Coraima Yañez

This was our third trip with KimKim, and we cannot say enough positive things about our previous experiences in Costa Rica and Peru. Unfortunately, our trip to Portugal and Spain did not meet the same standard of quality. Given the total cost of $7,885, we expected a much higher level of service and organization.

Coraima was easy to communicate with and thoroughly reviewed our itinerary. However, as she is based in California rather than Spain or Portugal, she was unable to assist effectively when issues arose. We were also informed that we would have a local contact, Summer, to address any on-the-ground questions. However, we later discovered that Summer resides in Amsterdam and not in Portugal or Spain. One of the core selling points of KimKim is the promise of working with local experts who have in-depth knowledge of the destination, and this discrepancy was deeply disappointing.

Lisbon:
Hotel AlmaLusa was in a convenient location with a wonderful staff. We especially appreciated the thoughtful parting gifts of locally made soaps.

The food tour was satisfactory but did not meet the standard of previous food tours we have taken in other cities. For instance, in Lima, we were given demonstrations on how the dishes were prepared at three different locations, which added depth and engagement that this tour lacked.

The half-day trip to Sintra was another point of contention. The itinerary suggested a comprehensive exploration of key sites, including Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and the historical center. The listing, combined with an image captioned "Private Half Day Trip to Sintra," implied that we would visit all these locations. However, our guide informed us that he could not take us to both the Palace and Quinta da Regaleira due to a prior commitment at 2:00 PM. If we wanted to visit Quinta da Regaleira, we would need to find our own way back via Uber after he dropped us off at the gate. We had to personally cover the entrance fee and the cost of the Uber, which should be reimbursed as these expenses were not communicated in advance. The itinerary was misleading and did not accurately reflect the services provided.

The transfer from Lisbon to Lagos proceeded without any issues.

Lagos: While we appreciated Bluefeet Rib boat company contacting us to adjust our tour time due to weather, it was frustrating that I had to personally attempt to contact the driver to arrange an earlier pick-up. Despite messaging via WhatsApp, I received no response. For the price of this trip, we expected better coordination without having to manage logistics ourselves.

The Lagos Avenida Hotel posed significant issues. The bathroom design was particularly problematic—when entering the room, you were immediately in the bathroom area. The sink was located approximately three feet from the bed, making it disruptive to use during the night. The toilet was enclosed in glass with a swinging door, offering little privacy and amplifying sound. Additionally, the room was uncomfortably hot at night.

Seville:
The transfer from Lagos to Seville was smooth, and we enjoyed the company of our driver. Las Casas de la Juderia was a pleasant hotel in a convenient location. However, on our second night, the guests in the room above us engaged in a loud and prolonged argument. After enduring the noise for an hour, we had to contact the front desk to intervene.

Our history and culture walk with Rosa was a highlight. She had an engaging personality, spoke excellent English, and provided an insightful tour. In contrast, our Cathedral and Alcazar tour with Cristina was underwhelming, as we found her presentation style difficult to follow and not engaging.

The Flamenco show was a delightful experience. The six performers exhibited wonderful chemistry, and we thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

Return to Lisbon:
Our flight from Seville to Lisbon was stressful due to unclear documentation. Unlike our experience in Peru, where the driver escorted us into the airport and guided us through the check-in process, we were simply dropped off and left to navigate on our own. This lack of support was confusing and added unnecessary anxiety.

The final and most frustrating issue occurred when our driver failed to pick us up for our transfer to the airport. Despite multiple calls and messages, there was no response, forcing us to book an Uber at our own expense. Given the stress and inconvenience this caused, we believe we should be reimbursed for this transfer.

In summary, this trip fell far short of the exceptional experiences we previously had with KimKim. The lack of local expertise, poor communication, and several logistical failures made this the most disappointing vacation we have ever taken. For a trip costing nearly $8,000, we expected far better service and support throughout the journey.

Hotel Reviews

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Put in a proper bathroom

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

The food tour was satisfactory but did not meet the standard of previous food tours we have taken in other cities. For instance, in Lima, we were given demonstrations on how the dishes were prepared at three different locations, which added depth and engagement that this tour lacked.

The good
The hotels were top notch (although having an add on breakfast on the day we had a 6 am train seems like poor planning)
Las Alpujarras Village tour was fantastic. The guide realized early in that shopping and lunch were not really of interest and changed things up to include a hike. One of the highlights.
Kayaking in Costa Brava was fantastic and the other high point
Our kimkim trip planner worked with us and did a great job hearing what we wanted and booking the things we wanted to do. Kimkim is not responsible for the poor service we received from some of the guides

The really really bad
Rides -
our train driver in barcelona was in the wrong place and we spent over an hour trying to find him
Our driver to the train in Granada never showed up. He eventually called 30 minutes late to say he was on his way but by then we paid for a taxi and barely caught our train

Wine tasting in Granada
The guide went into a monologue about how wonderful it was that the jews and Muslims were chased out of the country by the great queen Isabelle. While there is historical accuracy (ham was adopted as a national dish in part to drive out certain cultures) having the guide extoll the virtues of racism, and explain to us that we were wrong in being appalled because it was wonderful to have certain cultures driven out l those cultures were removed from the country came across as racist, offensive, and disgusting.
The bar tender also made a big deal about one member of the group who only wanted to taste the wine, telling her she has to drink, insulting her, and not allowing anybody else to try the next one until her glass was empty.

The rest of it was okay but the wine tasting was offensive on many levels and overshadowed much of the trip.

Hotel Review

Hotel NH Collection Granada Victoria

Granada

Gorgeous room. Breakfast was amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

Suggestions on where to eat, what to see. Help with taxis when our ride service did not show up

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Authentic Las Alpujarras Villages Day Trip

Granada

The guide had a set itinerary based on what most groups want (shopping and lunch) but switched it on the fly to include hiking down to a waterfall when we showed no interest in the quaint shops.

Quality of Experience

8

Transport

Good company on the drive, pointed out landmarks and helped me practice spanish

The planning process with Coraima was quite seamless. We had a great trip overall with great local guides for the different types of experiences we were interested in. The highlight was our tour of San Sebastian with Martin -- he was a true local who showed us the ins and outs and we had the best time. The foodie tour was also a very unique experience that is perfect for foodies and a more slower and laid back pace.

Coraima was knowledgeable, patient and kind. I would easily recommend her to friends. Great activities, hotel and restaurant suggestions. We saw and did everything we wanted to do and the logistics were seamless.. Excellent communication by her and Lea- prompt and specific. This was our second KimKim vacation and we look forward to planning our third!

Sword making was amazing. So neat to meet a 5th generational sword artist.

Self guided tours were a great resource.

Kimkim allowed us to do our own venturing while still having the support of a travel agent and tours.

Hotel Review

Overland Suites Catedral

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walked everywhere and so charming on cobblestone roads

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Toledo Family Experience & Sword-Making Workshop

Madrid

Such a hands on experience to learn about sword making and its history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The communication with Kim Kim during both our planning phase and prior to leaving for our trip to Spain was fantastic. All of the activities that were planned by Kim Kim were fantastic. There was a scheduling problem with one of the activities while we were on site and the Kim Kim team handled it wonderfully. I would use them to plan activities on future trips.