Kimkim Trip Reviews

Great place and loved the accomodations and breakfast was excellent.

The New Otani was a lovely hotel with all the amenities. The breakfast was good but it would have been nice if the food changed periodically during the stay.

Was fun but probably would have benn better at beginning of tour as had already tried many of foods we tasted.

Nara was great and trip was fun.

One of our highlights. Amazing hike.

This was amazing. Great pictures and wonderful day

We drove out to see Mount Fuji and take a boat cruise but because of the overcast weather, we couldn't see fuji and wasn't worthwhile going on lake so a bit of an underwhelming day particularily since we had a long drive each way.

The Art Deco Masonic Hotel had a great location right in town, which was really convenient. While I was happy with the stay, it didn't stand out as anything extra special, but overall it was a pleasant experience.

We could literally walk to the airport. It was steps away. So convenient

Acacia lodge was fantastic. It only had 6 rooms and we enjoyed our private deck with great view of Lake Taupo. The cooked breakfast and nightly appetizers were a nice bonus. Our room and the entire lodge was comfortable and beautiful. Loved the host. They gave us everything we needed but they also respected our privacy

The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves were a bit underwhelming for me. I might be biased because I've experienced a similar cave in Italy that was much better. While the cave itself was unique, I probably wouldn't highly recommend it to others.

This was an unexpected surprise. The scenery was stunning. Only way to see this area is on a tour.

The final accommodation near the Imperial Palace was a much better fit for us. The location was ideal for a short walk to the gardens, which we enjoyed on our last day. While the area lacked shops, it provided a peaceful and pleasant environment, better suited to our preferences.

The Sumo Morning Practice Viewing was fascinating! It was intriguing to learn about sumo in an authentic setting. Watching the sumo wrestlers train was intense but very insightful. Even those of us not interested in sumo found it to be a unique experience that we couldn't see at home.

Avoid the full tour and enjoy the suspension bridge and Pagu instead.

As we rounded the corner in the motorized canoe, we saw buildings up on stilts, thatched roofs and a screened amenity room. The dock was there to received boats. It was perfect! Just what we hoped for in a remote jungle experience.

The sunset motorized canoe rises were a highlight. Learning about the changes in this river over the year was fascinating. We also really enjoyed swimming - right by the dock - with the pink dolphin. It was refreshing after the heat of the day.

Very authentic- A unique experience among the tea plantations

Wonderful to be on the University campus-

Beautiful well preserved national park. I would have stayed one night in the park to be able to get an early morning start on the trails

Very touristy but glad to have seen

The museum and English speaking docent was incredible- highlight of the day. Wish we had been less jet-lagged

While seeing the fish market was a good experience, we would not recommend eating there. The setting is picnic tables inside the market. There was construction going on and the overall cleanliness was extremely poor. We did not enjoy this meal, as we were concerned about the hygiene and cleanliness of the surroundings. Throughout our trip, this is the only time we had this concern.

Our stay at Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort was delightful, though the only downside was the trolley service which was not always available and often took some time to get from place to place. Otherwise, the hotel was a lovely place to relax.

The Manuel Antonio National Park guided hike was a must-do activity. The guides were incredible and provided a top-notch experience. Our whole family felt that this activity was essential to our trip.

The Waterfall & Volcano Hiking Adventure with Lunch was breathtaking. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stunning views and a sense of adventure.

The Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure was simply amazing, especially for older kids. My preteens absolutely loved it, even though it was a bit scary. The thrill and excitement made it a memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Really nice hotel in a good location with a very helpful staff and a well appointed room

The bike and boat Tulip tour was a lot of fun. The boat was very clean, the crew very accommodating, the food good, and the room while small (as expected) was nice and worked out very well.

Exceptional Hotel with a very good-sized room and location

This was a lot of fun. It was a little difficult finding the location but once we arrived it was all good from there. The instructor was fun, and the instructions clear, thus the end result was a delicious batch of waffles made with our own hands.

