Wow - we were so impressed with Justine! She listened to what was important to us and planned the perfect trip for us to Provence. The cooking class with Cyril that she suggested is not something we would ever have picked out on our own, and it was one of the highlights of the trip! We told her some of the hotels we have enjoyed in the past in other countries and she found us a unique converted farmhouse in a small town outside of Aix that was exactly what we were hoping for. Her...
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Wow - we were so impressed with Justine! She listened to what was important to us and planned the perfect trip for us to Provence. The cooking class with Cyril that she suggested is not something we would ever have picked out on our own, and it was one of the highlights of the trip! We told her some of the hotels we have enjoyed in the past in other countries and she found us a unique converted farmhouse in a small town outside of Aix that was exactly what we were hoping for. Her recommendations for excursions were excellent, and even her recommendations on things like where to park on busy summer days were spot on and I'm sure saved us a lot of time. We enjoyed our day visiting vineyards with Remy as well as exploring the villages of the Luberon Valley and cruising in Cassis on our own. We've gone on fully guided trips before as well as ones we completed planned on our own, so this was the first time using KimKim. It certainly will not be our last time - we had such a great holiday! We felt like we had the support we might need in a country where we didn't speak the language, and in the end felt like we really got to spend time experiencing the culture, food and people of southern France instead of worrying about itinerary details and if we were missing out by not having an insider's knowledge of the area. We fell in love with Provence and the French Riviera and if (hopefully) we return soon, we won't hesitate to ask for Justine to help plan a trip in the area again! I cannot recommend her enough. Thank you Justine and KimKim!
Hotel Reviews
The location was absolutely perfect for exploring Nice. We had a car so their parking lot was invaluable. The staff was lovely and the room was actually quite big by European standards. The downside to the location was that it was incredibly loud at night and then once the restaurants in the area closed, it got loud again when the trash was picked up before dawn. Overall, I would stay here again if in Nice.
Authenticity & Character
It felt like a nice hotel in a city but nothing felt particularly French or French riviera about it. No complaints though.
Location
It was within walking distance of many of the main places - the restaurants on Rue Bonaparte, the city market, the beaches, etc.
Cleanliness & Comfort
We had trouble with the AirCon and we couldn't keep the windows open at night because it was so loud.
In Provence Hotel
Venelles
This was a very unique hotel and we enjoyed our time there! While it was nice to be able to check in with the machine, there were a few times we had questions and it would have been nice to have an actual person there to ask. The Aircon stopped working the last two nights and since there was no one to ask, we just dealt with the higher temperature which was not preferable. We loved the location - just outside of Aix and we could easily drive all over Provence from here - yet in a small town where we felt like we got to experience living in France vs staying in hotel chain. We loved walking down to the restaurants and the bakery was only a couple blocks away - it was fabulous. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting the area who was looking for a more authentic and unique stay.
Authenticity & Character
It's a converted farmhouse and you could really feel that character. I loved the unique room and it felt authentic to the area instead of staying in a more sterile corporate hotel that you end up with in bigger cities.
Location
We loved the small town feel. We walked down to the square, the local pub, the bakery, etc and got to know some of the people working there since we were there for 5 days.
Staff
I feel like poor isn't the right answer....we never actually met anyone who worked here because it was automated check in and check out. The automated check in told us that we had to pay 13 euro per person/per day for breakfast so we never went to that although later our KimKim person told us that it was supposed to have been included. Since there wasn't anyone working there we weren't able to find that out in time to actually enjoy breakfast there.
Cleanliness & Comfort
I thought the bed was really comfortable!
Activity Reviews
Niçoise cooking class expérience
France
Justine offered this option to us and I am so glad that we agreed to do it! We would never have signed up for this on our own. Cyril was fantastic. He gave us some history of the area while visiting the market and we were able to try a lot of different foods that I don't think we would have picked out ourselves to try. Then cooking it was so fun! We were in a real apartment and it just felt like we were cooking with friends for a dinner party in Nice rather than being part of a tourist experience. Cyril told us about cooking with his grandma and everything about the whole experience made us feel so welcome. This was such a great way to start our trip - plus I knew that we wanted to order the squash blossoms on every menu afterwards!
Quality of Experience
It felt very personal. It truly felt like we were friends visiting from out of town as Cyril shared everything with us. It was a highlight of our entire trip.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Cyril!!!!! He was absolutely amazing. Please recommend him to anyone and everyone. He really made us feel welcome and like we were friends visiting so he could share his culture.
Provence Wine Tour Private Day Trip from Aix en Provence
Aix-en-Provence
We had such a fun time visiting the vineyards with Remy! The first vineyard was big and a bit corporate so that wasn't our favorite, although we did enjoy doing the chocolate pairing. The second vineyard was lovely and we enjoyed talking with them and tasting their wines. However, we LOVED the last vineyard, Jas Monges! We really enjoyed speaking with the owner and learning about their vision. We also loved his wines and ended up shipping 2 cases home to the states. We could have hung out there even longer, enjoying wine out on their patio. Remy also took us to explore some local food in Aix during the day (we chose that over sitting down for a long lunch) and that was another true highlight. He was a wonderful guide. What a great day!
Quality of Experience
I especially enjoyed Remy's stop in Aix for us to have different local foods during the middle of the day, and the last two vineyards were so fun. Remy was a great guide too and stopped for us to take some photos in a lavender field we drove by!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Remy was fantastic!
Arles, les Baux-de-provence & Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
France
This was another fun day with Remy! Arles was a cute city and we enjoyed learning about the history and seeing the Van Gogh painting, and scenes where he painted. While this wasn't our favorite day of our entire trip, it was still a really lovely day. It was just tough to compete with Cassis, Luberon, vineyards, etc.
Quality of Experience
Remy took us to places where Van Gogh painted and we got to basically "be" in the painting - it was really special.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Remy is fantastic! He went above and beyond multiple times.
Local specialist: Justine Dumont