Kimkim Trip Reviews

Megan, Winnie and Hassan are a winning team! In the year and a half of planning it took to get this trip launched, Megan and Winnie were consistently respondent and patient through all the details and needs we had over time. Megan really listened to what I was looking for, adjusted the itinerary I had planned on my own, and provided all the sites we wanted. I can tell that she took the time to make the best itinerary for us. Winnie's ability to manage the fine details, always with a smile was greatly appreciated. I've worked with several partners of KimKim and I think this was the best of all 4.

As for Hassan, he MADE our trip. From the moment he stepped into the van, we became a mini-family. His presence and leadership made us feel well supported, protected and cared for in every way. He provided us with just the right amount of information as we travelled through the country. Both he and Lacksen were true professionals. If we needed anything, the two of them showed up in a whim. We could see that Hassan would do whatever it took to give us a satisfactory experience and in the end, it went well beyond our expectations. Truly flawless.

Minor change I'd suggest to the itinerary - give one more day to Fez and one less day in Tangier. Or cut Tangier out altogether. Going to Asilah was not worth a day; it felt like padding.

Also, for Megan - there was conflicting advice on the tipping. Winnie told us 100 per day for the driver/guide and you told us 50. The information in the guide said something else as well. I know it's up to our discretion but being consistent internally is recommended.

*The airport pickup was a mess. 4 of us had to take cabs - 2 of whom were alone in an unfamiliar country. My sister & I took a cab - even though the driver had our names. The owner of the transportation service was rude to me on the phone when I didn't ask my cab driver to turn around and go back to the airport.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

A good place and location for landing in Morocco. Close to the market.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Would have wanted to be closer to better food options

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

FANTASTIC! We loved the historical nature of it, the warm pool, and the spa as well. Beautiful, serene courtyard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located right near the main square in the medina.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Perle D'Eau

Essaouira

2/4 rooms had toilets overflowing. The room overlooking the ocean was fantastic but the rest of the rooms were not as nice. One person had to stay up very late so the plumber could finish working on the toilet. The hotel seemed a little sad. BUT, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Asfalou

Kasbah Mohayut

Merzouga

Our room was too small - we could not open our luggage all the way b/c there was no space.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

Loved the music at night, the food was delicious and the team serving us were very kind and friendly. We had the "royal tent" so I can't complain much. The water in the sinks was brown as was the water in the shower but we chalked it up to being in the desert.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

STUNNING - a spot out of a Conde Neste magazine. Clean, friendly, and GORGEOUS from the recent remodel. No pool to use.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Casablanca City Center

Casablanca

Awful hotel - my sheet had blood stains on it, the air conditioner didn't work even after the repairman left, and the food was not good. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Journey into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Erg Chebbi Dunes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ouarzazate to Erg Chebbi

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

The tour guide was perfect for Fez - he was intellectual and very proud of his city. It felt a bit like a shopping tour more than a historical tour so I would see if the tourists FIRST want shopping. Sometimes he didn't read the group - we were tired and so there was some information overload in the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Ismael was the best guide on our tour - fun, friendly, brilliant, knew just how much information to share.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Beautiful mosque - very interesting. Tour was too large to hear the guide.

Quality of Experience

Merzouga to Fes the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Morocco

OUTSTANDING in every way. One of the best parts of our trip. The women who led the class were wonderful and guided us with smiles the whole time. It felt like the setting was a magical paradise. Of course, the food was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chefchaouen (guided)

Chefchaouen

I could not understand this guide's English and he gave vague answers to many questions.

Explore Tangier & Asilah

Tangier

I learned very little about Tangier from this guide. We had to pull information out of her. Most of the time she was on her phone and taking selfies. Sweet but immature and I would sadly not use her again but I hope you choose another female guide in the future.

Quality of Experience

Dinner with a local family

Morocco

This did not happen but Hassan was kind enough to have us over at his family's home where we had lunch.

Mohamed and his team are amazing. They were very responsive and helpful to arrange a customized itinerary for our group. The driver Abdo has good knowledge of the places he took us too. He was joyful and very helpful. Overall, we enjoyed our trip very much. Thank you for arranging this tour for us.

