Kimkim Trip Reviews

The team was able to work in my added side trips to the schedule in a very efficient way.

Halldor and the team were great, answering all my "silly" questions about how things work in Iceland.
The communication initiated by the team did stop abruptly once my balance was paid though. It would have been better to at least drop me a line a week or so before my departure to verify everything was arranged.

Overall the hotels were excellent and the trip-planning advice was spot-on. I was thinking of renting a car in Amalfi but was VERY glad I did not! Great job.

One hotel was not great, since it provided little in the way of service. We wished we had a guide in Pompeii. I'm sure I'm the one who didn't want it, but it would have been good to have one.

Probably open by saying that nothing is ever perfect so that's my standard. Overall was very good! Was a little concerned about getting the confirmation that things were booked, etc. until ~60 hours before leaving. That said, the arrangements were 99% there (first night accommodation apparently sent email with instructions - Golden Circle Apartments (a code to access key box for identified apartment) - that I didn't have). Apart from that, the bookings were on the money. The google maps and itineraries were extremely helpful - the pacing seemed right on the money - and the things we discussed were all good additions. A couple of places the roads were unexpectedly bad (from Dettifoss to Horseshoe Canyon on north coast - which threw off our timings - but all other dirt roads were fine. The details for restaurant reservations were good. No, overall is was a good "A" - and I tend to think that nothing is "perfect".

Again, good - trip was good; see earlier page for comments about being a little late with getting confirmations. I would have been happy even if i got just more of an update and a bit of dialogue to provide reassurance. I would suggest a little more proactive communication. BUT, the trip was very good; the pacing was right; the content was right; the accomodations all worked; and the day to day itineraries were very good to follow. Evidenced by "when we tried to add things - that's when we started to push timings, etc. I think some general remarks could help at the beginning - e.g. "you might be tempted to try and drive around some of the early fjords for a view but given them a pass - we've got some great ones to see later" - the itinerary was very good and covered all of the bases. It is easy to try and add - and we tried - and usually we saw something better later that was on the itinerary already..

Fantastic trip. Amanda did a great job getting everything set up for me. And Suman was an excellent, conscientious, and able guide. I was very happy with everything.

The written itinerary and maps didn't match exactly which caused us some confusion a couple of times - nothing too major but when you can't understand the place names, it added some challenges.

Same as above - but by and large everything went really smoothly. For those days where we needed to arrive somewhere at a specific time (ie to catch a ferry), it would have helped if the itinerary had said we would need to leave our hotel by a certain time to view the suggested stop along the way - it was only when we plugged the map in that morning that we realized we wouldn't have time to go to one of the stops we would have liked to make. All the reservations and vouchers worked well so we really appreciated that.

Well, perfect is hard to achieve! Overall, the trip was once in a lifetime and an epic experience. The one critique we had was regarding the stay in Yara. Though we liked the austere tea houses along the way, Yara felt different. Not sure what the difference was from the others. One thing--the guest house was run by a teenage girl--the parent owners were on vacation, perhaps. She wasn't very helpful. They village vibe seemed much more unfriendly than all the rest. We understand that the Yara stop is likely because of the distance to the next logical stop AND we understand that village conditions are NOT in your control. We were happy to get on our bikes and leave that village. We are not overly concerned with that situation--but that is my one kindly written critique!

There are many positives. Here are a few: Dawa is a very good guide and aided the ability to feel comfortable in a FAR away place. :) The stay in Lo Manthang was excellent--the guest house, the owner, the food, the hospitality were excellent.

An accommodations critique: .after staying in guest houses that we thought were comfortable...they Mum's Garden stay seems "expensive"--if that makes sense. Mum's Garden seems somewhat excessive compared to the other accommodations--VERY nice, but perhaps a cheaper stay makes the overall expense for us better? Again...this is NOT a complaint, just an insight. Last thing: the accommodations a Maison du Kathmandu are worth praising. The value for that place is very good--the owners, the food, the location...we thought, were excellent. It's a little paradise!

Overall...a trip of a lifetime.

thanks.

Mark

I wish we could have kept the same guide throughout the entire experience. Our first guide, Reuben, saw us through the Choquequirao trek (which was fantastic) but we had a different guide for Machu Picchu and unfortunately he wasn't nearly as good. After several days on the trail with Reuben, we were very comfortable with him and his team, and it was jarring to switch to someone new on the last days of the trip.

Overall, booking with Bill and Nicole was great. Nicole was always in contact making sure we had what we needed (she even gave me advice on which restaurants were good, what to pack to deal with the constantly changing weather in Peru, etc). It put my mind at ease being able to have such an open dialogue with her up right up until the day we left for the trip. That is definitely not something you get when booking through a regular travel agent.

I have nothing but great things to say about Bill and Nicole. They were easy-going, helpful and always willing to answer our questions. As I mentioned previously, the open communication with them throughout the planning stages of this trip really helped us prepare properly for the trek. I felt like we experienced Peru from a 'locals' perspective rather than a 'tourists' perspective thanks to their tips and suggestions. I would have loved it if they could have accompanied our hiking guide, Reuben, when he met with us to conduct the 'briefing'... actually I would have loved it if they could have come with us on the hike itself! They are such good people and did a great job helping us plan this trip.

I absolutely loved my (2) treks with Expediciones Colombia (in partnership with the other two companies my guides were from). To make the trip better, I would have liked to hike with others. I was alone with my guide and was hoping to make some new friends! So, that was disappointing. I'm not sure why Expediciones couldn't find more trekkers since I made the reservation months in advance for that purpose (of finding other trekkers). The trek itself and the scenery were excellent. Thank you!

