Kimkim Trip Reviews

The trip eventually worked out fine, but the response time for my questions in the planning stage was much much slower than I had experienced with KimKim in the past. I had sent very detailed information as to what places we wanted to visit and what tours we wanted to have. But I don’t think they were ever read in detail because the trip plan kept having tours listed, I didn’t want and hotels in locations such as near the airport instead of the city center as I had requested. But eventually everything came together, I just had to spend much more time reviewing the plan than I had on our past trips to get things corrected. Also, we were not informed that we would have to find transportation from our hotel to our tour in Rotorua and would not be able to walk from our hotel as with our other tours. The tours were all fine but we were not informed about things such as being able to take the tour to Phillips Island without having dinner included, which we would have chosen had we been given the option. Most the hotels were fine. Out of the 9 hotels we stayed in on our trip only 2 were places we would never stay at again and wish we had not stayed at this time. I guess the most important thing is everything turned out fine in the end but with the price we paid I guess I expected to not have to put as much work into the planning as I did.

Hotel Reviews

Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocks

The Rocks

This was supposed to be a 4 star hotel but it could barely be called a 3 star at best. The carpet looked dirty, the bathroom needed an update, and you had an overall feeling it was not clean. We were suppose to have a harbor view but 90 percent of the time we were there it was blocked by cruise ships and we couldn't see anything. The one time for a few hours at night the cruise ships were gone it was a beautiful view of the harbor and opera house. The only thing good about the room.

Authenticity & Character

Not a very nice hotel. Wouldn't stay again there.

Location

Location was good and we were able to walk to the opera house.

Staff

All the staff were very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Did not feel clean so we were not very comfortable.

Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns

Cairns

Very nice hotel with a beautiful view from our room.

Authenticity & Character

There was a beautiful view from the hotel.

Location

Able to walk around to the places we wanted to go.

Staff

All the staff were very friendly and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very comfortable with a beautiful view from our room.

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

The registration area was very nice but the rooms could have been better. Also the landing outside our room was never sweep while we were there and had lots of leaves. There were no elevators and they put my 83 year old husband and myself on the second floor. We broke the handle on one suitcase trying to drag it up and down the stairs. Also we were told our room was not ready at the check in time.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing special just alright.

Location

Close enough to walk to things that were available.

Staff

Most were friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean enough but without an elevator it was difficult for us to manage our luggage.

Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne on Queen

Melbourne

We had a one bedroom apartment that had a washer and dryer but it didn't feel like the room was very clean. I found trash in the area to make tea and coffee. It was a convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Room could be cleaner and dryer didn't work well. It took all night to dry one load of laundry. Had to put in just a few pieces at a time and leave for a long time.

Location

Good location for walking around the city.

Staff

Not very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not very clean. Wouldn't stay again or recommend.

Millennium Hotel Queenstown

queesntown

Room was fine but we had a long walk to our room from the registration desk with lots of luggage to carry.

Authenticity & Character

Everything was fine but nothing special.

Location

We were able to walk to places we wanted to see.

Staff

Friendly enough but nothing stands out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I guess someone has to stay in the rooms far from the front desk and breakfast area but it wasn't nice for seniors.

The Hermitage Hotel

Mount Cook Village

The view from our room was amazing. Breakfast was very good with lots of selection.

Authenticity & Character

It has a beautiful view from the hotel.

Location

Close to the visitor's center but wish it had been closer to some of the trailheads.

Staff

Staff was friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean room with two queen beds which was very comfortable, and a amazing view.

Crowne Plaza Christchurch

Christchurch Central

Nice hotel with good location. The upgraded us to an upper floor with a city view.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice with good location.

Location

Convenient for walking around to see things.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff. They upgraded us to a room on a higher floor with a city view.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was very clean and spacious.

Regent of Rotorua

Rotorua

Nice hotel with convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing really special but clean and nice enough.

Location

In the downtown area so convenient for walking to most places.

Staff

Nothing stood out as special.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everthing was clean and comfortable.

Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre

Auckland

They would not allow us to check in early after arriving from a long international flight but when we were able to check in they upgraded us to room on a higher floor with a great view.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing in looks that was special but was a nice and clean hotel we enjoyed staying in.

Location

Very centrally located in the downtown area.

Staff

They were helpful when we needed to make a call or needed help with directions when we checked in but the check out person was very unfriendly. We had breakfast included but had an early departure before it started so they packed us a breakfast. They shouldn't have bothered. Not much in it, nothing to drink, not even water. When we asked at the desk if they could give us something to drink, we were told no.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The day we were able to have breakfast at the hotel it was more than we expected with lots of selection. Which is why we were so disappointed with the packed breakfast they supplied us the next day when we had an early check out.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

I would recommend. Calmsley Hill Farms was great. Really enjoyed getting close with the animals. Beautiful lookouts. Lunch was alright not great. Tour said we would get wine or OJ in the afternoon but only wine was offered, so nothing for people who don't drink alcohol.