We made our travel arrangements with João and found him to be very responsive and helpful. He also provided a road book with good suggestions for restaurants and additional things to do. We were also pleased with the guides he set up. Joel gave us a thorough overview of the Lisbon neighborhoods. We enjoyed seeing some sights in the northern part of the city (the bullfighting rink),the walk through the Alfama. and visiting a few scenic overlooks. We were glad he encouraged us to see Belem and dropped us off there. Our guide Manuel gave us an enthusiastic tour of Porto. We especially liked learning about the architecture, including the visit to the Museu da Cidade. Glad we had a chance to visit the Bolhão market and hear some of Manuel's interesting stories about the history of Porto.
We had a great time on the visit João booked with Cork Trekking in the Alentejo - walking past the vineyards, the cork and holm oak trees, and learning about cork harvesting and production from our guide Celino. At the end of the day, it was nice to return to the peaceful and scenic lodging at Montimerso.

I had the idea to plan a surprise Iceland trip for my wife’s 50th birthday, and Duncan was phenomenal in every way to turn the idea into an amazing trip!! From the planning phase to answering any questions while we were there, Duncan was always extremely responsive, organized, and knowledgeable! We loved every aspect of our trip from going to the blue lagoon after we landed to the hotels (Hotel Budir was our favorite) to the ice cave and glacier tours to the waterfalls and hikes and restaurant recommendations (must go to Fridheimar - the tomato farm for an outstanding lunch) and our last couple days in the city. My wife had a wonderful birthday, and we loved our time there. Thank you, Duncan!!!

Everything about this trip was memorable. Working with Yuri to craft our ideal tour was a pleasant experience. Based on our goals, he made recommendations which we took into consideration and communicated with him by KimKim email and a scheduled phone call. As active seniors with specific ideas of what we wanted to see (we did our homework), the group travel experience of other companies wasn't for us. But because we aren't as young as we used to be, having Yuri's recommendations of hotels, tours and guides gave us extra support on this trip and alleviated stress. We traveled to Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Ronda and Granada -- Kim Kim arranged flight & train tickets. We really appreciated the driving service between some of our destinations because instead of navigating a rental car, we could relax and enjoy the scenery. We had a glitch but Yuri and the Kim Kim Team solved the problem. Familiarity with WhatsApp and, for Canadian travelers, having a local Esim was essential for us. Through food, art, wine and history tours we learned so much about the Andalusian culture and all guides were so generous with their time and knowledge. We do recommend that if your guide is not meeting you at the hotel, do exchange photos for ease of identification in crowded plazas. Also, in advance of a private tour, discuss what you are seeking to see and learn so that your guide knows more about your goals.

Our trip to Morocco planned by Megan was absolutely fantastic. In fact, totally exceeded our expectations. Megan customized our entire trip very carefully and thoughtfully keeping in mind both our needs and wishes. We had an excellent driver, Abraham Amdyaze, who was very respectul and courteous and happily took care of our small to big requirements. We highly recommend him. All the riyads/hotels were magnificient in each of the cities of Casblanca, Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakesh we visited. We had great time in each of these cities and learned about them through our local tour guides who were very knowledegable and professional. We cannot thank Megan and her team of Kimkim enough and highlty recommend them if you are travelling in a new country .

My friends and I travel together every other year and we try to choose places none of us have ever been. We chose Albania as our destination as it was a new to all of us and the hotspot for 2024.
I am so glad we did. As we were researching we decided to get some expert advice and found Kim Kim and Drive Albania.
Ed helped us with our custom itinerary and had great suggestions. He quickly responded to all of our many questions.
Upon arrival in Tirana, Ed and our guide Margil picked us up at the airport and made us feel comfortable. All of our hotels were comfortable, safe, and in great locations. They had great suggestions for lunches/dinners.
Margil was an excellent guide. He knew the history of the country very well. He was a safe driver on the mountain roads. Most of all he was personable and had a great sense of humor.
We enjoyed our trip very much. I would highly recommend Drive Albania and Margil as a guide.

Sent from my iPhone

Caterina created a “Masterpiece” of an Italy trip plan for us. Recognizing that everyone has different interests and ways to travel, my wife and I commented several times throughout our vacation that we were amazed how well Caterina understood our interests and likes/dislikes of tour types, hotels, etc. Each hotel that we stayed at had the perfect amenities, room design and location for each stage of our trip.

The details of the Trip Plan from length of stay at each location and the type/timing of our tours could not have hit the mark any better. The size of the tours (small groups or private) seemed as if she knew what would fit us better than even we would have done if we booked ourselves.

