Kimkim Trip Reviews

Paula with KimKim set us up with an amazing trip in New Zealand. She recommended the Rees Hotel which was a fantastic spot. We were a bit out of town, but they have a shuttle running all the time and the location on the lake was gorgeous. Having our own apartment was great and even better was the laundry set up in our apartment which helped a lot for our long trip. All our excursions were fantastic. I can’t even pick a favorite. I highly recommend the half day bike trip for Arrowtown, the Milford Sound excursion, the one day Routeburn Track hike (13 miles so long but totally worth it!), and the jet boats out on the Dart River. Angelo was our guide on the hike and he was so entertaining and informative. All of it was amazing and I would happily do it all over again. One last thing - we were supposed to take a flight back from Milford Sound and that got canceled due to wind. It ends up being a LONG day with a lot of time on a bus when you have to take it back, and yet I would still do it. The sound is gorgeous. Thanks Paula!

Let's start with what Kimkim did wrong because it may help you. First, a little background - my wife and I are in our 50's and are likely two of the oldest digital nomads there are lol. In other words, we travel for 7 - 8 months per year while we run a small business remotely. We usually book our own tours / travel, but we have started to use Kimkim when we are too busy or need an expert. We booked a short tour with Kimkim (Ali) recently and in our opinion, Kimkim's only mistake was that they didn't fully prepare us for the beauty we actually experienced. I'm not kidding here - going into this short tour from Marrakech to the desert, all four of us expected (our daughter and mother-in-law came with us) that the tour would be nice, but it turned out to be superb. Ali's guidance and Said's booking was flawless and they were very responsive, Farid the driver was excellent, kind and understanding (he even welcomed us into his mother's home to break fast during Ramadan). As excellent as the Kimkim team was, the actual tour was fantastic - the beautiful landscapes we experienced on our way to the desert, the desert experience itself, the hotel selections, the food, the guide in the desert (Ibrahim) who drove us though the desert in his 4 x 4, it was all much better than we expected before we left Marrakech. Thank you for a wonderful experience! Paul & Erika Montague (Canada).

We just completed a wonderful trip to Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hanoi.
The highlight for us was a “village tour” during our stay in Hoi An. Our local tour guide, Trinh, introduced us to our village with a very personal itinerary, including visits to several homes in the community for food and chats.

The hotels that were selected for us were all outstanding. Our favorites were Nikko Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and Allegro in Hoi An.

A very special thanks to our host, Trang. She made the planning so easy and (other than some minor communication gaps due to the time change) she was remarkably responsive and flexible. Trang literally saved our vacation. When checking in to our Korean Airlines flight in Boston, the airline’s crew noted an error in my visa for Vietnam - basically there was, in error, and extra “s” listed in my name on the Visa. After a long and stressful hour, in which it was clear that I would ultimately not be able to board the flight from Seoul to Ho Chi Minh City with this Visa, Trang saved the day! By the time our flight landed in Seoul, she had arranged for a “rush” replacement visa and I was able to complete travel as planned. I cannot thank Trang enough!

This was our second KimKim experience, as we traveled to Japan with the entire family this past summer. Both experiences were excellent and I will certainly use KimKim again.

Hotel Review

Allegro Hoian

A great boutique hotel with charm and a super-attentive staff. Great location and an even greater breakfast buffet! “Nancy” from the staff was warm and welcoming and made it a point to chat daily and even remembered our names throughout our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Charming feel

Location

Short walk to Old Town

Staff

Nancy was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hoi An - biking Go Noi Village - Hoi An

Hoi An

Our favorite activity of the trip. Trinh, our local tour guide, gave an amazing introduction to her home village. We learned to prepare several dishes and enjoyed a great lunch at a family’s home. Riding around the village on bicycles was a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best driver ever!

The Kim Kim experience was very good and the local specialist Ravi was excellent in handling the itinerary (which we had to modify a number of times), maintained excellent communication prior and throughout the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Fishtail lodge

Pokhara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Dwarika’s Hotel

Kathmandu

Hotel, Staff and food were excellent

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kathmandu Free Day

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Annapurna Foothills Trek & Cultural Village Experience!

