Kimkim Trip Reviews for Croatia

We just got back from our 2 week Croatia/Slovenia trip planned by local tour guide/planner/extraordinaire Robi. The accommodations were perfect locations for getting around in all towns - Dubrovnik, Korcula, Split, Plitvice, Porec, Ljubljana, Zagreb. For group of eight, we had mix of home/apartments, guesthouse and hotels that allowed us to be together. All the hosts were friendly and helpful too. We totally appreciated the great level of service Robi provided, from arranging city tours, drivers, ferry rides, restaurant recommendations and reservations, suggestions for stops along the way to next location. He truly shared his love of Croatia with us! We enjoyed the small family run restaurants in Kolocep & Ston- top notch fresh seafood, and homemade rakija and breakfast spread in Plitvice. It was an amazing trip with mix of educational, cultural, natural and fun! Highly recommend!!

Our local specialist was Vesna Luzar and she was incredible! From tracking our luggage which made a 3-day side trip to Vienna and dispatching our driver to the airport to retrieve it in time for our departure to the next destination, to assisting in locating my cell phone left behind on the speedboat excursion, Vesna was a shining star! Our only regret is that we did not get to meet her and personally thank her for her excellent service! She handled each of our challenges with great efficiency and aplomb and we feel pretty certain that she breathed a sigh of relief when it was all over!

Each of our guides was very well-informed and personable and in very short order made us feel like friends. Every excursion exceeded our expectations and left us wishing there were more hours in the day!

Hotel Reviews

Residence Stine

Split

Lovely little boutique hotel tucked at the end of a narrow street. Initially was a bit difficult to find as we had to be dropped off at the bottom of a somewhat steep street with our luggage since cars cannot go past a certain point on the narrow street. Warm and welcoming staff. Although this is a new construction only a few years old, it fits right in with the surrounding area's character. Had requested two beds but only had one in the room so we used the sofa as an extra bed. However, the staff was very accommodating in providing extra linens. Easily accessible to the center of town.

Authenticity & Character

Small 8 room hotel with a charming feel. It and fit right in with surrounding buildings even though it is new construction.

Location

Easily accessible to center once you get your bearings!

Staff

Very warm, welcoming, and helpful. Although we had requested 2 beds and the room only had one, the staff immediately offered to open and set up the sleeper sofa. We opted to just use it as it was without opening it so that the room would not be too crowded. They brought the linens and set it up just as requested.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean and classy and the inconvenience of the bed situation became a minor issue.

Hotel Lero

Dubrovnik

Very nice and centrally located. Caring staff went above and beyond to assist in tracking our missing luggage by making phone calls to professional connections.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, comfortable room. Choice of nice restaurant adjacent to hotel as well as very good dining facility for breakfastA

Location

Walkable to Old Town area and also close to bus stop if preferred to walking or returning late.

Staff

Very professional and concerned about our missing luggage. Contacted professional connections in an attempt to help track location of luggage.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nicely appointed room. Maneuvering shower function a bit tricky for not-so-tall individuals. Also would suggest better non-slip flooring in tub.

Pharos Hvar Bayhill Hotel

Hvar

Have written this review 3 times and have not been able to send it. Will not attempt to provide many details again. Least favorite of all the hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Decor was reminiscent of a college dorm with bathroom tiles portraying animated characters and words like "WOW" and "ARRRGH!"

Location

Difficult to approach from the marina. A lot of steps uphill while carrying luggage. No one to assist.

Staff

Unwelcoming and not very caring registration staff. Dining room and bar staff was not very friendly or accommodating either. Waited at bar to get a drink and it took so long that we finally left. We could not figure out what the problem was.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but not very comfortable in terms of lighting and mirror placements. Could not find a hair dryer when my own dryer failed. Asked a staff member in the hallway and found it in a drawer in the bedroom under the minibar. Would have never thought to look there! The lady responsible for our room was the only person who seemed to care when I asked about a hairdryer.

Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel

Zadar

Lovely boutique hotel. Helpful and friendly front desk staff.

Authenticity & Character

Nice decor, small breakfast area but very nicely appointed.

Location

Walking distance to boardwalk and the city center.

Staff

Friendly, helpful, accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Established hotel. Public areas have been updated.

Authenticity & Character

Nice restaurant for breakfast. Also open for later dining but did not try it.

