Kimkim Trip Reviews

My wife and I just returned from an unforgettable 7-night trip to Sri Lanka, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We booked through Kimkim, and Dhanushka did an outstanding job creating an itinerary that perfectly balanced nature, culture, and historic sites.
From the start, Kapila, our guide and driver for the entire trip, was nothing short of exceptional. His wealth of knowledge about Sri Lanka’s history, culture, and natural beauty was incredible, and his driving skills made us feel safe and comfortable throughout our journey. Kapila went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best possible experience and was always looking out for our needs.
One of the trip highlights was the village safari, where we had the opportunity to interact with the locals and learn about traditional cooking methods. We had the chance to watch the villagers prepare a delicious pumpkin curry along with other local dishes. It was such a unique and hands-on experience, and the food was absolutely delicious!
Overall, the trip was a perfect mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation. We’re grateful for Kimkim, Dhanushka, and especially Kapila for making this trip so memorable.

As is usual with KimKim trips, everything went extremely well with my visit to Croatia.
My guide Robi was excellent with his itinerary planning to all the hotel and site visitations.
I enjoed every minute.

Myself and my wife arranged a trip to CostaRica via Kimkim and Serendipity Adventures. We had a great time. Our experience was wonderful. All our arrangements including all stays, transportations and trips were done very well. We didn’t have to worry about any of these. They stayed in touch throughout the trip to ensure everything went smoothly. All the staff we encountered were extremely nice . Thank you !

I thought that the planning of the trip and the excursions were excellent. I also felt that the itinerary provided was done very well and was very straightforward and structured.

I also enjoyed the hotel picks.

What I didn’t like was the lack of support I received when there were disruptions to my itinerary due to weather. The individual I had to deal with (Joaquin) was not helpful and was not willing to work with me to get things back on track. I found his communication to be rude and unprofessional - so much so that I had to escalate to get the support I needed.

We loved our trip to Sri Lanka. Rikaz helped us build a perfect itinerary, mixing wildlife, nature treks and hikes, cultural experiences and sites, and much more! Would highly recommend booking your trip with Rikaz.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We spend 1.5 days in Hikkaduwa as we wanted to end the trip on the beach. Although it is gorgeous, it is EXTREMELY touristy, and the hotel we stayed at (Hikka Tranz) was probably our least favorite hotel of the trip (although we did not see any better options in the area). Therefore, if you want to go to the beach, I would consider doing some research to find other less crowded beaches with the same scenery.

Moonika planned an amazing trip that my family will never forget. She knew our overall goal was to try and see the northern lights so she selected locations and experiences that would help give us the best chances and we did see it!!! My parents bucket list item was fulfilled. All the other experiences just further enhanced the trip. My dad’s favorite experience was arctic crabbing in Norway. My sisters favorite was husky sleigh ride. My mom’s favorite was of course the northern lights. While my favorite experience was the reindeer farm and Sami experience.

All the accommodations were perfect. My mom didn’t want to leave the boutique hotel. I love that Moonika chose local guides and experiences. They were all fantastic. I’ve already recommended Moonika to several extended family members!

Hotel Reviews

Haawe Boutique Apart Hotel

Rovaniemi

One of the best hotel experiences! The room is beautiful and luxurious. The breakfast food provided was perfect. My parents never wanted to leave the hotel. The location is also in a perfect location, close to many things.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Village Inari

Inari

The place is beautiful and cozy. The breakfast spread was delicious. We loved the ceiling view. The one suggestion we have is if there’s an option to be alerted to the northern lights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Reindeer Park Visit

Inari

Such a fun experience feeding the reindeer! Our Sami guide was very knowledgeable and open to sharing her experiences.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emerson arranged the trip and everything went as planned. Every detail was as described. The drivers arrived on time, the activities were varied and wonderful. Specifically: cross country skiing in Akaslompolo was spectacular...there is nothing like the vast network of trails here, in the USA. We went on a daytime snowshoe trip and two Northern Lights van trips with Beyond Artic. On the first Northern Lights trip, the driver drove an hour and and half trying to get the group to a good viewing area...we saw the Lights, but the sky was cloudy. The next night was beyond spectacular. Standing on a frozen lake, we saw the Aurora 360 degrees around us and above.
Two other trips were wonderful: a nighttime snow shoe trek on wood skis with a nature guide. James from Green Trek showed us animal tracks, vegetation and trees. The trip to the Reindeer Farm was alot of fun. We spent alot of time feeding the reindeer, learning about them and each of us got in a sled alone to "drive" a reindeer on a short trip.
Oh--the Northern Lights Ranch in Levi was also outstanding. Alk three of us were thrilled with the whole trip.

It is not kimkim practice to provide their clients/travelers with an itemized list of cost breakdown, so we had no idea how much we paid for things. Kimkim agents would not share the cost of anything when we asked either.

Once the trip is booked through kimkim, no matter how far in advance you cancel and no matter what happens, you cannot get a refund for anything. Unforseen circumstances always arise when traveling, so it is aggravating that kimkim does not have any flexibility on this whatsoever. This also makes the travellers feel taken advantage of by kimkim.

We were unaware that a couple of our hotels recommended and booked by kimkim did not allow flushing of toilet paper down the toilet. We have never been to Thailand before, so this isn't something we even knew we should be aware of. If we knew this, we never would have booked these hotels... It is concerning and upsetting that our travel agent did not let us know about this in advance. To note, it is your job as a travel agent to provide as many details to your clients as possible and to be 100% transparent (which ironically kimkim prides itself for on its website). Although there was supposedly nothing wrong with either hotel per kimkim standards, there was definitely something wrong with both of our hotels chosen by kimkim per our standards. It was entirely kimkim's fault for ill-advising us regarding these hotels, yet my husband and I were the ones who were forced to pay for two additional hotels. This cost us a ton of money unexpectedly and we suffered needlessly at the hands of kimkim. This situation could easily have been avoided if our travel agent Mint had just communicated clearly with us in the first place. Kimkim has done nothing thus far to ameliorate this situation for us.