Quality of Experience

Calmsley Farms was the best part.

Food

Lunch was alright and nothing was offered for people who don't drink wine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was nice.

Transport

Comfortable trip.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Great tour would recommend.

Quality of Experience

Nice tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide.

Transport

Close enough from our hotel to walk.

Morning Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

I didn't really feel that we saw much of Sydney.

Quality of Experience

Alright but could probably spend time better doing something else.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was informative.

Transport

Comfortable but didn't feel I saw much.

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Enjoyed that you could experience the reef without getting wet.

Quality of Experience

Enjoyed that we could enjoy the reef without getting wet with the semi-submersible, and underwater observatory.

Food

Buffet on the pontoon was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff on the boat and pontoon were outstanding.

Transport

The trip out to the reef was comfortable.

Full Day Daintree Cape Tribulation (was & 4WD Bloomfield)

Australia

Nice but a long day so I probably could have skipped.

Quality of Experience

Alright but nothing outstanding.

Food

Lunch was alright not great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good.

Transport

Long drive.

Afternoon/Evening Wintjiri Wiru Twilight

Uluru

Very nice experience. Enjoyed the drinks and snacks while watching the show. Wish we had been allowed to take pictures or videos.

Quality of Experience

Nice show but wish they had had pictures and videos of the show we could download since we were not allowed to take our own.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was nice.

Transport

Large bus but only a short way from the hotel.

Morning SEIT Uluru Highlights

Uluru

Herman our guide was good. Enjoyed getting lots of views of Uluru.

Quality of Experience

Small group tour which was nice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Herman was very good.

Transport

Van was comfortable.

Evening Field of Light Pass

Uluru

It was very beautiful and I would recommend.

Quality of Experience

It is very beautiful and I would recommend.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers were efficient dealing with a large bus of people.

Transport

It was a large bus, but it was fine since the drive was close.

Full Day Phillip Island & Moonlit + Penguin Plus with Dinner

Melbourne

Guide was nice. We enjoyed Moonlit feeding the kangaroos and seeing the other animals. Penguin Plus was fun getting to see the penquin parade. Sad we couldn't take pictures, but were happy they had pictures and videos you could download. We were the only ones on the tour with dinner included. We were not told that it was an option to not have dinner included and would have liked to have had the option.

Quality of Experience

Enjoyed seeing the animals.

Food

Food was fine, but should have been told we didn't have to pay for it as part of the tour package but could have purchased what we wanted on our own.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was nice and spent time finding penquins we could see in the wild.

Transport

Confortable trip.

Full Day Milford Sound Glass Roof Van/CruiseVan

Queenstown (NZ)

It was a long day. We were supposed to meet at a bus stop that was not marked. Picnic lunch was very bad. Nature cruise had nice views but only saw a few seals on a rock, no penquins, dolphins or any other animals that were mentioned we would see. Straight 4 hour drive back with one 15 minute stop for coffee.

Quality of Experience

A long day. If I did it again I would not do it as a day trip.

Food

Picnic lunch was bad.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was nice.

Transport

It was comfortable but too long a drive.

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

It is a beautiful view from the top.

Quality of Experience

It was an awesome view from the top that shouldn't be missed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. One of the girls working walked us all the way to the top to show us how to take pictures that we could download on our phone or computer.

Transport

The trip up to the top was fun.

Afternoon Tour (Mount Cook/Queenstown) (Shared Small Group Tour)

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

Maary our guide and driver was very good. We were supposed to have water and snacks and we did. We were supposed to get back at 6:30 but it was 7:30 before we reached.

Quality of Experience

Nice trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was nice.

Transport

Reached an hour late which wasn't expected.

Half Day Mount Cook Tour (Christchurch to Mt Cook)

Christchurch

Nice trip with beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Views were very nice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Joseph was very good. We were suppose to have bottled water and a picnic lunch which we had and was very good. But our guide also gave us snacks at every stop, such as chips, cookies and chocolate.

Transport

Transportation was comfortable.

Full Day Akaroa & Harbour Cruise

Christchurch

Our guide Peter was very nice. Our tour information said we would have either morning or afternoon tea, but it didn't happen. The lunch that was included was very good at Akaroa. Harbor Cruise with George was nice. We saw hector dolphins, seals and albatroses.

Quality of Experience

Cruise was nice and lunch was very good.

Food

Our lunch was excellent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Peter was very good and very nice.

Transport

Comfortable.