Location

Right in the Center, easy walking distance to everything including trams/cablecars.

Staff

Nice registration staff, but not too responsive to a plumbing problem in bathroom sink which I reported the first morning and had not been addressed when we returned. I spoke with one of the room staff and she was able to send someone to fix it right away.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Our guide was so knowledgeable and personable! She provided a lot of details and information and made us feel like long-time friends! We spent the entire time in the Old Town and it was really interesting. After she departed we stayed and explored on our own using the maps and information she had provided.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly, and interesting

Tina helped us to plan the perfect Croatia trip. She kept in contact not only during the planning process but the entire time we were there. She booked all our excursions, booked all our hotels and even our drivers. Everything was wonderful. Hotels were in the best location, drivers were professional, knowledgeable and a lot of fun and excursions were always with great guides. We really couldn’t have asked for anything more. Thank you so much Tina for everything you did :)

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting Tour in Lumbarda

Korčula

Great guide and wonderful wine tasting experience. The best we’ve ever done…..ended with a boat ride home including champagne.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer to Korčula through Ston

Croatia

Our driver was wonderful! Knowledgeable, friendly and fun to travel with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oyster tasting in Ston

Ston

So much fun!!! We learned a lot about harvesting oysters and then had a feast of both them and mussels.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full- day sailing Kornati - Telašćica

Zadar

Our skipper was awesome and we had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Split food tour

Split

Although our guide was really friendly and fun to be with we found the restaurants cold and unwelcoming. Other than putting the food on the table there was zero connection

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Robert was always prompt in replying during the planning phase and accommodated easily our requirements. All accomodations were top notch.

Our driver Borna combined excellent driving with an enthusiastic nature that made the trip enjoyable. I really appreciated not to have to navigate through Zagreb during rush hour.

Our driver to the airport, Matej, was on time early in the morning and provided all the help to get us off to our flight.

All in all, I couldn't imagine a better experience of Croatia.

The boarding was great, particularly in Dubrovnik, Korchula, and Plitvice.
Robi was awesome - he’s a total professional. The tours we had were great especially in Split. Goran was excellent in Ston.

Our trip to Croatia exceeded our expectations! Nikola helped us create the perfect itinerary which mixed islands with ancient cities, and provided great guides who helped us understand the complicated history of the country. The culinary experience on a local farm was a highlight, as were the tours of Split, Krka, Sibenik, Hvar, and Dubrovnik. The app was extremely useful and since we moved around a lot (we wanted to see as much as we could in 8 days!), it was particularly helpful keeping us on track. Having a daily check-in from Nikola was reassuring just in case we needed anything. All of the transfers and ferries went flawlessly, and the hotels were elegant. Thank you for a wonderful introduction to your beautiful country!

Nikola is first rate, totally extraordinary ‼️‼️‼️

Every detail of our trip was covered in advance plus daily check ins. Nikola even placed our trip plan in a special app that we could refer to without WiFi or cell connection. There wasn’t anything he did not think of or plan for.

We fell in love with Croatia and its people beyond words. We love KimKim but Nikola has been the best planner ever to date ‼️🙏🥰❤️ We are so grateful for his attention to detail, thoughtfulness and incredible spirit.

Thank you Nikola for everything you did to make our trip the awesome experience for our 31 anniversary‼️🙏🥰❤️

Hotel Reviews

Bota Palace

Dubrovnik

Loved this hotel, breakfast and manager!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Korsal

Korčula

Loved the hotel but twin beds were very narrow - hard to sleep. The hotel restaurant was fully booked all the time which made it hard to simply relax and have a meal here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Hotel Dea

Hvar

Super small room on top floor. Not the room pictured above. No a favorite but bed was comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Hotel Santa Lucia

Split

This was our favorite hotel! Nice room with sitting area. Great breakfast, great location and super staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Lovely your, felt it could have been a little more personalized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking your, NA

Elafiti Islands - Private Half Day Speedboat Tour

Dubrovnik

Lovely your, nice for it to be private

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

Loved, loved this experience‼️🙏🥰❤️ Everything about this experience was to notch‼️ Loved meeting the grandmother which was 3 years younger than myself.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korčula Half Day Tour

Korčula

Loved hearing the story’s before the big fire, the piling of the rocks and planting lavender rosemary and olive trees between the rock. The beach was beautiful. Nice to be away from the city. The meal was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Boat Tour to Blue Cave & Pakleni Islands

