Kimkim Trip Reviews

Adam has planned two fantastic trips for me this year as I have capitalized on my daughter's stint teaching English in Madrid! The hotels he found for me in Madrid and Granada were outstanding, and he set us up with some incredible food and adventure tours, including a wine tasting in Mallorca that he joined us for--kimkim's specialists like to get firsthand experience of anything they recommend! It was so much fun to finally get to meet him :-) We spent a couple of gorgeous afternoons sailing the Balearic Sea, had our minds blown by the Alhambra and the Thyssen (my favorite Madrid museum), and of course, sampled allllll the tapas everywhere we went. Adam also booked all our transfers--trains, planes, automobiles--so we were able to travel all over Spain without a hitch, which by itself more than justifies using kimkim's services. I've worked with them multiple times in three different countries now; I don't mind planning my own travel when it's just me, but as a mom who often travels with one or more of my kids, I really appreciate having a local specialist (and fellow adult) in my destination who can provide some logistical support and guidance far from home. I will definitely be back in touch with Adam for my next Spanish adventure, since I still haven't made it to the north yet!

We could write a book about our wonderful trip to Portugal -- but, don't worry, I'll just give you a summary of the experience.

First our specialist, Tiago: Smart, responsiveness, and knowledgeable. That would be enough. But he was also really warm and personable. Just plain nice. We had the good fortune of getting to know him a bit better because he served as our driver and guide on a day tour to Sintra and Cascais. When I am working with people in business, I sometimes run across a person who has "sparkle" -- a brightness and an intelligence that makes ever interaction great. Tiago has "sparkle".

Second our trip: Too many wonderful moments to mention -- but here are just a few:

Porto: Walking around this wonderful city was charming and great exercise (lots of steps and hills). We absolutely adored the views, the history, the shops. Had a wonderful dinner nearby at 5 Oceanos.

Douro Valley (drive and river tour): Simply gorgeous. We were late arriving for our scheduled boat departure -- but Tiago hopped right on it and rescheduled us. Problem solved. Unparalleled views of the vineyards along the river.

Tomar: What a beautiful and charming location. The accommodations were delightful and the main square was a postcard come to life.

Evora: More Portuguese friendliness and charm. We particularly enjoyed our hotel here -- the MouraSuites -- and the visits to the Chapel of Bones, the Palace Gardens, and again working are way around the city streets.

Olive Oil Making Tour: A true highlight of the trip where Joao took us through the history of his families small olive oil business that he is keeping alive through passion and ingenuity. A master class in a tour that was educational, engaging and well worth the time. If you enjoy intelligent people with incredible passion and storytelling skills, please go!

Lagos: Bustling and fun. We spent time in the Algarve looking for property -- and may have found something right in Porto de Mos in Lagos. That says it all!

Benagil Caves boat tour: Visually stunning with amazing crew, including "Lady Di" and the boat captain. Fun! Do it!

Sagres and Salema day trip: Wonderful history and views.

Lisbon: Truly a diverse, friendly and beautiful place. We could not have been more pleased with the staff at our the Hotel Britania -- shout outs to Omar, Jose, Patrick as well as all of the people who made and served us the incredibly breakfast daily.

Day trip to Sintra and Caiscais: While it was crowded, we were treated to a day with Tiago -- who was full of knowledge and knew exactly how to maximize our time to get a flavor for this amazing place. The specialty pastries in Sintra were absolutely delicisious.

OK -- perhaps I did right a book. But that is because we were captivated by Portugal -- it's beauty, charm, friendliness.

Muito obrigado!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

The staff was amazing -- and this old hotel has character dripping from the walls. LOVED IT!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Omar, Patrick, Jose, and the desk and kitchen staff -- 5 star!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marina Rio

Lagos

Perfect location on the Marina for our time in Lagos.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MouraSuites Hotel

Largo da Porta de Moura, 7000-647 Évora, Portugal

Probably our favorite hotel during our 2 week visit. Beautifully designed, wonderful breakfast, gracious staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa dos Ofícios Hotel

Tomar

Charm, charm, charm. Friendliness galore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

Great central location and comfortable suites. A few minor maintenance issues with bathrooms that were quickly addressed by staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Azulejo Tile Workshop

Lisbon

Great to appreciate the history and importance of tiles in Portugal and truly appreciate the craft. Loved that we walked away with tangible, self-made tiles that will forever serve as reminders of this memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Visit to a Cork grove or olive oil Estate

Portugal

Joao was amazing in telling the very special story of his family's olive oil estate. The discussion encompassed a lesson in the making of olive oil, the challenges of retaining a small traditional business vs when competing with the super large agriculture firms, how to taste olive oil (aroma, flavor, etc.) From my perspective, as a marketing professional, the branding of the product was fascinating! A highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rabelo Boat Tour

Portugal

We loved the tour for seeing the beautiful scenery. Only thing keeping it from five stars was the lack of any narration of the experience by the tour operator.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bruno did a great job organizing the trip and always sending daily reminders and updates and being available by text or phone for any real-time issues.