TE Puia: Te Ra Guided Experience 90 minutes) + Cultural Performance

New Zealand

Was a nice tour but not anything special.

Quality of Experience

Nothing to improve but not a top experience on our trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hotel staff and drivers were fine.

Transport

Would have liked to have transportation provided from our hotel to Te Puia.

Welcome to Rotorua

Rotorua

Worth a visit. We were not told that our tour of Te Puia was not within walking distance of our hotel and we had to figure out how to use uber (we are seniors and had not used before).

Quality of Experience

Nothing to suggest for improvement but not the best thing we did on our trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff at hotel was fine as were drivers to Rotorua.

Transport

Would have liked transportation already arranged for our trip to Te Puia.

Full Day Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves (Auckland to Rotorua)

Auckland

Driver was nice enough. Tours alright especially for Lord of the Rings fans. Were not able to take pictures at the Waitomo caves which was a disappointment.

Quality of Experience

If you can't take pictures in the caves they should have some you can download.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice enough.

Transport

Comfortable.

Auckland Best of Both World: Bush and Beach - Full day

Auckland

Was a fun day. Saw lots of places. Guides were good.

Quality of Experience

Saw lots of places and enjoyed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were very good. They offered juice and cookies in the afternoon.

Transport

Transportation was comfortable.

Auckland Harbour Sailing Cruise

Auckland

Captain was very friendly and nice. We were told we would get tea or coffee and a cookie. We did not get that but were offered water or juice.

Quality of Experience

Fun to be on a sail boat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was friendly and nice.

Transport

Was easy to walk to from our hotel.

Auckland Private Transfer Domestic Airport to Hotel

New Zealand

Driver was not inside airport but texted where he was an parked so we didn't have to walk at all. He also helped with the luggage and was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Driver helpful and friendly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was very friendly and helpful.

Transport

Vehicle was comfortable.

Michael organized a fantastic trip. The guides were amazing, knowledgeable and fun to be with. The drivers were always on time. Michael was always available to us , even during evenings and weekends. We wanted to know where to buy a certain type of coffee, and he made sure we were able to find it. The itinerary included a wide assortment of activities which enabled us to really understand Colombia and its people. Museums, hikes, Dinner in a private home, a visit to a local market with a chef, and then a cooking class, and high school students singing, dancing and playing instruments in their native cultural style. We highly recommend this trip to explore a beautiful country with beautiful people. Thank you !

Hotel Review

Quinta Ladera

Medellin

The desk receptionists were all so very kind and gracious. We were treated like celebrities! Beautiful surroundings and great coffee!

Authenticity & Character

Decorated exquisitely

Location

Easy to walk to restaurants

Staff

Gracious and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

The lobby was very cozy and inviting

Activity Review

Visit Cocora Valley, Coffee Farm & Salento

Salento

Beautiful place

Quality of Experience

Humberto was a good guide and it was beautiful

Food

Local food, colorful setting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Talking to the guides and learning about the people and culture

Transport

Always on time and clean vans !

This was our first time utilizing a high-end customized travel planning service. It's not inexpensive but from the outset Louis, our first point of contact, was super responsive and helpful in planning our stay, offering a variety of experiences to choose from and fixing our room reservation at the hotel (the only hiccup upon our arrival). Our 24/7 dedicated driver, Younes was all that we could have hoped for. He was knowledgeable, friendly, responsive to our whims and perhaps most importantly, an excellent and safe driver. By the end of our trip we had grown to consider him a dear friend as well. We’d highly recommend the hammam experience, especially after a long flight or a hike in Atlas Mountains to a Berber village. Just a wow experience! Our guides Anouar (dinner, museum, markets) and Hamid (hike in the Atlas mountains) were equally friendly, knowledgeable, professional and eager to share their love of Moroccan history, food, and culture with us. On a final note, I should mention that being in Morocco during Ramadan was particularly inspiring and personally rewarding. We learned so much about Islamic faith and history. In today's world, truth and knowledge are powerful and more needed than ever.

Hotel Review

2Ciels Boutique Hotel

Marrakech

Excellent location in the

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Imlil: Hike the Foothills of Mount Toubkal

Marrakesh

Not for those who are out of shape or intimidated by heights. We loved it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

Just WOW! Would best at the end of a long travel day or a hike in the Atlas mountains.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Food Tour in Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brazil is such a passionate and vibrant country. It was too big though for us to figure out how see what we wanted and know how to do it. Enter Sara Martinel. We all worked together closely to answer her questions of what we like to do, time we had available, budget and pace we like to run. Then she did her magic!!!

She presented her plan. We did some tweaking and ended with a perfect plan

What we couldn’t have done (and Sara could) is find the guides we had. I believe these Best of the Best are somehow hidden from the general public.

