Mimpi Nusantara Asia

Thoughtful Exploration of Komodo and Yogyakarta, but Disjointed Planning

Our recent journey through Indonesia with KimKim featured some outstanding highlights—particularly in Komodo and Yogyakarta—but ultimately fell short of the seamless and well-curated experience we’ve come to expect from the platform.

We began in Bali, where things got off to a shaky start. Although we were met at the airport by both a guide and a driver, we were simply dropped off at our hotel with no further guidance or suggestions for the rest of the day. The following day we had a driver (who was friendly and helpful) but no guide, and were again left to plan our own itinerary. We visited Uluwatu Temple, much of which was unfortunately closed and underwhelming, and Padang Padang Beach, which was uncomfortably crowded. A stop at a luwak coffee plantation ended up being a nice surprise—albeit a bit touristy—but overall, we felt that Bali lacked the thoughtful planning and local insight we were hoping for. In hindsight, we would have preferred to skip it entirely and focus more on Komodo and Yogyakarta.

Komodo, in contrast, was a true standout. Our guide was exceptional, and the experiences—from trekking to see Komodo dragons to snorkeling with manta rays and turtles—were unforgettable. We also loved visiting waterfalls and caves, all of which felt immersive and well-curated.

Yogyakarta offered a mixed experience. Borobudur was beautiful, though we unfortunately purchased the wrong ticket and were unable to access the upper levels to view the carvings. Candi Rejo was a delightful visit, and Prambanan was another high point, enhanced by an excellent guide. The cooking class, while fun, felt somewhat underwhelming. Our visit to the Ramayana Ballet was disappointing—it felt overly touristy and amateurish, with low-quality food. Ironically, we discovered a much more authentic and high-quality ballet performance at the Kraton the following day (after our official itinerary had ended), which made us wish our original tour had included this instead. Fortunately, our local guide in Yogyakarta was incredibly knowledgeable and brought a lot of insight and depth to our experience.

While we appreciated many aspects of this trip, we felt that overall planning could have been stronger. Communication from our specialist, Marc, was inconsistent, and there seemed to be a lack of alignment between him and the local guides. We encountered several discrepancies—such as starting times that didn’t match—and often felt unclear about the daily agenda. In previous trips with KimKim, we've valued the daily suggestions and tailored support from our specialists, which were largely missing here.

More importantly, one of the reasons we turn to KimKim is for thoughtful, curated travel that helps us avoid crowds and overly touristy experiences. Unfortunately, this trip included several stops that felt like classic tourist traps. A more customized and locally-informed itinerary would have made a significant difference. With more attentive planning and better communication, this could have been a truly exceptional trip.

Hotel Reviews

Lumbini Luxury villas

Outstanding hotel although a ways from the beach. There is a shuttle although we did not try it. Private pool was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Felt very unique. Loved the pool.

Location

Good although not near some of the famous areas like Kuta

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds, outstanding private pool

Sudamala Resort, Komodo, Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo

Great place although it did have a large number of families which may have been difficult for some.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic and unique. Great food!

Location

Beautiful sunsets, not too far from town. Bay was too cloudy for snorkeling nearby.

Staff

Friendly, Amazing masseuse!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great character, spotless

d'Omah Hotel Yogya

Sewon

Great hotel but very loud due to prayers, roosters, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Great food, Cool village life.

Location

Little bit far from the town center and sights such as borobodur and prambatan.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little bit worn. Sometimes felt a bit dirty. Private pool was satisfactory.

Activity Reviews

Rangko Cave

Labuan Bajo

Good but must get very busy during the summer. Did especially love the waterfall and I think it's worth the special trip. The visit to the village was so-so.

Quality of Experience

Cool Cave but could see it getting really busy during the summer.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Outstanding Guide! Funny, charismatic, and authentic.

Transport

Great Driver, very comfy

Day tour Highlights of Komodo national Park

Indonesia

One of the best experiences ever! Loved seeing the Komotos, the Mantas, and the turtles. Skip the Pink Beach and see if you can swim other places.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the Komodo dragons and the Mantas!

