Emerson Siimer

We did several things during our time in Finland. Just enough to keep busy but not burn out First, our trip organizer, Emerson is 10 stars. His attention to detail and organization ensured a stress free trip. THANK YOU!!

Of the 4 organized tours, two really stood out: the northern lights tour and visiting Tallinn. The northern lights tour with Beyond Arctic in Rovaniemi was excellent. Our guide (Leevi) was great and the gear provided was very much needed for the cold elements of the arctic. We were fortunate to see a great show!
The tour of old town in Tallinn with guide, Christopher, was AMAZING! Full of knowledge and funny! We did a day trip to Tallinn, but it deserves a couple of days to explore both old town and the new town! We grabbed a quick bite from The Third Dragon Medieval Tavern that is located in the old courtroom of Tallinn Town Hall. It was fun, the staff in character and the Elk soup broth was the perfect belly warmer on a cold day. Be sure to wonder off on side streets to find crafts off the beaten path. We visited Puupank. They have beautiful wood crafts.
I highly recommend using KimKim and will again in the future. Thank you!

What an incredible adventure we had in Lapland with kimkim! From the start, dealing with kimkim was responsive, pleasant, informative and uncomplicated. We were grateful to have Emerson assigned to us for our Aurora Borealis adventure. We wanted luxury accommodations, private transfers, private/small group activities, and plenty of opportunities for daily exercise, including swimming, gyms, and lots of cross-country skiing. The website portal made it simple to stay in touch with chats and virtual calls. Emerson went above and beyond to provide support and was always available for insights or to smooth out any snags throughout the trip.

While Hotel Kamp was under renovation, they put us in an incredible suite! The hotel is terrifically located, and we loved the access to the community outdoor pool which was just a few blocks away. Our tour guides in Helsinki and Tallinn were great!

The overnight train to Rovaniemi was less than ideal but certainly memorable. We suggest future guests consider renting an extra cabin for personal belongings, as carrying baggage up to the crowded second floor was very difficult and room very cramped. Quite unexpectedly, all the bathrooms in our train car were malfunctioning for the entire train ride, which was very unfortunate. We believe it was just that the train company provided us with a 50% refund.

Emerson’s excellent transfers once again were on time and super friendly once off in Rovaniemi. We met our tour guide with Johka who picked us up at the station and brought us straight to Jaakkola Reindeer Farm. We had such a delightful, unique, and private experience! The third-generation farm and its history added a fascinating charm for us. Our story – Jaakkolan Porotila

Next, the Arctic Treehouse provided superior and truly breathtaking accommodations, kind staff and great restaurant. Tired from the day, we pushed on. Quickly we were jump started by witnessing a rare red Aurora during our Arctic Tree Float. It was truly spectacular and a once in a lifetime experience!

The next day, we had a playful adventure with the huskies. We returned to the Arctic Treehouse for another fabulous dinner with the entire restaurant lit by candles for Earth Day, creating a magical atmosphere.

Emerson again book us the top igloo at the Levin Iglut Glass Igloos. Our snow house offered spectacular vistas and the restaurant had fantastic and truly artistic food. All the staff there are so lovely and kind!

Kinos Safaris provided us a great snowmobiling experience, but what was memorable was the rest stop for salmon soup and possibly the best blueberry dessert that I have ever had at this small outpost with the most delightful overseer.
That evening, James from Green Track Wooden Shoe Adventures led a special and private hike on fresh snow,. He is well versed and delightful sharing his vast knowledge for nature and the environment.

Next day we spent an afternoon in town, exploring the Sami Cultural Heritage Museum, petting reindeer, and dining at the King Crab Restaurant - all that we recommend highly.

Switching gears as our witnessing no more auroras, but amazing snowfall that night allowed for a wonderful hike at Saana the next day, and Cahkal Hotel was really super; staff and guide great and has a terrific restaurant!

Our journey then took us to Tromsø. Emerson, once again research extensively to find us this time accommodations that had a pool and found Saint Elizabeth Suites. Unfortunately, access to the pool wasn't always available (and not even open before 9AM?!?), but they did have a well-equipped health club. Please note that the front desk staff were not very accommodating or friendly. (Our Wondering Owl guide mentioned that the tourism industry in Norway isn't particularly welcoming, and we found this to be true, especially when compared to the more hospitable atmosphere in Finland.)