Google reviews of hotels were seemingly not taken into account. Kimkim books with specific hotels and bases their suggestions off past user experiences rather than booking only with highly rated hotels. (Online ratings are extremely important!!! They provide more of an objective lens as well as a much larger sample size). Our hotel in Phuket that kimkim booked for us had a plethora of poor google reviews, but kimkim's excuse for booking this place was "most of our clients enjoyed their stay here".

There was a major pickup confusion/hassle to which kimkim did nothing. We had switched hotels in Chiang Mai on 10-Mar in early afternoon and were told by our travel agent Mint that all parties were notified of this change. However, come 11-Mar, we were supposed to be picked up at 8am but weren't picked up until 9am because the driver was completely unaware what hotel we were at. He went to 1-2 different hotels before getting the right one. He called me twice because he was so confused, and he thought we had just switched hotels that morning. It was frustrating because we rushed to get ready by 8am and then waited for 60 min in the lobby. We were not given any sort of discount or refund for this inconvenience. Kimkim didn't even apologize.

We are not given contact info for any of the drivers. So, if any issues arise (which they did), we are not able to contact them. We are forced to take a roundabout way of communication by contacting our kimkim specialist who then contacts the driver. This is not time-effective. Also, kimkim has no idea what the situation actually is because they aren't there. It makes no sense why kimkim can contact the driver but we as the travelers cannot.

We dealt with frequent late pick-ups with NO communication from kimkim. For example, 13-Mar in Chiang Mai we are told to be ready for pick up at 9am. We rush through breakfast to be ready and in the lobby by 9am. At 915am, I text the travel agent (since I don't have driver contact info) if the driver is here. Travel agent Mint replies at 916am and says the driver is on their way. 930am rolls around and we are still in the lobby with no updates from anyone. I texted Mint again because the driver still hadn't arrived. Mint said she would call the driver. After several minutes, we hadn't had any updates again, so I texted Mint once again asking what happened with the driver. She replied and said this was, to our surprise, a joint pickup and the driver said there "was traffic" (which we knew to be a lie- kimkim had no idea). Regardless of the excuse and regardless of the situation, this delay should have been communicated with us by either the driver or kimkim ASAP so we were not sitting around waiting for almost an hour, wasting our time.

The kimkim itinerary specifically says pickup at "9am". When it reached 915am and we still hadn't received any updates and the driver hadn't arrived, we texted our kimkim agent who said "pickup is actually 9-930am"... A time range is MUCH different than one set time, so why weren't we notified of this range whatsoever when it directly affected us?

Kimkim randomly springing on us that we are riding with a bunch of random strangers when our itinerary has only included private transfers thus far and only finding that out the day of minutes before we were picked up is extremely inconvenient, not to mention inconsiderate.

We needed passport # for ziplining as well as our passport picture for the elephant sanctuary, but neither one of these were on the kimkim itinierary and kimkim did not warn us about this. Thankfully, we already had our passport pics on our phones by some miracle and were able to participate in the activities without issue (with no thanks to kimkim).

Without giving us any prior notice or heads up, our kimkim contact for 2 weeks (Mint) randomly texted us one day 5 min before one of our flights took off and told us to contact someone else going forward because she's "going to be off for a while"... Is this how kimkim's supposed 100% transparency really works?

Neither travel agent EVER checked in with us. This should be the BARE MINIMUM and common sense as a travel agent... To ensure things are on time, that things are going smoothly, that your clients (us) are having a good time and are alive... Both our travel agents Mint and Tina only responded to texts we sent them; they never once checked in on us independently. The last few days of our trip, they went completely dark- we literally didn't hear from them at all. They didn't even wish us well or safe travels (which, literal strangers did for us, but our own travel agents didn't?!). We don't feel cared for or respected by kimkim whatsoever.

Kimkim specifically said our Day 15 (March 17) activity was a "small group". However, we boarded the boat with well over 20 people which is, by definition, not a small group. Not to mention, our "small" group interacted with a ton of other groups, taking away any perceived or possible intimacy of a small group setting.

Our boat island tour on 17-Mar took us to Bamboo Island for 1.5 hours where there were no functional bathrooms and both the beach and the water were oversaturated with people. Additionally, the fish were extremely aggressive and bit me multiple times even though I was calmly and quietly floating on the surface of the water. This day was the absolute WORST by far and honestly one of the worst travel days I've ever had in my life. How could kimkim recommend such a terrible experience?

Hotel quality seemed to differ quite a bit between cities for no apparent reason... For instance, kimkim's chosen hotel in Bangkok (Valia Hotel) was super new, super fancy, 5-star, and highly rated. However, kimkim's chosen hotel in Phuket (The Charm Resort) was 4-star and not too highly rated.

Overall, my husband and I are quite dissatisfied with kimkim and, as it stands, will not book with kimkim again or recommend them to anyone. I am no travel agent, but I am confident I could have planned a better and cheaper trip for my husband and myself with many less hassles. If anyone with access to Google can plan a successful international trip, what makes kimkim stand out? What can they do specially that I can't just do myself? Communication from our kimkim agents was severely lacking for the entire trip duration- so much so that it was easy to forget we even had travel agents. It seemed pretty evident that they didn't care about us. Kimkim prides themselves on 100% customer satisfaction and 100% transparency, yet neither of these things were true during our trip. Such a major disappointment.

Hotel Reviews

The Charm Resort Phuket

We didn't end up staying here. This hotel does not allow flushing of any toilet paper- this was a huge issue for us. In addition, multiple Google ratings mention dirty rooms, poor water pressure, and poor water temperature. Knowing what we know now, we would not have allowed kimkim to book this hotel for us.

