Kimkim Trip Reviews

I travel ninety-nine percent of the time independently and without the assistance of any organization or agency of any kind. I forgot how I stumbled upon Kim Kim but I thought the services looked so interesting and beneficial that I decided to take advantage of them.
Jess was very helpful and responsive to my inquiries. We also spoke by phone as necessary which was very helpful. The day she was not available, one of her colleagues was in touch with me by phone when my plane was delayed. I also appreciated someone keeping track of my trip.

I would have been curious to know what the breakdown of my expenses was. I know you get special rates but I would have liked to have known what they say are. The only breakdown was for the flights within Colombia.

I ended up needing a refund for one of my hotels since I was downgraded from a mini Suite to a standard room. That was taken care of very quickly so I'm pleased about that.

Just a minor comment about the website, I would suggest putting the countries you work in an alphabetical order.

I also was contacted by phone once from headquarters in Palo Alto. I forget why but I appreciated being able to talk to somebody there.

I've already shared with several people that I used Kim Kim to help plan my trip so I'm spreading the word about you and would definitely consider using you again.

And a personal kind regards to Jess!

Our trip to Italy was fantastic! We saw so many sites in such a short time that it was all very exhilarating yet overwhelming! Our plan was to see and experience as much as we could on this trip so when we come back in a few years, we will know where we want to spend our time. Mario did a great job putting this together!

Venice was a phenomenal city, and while we explored and got lost on our own, the private guided tour with Davide was priceless. He took us to and through places we would not have found on our own, and helped us to embrace the local culture in a way we wouldn’t have understood with his help.

Florence was just OK, for us. We much more enjoyed the day trip to Pisa and the Cinque Terre region, and will definitely return for a longer stay in that area.

Rome was exceptional! The colosseum was right near our hotel, so we visited it casually 3 times in addition to the tour! The classic and imperial tours were combined with Ricardo, who went over and above to make sure we knew the history and the culture we were walking through. He treated us like family, and we could have spent the entire day wandering the city enjoying his company! Shortly after we toured the Vatican with Paulo, whose knowledge of the past and present of that location was very impressive! He moved us swiftly yet considerably through the crowds to stop at the best locations.

Pompeii was well worth the extra effort to get there and witness the ruins first hand. Our guide was local to the area, and knew many other people in the city so that helped us better navigate the area as the crowds were large and hard to move through in such tight quarters. He was able to take us to places the other guides were ignoring that we felt were the best parts of the visit! A shout out to Claudio our transfer driver who made the long car rides more enjoyable, and kept our luggage with the vehicle so we did not have to worry about it while enjoying our day trip!

Overall, everything was exceptional! There were a few minor hiccups, but those led to a more enjoyable experience for my wife and I. We will definitely be traveling again to not only this area, but many other places around the world, and we intend to use kimkim again for the next adventure!

Sincerely,

Robert and Patricia Carnicom

One of the most memorable highlights of Bogotá was our trip to the market with German. We sampled some spectacular fresh fruit juices and ate delectable Lechones (whole pork stuffed with rice, peas and spices). We enjoyed the views of Bogotá from the vantage point of Monserrate. The food throughout Bogotá was varied and delicious.

In the Coffee Region, Jorge Sánchez expertly guided us along the trails of Corcoran Valley, Salento and a coffee plantation. The landscapes and cloud forests of Corcoran Valley were world-class. We were fortunate to see the Andean Condor, Colombia's national bird, gliding above the wax palms during our hike. What a treat!

We loved Cartagena and its vibrant culture. Alvaro toured us through the most important sites in the area and provided us with expert commentary and restaurant recommendations.

The hotels were all excellent and our guides were knowledgeable of the areas we visited. Kimkim really took the stress out of traveling. We'll definitely use them again!

Awesome trip that covered the Amalfi Coast, Florence and Rome. Loved the accommodations arranged by Carmelo - its sometimes a challenge to travel as a family of 5 and the hotel, then apartment, then shared suite that he arranged for us were perfect! Each had great locations in easy walking distance to the town centers and attractions. Also had first rate drivers and guides in each location, and appreciated the way Carmelo checked in with us throughout the trip to make sure all was well. Things were smooth from start to finish.

