Kimkim Trip Reviews

We were welcomed to and shown all around northern Thailand by our amazing guide Nuii and our driver Mr. Kai. Their preparedness, professionalism, and thoughtfulness made the trip exceptional! The van was clean, stocked with water and fresh fruit as snacks, and we expertly navigated the winding mountains between Chiang Rai, Pai, and Chiang Mai. The most memorable stops were the Kho Ku So bamboo bridge in Pai and the Chai Lai Orchid elephant sanctuary (with wonderful guide Tatu) in Chiang Mai! (The transportation to and from the elephant sanctuary from the Aksara Heritage hotel got messed up, which was the only stressful error / issue of the trip. Kien from Kim Kim, Nuii, and the lovely staff at the Aksara all tried to help us sort out the problem.)
We would highly recommend Nuii and Mr. Kai for your trip! They went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, cared for, and they were flexible to pivot the itinerary around our energy levels and changes in the weather. This was a truly an unforgettable trip made more special by the lovely and warm accompaniment of Nuii and Mr. Kai!

Tshepo was wonderful in helping us plan and keeping us updated on changes to the itinerary for our trip. The accommodations she chose were great, the Lebo tour of Soweto was also an amazing experience.
The people throughout our trip were very knowledgable and helpful, including:
Nokuthula - she was very kind and helpful in guiding us to the hotel and welcoming us after a long flight
Nadine - Our greeter at Kariega was very helpful and made us feel at home.
Osmond - Our ranger at the Kariega reserve, he was very personable, funny and extremely knowledgeable. We were excited and did 4 game rides with him.
The staff at Kariega was great as well and gave us a evening campfire barbecue meal which was tasty.
In Oceana, Max and Zed were great and helpful in answering all of our questions. They helped us arrange a short visit to Bathurst to see The Pineapple museum and Pig n Whistle bar. Luke was very knowledgeable and friendly.
FInally, our Soweto Tuk-Tuk tour guide Tami was kind-hearted and energetic and gave us a final tour of Soweto and took us to Mandela House.
All in all , it was a great first experience to South Africa - and has inspired us to consider future visits!

Hotel Reviews

Kariega River Lodge

Great Lodge, staff is kind and helpful. Osmond was a great ranger , knowledgeable and funny.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Osmond was personable , friendly and had a great sense of humor. He was also very knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve

Wonderful resort, beautiful views of Indian Ocean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All the staff was kind and helpful. Max and Zed were in constant communication helping us plan out our day and activities.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tuk-Tuk Tour

Johannesburg

Tami was a great host and driver, he explained to us the history of Soweto and had a great smile and sense of humor. It was a great pleasure to learn about Soweto from him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip! Sara was an excellent communicator and planner and we found the itinerary to be interesting and fun, and I thought the price was fair, especially considering the fact that it included transportation, lodging and meals (*there was a daily budget per meal we did not know about, so ask your guide) across a vast area. We did see many jaguars- which is a thrill with Noor and Pedro Paulo from the UESO chalana. We saw the beautiful rocks and waterfalls of Chapada dos Guimaraes and learned about the flora and fauna from our guide, Yann. Yann also introduced us to "pizza pantaneira" which was probably some of my favorite food on the trip. *Pro tip: ask your guide to tell you when you will need your bathing suit- you can swim in some of the waterfalls, but some are only to look at.* It was of course, hot, but that is what was expected. We enjoyed swimming in the beautiful clear streams of Nobres. We did get to see anteaters, lobete (little foxlike animals), bats, rhea, lots of caiman and capybara. We had a good trip. You may want to clarify what to bring and when you are meeting, just to ensure no miscommunications for your trips. The service was good overall and people were kind.

Our trip to Lithuania was perfect. Everything was arranged perfectly and Moonika was able to really provide us with an experience in every city that was tailored so well to our preferences. Our transportation was always punctual and very friendly. Our tours were amazing. Virginija gave us an amazing history lesson while showing us all the sites in Old Town Vilnius that were absolutely beautiful and so full of history and meaning. Beatrice was so delightful during our beer tour of Vilnius. She has so much knowledge of the local beer scene and all the different breweries. She was an absolute delight. Jolanda gave as such a great history lesson about Trakia castle along with a delightful boat ride around the lake. The kibiniai were so tasty. The history of the Karaitis people who were invited to live in the town and practice their own language and religion was fascinating. The hill of crosses was so beautiful and Kestutis did a great job of giving us the best plan of viewing everything along with a great ride from Vilnius to Sauliai in his new car - gorgeous. Mindaugas in Klaipeda and in the Curonian spit was a font of knowledge and so interesting. Neringa rounded off the trip by giving us such an amazing look into the history and culture in Kaunas on an amazing walking tour for the ages. Truly, truly enjoyed everything and everything was a well oiled machine. All of our transportation was spot on!!