Erika (our Sao Paulo guide) was full of energy and passion. And more information and details (which we love) than our little brains could hold. She zipped us al over the place giving us such a great overview of the city. We dipped into small neighborhoods. We Ate. We laughed. We made a new friend

Then we made it to Rio where we were blessed to meet Alberto. This guy is clearly a local tour guide legend. We were stopped a number of times by other tour guides letting us know how lucky we were to have him. We felt it and we knew it. Alberto just has a humble, easy going way about him and he made the very full day in Rio so enjoyable. Our driver Márcio was awesome too. Fun to chat with. Very principled man. Always taking pics and videos so we could enjoy the moment

I don’t think we could have pulled off such a great trip with amazing guides on our own.

Grateful to Sara and KimKim on curating a lovely Brazilian vacation!!

Kath + Brett

Thank you, Paola, for helping us with our amazing trip to Galapagos and Quito!
Some highlights:
- Cooking class in Quito
- Quito city tour with Christian - terrific guide! As was his uncle ;)!
- Santa Cruz highland tour with visit to tortoises!
- Trip to Bartolomé island
- Isabella snorkeling at Los Túneles - Luis was a terrific guide. We learned a lot from him
- Biking in National Park on Isabella - Thank you to John!

The hotel accommodations were all wonderful
- La Casona de La Ronda in Quito
- Ikala Galapagos on Santa Cruz
- La Casita de la Playa on Isabella

Only hiccup was not knowing we needed to pay the National Park Fee when we landed in Baltra Airport in Santa Cruz. Would recommend making that clear to future travelers! Thank you!

Chris

Hotel Reviews

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

BEAUTIFUL Location and view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful pool and rooms! Wonderful restaurant view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Friendly staff, good breakfast, great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best experience on our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was the best!

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

We had a rainy day, so we couldn't hike past the first view point.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide struggled a bit with English - would have like a bit more information.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkeling/kayaking guide struggled with English - would have liked more information about the animals

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Beautiful day - long boat ride

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Galapagos Islands

One of our highlights! Really fun - chef is passionate about Ecuadorian food. Excellent dinner

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

Christian was a wonderful guide. Loved our day in Quito.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were happy with the travel and the guide was friendly and on time. We felt a little disappointed with his knowledge of the facilities that we toured.

What an incredible adventure we had in Lapland with kimkim! From the start, dealing with kimkim was responsive, pleasant, informative and uncomplicated. We were grateful to have Emerson assigned to us for our Aurora Borealis adventure. We wanted luxury accommodations, private transfers, private/small group activities, and plenty of opportunities for daily exercise, including swimming, gyms, and lots of cross-country skiing. The website portal made it simple to stay in touch with chats and virtual calls. Emerson went above and beyond to provide support and was always available for insights or to smooth out any snags throughout the trip.

While Hotel Kamp was under renovation, they put us in an incredible suite! The hotel is terrifically located, and we loved the access to the community outdoor pool which was just a few blocks away. Our tour guides in Helsinki and Tallinn were great!

The overnight train to Rovaniemi was less than ideal but certainly memorable. We suggest future guests consider renting an extra cabin for personal belongings, as carrying baggage up to the crowded second floor was very difficult and room very cramped. Quite unexpectedly, all the bathrooms in our train car were malfunctioning for the entire train ride, which was very unfortunate. We believe it was just that the train company provided us with a 50% refund.

Emerson’s excellent transfers once again were on time and super friendly once off in Rovaniemi. We met our tour guide with Johka who picked us up at the station and brought us straight to Jaakkola Reindeer Farm. We had such a delightful, unique, and private experience! The third-generation farm and its history added a fascinating charm for us. Our story – Jaakkolan Porotila

Next, the Arctic Treehouse provided superior and truly breathtaking accommodations, kind staff and great restaurant. Tired from the day, we pushed on. Quickly we were jump started by witnessing a rare red Aurora during our Arctic Tree Float. It was truly spectacular and a once in a lifetime experience!

The next day, we had a playful adventure with the huskies. We returned to the Arctic Treehouse for another fabulous dinner with the entire restaurant lit by candles for Earth Day, creating a magical atmosphere.

Emerson again book us the top igloo at the Levin Iglut Glass Igloos. Our snow house offered spectacular vistas and the restaurant had fantastic and truly artistic food. All the staff there are so lovely and kind!

Kinos Safaris provided us a great snowmobiling experience, but what was memorable was the rest stop for salmon soup and possibly the best blueberry dessert that I have ever had at this small outpost with the most delightful overseer.
That evening, James from Green Track Wooden Shoe Adventures led a special and private hike on fresh snow,. He is well versed and delightful sharing his vast knowledge for nature and the environment.