Hotel Review

Lyra Hotel Plitvice

Licko Petrovo Selo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Zagreb - Arrival

Zagreb

Seeing the old part of Zagreb and its history was helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arianna spent almost nine months working with me on a specialized tour of Northern Italy, that offered us flexibility to visit family as well as unusual, less toursity areas of the country. Over that time, significant changes occurred requiring alterations to our trip plan (e.g., number of people traveling, exact dates, locations to visit, accommodations needed, availability of direct flights, etc.) Arianna professionally and graciously lept into action to cooperatively problem-solve. When I needed suggestions, she delivered helpful information, but there was never any pressure or inflexibility. Every traveler need is thoughtfully addressed, with patience and aptitude, and the things you don't even know you want are delivered.

The accommodations she secured for us in Sirmione and Cortina d’Ampezzo were spectacular. We expressed our overall travel preferences and budget and Arianna found lodging that far exceeded our expectations in some locations, while meeting expectations in the others.

Tours and experiences Arianna booked offered us unique, high-quality, individualized access to information and places we would never have found on our own. We wished we booked more!

Hotel Reviews

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

The hotel is an older accommodation in a decent location. Its staff are shining stars, however, and had the attitude and approach of a high-end place. It was relatively quiet and comfortable, with a typical breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It is clearly an older facility, with some character and charm in its bones. Tiny elevator, old fashioned decor.

Location

If you like walking, which we do, this,was a great distance from the main attractions. There isn't much in the immediate vicinity, but it keeps it quieter outside.

Staff

Every person was kind and professional. The breakfast and front desk team were top notch, but special shout out to the guy who made us cappuccino at 4:50AM the day we departed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

While it definitely felt clean in our room and breakfast room, the common areas were quite run down in places. The walls in our room had paint peeling, scuffs, scratches, and the baseboards were badly damaged. The antiques in the room match the general decor and were a nice touch, but need better care. We could hear a lot of interior noise (neighbors above and along our hallway), although outside was quiet.

HOTEL de LEN

Cortina d'Ampezzo BL

If I had to live in a hotel, this would be the one. Everything about its unique character and exceptional delighted my soul, but the location and staff make it even more special than the architect and interior designer could have envisioned. Every glorious concept is so thoughtfully executed. The rooftop spa is something magical. Truly. I cannot wait to get back to it.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel should be winning design awards, and does, because it's stunning. I fear that after the winter olympics in 2026 bring more focus on this place, this hotel may become so well-known that it is impossible to maintain its current perfect character. The natural wood offers a rustic marriage to a modern, sometimes industrial, interior design. The communal spaces are welcoming, sleek, open, yet private. The transparency of the spa offered an authenticity and character that took my breath away several times.

Location

Staff

Unbelievably kind and considerate staff. They were "waiting for us" when we arrived, later than expected, after long drive. They offered us refreshments during a quiet and personalized check-in process on another floor, which was such a nice touch. People knew us by name and checked on us regularly during our stay. The spa staff, especially Francesca, were extraordinary.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are appointed in simple, tasteful decor. Bathroom with double sink was a nice touch. Everything was spotless. From a comfort standpoint, we found the inability to control room temperature or towel heating rack, lack of a refrigerator, and absence of extra bedding (lighter blanket to adjust to the fluctuations in temperature), downsides. Towels and bathrobes were high quality. Balcony was large, but with so much construction happening in the town, it was hard to enjoy being outside or having the windows open.

Hotel Ocelle Thermae & Spa

Sirmione

A resort and spa with a very luxe look and feel. Staff were impeccably dressed to indicate their role and function, underground parking was available, including electric charging, the entire facility was gated and closely controlled. The breakfast filled two rooms and included every option imaginable, including accommodating various dietary restrictions. The location was stellar--only a five-minute walk to Scaliger castle. But the spa facilities themselves were amazing. We sadly had little time to enjoy many aspects, as we were doing tours and visiting with family, but we wished we could have booked a few more days to enjoy the thermal baths and spa services. Notes: it is adults only, and the thermal spa comfortably accommodates a small number of guests at a time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gombit Hotel

Bergamo

The hotel was a marvel of renovation and in a great, central location in the upper città. Bed was comfortable, service was excellent, breakfast was good. The only notes I would offer for fellow travelers to this location are that it is adjacent to a tourist destination (park and fountain) over which our room faced, so it was quite loud. The nightly cost to park a car is quite high.