Being that this was my first trip to Brazil, I wasn't sure what to expect. But while all the sights were most gorgeous and fascinating, the most overwhelmingly and welcome aspect was the organization and work Sara did in the organization of all the parts, of which there were many. She planned this trip and all its myriad details so that I didn't have to think of anything - except, of course, the time changes. The guides always arrived to pick me up for a tour way before the scheduled time. They were always where they needed to be. They were kind, polite, and respectful but most of all knew English! Probably the best moment ever was being just about 10 feet away from a jaguar in the Pantanal. He/she acted as if we weren't even there in the boat following him/her. To this lover of all things feline, it was a most spectacular moment. We saw four different jaguars that day along with capybaras, monkeys, caimans and many, many birds there and on the Rio Negro in the Amazon. While I would definitely advocate for someone who loves to watch wildlife take this tour, I would also advocate their visitation to places like Rio, Salvador and Iguassu Falls. Thank you, Sara and the entire KimKim team for these good memories of the beautiful Brazil country.

Hotel Reviews

Windsor Palace

Rio de Janeiro

Hotel was clean and comfortable with varying degrees of accommodation by hotel staff (mostly good).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A regular hotel, but I thought there should have been bottled water available that didn't cost so much.

UeSo Pantanal Lodge

Needs renovation; rather run down. The air conditioner was located right above the bed and the cold air blew on me all night long and made it hard to sleep. Food was pretty good and always enough to eat. The horses looked a little thin, but it might be because the "grass" doesn't seem to be anything but weeds and they need some more nutritious supplementation.

Authenticity & Character

What is authentic for that part of the world?

Location

I don't know whether it was a worse or better location than anywhere else. I've never been there. It took a while to get there.

Staff

They were very pleasant and caring.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jaguar full day safari - from Ueso Pantanal

North Pantanal

All the must-sees of Rio in one day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Staircase and city tour

Rio de Janeiro

Santa Teresa & Rio Antigo

Rio de Janeiro

Rio Green Tour: in the tropical urban forest and among imperial palms

Rio de Janeiro

Would have liked to spend a little more time there.

First day at the Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Day 1 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

Last day at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

We had a fantastic time in Aberdare and Samburu with our most-excellent guide Martin W. from outfitter Truly Swahili. He was extremely knowledgeable about the local fauna (and flora), and was a lot of fun to explore the area with. Will definitely recommend him. Thanks again to Kimkim, Truly Swahili, Martin, and all the local critters for revealing themselves!

Cheers
Peter & Lisa Barto

We recently returned from an unforgettable family vacation to Thailand and Cambodia, and we couldn’t be more grateful to KimKim (and Hoa) for making it such a smooth, enriching, and memorable experience. Traveling with our two children (ages 9 and 11), we had a packed itinerary with multiple hotel changes and transfers—but at every step, KimKim was there to ensure everything ran flawlessly.

The local guides they arranged were knowledgeable, kind, and fantastic with our kids. We truly felt supported the entire time, which allowed us to relax and really immerse ourselves in the adventure. Each hotel was thoughtfully selected and a perfect match for our family’s needs—comfortable, welcoming, and well-located.

From cultural highlights to hidden gems, KimKim curated a well-paced and diverse experience that we’ll be talking about for years. We highly recommend them to anyone looking to travel with confidence, especially families seeking meaningful, well-supported journeys.

Thank you, KimKim, for helping us create such wonderful memories!

We had an amazing adventure in Japan, a lot of it due to Adeline's time and attention to detail. She always responded quickly and went above and beyond with all the excursions that were booked. We probably would not have done the tea at teamLab or gone up the extra floors at Tokyo Tower had it not been for Adeline. Also, our guide in Toyko, Sakai Mari was amazing! She helped guide us through our first day of riding the subway, gave us a Tokyo guidebook with the subway and train lines that was very helpful, and most of all spoke perfect English with little trace of an accent which made it very easy for us to understand her. I would highly recommend KimKim and especially Adeline when booking any trip!