Pokhara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise from Sarangkot!

Pokhara

Unfortunately, beyond anyone's control it was a foggy morning so views of nice sunrise and the Himalayas were non existent

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Pokhara sightseeing!

Pokhara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kathmandu - Nagarkot via Bhaktapur

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kathmandu Full Day Sightseeing!

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt Everest Flight!

Kathmandu

We had better views travelling out of Kathmandu on air India.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Shree was excellent, very knowledgeable and always very punctual and our drivers both in Kathmandu and Pakhora were exceptional.

Transport

Drivers were always on time, vehicles were very comfortable and the driver had to negotiate some very difficult driving conditions

The planning process was overall positive. We ultimately had three specialists due to staff transitions but the running dialogue was in tact so I think the continuity was preserved. I was new to the Kimkim process and would be a more effective communicator next time. When asked to provide feedback I wasn’t always sure what to say or what alternatives to consider.

Having Omar for the duration of our trip was extremely valuable - both in theory and in practice. I am contrasting that with our current time in Egypt where there have been handoffs. Of course, that only works with a skilled guide. Omar was open, a good listener and engaging. He found a great balance being personal and professional. He was open, educational without being overwhelming. We would welcome him in our home if he ever gets to the states. He even introduced us to his mother! He accommodated special requests.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Really enjoyed our time here. Authentic and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar Timnay Hotel

Midelt

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Fun experience. Well appointed, especially given its location.

Authenticity & Character

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Solid western style, resort style accommodation. Nice pool.

Eden Boutique Hotel

Boumalne Dades

Absolutely amazing! This place is beautiful. Staff is attentive. Food is outstanding. Leadership is present and engaged. Eden is right up there with the very best places we have ever stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Next level

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day with the Locals in the Valley of Roses

Morocco

Spending the day with the locals in the Valley of Roses was quite enjoyable. We got to engage with people living there, learn about their lives, and have meaningful conversations which added a great cultural depth to our trip.

Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour

Morocco

The private cooking class with the souk tour in Marrakech was a very unique experience. It was more of a demonstration since they did most of the cooking while we watched, but we did get to chop some ingredients.

Midelt to Merzouga Camel Trek

Morocco

The camel trek to Merzouga was an awesome experience! It truly stood out during our trip and was one of the highlights of our journey through Morocco.

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

The guided tour of Marrakech was okay. Our guide was knowledgeable, but I found him to be somewhat inflexible, expecting us to conform to his way of doing things. I wish he had been more attuned to our needs, especially when it came to taking photos and discussing cultural aspects honestly.

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Syed was fantastic. He is a knowledgeable and clear communicator. Really enjoyed our time with him.

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

Thanks for the heads up about our guide needing to canvass two terminals. That was helpful to know when he wasn’t there at our arrival. Otherwise we may have worried a bit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Driver for Sikkim Sonam Sherpa was outstanding. He also served as a guide for places where we did not need a senior Guide.
Our Guide for Tsomgo Lake trip ( RUBINA) was excellent and went beyond her responsibilities to guide and assist us in difficult terrain over 12,500 feet. The driver was also skilled in navigating difficult high altitude roads.

The overall support provided by the local agency (Rajat and Santosh Gupta) was very good and they showed flexibility to adjust to our needs.

Hotel Review

The Elgin, Darjeeling Heritage Resort & Spa

Darjeeling

Great experiencing at this authentic boutique property.

Authenticity & Character

Old palace converted into a boutique property.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gangtok – Excursion to Tsomgo Lake

Gangtok

The excursion to Tsomgo Lake was not as picturesque as expected due to cloudy weather, which I wasn’t fully prepared for. It was a beautiful glacier lake situated at a high altitude, but we were there during a time when the chances of seeing it in its full beauty were low. The planning and support were excellent as the team handled the permits and logistics, but visitors should be informed that during January to early March, the lake might be frozen and covered in snow. It felt like a missed opportunity, and I would have appreciated a heads-up about the typical weather conditions during our visit.

Darjeeling – Tiger Hill Sunrise, Toy Train Ride & Sightseeing

Darjeeling

We covered all the traditional tourist and world heritage sites. One full day was good.