We had a great trip to Colombia. Natalia was a very good coordinator. She was very attentive to our requests for changes to the itinerary, very responsive to requests we had before and during our trip, and very accessible when we needed her to both answer questions and to arrange transportation when our itinerary changed abruptly due to bad weather on Islas Rosario.

Our first guide in Bogota, Juan was also very good. He connected well with everyone in the family. We especially loved the tour he led us on through the market, tasting may different fruits and foods. That was a highlight.

Our second guide, David in Pereira, was equally good. He also connected with the whole family and was easy to talk to. He gave us a lot of insight into modern Colombia. We really enjoyed the hike among the Wax Palms.

We had a little less time with our third guide, Sergio in Cartagena but he too was excellent. He showed us places and offered us information and opinions about Cartagena and Colombia that we would not have gotten on our own. We even ran into a Colombian soccer great, Carlos Valderrama and Sergio was able to get him to take a photo with my soccer loving son!

Our transportation was always very punctual and comfortable. The drivers were generally good.

Our hotels were also mostly excellent. The Hotel de la Opera in Bogota figured out it was my wife's birthday and left a nice piece of cake in our room. A very nice touch. WE loved the setting of the Hotel Sazagua, we loved the location of the Hotel Bantu, and we felt the service at all these hotels was excellent. The only hotel we didn't just love was the hotel Majagua on Isla Rosario. It was a bit expensive, the service was okay but it felt like we were being sold something the minute we stepped off the boat. It was also very windy. I did appreciate that they got us back to the mainland safely because the weather turned bad and it threatened to keep us there and possibly miss our plane the next day.

All in all, it was a memorable trip. Thank you.

The booking process was smooth and Brahim was very prompt in answering our messages given that we only started planning a month in advance. We spent seven days in Morocco, starting and ending in Marrakech, with a four day trip out to the dessert and back in the middle. He selected excellent accommodations for our family of four, and suggested two activities in Marrakech that we would recommend - a walking tour in the Medina (our guide Mohammed was very knowledgeable although soft spoken and sometimes hard to understand) and an excellent Moroccan cooking class through the Riad dar Attamjil. Yassim and Zachariah at Dar El Masa in Marrakech were very helpful and welcoming. They kept us on schedule by communicating with our tour providers and giving us advice and directions on how to experience the medina, souks, and parts beyond. Breakfasts were lovely, rooms were comfortable and quiet. Our guide/driver Mohammed was exceptional. His English was very good and he struck a great balance between educating us about Morocco and allowing for downtime. He really made this part of our trip the best it could be. Comfortable, clean van with wifi and plenty of water. Our teenaged children loved the camel rides to/from the desert, it was a highlight for them. La Perle du Dades was a beautiful kasbah near Boumalne Dades, very family friendly with games, a lovely pool and courtyard and fantastic dining. Kasbah Titrit near Ait Benhaddou was also top notch with spectacular rooms, excellent food and service. In every place we met with friendly people, full of pride in their country and incredibly warm and welcoming.
We would recommend KimKim's services to anyone traveling to Morocco - we would never have been able to relax and enjoy our trip this much had we tried to plan it on our own.

The guide and car assigned to us for a VIP trip is inferior.

Guide has not taken the time to properly guide.
He was so rushed and quite annoying.

We had an excellent private trip in South America and this one was below standard the guiding etc.

Fortunately Jordan is a great country to visit.

Linda was absolutely amazing and put together the ideal itinerary for us which turned out to be the trip of a lifetime! Not only was she there for all the preparation and planning but when we arrived she was a total star in sorting out lost luggage, making sure we were ok, and even tracking down a lost pair of glasses that caught up with us by high speed boat just before we were about to leave. 5 stars is just not enough, Linda really was a life saver! I highly recommend Linda and Kim Kim, absolutely brilliant!