BTW, there was a mix-up with Wandering Owl's booking communication. We were picked up at 9:10 AM and dropped off at the Scandic Ishavshotel. At 9:30, we received a call from Wondering Owl informing us that due to recent flooding, they would be delayed picking us up at Brescia Harbor. We clarified that we were not at the harbor, but at the hotel. Thankfully, the tour did not begin till 10AM and they then confirmed that we would then be picked up on schedule at 9:50AM as there are other guests there waiting there. The tour went well, and the fresh snow made it beautiful.

Overall, our trip was brimming with unique experiences and unforgettable moments! We are deeply grateful for the adventure Emerson crafted for us – he is truly a tremendous asset to kimkim!

With appreciation and regards,
J & J

Our KimKim Guide, Emerson did a great our vacation plans. We gave him the general guidelines, and he put it all together. The people he selected were all top-notch. The drivers for the various events all arrived on time and were unfailingly professional. The Aurora Hunting guide from Beyond Artic did a wonderful job and found what seemed to be the only clear patch of sky in Levi, allowing us to see a wonderful view of the Aurora and take many wonderful pictures that will last a lifetime. Highest Recommendations

This was my 1st trip booked through KimKim and I could not recommend it more highly ! Our local specialist, Emerson (based in Estonia) was extremely knowledgeable about Finnish Lapland, and incredibly helpful. He listened to our every concern and adjusted the itinerary accordingly - and he even anticipated things like late night trips which meant avoiding early morning tours the next day. He was unbelievably responsive, always getting back to me within 24 hrs of my every question. When our flight on a Saturday was cancelled, he immediately stepped in to rearranged transport, even though it was a weekend. And then he kept checking in on us to see if everything was OK. My travel companions joked that we are going to miss his friendly messages now that we are home! I honestly can't think of a single thing I would change about the final itinerary - it was perfect. The local companies he booked were all fantastic - on our 2 snowshoe trips we even had just the 3 of us plus a guide, which made it SO personal. And Emerson was clearly genuinely pleased to hear that we were having such a good time.
I am going to recommend both Finnish Lapland and KimKim to all my friends! My only complaint? Typing this review on the App doesn't allow me to go to the top and check for any spelling mistakes, so forgive me if there are any!🤣

Emerson arranged the trip and everything went as planned. Every detail was as described. The drivers arrived on time, the activities were varied and wonderful. Specifically: cross country skiing in Akaslompolo was spectacular...there is nothing like the vast network of trails here, in the USA. We went on a daytime snowshoe trip and two Northern Lights van trips with Beyond Artic. On the first Northern Lights trip, the driver drove an hour and and half trying to get the group to a good viewing area...we saw the Lights, but the sky was cloudy. The next night was beyond spectacular. Standing on a frozen lake, we saw the Aurora 360 degrees around us and above.
Two other trips were wonderful: a nighttime snow shoe trek on wood skis with a nature guide. James from Green Trek showed us animal tracks, vegetation and trees. The trip to the Reindeer Farm was alot of fun. We spent alot of time feeding the reindeer, learning about them and each of us got in a sled alone to "drive" a reindeer on a short trip.
Oh--the Northern Lights Ranch in Levi was also outstanding. Alk three of us were thrilled with the whole trip.

My husband and I had an amazing honeymoon! Emerson had everything planned perfectly, and we never ran into any issues. Emerson was also very responsive throughout the trip and more than willing to help out when needed. Our tour guides were very kind, knowledgeable, and fun to be around. Thanks to Kimkim we had the honeymoon of our dreams! We’re already looking forward to our next trip coordinated by them. We highly recommend kimkim!!!

This is my first time using a service line this for booking my trip, all I have to say is amazing. Emerson was a joy to work with he customized our trip to our budget and still gave us the important things we wanted to do while we were In Finland. Services ranged from arranging transportation to all the events he had planned for us to booking all our hotels. This was truly the easiest trip to go on. Didn’t have to worry about a thing and he was always available and quick to respond if we needed him. I will definitely be using this service for all our future trips. Couldn’t have been a better experience !!!!