We really enjoyed Ghent. A nice city with many interesting shops and sights

Our stop on the bike route at Zaanse Schans, was a very busy tourist location but was very interesing and worth the visit

Amazingly beautiful gardens.

The bikes were very functional, and the guides made for a safe and enjoyable experience The activities along the routes were excellent.

Going into the bike and boat trip we were a little leery, but the boat wound up exceeding our expectations. The room was small as expected but worked out very well. The crew was really nice.

To see the actual place where Ann Frank hid was very moving.

Fun time very informative guide

The card was helpful and easy to use

We had a very nice 3-night stay at the Cozy An. We appreciated that it was in a quieter part of town while being close enough for us to walk to the more touristy areas. The rooms were nice, with a small balcony, and the food in the restaurant was plentiful and delicious. We took advantage of the free use of their bicycles to ride around town and ride out to the beach. We appreciated the one on one time we received from the concierge, and all her recommendations for what to see and where to shop. While in the end we didn't agree with all her assessments, they gave us a great place to start. We would definitely recommend staying here.

We had a nice but brief stay at the Hue Ecolodge. The grounds were immaculate, the staff quite friendly, and the food was very good. We had a busy itinerary and poor weather, so didn't take advantage of the on-site amenities like the pool and spa, nor did we have a chance to explore the neighborhood. But as a place to spend a night it met our needs just fine.

We had a delightful stay at the Chay Lap Farmstay. We loved the fact that the property is out in the country, away from the rapidly gentrifying Phong Nha town. We took advantage of the free bicycle rental to ride around the area, and the free kayak rental to escape the heat of the day out on the river. We also rented their e-bikes for a day at a very reasonable rate to explore the area. (A visit to Paradise Cave and a ride on the 'ferry' into town are both must-dos!) The Farmstay was an excellent place from which to see the amazing Phong Nha Ke Bang area.

We had a delightful homestay during our one night in Bac Ha. The grounds are pretty, the views are nice and the rooms were quite comfortable. We especially appreciate how they went out of their way to meet our food needs, driving us to a "tourist-friendly" restaurant for lunch and cooking us a delicious (and HUGE) dinner. We lingered around the dinner table late into the night getting to know our hosts using Google translate.

We loved this beautiful little resort on the outskirts of Sapa! The grounds and rooms are immaculate, the views are lovely and the food was terrific. We especially appreciated being outside the craziness that is Sapa town. Highly recommended!

We had a pleasant but cold stay at Mu Cang Chai Ecolodge. The accommodations were charming and the hosts were very friendly and attentive to our needs, but the thin walls on our room were a big challenge for the cold front that brought temperatures down to the mid single digits. We would recommend a stay here, but be prepared if the weather turns cold!

Le Champ was one of the unexpected highlights of our trip. The location is magical, and it was such a delight to soak in the hot springs after a long day of travel. Extra points for having a beautiful cave to explore right on the resort grounds! We wish we had more time to enjoy this wonderful facility.

Our street food tour of Hoi An was an unexpected delight! After traveling for 3 weeks in vans and on bicycle it was such a delight to zip through the streets like a local on the back of a scooter. Our guide was soft spoken but informative, and he brought us to a nice mix of well-known and back alley food carts and restaurants. We got to try many kinds of foods. While not all were to our liking, we appreciated the opportunity to try them out. This was a great way to spend an evening in Hoi An.