Hotel Reviews

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

The staff was amazing and very helpful. Not to mention this is a beautiful hotel and very well located with easy access to trains and other landmarks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma

Kyoto

Located on a busy street but the staff was very friendly and helpful especially when speaking to taxi drivers and always waited until we left until retreating inside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi

Osaka

Great location, great staff, very modern looking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku

Tokyo

Great staff and they allowed us to check in early and stay an extra hour which was most helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Tokyo City Tour - Asakusa & Skytree

Tokyo

Our guide, Sakai Mari was amazing! She helped us navigate the subways so we could later do it on our own, taught us all about the difference of shrines and temples, took us to unique shops and had barely a trace of an accent which made her very easy to understand.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reservation at Tokyo Pokemon Cafe

Tokyo

If you are a Pokeman fan it is worth it, if not skip. Food is not that great; there is no place to sit and the lines in the store are very long.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class

Osaka

We made ramen noodles and gyoza from scratch. It was delicious and a great way to experience Japanese food in a different way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Beatriz did an amazing job with our trip! Some of my favorite highlights of the trip were the food tours in Barcelona and Porto, the tour in Girona, and the winery lunch & tour in the Douro Valley. Our hotel in Barcelona was in the perfect location.

Our family trip to Thailand was incredible. Memories to last a lifetime! Hoa planned the perfect trip for us and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thanks for everything!!

My husband and I finally fulfilled our dream of visiting New Zealand/Aotearoa to celebrate our 15th anniversary, and we could not have done it without our KimKim agent, Uma. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do, and she helped design a travel plan that captured everything we wanted and more.
During the trip, she and her colleagues remained in touch for any questions or support we needed. There were a couple of instances where we had to adjust our plans due to the weather, and Uma and her team were ready with alternate suggestions that were equally as amazing as the original plan.
Everything was perfect--from our hotel accommodations, restaurant suggestions, rental car and ferry arrangements, and activities. We literally could not have planned this trip ourselves.
I highly highly recommend using Uma and her vast knowledge to plan your trip to Aotearoa and anywhere else in the world!

Great experience! Leny was fantastic to work with and created an amazing family trip that we'll never forget!

From start to finish we could not fault the level of service provided by kimkim. From our first enquiry right through to the end of our wonderful trip, everything was seamless. Lisa was very helpful and proactive in dealing with us and nothing was too much trouble to look into for us/answer. The guides and drivers in Beijing, Xi'An and Shanghai were all excellent and so keen to share knowledge and history of the area. The organisation was top class and we were never worried or concerned about any of the arrangements.

Hotels were great - all clean and in good locations.

One thing to note (as a UK visitor) that squat toilets are common there (most/many places also have western style toilets) and toilet paper is not (as a general rule) provided in public toilets - just one thing to be aware of

A fabulous trip to China - wouldn't hesitate to use kimkim again and have already recommended them to friends.

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

The hotel was in a nice area and conveniently located to walk to eating places and shops. The reception area/foyer and bar/lounge area were very nice. The room we were in was clean and spacious but more than a little "tired" looking, particularly the bathroom/shower area which was very rusted and as a result didn't look especially clean. Staff were nice, limited English but able to communicate. Good range of options at breakfast. Beware of the bar closing earlier than stated hours, it notes being open until 11pm but when we asked for a drink one evening at 10.30pm were told the till was already closed so we couldn't get one. Overall a good experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Hotel was lovely, spotlessly clean, nice room, not the biggest room ever but more than adequate for our needs. Little or no English spoken by staff which did make things a little challenging sometimes but nothing that couldn't be overcome. We were not in the hotel for very long but we did like it. Breakfast was good.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise On The Bund

Loved this hotel. Great location for being able to walk down and along the Bund and the hotel itself was beautiful. Room was lovely with nice toiletries in the bathroom and a nice easy chair in the bedroom. We ate dinner in the restaurant on the ground floor and very much enjoyed what we had. The staff were pleasant and friendly. The spa was also very nice - had a massage which was most enjoyable and a nice swim in the pool. Would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was easy walking distance to water front

Staff

All friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

A fabulous day spent in Shanghai - view from Shanghai Tower was amazing, the Yu Garden was spectacular to see and the delicious dumpling lunch was also a highlight.

Full Day Great Wall and Olympic Park Tour

Beijing

Our stand out highlight of the holiday - it was amazing to be standing on/walking on the Great Wall. I am glad we were there early in the day, as it gets very busy, very quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

Loved seeing the Terracotta Army - the sheer scale was breathtaking. Would highly recommend.