Rock & Treehouse Resort

I picked this place after doing some research, and I was overall not disappointed in my choice. Beds could be a bit comfier but they were fine. Rooms were relatively large with beautiful views and wildlife abundant. Huge and awesome balcony. AC worked fine. Water temperature was good. Water pressure in shower was severely lacking at times, but only momentarily. Breakfast was lacking- very small and not many options. Staff were kind and accommodating. Food was delicious. We loved that you can book excursions through the hotel- we did the half-day jungle trek at Khao Sok National Park and it was one of our favorite experiences on this entire trip. The biggest con was that the window shades don't close all the way. They do have a pool but it is small. Would recommend and would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful scenery and wildlife abundant. Most of the walls of the rooms are huge windows. Really feels like a jungle resort.

Location

Very quaint and quiet location surrounded by jungle and wildlife. 5 min drive from Khao Sok National Park and ~10 min walk into small town with cafes, restaurants, and shops.

Staff

Staff were kind and accommodating.

Banthai Village

Chiang Mai

We didn't end up staying here. Much to our surprise, they do not allow flushing of any toilet paper- this was the biggest issue for us. We only found this out upon our arrival at the hotel. The AC unit blows air directly onto the bed which is uncomfortable. The floors are extremely slippery. The shower water didn't seem like it could get hot enough. Although it seems quaint, it was not for us. Knowing what we know now, we never would have allowed kimkim to book this place.

Location

Although it was relatively quiet, it is a walk to get to any restaurant or downtown.

Valia Hotel Bangkok

Bangkok

Overall, my husband and I had a good stay here. Clean rooms, amazing large bathrooms, decent food, large breakfast buffet, kind staff, excellent water pressure and temperature, comfy beds, excellent AC, good location. The rooms are a bit small.

Staff

Staff were accommodating and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Comfortable beds.

Phka Chan Hotel

Siem Reap

My husband and I had a fantastic stay here. Rooms were clean, food was delicious, staff were extremely kind and accommodating, beautiful balcony overlooking the pool, bathrooms were nice, shower water temperature & pressure good, great location, included breakfast was awesome- the noodle soup here was our favorite breakfast food on our entire trip. Bottled water is complimentary. It did take us a bit to figure out the AC (not self explanatory), but once we did it worked fine. Would definitely recommend and would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful scenery, nice pool, nice rooms.

Location

Right next to the bustling main street with tons of restaurants and shops. However, it is still quiet.

Staff

The staff here went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. For instance, my husband has dietary restrictions and staff were extremely accommodating and made sure he had plenty to eat. They even made edits to menu items to accommodate for him.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were large and very clean. Beds were comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Elephant Jungle Expedition at Chai Lai Orchid Ecolodge!

Chiang Mai

A life-changing experience. My husband and I did a private tour. Note: This particular sanctuary strives for the ethical treatment of its elephants. We started off by feeding three adult female elephants sugar cane. We were instructed by staff how to properly do this. Next, we mixed and crushed together an array of medicinal herbs to feed to the elephants for their wellbeing. Then, we took a small stroll with one of the elephants to a mother and her calf. The baby was so playful and cute and fun to watch. It kicked around a soccer ball! We then headed to the river where an elephant was bathing and we helped bathe and splash it. The water was ice cold! Our guide then made us lunch over an open fire and served it to us in a section of bamboo tree trunk. It was delicious! (Note: My husband has dietary restrictions and our guide asked about this prior to making food. He was very accommodating). We next walked a short distance to a waterfall. Finally, we took a ride on a long bamboo raft down the river. You will get wet! This was beautiful and serene. Overall, we had an amazing experience here and would highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Elephants are such majestic creatures. Spending a day with them was truly remarkable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide at the sanctuary was humorous, knowledgeable, and friendly.

Transport

Kimkim did not inform us that this would be a group / joint transfer, which was inconsiderate and rather annoying. We didn't enjoy riding with a bunch of strangers. In addition, there was a major transport mixup due to kimkim's lack of communication. My husband and I had switched hotels the previous morning and were told by our kimkim agent that all parties were notified of this change. The kimkim itinerary said pickup was 8am. However, we weren't picked up until 9am because the driver was completely unaware of what hotel we were at. He went to 1-2 different hotels before he got the right one. He also called me twice because he was so confused, and he had thought we had just switched hotels that morning (when we had actually switched one full day ago). It was extremely frustrating because we rushed through breakfast to get to the lobby by 8am, only to have to wait for an entire hour. Kimkim's communication during this ordeal was severely lacking, and we were not given any sort of discount, refund, or even an apology for this hassle.

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Note: Not recommended for vegans or vegetarians. Our guide took me to Chinatown where I tried a wide array of unique food items (including jellyfish!). There were SO many food vendors selling so many different kinds of food- mostly items containing meat. I ate so much! The guide paid for everything which was nice. I had a good time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

This experience was so awesome! We started out at the Mae Klong Railway market. We got there right in time to see the train come in. There were a ton of stalls/vendors and we did quite a bit of shopping. Next, we went to a coconut sugar processing facility which my husband and I thought was really cool. The people there were very nice. Finally, we did the Damnoen floating market. This was our favorite! It was so beautiful. It felt like the Venice of Thailand. There were tons of vendors and really delicious foods. A very unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Thai Massage!

Bangkok

This activity was specifically requested by my husband and I. We really enjoyed it! Everyone was very professional and it was quite relaxing.

Exploring Bangkok by local transfers and walking tour

Bangkok

My husband and I had a good day exploring Bangkok with our lovely tour guide. We saw several temples, all of which were cool to see.

