I will not travel again without contacting kimkim!
Portugal
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Feb 15 - Feb 22, 2025
This was my first experience using kimkim and their local agent, Diana, in Portugal, and I will not travel again without contacting them! It was the most seamless, wonderful trip I have experienced. Every detail of the trip was arranged prior to our departure, all with our feedback and suggestions, as needed. Having never been to Portugal, we were grateful for Diana's suggestions on locations to visit and the amount of time allotted for each. I am a female who was traveling with my sister-in-law and 27 year old daughter, and we all agreed it was the most amazing experience.
The private driver service was a game changer! Prior to our travel, we had suggested to Diana that we may not need a private driver; however, she responded that this was the best way to travel without stress and enjoy local knowledge as we traveled. Our main driver, Costa, was beyond amazing. He was professional, polite, kind, attentive, and always receptive to our requests to stay longer in a location or move on. It was like traveling in a high-end van with a tour guide and secret service (no safety concerns, but Costa watched our every move)! Costa helped arrange for restaurants during several stops, and we were treated like royalty by the staff. We had our most amazing meal overlooking the ocean in a restaurant in Cascais on Costa's recommendation.
The hotels arranged by Diana were amazing. We were pleasantly surprised at each of our three accommodations, but especially overwhelmed in Lisbon and Cascais. The staff at the hotels were professional and kind, and the breakfast options that were included were excellent.
We also took advantage of a few walking tours and excursions recommended by Diana. Each of the tour guides seemed very concerned at our satisfaction level, and we enjoyed the private aspect of the tours in giving us a chance to ask questions and take detours at our discretion.
In every piece of our travel, we felt that we were offered higher levels of accommodations and service based on the service providers' desire to keep good standing with Diana and Across Portugal. Diana was quick to respond when we had questions, and there were no unpleasant surprises along the way. Many thanks to kimkim and Diana at Across Portugal for the trip of a lifetime!
Hotel Reviews
The hotel location, decor, rooms, and service were exceptional. We were on a quiet street, yet only blocks from the high end district. The rooms were beautiful and well-appointed.
The hotel was beautiful and nice that the apartment offered separate bedrooms and a common area, dining table, and kitchen. It was on a very busy and noisy street, and the bedrooms were up a flight of narrow stairs with a tight turn, making luggage a bit of a challenge.
Every aspect of this hotel was amazing. It was one of the nicest hotels experienced by anyone in our group. We did not want to leave!
Activity Reviews
The private tour of Lisbon offered just the right level of detail on the history and current state of Lisbon. Our tour guide was kind, fun, knowledgeable and professional.
Our driver was beyond amazing in his professionalism and knowledge of the area. We enjoyed Pena Palace but especially enjoyed Sintra and the brief tour of Cascais.
The atmosphere and music offered great insight into the Portuguese culture. We appreciated how much all native Portuguese love the Fado music. It is beautiful.
Porto is beautiful and we walked through some amazing locations. Our guide offered an extensive history of Porto and Portugal as a country - perhaps a little too extensive, at times. We would have preferred to cover a little more ground and see more sights.
Beautiful location and interesting tour.
The Douro Valley is amazing and beautiful. We enjoyed the views and the winery tour; however, the time spent in the car seemed a bit excessive.
The guides on the boat were wonderful; however, the boat tour was a bit underwhelming. We traveled a short distance down the river and back and really did not see anything overwhelming - perhaps because we live in a part of the world that also has beautiful rivers and hills :)
The lunch was wonderful. We did enjoy the tour of the vineyards, but having been to other vineyards, we would have opted not to do this experience.
The weather was not conducive to a bike tour that day, yet the guide suggested we continue. We thought we would be transported to the park by car, but we left the hotel on bike after only a brief introduction to the e-bikes and traveled on side walks and through the narrow city streets. Due to the wet tiles on the street, one member of our party wrecked their bike after two previous near falls. Thankfully, she wasn't seriously hurt, but had a large bruise on her cheek and a sizeable scrape on her knee. We returned to the hotel without seeing the park. Our travel agent, Diana, was exceptionally concerned about the injury and make sure our injured traveler did not need additional care. Diana also immediately refunded our fees for the tour.
Dear Robin,
Thank you so much for your kind words about our service and your overall experience. It truly means a lot!
I am super happy to know that you and your family had a wonderful time in Portugal. We did our best to make sure you'd have un unforgettable trip! I look forward to welcoming you back to my small but very charming country!
Once again, thank you for your trust - Obrigada!!
Your Friend in Portugal - Diana