The local concierges and assistants that KimKim stitched together made intra-city and inter-city transport logistics run so smoothly it removed all stress in a usually stressful activity.

All the tour guides were top notch, especially our Rome guides for the Colosseum (Dennis) and Golf Cart (Valentina). Our private guide for Pompeii (sorry I lost her name) was a former Pompeii archaeologist and now a professor of archaeology was incredible. The winery tour and dinner was an experience of a lifetime!

Also, KimKim’s website platform is a breeze to plan and communicate with Travel Specialists. The format for tracking text communications and reviewing trip plan details was a valuable resource for us.

As stated at the start of the review, and in the spirit of all the amazing art we saw during our trip, Caterina created a Masterpiece of an Italy Trip Plan that fit us perfectly.

Thanks so much for an amazing experience,
Troy & Beth Jandrasitz

Hotel Reviews

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Great location, nice room. We enjoyed the roof top bar/restaurant for a drink and views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was centrally located for us to walk to key areas including Colosseum, Vatican City, and Trestavere. We like walking so while it wasn’t next to any of these areas, its location allowed for doable walks.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Maria Pia

praiano

Nice hotel. They provided a balcony upgrade at no charge. Dock is nice, but stairs can be tricky to negotiate. The stairs going to street level are equally tricky. Breakfast area was very nice. Room was nice, if slightly small. The tub/shower access was a bit tricky as well - we were ok with it but some individuals with slight mobility issues would have a challenge.

Authenticity & Character

Can’t think of many hotels with a dock like theirs. Ceramic decor was beautiful.

Location

Bus stop right by hotel is a big plus.

Staff

Helpful with local transport. When my wife and I decided to have a picnic dinner on our balcony, the restaurant worked provided a wine bottle opener and glasses

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air handler mini split was difficult to get room temp correct. Awareness of the unit’s fan was slightly bothersome, but not a showstopper either.

Palazzo Castri 1874

Florence

Nice room and view of courtyard. Bed was comfortable. The overnight Front desk reception worker (Raniero) went out of his way yo assist me when a need some minor medical assistance - he was great!

Authenticity & Character

Nice room and bathroom. Very upscale feel to it. Breakfast was very good.

Location

Decent location (could have been a bit closer to town center), but the main issue was significant road construction currently occurring.

Staff

See comment on front desk worker (Raniero) above

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Splendid Venice - Starhotel

Venice

Concierge was helpful in changing our room when it was confirmed that the room A/C thermostat was not operating. A front desk worker first appeared to question our need to change rooms, but the concierge stopped it immediately and said we needed a room change, it was resolved with an impressive room upgrade.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just seemed perfectly located for us.

Staff

See comment above

Cleanliness & Comfort

5 stars of the first room’s thermostat was operational

Activity Reviews

Small group tour of Colosseum with Arena access, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

Rome

Dennis (tour guide) was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Timing of the tour = just right; size of group = just right

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

No transportion needed to get to Colosseum. It is a walking tour

Small group tour of Rome highlights by Golf Cart (6 people - 3 hours)

Rome

Valentina was great. She took us off the beaten path for a portion of the tour which was nice. Golf cart was comfortable. We are both very mobile but this tour would seem perfect for individuals with mobility issues. One thing that would have been nice is if we could have toured closer to bottom of Spanish Steps, The cart took us past the top of the steps, but that is not the classic view.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Golf cart was comfortable

Admission tickets - Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - skip the line

Rome

We felt the museum and Sistine Chapel is overcrowded with people and the artwork just jammed onto any wall space. Flow seemed disorganized. The skip the line tickets worked fine and it is critical to get these to avoid long wait. Even the skip the line was a bit disorganized.

Quality of Experience

Not sure how to reduce crowds. Better signage of tour flow in the museum would help

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/A

Transport

N/A

Train Rome/Naples with transfers and 2h guided tour in Pompeii

Italy

Transfer to train was a breeze. Pick up in Naples as well. Pompeii tour was unexpectedly incredible due to an amazing tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group tour of Capri by boat (7 hours - max 12-14 pp)

Italy

Tour around Capri was beautiful. Time spent on island was just right.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Expertise of boater was impressive with ability to back into various coves for close views.