Hotel Reviews

Haawe Boutique Apart Hotel

Rovaniemi

Amazing hotel! Very clean, right in the middle of rovaniemi. One of our favorite hotels we have stayed at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Center of everything. Walking distance to lots of shopping and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Lights Ranch

Köngäs

Beautiful accommodations. Baby reindeer to feed. Sauna with cold water plunge and hot tub available while roaring fire was prepared. Heated floors as well. Truly once in a lifetime experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Break Sokos Hotel Levi

Levi

This is one of the more basic hotels we stayed In. Nothing too special but the staff was exceptional and you are in the middle of everything in Levi from skiing, shops, and restaurants for sure you don’t have to go to far

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Family Husky Safari

Rovaniemi

Amazing activity this was our first husky sleigh ride and it was everything we expected and then some. The dogs were wonderful and so friendly. staff was very friendly and informative. We had a wonderful time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sauna Experience at the Northern Lights Ranch

Levi

One of our favorite activities it was relaxing and and an unforgettable experience. They had a fire for us already going. The sauna was hot, basically everything you needed they already have prepared for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wooden Snowshoe Trek in Levi

Levi

Very informative guide. He had authentic wooden snowshoes which when you experience something like this and for the first time you want authenticity. Couldn’t have been more pleased.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Auroras With Snowmobiles

Finland

It was cold but an amazing experience my husband loved driving the snowmobile it was probably his favorite part of our trip. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the northern lights but that didn’t take away from the experience at all

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emerson did a wonderful job of planning my holiday in Finland and Norway. He booked the best tours, specifically catering to my interests: husky ride, dinner at an ice hotel, reindeer farm, ice floating, ice fishing, snowmobiling, Northern Lights tour and an Arctic fjord cruise. The guides were helpful and knowledgeable. The hotel accommodations were great and all of the breakfasts were plentiful and delicious.

Emerson was quick to respond when I contacted him and he stayed in touch with me during the entire trip to make sure everything was going as planned. I highly recommend Kim Kim.

Having traveled to Norway and Sweden in winter, I was looking for a winter excursion this year in Finland, hoping to see the Northern Lights. I often plan my own travel itineraries, but I was intrigued by the Kim Kim approach to planning a bespoke itinerary. My local specialist, Emerson, presented me with an itinerary proposal that was detailed and tailored to what I wanted to see and do. So, I let him do the work for me! It was a good investment.

Flying into Kittilä, I was met by a driver (all my transfers to hotels and activities were included) and taken to The Northern Lights Ranch about 10 KM north of Levi. This was my favorite hotel (though all accommodations were great), with a glass cabin to myself and amazing dinners and a breakfast buffet with real scrambled eggs (other hotels "scrambled" eggs were powdered eggs). The hotel also features a reindeer corral, a skating rink, and a snowshoe trail (with free skates and snowshoes to use). Because the forecast was for clouds on the second night, when I was scheduled to go for an aurora hunt, the excursion was changed to my first night. No time for jet lag! And we did see the lights! I was the only one on the excursion, which was nice and appreciated . . . and atypical. As a solo traveler, I was at the mercy of having enough other folks sign up in order for the other excursions to take place. Fortunately, with one exception, that happened. You have to be flexible when traveling alone!

A couple nights in another glass cabin outside of Äkäslompolo at the Arctic Skylight Lodge gave me a chance to see a bit of the Northern Lights again from the comfort of my bed. Other highlights: Snowmobiling to a cabin beside a frozen lake, a reindeer sleigh ride (alas, no flying), an evening snowshoeing through a forest to Bear Stone followed by a traditional Finnish dinner (reindeer stew and squeaky cheese) prepared in a lavuu by our guide, Susanne.

Then on to the big city of the north, Rovaniemi, where I spent two nights at the Arctic Light Hotel and had the chance to drive a husky team, look for the aurora again (unsuccessfully), float in a frozen lake, and tromp through the snow at Riisitunturi National Park.

To finish my trip, I took the overnight train to Helsinki (the private sleeper car was nice!). I had a good tour of the city with a private guide, which got me oriented and helped me plan for my own wandering around the city time. Emerson arranged for a day trip to Tallinn the following day, which was a real high point! The "ferry" from/to Helsinki is essentially a cruise ship . . . it just cruises for 2 hours at a time. Another private tour guide introduced me to the history of Tallinn and then an unexpected but much appreciated bonus was getting to meet Emerson and his wife for coffee and conversation.

Emerson did a great job filling up my agenda with activities that I enjoyed. Again, it was an investment well worthwhile to have a plan built by someone who knows the territory. It was also nice to know that Emerson was available if needed during the trip. If you're thinking of visiting Finland (and/or Estonia), I encourage you to let Emerson help make your trip as memorable as mine!