Pedro Luis

We had a truly spectacular 7-day trip to Portugal early November 2024 -- our first not only to Portugal but to Europe. We credit the success of our trip to Pedro, who was the local specialist who consulted with us to truly understand what would work best to meet our needs. In our case, it was a balance of experiencing Portugal, its people, its history, its cities and more leisurely sights at a comfortable, low key pace that wasn't too overwhelming for us.

We arrived in Lisbon early on a Sunday morning, were greeted by a wonderful driver (Rui) who recommended some of the key places in the city and near our hotel (including several of his favorites). Our first stop was the Heritage Avenida Liberace hotel in Lisbon, which was a perfect and lovey location up the hill from downtown, a perfect place for exploring the city. The hotel was beautiful, filled with beautiful design inspiration. We were most grateful for the lovely and thoughtful welcome basket of wine, snacks and aromatic soaps Pedro had left for us. We strolled the city on Sunday, and were ready to do more on Monday when we were greeted by Rita for an amazing tasting tour throughout the city.

Rita introduced us to many favorite foods of Lisbon, and shared so many stories about the city and its history! Her thoughtful and delicious tour ended at the Time Out Market, where they were actually filming an episode of a Chef's show. Later that evening, we immersed ourselves in Portuguese culture by experiencing a Fado Dinner at Mesa de Frades, a delicious and moving experience we won't soon forget.

The next day, we were greeted by Helio, who was the main driver for the next several days of our visit. He was incredibly warm, flexible, knowledgeable and helpful! Funny, too. We visited the fairytale vila of Sintra and toured the Pena Palace and Gardens. Later in the day, we drove down through coast and returned to the Heritage hotel via Cascais. We had a most delicious lunch (Hello proactively made reservations for multiple meals on our behalf) of seabass and other local delicacies.

On our second day traveling with Hello, we traveled to Porto (via Obidas and the awe-inspiring Nazare, where Hello also proactively reserved a lunch of seaside delicacies (the tuna was amazing!) for us. We checked into the NH Collection of hotels in Porto, another centrally located hotel inviting many adventures on foot.

We were greeted by Bernardo for an historical walking tour the Porto . Talk about an incredibly passionate and knowledgeable tour guide! We would highly recommend Bernardo.

The next day Evol greeted us at the hotel for a day trip to the Douro valley, including a boat tour in Deltatur and a memorable and delicious lunch at the Quinta da Pacheco. Both are must-sees! Evol was a wonderful driver who shared many stories and tips about the Douro Valley and the sites we were seeing, and made a special stop so for photo opps, doubling as our photographer (thank you, Evol!).

We re-engaged with Helio on our final full day in Portugal, when he met us in Porto and drove us from the city all the way down to Cascais, via stops in Coimbra. We said a grateful farewell as we hiked into the Cascais Miragem hotel -- the views were spectacular and left us wanting to return to Portugal for more on a future visit!

Finally, Andre greeted us the morning of our last day and made sure we were all set for check in at the hotel in Lisbon. Another comfortable and pleasant drive and conversation about Portugal.

On last note of gratitude, Pedro used WhatsApp to manage our expectations with the perfect amount of detail a day ahead. He was always at the ready to respond to questions and requests, no matter how small or seemingly trivial.

We had an amazing trip. Pedro our specialist listened to us when we initially spoke about our interests and what we enjoy doing when we travel. He tailor made a trip that incorporated the things that make a trip special for us. Throughout our trip he would check in on us to assure we we satisfied with all aspects of our travels and reminded us of our upcoming events. Very attentive to detail. Our trip started in Porto with Ivo our driver who was so much more then a driver as he shared so much about the areas we visited. Our time together generated a friendship which became part of our Portugal experience. Our guide in Porto, Sarah and in Lisbon, Margarette were awesome. They shared so much information about not only the sights but also the culture and history, we both enjoyed their insight and willingness to share. It helped us get a better understanding of Portugal.
When traveling from Algarve to Lisbon and Sintra Helios was much more then a driver but an excellent guide sharing his insights and pointing out sights and their significance.
The hotels that were booked for us were also well located and exceptional. The staff very attentive. All these aspects led to a great experience, a desire to return to Portugal and no reluctance to using Kim Kim again to book our next adventure.
Thank you

Hotel Review

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Awesome location, beautiful building and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Transfer from Porto to Algarve

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ivo was just great, more then a driver

Transport

We had a wonderful vacation in Portugal. Pedro and his team made our vacation truly memorable. They planned a great itinerary for us based on what we wanted to do and would update us every day. The hotels that were booked for us were all outstanding as were the local guides and drivers. Thanks Pedro!