Authenticity & Character

A renovated historic building in an ancient corridor within the limited traffic zone, requiring a specialized permit.

Location

The proximity to the funicolare and many historic sites was perfect. Dozens of wonderful markets, stores, bars, and restaurants exist within a 10-minute walk. We were easily able to walk to the lower city and back from the hotel.

Staff

I wish I could remember them all by name, but the staff with whom we interacted were consistently warm, pleasant, and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless and the towels were good quality. Everything felt new.

Activity Reviews

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Wonderful, moving experience to the the Last Supper and fully-appreciate how remarkable it is that the piece has survived, and restoration of this meticulous sort, has been achieved. The other highlights of the tour were also fantastic--ancient historical buildings, artworks, culture, politics--across thousands of years. Deborah was patient and excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class in the Dolomites

Italy

The chef we worked with was passionate about his craft and taught us special techniques for making homemade pasta, unique to the region. It felt odd cooking in the dining room so near the entrance, using a portable stovetop, and not in a kitchen, but it was still a great experience. A bit rushed.

Quality of Experience

Sirmione Walking and Boat Tour & Scaliger Castle

Italy

Wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide who showed us the highlights of Sirmione by walking and private boat ride. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour was great! Wish it was longer...

Dalia was very helpful in planning the trip. She helped us narrow down the places we wanted to see and figure out which cities would make good bases for side trips. Vejer de la Frontera was charming white village and we’re happy Dalia tipped us off to Fondación MAC sculpture garden (or rather, sculpture in a natural setting) outside of town. It was good to have quick phone access to her during the trip when we needed a doctor and when no one could direct me to the car rental place. Best of all, she found two excellent bird photography guides for John who took him to great locations he could never have found otherwise. The other guides were good too, especially Marco, who led us on a walk through La Breña Natural Park and knew about all the local plants, and Joaquin in Cordoba.

Amandine was fantastic to accomodate all our requests and did so in a very quick and thoughtful manner. We had no problems on the trip. Our itinerary was exactly what we wanted and she had all the vouchers ready when needed. This was a wonderful way to experience our first time traveling to Europe. It decreased our anxiety and stress regarding how to navigate a foreign country. I would highly recommend KimKim to others.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Prinz

Munich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Engimatt City & Garden Hotel

Zurich

Very nice room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Karl (former Krone Luzern)

Lucerne

Loved the room which had a fantastic view of the river, covered bridges, and castle. Couldn't have asked for more.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Original Sound of Music Tour - group tour

Salzburg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salzburg Cathedral: Organ Concert at Midday

Salzburg

Excellent organist providing a general feel for each organ. Would have like to have heard more.

Quality of Experience

Neuschwanstein Castle Full-day tour

Munich

Not enough time after the official tour to go through the souvenier shop and make it back down to the bus in a comfortable manner. Confusing route coming back down - would have appreciated more direction to get down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rothenburg and Harburg Day Trip From Munich

Munich

Loved the trips! Wish we had more time in Rothenburg.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Munich Beer Tour and Bites

Munich

The guide was great and provided good information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains (tickets)

Germany

Really enjoyed the beautiful boat ride. Surprised to experience snow at the top but enjoyed the way up and down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zurich with Cruise & Lindt Home of Chocolate

Zürich

We were late due to confusion surrounding the bus schedule and route. However, they were very accomodating and arranged for us to join a later tour group. We were very appreciative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael was amazing and his communication and trip guidance were on point. I will suggest the company to others and use again in the future.

We had an amazing trip to Greece. Kim Kim was wonderful. Helped with every detail and made this dream trip a reality. Kim Kim was also very responsive and available at any time if we had questions or hit any snags along the trip. Someone was always available. We started working with Ioannis and he built the trip. Along the planning we also worked with Lea, Gustavo, and Summer. They were all knowledgeable and super helpful. Would highly recommend!!