Next day we spent an afternoon in town, exploring the Sami Cultural Heritage Museum, petting reindeer, and dining at the King Crab Restaurant - all that we recommend highly.

Switching gears as our witnessing no more auroras, but amazing snowfall that night allowed for a wonderful hike at Saana the next day, and Cahkal Hotel was really super; staff and guide great and has a terrific restaurant!

Our journey then took us to Tromsø. Emerson, once again research extensively to find us this time accommodations that had a pool and found Saint Elizabeth Suites. Unfortunately, access to the pool wasn't always available (and not even open before 9AM?!?), but they did have a well-equipped health club. Please note that the front desk staff were not very accommodating or friendly. (Our Wondering Owl guide mentioned that the tourism industry in Norway isn't particularly welcoming, and we found this to be true, especially when compared to the more hospitable atmosphere in Finland.)

BTW, there was a mix-up with Wandering Owl's booking communication. We were picked up at 9:10 AM and dropped off at the Scandic Ishavshotel. At 9:30, we received a call from Wondering Owl informing us that due to recent flooding, they would be delayed picking us up at Brescia Harbor. We clarified that we were not at the harbor, but at the hotel. Thankfully, the tour did not begin till 10AM and they then confirmed that we would then be picked up on schedule at 9:50AM as there are other guests there waiting there. The tour went well, and the fresh snow made it beautiful.

Overall, our trip was brimming with unique experiences and unforgettable moments! We are deeply grateful for the adventure Emerson crafted for us – he is truly a tremendous asset to kimkim!

With appreciation and regards,
J & J

Working with Tetiana for my first KimKim organized trip was wonderful. Absolutely great! Tetiana was very attentive regarding any questions I had. Her reply was always very quick and professional. During the planning months, Tetiana found options to suit our requests and needs and offered a lot of expertise. She know the UK very well and I am so happy with the suggestions she made.
We spent our first 6 days in London. Tetiana arranged for a private driver to pick us up at Heathrow and booked us in to very comfortable accommodations in Kensington. The location was perfect! The next day we had an amazing private driver named Dean take us out to Highclere Castle for a tour. I am a huge Downton Abbey fan so thoroughly enjoyed that day trip. The second day, Tetiana organized us for a Rabbies tour to The Cotswolds & Oxford. I was travelling with my 26 year old son, and we both enjoyed seeing this part of England very much! For the next few days, we figured out transit and made our way to all of the amazing sights we wanted to see in London.
Our second week was spent in Scotland. Tetiana arranged train tickets for us to head to Edinburgh. Any time I had uncertainties or questions, I communicated with Tetiana via Whatsapp and she helped us immediately. She arranged a walking tour for us that afternoon which was incredible! I asked Tetiana to help me find a real castle for us to stay in, and Melville Castle was perfect. Our two-bedroom suite was gorgeous and spacious and everything we did and saw in Edinburgh was just amazing. Our next three days were spent in Inverness. The Highlands of Scotland are just beautiful. The people were so incredibly friendly and I can't wait to go back!
Our last day was spent in London again and we really liked The Sanctuary House that Tetiana found for us. It is a very excellent location if anyone wants to be near all the most popular landmark sights.

I can't thank Tetiana enough! She followed my request list perfectly and Jackson & I had an stress-free, wonderful vacation.

Hotel Reviews

The Sanctuary House Hotel

London

Excellent location! Wonderful "extras" in the rooms that we didn't see at our other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Receptionist was "flat". Just not a great first impression when checking-in. The pub attached to the hotel had amazing, friendly staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was fabulous! Clean, great style, and really nicely stocked with extras!

Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel

Inverness

Dated. I understand that Inverness is very old, but the rooms definitely need an upgrade. As well, the restaurant options were not what we expected. Breakfast was excellent, but in the evening the restaurants were too upscale for what we were looking for after long days out on tours. As well, the stairs with luggage were not expected. There is no elevator.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel definitely needs to be updated.

Location

Staff

Very attentive, kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Twin beds are very small. Rooms are very small. Bathroom is a great size though.