All arrangements was very good
Great guides both place
All other staff van driver
Host wear very nice
Over all all your staff or subcontractors very helpfully people we knowledgeable
Very friendly and helpful

Our overall experience planning and booking our Moroccan tour with kimkim was very positive, especially because of the efficiency, professionalism and very timely responses from our local specialist, Brahim. While planning the trip, Brahim was very attentive to my special requests and responded to my questions often within minutes. While on the trip, I emailed him twice and on both occasions he responded back promptly with the information I had requested. On our last night, he even called the Dar where we were staying and spoke to me to check if everything was OK.
Regarding our experiences during the tour, our English-speaking driver Mohammed was very professional and friendly. The car was clean and comfortable and he provided fresh bottled water. He pointed out interesting landmarks on the way and shared historical information. Our assigned guide in Fes was substituted by Said, who was very knowledgeable and informative.
A couple of tips/suggestions for improvement:
1. The rest rooms in the rest areas where we stopped were not equipped with adequate facilities and the only time I had no option but to use one, it was “horrific”. I suggest the driver chooses only those test stops that have proper facilities or that people are warned in advance so they know what to expect.
2. As a Muslim, I was really hoping to pray in some of the famous mosques but unfortunately the mosques are open only during the short time of the congregational prayers and shut at other times. This was personally disappointing and I would not have had raised expectations if I knew this in advance. Similarly, one of my priorities was to visit the library in Fes university, the oldest university in the world, and look at ancient manuscripts of the Holy Koran. Sadly, we were informed that visitors are not allowed inside and could only stand by the closed gates. I know this is outside the scope of tour organizers but prior information would be helpful in managing one’s expectations.

Everyone we interacted with from the beginning of our trip planning to wrapping up was excellent. Valentin helped us build the perfect trip and patiently answered all of our questions along the way. Each and every bed & breakfast owner was extremely professional, welcoming, and helpful and we also found KimKim's partner company in NZ to be well-regarded. This trip was the perfect way to view the beautiful country of New Zealand and so much of what it has to offer. At one point, we had in our notes that breakfast was included, but it was not reflected in the B&B's notes. The B&B called the company and it was quickly resolved with the company absorbing the cost of the mistake. We thought this was fair and a very good business practice. Valentin even called us once during the trip to check in and make sure everything was going well and see if he could offer any recommendations or assistance. This was our second trip with KimKim and we found their services once again to be a great value. We enjoyed collaborating on the itinerary where we wanted, but letting Valentin fill in the details with his extensive knowledge and spot-on recommendations. Thank you!

Overall, the experience was amazing thanks to KimKim. We felt safe in a country We were unfamiliar with, thanks to our awesome driver, tour guide, and riad staff. My only complaint would be, that the camp in the Afagay desert was empty. My friend and I were the only guests that night, so it was a little boring & creepy. However, the staff treated us like queens. We had an amazing dinner overlooking the desert and mountains, but it was very quiet. The tent we ate dinner in was huge with a gorgeously decorated interior set up for a DJ, bartender, and more guests, in which there were none. Aside from that our experience in Morocco was unforgettable and totally worth the money!

We had a great time in Australia and everything went fine. Lisa with Kimkim did a great job and kept us well informed.

Natalie was exceptionally helpful in recommending tours that worked for our family. She handled all the logistics, provided the guides, transportation if needed and even met us on the last day of our trip and gave us a gift!

All of the guides were knowledgeable, friendly, professional and experienced - our favorite was the cooking class with George, but all three Yannis's were great too! Nota's guided tour of the Acropolis and Acropolis museum was very informative and brought a lot of insight into the culture and history of Greek civilization, as well as current politics and social issues.

Thanks to all for making our trip to Athens very memorable!

My Father-In-Law and I had a fantastic trip to Nepal! I want to thank Kim Kim for providing an excellent platform for planning and communication. The are no words for how wonderful Kunchok and the Responsible Treks Team were. Everyone was very patient, flexible, and attentive to our varying interests and needs. Our trip was a whirlwind Buddhist pilgrimage/sight-seeing adventure/cultural experience/trek--in the Kathmandu Valley area, Bandipur, Pokhara, and Annapurna. The guides Raman and Pratiksha provided unparalleled expertise and good company. Our trekking guide Chhiring became like a new brother to me. He really went out of his way to share and shape my experience. I hope to return as soon as I can! Thank you for sharing your beautiful country with me.