I cannot express how much of a good time I had in Turkey. Although I did get a bad cold half way through it proved even MORE how great the arrangement with KIMKIM was. My guide and driver took exceptional care of me for which I am so thankful. My guide was so knowledgeable, personable, patient, helpful. I asked his several arcane questions and he had a very good answer ever time. His level of knowledge was as remarkable as his hospitality. In case you cannot gather from my review I had a WONDERFUL TIME. KIMKIM has been EXTRAORDINARY in planning and execution of my Turkey vacation. The profile picture shows my guide: Mr. Yigit, me: Nolan Warner and the driver: Mr. Cumali

We recently booked a trip to Athens, Naxos, and Chania with Gustavo who is an amazing travel agent, and it was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Communication was seamless—every question was answered quickly and thoroughly, and we always felt supported throughout the planning and the trip itself.

The itinerary was perfectly balanced with cultural experiences, local activities, and downtime to relax. In Athens, we enjoyed a great mix of history and vibrant city life. Naxos was a dream with beautiful beaches and charming villages, while Chania offered a more authentic, relaxed Cretan experience—exactly what we were hoping for.

Accommodations at each stop were thoughtfully selected—clean, comfortable, and in excellent locations. Transfers and logistics were smooth and punctual, which made our trip feel truly stress-free.

We’re so glad we chose this agency and would absolutely recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Greece. We’re already thinking about where they can help us go next!

My Baltics adventure (Lithuania -> Latvia -> Estonia) planned by Emerson was just what I wanted:
- I feel I had good coverage of all 3 countries, seeing /learning the capital city highlights & history as well as experiencing the major national parks as well as many regional ones
- all drivers and guides arrived ahead of the scheduled times — no waiting
- all drivers and guides spoke clear English and were very easy to talk to — I’ll be life-long friends with many of them :-)
- as a naturalist, looking to find & document local species, I was very successful, finding over 100 new (to me) species of plants & animals
- all lodging was in top rated hotels, with good service, facilities, with a full spectrum breakfast included
- all city lodging was located in the heart of the respective city, in easy walking distance of key sites and many restaurants
- all rural lodging was in or next to park land, which I could easily walk to and explore

Activity Reviews

Gauja National Park's Hike

Cēsis

My guide, Sigita, was very knowledgeable and a pkeasure to be with !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Lahemaa Day Tour

Vihula

My guide Rahel was superb — very knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with :-). At my request, I requested that we replace visiting non-park places with more park trails :-)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The best place to start is with your staff: Nick & Alex were great! They may not have always had the best suggestions but they were always attentive and responsive and I will definitely be back.
So, when I accepted your itinerary, I probably should have taken a closer look at things. Turns out, you folks booked me to arrive in Bergen by plane late on the 17th of May after spending all day cooling my heals at Helsinki Airport. The 17th of May is Norway's Constitution Day and there were many festivities to enjoy, which I (fortunately, on short notice) had you folks change my itinerary to a morning arrival to experience. From that point on, my experience in Norway met most of my expectations.
The City Walk was extraordinary and really gave me the kind of overall information that helped me navigate the streets and the culture. The kayaking was exceptional, helped by picture perfect weather, and gave me a chance to explore the lowlands on the North Sea.
The next day was crystal clear, perfect for the funicular to the peak above town. What a view! and then to top off my stay, dinner at the Cornelius. For some reason, Alm, the owner, took an interest in me, from Hawaii, and that we were the same age, and gave the Grand Tour of his restaurant; from his extensive Wine Cellar to his cramped kitchen. The dinner was perfect and left me wanting to extend my stay there! But, more adventure awaited...
The next day was an exciting ferry through the narrow straights of the lowlands into Sognefjord and Balestrand. What a magical place to just chill. Steeped in history and stunning views I just soaked it up. The Cider Sampling was an interesting side show but the main event was the Kviknes Hotel.
On to Flam and the first bit of clear miss booking. You folks had originally set me up to stay in Aurlandsfjord, which I would have preferred. But, I threw you a curve when I had to change my dates and that was no longer available. My replacement booking at the Heimly Pensjonat nearby in Flam was billed as including a "fjord view". I understood that Flam was a transit focal point for the ocean liner/rail road connection and, as such, was crammed with tourists sporadically. But I figured that could be mitigated with strategic directioning. That didn't happen. I ended up in the basement ("Family Room"). As it turned out, the ocean liner at dock when I arrived, sailed that night and no other showed up till my departure day. When I contacted Alex regarding the booking goof, he generously offered a comped tour of my choice to make amends. The Bike rental was a great idea but I forgot how hard a full day can be on my behind and ended up returning the bike around 3:00. I was able to reach Aurlands and really great coffee shop there for some quality chill time. That afternoon I took the RIB Boat to Undredal and zoomed about. That was loads of fun! I also ended up switching things around on the fly for the next day to be able to kayak in the Unesco designated Nærøyfjord. That took some scrambling that Alex & Nick handled expertly.
And finally I was floored by the vast beauty of Norway, once again, with my transit the next day by train to Oslo.
All and all, a wonderful adventure in Norway that I would have had to spend an inordinate amount of time arranging but with Kimkim's help, really made it possible. For that, I am forever grateful. Thanks guys!!
Mahalo, Eric