Quality of Experience

Very please and customer centric people

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Customer service

Transport

We can’t say enough wonderful things about the trip to Finland (with a side trip to Estonia) that Emerson organized for our family. Simply put, Emerson was the hero of our trip. Our flight to Helsinki was cancelled, and then our return flight home was delayed by a blizzard in the U.S., but Emerson immediately sprang into action. He quickly reworked our itinerary and helped minimize the additional costs caused by the delays, turning what could have been a very stressful situation into something completely manageable.

Emerson's communication was outstanding from start to finish. He responded quickly to every message and always provided thoughtful, detailed answers to our (sometimes silly!) questions during the planning process. When our flights were cancelled and we were sending panicked WhatsApp messages, he stayed calm, responsive, and incredibly helpful. We truly can’t thank him enough for his professionalism, competence, and kindness; he was an absolute pleasure to work with and genuinely saved the trip (and our sanity!).

The trip itself was fantastic. The hotels Emerson selected were perfect for our family, including a “bonus hotel” (Home Hotel Jugend) that we needed during our unexpected extended stay. The tours were excellent -- especially the dogsledding and Northern Lights tour led by Niko from Johka.fi, which were both truly unforgettable. All of the transfers were smooth and perfectly on time. My husband wasn’t the biggest fan of the overnight train to Kemijärvi, but the kids thought it was a great adventure.

Our hotel in Pyhä (Kurula’s Resort) was wonderful. While the walk into town was a bit long, the weather was beautiful and the road passed a public sledding hill that quickly became a highlight for our family. The warming hut at the base made it extra special because we had fun roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire.

The kids also loved visiting the amethyst mine, and the dinner after our snowmobiling tour was outstanding—especially the moose soup. Estonia was a fantastic addition as well: the ferry ride was relaxing, the tour of Tallinn with Jonas from Estadventures was fascinating, and the city itself is absolutely gorgeous.

This was truly an unforgettable trip for our family, and Emerson played a huge role in making it such a success. We recommend kimkim and Emerson wholeheartedly to anyone planning a trip to the region.

Hotel Reviews

Posti Boutique Hotel Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi

Nice and quiet, quick walk to town, excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kurula's Resort

Pyhätunturi

The rooms are fantastic! Sledding right outside the front door of the rooms (on the provided sleds) is fun. It would be nice to have a shuttle to town since there are functionally no ubers/taxis and bus is very infrequent & expensive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Kids thought it was the greatest thing ever! One adult found it interesting but had some trouble sleeping. The other adult couldn't sleep at all and was fairly grumpy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Paasi

Helsinki

Quiet, friendly, great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

Since we were in Lapland it's only proper to see some reindeer, and we saw some. This was a well-organized tour. Unfortunately, the other guests in our group tour were talking/translating over the tour guide and interrupting her constantly. She seemed really exasperated and I felt bad for her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Finland

This was awesome! We saw the most amazing lights - it was otherworldly. Our tour guide (Niko who works with the company Johka) was a man on a mission to get us to see some lights. He drove so far to get away from the clouds, and we had brilliant success. While I know that we were lucky, I have to give some credit to Niko's very intense reading of his solar activity apps and knowledge of the area. He's also very chatty, funny, and pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Snowmobile Safari with Dinner

Pyhä

It was very very cold and I am not sure that we are natural-born snowmobilers. The dinner afterwards was fantastic and cozy. There were some northern lights above the lake & the proprietor came and got us from dinner to look at the lights, letting us stay a bit late. Excellent hospitality

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Husky Safari and Farm Visit

Pyhä

This was awesome! The dogs are very high energy. Strongly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amethyst Mine Tour with the Pendolino - Snow Train

Pyhä

The kids really liked this activity. The Pendolino was fun & the scenery was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (3h)

Helsinki

Enjoyed the tour - it was a nice way to orient ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

The city tour with Jonas with Estadventures was fantastic, we learned a lot! We enjoyed traveling on the giant ferry through the partially frozen sea - it was like traveling through a slurpee.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Priscilla and the team at MyTripology created an excellent two week end-to-end visit to Indonesia, handling every in-country arrangement with private cars, drivers, and guides. She added things I did not even know about. The cultural diversity in the experiences was wonderful. The attention to detail was perfect. Every airport arrival, hotel transfer, guide pickup, etc. was seamless. She even secured a complimentary couples spa package in Bali and and an upgrade to a suite in Labuan Bajo. Items like the Raffles LiveAboard boat stay and Ceci dancing were unknown to me at the start of planning. The guides were all very good an a couple were excellent.