Florence and Accademia City Tour

Italy

Amazing tour of art at the Accademia. We found this museum much better organized that Vatican Museum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about Renaissance Art and Architecture. General questions about more “touristy” things did not seem to interest her - when asked about locations of operating wine windows she said there weren’t any. Later we found out there was and actually enjoyed that unique experience.

Transport

N/A

Admission tickets - Uffizi Gallery - skip the line

Florence

Amazing museum!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/A

Transport

N/A

Best of Siena and San Gimignano tour from Florence with dinner

Italy

Winery tour made the trip. The winery property was beautiful and the dinner was a great experience. This tour was the best highlight of many highlights of the vacation

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Entrance fees to doge's palace and Saint Mark's basilica

Venice

The tickets for self guided tour was perfect timing for us as we were beginning to hit our limit on museums. So perfect timing to enjoy this an an abbreviated short tour time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/A

Transport

N/A

"Bacari" local street food tour

Italy

Beatrice made this tour fun and interesting. She has excellent knowledge of Venice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

A must do. The gondolier however had no interaction with us at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ACTV 1 day Transport VENEZIA DAILY PASS

Venice

Nice tour of the Grand Canal - worth the 45 mins to see the city from the Grand Canal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Can be crowded as people use this to transport themselves to hotels, etc.

We had an incredible trip organized by Rebecca. The hotels and restaurants were terrific. She was very professional and timely in her responses.

The highlight of the trip was the time we spent with George, our guide through our trip in mainland Greece. I can’t say enough about his knowledge and his kindness, and how he went out of his way to be kind to our son and to ensure we had the best experience possible. I will be forever grateful to him.

My only word of caution would be to try find “official” guides at the sites who really know what they’re talking about. I am a Greek history nerd so I was a little annoyed when my otherwise lovely tour guide painted a too-rosy picture of ancient medical care at the Temple of Askplepius, when I know the true picture was more complex. Similarly, even when we showed we had more knowledge than he expected, our Parthenon tour guide was unable to veer from his scripted tour and find new things to teach us and engage us. On the other hand, our guide at the Temple of Poseidon was fantastic and it was clear he had been trainedr in this field and truly knew what he was talking about. All the guides were very personable however, so I’m just pointing this out for history nerds like me.

My family had an amazing trip and it was truly money well spent. Thanks again to Rebecca and her team.

Nikola, our local specialist, was the very best! We did a self-drive 2 week tour around Slovenia, Istria and Trieste. Flawless execution in planning the trip, an amazing App to follow during the trip of directions, sites, hotel and restaurant reservations, etc, with outstanding daily follow through to ensure that each day's activities and reservations were correctly handled and in place. Nikola was always pleasant every step of the way. We would recommend him without question for trip planning in Slovenia and Croatia and Trieste! Thanks for a memorable holiday!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Heritage

Ljubljana

Great location. Very friendly staff. outstanding breakfast. A historic hotel in the center of town. Only feedback from us: the room was a bit small and cramped, including bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

The very center of the old city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Plesnik

Solčava

What a view of the Julian Alps and the Logar Valley from our room! Room was spacious and lovely. Staff were pleasant and helpful. Our dinner there as more "traditional' and 'fussy' in Slovenian cuisine. Though tasty, we do prefer more modern cuisine. That is a personal preference.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Penzion Berc

Bled

Lovely large room and bathroom. Walking distance within minutes to Lake Bled and its surroundings. Had a nice 'Alpine' charm to it. The restaurant which we dined in once was delicious -- all very well prepared. Great and varied breakfast too. Very pleasant staff at reception, in restaurant and the owners.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dobra Vila

Bovec

A beautiful boutique hotel in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains. The room was lovely with views from all windows. We were disappointed in the bathroom. It contained a claw foot tub with a hand held shower, but did not contain either stand up in the tub for showering or a stand alone shower. As tall people who are used to showers, this was a disappointment. Their breakfast was amazing in how it was beautifully displayed and the quality and the choices. Staff were lovely!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The nicest place in Bovic, in our opinion!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Melegran

Rovinj

The best location in the Old Town on a quiet street. Very atmospheric to be in old quarters with its rooms in several separate entrances around the reception. Staff were wonderful. A bit difficult to find the distant parking area, but the staff were outstanding in picking us up with electric cart to take us into the Old Town and to the hotel (one cannot drive into the Old Town), as well as o n departure taking us with luggage back to car. Our first room had issues in that the hotel key to turn on lights resulted in dimming out to nothing after a few minutes! While this could not be repaired, there was a similar room next door that we were able to move into and that worked well. Room was charming and adequate size (not spacious); the bathroom was a bit small for two adults.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Lipica Stud Farm

