Kimkim Trip Reviews

Really wonderful experience. Wealth of knowledge and resources. I should have started here and let them do all the planning. I typically research and try to make best travel decisions from internet. Don’t waste your time. This group knows every area, interesting sites, hotels, restaurants and travel modes. Amandine was always available and other consultants chimed in on ideas. We had an awesome adventure.

This was a fabulous trip. Of special note is the quality and flexibility of our guides. They were fantastic. Rachel was also flexible and responsive to all our questions and modifications. This was a great trip.

Hotel Review

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

I am recommending this to friends. The hotel and spa is beautiful as were the grounds and the service was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

This was one of my favorite days. Our guide modified the trip by excluding the river cruise and it was the right call.

Quality of Experience

The visit to the winery and the wonderful meal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sweet and Tasting Évora Tour

Évora

This was not my favorite experience . The sweets tended to be too much at once.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

Going to Fado was really fun and the food was good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Our guide as excellent however the main was rainy and at times down pouring rain forced us to be indoors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was on time and flexible.

Transport

Jeep Safari through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate

Portugal

The Cork Fork and Olive oil estate was amazing .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was a really good experience. We were able to try a variety of foods.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This was such a good day. We learned so much about Lisbon .

Quality of Experience

Seeing so much of the city in a short time period.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As I have said before , the quality, knowledge and flexibility of our guide made the difference.

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

This was our longest and for me my most exhilarating day.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable , flexible, and fun to be around

Transport

We had a wonderful time in Ecuador and the plan Alvaro put together for either side of our visit to the Galápagos Islands was just perfect!

All of our accommodation was excellent and we had great variety every day. We felt we had a very nice balance of culture and nature and although we had a busy itinerary, we never felt at all rushed.

The “icing on the cake” for us was our guide Marco Herrera. He was so kind and considerate of our needs. He was knowledgeable but never made us feel overwhelmed with facts and figures. He didn’t rush us at all, and made sure we had as much time as we needed for taking photos and “mooching about” at our leisure.

Jeferson from the Tour Company called to meet us at our hotel in Quito and he was regularly in touch throughout our stay in Ecuador, making sure we were enjoying ourselves.

We would highly recommend Ecuador to everyone and feel it’s a shame that so many tourists only visit to see the Galápagos Islands. This is most definitely the highlight of the country, but there is SO much more to experience and we are really pleased we decided to spend over 3 weeks here in total.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

What a gem this family run hotel is! Lucia is an absolute lady and all the staff did their utmost to make our stay perfect. The rooms were great and we slept very well thanks to the lovely mattresses, soft cotton sheets and comfortable pillows. Breakfast was a treat with fresh varied juices and fruits and eggs cooked to order. The location couldn’t be better. Just a few minutes walk from one of the delightful town squares. We will most definitely recommend this hotel to our friends.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Gorgeous old hotel with great character. Our room was stunning! It’s perfectly located close to the old centre of Cuenca and breakfast was very good. I would suggest asking for a room that doesn’t overlook the main street as we found it noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguanazú Bed & Breakfast

Guayaquil

Wonderful old style hotel outside the centre of Guayaquil. We had a huge suite and we felt like a Honeymoon Couple! Food was lovely and the staff were very kind. It was so peaceful up on the hill and we slept really well. We would definitely recommend this hotel over those in the busy Malecon area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

The hot spring pools were wonderful. Rooms were so comfortable and nicely decorated. Food was excellent and staff were all very friendly. Would definitely live to return here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Coffee lodge Cristal Glamping & Spa

Mindo

Very pleasant stay here for our 1 night in Mindo. It’s such a great place to “get away from it all”! Having dinner and breakfast on the balcony overlooking the treetops was wonderful. Staff were very kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

Very comfortable room and we found the food to be outstanding! Staff were so kind and welcoming and the location was magical!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Lovely hotel. Very quiet and our room was huge! Staff were friendly and helpful and the meals were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This was such a luxurious hotel and the grounds were incredible! Our room was beautiful and we loved our food at dinner and breakfast. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Otavalo Market - Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Nice hike around the lake and it was pleasant to amble around the market for a while.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring San Pablo Lagoon & Encounter the Andean Condor at Parque Condor

Otavalo

Cóndor Park was very good. We were amazed at the variety of birds!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alpaca Encounter at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t in our favour the day we visited. We didn’t see any Alpacas, but the fog was so heavy we could hardly see our hand in front of our faces! The drive (until we hit the fog) was pleasant however and we had a lovely lunch in one of the small restaurants near to the lagoon.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park- Overnight at a Hacienda.