An important part of the success was having a constant WhatsApp contact "handler" named Deta. Deta sent updates, photos of pickup assistants, flight check-in links, and answered all tour questions. When there was a port closure threatening our ship sailing she created alternate plans, sending updates as needed (but the weather improved just in time to go back to original plan!). When our flight home (which they had not booked) was cancelled I asked the Indonesia team to find us alternate flights as I was having difficulty working 12 hours away from my home agency. They booked us avoiding the closed airports and got us home under difficult circumstances. Much appreciated.

I look forward to exploring another tour in the future with MyTripology.

Hotel Reviews

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

YOGYAKARTA

Amazing and visually appealing hotel. Great buffet. Welcoming spa with well equipped gym and sauna. Pleasant outdoor pool. Lots of artistic flourishes to keep your interest and attention. Helpful and courteous staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bintang Flores Hotel

Labuan Bajo

We had a nice stay at this hotel. Our agency upgraded us to a junior suite which was fantastic. The hotel pool was pleasant and right by the beach. We were there in the off season and it was rather dead and the breakfast experience was initially disappointing. By the time we left there were many more guests and a full breakfast buffet--a welcome change. The staff was uniformly courteous and helpful. The location was OK. You could walk into the town center in 25 minutes if you wanted to. A few mini marts and a nice coffee/ice cream shop were within 10 minutes walk. They arranged taxi rides for a modest fee. There were no free shuttles. My only compliant: the exercise room was the poorest condition I have ever seen in any hotel--even small hotels. Broken equipment, uninviting ambience. no towels or water. Really embarrassing for someone who looks for this amenity.

Authenticity & Character

Location

closer to town center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

See the review. Everything was fine except for the exercise room.

Activity Reviews

Visit Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Indonesia

Visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud was quite fun. The monkeys were lively and jumped on us, keen on grabbing anything they thought was food, even stealing water bottles. It was amusing watching their antics, especially with the cute baby monkeys around.

Visit Tegallalang Rice Terrace

Indonesia

The Visit to Tegallalang Rice Terrace was visually beautiful initially, but turned into more of a tourist enclave with zip lines, swings, and numerous photo ops which overshadowed the natural beauty of the terraces. Our guide seemed to think we wanted to indulge in the amusement park-like activities rather than immerse in the natural environment. We would have preferred to walk in the rice paddies. I'd suggest that guides inquire about clients' preferences beforehand. It certainly had its fun moments, though.

Watch Caci Dance Performance

Labuan Bajo

The Caci Dance Performance was a big surprise and a pleasant one at that. We initially thought it would just be another tribal dance, but it turned out to be an intimate cultural experience. Being the only duo on the tour, hosted by someone perhaps from the tribe, we were introduced to customs in an engaging way, even being welcomed into the community with a white rooster. The ceremony, the dances including the delightful rice harvest dance, and participating in some of the routines were fascinating. Sharing stories and drinks afterwards made it feel warm and personal. This is perfect for someone interested in true cultural immersion.

Karim was a fantastic guide! We went as a group of five and he welcomed us with open arms from start to finish. We loved all of the experiences, especially being in the Sahara. Would recommend to everyone!