Of all the activities on our trip this one was our least favorite. In general we don't like packaged, pre-defined tours due to their impersonal nature and lack of autonomy, and this tour met our worst stereotypes. There were only 8 of us on the tour, but the jam-packed itinerary left no room for flexibility or meeting the particular needs of group members. Our guide was a lovely man, but he had marginal English skills. He had lots of information he wished to share with us, and it often felt like he was trying to force-feed it to us. It took a lot of energy to understand what he was trying to communicate - and after the first hour or so we stopped listening. We loved the imperial city, but didn't have the opportunity to explore it on our own terms. We liked seeing the pagoda and the tombs, but again would have appreciated more time to just see it at our pace. The lunch was a highlight for us, as the home restaurant had beautiful grounds and delicious food, but it was offset by the stop at the market (unnecessary) and the incense and hat making workshop (read: tourist store). In the end we mostly just felt tired and frustrated.

We had a lovely dinner at the home of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Suong. It was very interesting to learn about the history of Hue and the Nguyen dynasty from an expert of that history. We were expecting a group dinner, and were pleasantly surprised that the table was set for only our host and the three of us. The food prepared by the host's 80+ year old mother was AWESOME, both in flavor and presentation. It was a meal we won't soon forget.

Our caving experience with Oxalis was another trip highlight. We loved the physical activity, especially walking through the village to take in the sights, hiking through the mud in the rain, exploring caves with a headlamp, and swimming through the second cave. We had a great guide and an excellent cohort of fellow travelers to keep us company. The lunch provided on the trail, under a tent in the rain, was amazing considering the conditions it was served under. The only constructive criticism is that we would have liked more information in advance regarding what to bring with us and what clothing to wear. We were given the option of using our own footwear or the boots they provided and didn't understand the options well enough to make an informed decision. (Using their boots - assuming you can find ones that fit - is the clear correct choice.) Also, considering the weather, it would have been nice to have warmer clothing to put on when we stopped for lunch - a wool hat in our dry bag would have made a big difference.

Our time in Bac Ha was a bit mixed. After the morning drive from Sapa - in part along the Chinese border - we arrived in Bac Ha for lunch and then a trek into the hills near our homestay. It was interesting to see another mountainous landscape, though this trek lacked the interactions with local we had on previous treks. On Sunday we visited the famed Bac Ha market, which truly was an experience. It was a delight to see a bustling market whose focus was more on meeting the needs of locals than tourists. So many colors, sounds, smells and tastes - a true sensory delight! After market we had lunch at a roadside buffet restaurant that clearly was not geared towards tourists. The food was a little less beautiful than we'd seen elsewhere, but just as delicious. Then it was time for the long drive back to Hanoi.

Today's activity was the first for our highlight reel. The trek down from Sapa town through Cat Cat village and up into the hill villages was excellent. The route took us through cultivated fields, along jungle paths above a river, and into small villages where we could interact with the locals. The weather was cooperative - the haze even cleared a bit, allowing us to see the tall mountains across the valley - and it was great to have a day without car travel. We especially enjoyed our encounters with the local artists and artisans who produce the beautiful indigo-dyed batiks, embroidered clothing, incense, and other crafts.

The drive from Mu Cang Chai to Sapa was long and winding. There were many sights along the way, though low clouds and hazy conditions detracted from some of the scenic beauty. We had a bit of trouble finding a place to stop for lunch, but in the end found a small restaurant that met our needs. We drove through the heart of the tourist area in Sapa town, getting enough of a sense for the place to be glad we were staying outside of town. We ended the day by walking from the edge of Sapa town to our homestay in the village of Sin Chai, which took about 90 minutes. It was a nice walk, but much less trekking than we had been led to believe. This was really more of a travel day than an activity day.

The drive from Tu Le to Mu Cang Chai over the Khau Pha Pass was quite beautiful. Unfortunately, the March weather was hazy and overcast, so the views were not quite as lovely as they likely are at other times of the year. Once in Mu Cang Chai we had a tasty lunch and then headed into the hills for a walk through rice fields and a local village. We had a delightful encounter with a group of older Hmong women, from whom we bought textiles and crafts. After the long drive we were glad to stretch our legs and have a first person encounter with the countryside.

