Kimkim Trip Reviews

Priya was very responsive to my questions and guidance. 2 days before we plan to book the trip the floods hit Kerala and we had to significantly change the whole schedule. Priya was very creative and responsive. My wife and I were very pleased with the tour. we were dependent on her recommendations to guide our experience

Petra was great and we all enjoyed that. I was disappointed with Wadi Rum and the organization/lack of information of what we were doing and its duration. For example, we were told we should leave Petra early to get to wadi rum, thinking there was a lot to do. After getting there around 11, we sat around for over an hour not knowing what was going on. We then went on our jeep/camel ride for a few hours and got back around 4 with nothing to do til dinner. Our driver told us he was picking us up the next morning around 6 to do a 1 1/2 hour jeep ride then a 2 hour hike. We woke up at 6 and then told there was a booking issue to see if we could pack up and move our stuff to a different tent. On our ride, the jeep broke down and were stuck for 1 1/2 hours before the replacement jeep came. At that point we were not in the mood to drive another 1 1/2 and hike in the heat of the day which was the whole point we left early. So when we got back we had nothing to do for the whole day and thats why we called our agent to go to Amman earlier. I just felt that if we had known how long that hike/jeep ride was and that we would be doing it in the morning, we wouldn't have stayed an extra night at the camp and went to Amman early and saved the expense of the extra car ride/hotel cost.

Zeynep helped plan our wonderful adventure. The map she provided was highlighted with sights to visit and was our bible.

Zeynep created a fantastic trip for us. The accommodations were all very nice; the detailed map was very, very helpful; and the suggested sights were mostly spectacular and unique. Our experience of Iceland was just fantabulous. I enjoyed most the west and south coasts. Although the 'golden circle' was nice, it was not as interesting and the west coast and the glaciers to the south.

I had spent weeks trying to plan a trip to maximize time in Iceland for 5 people. I stumbled across the kimkim site and was assigned Zeynep as our specialist. She crafted our trip the way we wanted and from there the arrangements fell into place (meaning Zeynep did all the work!). With my busy schedule, I did not have the time to investigate each selection - I trusted Zeynep and she did not let us down.

Everything about the trip from the moment we landed exceeded our expectations. We were pleasantly surprised that Zeynep had mapped out our route and hand wrote the particular sites that she thought we would want to see. Every day worked out perfectly. We even saw the Northern Lights which was the much hoped for point of the trip.

We especially appreciated the private transfers from the airport (Christian), the hotels (especially Skuggi - fantastic breakfast!), the car rental and the Blue Lagoon excursion. None of my group had any complaints and the only bad part of the trip was leaving Iceland. It is such a beautiful country and we were so happy with our experience there!

Jo Ann

Our guide Elayas was simply superb. We were greatly surprised and excited about the rich scenery, history and traditions in Ethiopia . Evenings of traditional dancing, and foods were an unexpected bonus. The ritual coffee ceremony almost every day was most appreciated, giving us a welcome boost. Local markets were festinating & robust , especially in Lalibela. The people everywhere were friendly and helpful.

We spent 6 days hiking around Annapurna with Sabin and it was an absolutely incredible experience! I take home memories and friendships that I expect to last a lifetime.
This was my first trekking experience and I have never had to challenge myself so much. But it was worth every painful step. The area and sights and views are absolutely stunning! My experiences meeting people from all over the world along the way will stay with me forever.
Sabin was an amazing guide!!! I don't think the experience would have been the same without him. His knowledge of the area and people seem unparalleled which made everything go smoothly and made me feel very comfortable visiting a place where I knew nothing of the language and customs. He went above and beyond in making our experience memorable, such as entertaining us with and teaching us card tricks, making lots of jokes, and serenading us with songs on the guitar. He was so much fun to be around and I look forward to our continued friendship! I cannot say enough good things about him and I hope to come back and it trek with him again!

We are so pleased to have used this service when booking our trip. Ingrid and the team delivered an excellent program that perfectly suited our travel plans. It was a seamless process and took all of the guesswork out of the holiday. Very reasonable pricing as well. Thanks so much for all your help
And support.

Ingrid was very helpful fight throughout the trip with additional requests we had. The planning and ticketing went like clockwork and was thus very easy to complete the journey. No problems were encounted.