Everyone was very nice! I just wish the weather was nicer. We could’ve had a better bus service. The drivers were just so nice 👍
I wish the payments could’ve been spread out more. I wish we’d could’ve had more time to spend on our own. Overall it was excellent. I told Mary I will be going next year 🥳

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Edinburgh Park

Edinburgh

Their menu could use some more variety

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fisher's Hotel

Perthshire

The hotel was right in the middle of everything !

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clachaig Inn

Glencoe

This place was better than the Golden Lion.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Their WiFi service needs tweaking

Golden Lion Hotel

Stirling

We should’ve been able to see the places before we got there

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just about all steps

Castleknock Hotel

Dublin 15

They could have offered a bus service to the area. We found our way there. The mall was better than the one here 😊 I would go back there too stay 👍

Authenticity & Character

Location

Busy road

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lahinch Coast Hotel

Dough, Lahinch, Co. Clare

I like the fact that you could walk around and we did go out and had a great time!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maldron Hotel Smithfield

Co. Dublin, Ireland

I like the fact that you can walk around to see different places! The room was very good 😊

Authenticity & Character

Location

They could have a map in the room.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stirling Castle

Stirling

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Well, since our flight was delayed that night and we arrived at the hotel around 1:30-2:00 am, then had to be up at 7:00 am only had to rush to get to the bus, just to drive 10 minutes to his destination 😫

Discover The Kelpies

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kells Sheepdog Experience

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Dance, Music & Dinner

Dublin

Very cool place

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Book of Kells & Old Library

Dublin

Very interesting and interesting

Quality of Experience

Just to see all the books

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Very scary because driving through the countryside was very dangerous

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Different routes

Wild Atlantic Seaweed Baths

Ireland

Allergic to iodine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The bus driver, Tracey was very pleasant!

I worked with Sebastian from initial planning all the way through the end of my trip. He incorporated my ideas and wants into my trip itinerary with some suggestions of his own that turned out to be great. He selected hotels that I would not have necessarily keyed on and they all ended up being wonderful experiences with real local feel and not just another cookie cutter Holiday Inn.

During the trip there were a few instances where I had questions or needed clarification on things and Sebastian and his team were timely in getting back to me and even stepping up to help get answers to some of my questions, etc.

In my opinion, this is a perfect example of "you get what you pay for" and what I got for my money with KimKim and Sebastian was an amazing experience seeing a large swath of the country with activities tailored to my interests. It is worth the time and money to work with these fine folks.

Our journey through Morocco was an unforgettable celebration of friendship and life. Traveling with three close friends, we were swept away by the beauty of each city—from the vibrant streets of Casablanca to the serene blue of Chefchaouen, the ancient wonders of Fez, and the sensory delights of Marrakech. What truly elevated our experience was the impeccable service throughout. Our driver, Karim, was not only knowledgeable and kind but also made us feel safe and cared for every step of the way. Every detail—from the charming riads and thoughtfully curated tours to the delicious meals—was perfectly arranged, making this trip seamless, joyful, and deeply memorable.

Hotel Review

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Best Ryad during our whole trip. The place is a dream come true!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech Evening Food Tour: A Feast for All the Senses

Marrakesh

The food choices were amazing. I had been to Marrakech before, but my experience was not as positive. Our guide was kind and knowledgeable. We were able to ask many questions about the food, the city and country, and also the culture. We learned a lot from Mohammed. Fully recommend him!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Hanan was the most kind and lovely person. We truly enjoyed the time with her. She was punctual, knowledgeable, flexible, and patient. We are so grateful to have been with her in Marrakech!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina: Journey Through the World's Living Medieval City

Fes

This tour was amazing. Sherif our guide was kind and knowledgeable! Every detail of the tour was well planned and pleasant. He was very flexible with changes we suggested and waited for us patiently!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to the southern part of Africa is something we will never forget. Typically when planning our trips, I like to do the research and build the itinerary myself. However not being familiar with South Africa and the surrounding countries, I figured I might need a little help. Luckily I found KimKim and Lize!

