to make the trip as comfortable as possible but the itinerary I believe was not planned properly. As a group, we wanted to stay in hotels (not hostels) however, it was not made clear that this preference would require a lot of time spent in a Jeep on very rough roads. It's unfortunate that the flights to Uyuni do not align very well with flights in and out of La Paz. We had to stay overnight in La Paz twice because of flight schedules but the hotel, due to traffic, was almost an hour away from the airport. Once the trip really started we had a great time on the Salt Flats, visiting the giant Cacti and learned a lot about the area from Carla. Day 2 however, we were in the car for almost 13 hours because the only hotel was not close to the sights. Part of this I believe could have been resolved with better planning, and also if the vehicles (we had 3 in our group) were able to communicate. I would highly recommend if you have a large group to request radios or bring your own. If you want to see all the sights and limit driving time, my understanding is the only way to do this is to stay in a hostel along the way or camping which I believe would have been a good but pricey option. I do wish the amount of travel time had been made clear to us originally as we may have made alternate plans. Other than that the trip was good, but I would warn others that if they are not comfortable sitting in an SUV on bumpy roads for extended periods of time this may not be the trip for them, although the sites and views were incredible.

We had an Amazing Trip. Dimitris did a great job with our itinerary and when we made some last minute changes he had great advice and helped us switch around our reservations. The Boat Charter was Amazing. The only negative would be the Hotel room for the first few nights in Athens. the room had 3 very small single beds. but at the end of the trip we stayed at the same hotel and got a better room with a real bed. The Rest of the Hotels were amazing and Greece is beautiful.
thank you
Shawn

The trip to Iquitos and in the Amazon for 6 days was excellent. There were a few small glitches but Anne was so responsive & was able to get everything fixed for us quickly & efficiently. The river trip was fun and the guide we had for the six days in the Amazon basin was outstanding. Juan, our guide, of Amazonia Expeditions, was exceptionally knowledgeable about all living things in the rain forest, as well as the people and cultures of the area. Juan was available to us at all times and kept us organized & comfortable throughout the trip. He was also a very kind and ethical person who cares very much about the rain forest environment & shared that passion with us. This made our trip very special.

The Lodge and Research Center were very clean, comfortable and the staff at each location were exceptionally friendly and helpful. The food was also excellent. The staff at these locations on he Tahuaya River work well as a team to make sure their guest have a wonderful experience in the Amazon Basin & they succeed!

One final comment about Anne. Anne really went above & beyond in her assistance to my friend and I before the trip, and throughout the entire trip. Anne is a top rate local specialist in Peru. She did everything necessary to make our trip perfect. Thank you Anne!

We had an amazing time in Peru, largely due to our guides. Alex was fantastic, a fountain of knowledge and very friendly and accommodating. Anjela was very helpful, patient and loved sharing her love of Peru with us. The food, drinks and entire experience was enjoyable. We hiked the Inca Trail with Alex and he let us move at our own pace and had no trouble answering our questions. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who asked.

This was our first overseas trip ever and it turned out amazing! Dimitris planned our trip out within our budget and the lodging was fantastic. Our favorite hotel was the Corfos Bay Hotel in Mykonos for its genuine beauty and true Island architecture. All of our ferry transportation was booked for us and spot on. The private transfer on our second day via Mr. Stavros was perfect, he even took the time to show us around Athens as we had extra time before the ferry departed. Dimitris hooked us up with an amazing local friend and guide in Santorini. Thanos. He provided us a cultural experience we will never forget and a lasting friendship from afar. We would not hesitate to book another trip through Dimitris! Thanks for a wonderful 10th anniversary honey moon!

Great trip! It was all very memorable ,but if I have to say, the places that were most memorable: Acropolis, Delos Island, and the food/wine tasting on the farm in Santorini. On Mykonos: the Hotel Dorion was fabulous! We also loved the dinner the first night at Manimani --a splendid meal! Of our many guides, I think Effie at Delphi was the most knowledgeable. We also very much enjoyed our male guide in Santorini but I forget his name, unfortunately. Our driver in Santorini was also terrific--very friendly and eager to talk about the terrain, the architecture, the history of the island.

Our driver Mohamed was great. Really enjoyed our Riad in Chefchouen and our hotel in Fez (Sahrai) as well as the cities themselves. The Dar in Ouazazarte was below expectations (people were really nice though). Our luxury tent in the desert didn't have water in the morning which wasnt so nice. Overall though a great trip with many experiences

Carmelo was absolutely INSTRUMENTAL in the booking of my vacation package. Everything was taken care of, from the reservations to the transfers between airports and hotels, and even the transfer from hotel to rental car pickup. He even revised the plan about 4 times cause I wasn't sure. The places were incredible, to say the least. Catania is worth a couple more days than I was able to be there, but I was strapped for time. The farmhouses (Agriturismo) I stayed in were more than accommodating, and I was able to survive with my limited Italian! My group and I got to feel like real locals, staying in these places. In the end, highly recommended service. Thanks for everything Carmelo!