The trip was great from beginning to end. Pedro was excellent!!! Stayed in touch with us daily with information and updates. Had the best time. Portugal was amazing

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

The staff was so friendly and helpful. Location was perfect

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

This was a 2 bed, 2.5 bath apartment in a great location. Beautiful old palace updated with all modern amenities. Would definitely stay again on my return to Porto ❤️

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartment was spotless

NEXT - by Savoy Signature

Funchal

Great location and amenities. Very modern with young hip vibe

Authenticity & Character

Modern

Location

On the water and could walk to restaurants and shops

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Had a great time with Ana. Very knowledgeable and sweet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ana is fantastic

Transport

Walking

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Food was great. Music beautiful ❤️

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Beautiful Sintra. Great dsy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Viviana was awesome. Knowledgeable, helpful and friendly

Transport

Comfortable car

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Wonderful day in the beautiful Douro valley. Ivo was a great driver and tour guide. Had so much fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Stunning!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nonu was a great captain

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Had a wonderful walking tour in Porto. A stunning city. Even in the rain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara was wonderful. Knew everything thing about the history of Porto and the architecture. Really rnjoyed

Transport

Walking in the rain

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Beautiful vineyard. The tour so interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor was so much fun and very knowledgeable

Transport

Unveil the Western landscapes of Madeira Island on a Small Group Tour

Madeira

What an adventure. We had a great time. Small fishing village, off roading in beautiful forests that smelt like eucalyptus, swimming in volcanic pool, visiting a black sand beach and waterfalls. And that wasn’t everything ❤️

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was fantastic, friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and a great driver

Transport

4 wheel drive jeep

Pedro was exceptionally patient and flexible with our every-changing plans and dates. He kept us informed all the time and was easily accessible and always pleasant and upbeat. I'm grateful to have followed his recommendation to download Whats App so I always knew what where we were supposed to be and what we were to do. We are very pleased with our Kimkim experience. Thanks for everything!

Couple things to note:
- I do not write reviews unless something blows my mind - good or bad
- I was with my family, our teenagers close in age but very different in preferences. (Had our work cut out for us)

Let’s break this down into parts:
- KimKim process / portal (intro to AP)
- Across Portugal Experience
- Our Portugal itinerary
- Experiences & People
- Lodging

1. KimKim: I stumbled upon KimKim having given up on our standard (and unresponsive) travel agency. It was the perfect way to explore experiences without feeling alone or winging it on details that matter when you are jetlagged and out of your comfort zone. And now I am absolutely spoiled having met Pedro. He sets the bar so high that I am totally willing to try KimKim again but wary that anyone can match his care. That said - KimKim provided a super user-friendly interface, reliable communication and time lines. The payment and plan finalization was a breeze. Great platform, totally recommend.

2. Across Portugal: I cannot express how delightful our experience was. Pedro was so communicative and thoughtful in every interaction. And not just during or after the trip. The whole time. Any time I had a question, he answered within hours. What I appreciate most is that I came with ideas and Pedro listened and asked “why” to a couple of my accommodation and tour requests.
He gently redirected me and I am so glad he did. The first was hotel location in Lisbon. I had one neighborhood in mind and he suggested where we ended up staying. (I’ll explain more below). Another was, “mehhh, I don’t know if we need the cultural walking tour day after Sintra” and I am so glad he said “yeah…you do”. First of all, we had the same delightful guide Mariana as with Sintra (and Carlos, who I will get to as well!). We saw parts of the city which would have felt too far or not known how to navigate. Net/net - every single recommendation was SPOT ON. We were greeted by a thoughtful care package of treats. We ended each day with a reminder of our itinerary and time lines. The perfect combination of attention and space. Lovely lovely lovely. I wish he could do every country on our list!

3. Our Portugal itinerary: Probably not that uncommon but we have a history buff and a beach bum - so we chose to stay in Lisbon for 4 days and Algarve (Albufeira) for 5 days leaving 1 day close to the airport back in Lisbon. Day 1 we attempted all Anthony Bourdain spots on our own. Day 2 we went to Sintra and Caiscais. Day 3 was a private walking tour and wine tasting. Day 4 was on our own. Perfect balance of activity and time to explore or just stare. I love that city! From there we went to a private resort outside Albuferia - we could have walked to town but didn’t. We rented a car and it was easy (another recommendation from Pedro and glad we did) back to Lisbon for low stress.

4. People and Experiences: We started by meeting Carlos. What a guy. He was so kind and fun. A gentleman, historian. He cares so deeply. Carlos was chief transportation officer and so much more. He was ALWAYS early, everything handled with care, personal touches regarding recommended restaurants and experiences. He was so fun to be around we asked him to join us for a cliff jump in Algarve (he smartly declined - it was steep). Needless to say we spent nearly 16 hours across the span of our trip and we didn’t stop talking. We learned a ton, shared a ton. That said, I bet if you said - “I need to sleep” he would have lullaby music. Just a gem. We enjoyed his company so much I now call him our friend.
Then Mariana! “PORTUGAL!!!” Was her enthusiastic picture quote and she actually got our 15 yo daughter to smile. Repeatedly which is no small feat. Mariana was so kind and a great conversationalist as well. Not only with us but with everyone around her. She took our pictures and then if others asked, she just did. And when people were bustling by, she just let them pass. She had such a calm yet radiantly positive vibe that made hikes, crowds, decisions feel effortless. She and Carlos pivoted when we needed to at the end of our day tour with such ease. We also LOVED the walking tour the following day. You could really spend a week exploring Lisbon but when you cannot - find Mariana. She’ll show you what you need to see so you can make tough decisions on where to spend your time later. She didn’t blink at taking pics and took care to find the right angles and spaces. So grateful. The Lisbon Winery was a great place to end the day trip as it was calm, cool, great wine and very relaxing vibe. My only regret is that we couldn’t buy some wine.