Melville Castle

Edinburgh

The hotel itself was gorgeous. Staying in a castle was more affordable than I thought it would be and our two-bedroom suite was stunning! We dined at the downstairs restaurant on our last night there and the food was excellent! The Library bar is attractive and the atmosphere was casual and relaxing! I also loved that dogs were allowed and we got to visit with a few owners and snuggle their pups. My only disappointment was the staff. Michelle was a very nice receptionist, but the other staff members did the bare minimum. Our very first impression was disappointing. No one greeted us at check in or offered to help us with our bags. Two young people stood there and watched us, without offering help or even a "welcome or hello". There was an elevator, but we still had to manage our bags with 4 stairs into our suite on our own. The staff were younger and more interested in visiting with each other; their attentiveness was lacking. As well, the outside areas of the hotel were also lacking pride. The outer small buildings looked dishevelled; pieces of the roof broken off, hoses and pails lying around etc. Unforunately this was the view from our bedroom windows and that didn't leave a great impression. However, the daily cleaning service was perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

As noted above. Our first impression was a receptionist who sat behind her desk and didn't acknowledge us until we said hello. Two other young people were on their phones and talking with each other but also didn't say hello or offer to help us with our bags. This was a disappointing first impression for our first time staying in a castle! The breakfast staff however were lovely and a lady named Michelle who worked later in the day & evening was very kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our two bedroom suite, the Library Bar and the breakfast room.

Ember Locke

London

This location is perfect. It is in the Kensington area with wonderful pubs, restaurants, grocery stores and easy transit access within minutes. It is safe and very walkable. The restaurant in this hotel is very good. There is also a wonderful coffee bar in the lobby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms could use some updating. The hotel was kept very clean; the rooms are just dark and a bit dated.

Activity Reviews

Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Small-Group Day Tour

Inverness

We had Ryan from Rabbies again on this trip. He is an amazing persona and an excellent, safe driver. We found this day far too long. Skye is nice, but being from Canada we didn't find it as "breath taking" as I had hoped. I think we could have spent the 12 hours doing something different and enjoyed that more. However, we met some really great people on the van tour and again, Ryan is the best tour guide we have ever had.

Quality of Experience

Our driver, Ryan.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

Inverness

Absolutely LOVED this full day trip. Our guide Ryan was funny, an excellent driver and wonderful at engaging with the tourists!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stirling Private Tour

Edinburgh

Our private guide Michael was SO friendly and wonderful. He was personally from Stirling and loved living there. He picked us up at our hotel and was dressed so professional. After seeing Stirling Castle, he took us to a local bakery that was incredible and he was just so professional, experienced and funny! A Great Day!!! Loved the area and highly recommend seeing Wallace Monument and the castle!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

This was so cool! Great guide on this tour and really fascinating to even think people lived and existed in these vaults in the 1700's!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Churchill War Rooms & WW2 Westminster Small Group Tour

London

We misunderstood/so did Tetiana where we were suppose to meet our guide and didn't realize there was a one-hour walking tour involved before we went in to the War Rooms. Thankfully we found him just in time and it was all absolutely wonderful!!! :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Private Tour

Edinburgh

Our private walking tour was great! Our guide was on time, very enjoyable and informative. The only thing I would have liked is if it was booked at least half an hour to an hour sooner. We only had about 45 minutes at the castle once we got up there before closing time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Highclere Castle

London

I highly recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dean White was the driver our KimKim specialist hired for us and he was just so fun to be with.

We had the most amazing week in Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. Our driver, Girish, was FANTASTIC! He had cold bottled water for us, snacks, was punctual and friendly. All of our guides and escorts were excellent and the itinerary was so complete!
We were celebrating our anniversary and my birthday, and Ravi spoiled us completely. The hotels were beautiful and the attention we received was like non other.
I asked to have our rooms be on the top floor, and we were accommodated with rooms with a breathtaking view of the Taj Mahal.
From start to finish, Ravi was communicative and detailed. We will have one more day in Delhi at the end of our trip in a few weeks. I’m sure that it will be as wonderful as the first seven days. I recommend that everyone definitely use Active India and Ravi as your travel agent!

Hotel Reviews

Dera Rawatsar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I

Cleanliness & Comfort

Furniture was stained

Novotel New Delhi Aerocity Hotel

New Delhi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Mercure Agra

Agra, UP

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ranthambhore Heritage Haveli

Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

New Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Agra beyond Taj: Leave for a Mughal Heritage walk

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the marvelous and historic monument : Agra Fort

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning and Evening game drives at Ranthambore (Sharing Jeep):

Ranthambore

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bathe, Paint and Feed - (Un-forgettable - experience with elephants!)

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taj Mahal at Sunset

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just returned home from two very exciting and truly intoxicating weeks in New Zealand. The utter perfection of my itinerary, planned by my local specialist Michelle from Once Upon a Trip, allowed me to relax and flow from one amazing experience to the next.
Michelle devised an itinerary based on my desire to see as much natural beauty as possible and managed to stay within a reasonable budget. She created a two week schedule that did not overwhelm and facilitated my ability to travel solo from the southern city of Queensland on the South Island to the northern city of Auckland on the North Island. I flew over glaciers to magnificent fjords, took boat trips on fabulous lakes, cycled through spectacular rainforests, visited botanical gardens, museums and cultural performances.
Every activity she chose for me was top notch, every accommodation fit my needs, driving directions, check-in information, timing, and general recommendations were perfect and completely reliable. I could not have asked for a more incredible trip. Thank you Michelle, Monika and KimKim!