Agnes was excellent at helping me plan my trip to Rwanda. She was helpful in answering my questions regarding which country to see the gorillas and provided several itinerary and pricing options. She even flew in from Uganda to meet me at the airport!
Jean Claude was my driver/guide. he was lovely and excellent company. All activities were well organised. Accomodation was all very nice... Villa Gorilla was awesome!!!! and the best food of the trip! Amazing staff and great location.
The gorilla trek was amazing!!! I still can't believe that I did it! Very well organised and guides and traders were great. Get a Porter!!! I didn't think it was going to be neccessary as my backpack was not heavy but they were super helpful and you are providing work for someone who might instead be poaching.
The chimpanzee tracking was fun but physically challenging. Much harder than the gorillas. Really steep hills and we had to move quite quickly to keep up with them. Definitely get a porter for this one.
Really people in rwanda are so friendly and welcoming, I cannot wait to go back another time.
A wonderful trip, thank you so much for organising such a great experience !

Hello,
Our trip to Iceland was amazing! So well planned by Preeti and team. Everything on the itinerary was detailed and worked really well. The timing of drives and sightseeing was perfect. Also, the pre-booked tours were very interesting and provided us with an experience that we would have otherwise not had.
We were also very happy with the accommodation and included breakfasts which really saved us time each morning. Only Hotel Hilda in Reykjavík was a very tiny room. However, the location of the hotel was very convenient. We found driving in Iceland quite easy- even with many tourists on the roads.
Overall, we had good weather- particularly in the important places where clear skies was a benefit to most enjoy the scenery. We even saw the Northern Lights in Höfn which was such a bonus for us.
Thank you so much for organising this amazing trip for us. I have already recommended KimKim to some friends and family members and would definitely use your booking team again.
Thank you again
Ann & Thor Morris

It was the most delightful and impressive experience from the moment I made first contact with the company to the moment I was dropped off at Kathmandu airport after the trekking trip, and every step in between worked out exactly as planned. All questions and concerns were quickly and fully addressed; attention to details was second to none.

My guide Phurba and porter Lakpa were the best I could have asked for. Not only were they excellent at what they were supposed to do, they were such fun and laid back guys, and worked so naturally to match my level of physical fitness. By only the end of the first day trekking, we had all become trekking buddies!

The trek itself had some lovely moments, and a few great views of the mountain range, but nothing extraordinary. Much of the trail is comprised of pesky loose rocks (terrible on the knee and ankle joints) and almost the entire trail is full of animal droppings. (think bad smells) Next time I'd like to try the higher elevation treks.

At first we weren't so sure of how the trip would go, our guide Ang Gelu was very quiet and his english not great and Tira (not sure if that's how you spell it) our porter, was tiny and couldn't speak English at all... and wrong impressions is how we started the trip. Ang Gelu was just outstanding, well organized, had enormous knowledge over the mountains, the paths, what was safe and what was not. How to properly acclimatize. He was always on time, always ready for help and just amazing all around. Tira was so strong, always had a smile on his face and also did a incredible job carrying our stuff. The experience was very challenging, it is for most people, but they were our cheerleaders, friends and caretakers during the 17 days. We would repeat it again in a second. Nepal has a way of challenging everyone, and there is nothing better than feeling like someone is always watching your back when you are most seriously challenged physically and mentally. Thank you for such an unforgettable experience

It was a wonderful experience and I would recommend KimKim to anyone planning to visit Morocco. My driver, Redoune, was fantastic and got me safely through the interary without any problems whatsoever. Brahim did a great job advising me on what to do with the time I had.

Cristi was amazing...very knowledgeable and helpful and just good company.
I loved the time I spent over at the Black Sea...hotel wasn't the best. My room was near the lobbly and the elevator so it was kind of noisy.
Bucharest is an amazing city. I enjoyed all my time spent there.
The Equus Silvania was great. Food, people, lodging and horses were all great. Didn't get to ride as much as I thought I would though.
Guesthouse Daniela was not the best. Food, and Lodging were not good.
Boat ride on the Danube and Bigar falls were fantastic
Hike up to Poenari Fortress was great!
I loved the city of Brasov.
Overall...a great and memorable experience.

Thank you all,
Sandy

Overall the planning and booking of the trip was great. I really appreciated how fast the trip came together since I started planning this trip about a week in advance of the start date.

That said, I wish there had been faster communication. It seemed to take about a day to get a response. I sense that if I had been able to jump on a call at some point we could have locked down the tour much more quickly.

