Perfect trip in every way
Italy
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Oct 6 - Oct 19, 2024
I expect something to go wrong on any overseas trip; it seems impossible that with so much ground to cover that something would fall through or go sideways. Amazingly, nothing went wrong on this trip. Every detail was covered and Irene answered every possible question before it came up. We met every driver at the exact time they were scheduled to be there and every guide was excellent. The only thing we would have changed is having a driver meet us in Florence and drive us to the hotel, since the hotel was literally across the street from the station. It would have been easier to walk to the hotel; there was no need for a driver. We loved the itinerary in every city. Our cooking class in Florence was one of the highlights of our trip. The instructor provided excellent directions and advice on how to make and cook the dishes and she was quite funny as well, which added to the fun. The sights, smells, and tastes of each destination made for an unforgettable experience. I would recommend kimkim to anyone--especially our planner, Irene. Thank you!!!
Hotel Review
This is a quirky, fun, and very comfortable hotel in Levanto. They provide a whole panoply of extras that add to the appeal: a delicious and unique breakfast bar, an assortment of bikes to borrow for free, Netflix (in case of a rainy evening that you want to spend in rather than going out), a few jars of cookies available at any time, a piano and guitar in the reception area for anyone to play, and very friendly and helpful staff. A great place to hang out!
Activity Reviews
The Amalfi Coast, due to its popularity, is now bumper to bumper traffic, so the best way (in my opinion) to see it is on foot, hiking the Path of the Gods. It is utterly gorgeous scenery the whole way, and the trip is accompanied musically by grazing brown goats adorned with bells that echo throughout the mountains. The path is not difficult, although it is often rocky and alternates from climbing to descents the whole way. At the end, there are somewhere between 1500 to 1700 steps to get down to the road that leads to the incredible town of Positano. Once you get to Positano, the climbing is not done--you have to go down to get to the beach, and up to get anywhere else. I'm convinced that anyone who lives in Positano has remarkable glutes and quads.
Mount Vesuvius provides some incredible views of Napoli and the surrounding countryside. Pompeii is much bigger than I could imagine and our guide was so knowledgable about the history of the place and people who once inhabited the city. It's a stunning site that should not be missed, but the one thing that made it such a fantastic adventure was our guide. He added so much value to our experience.
Venice is an incredible place, but if you stick to St Mark's square, you have no idea of what Venice is all about. We had a guide who was from Venice and knew her way around the tiny streets and quiet piazzas, as well as informing us about the history of Venice and how it came to be built (on a swamp!) and what is happening now with the city and its inhabitants. The real Venice is outside of the heavily-trafficked tourist areas, and it is beautiful and quiet and utterly amazing.
Super fun! Our instructor was excellent! We got to eat the food we made, and it was one of the best meals we had during out whole trip.