Anita, and the entire KimKim team, did a mast...
Portugal
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May 24 - Jun 6, 2024
![Ken](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/9e363ab74586e53c3a4671b57a0addd47d9b4273/original-82e8881727758c3222ccef894385b2bf.jpg)
Anita, and the entire KimKim team, did a masterful job of organizing and executing our two week visit to Portugal. Travel staff put together an agenda which ensured we saw and experienced Portugal from top to bottom, and by the trip conclusion we had come to fully appreciate what makes this wonderful country unique. Perhaps, most impressive was the fact that if there was an item on our agenda, no matter where or when it was, the expected person, van, bicycle, kayak, boat, jeep, rental car, airplane, etc. was there right on time to take us to the next part of our agenda. Yes - some people may wonder if you could plan this trip without travel professionals like Anita and KimKim, and we did at the onset. However, we can say now with absolute certainty that our 2 weeks in Portugal could never have been so thorough, so eventful, and so memorable, had we not engaged with KimKim. We are most thankful for all the hard work and professionalism brought to our holiday experience and for the ways in which this made our Portugal visit truly special. We tip our hat to the excellent work of Anita and team.
Hotel Reviews
Location and staff were amazing! 10 out of 10. The particular room we were given was slightly dated but served us well overall and we appreciated having a nice outdoor balcony on our room.
We spent only one night in this hotel but found it to be comfortable, clean, modern, and with very friendly staff.
Beautiful hotel, modern clean rooms with helpful staff and a great bar up on the roof.
We loved this hotel. Super friendly staff, great view, large clean room, and wonderful pools to swim in. The complimentary breakfast was the best of our entire trip. At first it may seem like there are not many restaurants nearby but an easy 5 minute walk puts you in touch with some great bars and food establishments, just need to go looking. Walking into the city of Funchal was possible from here and it was nice to be away from the noise of the city. Great choice for this property.
Beautiful, clean, modern hotel in walking distance from the Airport. Great for transfers but not great as a vacation destination property as it’s too far from most of the Lisboa attractions.
Activity Reviews
![Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/857376f93cbacf919204039030a743e38ce1b767/medium-49d91fbc80654704cd5516609924b513.jpg)
What a breathtaking experience this was. The scenery was out of this world. A must visit for anyone coming to the Porto area of Portugal.
![Foodie Experience in Porto](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/0a21d8b9efc5c93c8fd09cece66aa42bf9d137fa/medium-fbd08bb720413e700766560a5894b8cb.jpg)
This was fantastic and in our opinion a must do for people visiting Porto. Our guide and all the restaurants who welcomed us were outstanding. Highly recommended.
![Guided Visit to Porto](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/089bdee42ba26a0d80d896e8f02c4698c451d12c/medium-99d6f726d622edfd774a84453aa2fe7c.jpg)
This was a great tour for us but we could see that it may not be right for everyone. We loved the up close experience we had to seeing the sights of Porto but in doing so you need to put your steep hill shoes on and be prepared to navigate some crazy streets and sidewalks. 100% ok for us but perhaps not for all. Our guide did a great job of looking after us.
![Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/c394001945776ed962787462c821d8ef934b37e6/medium-3c3774cc2c6e54e176274de846cd1d5c.jpg)
Beautiful, breathtaking, spectacular scenery and a wonderful guide
![Small Group Excursion to Sintra & Pena Palace](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/6f7ee8c6cb9f8725a7e478366224f4e80353e4bd/medium-b47fff23400a2fb0d34ef019b8181bd5.jpg)
This one is a “must” for visitors to Portugal. It will be an entire day excursion in a van but worth every minute in our opinion. We were also fortunate to have a tour guide at the “expert” level and one that even had a plan-B for every delay or possible interruption we encountered. This trip could not have gone more smoothly. Highly recommend.
![Dinner With Locals at a Local Home](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/2776f265376b21bc9260268185bdeb3961072327/medium-719f2ee1183952a48efcf158a8923f7b.jpg)
This one experience made our entire 2 week visit to Portugal worthwhile. We were welcomed into the home of Sofia and Carlos and they immediately made us feel like family. We enjoyed a beautiful home cooked meal, we laughed, told stories, and were treated like friends. I cannot envision a more genuine experience when visiting Portugal and full credit goes to our hosts Sofia’s and Carlos for this night. This is not something that could be repeated by just any host - this couple is truly special and they deserve a huge thanks for being such great ambassadors for the wonderful country of Portugal.
![Lisbon Up the Hills E-Bike Experience](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/01152f8b3e0abf63caa775ce0d0e6cea302e543f/medium-9e04508216a4654d9bc8a952c26b03db.jpg)
This was a fantastic way to see Lisbon. However, it turned out that pretty much our entire bike ride was either flat or downhill. As a result, there was really no need for an e-bike. At the same time, it would have also been great to have an option, even at extra cost, to keep the bike beyond the tour for extra exploring. We saw so many sights and wanted to return for a better look and a bicycle is the perfect vehicle for the excursion.
![Enchanted Terraces and Porto do Moniz Tour](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/4e29d2259f174a76468f20d386a2ce3f7e3aee50/medium-af8e7be4b34555f3ed6ab71fdd42990c.jpg)
Great experience and extremely worthwhile. We had set off to Madeira thinking that we would need to do several different tours of the island to see the highlights. Lo and behold, this one day trip in an open jeep took us to almost everywhere we had wanted to go. It was perfect and if one has only a few days to spend on Madeira then this is a great way to have a condensed high quality experience. Our tour guide was funny, informative, a great driver, and went above and beyond for everyone’s benefit. Job well done here.
![Garajau Nature Reserve: Kayaking, Snorkeling & Cliff Diving](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/95251f295ac3330946eb5e53c290eb92c75a3a53/medium-c02f1b7af3151e64efa8bf640500da07.jpg)
This was an enjoyable experience and we were most grateful to see the Madeira shoreline by kayak and then to snorkel in the protected waters of the Atlantic. The facility we left shore from was first class. Our only concern on this trip was that the nice young man who was our guide was really put in a very difficult position. He never complained or asked for anyone’s help but he was expected to single handedly launch, and then lift 75 lb. kayaks up out of the ocean, and pull them solo up a 6 ft ladder with just a rope wrapped around his arm. He wouldn’t let his customers (us) help him and it’s a miracle he wasn’t physically injured by his job. We felt sorry for him and his employer should be checked for creating an unsafe work environment. I think the young man didn’t want to complain and we sensed that he greatly valued the job he’d been given. Just a bit sketchy to watch.
![Anita](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/49a0a4f76b1f80c21d86abef76eea6edb586eece/original-8a79761431b2fbf953fb3cfde22c643a.jpg)
Hi Ken & Sharon, thank you very much for taking the time to submit your trip review. I am pleased to hear you had a great time in Portugal and will pass along your kind words to all the team and our local guides. I am surprised to hear about your excursion to Douro and I'll make sure to check what happened that day so that it doesn't repeat.
I hope to work together again for your future trips to Europe. Thank you for choosing Espíritu Travel Family!! I wish you all the best 😍