We loved our trip to Thailand. Elena did a phenomenal job planning the entire thing and tailoring it to our desires. It was an incredibly memorable experience with phenomenal guides ("O" and Mark). Everything was very well thought out and the travel was seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Varana Krabi Hotel

Wellness Focused Hotel with great amenities. We worked out in the gym each morning, had a yummy breakfast on the veranda and then headed to the pool or beach. My husband did the paddle board fitness class and I got a massage on the beach. 10/10

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort

Wonderful Hotel. The free boat up and down the river was an awesome addition. Centrally located with a great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Khao Ngon Nak: Naka Peak, Natural Trail - Dragon Crest Mountain private tour

Krabi

Plau did a great job on this tour. We were able to go up the trail at a quick pace and were happy she was leading the way and going at our pace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Four Islands Sunset & Night Snorkeling by Speedboat Join-in Activity

Krabi

Such a great day in the sun! We were able to snorkle both during the day and at night. The beaches were pristine and the water is warm. I typically get seasick, but didn't at all on this tour and the guides had medicine in case. At the end of the tour we saw the most incredible group of bats leaving a cave (I mean thousands) and then snorkled in the dark with bioluminescent plankton. Unforgettable!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secret Bar Vibes Bangkok

Bangkok

Mark was great and we went to the most amazing bars! We went to a few different bars after and they were amazing. The bars Mark picked out were so fun, funky, and had delicious drinks (I even got mocktails and they were so yummy)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

We got so full on this tour! We had a blast trying out the different street foods and seeing the bustling night life.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

This was such a cool and authentic day. O, our guide, showed us local food and we tasted the most amazing Thai snacks at the market. The boat ride was relaxing and allowed us to see local thai culture up close.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic, Local, Fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Great Tour on our first day. The guide "O" was super informative and gave us a lot of information about the temples.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was the most incredible trip! We had so many wonderful experiences including touring the interesting city of Helsinki, enjoying Finnish saunas, visiting a beautiful reindeer farm, and going on a husky ride... But most of all, we had once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the northern lights! We had great success with our northern lights hunting tours and even got to see them dancing above us while in our glass ceiling cabin! The pace of the week-long trip was comfortable and the accommodations were very nice/food was delicious! These were very unique experiences I got to share with my mom and husband that will give us memories to last a lifetime

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nova Skyland Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Lights Ranch

Köngäs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snowshoeing Experience

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adults Only Husky Adventure

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Herder Day Experience

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (2h)

Helsinki

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Photography Tour

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great overall 15 day Australia itinerary to 5 locations. Logistics went perfectly

Designer Trips represented by Camila and her ops colleague Flora were very professional, pleasant to work with and provided a high level of service and always responded promptly to queries and requests to change a very bespoke and tight itinaeary. All the local guides and drivers provided were excellent and we enjoyed all the properties we stayed at.

Hotel Reviews

Llao Llao Hotel

Bariloche

A unique property with stunning views and location with extensive facilities. A much larger property than we normally like, but the new Moreno Wing was excellent and almost like a boutique hotel. Best designed hotel room we have stayed in anywhere optimised for views, space and amienties! Unfortunately the food was not up to the same standard and we were pleased we went out for dinner one evening

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Awasi Mendoza

Overall Excellent 5* plus experience with personal guide/driver for wine tours. Hotel provided a great wine and culinary experince and rooms as individual Casita's with lovely roof terrace

Authenticity & Character

surounded by a vineyard

Location

Staff

All the staff very attentive and lovely people who want to do a great job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legado Mitico Salta Hotel Boutique

Salta

Old town house in great location walking distance to centre of Salta and night life area

Authenticity & Character

well done rennovation and conversion of original town house

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grace Cafayate Hotel

Salta

Excellent location close to town with very nice pool area. We stayed in one of the seperate villas which while was a big space was a bit souless and lacking in comfort and amienities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

breakfast and dining service excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

CasaSur Palermo Hotel

Buenos Aires

good hotel as base for a short BA visit in nice area

Authenticity & Character

Black theme bit dated

Location

Palermo

Staff

front desk very responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Navigation & Trekking

Bariloche

We had fabulous weather for our 1/2 day private bosat excursion - really nice itineray and small motor launch and visit to Victoria island was perfect to complement the hiking day

Quality of Experience

Food

simple picnic on the boat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent local guide and skipper/owner of the boat

Transport

Panoramic Hike

Bariloche

we really enjoyed the hiking and expert guiding

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mendoza Private City Tour

Mendoza

the highlight is the city park which is wonderful and the monument - not much to see in rest of Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic drive Cafayate to Salta