Discover Angkor Wat and Floating Village - Day 1

Cambodia

Overall, this was an awesome experience. It was so cool to see a world wonder (angkor wat). Ta Prohm was probably my favorite part of this day - seeing the massive trees enveloping ancient temples was magical. However, this was an extremely long day in the heat & humidity and with direct sun exposure. I suffered from heat exhaustion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. He was very excited to share his culture and country with us.

Transport

Our driver was amazing. He was so friendly and prompt and provided us with a seemingly unlimited supply of cold water bottles.

Half-day Experience Zipline at Maetonluang Village

Chiang Mai

This is an activity we specifically requested that kimkim include in our itinerary (and I picked the specific location/company after doing my own research). Staff were incredible. Views and scenery were incredible. Ziplining was so fun! I felt very safe and taken care of. The lunch buffet at the end was decent. There are bathrooms at the beginning. You traverse the ziplines with a small group. You have the option of paying a photographer to take pics & videos of you ziplining which was well worth it. They have small free storage lockers. I would highly recommend this activity and would suggest that kimkim add this into potential activities.

Quality of Experience

Such an amazing and fun experience.

Food

Lunch was included and buffet style. It was decent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were hilarious, friendly, and very knowledgeable.

Transport

Unbeknownst to us, this was a joint pick-up. Kimkim did not inform us of this. We didn't like being crammed into a van with a bunch of strangers. Not to mention, the driver came 1 hour later than scheduled/planned so we were forced to wait in the lobby for that entire duration.

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

My husband and I had a magnificent time at this cooking class. It was just me and him which was SO nice. We traveled with our instructor to a local market to pick out fresh ingredients. My husband has dietary restrictions and our instructor was more than willing to accommodate. We were shocked that our class included so many meals- we made one appetizer, two main courses, and dessert. Our instructor explained things very clearly and was very funny and kind. The food tasted so delicious and you get a cookbook at the end. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Intimate and educational experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our instructor was amazing. She was so funny and nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

Our instructor picked us up and dropped us off.

Phi Phi island, Bamboo Island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speedboat

Phuket

If we could rate this 0 stars, we would. This was one of the worst travel experiences we've ever had (and we are long-time world travelers). Kimkim had on the itinerary that this was a "small group" activity; however, it turns out that this was actually a large group of well over 20 people. Not to mention, our group interacted with countless other large groups so there was no intimacy whatsoever. Every single place we went was absolutely packed full of tourists. At Maya Bay, you could barely walk because there were so many people. We were given the option to go swimming at Pi Leh Lagoon, but there were so many boats and so many people that you barely had any room to swim. Bamboo Island was no different- the snorkeling area was overwhelmed with bodies. It was absolutely horrible. It took an entire hour via boat one way to get anywhere. Not only is this travel time excessive, but it wasn't worth the experiences. The fish at Bamboo Island were extremely aggressive. I was bit multiple times even though I was quietly and peacefully floating at the water's surface. The bathroom situation for this excursion was horrible. There were literally no functional bathrooms on Bamboo Island and we were stuck there for 1.5 hours (and no soap/hand sani or toilet paper). Maya Bay bathrooms were overcrowded and had no soap or hand sanitizer. The boat did not have any bathrooms. Snorkeling was a major let down for so many reasons. Note: We've been snorkeling before at world-class snorkel sites and are not beginners. Firstly, the equipment sucked. The mouthpiece was faulty and water kept filling your mouth and the snorkeling tube. They didn't use any defogging material either so after about 5 seconds your goggles would fog up and you couldn't see anything. They didn't supply you with flippers. They didn't give a snorkeling lesson whatsoever, so most people were splashing around and swimming loudly and scaring the fish away.

Quality of Experience

The worst day by far of our entire trip and one of the worst travel experiences I've ever had. Nothing about this entire day/excursion was positive. I have literally nothing good to say. It was terrible.

Food

The food at the very end was disappointing. Not a lot of options and it didn't taste great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was clearly just some guy without any real expertise. He didn't give snorkeling lessons or tips. He didn't warn us about no soap on Maya Bay. When we arrived at Maya Bay, he specifically told us to "only bring your phone" without even mentioning there were food & drinks available for purchase (cash only) and we couldn't get back on the boat once we left.

Transport

No bathroom on the boat. For the number of people on this trip, the boat was relatively small with limited seating. It took an entire hour to travel one way.

We had a really great time Tamarindo Diriá is a very good resort easy to access everything of interest. We were there just to get warm
from cold weather and relax and we were able to da that. The sun sets are great and we stayed in sunset rooms 2 nights . next 3 nights we stayed Tropicana rooms very nice and worth staying in. Breakfast was very good on both beach side and on tropicana side. Pick up from the Airport in Liberia and pick to return to the airport for Tamarindo Diria simple and efficient. I recommend reading up on and watching some YouTubes about the place , the culture and people it will be a much better vacation for people who have never been to Latin America. I think Americans have a bad time when
they think everything should work like the United States and it's completely different. Tamarindo is a tourist town and multi cultural have an open mind and be patient. The Costa Rica people are very nice but be very nice back and you will have a great time in that country Pura Vida Yall

We spent a week in Costa Rica in March 2025 and had an amazing time.
Right from the time we landed, we knew we were in great hands with our knowledgeable and kind driver, Alex who was a wealth of information about Costa Rica- people, culture, food etc.
We had our local tour organizer, Wilman checking on us everyday which was great.
We had excellent tour guides notably Byron at Rio Celeste and Andres at Manuel Antonio.
Our favorite was the Tapir night hike as it was the first time we were experiencing a hike in the darkness.
Overall, we loved Costa Rica and we will definitely visit again!!