Slovenia

Who knew this existed in Slovenia?!?!? We were certainly aware of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna from past European trips. Very interesting tour! We appreciated the private tour as we saw lots of group tours while were there that appeared to be crowded. Our guide was very informative. She told us about the show and offered us the opportunity to attend it for an additional 7 euro per person (above what had been paid for the private tour) We were lucky enough to have our tour on a Friday afternoon, right before the horse show which is only offered then (or perhaps at one other time in the week?). This was most enjoyable!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Ljubljana

Slovenia

Our guide (?Ekelena? -- pardon the spelling!!) was terrific -- knowledgeable, nice, informative and did cover all the highlights in the given time. We would certainly recommend her for others!

Quality of Experience

Ljubliana is a wonderful strolling town

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Bled Town and Enjoy Pletna Boat Ride

Bled

Our guide (also ?Ekelena? by name!! -- excuse the spelling!) was terrific. Very knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the history of Slovenia, Croatia and the former Yugoslavia (and of Tito). Not sure there is much in Bled itself for a guide to expound upon (unlike eg Ljublijana or Trieste) , but she filled the time with teaching us about other things. The Pletna boat ride is a bit touristy but the only way to get to the very interesting island and church. We enjoyed sitting down there in cafe and having coffee and traditonal cake with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Trieste

Trieste

Demian (?spelling) was an outstanding guide. We learned so much about the history of Trieste and Istria in a well balance way of understanding its complex history. He spent a bit more time than the allotted time to show us as much as possible. Friendly, intelligent and with good humor, Demian (as a Slovenian with a personal history for Istria and Trieste going back to his grandparents, etc) made this beautiful city come to life for us . This was our favorite tour of the entire trip for sure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visiting Japan was a lifelong dream of ours. Since we’ve been together, we’ve talked about it, dreamt about it, and saved money for it. Finally, after 20 years, we decided to make it happen. Initially, we considered planning a self-guided trip, but after attempting to organize a two-week itinerary, we felt overwhelmed and decided to seek professional help. We found KimKim online after reading numerous positive reviews, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision.

Our trip organizer, Fei, was amazing. Her attention to our needs and her involvement made the trip easy and worry-free. Fei was always present and responded quickly to any questions we had. Thank you, Fei, for everything!

We also want to mention our great guides who gave us their undivided attention. First, Yumi in Tokyo: we greatly enjoyed our conversations about the Japanese language and its intricacies. Then came Yuki: thank you for your wonderful sense of humor and the thoughtful gifts! My book for temple stamps is now full. Even though Mount Fuji didn’t show her face, we had a fantastic time and shared many laughs.

To Son, who showed us around Kyoto and Osaka: thank you for the deep and interesting conversations about history and religion, and for taking us behind the temples! In Osaka, we cannot forget Tea. During the Foodie tour, he left us with smiles, full bellies from the incredible food, and great conversations about movies. We even enjoyed a drink together after the tour.

In Hiroshima, we had Masako, who provided a very detailed and informative day. Thank you!

Overall, it was an unforgettable journey. Thank you, everyone! We left with full hearts, full stomachs, and a wealth of new knowledge. KimKim was worth every cent.

I have wanted to go to Jordans for almost 40 years. I have lived in the Middle East and traveled and worked in many of the countries but I never had a business reason to go to Jordan and then when I retired it just never seem to work out. I had a sudden schedule opportunity to fit in a couple weeks in Jordan and I contacted Kim Kim. I told them what I was interested in since I'm a history buff and also a seasoned amateur archaeologist. They responded almost immediately and put together a fabulous itinerary and got me a guide that just couldn't have been better.

What Kim Kim has always done well for me is to know the local market and be able to find resources. In this. In this case they put together an itinerary together with Flow Travel of Jordan travel, and found me an archaeologist as a guide. The guide, Amer Bdour, was absolutely perfect for my needs. He was well-versed in the history of the sites that we went to and since he had worked with the Archaeology Directorate he knew the archaeological history of the sites as well. Archaeology is never static, there's always new discoveries that are changing viewpoint on historical events and sites. Amer and I had some delightful conversations and debates about the wonderful sites that we visited

Petra is the big tourist draw in Jordan, and certainly the two days we spent wandering around Petra or amazing. But Jordan is much more than that. The neolithic sites go back to almost 10,000 years BCE. Historical chronology from the time of Christ onward includes amazing transformations between Nabatean, Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, and Muslim empires. It was fascinating to visit the various sites and see the evolution represented in architecture and iconography.