Croatia

Amazing fun day! Loved meeting everyone and sharing so many great experiences with them. Still communicating with one of the captains. Learn so much from him, special forces in the Croatia military, about Croatia’s liberation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar Half-Day Private Island Tour (Afternoon)

Hvar

Loved this experience totally from seeing the island through a local’s eyes to the best meal ever in the middle of nowhere‼️🥰❤️

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Split

Croatia

Ivana was very knowledgeable. Although we were tired she gave us a great tour of the palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

Private Day Trip to Krka National Park & Šibenik

Croatia

Again, Ivana was great with our tour of the national park‼️🥰❤️ Long day with a lot of walking but great to be in NATURE‼️🥰❤️ The lunch and wine tasting was great‼️🥰❤️ Loved this lovely family restaurant ❤️❤️❤️

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From start to finish, our trip to Croatia in August 2023 was amazing! The planning was very easy, there were lots of sites to see as well as activities (rafting, biking, tours, boating, snorkeling etc.). What especially stood out were the excellent choices of hotels (and even rooms within those hotels) that Nikola selected for us. All of the transfers went smoothly, there was never any incertainty in terms of someone showing up on time). Antoinetta was incredible on the logistics, always available and very flexible and responsive in terms of modifying the schedule as per our request. This was truly one of the best vacations we've ever taken, would use Kimkim again, and will look forward to returning to Croatia.

Robi helped us to plan the most magical trip along the coast of Croatia. He had previously visited each of the locations himself and made fabulous recommendations for what we could do and see and eat! Robi cares deeply about the experience his clients will have in his home country and it shows. He communicated with us the entire time and made sure everything was going well, and it was! This was such a well thought out trip, everything was coordinated so well, we didn’t need to worry about anything!

Not only did he do an amazing job of helping us plan and coordinate our trip but he was also a guide for one of our activities! He is a wonderful tour guide, took us to places that felt authentic and were so special.

I cannot recommend Robi enough, he truly loves Croatia and wants you to see it in the same way he does.

Activity Reviews

Leisure day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Arrival in Split and transfer to accommodation

Split

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

We had a great tour of the palace with an amazing tour guide. We learned so much about the city and the palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Krka National Park

Croatia

Beautiful to see, however lots of tourists, you are kind of tripping over each other. The boat ride was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure on Zrmanja river and overnight in Skradin

Croatia

An amazing kayaking adventure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Beautiful!

Dubrovnik and Elaphiti islands - Lopud and Koločep private boat trip

Croatia

This was an amazing boat ride, it was planned out so well. We snorkeled, swam in caves, saw small island towns, ate the best food, and even saw the city walls from the water! Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Ston

Croatia

Ston is a beautiful town with the best oysters you will ever eat!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Split - Departure

Split

Wow! My husband and I are seasoned travelers, and this was one of our best vacations ever! Robi was so knowledgable, responsive and SO generous in helping us plan the perfect trip. Though we moved around a lot (We wanted to see everything!) the pacing was perfect, and we had something cool to explore each day. We covered Istria, 2 national parks, and the Dalmatian coast in 14 days!
There were so many highlights, but the most unexpected was our 4 day bike excursion from Kocula to Dubrovnik with our incredible guide, Borna. He led us on the most beautiful roads with stunning views and delightful stops along the way (vineyards for wine tasting, beautiful bays for swims, old monasteries, local meals . . ) He and Robi found roads that were not only gorgeous, but relatively traffic free, which was important given that the narrow winding Croatian roads have little to no shoulder. Borna was a delight, following us in the van, making sure we never made a wrong turn, and that we were always well equipped with water, snacks, and everything else we could possibly need! (Frankly, I expected someone to show up with e-bikes and GPS routes. I did not realize that we would have the same kind of personalized service as the more expensive group bike tours!)
Another highlight was the spectacular Oyster experience where we got to eat fresh oysters straight from the sea and drink homemade wine with one of Ston's premiere Oyster farmers -- while learning about oyster farming onboard his little boat.
So many great experiences (Shout out to Ovi, our awesome tour guide in Split!) I could go on and on, but suffice to say that Robi was SO accommodating and attentive to every last detail. His inside knowledge and suggestions were spot on. (e.g., Ston, the town I was on the fence about, ended up being one of our favorites!)
This was our first time booking with KimKim and we are hooked! Hvala to Robi and Borna!!!

Hotel Reviews

Malo More

Ston

What a find! This brand new, charming, spotless 2 bedroom-2 bathroom home in Mali Ston was an unexpected gift! Surrounded by fig, lemon, lime, pomegranate trees + rosemary and lavender with tons of room to spread out and chill! Nice break from hotels in this charming little town!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riva Marina Hvar Hotel

Hvar

Beautiful upscale hotel right on the water. Excellent service!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cycling on Korčula island

Korčula

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling from Ston across hinterlands torwards Dubrovnik

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Dubrovnik is a beautiful historic city that must be visited, however, it can ge very crowded!

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Lovely driver picked us up at the city walls and even suggested a stop to take a final photo over Dubrovnik!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarah worked extensively with us to include a variety of activities, sights, and guided tours. The result was a personally tailored itinerary. She checked in with us regularly and was quick with remedies when our plans had to change due to weather. Our guides Ina, Marco, Djana, and Ivo were knowledgeable and passed along the history of each location, while keeping it fun and interactive. Croatia is beautiful with pleasant weather, delicious food, the right mix of historical sights and relaxing time in and around the Adriatic Sea. KimKim made it easy!

Robert created the most magical experience for us. We were two female travelers and felt safe and cared for the entire time. He kept us informed every step of the way. He also took into account our likes and dislikes and planned accordingly. We wanted outdoor adventures with history and that’s what we got. It was just perfect.

Hotel Review

Guest house and aparmtents Ankora

Skradin

Very nice and close to everything. They have a hot tub and brew their own beer!

Authenticity & Character

Surrounded by olive trees, vines and old buildings.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival in Split and transfer to accommodation

Split

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Great tour guide. He had really good info and was also part of city council so he answered all our other questions about tourist impact on the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sarah, thanks for working with us to organize our trip for 4. You worked with us to tailor the trip to incorporate our interests and preferred accommodations. I appreciate the pivoting you did in response to the weather and your availability and communications. This was our first Kimkim trip and I recommend then without reservation.

Best experiences include Ina, an exceptional guide in Split. I so appreciate guides that can share an understanding of history and current social and political topics that impact the location. She was insightful and articulate. Keep her busy! Also a best was the wine guide Grgl Natkovic. Since we are from California wine region, we were interested in the industry in Croatia. While the local winery we first visited I would not recommend as part of future tours (good ambiance but mediocre wine), the wine we sampled at his family village was outstanding. His enthusiasm regarding H'var and the commentary he provided travelling from H'var city to Stari Grad was great. Here is a young entrepreneur to watch. Positive experiences with Marco for the walking tour of H'var. This walking tour and Marco's knowledge of the local plants was great. The walk through the countryside and "abandoned" villages was excellent. I would suggest an option to visit the interior of one of these houses to see what life in the village would be like. Also, Evo in Dubrovnik, is a guy who can pilot a boat like no body I know.

The accommodation selections were excellent. The drop off in Split could have been closer to the accommodation. The location of the accommodation in Split, H'var and Dubrovnik was convienient and well located.

Well done.

Hotel Reviews

Pellegrini rooms

Split

Great location in Split. Very good aesthetic. You won't be disappointed.

Authenticity & Character

Good aesthetic, modern but a nod to the stone around you.

Location

Practically built into the wall of Diocletian's Palace.

Staff

Always helpful. Thanks for the beach towels.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and tidy.

Heritage Hotel Dea

Hvar

Good location. Family run but three young brothers and a second family.

Authenticity & Character

While this was a heritage hotel, with well stocked mini-fridge. If you are interested in aesthetics like architect, the authenticity was a little off in the patio and interior.

Location

Great central location. Nice steps

Staff

Run by two families. Both nice. Staff was the best part of this location.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Prijeko Palace

Dubrovnik

Great location and staff. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

While I appreciate the themed rooms, they felt a bit dated and busy. Felt like it would be a very ritzy place in 2000 - even though it was decorated in 2015. The exterior and the balconies are great.

Location

In the heart of the old city.

Staff

Always helpful. Breakfast staff excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well done. Rooms were made up while we were at breakfast often.

