Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall we had a great trip to Costa Rica.
Our first 4 days of reservations were done by KIMKIM - Lily( Kim Kim guide).

Although I made it clear when booking the trip that we had 5 people we had to explain and wait extra because they needed to arrange an extra bed. The extra cost wasn't the issue it was that we had to explain and go through the same process at each hotel. Our driver Dhanuka was amazing,safe and adjusted our trip to our needs and requests. The van was new, very comfortable. I feel I could of planned a trip myself for a lower cost but it was nice to have everything taken care of. Overall it was a great trip. We love sri lanka and will definitely be back.

It was a very planned trip and the transfers were seamless. The kayaking guides Carlos and Polina were outstanding, affable and provided great service and kept us safe. Well done team!

Jess did a great job adapting to our requests and providing great suggestions. We made some changes on the fly and Jess was able to roll with it and make our trip a delight. Jess even booked us restaurant reservation and was always available.
A couple of comments and suggestions.
The city tour in Bogata really works better if you start by going up to Monsarrat then venturing into the city.
A ceviche tour in Cartagena, which we heard about from other travelers at our hotel, sounds great and we suggest you folks add it to your options.
Medellin tour to Guatapa was great .
The rum tasting was a highlight, Abraham is a great guide to the world of rum. All of our guides, while all very different were great, informative and adaptable, not going from a script.
The transportation options were good, we never waited for a driver.
We handled most of our own hotel options, we liked both the Bastion in Cartagena and the Charlee in Medillin and would recommend both hotels.

Thank you Jess we had a great time.

Best Brian and Terri

We would like to thank Randall for his fantastic planning of our trip to Costa Rica. Everything went like clockwork from the transfers to and from the airport to the transfers between areas visited and the fantastic accommodation selected for us. All trips booked (which were many) were fantastic and showed how diverse Costa Rica is as a travel destination. The Ticos are warm, friendly and welcoming people and all went out of their way to make our holiday great.
I will have no hesitation in recommending your company and paticularly Randall for any persons planning a trip to Costa Rica.

The only suggestion I would make is on checking out in Manual Antonio we had to be out of our hotel at 11am and our transfer was at 2.00pm normally this would not be a problem but with the heat and humidity it would have been nice to have a later checkout or earlier transfer (we however did not see this a a negative in any way and did not reflect at all on our enjoyment of this holiday) it is merely a suggestion.

Thank you and Pura Vida

Morag and Brett

Wonderful trip to Mexico visiting Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca. Perfectly organised by Jorge who arranged a fantastic itinerary based around Mexican gastronomy. Lovely hotels, excellent guides and everything worked very smoothly. Highly recommend Jorge to plan a memorable holiday in Mexico!

Tough, upexpected weather overall. Guide was great and knowledgeable, and accommodating. Had a good memorable trip as such.

Another great trip with Kim Kim. Accommodations were great, trail instructions accuracy, food amazing.
Well organized.

Max arranged an excellent trip for us.
We were met as per our itinerary and the boat, hotels and tours were all first class.
I have no hesitation in recommending KimKim and Max to anyone.
We will be using their services again.
Thank you.

Great experience....a trip of a lifetime...Mohamed was our guide, did an outstanding job, made sure we are always satisfied... he went above and beyond.

Kimkim connected my husband and I to Ngima from NMMT. We communicated via kimkim's easy online platform, and Ngima answered all our questions and suggestions in a timely and sensitive manner. Ngima's coordination of hotels, in-country flights, guides, drivers, trekking, and cultural tours were invaluable.

In Nepal, we did a day of sightseeing in Kathmandu to see Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square. Our guide in Kathmandu, Kedar, was outstanding: incredibly informative, kind, and obviously well-known and liked by many in the city (everywhere we went he was greeting and shaking hands with other tour guides)! We learned a lot and would recommend all first-comers to Nepal to experience Kathmandu with a guide. The driver organized by Ngima was also wonderful and made moving around the city easy.