Planning/ Building The Trip: This step could not have been made easier. I was able to let Lize know what places we wanted to visit and activities we are interested in and POOF - out came a well crafted and smooth flowing itinerary that checked off all the major sites we wanted to visit. This made for an incredibly convenient trip. Driver's waiting for us at the airport when we landed - quick and easy hotel check in - activities already booked and transportation scheduled to take you to them - flight tickets within the country booked (to airport I did not even know existed!).

The accommodations/ hotels we stayed in were immaculate! Specifically we wanted to give a shout out to The Nkorho Lodge in Sabi Sands. All of the staff here was amazing and friendly. Spending time with our game driver Matt made our time here very special. He is very knowledgeable about the animals/ environment, but also a great time to be around. We had a great time chatting and joking with him and Luka as we made our way in and out of the bush. You cannot go wrong with anyone at Nkorho Lodge.

We also wanted to give a shoutout to Baams at the Okuti Lodge in Botswana. We had an amazing time joking and getting to know Baams. It was fascinating learning how he can track certain animals not only by their foot tracks, but also by listening to the birds in the trees. It cannot be understated how much Okuti makes your feel like family from the moment you pull up to the lodge. The entire staff is waiting there to introduce themselves to you and even greet you with a song. It was truly an experience we will never forget.

If you are thinking about planning a trip to Africa, I HIGHLY recommend utilizing KimKim and working with Lize. You will not regret it.

Hotel Reviews

Okuti

Botswana

Our stay at Okuti was one of our favorites of the trip. It is very unusual to show up to an accommodation and instantly feel part of the family. Saying the staff here is amazing would be an understatement. Everyone is so friendly and engaging. They truly want to know how your day is and what your enjoyed about it. We really enjoyed our basket making class in the afternoon. The food here was also amazing. Every night at dinner was made to feel like a big family gathering which was very welcoming and warm. We loved sitting by the firepit afterwards and recapping our day or sharing stories with the staff and other travelers. The rooms here were one of our favorites on our trip. They are very spacious and the most comfortable bed we had during our travels around Africa. Lastly the game drives. We loved joking around and spending time with our driver Baams. He was incredibly knowledgeable and we had a blast tracking lions, leopards, and cheetahs with him.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Insika Lodge

Victoria Falls

We really enjoyed our time at Insika. The rooms were very spacious and comfortable. We really enjoyed the hotel pool and bar area when we had some down time. We want to give a shoutout to Granger behind the bar. We loved catching up with him at the end of the day. Also the women at the front desk are incredibly helpful with any questions or scheduling needs you have. Breakfast was very good. Lastly we really enjoyed the shuttle into town. It was very convenient and a great perk to getting to explore the local area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nkorho Bush Lodge

Kruger National Park

This is one of the best accommodations we have ever stayed at. The rooms are very spacious and clean. The beds, sheets, and pillows very comfy. Some rooms you can even get a view of the watering hole where animals drop by throughout the day. Food was very good, and the overall vibe is very laid back (which is nice after game drives). Not the mention the infinity pool looking out at the watering hole. However what makes this place special is the staff. We had a blast getting to know and speak with Roscoe, Luka, Carl, Matt, and others. Everyone is so easily approachable and fun to converse with. Matt and David were our game driver/ spotter and we cannot say enough great things about them and how much fun we had getting to spend a few days with them.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Commodore Hotel

Cape Town

Perfect location! Steps away from the V&A Waterfront and restaurants/ bars. The staff here is incredibly friendly and eager to help if you have any questions about activities. Breakfast was very good. Hotel bar well stocked and comfortable. Rooms were very clean- beds a little on the firmer side, but I do not mind that (pillows and sheets were comfy).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Okavango Delta Safari

Okavango Delta

We loved our time in the Okavango Delta. It was really cool getting to experience safari both on land and on the water. We had a great time with our guide Baams.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip Line - Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls

Very fun zip line over the gorge. However it is not like traditional ziplines where you end on another platform. You go up the other side of the canyon and come to rest dangling in the middle of the line. Someone comes down and wenches you back up to the starting point. Absolutely nothing wrong with this, we had a great time, but it is over quite quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helicopter Flight

Victoria Falls

Amazing experience and the views you get of the falls and local area are breathtaking. We did the 12-13 minute flight which seemed like it would not be enough time. In fact it was the perfect amount of time. You get up there and make some loops, grab your pictures, and by that time you are good to go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the falls and sunset cruise

Victoria Falls

We really enjoyed our tour of the falls, but the only reason I would not give it 5 stars is I do not believe you need to do this with a guide. Perhaps there was not a ton of info to share, but our guide did not have much to say. The paths to walk through the park are well marked and we often found ourselves in front of our group waiting on people. If we did this again, we would just go by ourselves. The views of the falls are AMAZING! It is 100% worth going and experiencing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was not very engaging. You can tell he does a lot of these walks in a day.