We had such a fantastic trip to Thailand! We were initially hesitant to book through KimKim because the price was so much lower than through the other travel companies we considered, but we took a chance and are so glad we did! KimKim reps met us at each airport on our trip and transported us to our hotels, taking away so much travel stress. The hotels they booked in each of our destinations (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, & Koh Samui) were all great and in fantastic locations. We knew we weren’t booking luxury hotels and we didn’t expect luxury amenities, but we were very pleasantly surprised with how luxurious our accommodations were. Each hotel was very clean, very safe, and very comfortable — and had gorgeous swimming pools, very nice and spacious rooms, and delicious breakfasts included — far more than you get with included breakfasts in the U.S.
Leo, our guide in Bangkok, was a delight—striking the perfect note between taking us to all the sites and experiences we were excited about while also giving us plenty of time to rest and enjoy our vacation. We particularly enjoyed visiting the palaces and temples and trying out the foods in the markets and night markets. Leo even helped us order! We arrived in Bangkok early and had 2 days on our own. We spent those visiting Benchakitti and Lumphini Parks - which I highly recommend — and the Snake Experience, where we saw how anti venom is made by extracting venom from live cobras — this turned out to be a favorite experience of the teens in our group! We also visited the Jim Thompson House and the indoor floating market at the IconSiam shopping mall. If you have more time, I recommend all of these experiences. And, on the recommendation of a friend, we went to the Akara Sky Hanuman high rise rooftop dining & show experience— we had a blast and the views were spectacular!
The highlight of our Chiang Mai visit — and possibly of our entire trip— was the elephant sanctuary! Getting to interact so closely with the elephants was unreal. Do not skip that experience!!! The rest of Chiang Mai was less exciting — the drive to the mountain top and to see the waterfall and gardens was beautiful and easy for everyone in our group. We were worried my 75 year old mother might struggle — but easily did it all, and did it in flip flops! And the cooler temps at the top of the mountain were a welcomed respite from the heat. We also walked the city in our own to see the temples and the old wall. Protip: I asked ChatGPT to create a 3 hour walking tour that started at our hotel and took us to the major temples, then I imported that tour into Googlemaps. Worked great! Personally, I would have enjoyed having a guided tour and learning more about each temple, but the self guided walking tour was all the rest of my group was interested in after spending so much time in more impressive temples in Bangkok.
We purposely ended our trip in Koh Samui so we could have some relaxing beach time. My only criticism there is that the Pig Island excursion was awful and not something I would recommend. Instead of a charming encounter with pigs like we expected, we were told on the boat ride over that the pigs are very dangerous and bite off tourists’ fingertips EVERY DAY. They’re also quite aggressive. One sow rammed me when I was just sitting at a table because she wanted to lie where my feet were. It hurt and cut my leg and left a bruise. I would not take young children on this excursion at all because I don’t think they would appreciate how dangerous and aggressive the pigs are, and there are so many adorable piglets, I don’t think a young child would be able to resist touching them or trying to hold one.
While we were there, a pack of wild dogs attacked a piglet and began eating it live right in front of us — truly horrifying! — ans the piglet screamed for help. A group of tourists intervened to stop it and scare off the dogs, but I doubt the piglet survived. My 13 year old was crying at this point and went to go sit on the boat. And then, again and again, two or three boars chased down and raped sows in front of us, clearly against their will. At one point they did this right under a table of tourists, using the tourists to corner the sow so she couldn’t escape while 3 boars attacked her. Eventually we all sat on top of the tables for safety until it was time to leave.
The snorkeling portion of the Pig Island trip was also lackluster. Very poor visibility and a location that could be described as mid — at best.
But Pig Island was the only part of our entire trip I wouldn’t recommend, and it was so indescribably bad that we’ll be laughing about it for many years to come.
We ended our time in Koh Samui at a restaurant that was recommended by a local — Lanlandaw Viewpoint Restaurant. I highly recommend this! The front desk staff at the hotel (who were wonderful!) helped us arrange it all. A driver from the restaurant came to pick us up and then drove us about 20 minutes over rutted dirt roads up a mountain to the restaurant, which featured a spectacular overlook and view and great food. Be advised, it’s cash only —no credit cards!
All in all, a spectacular, almost seamless, vacation that was everything we hoped for and even better than we expected. We will certainly use KimKim again and we’re already talking about where we should go for our next trip!

