Our first time using a travel agent - and it was a great experience!
Greece
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Jun 18 - Jun 25, 2024
I am thrilled I found KimKim and was lucky enough to work with Chris. My overall experience was excellent and I have recommended KimKim to several friends since using it.
Chris was our main point of contact. He was incredibly accommodating and helpful during the planning process. I have never used a travel agent before and this was a really good first experience. I made several changes early on in accommodations and Chris made sure to listen to concerns and try to find a solution. We did have two hiccups on the trip. Our hotel reservations were not for the correct on the last day (which the hotel helped us fix by finding accommodations at a sister hotel but we did loose half a day trying to figure out the arrangement) and one of the tours was not what we had signed up for and had a different focus than what we intended (but the tour guide was very helpful and rearranged so we were able to see some of the sites we had planned on seeing). However, those are just two of many moving parts and we were really happy with how smoothly the trip went.
All of the transports were excellent and on time. The hotels were perfect for our family. The Heredion Hotel apartment was spacious and had a lovely balcony. The only draw back was that it smelled like cigarette smoke and they would only give us one key so when our group split up we had to wait for the other party to come back before we could enter. Having two keys would be recommended. A highlight was the rooftop - where we had drinks and looked out on the Acropolis. On Naxos we stayed a the Galaxy - which we enjoyed. The Galaxy was a little smaller than we were expecting and one room had an issue with ants -but the location was ideal, the staff was incredibly warm and helpful and we would absolutely stay there again.
Our tour guide Georgina was a gem! It was the highlight for our children and she was so thoughtful and intelligent. She spent a wonderful afternoon talking about mythology with our kids and while we covered enormous ground, she never rushed us. On Naxos we took a cooking class with Katrina and her mother Maria and we loved the time we spent in their home. It was fun and interesting - and super delish. We have even made some of the recipes here at home. Out tour guide on Naxos was a certified guide and she was also very knowledgeable of the Island and the mythology.
The initial planning gets 5 stars, our guides and transports get 5 stars, our hotels were excellent and Chris, our trip planner was amazing. We look forward to using KimKim again.
Hotel Reviews
Staff was very welcoming. We rented the family apartment and it was spacious with a wonderful balcony. The kitchen was fully stocked and the bathrooms were beautiful. Our favorite is the roof top bar - such an amazing view. A few little things for improvement: There was only one key and when we asked for two they were unable to give us another one. That meant that when our group split up we had to coordinate access to the apartment. Also the lights in the hall and stairway were out the time we were there and it was very dark. The apartment also smelled of cigarette smoke. Finally - we ordered vegetarian to go lunches. We confirmed that they were vegetarian. They were not vegetarian.
The rooms were a little smaller than we had anticipated (three of our children shared a room that was pretty tight). However, everything else about this hotel was excellent. Wonderful location, beautiful pool, very plentiful breakfast. The rooms were clean and the showers were modern. The best part of the stay was the staff. They were very helpful. On our last day as we headed out to the beach they let us know that the tour guide had not booked that night. There was a mix up and we didn't have rooms for the last night. However, they quickly tried to resolve the issue and found a room at a nearby hotel for half of our party and the other half was able to stay in their room. We really appreciated their help and the guidance they gave us about seeing different beaches on the island.
Activity Reviews
Georgina was the best! Out of an entire week in Greece - this was one of our favorite activities. Georgina was very knowledgeable, adapted to our questions and interests, and had a wonderful way of sharing information. We covered so much of the old part of the city and learned so much.
We had a great driver who gave us lots of background information on the countryside. Our cooking class with Katrina and Maria was wonderful. Not too rushed, but we did quite a bit. We all really enjoyed the food and our instructors made the class interesting to all of us (adults and kids). It felt like visiting with old friends when we sat around and ate lunch. Highly recommend this class to anyone!
This ended up being a really nice tour. However, the tour we thought we were getting (which focused more on mythology) was not the one the tour guide thought she was giving. The tour that was planned was a little more for younger children and less focused on the mythology of the island - which we were really interested in. That being said, once we realized the disconnect, our guide was super accommodating and made arrangements to visit at least one temple (the one we really wanted to see). She was luckily a licensed guide and she was very knowledgeable. We were so luck to have had her. We visited a farm/petting zoo. We probably could have shortened that part - but the kids had fun and the Owner was hilarious. He had such a welcoming manner and he and his pet sheep were very entertaining. Our lunch was delicious - perhaps one of the best of the trip.
Hello Teresa, and thank you very much for your detailed review and comments, much appreciated!
I understand that there were a few hiccups along the way but I am also very glad we were able to accommodate and address any issues right on the spot, and that your overall experience and trip were 5 stars, as you said! I truly appreciate your kind words.
Next time you wish to visit Greece, I will be happy to help again. Until then, I wish you and your family all the best and a wonderful rest of your summer!
Kind regards and safe travels,
Chris