Overall, I was disappointed. For the amount of money I paid, it was a subpar experience.
Iceland
|
Jul 2 - Jul 12, 2023
This was my first experience with kimkim. Overall, I was disappointed. For the amount of money I paid, it was a subpar experience.
Feedback on kimkim and Eric: Eric was very responsive and always diligently followed up on my questions and requests. We were hounded for items like shoe size 6+ months ago, but kimkim took their time securing lodging which really bothered me. Then I had to look at Google reviews on the lodging because the first one I looked at got 1.5 stars and had the worst google reviews I've ever seen; Kimkim changed the lodging, but I shouldn't have to double-check everything kimkim is doing. But I felt I had to check everything. I had to ask for check-in information and didn't get it for one property. One property owner asked me to contact kimkim because they didn't get paid. It just took much of my time for the amount of money I paid kimkim. I decided to pay the premium and go with kimkim because I did not have the time with my intense job. But it really didn't work out like I expected.
Feedback on rental car: Van did not have air conditioning; it has a ton of glass and was scorching hot inside the vehicle at times. Very uncomfortable for 10 days. In addition, windshield wipers were extremely bad. Could not see in the rain due to poor windshield wipers. Otherwise, right sized vehicle for family of five
Feedback on activities:
Carla at Silfra Snorkeling was AMAZING; highly recommend this activity
Puffin and Volcano tour by Ebbi on Westman Island -- HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend; Ebbi was awesome; whole family loved this
Had very good guides (Hannah and Joku) at glacier hike
Had a great guide at glacier kayaking
Vok Baths is INCREDIBLE (we booked this on our own) -- it was by far the best bath
Myvatn Bath had a significant sulfur smell -- okay, would skip in hindsight
GeoSea -- very nice bath, 2nd favorite after Vok
Secret Lagoon -- booked on our own -- it was nice especially as part of Golden Circle activities
Lava Show in Vik -- booked on our own -- Amazing! Highly recommended
Feedback on lodging:
-- Borealis Hotel -- very rustic, bare bones -- staff and breakfast were great -- not bad for first night
-- Hotel South Coast -- nice hotel but two of the three rooms had bad smell -- breakfast was good
-- Pier Apartments -- best property we stayed in; HIGHLY recommend
-- Fosshotel Glacier -- very nice property and breakfast
-- Hotel Framtid -- we were in two very separate buildings where you had to drive between buildings -- accommodations and breakfast were fine but odd on how apart we were spaced
-- Lonsleira Apartments -- very nice cottage; had to contact the owner directly to get check-in (kimkim did not provide); owner shared they had not been paid and asked me to contact kimkim -- great location and property
-- Dimmuborgir -- spend two nights here; we were originally booked somewhere else that canceled last minute (after I asked kimkim for confirmations...) -- it was VERY RUSTIC, only one bathroom for the five of us and the unit was in slight disrepair (toilet seat would shift off the toilet, multiple lights didn't work, some lose tiles, etc -- breakfast and staff were nice -- breakfast area had very scenic overlook -- ** This was the only location we spent two nights; it felt like kimkim booked us at a lot lower quality location than our original booking -- Disappointed for our two-night stay
-- Lauggarbakki Guesthouse -- HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend -- terrific property and owner
-- Exeter Hotel -- nice property, great location, helpful staff
For the amount of money I paid kimkim, I expected a hassle-free and worry-free experience. I realize items like the last-minute Askja cancelation is outside of kimkim's control. However, I was put in a much lower quality accommodation that was not in great repair, and had to share one bathroom for all five of us for two days. A van without air conditioning. Having to double-check and follow up on planning. This is the most I ever paid for a trip like this and do not feel like I got what I paid for.
Activity Reviews
Carla was amazing. The water is clear (and cold). This exceeded our expectations. Being able to see where the tectontic plates come together is amazing.
Ebbi has lived his whole life on Westman Island and has amazing passion for this tour. He shared a ton about life on the island, history, and made this an amazing experience!
If you are capable of kayaking, I highly recommend kayaking rather than the motorized boats. You reduce your impact on the planet. More importantly, it is a more serene and enjoyable way to spend time amongst the icebergs.
Myvatn has a strong sulfur smell. They are older baths and have quite a crowd. It was our least enjoyable bath out of five we visited during our Iceland trip.
Very nice experience; amazing views; not overcrowded -- we really enjoyed this bath. It was our #2 favorite bath out of five (Vok was our favorite).