Here's my full review it will be lengthy. We started planning our trip with Kim Kim about 18 months in advance. Our agent was Angela. She was very thorough and helpful throughout the whole process. The original group was around 15, which eventually whittled down to three. So as you can imagine there were many adjustments that Angela handled in stride. There was a significant time difference (10 hours), and Angela always got back to me within a day with answers to any questions that I had. I'm not going to lie I was nervous that everything wouldn't be to my liking as we're a world away from Greece. Angela took care of all our travel arrangements down to the very last detail. Day 1 we arrived in Athens, our driver was waiting for us and we were able to communicate with him before stepping off the plane using what's app. Make sure you download the app, because it is the best tool for communicating with your drivers and your travel agent during your stay. We arrived at our 1st hotel with no fuss. The only hiccup was our room wasn't available at the allotted time. We were very tired from almost a 24 hour trip so this was a little frustrating. The staff did offer us free drinks and told us to explore the city a little. We were too tired so we just waited until the room was available. Other than that the staff was helpful with things to do in our area and the hotel was centrally located. Everything was within a 15 minute walk which was perfect! Our tour guide Michael on our 2nd day for our trip to Acropolis was outstanding! I became sick on the tour and he took his time and was genuinely concerned for my well-being. I appreciated that more than he'll know. He was super friendly, answered our groups questions and very knowledgeable about Athens. 10/10 as far as guides go! I highly recommend this tour if you love history. Day 3 we're off to Mykonos. Once again our driver and ferry is set up for us. What a major convenience not worrying about how to get around Greece. The ferries are quite the experience for 1st timers. You have to get in where you fit in as far as getting yourself and luggage on board and off. 😂 But once you do it that 1st time you know what to expect. We did this 3x hopping to different cities. It was quite the experience. We were booked in club level seats so we're quite comfortable during our journey (usually 1.5 -3 hour trips). I enjoyed watching the sea each time. Mykonos Princess Hotel was so beautiful! The views were spectacular and the service was top tier! The staff was excellent and they saw to our every need. We had a boat tour that was fun as well. Next was Santorini. The views, shopping, tours were my favorite! We had land and sea tours in Santorini. The panoramic tour with Santorini luxury travels was excellent! Maria our tour guide, along with her trainee Kimberly and driver Eddy were unmatched! Maria was so welcoming I felt like I was with family. She explained the history of Santorini so well she could have been a professor. It was a beautiful outdoor history lesson. I loved hearing about the culture of this beautiful city. My favorite was the next day and we had our Sunset Catamaran tour. The boat ride was incredible. The views unbelievable! The food they served delicious. That alone cinched my trip for me! We stayed at this quaint boutique hotel, Sole d'oro. The staff was amazing and attentive here as well. Each morning they served us breakfast of our choice (included with our stay) and we ate it outside on our porch. Think little cottages with a patio. The hotel was about a 10 minute walk into the heart of shopping and restaurants. Just perfect! Our last stop was Heraklion, Crete where we stayed at the Happy Cretan Suites. Now this was my favorite resort by far! We wanted our last 2 days of Greece to just be about relaxation before our long journey home. The rooms and grounds were magnificent 5 stars all the way. We never left the resort as everything we needed was provided. Live music, massages, yoga and the food was amazing. Hands down this has been the best 50th birthday trip for me and my family. I would definitely do it again. Angela thank you for guiding us through this whole process. It was an unforgettable experience for us! Perfection! ❤️🫶🏾❤️

Hotel Reviews

Ava Hotel & Suites

Athens

Centrally located near shops, attractions, restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mykonos Princess Hotel

Mykonos

The scenery, staff are all amazing! Definitely giving you the most amazing views of Mykonos!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful views

Location

Not to far from the heart of the city and ports.

Staff

Very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful rooms

Sole d'oro Luxury Suites

Santorini

Such a cute intimate cottage feel. It feels like your at home, but better!

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 minute walk next to shops and restaurants

Staff

So attentive, patient and friendly. It was like talking to friends!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Happy Cretan Suites

Malevizi, Crete

If I could give them 10 stars I would! The beauty of the resort. The staff, amazing! The services offered, everything was excellent. It's family friendly.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were comfortable for a family of 3

Location

You are overlooking the Aegean sea

Staff

Very friendly always did everything with a smile. Very welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Our tour guide, Michael was exceptional. He was knowledgeable, funny and friendly! I became ill on the tour and he made sure to take his time and was genuinely concerned. I appreciated that!

RM Round Transfers to Mykonos port area for the Cruise

Mykonos

Everything was taken care of. I highly recommend arranging for any transfers and drivers. Kim Kim does it for you. It will save you the hassle of worrying how to get around the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic Tour 2025

Santorini

Maria was my favorite tour guide. She was so knowledgeable. It was like talking to my auntie telling me about my family history! I just loved her! You can tell she definitely enjoys her work!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sunset Cruise 2025

Santorini

It was amazing touring Santorini by sea. The sunset was perfection. The food was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rhenia & Delos day cruise

Mykonos

We loved going to the islands and exploring.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private round transfer anywhere in Santorini

Santorini

All of our drivers were prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable. We enjoyed talking to them about the locals and what to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was great. We really appreciate Hector's assistance with the planning. All of our guides were great, with Nuno being the BEST on our daytrip to Cascais and Sintra! He was informative, kind and entertaining. Our second favorite guide was Rachel on our Cominito Del Rey tour. For the most part our drivers were also fantastic, with the exception of Julio. We had to wait a little bit for him to pick us up (even though he said he was there) but what was most disappointing was that he clearly was not well. He coughed and sniffled repeatedly and very frequently spat out the window. I'm pretty sure as a result of his apparent symptoms our daughter who was sitting directly behind him fell ill during our trip. In fact, there were sputum tracks on the passenger side window from his spitting.

Hotel Review

BessaHotel Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Concierge was super helpful. Breakfast waitstaff were very kind to refill our water bottles each day for our adventures. We love the wonderful fragrance in the hotel lobby.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flamenco Experience

Spain

We enjoyed the cultural experience but the location could have been better to our hotel.

Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Caves

Spain

Super cool experience. Our kids loved the kayak tour and seeing the caves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Our guide was great. We appreciated his pride in his country and culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

This was a great way to see and experience Porto, especially with active teens.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Fado Dinner Experience

Spain

Great production.

Food

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Spain

This was our least liked experience as it was difficult to take in the sights. It may have been better if both seats faced forward. (we faced each other). Our guide, however, was easy to hear as he had a headset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Spain

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Nuno!! As I mentioned before, Nuno was our favorite guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family Friendly Seville City Tour

Spain

We had great tour of Seville. Our guide was very knowledgeable and clearly had a passion for history. There were a few discrepancies from the description in our itinerary and the actual tour which was fine but not sure if we actually covered all that was intended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Málaga Wine & Gourmet Experience

Málaga

The tour was ok but not our favorite. I'm not sure I would call this a Wine and Gourmet experience. We had sangria but no wine. Actually, I think it was considered a Tapas tour.

Quality of Experience

It might be nice to be able to choose from menu items ( especially if you have a picky eater, like my son)

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Caminito del Rey

Spain

We really enjoyed this excursion. Rachel, our guide was also very good and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything about our trip was exactly what we wanted and more. We truly feel like we experienced Wales. Alex did an exceptional job planning the trip. Our driver guide, Riki, was far exceeded our expectations and truly took good care of us. Being 2 senior women from Iowa, we had no idea what to expect. We felt truly safe, secure and well taken care of on our journey. The Welsh people were genuinely friendly and welcoming. The scenery was beautiful and the towns quaint.

Hotel Reviews

The Angel

Abergavenny

Lovely room and accommodations. Delicious food. Very hospital.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to shops and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Llys Meddyg

Newport

Quaint 60's vibe. Very good food at the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic and rich in history

Staff

Could not locate staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spiders

Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel

Dolgellau

Wow! Truly an experience in different way of life. Spectacular in all ways and authentic to its setting.

Authenticity & Character

Definitely updated without removing the character of a manor house

Location

Beautiful gardens and countryside! Not close to town.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful and clean!

The Bull Beaumaris

Anglesey

Very retro. rooms. Large and roomy. Wonderful restaurant at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Retro feeling and fun decor

Location

Castle within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Relais Henley

Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

Truly luxurious accommodation. Did not serve an evening meal on a Sunday. Breakfast was great. Beautiful view right along the Thames. Many shops within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful setting

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Thames River Cruise

Wales

Would have liked to see more estates. Did get to watch some rowing races

Cadw Explorer Pass - 7 Days

Wales

Only used it 2 times and would not work on day 7 at the Castle in Anglesey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Portmeirion Village

Wales

Very unique experience.

Conwy Castle

Ireland

Amazing medieval town with all the walls enclosing the city and the castle.

Our Edinburgh city tour was excellent. Our guide was a passionate history student at the local university and was exceptionally knowledgeable.

In contrast, our city tour of Inverness was not so great. Our guide was a local volunteer and community activist but looking back, I am not sure the tour helped us at all. Timing was poor as the market was closed when our guide took us there.

Hotel Reviews

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Old building, well maintained and renovated.

Location

Walking distance to everything!

Staff

Helpful, available and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bunchrew House Hotel

IV3 8TA

Looks great, seems understaffed. Dusty, old, needs a deep cleaning, maybe replace some carpets. My sense was that they think they are better than they are, staff are pretentious. The menu is very different, only ate there once but wouldn’t recommend the dining room.

Authenticity & Character

Old, history. Felt like a castle.

Location

Need a taxi or car. No Uber in the north regions.