After sightseeing, we departed from Pokhara for the Poon Hill Trek. We were accompanied by Chhongba (guide) and Dawa (porter). Both of them ensured all our needs were well taken care of. At times, Chhongba seemed a bit checked out and spent a large amount of time on his cell phone. (Cell service appears uninterrupted for Nepalis with national coverage along this trek, which is great for safety but hearing the guides’ YouTube videos and music at teahouses took away from our desire to disconnect.) Chhongba was willing to answer the questions we asked him, but he offered relatively little information on his own. Next time we would advocate to cover more miles per day; we ended up at the teahouses and in Pokhara by 1pm the last three days of the trek and would have liked to spend more time walking each day. The trek is BEAUTIFUL, and we enjoyed every minute on the trail. Overall, Chhongba and Dawa were kind and helpful on our trek and they allowed us to relax and not worry about the details. We had a stressful exit from Nepal due to delays on Yeti airlines, and Chhongba, Lakpa (Ngima's son), and driver in Kathmandu were essential to helping us make our international flight in time.

Overall, it was a great experience!! We will highly recommend kimkim, NMMT and Nepal to friends and family. We will definitely be back to do another trek (hopefully Everest Base Camp) and would book with kimkim and Ngima again.

The trip was very well planned and all the complicated connections came off as smooth as a babies butt. Hosteleria Cuernos tent situation was the only bummer of the whole trip. They put us in a tent immediately adjacent to the large tent housing the staff for this site. The staff stayed up until one in the morning laughing loudly singing talking and keeping the exhausted travelers up. Someone needs to let them know that we are supporting their livelihood and their behavior is extremely rude and uncaring for their guests.

Paty was the best host. Every detail was perfectly arranged. She was always available during the trip for any questions.

Our 7-day excursion to Iceland went very smoothly, and we were very pleased that all the logistics involved with the reservations and itinerary planning worked out well. Except for the hike to the airplane ruin, I think we did all the recommended activities!

Before engaging with KimKim, I had considered just piecing together an itinerary and reservations by myself. In the end, I'm glad we paid the premium to have specialists organize everything. It was extremely helpful to have someone with local knowledge of the terrain and travel conditions to sketch out our daily schedule.

Driving at the end of March brought us a little more wintry conditions than I had expected. We drove through a couple of snowstorms on the Ring Road, and it was scary for some moments with zero visibility, but fortunately we had no problems. (The last time I visited Iceland was in 1997, and I skidded off the road into the snow on the way back from the Thingvellir Park. A nice family stopped and helped jack up my rental car to clear out the snow from around the tires, so all turned out well in the end.) Driving in Iceland is no joke! There were days when I was mentally planning to not be able to drive because of the weather. (But we did drive daily). It was nice that our itinerary wasn't jam packed, and we had some time flexibility.

We enjoyed every part of the trip, but our absolute favorite parts were:

-The snorkeling in the Silfra fissure: Our guide, Taz, from Arctic Adventures was excellent! She had a very sunny disposition, was very careful about getting us suited up properly and kept a good eye on us while we were in the water. I actually felt very light headed at the very end of the snorkeling route, and she had to tow me to the stairs and help me get out of the water. I felt like I was going to faint, but she was extremely attentive and helped me walk back to the parking lot without incident. I will write to Arctic Adventures directly to thank her again - Taz was truly an outstanding professional.

-The ice cave tour outside of Vík: Our guide, AJ, was great. We weren't sure if the tale he told us about the Katla eruption in 1311 was a myth or not, but he made the details very entertaining. The small cave we visited was beautiful, and the pristine, desolate surroundings were stunning. We were very glad to have been the first tour of the day, so we were able to go out and see the cave by ourselves with no other visitors around, because we were the only ones on the tour. (The other clients didn't show up.)

-The hike to Svartifoss: Wow- what a beautiful waterfall and a pretty little route to get there.

-The hike between Arnarstapi and Hellnar was a majestic path that gave us a tiny bit of solitude for a while.

Since I visited in 1997, tourism in Iceland has obviously grown exponentially. I remember going to visit Gullfoss and not seeing anyone else around for miles. This time around was obviously quite different with hordes of tourists stepping off buses.

The next time we visit Iceland, we would like to tour the north and the interior and do a lot more walking or hiking. This trip was a great introduction to the country for my husband and daughter and inspired them to also want to return someday.

Thanks for your help in making this a great experience!

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.