An Unforgettable Journey Through Rome, Amalfi & Sorrento
From the historic streets of Rome to the breathtaking coastal views of Amalfi and Sorrento, every moment was a wonderful experience.

Rome was the perfect start, filled with awe-inspiring sights like the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Trevi Fountain.
From there, we made our way to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento, which left us speechless. The coastal scenery was like a postcard come to life, with colourful cliffside villages and sparkling blue waters. One of the highlights was our boat trip to Capri, where we explored hidden grottos and admired the island’s natural beauty.

Another unforgettable experience was our visit to Pompeii. Walking through the ancient ruins was like stepping back in time, and our guide brought the history to life with fascinating stories about the city frozen in time by Mount Vesuvius.
A special mention goes to Enzo, our incredible driver. His knowledge of the area, his passion for Italy, and his warm personality made our experience even more special.

This unforgettable trip was filled with beauty, history, and adventure.

My wife and I took a 13-day custom tour of Brazil, organized by Rachel at Kimkim. We visited Rio, Salvador, Manaus, the Amazon, and São Paulo. It took nearly two months of back-and-forth communication before we finalized our itinerary. Throughout the process, Rachel was incredibly attentive, patient, and courteous. Additionally, during our trip, she stayed in constant contact with us to ensure everything was going as planned. All the hotels and guides she selected for us were excellent. A special shout-out to Alex in Rio and Carlos in Sao Paulo, who made our trip truly memorable.

We will always cherish our experience at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in the Amazon. This beautiful lodge, set in the heart of the rainforest, offers modern amenities while maintaining a deep connection to nature. The guides were highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and courteous, and the restaurant was simply exceptional.

Overall, we had an unforgettable vacation. Thank you, Rachel, for all your help!

Hotel Review

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

We will always cherish our experience at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in the Amazon. This beautiful lodge, set in the heart of the rainforest, offers modern amenities while maintaining a deep connection to nature. The guides were highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and courteous, and the restaurant was simply exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Christ the Redeemer & Sugar Loaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was wonderful! All details were taken care of. All transport services were on time. Hotels were very nice. Guides were excellent, so knowledgeable and helpful. Would definitely book another trip through KimKim.

Activity Reviews

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful island and black sand beach. Saw turtles while snorkeling, baby sea lion and a marine iguana swimming and out on the beach.

Quality of Experience

Mo

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

Loved the snorkeling and the baby sea lions that played with us!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crown Jewel of Peru: Machu Picchu Sanctuary

Peru

Loved the train ride to Machu Picchu and the whole experience of being able to hike through the ruins.

Quality of Experience

Food

All food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All drivers nice and on time.

Transport

Cusco City Tour

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guide

Food

Very nice restaurants and good food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

History and information by the guide.

Transport

We had a fabulous time. Puhlia is fascinating and we learned so much more with our guides. Clothilde in Lecce lead a tour that was the perfect balance of food and history. The pasta making class with Juanita in her home was so much fun, and I can't wait to try it at home. The itinerary was a good balance between guided activities and time on our own to explore. All the accommodations were great. It was reassuring to know that there was someone I could WhatsApp at any time to get more info and make an adjustment to the schedule. Absolutely wonderful!

Hotel Reviews

VIS | Urban suites & spa

Bari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Personè Dimora Storica

Lecce

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chiancole Trulli Experience

Alberobello

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fresh Pasta Making Class in Bari

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Bari

Bari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Street Food Tour of Lecce

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Storywalking Experience: A guided walk exploring Matera's history and food traditions from Alberobello

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alberobello Guided Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We just returned from an excellent two week trip to Japan organized by Sandy san of Odynovo in Japan, through kimkim! Some highlights were biking the Shimonami Kaido, spending the night in a ryoken on Miyajima with multi-course Japanese meals included, visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park and Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, plus the cherry blossoms, temples and shrines, and beautiful terrain. We had a mix of time on our own, group, and private tours.

The group tours were through Magical Trip: Kaiori san for the Hiroshima Peace Park and Fuji san for the Tokyo foodie tour were excellent. The groups were generally small, like 5-6 guests. Those were a lot of fun and well planned, and we learned a lot.

Our private guides Chinami san in Hakone, Hisako san in Kyoto, and Yuki san in Kanazawa were all knowledgeable and easy to be with. We ended up canceling one tour in Kyoto because we just needed a break, but since it was too late to get a refund, Jun san still showed up to drop us at the train station, and we instantly liked him too and felt a little sad that we missed his tour. The private tours can be interactive and customizable and are a great opportunity to learn more than you would on your own.