Staff

All were fine, when you could find someone. No one at the front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa

Pitfodels Aberdeen

Staff excellent. Parking is a problem with construction and loss of land to an adjacent development.

Authenticity & Character

Golf theme and many famous golfers have stayed here.

Location

Remote from downtown.

Staff

The bellman was a character, joking, making us smile and a true loyal employee.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cameron house

One of the best hotels we have ever experienced.

Authenticity & Character

The addition to the original building was done exceptionally well.

Location

Excellent! Right on the lake!

Staff

Lots of them, knowledgeable and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cannot get any better!

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Awkward location, no valet, nowhere to park.

Authenticity & Character

Maintained the character of an old building.

Location

Central location.

Staff

Not many staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

Our guide was passionate, knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with.

Quality of Experience

Learned so much history.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We met at the hotel entrance.

Guided Exploration of Haddo House

Aberdeen

This location is off the beaten path but an important part of our trip because of family connections. We were pleased to see a photo of our great grandfather in the wall of the cafe!

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

Inverness

Very interesting.

Quality of Experience

History

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Microphone did not work.

Private Inverness Walking Tour

Scotland

We could have done this walkabout on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I chose Kimkim randomly when I decided to travel to Thailand and could not be more pleased.

Bella helped me plan a trip based on my interests which included pickup from my arrival through ten days of robust activities and to my departure.

My driver Chin was fabulous from the first pickup. My guide Leena met me at the hotel where we embarked on a public transportation tour of Bangkok. It was a wonder way to get the local pulse. Two sky trains an express boat all added to my wonder. Her knowledge of the history and culture was impressive. I experienced Wat Arun and learned about its design and how broken teacups from China were used in the design. We visited the Emerald Buddha, The Reclining Buddha, and the Main Palace. All with rich detail from Leena. Explored Chinatown had a meal and took the subway back to my hotel.
The next day She and Chin took me to the Railroad and Floating Market pointing out the sea salt fields along the way. She even helped me resolve an exchange problem.
Chin brought be to the airport to Chaing Mai where I met Lilly my guide and Text the driver. Lily showed me the city and temples much different than Bangkok and stayed with me throughout my engrossing Elephant experience and lunch. Lilly also traveled with me to the airport to be sure all went well

The next elements of my trip were equally well coordinated. From Chiang Mai I was met by a driver in Samui who took me my boat to Koh Tao and helped me check in. I was met in Koh Tao by a driver who brought me to an extraordinary Beach resort hotel My beautiful room was 75 feet from the shore.
There I was picked up for an outstanding snorkeling trip with a side mountain hike. Tons of fish and giant sea turtles

At my next trip was well coordinated with drivers taking me to boat and airport where I was met in Phuket by my guide Ben with driver She gave a wonderful tour of Phuket. Viewing from high above the area and exploring Chinatown and old Portuguese building. My trip culminated with a visually stunning and exhilarating speed boat tour of the iconic James Bond islands and boat ride into a cave and a canoeing adventure under and through huge monolithic rocks rising from the sea.
Once again picked at airport and Chin in Bangkok who brought me to my departure flight.

This the adventure of a lifetime artistically organized and executed by Bella who I hold in great esteem.

If you thinking of travel to Thailand or elsewhere in Asia , save your money and call Bella at Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Koh Tao Beach Club Resort

Surat Thani

I was blown away by my room close to the beach and well appointed

Authenticity & Character

Charming l

Location

75 feet from the shore Close to the port I watched the sunset from my bed.

Staff

The massage therapist was outstanding.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

Great staff beautiful hotel

Authenticity & Character

It felt right

Location

Close to walking street market and temples

Staff

Helpful Friendly Efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well maintained

Layalina Hotel

Phuket

A hidden gem Set off the Main Street the hotel opened into a wonderland. Small hotel. Huge room with everything zi could ask for

Authenticity & Character

Charming delightful comfortable

Location

Right on the beach with breakfast served on room terrace

Staff

Could not be more attentive and personable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Attention to detail wonderful facility and room a gem

Activity Reviews

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

Bangkok

The markets were a feature. My guide Leena made it even more special

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge attentiveness and personal toucj

Transport

Bangkok city tour with a food tasting at Chinatown!

Bangkok

Couldn’t ask for more. My guide made the experience more wonderful than the sites themselves. She made me feel special. The choice to travel either mass transit brought me close to the culture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chin was fantastic

Welcome to Chiang Mai!