Argentina

beacause we did the hike en route

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner under the stars

Cafayate

Beatutiful setting and service at the hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trekking Quebrada de las Flechas

Argentina

Local guide and driver Joachim and our hiking guide Quito were really excellent and made sure we got the best out of our hiking time. This 8 km hike is through beautiful massive landscape with just us and our guide with stunning geology changing every 100m and our guide Quito was a proffessor of Geology so was fascinating experinece as well as amazing for photography. This was the highlight of our Argentina trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joachim looked after us brilliantly and was always available and adjusted the itinaeary to maximise our time and experience

Trekking (El Paso – La Yesera)

Argentina

Local guide and driver Joachim and our hiking guide Quito were really excellent and made sure we got the best out of our hiking time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's wine time!

Cafayate

very nice lunch with wine pairing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vicky was professional, communicative and accommodated all requests when needed. Prompt whenever we had questions.
As a personal opinion a couple of the tour parts we did, did not live up to expectations. However overall the trip was really enjoyable and we would happily recommend Kim Kim and Vicky as a specialist to support.

Hotel Reviews

Vibe Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Mountains Wildlife Full-Day Sights and Hiking from Sydney

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Bridge Climb Summit

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic Sydney Sights - Half Day Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Daintree Adventure from Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ABC Reef Safaris - Port Douglas Snorkelling max 12 passengers

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tangalooma Snorkel the Wrecks Day Cruise with Bus Transfers from Brisbane

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane River Cruise

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bella was amazing and super helpful! I definitely recommend her for any travel needs you may have.

For the most part, our family enjoyed the trip prepared by Ada Huang and the Kim Kim team. We had three families totaling eleven people that created a logistic challenge. Getting the group from Tokyo to Hakone to Kyoto back to Tokyo and to Sapporo was achieved with great efficiency and all transportation was on time, professional and high quality equipment. We did have a few issues during the trip that should be addressed for future consideration. 1) Accommodations for the most part were high quality. We especially enjoyed the Asakusa View Hotel when we arrived. They met our request for adjoining rooms and their breakfasts were the best of all our western style accommodations. In Hakone we had an enjoyable one night stay at the Hotel Kajikaso ryokan. Unfortunately our requests for adjoining rooms for our families with children was problematic at the Hilton Kyoto Garden Inn. Not only were their offerings not adjoining but not even on the same floors when we arrived. We understand that there was no guarantee for our requests but the hotel staff indicated no notes were in the reservation making such request. Fortunately we were able to get each family situated on the same floor for our stay in Kyoto. Also important to note here that at the Hilton Kyoto Garden Inn you cannot get to any other floors besides the lobby and the one your personal room is on so there was no way to visit our families other rooms without swapping keys. My daughter called ahead to the Gate Hotel Tokyo to make sure our request was indicated before we arrived back in Tokyo and the Gate Hotel met our requests nicely. Follow-up and follow through for hotel requests are the most important component to travelers and should be the highest priority for a travel specialist to concentrate on. Our stay in Sapporo was fine at the Cross Hotel Sapporo.
2) We were counting on the expertise of Ada to provide information regarding the itinerary that she produced. It was a first trip for our family to Disney Sea and some information on procedures at the park would have been very helpful. Instead of simply providing transportation and tickets for the day, it would have been nice to have some information regarding park passes, website, etc. so standing in lines could have been reduced. When we toured Kyoto, it would have been important to know that it was a holiday for the Emperor’s birthday and the Kyoto Imperial Palace would be closed so we could have opted for another day to tour. We had multiple days in Kyoto and could have adjusted our schedule accordingly. My wife had specifically asked to see 2 locations and both of those locations were closed for the holiday.
3) We had five group oriented tours during our stay. Kumiko Aizawa toured us through Tokyo & Hakone. She was a wonderful & knowledgeable guide. Taku Tanimoto guided us through Osaka and was also a great resource of useful information. Sumie Shibata led us through our tour of Kyoto very professionally however my wife was not very happy that the 2 places she requested to see was not on the itinerary nor was she informed prior to the tour we were not going to be able to go to those places. Alternative locations were chosen to add to the itinerary but the focus of our family tour, which is more food oriented, was lost at the new venues. We passed a couple of key street food spots and only found out we had passed them once we were already onto the next location. Finally, Yumiko Kashiwagi guided us through Sapporo for our final tour. All four guides were high quality individuals providing great background history during our tours. We knew putting together a memorable journey for three families with eleven people to Japan would certainly be a challenge. Everyone was pleasantly surprised how smooth transport was throughout the trip. Accommodations were more than adequate. Our itinerary was a nice mix of guided tours and free days to relax or shop. Thank you for all your efforts in putting this journey together and please consider our comments as you continue to provide your services in the future.

