Thanks KimKim and Antonia!
Slovenia | Aug 3 - Aug 11, 2024

Ann
Ann E.
Canton, MI | Reviewed on Aug 16, 2024

Our agent Antonia did a fabulous job planning a terrific trip to Slovenia and Croatia. It was action-packed with lots of adventure -- canyoning, paragliding, hiking, etc. -- and we were able to see all the highlights. What I most appreciate about KimKim was the way that Antonia was in constant touch with us during the trip -- making dinner reservations, suggesting additional places to visit, trouble-shooting, and, most importantly, helping us avoid a large fine (and get back on track) when we accidentally made a detour into Austria. The other guides Antonia arranged for us were also terrific and highly knowledgeable -- Luka on Debela Peč and Tara at Plitvice Lakes -- and we appreciated the suggestion that we meet a beekeeper.

Hotel Reviews
AS BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Ljubljana

This hotel was the best of our trip. It was cute, perfectly located, nestled in a courtyard off the street, and the staff was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Bled Rose
Bled

A great hotel. Great food, felt luxurious (our room was huge, but my daughter's not so much). The location was perfect -- right on the lake, but with parking. The staff was helpful, and the breakfast was terrific. My only complaint was that, for a luxury hotel, they missed on a few details: the cosmetics mirror was broken in our room, as was the toilet paper holder (which meant the paper kept falling off onto the floor).

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Residence Rovinj&
Rovinj

The hotel was nice enough, but it would have been better to be closer in to town, and this one was probably our least favorite because the beds were hard.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
16 Lakes Hotel
Rakovica

I wish we could have spent more time here to take advantage of all the amenities. The hotel was adorable & our room was quite large (& not just because it had 3 beds). The restaurant was excellent, which was nice because we got in so late.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
Zagreb

This might have been our least favorite hotel. The bathrooms were inconveniently laid out & the bathroom door was wobbly & loud. The vibe wasn't as nice as the other, more modern, hotels, and the food at the restaurant was just mediocre. Check-in & check-out took so much longer than everywhere else & the staff wasn't particularly friendly.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Honey Tour with Local Beekeeper
Honey Tour with Local Beekeeper
Slovenia

The kids (young adults) loved this activity & were fascinated. Our host was excellent & informative & we learned a lot about bees & beekeeping from her. The honey-tasting was fun and educational as well. My one complaint was that there wasn't enough time scheduled for this event. While it only took one hour for the tour & discussion, we were supposed to arrive early for our next activity at 11 & that meant that we didn't have enough time for the honey-tasting or to try anything at the honey cafe. This event shouldn't be scheduled so close to another timed event, as most people would need at least 90 minutes at the beekeeper's shop and possibly close to 2 hours.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Hike to Debela Peč Mountain
Hike to Debela Peč Mountain
Slovenia

This was a fantastic, rigorous hike. Our guide, Luka, was knowledgeable about the whole area & taught us a lot (& he was pretty easy on the eyes too!). It was nice having him to guide us, as selecting the path could get a bit confusing. As athletic as he was, he was also good at adjusting his pace to ours. I'm glad we summitted by one route & came down by another. The view from the top was amazing. The mountain hut was also perfectly placed for a good -- and seemingly authentic -- snack on the way down. I'm also glad we started early because, even though rain didn't turn out to be an issue, that left us sufficient time to explore more of Bled in the afternoon.

Canyoning Experience in Slovenia
Canyoning Experience in Slovenia
Bovec

This was a terrific experience & the kids loved it. People should be warned that one not only needs to be fit for the experience, but REALLY fit (although I managed at age 66). I might have preferred to start this activity somewhat earlier in the day because, with a 4:30 pm start, it got a little chilly -- & rushed -- toward the end. One of the guides was great (Peter?) -- kind, encouraging, & sweet -- but the other was a little pushy & negative with the members of the group, who were a bit more cautious (all women). He kept complaining that the group was too large, but that wasn't our fault.

Tandem Paragliding over the Soča Valley
Tandem Paragliding over the Soča Valley
Bovec

This activity was wonderful. It was exciting & just generally delightful. We all loved most of our guides -- Martin, Joseph, & Mimi (not so much Robert) -- & they were determined to make the experience fun. I will admit that I had trouble getting off the ground & my tandem guide (Robert) got pretty snappy about the way I kept falling & screwing up our launch. Fortunately, Mimi (the driver) insisted that there was no quitting in paragliding & she gave me some encouragement & feedback that, ultimately, helped me get airborne with Robert on our 5th try. We also learned a lot from all the guides -- about paragliding, about Slovenia & Slovenian history, & about the impact of climate change on paragliding.

Private Guided Hike of Plitvice Lakes National Park - (Lower & Upper Lakes)
Private Guided Hike of Plitvice Lakes National Park - (Lower & Upper Lakes)
Croatia

Plitvice is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, & we loved the hike. We were delighted with the K Hike because a significant portion of the trail took us away from the crowds (which were the only downside to Plitvice). We really enjoyed hiking with Tara, although it was clear that she was a knowledgeable guide & a sweet young women, but not a great or experienced hiker. She struggled with the uphill portion of the K hike. But she pushed through, which was impressive.

Local specialist: Antonia Ljuština