Chiang Mai

My guide Lilly gave me a personalized tour of the city and temples and provided great insight into how to spend my free time. Adapted tour to meet my interests

Quality of Experience

Ancient temples

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable timely efficient

Eco-Elephant Care Full Day

Chiang Mai

More than I had hoped for. The facility guide was amazing I learned much about elephants and interacting with them. Beyond expectations

Quality of Experience

Learning about and feeding the elephants with various food type. Feeding them helped to connect when interacting in the wild and water

Food

The lunch buffet rivaled restaurants amazing Tom Yum soup

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lilly made sure I had everything I needed. I enjoyed her company and attentiveness

Transport

Always there great drive

Snorkeling Trip!

Koh Tao

Multiple sights amazing fish and turtles a side trip up a mountain safe friendly wonderful

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent buffet

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The crew was remarkable

Transport

Short ride to hotel

Phuket Half-Day City Tour

Phuket

My guide Ben gave me a personalized tour of the city based on information she drew from me. Tiger Kingdom was perfect

Quality of Experience

Tiger kingdom. Ben’s caring detailed manner

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phang Nga bay or James Bond island by speed boat

Thailand

The lead guy Bobbi made the amazing sights more remarkable. Always ready with a helpful funny answer.

Quality of Experience

Great island tour cave exploring canoeing and buffet on the Muslim Island

Food

Hardy full Thai buffets

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Organized intelligent entertaining and safety conscious

Transport

Smooth ride comfortable van

Every aspect of the trip was carefully and beautifully curated. This was the first time that we took a trip organized by an agency.
Maryem was very responsive from the beginning of the planning and organized an amazing trip for our family of five. She planned an unforgettable trip beginning and ending in Marrakesh, with a 4 Day Loop across the Atlas mountains through Dades Valley into the desert. Every Riad and Kasbah we stayed at were great. The camel ride at sunset to the luxury camp under the stars was a highlight not only of this trip but of any trip we’ve taken.
Aside from the planning, the most valuable aspect of the trip was our driver and guide, Omar. He not only drove us safely from place to place and provided historical and cultural information on Morocco and the places we visited, but he exemplified the hospitality, sincerity and friendliness of the Moroccan people. He connected us with local guides in the specific places we visited, who were also great. We particularly enjoyed walking through some of the small villages and appreciating the local people, local food, local culture, music and economy.
During the trip, we were able to communicate with Maryem to tweak our itinerary, which we left flexible (purposefully) for the final day and a half. We spent a 1/2 day with Omar, appreciating the Jardin Majorelle, Berber Museum and Yves Saint Laurent museum.
Overall, it was an unforgettable eight days in Morocco and we are looking forward to returning again with the same agencies (Morocco Imersion) and Kim Kim.

Hotel Reviews

Riad al Rimal

Marrakech

Wonderful Riad. Well appointed rooms. Our three older kids stayed in one room and my husband and I stayed in another. Breakfast was amazing. The employees were very friendly and professional. The location was very well situated within the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

Michelle runs an incredible Kasbah in the mountains. Rooms were very comfortable, the layout of the property was authentic and allowed for room enjoy the property from various perspectives. A wonderful place to go after a busy day touring. We only wish we could’ve stayed longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Everything about this particular stay was so memorable from start to finish from the camel ride across the Sahara into the camp at sunset, to sand boarding down the dunes, followed by dinner and drumming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

We were very pleased with our stay here. It was a more western style hotel. Very nice pool and dining set up near the pool was also lovely. Staff were very professional and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech to Dades Valley via Ouarzazate

Morocco

We toured Atlas Studios, and our local guide there, Mohammed, made a couple of movie trailers starring our family! We had such a blast there. We could appreciate many of the sets from gladiator one at gladiator two at this studio. I got to be Cleopatra in a movie trailer.

Quality of Experience

The Atlas studio tour was so unique and fun, highly recommend.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide at Atlas Studios, Mohammed, was super knowledgeable and made a couple of fun movie trailers for our family as souvenirs.

Transport

Merzouga to Ouarzazate via Draa Valley

Morocco

Return trip to Marrakesh via Atlas mountains. New landscape to enjoy.

Dades Valley to Merzouga Camel Trek via Todgha Gorge & Tinghir

Morocco

Spectacular landscape. Riding the camels at sunset into the luxury stars camp, and the entire stay at the camp was the highlight of the trip if there had to be one highlight. This is a do not miss experience.

Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Unique environment and you will recognize it from the movie, Gladiator. Our driver/guide, Omar, brought us to meet an elderly lady who lives in the settlement. She gave us a tour of her home, complete with courtyard full of goats and sheep. It gave us a glimpse into the life of a local woman who makes this famous old city her home.