This was one of our best trips and we have traveled quite a lot. Uma Natarajan was amazing. She already had an itinerary that interested me and my cousins and we just made it exactly what we wanted,
14 days in beautiful New Zealand. It was very busy but we wouldn't leave anything out. I'm sure there is even more to see in that wonderful place.
From the Harbour Sailing dinner cruise in Auckland, then Auckland City Tour with just the 6 of us (cousins) with Raymond great tour guide, Eco Zip line -super beautiful including the walk back to base through the rainforest, Then the unique Waitomo Glowworm Caves and on to Hobbiton with driver Rachael. I'm a huge Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fan and this was special. Next day' Hell's Gate Mud Bath experience was very interesting followed by breathtaking walk through the Redwood Trees. very secure and magical. We followed that with Tu Te Ra Maori Summer celebration. That was wonderful to understand the Maori beginnings and culture. This was followed by a very tasty dinner of their specialties. Next day we flew to South New Zealand into Christchurch and had a unique Tramway gourmet dinner while passing the sights of Christchurch. Next day a Christchurch city tour followed by Punting on the Avon with John from Ireland our boat punter - such a great job he did. The end of the day we picked King of Snakes to have my husband's birthday meal. We had the meal where they put together a selection of their choosing and each item was so delightful - Like a Michelin restaurant. From Christchurch we went to Tekapo Springs and enjoyed a morning soaking in different temperature pools with mountains in the background - so beautiful and relaxing. That night we stayed up late and went to the Dark Sky Project, where they took us to very dark deserted place to tell us about the night sky. We saw the Southern Cross, Jupiter and its rings and its 4 moons, We saw other galaxies - Loved it!. Then on a Cheeky Kiwi van with others to Queenstown the next day. Thrilling walks for views of Mt. Cook and so many "Oh My Gosh" sights. We went on the Appellation Wine Tour - 4 wineries with a tasty meal after winery #1. It was so good that we joined the Kinross wine club. The gondola ride that we did after that was another ' oh my gosh" beautiful experience. Yes, we did more that day - we went on the Walter Peak Steamer to an amazing dinner - actually too much wonderful food to choose from - it was a buffet but we enjoyed the sheep shearing demonstration after that. Next day's highlights was the Milford Sound cruise. Goodness - gorgeous waterfalls, smooth waters, peaceful. Back at the fabulous Rees hotel we enjoyed some light snacks in the bar area before we got a perfect night's sleep. Next headed to Franz Josef on another Cheeky Kiwi bus. It was a long day and possibly too many stops but each one was beautiful so who'd want to miss them? Uma knew we would get in late so she arranged dinner to be included at Legacy Te Waonui. That was one of the best meals of the trip & that's saying something. Next day a Scenic Cruise of lake Mapourika with Joe. A small ship with just our group and 4 others young ladies. Joe was so personable felt like family. We all loved it so much and views of Franz Josef glacier and all the natural beauty that is New Zealand. So after the peaceful cruise we had a nice meal in town and then had a 4 wheeler adventure with Franz Josef Wilderness. That was exhilarating to be sure: rainforests, glacier beds, rivers, mud - wow! At 71 yrs old I had never done this before. The last day of the trip was a highlight. We took the Tranz Alpine Train trip from Greymouth back to Christchurch. Exceptional trip. Views and vista galore and we saw the hugest most vibrant rainbow I'd ever seen. Next day smooth sailing with our transfers to airport and then home to Texas. Couldn't even envision a better trip !