I also have a particular interest in TE Lawrence in the Arab Revolt during WW1. The schedule had me visiting four places where there's good historical evidence that Lawrence was there, including his office in the ancient Al-Asraq Castle. Amer understood how important that was to me and went out of his way to make sure I had enough time at these sites. I also got to talk and interact with some of the Bedouin tribe members whose tribes were part of the Arab Revolt. This is very real history to them and I remember one of the Bedouin tribesman telling me with pride that his grandfather rode with Lawrence in the attack on Aqaba on 1917.

We did include some non-historical sightseeing at Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. I will most likely come back with my wife next time and will probably do a more nature focused trip. There's no doubt I will arrange this trip yet again with Kim Kim

The trip went well, way beyond expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the trip. I was a little apprehensive about going there due to concerns about possible safety issues in Latin America. Still, my daughter researched and found that Costa Rica is indeed very safe, like any European country. From the day we landed to the day we departed, the Serendipty tour was extremely well organized. The pick was smooth. All excursions started on time. All drivers were courteous and spoke fluent English. We went to Arenal, Fortuna area, followed by Monteverde, and back to the Papagayo area. All the guides were excellent. The hotels were way beyond our expectations with excellent breakfast. Two lunches and two dinners were included. Bryan, Nancy, and the Wilman team were in constant touch with me. Response to any of my texts was instant! Highly recommended

Tina, our local specialist from Kim Kim, took our basic desires and turned it into an magical week in Thailand. Without fail every flight, transfer, meeting and accommodations were handled flawlessly and every person on our journey that she had setup was very professional and fully ready to assist us in every way. While I was sceptical because I had found them online and my introduction to Kim Kim was only though reading reviews and on line reputation reports, we were very pleasantly surprised by the details of the planning/scheduling's and the constant communications throughout the entire process and during the trip. Thank you Tina for your expertise and assistance, you did a excellent job for us.

Charlie and Karen
Katy, Texas
USA

Months ago, Patricia took the information provided as to the type of places we like to stay, in our case, more on the boutique hotel side and perfectly situated us in several towns and cities. She also made suggestions as to what to see and do while on our Mediterranean drive from the Costa Brava all the way to Marbella on the Costa del Sol. The guides provided were excellent, on time and even provided more than was necessarily required. Aina showed us Montserrat and the beautiful wine country to the northwest of Barcelona. She was personable and knowledgeable; we enjoyed her very much. The same for Daniel in Valencia. That said, the boat ride in Albufera was nothing and would not recommend it; however, the paella experience and time with Daniel was very good, both in Albufera and Valencia. I have already recommended KimKim several times to other travelers. Thank you, we may meet again!

what an unbelievable trip and what a great tour group! We had Faissal with us every day (and he was an excellent guide and driver) and then we had local guides with us at each specific location as well. All were extremely kind and knowledgeable. The walking tour of the medina in Marrakesh with Siad was a perfect start off with discussions of local customs and history. The hike up Mt. Toubkul with Youssef was extraordinary, and a great look into Berber life in the mountains. My personal favorite was the time in the Saraha (camels, Nomads, ATVs.....awesome) and finishing it up on the ocean in Essaouira was a perfect finish. All of the riads/hotels were exquisite, the food incredible and the people, amazing. If you are even a little hesitant about travelling in a new country I cannot recommend KimKim enough - I will DEFINATELY be using them again.

Amandine was absolutely the best when it came to planning our trip! We are so thrilled in our experience with her and the KimKim team, their attention to detail, and ability to work around our ideas to create the perfect honeymoon. Everything from our formal group tours to the days where we had self-guided experiences were outlined and given to us in our minute-by-minute itinerary. Amandine and her colleagues were also kind enough to check in on us during our trip to make sure everything was going to plan. All of our hotel stays and events matched and exceeded our expectations!