Activity Reviews

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

Ina, awesome, articulate, intelligent. Could hang out with her for a day and chat no problem. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Ina, again outstanding.

Croatian Cooking Class

Split

We enjoyed this. Particularly, the market experiences and fish market.

Quality of Experience

Lots of food to share. Much fun prepping it,

Food

Good easy recipes well handled by our chef/guide.

Hvar Wine Tasting Excursion

Hvar

Grgl, the guide was amazing as was his family village and winery. The commercial winery we visited needs an alternative.

Quality of Experience

Grgl's wine and company was outstanding.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again Grgl was an outstanding guide.

Transport

Comfortable and easy.

Free Day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Morning swim at the south end of the walls was great.

Quality of Experience

Hike to Lost Villages of Hvar, Croatian Peka Lunch

Hvar

These "abandoned" villages were wonderful as was the walk through the countryside. The native plants we plant as ornamentals in California. The rock walls were astounding and worth the walk.

Quality of Experience

Recommended! With some humor as well.

Food

Very nice food and location

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marco was entertaining and informative.

Tina was not our specialist.
Anna-Marie and Vesna were amazing.

Antonia and Nikola were incredible and extremely responsive before and during the trip. All the hotels we stayed at were top notch. The excursions were incredible as well. I will definitely be using KimKin for my next vacation

Everything that Antonia planned for us exceeded our expectations and the communication with both her and Nikola was amazing. They helped us with dinner reservations during the course of the trip and each night sent us the details for the next day. If we had a request they were on it. Antonia met us in Dubrovnik with something my daughter left behind in Hvar - amazing. We loved Croatia so much and highly recommend Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Toni Design Apartments

Split

Perfectly located by the palace. Nothing fancy but very clean and well attended to, offering excellent service and attitude. I enjoyed having my own room. Overall, a pleasant stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartments Palmotta Palace Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik

The main problem with this accommodation was the difficult stairs. However, our contact person Antonia was quick to arrange help with our luggage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aminess Korčula Heritage Hotel

Korčula

The hotel had a lovely exterior and location, but the interiors were outdated. However, the staff was very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Devecchi rooms

Hvar

Stunning - so clean and well maintained. Great location. Good service. Nice breakfast. Beautiful views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the heart of everything yet quiet.

Staff

Kept everything clean

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were well kept

Activity Reviews

Small Group Island of Hvar Cycling Tour

Croatia

This was an overwhelming experience as we had to navigate through roads and people despite being assured that the tour was on the outskirts. It was a little scary for someone like my daughter who is fearful of bicycles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

A thrilling experience at first but it felt a little touristy towards the end as more groups came in. The drive to the location was slightly terrifying due to the speed and winding roads. However, the overall experience was really nice.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We went to Croatia for a 2 week family trip - we met our daughter there who had been travelling in Europe for 3 months. Robi was our travel specialist who helped us plan our trip. We had a few ideas about what we wanted to see and do, but he truly helped shape our trip to be very memorable. He was very patient with us as we changed our minds a few times as to what we wanted to see, and the length of time we wanted to spend in each location. We rented a car in Zagreb (which was brought to us!) and made our way to Plitvice Lakes, Kra National Park , and finally to Split. Robi suggested a number of towns along the way that we could stop and see, and provided some great backstory to those locations. We left our car in Split then took a catamaran to spend a few days on Hvar and Korcula. We had a private driver pick us up in Korcula and drive us through the Peljesac wine region where we visited a couple locally owned wineries, visited Ston and ended in Dubrovnik, where we spent 4 days. All our accomodations were extremely central, provided breakfast and were very pleasant. The KimKim approach is to provide the specific location details and additional info about restaurants the night before you reach your new destination. I was apprehensive about this approach but it worked really well! Robi was in contact with us every day of our trip and available to help if we needed. Croatia is a beautiful country with an incredibly interesting history, great food and people. We will go back - thank you Robi for making our first time visit to your beautiful country so memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marul

Split

Very clean - the staff went out of their way to accomodate us. They even walked me to the closest place so we could get our laundry done. The next day we had a cooking class booked, so one of the staff offered to get our laundry for us! the Breakfast was very good - you could order a fresh made omelet if you liked. Great location - we could walk everywhere from Hotel Marul.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to Diocletian's palace and central. Our room had access to a small roof top patio that had chairs and a table to enjoy the outdoors privately.