Shalindra was great from the first contact. He listened to what I suggested and offered a good selection of hotels and itinerary and was happy to change when I made suggestions. Anoj was our driver/ guide and was excellent. Initially confusing due to airport changes that were last minute due to the increased security but we caught up finally. Hopefully the next client will be met and escorted to the car park. Anoj was quite flexible and made changes for us to visit the elephant safari instead of orphanage when I commented that I would prefer to see them in the wild. The safari was a highlight of the trip. Only one disappointment when the Pigeon Island day trip was not delivered as expected. This was an expensive day that was changed to another area without consultation which pailed in comparison to the expected. There was no refund or apology. Luckily the additional pricey seafood lunch redeemed the morning. Anoj was very knowledgeable and was a talented guide. He was a safe driver and handled all the armed roadside checks in his stride.
I would not recommend the Spice / Herb garden. It was interesting but was an opportunity for a high pressure commission sale that did not deliver the price discount as promised and left us feeling very uncomfortable.
The recent bombings caused massive cancellations of foreign tourists which left many of the hotels we visited almost empty which did influence the service and meals offered to us but this was out of everyone’s control.
My husband and I had a great time. Colombo Court Hotel and Maalu Maalu Resort in Pasikudah were the highlight for accommodation and the crystal blue water and beach in Pasikudah was breathtaking.
I would recommend both Shalindra and Anoj for anyone travelling in Sri Lanka.
Regards,
Wendy & Ross
Sydney Australia.

The more i absorb the beautiful vacation i just completed i have come to realize the fantastic job done by Ottavia and the kimkim organization. The rides that Ottavia designed were exactly what i had in mind. It's as though we had ridden them together beforehand. Sweeping vistas through vineyards and olive groves, challenging terrain ( for sure ) and great weather provided a side of Italy i was imagining . The lodging at Pieve a Salti was comfortable, the entire staff gracious, the food excellent, and the massage by Fabrizza at the beauty farm was one to remember.

The self guided bike directions were 95 percent spot on and the few missed turns turned into small alternate adventures . The bicycle was well adjusted and experienced no issues.

Certainly i will recommend kimkim to all who ask about my journey. Thank you for the great trip.

Dan

Aljaz, our tour specialist was fantastic! Our trip was planned exactly to our "wants"! We loved the suggestions from Aljaz and our accommodation everywhere was amazing. We had 3 weeks touring Croatia & Slovenia and would never have known all the little stops that made our trip so much fun. We loved the beer fountain in Slovenia - so cool. Kimkim is the best way to travel if you want to do your own thing but still know you have a bed booked and all the sites on offer if you're wanting to keep busy. Would definitely give Aljaz & Kimkim 6 stars and would use them again and again.

We had a wonderful week in Morocco. Abdel helped me figure out an itinerary that touched on all we wanted to see. Said was a wonderful driver and guide. We saw many amazing sights including ancient kasbahs, . Our night in the desert was memorable and much nicer than we expected for “camping”. Our riads were centrally located so it was easy to get out and walk the old cities. Fantastic trip!

Just got back from a fabulous trip to Bhutan. Our guide Thinley and our driver Karma were fantastic. Thinley was a fund of information on the many temples, stuppas and dzongs we visitied and his knowledge on the local flora and fauna added greatly to the trip. His knowledge of the local birds and the way he explained their habits and songs added to the interest.

Even before we left, Vishal had everything sorted out and was prompt and open to the changes we asked for in the itinerary.

The accommodation and food organised by Trophel Tours was first rate and the way in which we were treated was well above what we expected.Even the Chilli Cheese was enjoyed by us all.

The walks and hikes we did, some up around the 4,000m mark were tailored at our pace and fitness level and Thiney made sure that we completed these safely and with photos and memories we will never forget.

Some of the highlights were of course the Tigers Nest, Gantey Valley and Nature Trail, Chimmi Lhakang and the hike through the fields to get there,the Mochu River white water rafting, the day hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal monastery, Chele La Pass and the walk down through the Rhododendron forest, hot stone baths, home stay visits and many many more. Everyday was an adventure and one we did not want to end.

Even the fly fishing organised was successful. Many of the roads high up in the mountains, even though they were rutted and washed away, our driver Karma was calm and steady, the vehicle was comfortable and very well maintained and we always felt that we were safe in his hands. He was the quiet giant but usually had a funny line to throw in just as we needed it.

We also had adequate free time to do our own thing and meet and socialise with the locals in the many stores and bars. This was also a highlight of the trip.

Even the flights in and out of Paro supplied some of the most breathtaking vistas of the Himalayas imaginable

I could not rate this tour highly enough and anyone contemplating a trip Bhutan should get in touch with these guys for an unforgettable holiday

Our thirty day tour of Peru was amazing! We visited Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Chacapoyas, Tarapoto, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Paracas, with excellent support from our local specialist, Nicholas, and each of our fantastic guides. Special thank yous go out to Henry, Gustavo and Julio, who taught us so much over several days, and made all of the pieces of our trip work together seamlessly. The best thing I can say about the trip is that there was not a single place we visited, where I wouldn't have been happy to spend more time. We wanted a tour which included history, culture, food and nature, and the Peruvian Soul plan provided this, perfectly. It was an incredible trip for us, one we feel very lucky to have made with Peruvian Soul.