Accommodations and travel within Japan that were arranged by Sandy were all well planned. We had shinkansen tickets with luggage space reserved for most of the hops, and hired taxis between train station and hotel (easy!). Twice during the trip we shipped our checked luggage ahead with the help of hotel staff. The first time was required so we could do an overnight on bikes, the second time was just to avoid the hassle of big luggage on the ferry to Miyajima, although we probably would have been fine taking it with us.

We would probably do a couple of things differently next time:
1) On the Shimonami Kaido, we should have brought along a multi-tool so we could adjust the bikes along the way, and we had too much stuff in our backpacks. WAKKA turned out to be an excellent resource for us - super kind and helpful people who do bike taxi and rental returns, among other services for bike riders in that area.
2) We got excellent mileage from the tiny bit of Japanese we learned for the trip, which increased our enjoyment. Although we never really had any trouble communicating with the locals, we would like to learn more Japanese for next time.
3) We might spend more time in each location next time. Although this trip was a good first trip because it gave us a kind of overview of the highlights of Japan, it would have been nice to do more exploring in each location.

There are so many things to love about Japan (the food, the natural beauty, the public transportation, the clean cities), but I think what we will remember the most is the many kindnesses we received from random people, not just people in the hospitality business. For example, while biking we took a wrong turn and an older gentleman on a motorcycle stopped to tell us we were probably going the wrong way, then insisted that he meet us down the road to take our picture near a landmark! Japanese people are just so nice in general - at least that was our experience.

Anyway, kimkim and Sandy san took very good care of us. There is no way we would have had this good of a time if we had booked everything on our own.

We had an incredible time on our trip to Egypt. It was a full on sightseeing holiday but every attraction ran so smoothly it was stress free, and our guides were early / on time to meet us and were happy to answer any questions we had. Our guides were very insightful and knowledgeable about the places we were visiting. We particularly liked Mustafa, Ahmed and the guide who was with us on the Nile cruise who took us to Philae Temple, Luxor Temple and the Valley of Kings etc. (we're really sorry that we have forgotten his name!).

The overall planning of the trip was made SO much easier by KimKim. Highly recommend and would 100% use them again.

Activity Reviews

Luxor West Bank to Hurghada

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver to Hurghada was great but our guide who accompanied us fell asleep shortly after we set off and didn't speak to us. The driver could have got us there himself and he spoke more to us than the guide!

Pyramids and Cairo Sightseeing with Camel Ride

Egypt

This is a must see and the camel ride was amazing. We have some really good photos of us in front of the pyramids on the camels thanks to our guide leading the camels.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Awesome trip to Vietnam! This was the 4th trip that we have booked through KimKim and again it was an excellent decision for us. Working through KimKim and their associated travel agencies is an absolute pleasure. For Vietnam we worked with Doris at Asia Aventura. She put together a fantastic itinerary for us, starting in Hanoi and moving south to Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh and the Mekong Delta. Everything was meticulously arranged, from accommodation, transport and activities. Thank you Doris for arranging such a superb experience for us in Vietnam, and a big thank you to our guides Huyen, Thuy and Ha, who looked after us so well and shared their knowledge of such a beautiful country! We loved Vietnam and its wonderful and friendly people and will definitely visit again.

We were extremely satisfied with the communication with Ali, from the Kim Kim team, for quick and thorough responses. Our preferences and schedules were taken into consideration when they planned our trip and we were also able to choose optional tours and experiences as we desired. We appreciated that because the tour operator knows the country and sights very well, so we trusted them to make decisions about the itinerary and it all worked out well. Our driver Tayeb was always punctual, polite and safe and we learned a lot about the culture and lifestyle from him. He and our other tour guides, Souhel for a walking food tour in Marrakesh and Hamman who showed us the Bahai Palace and the home of Yves St. Laurent all spoke very good English and explained everything very well. They answered any questions that we had about history, culture, or the sight, so that we felt that we understood so much more about Morocco than we would have if we had not had their assistance. They gave us advice about bargaining in the marketplace and about safety information. My husband and I loved the whole trip so much and we are already giving our friends and family your agency contact information for their future use. Thank you very much for caring for us!

Interactive development and tailoring of trip itinerary was excellent. Communications during trip were excellent. Local guides were excellent.

Hotel Reviews

Sotetsu Grand Fresa Takadanobaba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Terrace Hachijohigashiguchi

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake Biwa Otsu Prince Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Miyajima Island and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Private & Personalised Local Food Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chase Cherry Blossom in Osaka with Osaka Castle

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Shinjuku Gyoen (cherry blossom)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai and Oishi Park

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Well co-ordinated, everything flowed really well. The hotels were all excellent.