Staff

always available, extremely friendly and they picked up our laundry for us!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Devecchi rooms

Hvar

We stayed 2 nights in the very quaint B&B. Its very much a boutique - character furniture in the dining area. Our room was at the top, we had a private balcony with chairs and a table where we could look out over the harbour and enjoy some quite time away from the crowds (we were there in August). Lovely hostess and good breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

central and easy to find from the catamaran

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel

Zadar

We stayed one night - the rooms are unique and the breakfast is absolutely outstanding. Great location for us to walk everywhere we needed to. Comfortable beds and very clean

Authenticity & Character

was more unique/ boutique. Loved that they had art and crafted jewellry on display in the halls that you could buy

Location

central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds were comfy

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

we spent one night here on our way to plitvice lakes park. Once we got here i wanted to stay for a few more days!! The accomodations were very clean, comfortable rooms. I loved the pool! We borrowed the bicycles and did a small tour around the area (they have numerous bike paths) and then enjoyed the afternoon at the pool. We had dinner at the neighbouring hotel that evening which was very good and we had a good selection for breakfast the next day. The location to the parks is fantastic - it only took us 15 minutes to drive to the park entrance from here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Plitvice Lakes park, easy to find

Staff

very friendly and accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Leaving Zagreb -Rastoke visit- Plitvice lakes overnight

Croatia

this was our travel day to get to the Plitvice Lakes area Robi suggested we stop in Rastoke. We didn't know much about the town and just thought it would be a quick stop. The town area is extremely enchanting - it was our first introduction to the beauty of the Croatian waterfalls. We ended up staying for much longer that anticipated because it was such a fascinating area.

Zagreb visit

Croatia

We had a private tour of the city one day, which we highly recommend . Not only did our tour guide provide so much information about the history of Zagreb, she made the morning very pleasant showing us all the interesting areas of Zagreb.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

vey knowledgeable - and personable

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

This is the most beautiful national park I have yet to see. We are from Canada, near the Banff National Park which I consider to be extremely beautiful - now it has a rival! This area is so well taken care of - the water is pristine and the boardwalks protect the area. We absolutely loved this park

Quality of Experience

one way direction around the lakes -- such a great idea. Natural beauty is breath taking

Hard to imagine a more welcoming, flexible, passionate and knowledgable guide. We started planning for the trip, paid our deposit then COVID hit. Robi politely stayed in touch the whole time to make sure we felt welcome to continue our trip when we felt comfortable traveling. He assured us we would get full credit for our deposit, whenever we traveled. We finally were able to travel this fall(nearly 3 years later!) and could not have been happier. Robi is a wonderful ambassador for his country and its history. There was not a place we went where he didn't have a story, an insight and often a family member! He adapted to us slowing down and speeding up. We had originally planned to be active(bike, hike, kayak, etc.) but settled into a little less active but still very stimulating agenda. Great local food became a bigger part of the schedule, including a private lunch at a family home as well as a peka (under the dome) traditional meal! His cousin Goran, was our captain on the charted sailing catamaran for 5 days. What a great addition to the trip, both the boat and Goran! Highly recommend adding a charter of the coastal islands if at all possible. We avoided the busy tour boats and found some secluded bays and towns. Appreciate Robi having inside knowledge of restaurants, hidden parks, local things to see, etc. This trip is in our top 2-3 because of Robi and Goran and the wonderful places we got to experience and the wonderfully welcoming local people. Please look for Robi and his company, Soul of Croatia. So many wonderful memories. Thanks to KimKim for putting us together!

We worked with Anna-Maria to plan our trip. She was great at going back and forth with us really working out multiple ideas of what would be best for a family with a 5 year old. The trip was perfect for getting to see a diverse set of locations in Croatia and the activities she planned worked great with our kid and us. During the trip we worked with Vesna who helped us find some great restaurants and helped with some last minute switches due to weather and mix-ups on pick-ups. I can't imagine how we would have done so much (6 cities in 11 days)!