Our driver while in Jordon was Mohammad Althnibat, he was fantastic. We had unexpected health issues with one of our party and he was very supportive and helpful. He was always prompt and courteous. We went to Jerash and the tour guide there was Zehar, very knowledgeable and made the tour very good.
Our guide in Petra was Basil, we had trouble understanding him, which is too bad, he seemed to really know the area and was trying but we just didn't get any useful information. Our second day inPetra had hail andsleet so we did not do the walk to the Monastery since we were not prepared with proper clothing.
The night in Wadi Rum was fabulous! the Memoires Aicha Luxury camp was great, the food was good, the panoramic tents were great, and the jeep tour was very interesting.
The Mövenpick hotels in Petra and Dead Sea were awesome, the intercontinental hotel in Amman was perfect

Damayantha was a fantastic guide. After he picked us up from the airport and on our way to our first lodging he stopped and had us experience king coconut juice from the coconut. He also pointed out things of interest along the way. He is a superb driver and we were extremely comfortable with his driving during our long transitions between places we were staying. When he was called away with a death in his family and we had a new guide/driver, we appreciated his driving even more. Dama made our trip most enjoyable by his interaction with us, showing us points of interest, accommodating our minor schedule changes and making sure everything we needed was taken care of. All of the hotels were fine and a few were really fine like Cinnamon Kandy, JetWing and Centauriawild. The Thaproban Waves Hotel was gorgeous but my wife scheduled a massage through the hotel and was inappropriately touched by the masseuse and it was absolutely intentional. The hotel management seemed to believe the masseuse's story rather than what my wife had to say. Of particular interest was the glamping (glamorous camping) at Mahoora Premium. They are very ecologically conscious and make every effort to leave a small or no carbon footprint. On our jeep safari at Mahoora were were fortunate to see two leopards and two sloth bears. We were very lucky indeed to see both of these animals. Sigiriya was most memorable as was Udawalawe National Park. All in all a great trip.

My partner and I planned a six day trip to Iceland without really knowing much about the country or its culture besides the blue lagoon and fermented shark. Zeynep was very patient and very accommodating, and so informative. She helped us book a six day trip where we went on a foodie/golden circle tour, horseback riding, blue lagoon, and a two day south coast tour. She also gave us many resources for finding great places to eat and explore, and a very detailed itinerary. We asked her to give us a memorable trip, and boy did she deliver. We fell in love with Iceland in less than a week, and are already planning a trip back. Thanks to Zeynep for such a wonderful vacation!

The overall experience was excellent. The guides chosen were knowledgable and the trip was organized very well. The accommodations were excellent.

Alex was excellent overall. She communicated well and on time. The only glitch we encountered, was we missed our pick up to Halong Bay. This cost us additional fees. We would have appreciated 10-15 minutes to go over the entire itinerary upon arrival with confirmation of times etc., or daily updates/ reminders by email.

In summary, our expectations were met and we found the whole experience excellent. I would not hesitate to book with Alex again.

Don't know where to begin - Everything was great!

Anne made planning the trip an easy and interesting experience. We changed our format, timing and group numbers several times and she worked with us to ensure the trip went off without incident. She had excellent recommendations on where to go (we customized the format).

Tin, our River guide, was amazing. Comprehensive knowledge of Myanmar, the areas we traveled and of Buddhism; excellent English, friendly but non-intrusive, and flexible. He was always ready to work with us to make sure the group's varying needs were met. Far superior to any guide we have experienced so far.

The boat was exactly what we needed. Our cabin was roomy and bed was comfortable. The HVAC wasn't able to keep our cabin cool but others said they were very comfortable. Food was very good. Boat staff was excellent- pleasant, attentive and professional.

Trip up the Chindwin to Buddhist caves and monuments was most memorable. The "beach BBQ" the last night on the river was very special too. I had several comments from friends of "Trip of a Lifetime" and these people travel almost constantly.

I also appreciate the extra effort given by Anne and the Staff. For example, I left my phone on a Singapore Air Flight. Anne arranged for the phone to be picked up at Yangon airport and delivered to me during a stop on the Irrawaddy!

Kim-kim provided a great experience from design to conclusion.