Hotel Reviews

Tulemar Resort

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rio Celeste Hideaway Resort

Bijagua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nayara Hotel Spa and Gardens

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float

Arenal/La Fortuna

We recently used Kimkim for our trip to Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguazu. What a great experience! Bruno was our trip coordinator and did an excellent job putting together an itinerary that met all of our needs and interests. Lines of communication were open before, during and after the trip, and he was always responsive. When we arrived in Rio, our guide Luiz was waiting at the airport for us. He then took us on an amazing tour of the city over the next few days. Our first day was spent taking a relaxing afternoon and sunset boat ride around the bay. Fun drinks on board and beautiful sights to see! We of course went the next day up to Sugarloaf Mountain and then up to Christ the Redeemer, both offering beautiful views of the city. We then spent time in the Santa Teresa neighborhood visiting some sites. This neighborhood had a very cool vibe. We had lunch at the Aprazivel restaurant (which we highly recommend), and then continued on to see some local churches and the Metropolitan Cathedral which is designed like a Mayan pyramid! Another day was spent visiting the factory where they assemble the floats for Carnival. There, we also had fun trying on Carnival outfits and were entertained by a Samba dancer! Our trip, as well, to the tiled steps in Santa Teresa was a must see. These steps contain tiles from all over the world, which were very cool to look closely at. Get there early, as it's a tourist attraction! Walking around the city with Luiz was great. He was full of historical and cultural information, which we loved. It provided us great insight into what we were seeing and gave us a better appreciation for the Brazilian culture! He took us to another restaurant in town; I can't remember the name, but the food was excellent! We fell in love with the cuisine, and Luiz had plenty of recommendations on what to try! Our last day in Rio was free time, which we spent on Copacabana Beach (where we were staying right across the street at the Miramar Hotel), and we walked down to see Ipanema Beach, where we had lunch at an Italian restaurant called Il Piccolo. Rio of course has plenty of Brazilian restaurants, but also offers many other cuisines! Hanging on the beach was a lot of fun. There are plenty of vendors selling things, but they are not pushy. It was actually convenient having them there, as there was no need to bring food or drink to the beach. They brought it to you! The beach was full of tourists and locals all sitting together. It was a fun experience. One thing that we took notice of was how health conscious the locals are. Walking up the main path along the beach early in the morning, we were impressed to see the great number of joggers and cyclists going up and down the road, and the beach full of pickleball and volleyball games along with yoga classes, swimming classes and surfing classes. It was great to see!

The second half of our trip was then flying to Foz do Iguazu where we were met by our guide Edson at the airport. Edson was wonderful (just like Luiz) and provided us much information about that section of Brazil which borders Argentina and Paraguay. Seeing the falls was a very different experience than being in the city of Rio. You were out in nature (which we love) and hiked many miles on the trails around the falls. The first day was spent visiting the Argentinian side. Iguazu is the largest waterfall system in the world and should not be missed. The views are spectacular! We also did the boat ride which takes you almost under one of the falls. Bring a change of clothes with you, as you will be soaked to the skin, but it was so much fun!! The next day we toured the Brazilian side of the falls. Again, the views were incredible. We then went to Parque das Aves (the bird park) which is a beautiful sanctuary for so many colorful birds! We really loved walking around and seeing such beautiful birds living in their natural habitat. Well worth the trip! By the way, we stayed at the Bourbon Cataratas do Iguazu Thermas Eco Resort. Great selection by Bruno! After a long day of hiking around the falls, the hotel was a great place to relax poolside and have a cocktail! The food there was awesome. We highly recommend the buffet (which was high end). One night the cuisine had a pan-Asian theme. The next night was Mediterranean. Both delicious!

Overall, I think this trip to Brazil well exceeded our expectations. This is our second time using Kimkim. Last year it was Morocco. We have loved using Kimkim so much that we have booked another trip next month to Peru! We are very grateful to Bruno, Luiz and Edson. They gave us such a memorable trip, and we have been telling all our friends they need to go see Brazil (and of course use Kimkim!).

Moonika did a wonderful job planning this trip for us. Hotels were perfectly located and all the tour operators were friendly and courteous. Tours were fabulous. Overall great experience.

Mr. Ismael was our Drive, and overall Trip Guide. He was very good company - polite, knowledgeable, and very proud of his homeland!! And besides the standard highlights, he shared with us a lot of very interesting facts and tidbits, and experiences, that made the long drives very interesting and enjoyable.

Our drives through the varying terrains of the different regions in Morocco were enjoyable by themselves, besides the destinations we visited and spent time at.

While we don't quite recall the names unfortunately of the local guides who took us around individual destinations, we do remember another Mr. Ismael, who spent a whole day (our first day) with us in Marrakesh. Marrakesh was a very interesting city - with ancient mosques (the Koutoubia), palaces (the), the ancient and very quaint Islamic Learning Center (Ben Youssef Madarasa), the vast, vibrant, hugely interesting outdoor market, besides the beautiful, and VERY CLEAN street markets inside the Medina!!

As enjoyable as Marrakech was, our trip continued to become more as we traveled through Baumalme Dades, stayed at a Desert Camp close to the eastern border, drove through the Ziz valley, with its endless date palm plantations, lost ourselves in the bustle and beauty of Fez's Medina markets, then on to stately Rabat, the very quaint Chefchouen,