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

Sabi Sands Game Reserve

The Sabi Sands area is amazing. We were lucky to have a great guide and spotter (Matt/ David). Who made our time in the bush very enjoyable. The safari vehicles are comfortable and in the colder times they will supply you with a blanket should you like one. We really enjoyed our sun downer breaks with cocktails. It is amazing the animals you will see on your safari - remembering it is not a zoo - so you're not guaranteed to see everything. However the guides are very good at tracking and make even the down time engaging and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

We highly recommend this trip. We had a great time driving around with our guide Ian. He was very knowledgeable and engaging. He made a great suggestion for a lunch stop near Boulder Beach that was right on the water and inevitably ended up being one of our favorite meals of our 3 week trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was very helpful to have the hotels close to all the attractions as we were able to walk everywhere. All the guides are super friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our trip thoroughly! The only suggestion I would make for future visitors is during the Douro Valley trip. It would be great if the tour guide were able to stop at the scenic attractions, allowing us to take pictures. We saw the beautiful valley but did not stop to take pictures of the valley, only saw from the car.

Wonderful experience, will use this service again in the future!

All of our guides were really great and I absolutely recommend all them for future travelers.

The whiskey tasting was good, but you only taste whiskeys from Suntory because the bar has an exclusive deal with the distillery. That was a bit limiting, but it was still good to learn more about Japanese whiskey and then we tried other distilleries on our own. Hiro was a good host. Overall, I would suggest a stop at Suntory's distillery for a guest already going from Tokyo to Kyoto.

There absolutely needs to be a guide for the Sumo experience. If not for a guide with another group, I wouldn't have learned or understood a single thing going on in that practice. You have to be completely quiet the whole time and no one from the facility talks to you, explains anything, etc. We really liked going to practice though and immersing more into that historical part of Japanese legacy so I highly recommend for other guests, but absolutely with a guide.

Nick was a good guide for Tokyo. He showed us a few cool spots that only a local would know like the view of Tokyo Station from the corporate business next door.

Yukari, our guide in Kyoto, became a friend during the trip. She quickly pivoted and took us to places with fewer crowds. Absolutely 10/10 guide.

Both Yokos were wonderful and very knowledgable too.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was the Tea Tasting in Kyoto. I wish we had done more immersive experiences like that.

Our hotels were all 5 stars except in Hiroshima, but I know we were a bit budget conscious on that one. I'm also glad we upgraded to the green car for the longer train rides. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH for booking us on the correct side of the trains so that we could see Mount Fuji, what a treat on a beautiful blue day from Osaka to Tokyo on our way home. That was absolutely wonderful!!!

Overall...Sandy was really good, but I just didn't feel like I was working with someone currently local. We asked her about a HUGE event in Osaka - the World Expo - and she didn't know about it but when we got to Japan, everyone knew about it. We should have pushed her more on alternative places to go versus mainstream tourist hotspots. Thankfully we were able to work with our tour guides in each city to learn a little more about what crowds to avoid and how we could see similar sites without as many people.

Hotel Reviews

Zentis Osaka

Osaka

This hotel was incredible, very modern. The staff were very friendly and spoke great English. The breakfast was limited to a Japanese and English preset option, but both were very good. We loved our room and the location was pretty good, maybe a little closer to the subway would have been nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Odd that we were literally annexed from the main hotel, but I liked that it was smaller and felt more "boutique" from the main location. I loved that we were able to take advantage of the larger hotels high rise breakfast buffet though. One of my favorite pictures from the trip was from the location. Also, the hotel had on floor self serve laundry which we took advantage of twice! It was amazing and I wish more hotels offered that. The biggest issue with this hotel was the smoking room on the 2nd floor, you could smell it so strongly anytime we were around the front desk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laundry facilities!