Manuel our guide in Cusco was fabulous! Very knowledgeable, helpful and a lot of fun.
We had a packed itinerary which suited our group.
The food tour in Barranco was very well organized and our tour guide was great.
The amazon experience was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our transfers were bang on. Everything was well organized. .
Thoroughly enjoyed Peru and it’s people

Our driver for our stay in Florence was Daniel and he was extremely helpful and professional. Our first guide was Mike in Florence and it was a walking tour. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable, and spoke very fluent English. There was a misunderstanding about how long the tour was and we didn't get to see the original David, but our Kimkim representative Melanie was able to get us booked for the next day. Unfortunately the audio was so poor that we couldn't understand what was being said. Charlotta was our group guide for the Chianti wine and olive tour and and she was amazing and spoke very good English, and this was a highlight of our stay in Tuscany. In Rome our guide to Vatican and Sistine chapel was Rich and he's lived in Italy for 26 years and has advanced degrees in theology and art history, his insights and knowledge about the art made the tour so interesting. We had a small group of 6 with Samona at the Colosseum and the Forum and she was very very knowledgeable and wonderful. She spoke very good English and was very good at timing the tour and found us places to sit down to take a break. We had private driver Marco and a private tour of Tivoli gardens with Katharina and we wouldn't have understood or appreciated the site without her information. Another highlight of our trip was the enogasgronomic/food tour in Sorento with Tamara, she was so connected with all of the places that we visited and she showed us amazing places that we wouldn't have known about. Out final tour was of Pompeii and Vesuvius with Theresa aka mother Theresa. It was a small group and she was so fun funny and knowledgeable.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Orto De' Medici

Florence

It's an elegant boutique hotel in a great location. Very clean and comfortable and the staff are friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was very expansive with many great food choices. The room was the largest of the 3 hotels that we stayed in and it was clean, quiet and comfortable. Within easy walking distance to many restaurants and a historic piazza that includes Michaelangelos' David.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So welcoming, friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barocco

Rome

A lovely small hotel in a great location within walking distance to many restaurants and historic sights including the Spanish steps, the Colosseum, the Vatican and the sistine chapel and much more. The breakfast was excellent and Stefan made sure that you were well taken care of. The room and the hotel was clean and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Florida 3* Sorrento

Sorrento

The staff were very helpful and welcoming but walking to Piazza Tasso and the many restaurants was at least a 20 minute walk, sometimes with no sidewalk. The room was adequate with a nice small balcony. Our room was on the first floor that was next to a walkway and another hotels parking area where cars and motorcycles were coming and going starting early in the morning. The breakfast buffet was very good and had many food choices. The bar and pool area was a nice place to relax in.

Location

There is only one restaurant within a few minutes walk. We had the hotel call us a cab once and we were charged 20 euro for a little over a mile ride to Piazza Tasso.

Staff

The daytime staff was very helpful but the early morning and evening staff were less than welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's proximity to the parking area for the hotel next door was a disappointment and it didn't have the same feel of the other 2 boutique hotel's that we stayed in

Activity Reviews

Day trip San Gimignano and Winery Visit

Florence

Quaint small town and a nice wine tasting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel was our private driver and he was very fun to spend time

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour

Italy

Wonderful ride in a very comfortable small tour bus to the Chianti wine region and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. This was a highlight of our trip to Italy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Walking Tour

Florence

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was perfect

Tivoli Day trip and Castelli Romani

Italy

Having a private tour with Katerina gave us so much information and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with her

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Ruins of Pompeii & Winery on the Vesuvius

Italy

Theresa aka mother Theresa was so funny and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guisepe was so engaging to talk with and very enjoyable to spend time with

Dinner at family Home Restaurant

Rome

This was changed to a cooking class that was with the owner and head chef Paulo at Trattoria Amici. We made tiramisu and pasta that we ate at the outside restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Enogastronomic experience - taste the real life of South with a good glass of Limoncello

Sorrento

Tamara was a wonderful guide for this tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was an absolute trip of a lifetime. I will be recommending Kim Kim to all of my friends! Marta was amazing to plan with and every single excursion was flawlessly executed. Marta & her team were extremely accessible during our trip, which was so helpful when we had questions. Marta's help in planning allowed us to have a stress-free trip! The accommodations were fantastic as well, we loved every hotel.

Highlights included the farm tour in Tuscany and lunch on the saffron farm, the suggested visit to Orvieto which was the most magical town, and the Capri boat day!! I'll be dreaming about this trip forever. Cannot wait to plan our next adventure with Kim Kim!