Ecuador

We had glimpses of Cotapaxi summit (and when we did see it, it was beautiful! The National Park was beautiful though and there’s lots to enjoy even if you don’t see the volcano that clearly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve

Riobamba

Again we had very poor visability the day we were to see Chimborazo peak. We asked the guide to turn back 10 minutes after we hit the dense fog (about 20 minutes before the summit) and instead we enjoyed the lower area close to Riobamba.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Cuenca and surroundings, Gualaceo, Chordeleg

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca! Very traditional and very walkable around the old centre. This was one of our favourite places in Ecuador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the Highlands to the Coast: Cajas National Park to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Enjoyable scenery but I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest! The photo stop at the top was good but I think perhaps I expected more from the National Park area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Pearl of the Pacific: Highlight Sites of the City of Guayaquil

Guayaquil

We enjoyed our time exploring Guayaquil. The Santa Ana area was lovely and we enjoyed the walk along the Malacon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Guayaquil's Local Wildlife at Parque Histórico

Guayaquil

Really enjoyed seeing the Iguanas in the park! Especially nice to see the babies who were only a couple of months old!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

Wonderful time exploring the historic centre of Quito. We loved all the Churches and the big squares with the fabulous architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Very enjoyable day. We loved the cultural aspect of it and the food at lunch was super!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Highlight of our trip on Mainland Ecuador. The birds were just amazing. We saw several species of Toucans and the experience with the humming birds was phenomenal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paul organised our trip, he was patient, very well informed and experienced in helping us to reach agreement to meet all our requirements for the holiday.
It was mainly focused on winery visits. However we had 3 days first in Buenos Aires, where we had two city tours with lovely guide Maria, and two evenings organised , one at the specular Fogon Restaurant and the other at Tango Rojo at Faena Hotel. Everything was perfect for us.
We then flew to Mendoza and met our new guide the delightful Augostina. We visited 4 wineries but the visit to Matervine Winery was the highlight of our Mendoza trip. We enjoyed a beautiful gourmet lunch at Susana Balbo Restaurant. Everything was organised with precision and once more it was perfect for us.
We then flew to Santiago where we were met by guide Roberto and driver Francesco. We had a three hour flight delay and they were so understanding it made a difficult day easier for us. Roberto spent the next 4 days with us. While travelling to and from the 7 wineries he shared all the information possible on the Country of Chile. The economy, the culture, the politics, the history, education, agriculture, industry, geography etc, etc.. He was so informative, a truly lovely man to share our experience with. The best guide we have ever had. The highlight of the Chilean wineries was Montes. A great tour. We also spent a lovely day with Roberto visiting Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
As mature travellers we believe that leaving the organising to a professional tour operator like Kimkim gave us peace of mind and made travel much less stressful.

Hotel Reviews

Alvear Art Hotel

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hyatt Mendoza

Mendoza

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Excursion: Buenos Aires Sightseeing Experience - North Area

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner (Tango Rojo) + Private Transfers

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fogon Closed-Door Asado Dinner Experience with Transfers

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lujan de Cuyo Wine Tour, Agrelo Region: Las Perdices, Matervini & Susana Balbo Wineries

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Casablanca Wine Route

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Excursion: Buenos Aires Sightseeing Experience - South Area

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine & Flavours of Maipu

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Experience Concha y Toro & Santa Rita Winery, Private Service

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We travelled to Costa Rica from the UK with our two children aged 11 and 8.

Bryan (and Nancy) did a fantastic job of recommending and organizing a range of hotels and activities for us over the two-week trip. Everywhere we stayed was brilliant in its own way -- Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero was rustic and remote, Las Lagos in Fortuna was family-friendly and fun, Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio was uniquely quirky, and La Mariposa was sleek and stylish with incredible views.