Activity Reviews

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

WOW! What a highlight of our trip. We felt taken back in time. I wish the experience had been a little longer but otherwise it was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

So much fun! We loved our private tours, but it was fun to have a group activity for the food tour. Our guide Yuki was wonderful, very enthusiastic. Would recommend to others!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Japanese Whisky Tasting Experience at Local Bar in Tokyo

Tokyo

Good, guide was informative but only tasted Suntory whiskey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sumo Stable Tour

Tokyo

This was a wonderful experience, one of our favorites! That said, you absolutely need a guide if you want to learn about sumo and what's going on during practice. Thankfully there was a guide for another group so we could learn some from her, but we still missed out on much of what she was sharing with her guests.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver Omar was phenomenal. Friendly, excellent driver, helpful and curious. He made the trip memorable and went out of his way to help. Showing us his family home in Dades was memorable for us. The hotels were great except in Chefchuan the blue city despite our request we got the room several floors up with no elevator and it was dusty and musty smell in the room making my allergies unbearable. The hotel in Marrakech and Fes were excellent. The hotel in Casablanca was not so great and front staff a bit rude. The desert experience even though spectacular was marred by poor camel seats in 2 out of 4 causing loss of thigh skin and constant risk of falling off. The food there very ordinary and entertainment very primitive and amateurs and we couldn’t take it after a few minutes. The SUV driver drove on the dunes recklessly and most of us were sick ignoring our request not to do so. The guide Salaam in Marrakech and host family for cooking class were just amazing. Very memorable.Meeting Abdul for tea in Rose valley was great. Small hotel in Dades valley was very good hospitality was warm and great food even for vegetarians. The vehicle was very comfortable and spacious. The arrangements by Sharon were very efficient.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Club Val d'Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

Staff a bit rude, room very ordinary, was dusty with renovations, our request for sea views room was never honored, location good, food was good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Euphoriad

Rabat

Very pretty boutique hotel, very nice staff, service and food, good location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nila

Chefchaouen

Dusty, musty, our request for ground or lower floor was not known to the hotel and we had to climb multiple flights with luggage, allergies were bad here. Location very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Most amazing hotel palace, very accommodating staff, my room had a window opening to wall do they upgraded us next day to a suite. Food and location perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relaxing Desert Camp - Royal Bivouac

Merzouga

Room okay, food poor, entertainment very poor, manager driver reckless and uncaring

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chez Ichou

Dades Gorge

Warm hospitality, great food, pretty setting

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Great room, food, location and staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Driving Tour of Casablanca

Casablanca

Not much to see except the Hassan mosque which was spectacular , beach walk was nice, dinner was nice at the hotel , hotel itself ordinary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

Guide disinterested, not prepared, couldn’t show us the drive through palace grounds because it was time for royal kids to leave school, could not show us the mausoleum because some special visit. Mostly waste of time. We went and saw the mausoleum next morning on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Orientation Walk & Free Afternoon in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Pretty yet very touristy town, asking for money every where for photos, had a great meal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Roman ruins very nice, good guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Guide Said, so so little disinterested, city magnificent

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Fes via Midelt, Azrou, & Ifraine

Morocco

Beautiful drive, Ifrane just beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Valley to Merzouga Camel Trek via Todgha Gorge & Tinghir

Morocco

Camel ride substandard poor seats, dunes magnificent, camp substandard, poor food and very poor entertainment, reception office before the camel ride unfriendly and asking to paid for washrooms use. Camp manager driving us was reckless and scary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech to Dades Valley via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Bit long drive, the Ait Ben Haddou trip got, dusty and tiring, rose and Dades valley very pretty

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour

Morocco

Lovely family, very warm and welcoming. Very nice cooking class, yummy food, getting dressed in traditional Moroccan outfits a surprise bonus.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Great guide Salaam . Enjoyed the tour, Souks and atmosphere

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarah was great during the planning process (we had a lot of iterations). She was also helpful during our trip - one of the drivers didn't know where to go for the Pagsanjan Falls excursion and another day, there was miscommunication with our driver and instead of viewing the Taal volcano, we went to the city of Taal. It worked out because we went on another day to view the Taal volcano and were also able to go on a boat ride which we really enjoyed. All of our drivers were excellent and we arrived safely to all our destinations (including when one of the vehicles broke down on the way to the airport - they quickly provided another vehicle to pick us up). Our tour guides were great. Glen, who did the tour of Intramuros and China Town was very enthusiastic. He also had us try some food along the way. Andre who guided us to the Taal volcano was very accommodating. We wanted to try balut and he took us to a place we could try it. Overall, we enjoyed everything we did. The negatives included going to the city of Taal by mistake and wasting time, the waterfall we were taken to after viewing the Taal volcano was disappointing (I wouldn't call it a waterfall, it was nowhere near the pictures on their site and the path there was through people's living spaces), we ended up canceling the hike to mount Daraitan because we realized it would be more difficult than we were anticipating after further research and lastly, we cancelled our food tour because we didn't want to return to China Town again when we were already there a couple days earlier.