Huge thanks to Margarita for organizing a wonderful two week trip to Colombia. From our first interactions with Margarita through emails, to our conference call talking about our proposed itinerary, to the warm welcome at the airport, to to the constant contact with her during our trip, she was marvelous. Margarita seamlessly modified our plans based on changing circumstances and arrange for some unique personal experiences.
Our guides and drivers were top notch. Our guides were friendly, informative, patient and really understood what we were looking to experience during our trip. Our drivers were likewise wonderful people who made us feel very comfortable throughout the trip. And we certainly did not leave Colombia hungry, Margarita's suggestions for restaurants were right on target. We had some amazing dining experiences for our dinners, and enjoyed local favorites during the day.
This was my first trip to Colombia, and my preconceptions of the country were totally wrong. I will become an ambassador to my friends about the safety, beauty of the country, cleanliness, and friendliness of the people, We had the opportunity to spend most of our time in Bogota, Villa De Leyva, Medellin and Cartagena, with side trips to small villages and even a lovely boat ride to a small village island near Cartagena. I loved experiencing each of these very different places, though the temperature in Cartagena was a bit too hot for us too stay out all day. I fell in love with Villa De Leyva which is such a beautiful. peaceful old Colonial town. The outdated stereotype about safety in Colombia needs to be changed. I felt totally safe during my entire trip. I felt very comfortable to walk around the neighborhoods by my hotels.
All in all, my trip to Colombia was wonderful. Again I thank Margarita for her excellent planning and I have no hesitation to recommend KimKim as a travel agent.

Michael did a great job. He paid attention to details. He used the airlines we wanted when available, got our seat assignments the way we wanted them and also entered our frequent flyer numbers into the reservation. He had every detail set up and everything went perfectly. His suggestions on where to go was very good. Any time we had a question he answered immediately. It was a great trip with great support.

Hotel Reviews

Sites

Medellin

Nice spacious hotel located in a nice and safe neighborhood. Convenience store across the street. Two restaurants in the hotel and others very close.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Finca Hotel del Cafe

Santa Rosa de Cabal

Very nice hotel located at a coffee farm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located at a coffee farm, but not close to much else. the restaurant was about a 10-minute walk.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Salento Plaza

Nice hotel very clean and great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BH Bicentenario

Bogotá

Authenticity & Character

Nice hotel.

Location

Staff

Staff was helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bogota's Essentials (City Tour & Monserrate)

Bogotá

Very nice tour. Guide with exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was a walking tour. Very interesting.

Santa Rosa Hot Springs

Colombia

A really pretty area and a fun place to relax. There is a cold waterfall and hot Springs. The combination is unique and beautiful. It was a fun stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Filandia, Salento and Valle del Cocora

Colombia

It was an amazing tour. Seeing the area was a highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Tour

Santa Rosa de Cabal

It was a very nice stay and a very nice coffee tour. Learned a lot about the coffee process and types.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Peñol & Guatapé

Medellín

Good trip but long. The traffic going back and forth was frustrating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

No problem with driver vehicle just bad traffic.

This was my first time using kimkim to book a trip, and Jennifer was absolutely amazing to work with! Not only did she provide us great options to choose from for our trip, but was a wealth of knowledge throughout the process and so incredibly patient and kind as we changed our trip itinerary 100 times! We knew going to Iceland in March could be a gamble with the weather since it was close to the end of the winter season, and we didn't want to drive. Jennifer helped us set up some great group tours and assured us the public transportation was easy to use - which it was! My absolute favorite part of our trip was the day we went to see Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach and hiked a Glacier which was absolutely stunning. I would absolutely encourage anyone going to Iceland to make sure that stop is on their itinerary. Unfortunately, my boyfriend got sick at the end of the trip and we had to cancel our booking to Blue Lagoon - Jennifer's team was there to help us make the necessary changes at the very last minute which was so helpful in a stressful time. If we were to do it again (and we hope we can), we would likely drive and would definitely encourage others visiting to do the same. Basically, just listen to whatever advice Jennifer gives, because she will be right!

Overall we had an amazing trip in Iceland and we can't wait to go back and hopefully make it through the whole trip with no ailments.

Thank you so much, Jennifer, for all your help! It was truly a pleasure working with you!

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

We had a wonderful stay at Skuggi Hotel. Staff was very welcoming, friendly, and our rooms had everything we needed. The hotel was downtown and we were able to walk almost everywhere we needed to go and were able to pick up the bus for our day-trips right around the corner. The hotel was a perfect location, very cozy and we would definitely go back on our next trip to Iceland!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the rocks on the walls as hooks and the quotes that differ in each room.

Location

In the city, but not on the busy streets so it was a little quieter. Easy to walk everywhere you need to go or grab a bus from around the corner!

Staff

Everyone was very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adventure Hotel Geirland

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

As we were on a group excursion and we were unable to select the hotel we were staying at, I was a little nervous about what to expect at our stay at Adventure Geirland but it had everything we needed. There is no TV in the rooms which was a surprise, but was actually really nice to give you an 'off-grid' feel (there was a TV in the lounge area if you were staying in the main building but no one used it, as everyone mainly was hunting Northern Lights at night). When we arrived, we had dinner as a group (with those who wanted to attend) and you were able to pick your meals + drinks a la carte off the menu. The hotel staff was SO friendly and gave us some tips on how we could see the Northern Lights from the hotel. Even though we had a very cloudy week, they didn't take away all our hope - "if you can see one star, there's a chance" :) Overall, we had a great experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved that it was away from everything - beautiful view

Staff

I can't remember names, but the staff on duty for dinner service throughout our stay were absolutely incredible.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel was very clean - our only issue was with the shower - we were unable to get hot water (we didn't mention it to staff as we weren't there long enough for it to be a huge issue) or else I'm sure they would have helped!

Activity Reviews

South Coast tour day 3 - Black beach & Waterfalls

Iceland

Black beach was really cool to see in person and we even caught a glimpse of a rainbow right when we got to the waterfall. Both stops were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Same reasons as before, we felt this could be improved with a different driver guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

same as before

Transport

same as before

Glacier Hike & Ice Cave Visit

Iceland

Definitely my favorite excursion with amazing tour guides! This was such a unique experience and so incredibly beautiful. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, patient, and quick to snap photos for us to capture the memory. My only regret was not bringing along our water bottle so we could re-fill on the Glacier! Such a cool experience and I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Iceland!