Our family very much enjoyed our trip to Colombia, which included Cartagena, Las Islas del Rosario, and Barranquilla, and working with Cristina and KimKim made it seamless. If there was any concern, they were available quickly to help. I enjoyed the personal contact with Cristina throughout the planning to develop a trip that met our unique requests. It took a big load off the time it would have otherwise taken us to plan such a trip. We will have our memories for a long time. Gracias a todos!

Hotel Review

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

Isla Grande

Unfortunately, the hotel did not have running water when we arrived and it was only fixed in the early evening. This left a bad first impression. It is a lovely hotel and the management staff provided some comped appetizers, but it was an unfortunate incident.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were very kind and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Initially it was not clean because of the water issue. The water never seems to come on full force across the island due to the way the water system works on the island.

Activity Reviews

Visit the National Aviary of Colombia

Colombia

Delightful aviary. More than I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We enjoyed very much the consistency in tour guide and driver - Gustavo and Julio were terrific!

Transport

As before the driver is 5 stars, though the van was a bit outdated. Julio made it work though!

Barranquilla Express Tour

Colombia

This was a tailored tour and we appreciate very much it being able to happen - Gracias!

Quality of Experience

We had a nice mix of personal visits, and sightseeing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think we tried to do much much in one day. We were rushed at the end and we left Barranquilla in rush hour and the traffic was bad.

Transport

The van was nicer than the one in Cartagena - more modern and all seatbelts worked. However, the driver was rushed at the end and I could tell he was upset as he was late to his next job.

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Lovely city, tour guide explained everything well for a multi-generational family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gustavo and Julio took wonderful care of us. Muchas Gracias!

Transport

The driver was excellent! The van itself could use an upgrade, for example, not all the seatbelts worked.

So much detail went in to the planning is this trip and I didn't have to do any of the work. Jenny was amazing and patient. My daughter and I had the trip of a life time, but hopefully we will get another one in a few years!

Probably wouldn't try this agency again. It wasn't all bad, but...
Good: Local one-on-one guides were good and very hospitable. Hotels were good: Montevideo hotel was much better, but service at Punta del Este hotel made up for the fact it was a little old.
Not so good: Communication was lacking. Virtual assistant was out of the office every other day -- what's the point? Transfer from Montevideo to Punta del Este had poor communication: I was not told there was a timed hotel transfer or included lunch. I reported this to the virtual assistant who never got back to me after saying she would submit a complaint. Agent planned an 8 AM tour start on a day I arrived at my hotel at 2 AM. I ended up skipping the tour due to the inconvenience. There was an app with "details" of the trip, but the details were limited. I engage in group travel often. I usually have personal WhatsApp contacts in case there are issues and start and projected end times, which helps time dinners that are not included. Arrangements for a local excursion the first night were at a place where locals (guides drivers bar tender) all said everyone knows the food is bad -- the food was BAD. Finally, there was a water transfer that was ill advised. The water was choppy due to high winds. We were the only boat of our size on the water. No life vests were provided and the trip was frightening. It wasn't the guide's fault.

Hotel Reviews

2122 Hotel Art Design

Punta del Este

good service, though the hotel could use some updating to the rooms.

Hotel Costanero

Montevideo

Activity Reviews

Isla de Lobos nature experience

Punta del Este

I wish I could give it five stars because my guide was great. However, due to the difficult water and lack of life vests, I did not feel save on the ride to the island, I do not think the captain should have taken us out until the winds had past.

Full day Punta del Este & Piriapolis

Punta del Este

The transfer was okay, but I wish I had been told I was going on a tour of people who were on a day tour. There was insufficient information about what was different about my experience. The only reason I give it three stars is because the tour leader seemed to do his best given my unique circumstances.

Day by the Coast: José Ignacio & Sunset by the Sea

Punta del Este

Good guide and driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Art Tour Montevideo

Montevideo

Good guide and driver.

Dinner at El Milongon

Montevideo

Show is fine. Food is pretty bad.