We spent our first full day in Vietnam on this tour of the Ba Vi. It was a nice introduction to Vietnam. The highlights of this tour were getting to speak with a former north Vietnam soldier about his experience during the American war and his perspectives on his country and relations with the US today, and the AMAZING lunch we had. However, the cooking class was a little disappointing - we were taught to make wraps for amazing spring rolls and got to make a salad, but the food was mostly prepped in advance and we didn't do any actual cooking. Also disappointing was the bike ride in the countryside, which was much shorter than we would have liked. Relative to some of the awesome days to come this tour was fine, just not one of the highlights.

This whole experience was spectacular and highly recommended. Our camp was beautiful and comfy and the meals were fantastic.

We ended up here on a last-minute schedule change and it was such a treat! The beachfront rooms were amazing… to wake up to the ocean was an incredible experience. Food was really good and the pool/layout was great. Very relaxing and we felt taken care of.

We loved the charm of this hotel. It was so connected to the Cloud Forest and yet provided incredible service, comfort and amenities. Loved the guided nature walks on the grounds (Eric was so knowledgeable )!

A wonderful location that’s beautiful and charming. Really unique and in touch with nature.

It’s such a wonderful hotel in great location in Cusco. Rooms are charming, the food was excellent and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. A terrific home base in Cusco!

Great hotel but very loud due to prayers, roosters, etc.

Great place although it did have a large number of families which may have been difficult for some.

Outstanding hotel although a ways from the beach. There is a shuttle although we did not try it. Private pool was outstanding.

Very touristy and amateur. Felt like a community production. Food was poor quality, exclusively tourists, mostly large groups. Not worth going to.

Outstanding with spectacular views. Cool historical bas relief carvings.

Fun but could probably have been better.

Delicious lunch and a cool look into the world of the Javanese village. Did not feel exploitative. Carriage ride was cool as well.

Beautiful and historic wonder of the world. Our guide was amazing!

One of the best experiences ever! Loved seeing the Komotos, the Mantas, and the turtles. Skip the Pink Beach and see if you can swim other places.

Good but must get very busy during the summer. Did especially love the waterfall and I think it's worth the special trip. The visit to the village was so-so.

The best activity with great guides and nice boat rides. Our main guide was outstanding in showing the wildlife..we saw very nice birds and different types of monkeys. The boat driver and guide were instrumental in these experiences. Food were great too!

Great guide on history of volcano and nice short hike. Not outstanding beauty

Great place but not quite as special

Really cool overlooking the city.

Great place, cool feel.

Amazing place with onsen on the roof. Restaurant was good. Only thing that could potentially be a problem is that there are lots of families with kids.

Good hotel. Delicious breakfast. Good location. Laundry machine that was easy to use.

Mediocre food tour. Only three stops and all with fried foods. Would have liked some more variety.

Another outstanding trip! Nara was worth taking a whole day. We loved meeting the deer, seeing the temples, and shopping in the downtown. Again, Noriko was an outstanding guide who gave us the historical and cultural background to understand what we were doing.

Absolutely amazing from top to bottom. Tea ceremony was the coolest thing we have ever done. The Zen garden was beautiful. The gion district was cool to see. The golden temple was beautiful and Noriko gave us the best tour of the Nijo castle with tons of history and culture.

A good day although we were quite tired from the days before. Mt Fuji was not visible unfortunately and it was quite windy on the mountain. The visit to the shrine was one of the coolest parts of the day. We also enjoyed the cruise across the full lake. It would have been better to do the ropeway at the end but that was our mistake.

Neither of these were outstanding experiences. both felt very touristy without having the payoff. Tokyo in March was quite hazy so there were no views to Mt. Fuji etc. Long wait and very expensive for the sky tree. We actually liked seeing the view from the metropolitan building just as much and it was free.

I really enjoyed working with Sam but it sometimes felt like we were just wandering without a specific goal. I think if we had taken opportunities to see the blooms on the way to other places, it may have worked a little better. Overall Sam was a great guide.