Quality of Experience

The views made it special but our tour guide was awesome.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was so friendly, knowledgeable and made the experience great.

Transport

Transport was bumpy which was unavoidable but the guides set clear expectations about it!

South Coast tour day 2 - Glaciers & Diamond Beach

Iceland

This was definitely my favorite day of the entire trip. Such breathtaking sights, really can't see anything like it!

Quality of Experience

Sights were beautiful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same as before - I didn't feel our driver provided a lot of extra value for the sights.

Transport

Same as before.

South Coast tour day 1 - Golden Circle & Northern lights

Iceland

We truly enjoyed all the stops on this trip, with no thanks to our Driver Guide who didn't really add a lot of value to our experience. Stopping at the waterfall and to see the geisers were awesome and we did also stop in a Lava Field before hitting our hotel which was such a cool experience. Unfortunately, we were in Iceland on a cloudy week and the chances of seeing the Northern Lights were really slim, even though we were out in the country, which was a bummer but nothing that could be controlled by anyone!

Quality of Experience

All the stops we visited on the trip were great! Provided additional information regarding driver guide below. I felt that it hindered the overall experience of our trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It felt like our Driver Guide was more a 'Driver' than a guide. While he did share some knowledge about the sights we were visiting - he didn't always answer questions clearly, he didn't provide any 'extra' information along the way, and overall just didn't feel like he added a lot of value to the experience. It wasn't until we were at the hotel that we knew where we were officially going to stay (the itinerary provided a hotel but also said 'or similar') and the only information we had on dinner was the time it started. Overall, It didn't feel like he really wanted to be there which kind of hindered some of the experience.

Transport

Reasons stated above regarding driver guide

Silfra Snorkeling – Dive Between Continents in Crystal Clear Waters

Iceland

Snorkeling in Silfra was such a beautiful and unique experience. We went out on a very cloudy/rainy day and I wasn't expecting the water to be so blue! The water was crystal clear and our guide GC was so friendly. Getting into the wetsuit was the hardest part but it definitely kept us warm!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, GC, was great!

Transport

Our driver guide was super nice and friendly

Day trip to Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Reykjavík

We had such a great trip with our driver guide, Christopher! We had such a great experience from each of the stops to the Saga stories our guide told us in between. Our favorite part was the Lava Cave tour but truly enjoyed each of the places we stopped at. Overall, this was such a great experience and we wish we could have kept our Guide for all of our excursions on our trip!

Quality of Experience

The knowledge of our guide made this trip exceptional.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We wish we could have had our guide on all our excursions. He was knowledgeable and we loved the Saga stories he told in between stops. Also, he would also come out on our stops with us - even the lava tour - which I thought was really awesome - so if we had any questions while we were out exploring, he was always around with us.

Transport

Our guide made this whole experience incredible!

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

We went to the Sky Lagoon on our first day, so while we were beyond exhausted, it definitely did help wake us up! While the Lagoon itself is beautiful, I was anticipating it to be a more 'private' experience going through the ritual. We enjoyed the beauty of the spa, but just wish it could have been a little more private experience.

Quality of Experience

Smaller groups to make it a more relaxing experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taxi to and from the Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The experience with Kimkim tours and Ireland Walk Hike Bike was amazing. It was the best vacation I've ever experienced. Since we were driving around the country, we were provided a diverse and varied itinerary that allowed us to choose where we wanted to go and how much time we wanted to spend at the different sites. My daughter and I were traveling together on this vacation and the routes, accommodations and intermittent contact with Ireland Walk Hike Bike left us feeling safe and secure during our travels. Not only do I plan to use Kimkim for future travel plans abroad, returning to Ireland with Ireland Walk Hike Bike is now back on our bucket list.

Hotel Reviews

Lyrath Estate

Kilkenny

Lovely setting and very relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killarney Lodge

Killarney

A wonderful bed and breakfast and our favorite stay from our vacation. Friendly staff and wonderful eateries and pubs within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

Wonderful hotel within walking distance of High Street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyatt Hotel Westport

Westport

A great location and easy access to a variety of restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lough Eske Castle Hotel

Beautiful setting and attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Malone Hotel

Belfast

Lovely hotel and within walking distance of Queen's Quarter.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Connemara National Park and Kylemore Abbey

Ireland

Both Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National Park were breathtakingly beautiful. The abbey was an interesting part of history and the hiking in the park was one of our tour highlights. I highly recommend both sites for any visitor.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Black Cab Tour

Belfast

Our driver was very knowledgeable and provided great insight into the culture of Northern Ireland. The tour took us through some areas we would not have normally visited and I very much enjoyed the experience. I would highly recommend the tour for anyone visiting, especially if you want the chance to get know the culture by talking with a local.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Awesome trip across Sri Lank discovering its history, culture, nature and water sports. We worked with Rikaz to tailor the trip to our preferences and thoroughly enjoyed the adventures for our first vacation in Asia.

Our local guide was very knowledgeable, willing to find answers to our questions when he did not have them and always prepared to give us a unique experience and view into his country. He was on-time, attentive and ready to explore with us.

Thank you Rikaz and team for putting this amazing trip together!