All of our trips were pitched perfectly for us & the kids. We absolutely loved the white water rafting and seeing all the amazing wildlife Costa Rica has to offer. All of our guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Shout out to Mariano and Alex for their hospitality on our drives, even stopping to show us the local crocodiles and buy us fruit.

Wilman was a great help as a point of contact while we were there and kept us on track with all of the details.

A special mention also for our guide in Manuel Antonio National Park who kept us all engaged with his infectious passion for the local flora and fauna!

It was a truly special trip which will stay with us for many years.

Really enjoyed the trip to Bolivia and Chile. Jimena Santos was an amazing tour guide in Bolivia!!! All the drivers were good, and we felt safe riding in all the vehicles. My favorite part of the trip was Uyuni and the salt flats. Hotel de Sal Luna Salada was quite an experience. The only negative thing about Hotel de Sal Luna Salada was that the dinners were horrible. They really need a new chef there.

All of the guides were very knowledgable and helpful. The drivers were also very good, friendly, shared information and were very helpful getting us to and from our destinations.

I had never visited Nepal before and Sangita and her team of trek guides, porters and city guides and drivers were faultless. Most importantly Sangita was always quick to reply to my questions and followed thru on all my requests and queries. I highly recommend her services

WHAT A WONDERFUL TRIP WE HAD TO SPAIN! MARINA PUT TOGETHER A FABULOUS ITINERARY FULL OF TOURS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. WE STARTED IN MADRID AND ENJOYED A WALKING TOUR WITH JAVIER AND ENDED WITH A FOOD AND DRINK TOUR AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT SPANISH FARE. WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO TOLEDO AND HAD A DELIGHTFUL TOUR WITH MANUEL AND ENDED WITH A YUMMY LUNCH IN A CAVE. WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO GRANADA WHICH WAS A LIVELY TOWN WITH A VERY FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE. WE ENJOYED LOTS OF REMARKABLE TAPAS IN THE LOCAL BARS INCLUDING A HIGHLIGHT AT BAR POE. WE HAD A GROUP TOUR OF THE ALHAMBRA- AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING CASTLE FULL OF HISTORY AND AMAZING ARCHITECTURE. WE ALSO ENJOYED A SMALL, INTIMATE FLAMENCO DANCE PERFORMED IN A CAVE. FROM GRANADA, WE DROVE TO SEVILLE BY WAY OF SEVERAL SMALL TOWNS INCLUDING RONDA, SENTINEL AND ZAHARA, ALL WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUE LANDSCAPES AND INTERESTING SIGHTS. AFTER THREE WONDERFUL DAYS IN SEVILLE TOURING THE CITY, AND ALCAZAR WTIH HELENA, TOURING AND TASTING AT AN OLIVE OIL ESTATE, AND A PAELLA MAKING CLASS WHICH WAS A HIGHLIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET LAST MINUTE TICKETS TO THE CATHEDRAL AND TOURED IT ON OUR OWN. THEN, WE FLEW TO BARCELONA. WE HAD ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE GAUDI MASTERPIECES INCLUDING CASA BATLLO, PARK GUELL, AND THE ULTIMATE, LA FAMILIA SEGRADA- ALL ARE NOT TO MISS WHEN IN BARCELONA! OUR FINAL VENTURE WAS A DRIVE TO THE COAST OF BEGUR. OUR STAY AT THE PARADOR DE AIGLUABAVA WAS AMAZING. WE WERE UPGRADED TO SUITES AND ENJOYED GLORIOUS VIEWS OF THE MEDERERREAN SEA! WE DID A CATAMARAN TOUR ALONG THE COAST AND SAW CASTLES AND BEACHES ALONG THE WAY. OUR BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE ENDED WITH A DRIVE BACK TO BARCELONA AND A VISIT TO MONTSERRAT! WE PACKED IN A LOT IN TWO WEEKS AND MADE MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

