KimKim is a great company to help plan a trip!
Greece
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Sep 9 - Sep 23, 2023
Effie and Antonis were so helpful while we were on our trip. They were readily available to answer questions and help us have the easiest, most enjoyable vacation. Effie worked with us to plan a trip to meet our needs and to be able to see the highlights in each place we visited. She made suggestions that we found to be very helpful. There were people to greet us at each destination that helped us with our luggage and whisked us away from the crowds. The drivers were very informative and drove us safely to each destination.
We probably wouldn't have visited Crete had it not been for Effie and we really enjoyed it! Crete was very relaxing and the countryside was great with all of the olive trees. We loved walking around the cobblestone streets in Chania and visiting shops and restaurants. We found it interesting that the streets would really come to life in the evening as the restaurant owners would put out their tables and chairs. The Malmo Historic Hotel was very comfortable and quaint. We really enjoyed their breakfast out on their terrace. It was centrally located as well. Our tour guide of the city was very informative and easy to converse with. She offered valuable information for the days to come. We also enjoyed our wine tasting tour and tour of cheese factory and olive mill and factory. Yum!
Santorini was our favorite. Our host of our villa at Spitia Tzitzi was amazing. He cooked our breakfast each morning, ensured we were comfortable in our villa, and gave us so much insight into the history of the area along with great suggestions for restaurants. There is no way to describe the breathtaking views we had from our villa. Our favorite "excursion" was the sunset sailing cruise. What a fantastic day. We'd go back again.
Mykonos was a little disappointing, but not because of Effie's or Antonis's efforts. The hotel was terrific and within walking distance of multiple restaurants. Effie arranged a walking tour of the city of Mykonos Town. The guide was terrific. He spoke English very well and offered so much insight into the life and culture there. However, during the time on the island, the wind was more than usual, so our sailing trip was cancelled due to safety concerns. Effie tried to rebook during our stay, but the wind did not cooperate, unfortunately. We had another tour while we were there. The guide did not speak English well although he was very nice. We faced some other challenges that were unusual for that tour. The guide, when we requested, returned us to our hotel. Effie and Antonis made things right for us, to say the least. They went above and beyond to take care of us and apologize for something that had never happened before. They were great.
Athens is a big city, and so much to see! Effie hooked us up with a phenomenal tour guide. She took us to see everything there was to see in Athens. You could tell that she loved the history and wanted to share it! She taught us so much about the history and culture. Fantastic personality and a joy to be with for the day. People in Athens think nothing of walking everywhere. Even though most of the walking was on pretty level ground, except the Acropolis, we were not prepared to walk over 5 miles. We made it and enjoyed everything, but we were tired pups. I enjoyed it all, but almost wish it could have been split into two days somehow. The tour guide offered to help us call in food, but we wanted to go to a restaurant. So, we had to walk some more. Long day. The next day was long as well, but on a bus. We had another terrific tour guide with so much experience! He took us to Epidaurus and Mycenae. There was a lot of time on the bus, but we understood that we wouldn't have been able to see those sites without that bus ride. Fascinating how old the sites are and how many of these sites were discovered. It was an enjoyable day, the bus was comfortable, and the bus driver was a great driver! While in Athens, we stayed at an apartment. The apartment was nice, but one note. All four of us are over 65. The kitchen is on an elevated platform with a 6-8 inch drop. There is nothing on the floor to remind you that there is a drop and the flooring blends in with the rest of the room. ALL of us fell off that platform at least once. Luckily, we were not hurt, but it is an accident waiting to happen.
This is our second trip booked through KimKim. We have recommended them to others. We would use them again should we take another extended trip out of the USA. They really pay attention to detail and are great to work with and help should any question arise (we had plenty!).
Hotel Reviews
Right in the center of town, so very convenient. Very clean room and hotel. We loved the breakfast out on the terrace!! George, the owner, was very gracious and available. Loved our stay there.
Cannot say enough great things about this villa and the owner/host. It is amazing! The view is incredible!!! The host, Themis, is a hands-on host. We were fascinated by the history he shared with us and insights into the Greek culture. He made our breakfast each morning which was a treat as he used to be a chef. He was very helpful in suggestions of restaurants and navigating other things in the area. He provided us with his cell phone, which allowed open communication to make our stay enjoyable. The villa was very clean and comfortable. I'd go back in a heartbeat!
The staff really go above and beyond to ensure you have a great stay. The rooms were very clean and spacious. They had an unbelievable breakfast bar with everything you could imagine. The pool area was inviting.
Our first sight of this apartment made us wonder, but the drivers and tour guides all assured us it was a very safe place to be in town and it was. The entrance in the building needs more lighting and warmth. The apartment was very clean. Some of the furnishings were old, but overall, it was very comfortable. The only real problem we had was that the kitchen was built on a platform with a 6-8" drop. The flooring blended in with the flooring of the whole room, so the drop wasn't easy to see. All of us were over 65 and each of us "fell" off of that floor at least once. Luckily, none of us were hurt, but it is an accident waiting to happen. It needs to be marked somehow. We had difficulty operating the air conditioners and froze the first night. It would be helpful to have maps to the closest restaurants. The breakfast should be tailored a little more for guests with healthy choices.
Activity Reviews
Really enjoyed this tour. It was relaxing and informative.
The palace was good to see, but our guide was over kill.
LOVE SANTORINI!
I think this was my favorite day. The staff were relaxed but helpful in every way. The food was delicious. The feeling of the water was incredible. The sunset couldn't have been better!
Our tour guide was fun and informative! He took us all over the city and showed interesting architecture and told wonderful historical stories. He was great.
The driver did not speak very good English. He smokes heavily and although he didn't smoke in the car, it still smelled. He drove like he was at the races on the straight road areas and then hit brake around curves. Even though I was in the front seat and had taken Dramamine, I still had difficulty with his driving. He told us a tiny bit of information, pulled up and stayed at car so he could smoke and basically said, There it is! We would go on our own to look at object. The wind was horrific that day which didn't help matters any, but that wasn't his fault. He was friendly, but I asked him to take us back to the hotel shortly as it wasn't fun for any of us.
We learned so much about the important historical sites! Our guide was fantastic and loves the history and culture of Athens. She made the day because she was so interesting and personable. Too much walking though at one time.
There were many historical things to see. It's interesting how these sites were discovered. Our tour guide has experience as an archeologist, so he had many great things to share. The bus ride is long, but if you want to see it, you gotta do it. However, the bus was comfortable and the driver was very safe and a great driver.