12 people, 15 days, 6 cities and 3 islands; Greece can be a logistical challenge - - no one could have done it better. Kudos to Eleni and her KimKim team!
Greece
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Jun 25 - Jul 9, 2024
From start to finish Eleni and her team handled our group of 12 (6 couples most of us very close to retirement) with grace, enthusiasm and professionalism. They stayed in communication with us almost daily through WhatsApp, providing us with flight and ferry tickets, so we were aware they were monitoring our trip (and our needs) from a distance. That REALLY came in handy when in our last hotel, we had a room issue and we couldn't resolve on our own (hotel staff met our request with a 'shrug'). When we reached out through WhatsApp (late on a Saturday evening) they immediately went into action and contacted the hotel manager at home (!) on our behalf and the issues was resolved the next morning. Truly felt supported all the way throughout the trip.
The guides and drivers they selected for us were AMAZING - George (our driver for 6 days) became part of our family within hours, the tour guides were hand-selected by to Eleni and her team, and were wonderful.
We chose to focus on culture and food, so we had 2 wine tastings, a cooking class (4 hour, wonderful experience!), a tour of a honey farm, and olive oil tastings. All our breakfast meals were provided by the hotel, but except for 2 days, we had one prepaid meal arranged by the KimKim team. Each one was unique, with gorgeous views, and the food was over the top - - both the quality and the amount (we literally asked one of our drivers if this amount of food was 'normal' in Greece!). We tried food we probably would never have experienced if left to our own devices!
Those 5 starts I gave were truly earned by this team.
BTW - we (my husband and I) traveled in Italy last year with a different group of people - a trip also arranged by Eleni - and we had the same amazing experience - so I actually introduced Eleni to this travel group. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Hotel Reviews
I really enjoyed our stay at Fedriades Hotel in Delphi. The town itself was beautiful, and the hotel offered stunning views of the valley from our windows. The restaurant right across the street, recommended by the hotel manager, was great too. It had a large bank of windows with valley views and delicious food. There was a bit of an odd situation where one room was significantly larger with a sitting area, kitchen, and giant patio, so we ended up drawing straws to see who would get it. It added a bit of fun to our trip, though it was unexpected. Overall, this hotel was fantastic.
Our stay at the Ippoliti Hotel in Nafplio was very nice. It was probably the fanciest hotel in terms of interior décor, and having a pool was a great touch. There was a bit of confusion as some of our group members were placed in a different building with upgraded rooms, and we almost didn’t know where they were. Despite that, those who received the nicer rooms were thrilled, and we tried to ensure everyone got a fair turn at the better accommodations.
Our stay at Abelonas Retreat in Santorini was good but had some issues. We had six rooms in total, and one couple ended up with a room where the bed was against two walls, making it very inconvenient. The manager wasn’t available to help right away, but your team managed to get us a new room the next morning, which was a relief. The hotel manager was kind of grumpy and not very accommodating when we asked for better views or nicer rooms for those who hadn’t had such experiences yet. This was the only place where we felt a bit let down.
Activity Reviews
The view from their rooftop was AMAZING - exactly as you see it here. The food (7 courses - really?!) was fabulous. GREAT start to our trip
What an amazing meal - I think there were 7 courses (most featuring some type of delicious seafood). BEAUTIFUL views too
The Guide was amazing, and the acropolis is a 'must see' in Athens, but it was CROWDED and hot. Recommend this, but maybe not in the middle of summer.
I cannot say enough about our driver for the first 6 days of our journey. George - you are amazing and your "Tetris" training came in handy as you dealt with our luggage day after day!
I think we agreed that this was the best tour of all - our guide was fantastic, we arrived near the end of the day, so very few other people there (and maybe a bit cooler). A must-see.
Another surprise 'hidden gem' of a place. Finally learned what/who the Oracle of Delphi is and why this place was so special. The little town of Delphi is gorgeous too...
We have some experience with beekeeping, so listening to a master beekeeper is always a treat. She was amazing, and had some really interesting other (bee related) things to look at / taste and purchase. Baklava = honey!
All I can say is that this was a highlight of our trip. We had a BLAST and the food was amazing. Who knew how time consuming it was to prepare octopus (or squid - can't remember the difference now!)!?
It was our 2nd time there, so less 'amazing' for us and it was HOT, but our guide was great!
Good tour, nice to have the same guide twice (he was great).
So glad we got to go see some of the villages higher up on the island of Naxos. BEAUTIFUL places, and our guide was (again) amazing!
I wasn't really sure about spending 6 hours on a boat cruising around in the caldera - but it was a wonderful experience. Very much worth doing. Especially liked hiking on the heart of the ancient volcano.
The restaurant was tucked up in the heart of the old market. WONDERFUL food, and super cool atmosphere. Great choice!
Our host was the owner and manager so he was a wealth of information with TONS of interesting things to share with us. The olive oil was smooth and flavorful, and (like so many of our dining experiences in Greece) the food was both wonderful and PLENTIFUL!
Maybe I've been to too many wineries. This was a very nice experience, but also similar to other wine adventures I've enjoyed. The food (with wine pairings) was very good...
This was actually a '3 winery' tour - which was a very nice way to spend our last evening in Santorini. The meal at the last winery was wonderful.
Dear Diane,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and I am "double happy" that I managed to meet your expectations in Greece this time. You and your fellow travelers have been so helpful and responsive, so together we managed to create a unique trip for all. Thank you again. Eleni