THIS WAS OUR ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT OF OUR STAY. TOTALLY ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN ANYWHERE ELSE WE STAYED. MUCH LOWER CLASS. THE STAFF WAS NOT TERRIBLY FRIENDLY AND SOME DIDN'T SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH. THE HOTEL IS DARK AND DREARY. IT IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO GET READY IN THE BATHROOMS AND APPLY MAKE UP AS THE LIGHTING IS TERRIBLE. THE LIGHTING IS TERRIBLE THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL. THE ELEVATORS SEEMED TO BE IN POOR CONDITION. THE BREAKFAST WAS LIMITED WITH STALE PASTRIES AND FEW CHOICES. THE AREA THE HOTEL WAS LOCATED WAS NOT THE SAFEST FEELING. I"M GLAD WE ONLY HAD 2 NIGHTS THERE, BUT REGRET THAT WE WERE BOOKED HERE AT ALL. IT WAS A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND KIMKIM PLACE THEIR CLIENTS IN THIS HOTEL IN THE FUTURE. MUCH LOWER CLASS THAN THE H10'S OR PARADORE DE AIGLUBAVA.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MOLD IN THE SHOWER ALONG THE CALKING ALONG THE FLOOR. ROOM WAS DARK AND QUIET, HOWEVER

Sallés Hotel Ciutat del Prat

El Prat de Llobregat

I HAD LOW EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE I HAD TOLD MARINA WE COULD SAVE $$ ON THE AIRPORT HOTEL NIGHT, BUT THIS HOTEL EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. IT WAS LOVELY. LIGHT AND BRIGHT WITH A VERY HELPFUL, FRIENDLY STAFF. BREAKFAST WAS FRESH AND DELICIOUS. ROOMS WERE BRIGHT, CLEAN, AND COMFORTABLE. WOULD RECOMMEND. THE LOCATION WAS A BIT SKETCHY BUT WE DIDN'T LEAVE THE HOTEL ONCE WE CHECKED IN AND FELT SAFE AND FINE THERE.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

JAVIER WAS GREAT. ENJOYED HIS TOUR. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SEEN EVEN MORE IF WE HAD GOTTEN ON THE METRO AND VISITED MORE AREAS THAN JUST WHAT WAS WALKABLE

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

THIS WAS A HIGHLIGHT. FULL OF FUN, LAUGHTER, GREAT FOOD AND BEVERAGES! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. BUT.....BE SURE TO TELL YOUR CLIENTS THE PROPER START TIME! WE WERE TOLD 6PM AND WERE THERE PROMPTLY AT 6 AND NO ONE WAS THERE. TURNS OUT, IT DOESN'T START UNTIL 6:30.

Quality of Experience

Food

EXCELLENT

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

GREAT EXPERIENCE

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

ALHAMBRA WAS VERY CROWDED AND HARD TO GET A LOT OUT OF A GROUP TOUR. ANTONIO WAS THE GUIDE AND WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH HIM AND ALL HIS KNOWLEDGE IN THE GROUP SETTING. WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE HAD A PRIVATE TOUR.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. SARA WAS GREAT! ESTATE WAS BEAUTIFUL. REALLY ENJOYED THE TOUR AND TASTING

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

GREAT SHOW. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO INTRODUCTION AS TO WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO SEE. AND NO EXPLANATION. WE ENJOYED IT BUT WOULD HAVE LIKED SOME EXPLANATION. WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A LARGE, STAGE PRODUCTION. HAD NO IDEA IT WAS A VERY SMALL INTIMATE AFFAIR WITH 3 DANCERS AND TWO SINGERS.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

HELENA WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAD LOTS OF INFORMATION TO SHARE. SHE DIDN'T PICK UP ON OUR QUEUS THAT WE WERE TIRED AND NEEDED A BREAK, OR TO EVEN CUT THE TOUR A BIT SHORT. `

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP!! WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING! LOVED IT!!

Quality of Experience

Food

DELICIOUS PAELLA, SOUP AND SPINACH/CHICKPEAS DISH

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Sailing along the Costa Brava

Spain

THIS WAS FINE BUT NOT GREAT. THE AREA WHERE YOU START THE TOUR WAS A BIT DINGY AND CROWDED. THE STAFF ON THE BOAT DID A GREAT JOB. IT'S NOT A HIGH CLASS EXPERIENCE. THERE WERE LOTS OF YOUNG KIDS ON BOARD. THE FOOD SERVED WAS FINE. NOTHING GREAT.