Food

Lunch was so-so.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing guide. Authentic, Charismatic, and charming

Transport

Loved the fast boat.

Borobudur: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Yogyakarta

Beautiful and historic wonder of the world. Our guide was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Would have been nice to go inside

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, great cultural insight

Transport

Easy

Experience the Ramayana Ballet

Yogyakarta

Very touristy and amateur. Felt like a community production. Food was poor quality, exclusively tourists, mostly large groups. Not worth going to.

Quality of Experience

Amateur and touristy

Food

Okay buffet style but not very unique.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not much our guide could add

Transport

Easy

Explore Traditional Javanese Villages

Indonesia

Delicious lunch and a cool look into the world of the Javanese village. Did not feel exploitative. Carriage ride was cool as well.

Quality of Experience

Felt authentic

Food

Delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide

Transport

Easy

Prambanan: Indonesia’s Largest Shivaite Temple Complex

Yogyakarta

Outstanding with spectacular views. Cool historical bas relief carvings.

Quality of Experience

Cool to see and very special

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing guide, Very knowledgeable.

Transport

Easy

Cooking class - the heart of Jogja

Yogyakarta

Fun but could probably have been better.

Quality of Experience

Cool to learn cooking but did not feel quite as full as it could have been.

Food

Delicious food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful but did not speak english, has not really taught this much before

Transport

Easy, in hotel

We had a wonderful trip through Indonesia recommended by Marc. I found Kimkim with an AI tool, and I started by finding which destination was better in September. Indonesia was the choice and after that Marc was extremely helpful through our planning process, defining a fabulous itinerary for the 16 days in Indonesia, with adventure, culture and leisure. It was very difficult to choose where to go because Indonesia has around 17 000 islands, but Marc made it easy, trying to show us the advantages of each place. At the end it was amazing! We started our journey in Sumatra to see the orangutans. Then we went to Yogyakarta to go to the temples (Borobudur and Prambanan), after that we went by train to Surabaya (East Java) and then we had 3 days at the volcanoes (Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen) which was unforgettable! After that we went by ferry to Bali (Pemuteran, Ubud and Nusa Dua) and we finished with a cruise to see the Komodo dragons.
Marc made us a wonderful trip, and everything was booked and on time! All accommodations were amazing, specially Plataran in Mount Bromo, Menjangan Dynasty Resort in Pemuteran and Tejaprana Resort in Ubud and the food in Ijen Resort and Villas was incredible. All of our tour guides, representatives, and drivers gave us very good service and made us feel comfortable. Our only regret was not having more opportunities to dive, as we only got to do it in Pemuteran and the underwater is amazing to explore. The entire journey was incredible!

Excellent service , planning and help. Marc worked closely with us to help us plan a wonderful trip. We greatly appreciate all he did to make an excellent trip for my husband and myself.

Hotel Reviews

BBC Hotel

Authenticity & Character

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

Yogyakarta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Santai Toraja

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lumbini Luxury villas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudamala Resort, Seraya, Flores

Labuan Bajo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent and charming

Activity Reviews

Visit Prambanan Temple Complex

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On the way to Tana Toraja

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to Makassar

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sultan Palace

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Borobudur Temple

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovery of the village of Kete Kesu and Palawa Tana Toraja

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tana Toraja's Day of Discovery"

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour Highlights of Komodo national Park

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were so pleased with our trip to Indonesia organized by KimKim. I appreciate Marc and the itinerary he created. He listened to our requests and really tailored the trip to what we wanted. Our guide was hands down the best part of the whole experience. Lucy was FANTASTIC. She was knowledgeable, pleasant to be around, and made us feel so welcome. We cannot express our gratitude enough!! Overall, a wonderful trip!

Hotel Review

Ecolodge Bukit Lawang

Bukit Lawang

Beautiful lodge nestled in the jungle. We loved the views, the food and everything the lodge stood for (sustainability). Highly recommend!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nestled right in the jungle. Perfect for those doing day trips/trekking in the jungle.