I stumbled across KimKim online when I started to look for ideas for a 2- week
Trip across some Indonesian Islands. Since I had limited time for planning and knew nothing about where to go (except that we wanted to end in Bali to see some friends), I thought I’d see what they would come up with. I put down a few things about our preferred type of travel and Jessica came back to us after 24 hours with an amazing itinerary, that felt totally like us and was extremely reasonable. First time I had ever used a travel service in over 40 years of traveling across Europe and North and South America.
It was a wonderful experience. Every detail was beautifully selected and smoothly executed on the ground by our fabulous, punctual drivers ( Dian in Java and Asink in Lombok) and knowledgeable guide, Anam.
Our travel time fell during Ramadan, which caused some closures, but everyone on the team, from the guides to the ground staff in Jakarta, thought on their feet and offered other, equally amazing experiences. And, we often had places to ourselves!
Having every detail taken care of ( including moving hotel rooms to an upgraded one when we encountered a problem), meant we could just enjoy ourselves without care. What a gift!
Thank you.🙏

Hotel Reviews

Amata Borobudur Resort

Jawa Tengah

We only spend one night at this beautiful place. Very comfortable and serene.

Authenticity & Character

Villas were traditionally built and fit into the surroundings

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dusun Jogja Village Inn

Yogyakarta

We felt very comfortable here. Lovely room ( junior suite) and relaxing pool and seating areas away from the busy streets around us.

Authenticity & Character

Feels like old-time Yogya- perhaps a little tired, but charming!

Location

Easy to walk to amazing restaurants

Staff

Really excellent and wonderful staff all around.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, but a little run down. The restaurant served delicious Soto Ayam for breakfast, but would recommend to eat dinner elsewhere

Rajavilla Lombok Resort

West Lombok

Beautiful location and rooms, plus lovely grounds

Authenticity & Character

Plantings and settings seem naturally fitting into the landscape

Location

Sunsets!

Staff

Friendly and personable, after only a single encounter.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect and pristine. We were there during 2 days of storms and rains- but everything was being cared for

Activity Reviews

Visit Jomblang Cave

Yogyakarta

Absolutely stunning and fun!

Quality of Experience

Even though we had never done anything like this, we felt safe and that we could totally enjoy the activities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent and expert. The operators were patient and helpful and also waited down below until everyone’s a chance to get awesome photos

Transport

Secret Gili Snorkeling

Indonesia

We had to abort the trip on day one because of storms, but had a fabulous time on day 2. Great experience on the boat, snorkeling ( saw many fishes and beautiful coral), and relaxing at lunch and on the little island. Fabulous lunch !!

Quality of Experience

Wonderful all around. The fresh fish Oceanside was perfect! Enjoyed it with a beer!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so patient with us snorkeling- showed us where to go and attracted the fishies so we could touch them. Also he collected some beautiful shells and coral for us to take home

Transport

Private boat and good equipment

Visit Prambanan Temple

Indonesia

Remarkable temple complex with a fascinating history that was visible at every turn. Lived that we were free to explore at our pace with our own guide, not a prescribed tour. Seeing the Ramayana story in the stone carvings was really beautiful

Quality of Experience

Exceptional Site with a fascinating history and story

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anam really shined with his knowledge and stories!

Transport

Klipoh Village Andong Tour

Magelang

We enjoyed going along the quieter lanes through the villages- initially we were on a large road ( I guess this could not be avoided), which was a bit unnerving

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and funny! And we loved Henri, the horse!

Watch Ramayana Dance Show

Yogyakarta

Beautifully danced with the backdrop of the Temple. The fire displays were spectacular! Then we all rushed indoors for the end due to a sudden downpour!

Quality of Experience

Surprising, beautiful and moving!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Totally smooth transition when the dancers and audience had to hurry inside because of rain

Watch the Sunrise from Punthuk Setumbu

Yogyakarta

Easy walk up stairs and a wonderful experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Keraton Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta's Palace)

Indonesia

Happy we went, as it rounded out our trip to Yogya- telling us a bit about the current affairs. But not our favorite part.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was good to go With our guide Anam, who was open to all Our questions!

Visit Borobudur Temple

Indonesia

Awe inspiring place and well Worth a visit. Didn’t love the being minded and restraints imposed by the rules of the tour guides ( eg, had only 20 minutes to explore on our own).

Quality of Experience

It’s an amazing site! And I loved the lotus flowers

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Taman Sari Water Palace

Yogyakarta

This was not the favorite part of our trip. Felt a bit weird to be in a place where someone was peeping at bathing women to choose whom to bed next…

Watch Shadow Puppet Performance

Yogyakarta

Because of Ramadan, there was no performance, but we watched how the shadow puppets were made And that was super interesting and cool! Also the museum oneself was very interesting ( the old part)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Responded to Ramadan closure to still give us an extraordinary experience with the shadow puppets and visit the museum

Visit Batik Bantul Village and Batik Workshop

Yogyakarta

Beautiful workshop and fun activity. I Lived that it was a coop with the work of Many artists visible

Quality of Experience

Everything was made for us to have a good time!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Patient and kind!

We had an absolutely fantastic trip to Costa Rica! This is our second time using KimKim to help plan a trip, and they knocked it out of the park. We spent time in Arenal, Monteverde and Tamarindo. Our hotels were beautiful. Our activities were just what we wanted…very active, lots of hiking and wildlife viewing and scuba diving. All of the guides were professional and enthusiastic. The trip was organized with Serendipty Adventires and they were great. I was able to communicate via what’s app for things like dining suggestions and the like. It was a fabulous trip and can’t wait to plan our next adventure with KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Our second time at this hotel and it was great. It’s in a quiet part of Tamarindo, right on the beach. It was lovely!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Great location. Absolutely amazing food. Dinner is a must do! And the local hiking trails were nice for some early morning exercise before heading out!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amor Arenal

La Fortuna, San Carlos

Beautiful hotel! Delicious food and drinks. Wish we could have stayed all week!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

2 Tank Scuba Diving at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

The scuba diving was an unforgettable experience. The underwater world was mesmerizing and it's something my daughter and I both loved. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The zip lining at Selvatura Park was amazing! Having done zip lining in Costa Rica before, I found this location particularly outstanding. It was a thrilling experience, and my daughter and I really enjoyed it.