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

WE ARRANGED THIS FOR OURSELVES AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE DAY

Every thing went smoothly.
Our hotels were excellent, and the transportation was the same.
Had a great time and the weather was superb.
We loved our time in Norway and would definitely use Kimkim again

Thanks to Anna and the team

Martin & Kathy Woodward
Tasmania

Dhanushka and the Koon Holiday team created a great personalised experience for our holiday in Sri Lanka.

The initial consultation on what we wanted identified the type of experience we were after. Nothing was too much to ask.

Our local guide and driver, Kapıla Kaluarachichi was a great travel companion, in addition to being a great local guide, and provided great cultural and historical background for all of the sites visited.

Special mention goes to Mr Goonie in Polonnaruwa for his second to none knowledge of the local archeological sites and to Mr Jimmy Heyn, the manager at Sambar Hills resort in Nuwara Eliya for his attention to detail and his personalised service.

We would definitely use KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Enjoy a Refreshing Snack at a Roadside Food Stall

Sri Lanka

A nice introduction to the roadside stalls, which are the heartbeat of the local economy..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Ancient Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka

The guide selected by Koon Holidays and KimKim was a retired archeologist from the area whose knowledge was first rate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Being an archaeologist

Transport

Elephant Safari in Minneriya National Park

Sri Lanka

Seeing these great beasts in the wild was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Sites of Anuradhapura

Sri Lanka

The history behind what are some of the most sacred sites in Sri Lanka was very illuminating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit ancient Trincomalee fort (Fort Fredrick)

Trincomalee

Go to the fort at about 4:00 pm in the afternoon. This will allow you plenty of time to wander through the fort and arrive at the Hindu temple for the afternoon ceremony.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Temples & Beaches in Trincomalee

Trincomalee

A great area to relax or go scuba diving

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Kandy: Temple of the Sacred Tooth visit

Kandy

One the best and most important temples in Sri Lanka and definitely a must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Three temples loop in Kandy

Kandy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Need to go via private car. Some place a bus cannot get to.

Visit Spice gardens, wood carving centers & gem museums in Kandy

Kandy

A really amazing guide at the spice gardens, Gem centre and Batik crafts. These people are passionate about what they do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Nuwara Eliya

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galle Dutch Fort Visit

Sri Lanka

A great place to simply have a wander and marvel at the historical architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Lively Colombo

Sri Lanka

Some great sites combining the original culture and modern day architecture.

Quality of Experience

The museums, temples , Lotus Tower the food and markets.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Portugal to celebrate 15th wedding anniversary was well planned with in-depth conversation with Joao from Across Portugal. With ongoing conversation we were able to settle on points of interest and hotel arrangements efficiently and we really appreciated timely responses from Joao, which made us feel more comfortable in dealing with a travel agency we were not familiar with.

Even before our arrival, Joao texted and guided us, laid out detailed information on what to expect at the airport upon arrival. Upon arrival we were greeted with a Welcome Package of bottles of Porto and cookies and champagne! Each day he checked on us and reminded us of our upcoming schedule for the next day. Our drivers were on time and drove us in clean cars and Nelson, the driver we had the most, even got us a bouquet of flowers and a box of delicious chocolates on our anniversary date! Every hotel we stayed at also welcomed us with a celebratory bottle of champagne and fruit to help celebrate our wedding anniversary. What a way to make you feel special!

Our walking tour guides were also excellent too! Thank you to Margarida and Andre (Porto guide) were fantastic, engaging and very informative.

Thank you to Joao and his team at Across Portugal! We have travelled extensively around the world but Across Portugal's personal touch and services left us with wonderful memories of Portugal and unforgettable experiences throughout our journey across Portugal! Muito Obrigada!

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Great location, clean and quiet. Breakfast could have more variety; otherwise, service was fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Clean boutique hotel

Location

A short distance to the major tourist sites and restaurants.

Staff

Very responsive to our requests and questions. Very helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice firm bed. No odours. Very clean!

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

Amazing location, clean but the room could have been slightly bigger.

Authenticity & Character

Nice boutique hotel but it uses strong fragrance in common areas.