5. Lodging: In Lisbon we stayed in Heritage Avenida Liberdade Boutique Hotel. Just like real estate. Location location location. We walked everywhere and with ease. The hotel was welcoming clean, comfortable. We received adjourning rooms so our teens had space. It was perfect. It is also a hotel in a historic city not a “resort”. So manage buffet and size expectations appropriately. We have done a fair bit of travel and found it to meet our needs entirely. Highly recommend. While in Algarve we went to Vilalara Thalassa resort. Shout out Nitin! He was our favorite human at that resort. Beautiful views, pickleball, pool, bountiful breakfast, beach access, ample parking, sunset on the deck, great restaurants within 5-10 mins drive. Amazing.

I am so wildly grateful to have met and worked with Pedro, Carlos, Mariana. Such a tremendous experience from beginning to end. Obrigata!

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Perfect location. Delightful blend of artistic influence with old world charm. Friendly and attentive staff. Ticked all of our boxes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vilalara Thalassa Resort

Lagoa

Perfect for those seeking a resort experience. Typical of a resort, we waited a bit for check in but quickly forgot about a room when we hit the pool, beach, sangria on the deck. Great parking, pickleball courts, comfortable clean and quiet!

Authenticity & Character

Clean, quiet, not crowded.

Location

5-10 mins drive to GREAT restaurants

Staff

NITIN!!! We adore you! Nitin was so kind and courteous. We enjoyed spending time with him. Also Rueben. I did a “Hail Mary” to seek a cliff to jump from. Rueben happened to be a former life guard (he was at the front desk). Took time out of his day to drive me to a safe spot, shared best time for the tide. What a guy! We did it! (Estimating 55-60 FT - it was fabulous)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were cleaned when we asked, we had onsite laundry with a drying rack.

Tivoli Oriente Hotel

Lisbon

Great spot for low-stress airport transport. Also, we were knackered after 10 days travel so we opted to do “the hotel bar” and wow, it was not a typical hotel joint. Roof-top, Fresh sushi, fun fusion recipes, great GTs, really refreshing sangria. We forgot that we just stayed at the hotel - it was a fun experience

Authenticity & Character

It was a little tired but it served its purpose

Location

Perfect for an easy trip to airport

Staff

Very kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Again, a little tired. The shower was small with a leaky glass door but it’s not atypical and we just needed to lay our heads for 8 hrs.

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

What made this special were Carlos and Mariana. Sintra and Caiscais were delightful, don’t get me wrong but what we learned and sa along the way was priceless lightening in bottle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See my review on the trip and Trip Advisor - 10 stars

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Great way to see a lot with 1/2 day. It gives great perspective on things you want to come back and dig into in more detail later!

Quality of Experience

Mariana was so generous with her time and knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vibe! Chill yet exciting. We just fell into a rhythm. Effortless and yet accomplished so much

Transport

We walked everywhere! Up and down and it was great. Forget the heels at home.

Small Group Boat Trip to the Timeless View of the Benagil Caves

Portugal

So glad we did this. Short yet long enough. At first I was bummed it wasn’t a kayak then quickly saw the beauty of the boat approach. We zoomed in and out of way more than would have been feasible in a kayak. Our guides were fun.

Quality of Experience

Great way to see natural beauty in Algarve while not sacrificing a beach day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun, jocular

Transport

Quick, easy - late enough for a nice breakfast and back by lunch to enjoy the sun

What. A. Trip!!! Absolutely loved every moment I had in the country, what made it better was the quality of service and hospitality of our local specialist Pedro, our driver Carlos who had many amazing stories, and our tour guide Mariana who was amazing and so much fun. It was so much fun to visit Portugal, we loved it so much.

The trip was amazing and we felt cared for during the entire experience. Pedro was always readily available to assist, even during his own time away. The guides and drivers were all extremely knowledgeable and professional. Henrique Pepe was especially helpful and kind.

Would recommend your service to family and friends.

Henriquee pepe outstanding very service oriented to what thoughts we had and made efforts to make happen and gave ideas like Porto sunset on the river. Guides in each area knowledgeable explained what we were doing and going gave recommendations adapted to us Lisbon we had gone to castle st Jorge so changed what she would do asked where two mishaps gerez national park I feel one needs to be clear about the concern for safety and because our mentalodel of national parks diffetent. We were asked to go to to Algarve airport early because of concern for accident with 3000 in ilets wr got there 3 hours early and did not seem necessaryit would work to leave us.sarah in Porto great stayed with us at bookstore in evora joao had the greatest stories kept granddaughter and friend entertained. Young man in Funchal kind and great the metcado fruit merchant peeled and gave fruit tasting to all of us plus chocolate shop. It felt personal and thoughtful. Ricardo in Porto great also.