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Canopy

Zagreb

Beautiful hotel, welcoming staff, and soft beds. Had a great breakfast spread. Was about a 10 minute walk to the bottom of the old town/20 minutes to middle of Zagreb, with newer town also accessible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel

Zadar

The hotel was welcoming, easy to access and excellent location to explore Zadar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Camera Split

Split

Hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. Space was large with a bed room and living room (with pull out couch) which made it easier with a kid.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

Great resort with full pool, right by a beach as well. You have to pay extra if you want a chair at the beach. The room was big and had a nice balcony. Offered an amazing amount of breakfast options. Pool was lots of fun with a great section for small kids, though they kept the water way too cold.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lero

Dubrovnik

Friendly, helpful staff, good breakfast, room was small which was a challenge with the kid. The location wasn't far from old town (20min walk), but because Dubrovnik is hilly it felt like it was in a totally different place. This also made pickups from the hotel problematic at times. There isn't much by the hotel, though there is a nice beach in 5 min walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided tour of Zagreb

Zagreb

Our tour guide was welcoming, eager to show us around, and expertly made the overview of the town into a discussion so that we felt involved throughout. In the first moment, she greeted us with a traditional Croatian ritual, which set a warm, friendly tone from the start.

Quality of Experience

Interactive and responsive to our pace and needs

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Warm, engaging tour guide, and the discussion curated to our interests

Transport

Walking throughout

Split food tour

Split

Enjoyed weaving the history of the town into current life there and foods of the city.

Quality of Experience

The guide and the local purveyors clearly knew each other and worked very smoothly together

Food

The stops individually were excellent; really just two places - the market and one restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcoming and accommodating

Transport

Walking throughout

Hiking and discovering hidden treasures of Hvar

Hvar

A wonderful opportunity to see part of the island we would not have been able to otherwise. Getting away for a bit from the resort area and hiking through an abandoned village was an excellent change of pace. It was a good length and steepness to the walk too, including for our 5 year-old. The guide was excellent at keeping our kid engaged.

Quality of Experience

Particularly the change of pace, seeing nature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was responsive, and eager to make the trip fulfilling by pausing to gather wild figs for us. The guide was excellent at giving us a sense of the community and keeping our child engaged

Transport

Smooth, helpful, responsive

Day Trip to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia

The guide on the bus was very informative and made the long drive feel more a part of the tour. The guide in Mostar was passionate, heartfelt, and informative. The waterfall was nice, but we would have preferred to take the time to further explore Mostar. There was not enough time in Mostar. Additionally, the car to pick us up to get us to the bus went poorly - they expected us to wait outside with a small child for an hour, and since we were in the lobby instead, they did not come in and left without us. Vesna (the KimKim coordinator in Croatia) helped us swap for the next day.

Quality of Experience

The experience in Mostar was amazing and well worth the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drive was smooth and safe. The guide on the bus was very informative. And the guide in Mostar helped us to understand the current context people who live in Mostar find themselves in, along with the broader history and sights

Transport

Either we should be given a short window to be outside for the initial car (e.g., 10 minutes), or the driver should go into the lobby to check. Expecting a family with a small child to wait outside at 7am for an hour is inappropriate. The rest of the transport for the trip went well.

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Our tour gave us lots of history and context for how Dubrovnik fits into the complex circumstances of the region. He adapted to our interests and our pace. He was very knowledgeable about details of the town's cultural history, and also able to give us advice on activities and food options.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver got us there smoothly. The guide was warm, knowledgeable, engaging

Transport

Helpful to have a car take us there, since the walk from the hotel was doable but not an interesting part of town. The driver was engaging.

Family Fun: Cooking Class in Dubrovnik Countryside

Croatia

We enjoyed the opportunity to get out of the city and see the countryside. The drive went through beautiful terrain, both seaside and in the hills. The class itself was at a farm, where we got to pick fruits and vegetables and contribute to the cooking of our meal. They were excellent at keeping us involved, including with a 5 year-old child. The family was hospitable and engaging. We enjoyed the slower pace. They also had rakija to sample, and homemade textiles. We loved the more intimate and local feel. And, the foods were delicious!

Quality of Experience

Relaxed feel, engaging, change of pace out of town, local culture and foods

Food

Everything - fresh vegetables, outdoor oven-roasted meat, ripe figs and grapes picked ourselves, delicious soup, excellent quince paste and rakija; very nice wines; tasty local dessert. They also adapted smoothly to one of us being vegetarian

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drive was smooth and through beautiful countryside, the driver and the farm family were warm and welcoming

Transport

Prompt, engaging, safe trip there and back

Great overall experience. Excellent choice of accomodations and the recommendations provided for each day were appreciated.