We had such a short time in Nepal - only 5 days - but a wonderful experience thanks to Sudershan's expert planning. He was very patient as we emailed back and forth trying to decide what kind of trip suited us and always replied very promptly. It was a very stress free experience as we were met at the airport by Sudarshan, our guide Sanu and driver Amrit, and were whisked off to the first night of our 3 day Balthali Trek. All 3 nights accommodation were very comfortable with excellent food and service - but the highlight was Namu Buddha Resort! A series of cottages spread out through a lovely garden - we had a large 2 story house just for 2 of us - and superb vegetarian food all grown on the property. The walk to the nearby Tibetan monastry was well within our capabilities and the monastry was spectacular. We were very well looked after by Sanu, who gauged our level of fitness and adjusted walking times accordingly, and answered our many questions about Nepalese lifestyle and customs. We were also very appreciative of Amrit's superb driving skills on very challenging roads. Both Sanu and Amrit were charming, helpful and considerate and we highly recommend their company - Blue Sheep - to travelers wishing to gain an insight into Nepalese culture. Sudarshan met us on our return to Kathmandu and was very helpful with advice for our brief visit to that very vibrant city.

Our driver Thasim was exceptional - made an effort to accommodate our requests and suggested other activities we may have been interested in. Went over and above any expectations we could have possibly wished for.
So many great experiences during our trip!

Our trip was mix of cosmopolitan Tokyo and tranquil, green Japanese countryside along the Kumano Kodo trail. Our itinerary started and ended in Tokyo, with its skyscrapers, nightlife, busy streets and great food. In between we took Shinkansen to the southern part of Japan, where time slowed down: Breathtakingly beautiful vistas, forests, rice and tea fields, traditional Japanese inns, fantastic food and relaxing natural hotspring spa’s. Most important: hospitable & very kind people. Truly an unforgettable trip.

Our 7-day trip in Japan was amazing. Thanks for Mirka for putting together a flawless trip. The contrasts between modern and ancient Japan made this an unforgettable trip. Too many highlights to easily summarize: Great hike along the Kumano Kodo trail, amazing food, fabulous onsens (hot springs), great Japanese hospitality and high energy Tokyo neighborhoods all made this trip.

Day 1: Evening arrival in Tokyo (Mitsui Garden Hotel), followed by a quick hunt for late night food that led us to a cool little bar that served clams and beers. The trip plan in a handy small format, and other documents that we received were useful, and we ended up referring to the info throughout the trip.

Day 2: Very early morning departure by bullet train towards the Kii peninsula via Osaka, zipping by Mt Fuji. Great way to see Japan while enjoying a nice breakfast and reading up on the trip ahead. Arrived at the Kumano Kodo trailhead around 2pm after a bus ride from Kii Tanabe station. About 2 hours of hiking on steep trails to the first overnight, which was just off the main trail in the valley in the small town of Kurisugawa. We were the only guests in the Ryokan, and got very well taken care of by the old innkeeper.

Day 3: Great day of hiking through forests with occasional sweeping views of the valley. About 4 hours of hiking. Met about 20 other hikers (mainly from Canada and Australia, only 1 Japanese). Arrived in the pretty town of Chikatsuyu around 2pm, and visited the Oku Japan office there. Great to chat with Oku staff Noriko and Satoe about how interest in the Kumano Kodo is reviving the local economy. We stayed in Minshuku Chikatsuyu, which is run by a young innkeeper who cooks amazing food. Onsen was pretty good (but the best Onsen was yet to come the next day).

Day 4: Rainy day, so we decided to take the shortest hiking option. First section by bus, which seemed to make many loops before dropping us at the trail. Hiked through beautiful hills and villages while rain was on and off, and then arrived at Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the main shrines along the Kumano Kodo. We were early for the 2.30pm bus, but still ended up missing it, so we walked the final 4km along the road to Yunomine Onsen (which actually ended being a nice walk, glad we did it!). The small town of Yunomine was one of the highlights of our trip, with a river and hotspring that gets tapped to fuel the various Onsens. We stayed in Azumaya Ryokan, an old inn with lots of character and a great indoor / outdoor Onsen. Food served in our room was very good.

Day 5: After another great early morning Onsen session we took the 8.40am bus to Shingu. Visited the temple and strolled through town. Had a great lunch next to the station before boarding train to Nagoya. Great ocean views again from the train. Changed to the super fast Nozomi bullet train in Nagoya for final stretch to Tokyo. The Gate hotel in Asakusa was great. Amazing views from 13th floor lobby. Had dinner in nearby Shabu Shabu restaurant on 4th floor of a highrise.

Day 6: Early morning breakfast with great views on Tokyo Skytree, then off to Tokyo National Museum on foot. Really enjoyed strolling through Tokyo and see families on bicycles going about their life. At noon met with our friend Ryo at the Senso Ji Gate and started an epic exploration of Tokyo neighborhoods. Dinner at a hotpot restaurant with more friends and finally a late night drink in Hoppy Street near our hotel.

Day 7: Early morning shopping spree for presents for the kids, and then a cooking class with CookJPN. Great to see a Japanese apartment from the inside will cooking local dishes. After some final shopping off to the airport. Goodbye Japan, see you again very soon!!!