Location

Walkabout distance to all areas. Fantastic location.

Staff

Staff working the breakfast was very efficient and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and well kept hotel

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

It's location was amazing! Close vicinity to walks around the cliff side...very quiet. If you wanted to go into town then you had to take an Uber but otherwise, excellent location for hiking and long walks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grande Real Villa Italia

Cascais

Beautifully decorated hotel with large rooms. Needs slight updates but otherwise, excellent location and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very responsive to requests. Thank you.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and tidy. The bed was so big :)

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

The villa was beautiful and very interesting on the exterior, especially when the fog rolled in and covered the whole villa. The village around the villa was also very quaint and interesting but what we enjoyed the most was the services provided by our private driver, Nelson. We had the opportunity to ask Nelson questions about Portugal and what it is to be a Portuguese and he also provided a lot of interesting information about Sintra. Thank you Nelson!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Our guide, Andre, was very proud of Porto. As we walked through this beautiful town he explained the history and its different areas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Douro Valley

Excellent private tour and delicious lunch at the restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was spectacular! What a beautiful winery!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

We were picked up and dropped off at the airport without any delay or issues. Much appreciated ample space in the car.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Always interesting to try sip and discover tours of a well known winery. Wine tasting afterwards with cheese board made the experience even more memorable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service from Porto

Portugal

Driving through Douro valley to look at it's unique scenery was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic Boat to the Ponta da Piedade Grottoes

Portugal

It was a private boat tour so we had ample space to relax and enjoy the ride. Also we felt safe and well protected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Portugal was a special vacation for us. Since we don't like planned tours or large tour groups, it was important to be able to design an agenda that appealed to things we liked to do. Typically I do all of the planning, but after coming across kimkim, we thought that a local person who is familiar with the places we wanted to go would be even better. Helena did a great job of putting together a plan for us. She was open to making changes as we went along, and gave good suggestions. Her choice of hotels was fabulous! They were all of high quality, provided good service, and gave us a luxury environment. Having Helena take care of our train tickets and our rental car made it so easy for us.

Despite one "blip" with a pick-up from the train to the hotel, our transports were excellent. It was tricky to find our driver at the airport, but once we did, we were pleased. The issue we had was difficulty getting in touch with the company after our driver had left us at the station due to our train arriving late. The phone number we were given had been changed, and the automated message letting us know the new number was so fast that it took us listening to it three times before we could catch all of the numbers. When we called the new number, we were told that someone would be coming for us in 15 minutes and to wait inside of the station. We split up so as to not miss the driver, but nobody came. After yet another call, we were told that a black car would be there shortly; however, someone in a light colored vehicle showed up and then didn't know where we were going nor where the hotel was located. After speeding down narrow streets, we were finally let off at the top of a steep cobblestone street where we had to drag our suitcases down two blocks to our hotel. Later we learned that transportation companies and taxis are permitted to access the pedestrian street in front of our hotel. We were just grateful that none of us fell down the hill or were injured, but that was completely ridiculous! After being told on the phone by a kimkim representative, Carin that the company is one that is often used and the disbelief that the phone number had changed, I sincerely hope that kimkim reconsiders using the company in the future.

The tours and tour guides that were set up for us were very good. The guide to the Douro Valley, Joao Campos, was friendly, interesting and accommodating. We really enjoyed the boat ride, visits to a winery, and lunch at a quinto was a highlight for us. Out 3 hour tour in Porto with Sandra Tavares was not exactly what we expected. Sandra was energetic and knowledgeable, however, we walked for 80% of the tour. The classic car picked us up near the end of the tour which lasted almost 6 hours. We were able to see a lot of Porto, but at the end were left far from our next tour without transportation. The amount of walking was also very difficult for some of us to handle, and did result in soreness the next day. Right after the first tour, we had a walking food tour. Fortunately, when we told the guide that we were exhausted and not up for a lot more walking, she was able to accommodate us by using streets that were less steep. The places we visited were definitely off of the beaten path and the food was eclectic from wine and cheese to beer and dessert. We had a great time with the others on the tour who were from various countries. Driving to Evora, Lagos and back to Lisbon was very easy. We were sad that our balloon ride was canceled due to the weather, but that is out of our control. Evora was very interesting, and the hotel there was outstanding. We didn't stop at Coimbra, but opted to relax at the hotel instead. We enjoyed the tour with Jones. He was also personable and knowledgeable. Our only concern was that his vehicle was small for all of us and not very comfortable. He showed us the cork factory and an old town with a former palace that had wonderful views. In Lagos, our tour to see the sunset at St. Vincent's Cape in Sagres wasn't exactly as written. Pedro was not our guide, Miguel was. His vehicle was a loud jeep-like truck that didn't have seatbelts that worked consistently. He would drop us off and then go off to smoke. He had some crazy stories and really couldn't answer some of our questions. He was a nice guy, but we felt unsafe driving with him. He brought wine to the sunset, but no binoculars or chorizo, as promised. We did enjoy lunch at Morgado Do Quinto that we drove ourselves to. The hostess served plenty of food and wine, and gave everyone a tour of the property. She also told us about the grape vines, almonds and cacao trees. It was very good. In Lisbon, our guide, Jose Antunes, was very good. He knew a lot about the city and walked us to see sights without going into a lot of buildings. Our day was a bit hectic after that because we had to travel by Uber across the city to paint tiles with Ana which was very cool! After leaving there, we met Mariana who gave us a tour at the tile museum in Lisbon. She was excellent. She was well prepared and really knew about tile history. After that, we were back across the city to the Earthquake Museum which was so-so. I think we call were less impressed with that. Following the Earthquake Museum was the Banksy "Museum". We found it interesting to review his work over time, but it was a tiring day. Our final day we toured with Marta to Sintra and Cascais. She was friendly and also very knowledgeable about the area from a resident's perspective. We went to a park to see the palace there which was spectacular, but involved a lot of trail walking. Then we had lunch at a local restaurant where we tasted all types of meat. That was also interesting.

Our trip exceeded our expectations. We loved Portugal: the people, the food, the history and the scenery. The one thing that was a bit concerning was being given all of the options for our trip but not knowing how much each item cost separately. In some ways, it was good because we got to do what we wanted and had the experiences without worrying about the cost. In other ways, it would have been nice to have some choices that may have saved some money.

Nikola with Kim Kim was so great! Our trip in Croatia to Blue Cave was canceled due to weather in the morning. He jumped through hoops to get our schedule rearranged, and we were able to go to Blue Cave the next day! He was very accommodating and worked with all of our requests! This was a mother daughter trip and we are very active, Nikola found us several adventures!

Our guides were all fabulous! I wish I could remember their names! They all had great personalities and were a wealth of information. They always shared personal insight beyond what the script was, and had great advice for a good approach to the rest of the day! They were very personable and shared their personal experiences with us. We had a female guide in Dubrovnik who was a trained geologist, and female guide in Split who showed us the water falls, and a female guide who did a fabulous tasting tour of the "green space" their farmers market.

Hotel Review

Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Loved this hotel! Gorgeous views of the sea, light and air space, nice and roomy! The staff was helpful, and the hotel had good amenities. It was within walking distance to some excellent restaurants!

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Activity Reviews

Ston Oysters Experience & Wine Tasting

Croatia

If you love oysters, this is a must do! In addition to eating several fresh oysters, they prepared mussels for us too! And of course wine! Great education on how they are grown and harvested.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Gourmet Experience at Local Winery

Croatia

This was our lunch stop after the waterfalls, very worthwhile and so much more than we expected! Four course lunch paired with each of their wines, along with education. The hostess was very friendly and interesting!

Our group of 6 travelers had the most amazing trip to Netherlands and Belgium.

Nadine and Mieke were wonderful… attentive to what we wanted to see and do. We try to pack in a lot in a short period of time and they helped us do exactly what we wanted to.

We really appreciate the details that were shared with us … the hotels, the modes of transportation, optional activities as well
as food/dining suggestions. Every day was organized but yet had some flexibility built into it!

When train tickets weren’t available, it meant a lot that the team was available to correct the issue immediately.

Our trip was planned around the tulip blooms and I must say that was the highlight for us! While the weather was not ideal, it didn’t stop us from enjoying the spectacular display of the miles and miles of colorful flowers.

Geithoorn will always be my favorite, but we enjoyed walking around the canals of Amsterdam, Ghent and Bruges.
We definitely got a lot of walking in and not quite as much biking as we would have liked.
We left the two countries in awe of how easy it was to travel by train.

It was a fun adventure filled 9 days of vacation… something we would highly recommend to friends and family. Thank you Kimkim for introducing us to the awesome local consultants “Beat the Dutch” … loved working with Nadine and Mieke!

And I just happened upon the website when I was planning my trip. So glad I did. Rita was patient with our groups needs to figure out what we wanted and flexible I modifying the trip to make it what we wanted. She was available through the trip site early Sat. morning when out airline told use we needed to be at the airport 4 instead of 2 hrs before our flight home departed. All our small group and private guides (Brias, - tapas; Miguel Barcelona/Familia Sagrada; Geza Madrid; Manuel Toledo; Virginia Granada and Alhambra; and Carolina Sevilla) were first rate except for Alexis our guide to Girona. Alexis was very entertaining, but not very informative. Ran by the Jewish quarter ....which essentially was a museum, closed on Saturday without any information on the history of them at this location. No introductions with others in the group and it was also a multilingual group, which made the tour a bit more difficult. Accommodations were nice and as expected and staff in all of the places were always willing to help out. Some of the links in the trip planner either didn't work or lead to places that were closed. Would suggest checking them before adding them to the planner. Perhaps some suggestion that anything the required tickets (most cathedrals or other activities ) need to be obtained prior to arrival. It would make the traveler more careful on planing their "free time". Overall a very enjoyable trip.

Words cannot adequately describe our time in Budapest, Croatia, and Montenegro. Jo and Stasa were amazing guides, and Tina was our guardian angel through several mishaps (none of which were her fault). This was a once in a lifetime adventure for us (mother and daughter) and Tina made sure everything from the accommodations, to the tours, the private transfers, and the places we visited were perfect. Thank you a million times over!

Raquel was flexible, organized and quite responsive to our changing needs. She selected city tours, food tours in Porto, Evora and Lisbon that steeped us in culture and history.

We had a wonderful trip with great trip planning supported by KimKim team. We visited Venice, Milan, Florence and Cinque Terra, we stayed in Levanto. We visited all the village by train.

The local guides did an excellent job as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Verardo Residenza d'Epoca

Venice

Great location, staff was amazing!

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Great location! Staff was excellent!

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Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Argento

Levanto

Great staff! Spa staff was excellent, picturesque setting. If you arrive by train, call the hotel for the shuttle service

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Hotel Milano Castello

Milan

Modern design with great bathroom space, lovely garden for drinks, central location

Activity Reviews

Guided Walking Tour of Venice

Venice

The guide was excellent. She was a native and provided great insights into the City's history as well as local culture. She went above and beyond to help us secure tickets to tour St Mark's Basilica.

Walking food tour of Milano

Milan

A great way to experience a more "local" experience. The guide provided informative historical information while we walked and the food experience was very good.

Boat tour excursion around the Lake

Italy

Excellent.

Tuscan Traditional Cooking Class

Italy

This was a great hand's on experience followed by a delicious meal that the class prepared.

I have travelled solo to many countries, and this was my first time travelling with the help of a travel company. I am glad I chose Kimkim to organize my trip because it was my best decision ever. They are very professional from start to finish. The tour guides from Bogota (Oscar), Medellin (Diego) and Cartagena (Alvaro) were very professional and friendly. I should also mention all of the drivers (Alessandro and Giovanni). I do not remember the drivers' names in Cartagena, but they were also professional. Their driving was very smooth, and I felt comfortable the whole time.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Faranda Collection Medellin

Medellin

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The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

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OSH Hotels

Authenticity & Character

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Activity Reviews

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatape and El Peñol

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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The Best of Medellín City Tour (with Comuna 13)

Medellín

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Mangrove Tour with Local Fisherman

Cartagena

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Highlights of Bogotá City Tour (with Gold Museum, Local Market and Monserrate Hill)

Bogotá

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Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour

Medellín

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Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City

Colombia

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Depart Colombia

Colombia

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