Tara's emails were excellent, but I was corresponding with Jules. On the day I needed to contact him, he was held up in an area that didn't have good reception (returning from his rafting trip). It would have been helpful to have had Tara's phone number or my guide's (Erwin's number) so I could speak with someone else instead regarding packing and logistics for the following morning.

Everything on my trip was planned so thoroughly and the whole trip went very smoothly. I was very impressed that the hotel staff and tour guides knew our itineraries as well -- when the bus from Mandalay to Bagan wasn't at Mama Guesthouse at 7:30am, I asked the man at the front desk to call the bus company, only to find out that he already called for me! Little gestures like this made me and my mom feel very well taken care of and safe.

Anne was wonderful to work with -- very responsive and enthusiastic and really wanted us to experience and enjoy Myanmar in a way that most tourists might not be able to. Anne also came to welcome us at our hotel when we first arrived, which was a very sweet and personal touch.

Thanks KimKim! This was an excellent trip and having KimKim back-up was comforting. You connected me with Picos de Adventura, a superb tour company and their "adventures" could not have been more fun or beautiful.

Catia was great -- I also worked with Tiago and they were both tremendously helpful with getting my trip organized and with any questions I had along the way. This is a great company clearly focusing on the best possible customer service.

An amazing job by the entire Quechua Treks team. From all of James's work picking the trek. Then preparing for it, to Mayra's work leading us on the trip it was simply amazing. I plan to use Quechua for any future trips to South America. I consider them a tremendous resource to have access to and will suggest that any of my friends looking do something in South America contact them.

As mentioned earlier James's responsiveness was tremendous. He seemed to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No question went unanswered for long.

The planning for this trip was very seamless. I left everything up to Derren and he made sure I was set up with the best Salt Flat tour company and day tour in La Paz possible. I had no idea what tour operator I was joining in the Salt Flats but once I got there I knew I was in good hands and they were very good. I had the best time and the pictures were priceless. It took the stress of out of booking on my end since there are hundreds of tour companies to choose from and it's hard to know if you are making the right decision with all the trip reviews online and so on. Thanks again for a successful experience!

Derren gave me great tips on what tours to do and where to stay. He suggested the Adventure Brew Hostel. I would never had known that if Derren didn't suggest it. It was right next to the bus terminal etc.

If directions to the office were included, it would have been helpful for the 1st day. Also, having a dry, secure place to store phones/camera would be great for water adventures so we could have taken pictures. Alternatively, if there was a photo package, for the water adventures, we would have signed up for it.

Nearly perfect, but one suggestion: the agent might let the client know when to expect to receive confirmation and final details....versus having the client wonder when are the details coming (we became a little anxious so we asked)....especially important for a first-time client.

Linda was great and went the extra mile to deal with an extra night....

Thank you for a wonderful trip it was great to have all accommodation and attraction fees organized and the driver and vehicle were excellent. My daughter and I enjoyed everything and even had time to fit in a couple of extras with the help of Nishanthna using our free time. I have told everybody what a great time I had and have recommended KimKim as the people to see. I am now in the process of deciding where and when my next trip will be so will be in touch at a later date. Thank you, Gary & Julia.

So organized, very accommodating, great variety of activities. Catia was so helpful with questions, preparation, and the overall planning of our trip. She even made a call for me in advance to help confirm a ferry trip I booked to another island for a day, because I was unable to dial internationally. Every single staff person was fun and friendly. Goncalo went above and beyond in accommodating us on our bike ride day around Sete Cidades. I would recommend Pico de Adventuras to anyone traveling to the Azores. It was a great deal, a great value, and included all the key things to see and do in Sao Miguel.

Tiago is a great guy! Fun personality, very friendly.

Amazing trip.. a must to see the islands from your own boat! An experience to not miss in life!

Veselka was beyond amazing.. made everything so easy. Our bags got lost and she got them to an island that we were on. A very wonderful experience

It was very close to perfect. But, instead of sending a series of emails with the rental car, accommodation, and activities information, it would be better if all that information was accessible from the kimkim website so everything would be in one place.

Chris planned great activities, and he did a wonderful job with the accommodations. I wish there was more detail in his itinerary, though. Maybe he could include the price range for recommended restaurants and/or a warning that certain places had very limited restaurant options.

We were delighted with the quick response to our request on kimkim for a short trek in Nepal. We had a delightful time and the company that supported us was wonderful! They did a great job in setting up our trip, responding to numerous questions and then being at every hand off along the way in our trip. Our guide was wonderful, helpful, patient and filled with good information.

Amanda was most helpful. We had a lot of last minute questions and she was very responsive. At the end of the trip she made sure she got all of our feedback. A very positive experience!

Plane was late from India-however Roshen was waiting and proceeded to make the trip a pleasure. As you may know when traveling single and its just you and the driver for the next few days a bond has to be made and it was-from the start-perfect timing with a stop at a hotel for a cup of café and then forth every nook and corner I wanted to see he helped with. I am impressed with the overall service you granted me with the minimum fee for your services (however being in India I know the business of the business-)-hats off-will need your services soon-wish to arrange Northern India/Nepal. Looking at February 2018 ,

Thanks for all

Please see that Roshen is told of his excellent services.

Stand out-she was a pleasure to work with