Staff

Everyone was so welcoming, warm and polite.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Long trek in the jungle - Meet the Orangutans

Indonesia

Lucy (our tour guide) and our jungle Ranger were fantastic guides. They led us on a beautiful trek though the jungle where we saw orangutans. They provided lunch and snacks and had lots of interesting information to share with us about the jungle/animals/plants/ etc.

Quality of Experience

Food

delicious!!!!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safe and comfortable!!

The trip to Bali was amazing! Saw some beautiful sights and experienced wonderful adventures! Our accommodations were fabulous (though some had problems with the air conditioning which was frustrating). Marc provided amazing service and professionalism. He organized some great outings, along with drivers and upgraded at several of the hotels. He was responsive at all hours and made sure everything ran smoothly!

Hotel Reviews

Ecozy Dijiwa Canggu

Canggu

Comfortable and clean hotel Situated walking distance to shop and restaurants. It was my boyfriend’s birthday and the travel agent and staff arranged an incredible arrival with Blake and flowers on the bed! So nice after a long travel day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Sang happy birthday upon our arrival and presented a cake! So nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wapa di Ume Ubud

Ubud, Gianyar, Bali

Incredible room. Marc was able to upgrade us to a 1 bedroom pool suite at no extra charge which was so awesome! Although the hotel was located a bit far from anything, we enjoyed our time here immensely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pearl of Trawangan

After a smooth boat transfer, we arrived at Pearl and it was beautiful! Our room was great though was surprised that the entire washroom was outside. Although private, of course, it was odd to use the facilities in the open air. With the hot temperatures, was a bit uncomfortable. But had an incredible time and loved that there were no cars o the island! We biked all around and enjoyed every moment on Gili T! !!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mahagiri Villas Sanur

Although we were upgraded to a beautiful pool suite, the air conditioner worked on and off for our entire three nights was very annoying. It was fixed and then broke again in the middle of the night several times. The staff was very responsive and came immediately to fix it which was appreciated because the temperatures were very high when we were visiting. One night we had to sleep on the couch in the kitchen area because it was too hot in the bedroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not having a properly functioning air conditioner really put a damper on out visit.

Activity Reviews

Free Time in Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan

We LOVED Gili T!!

Explore Nusa Penida Island - Full day trip

Indonesia

Had a ton of fun visiting Nusa Penida and snorkeling!! Great way to spend a day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife and I had an incredible experience in Flores with our guide Sergio and driver Eto. Both gave us a lot of good local insights into the culutre, people and food. We were treated to beautiful scenery in the form of canyons, waterfalls and unique rice fields. And the last 2 days were on a boat which was a once in a lifetime experience. Thanks to Marc and his team for creating the itinerary and giving us a great local experience mostly away from the tourist crowds in Laboan Bajo.

Hotel Reviews

Mbeliling Mountain Ecolodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liveaboard in Komodo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puri Sari Beach Hotel

Labuan Bajo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spring HIll Bungalow Ruteng

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Golo Hill Top

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rangko Cave

Labuan Bajo

Unique experience of swimming in a cave with bats. Highly recommended

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cunca Wulang and Spiderwebs Rice fields

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ruteng Town

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liveaboard Cruise: Discover Flores & Komodo

Komodo Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liveaboard Cruise - Departure Day

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the guides, the drivers, and the hotels were absolutely amazing. We enjoyed every single activity and meal that was pre-planned for us; and above all we loved the places around Indonesia that Marc had us staying in. Marc is the absolute best and we would do this trip all over again.

Hotel Reviews

Ecolodge Bukit Lawang

Bukit Lawang

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Qunci Villas Hotel

Senggigi

hands down nicest place i've ever stayed in, best staff and food in all of indonesia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat trip and snorkeling around Gili Layar & Gili Renggit

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Long trek in the jungle - Meet the Orangutans

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sumatran jungle by 4x4, from Bukit Lawang to Tangkahan

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Munduk & Tamblingan Lake Exploration

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A morning with Tangkahan Elephants

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling from Kintamani to Ubud

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport