Kimkim Trip Reviews

Everyone's nightmare - loosing your phone in a foreign country 12 hours before departure! Upon arriving back at our hotel on the last night, one traveler realized he had lost his phone. We'd been on two boats and a taxi! We immediately messaged KimKim and they began contacting the cruise and transfer company. Then using Find My Phone, the location was determined and KimKim contacted the transfer driver. Without KimKim, this would have been a lost phone and a frantic traveler!

We had the most amazing time in the Greek Islands of Naxos, Milos and Santorini! Naxos was our favorite because it is not very touristy and the staff at Villa Marandi. Villa Marandi is a little gem about 10 minutes outside of Chora (Naxos Town) and requires cabs or a car for each trip. I would recommend renting a car for ultimate freedom to explore beaches and villages. We were able to rent a minivan - we were a party of 6 - for $75 Euro a day. Cabs cost us $80+ tip for each round trip into town because we needed 2 cars.

The staff at Villa Marandi treated you like family every time you returned. They were super responsive to every request, and the food and drinks were top notch! The resort is located on the beach and has a beautiful pool. I would definitely recommend staying at Villa Marandi and renting a car.

We did a Cultural & Food Tour with Labrena (Ray of Sunshine in Greek) and she lived up to her name! She was the perfect ambassador to Naxos! We took a sail with Naxos Sailing with Captain Ana and Firstmate Harris. They were excellent.

In Milos, we ventured out on sea kayaks on a windy chilly day. The crew had sea skirts for us which enclosed our torsos and legs in the kayak, keeping us dry and warm. The sites were beautiful and the water refreshing!

In Santorini, we took a sunset cruise on a private boat where the crew took great care of us! We saw stunning sites, swam, had an amazing dinner, and saw a lovely sunset.

In Athens, we toured the Acropolis with Effie who was an amazingly knowledgable guide not just about the ancient sites but Athens and Greek life in general. We truly enjoyed our time with her.

Hotel Reviews

Miland Suites Milos

Milos

This is a stunning hotel but it does not have a bar or restaurant. Since it is also very remote - on a hillside near nothing - you cannot walk to a market, restaurant or bar. Taxi's to town vary in price. To go to Platka, it is $50+ tip! If you are staying here, you should rent a car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not far from town, but isolated.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lilium Santorini Hotel

Santorini

The view is unmatched! Lounge chairs facing the crater. The staff is excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athina

Right in the heart of Old Town Athens!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Marandi Luxury Suites Naxos

Naxos

You must stay here! You will be treated like family by the entire staff. We seriously did not want to leave. Located on a private beach, this is a true gem.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view and resort are amazing! The only downside is that you need a car to go anywhere.

Staff

I would give them 10 stars! 5 is not enough

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-day Private Catamaran Cruise around Naxos Island

Naxos

Ana and Harris were great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Town Private Cultural Food Tour

Naxos

Labrena was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Santorini

The tour guide did not have a plan and did not seem informed. Luckily, Art Space Winery was AMAZING!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

George was not prepared nor knowledgable

Transport

Private Milos Kayaking Tour

Milos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael Was fantastic, he responded immediately to all our questions, concerns and unexpected issues. I highly recommend kimkim

This is my first time using KimKim and they were amazing! Anna began planning our trip (then went on maternity leave) so Christina took over. Even on a weekend there was an on-call person Mathia that responded to our questions in a timely fashion. AND not just questions about what they had planned for us, other questions regarding our trip..."How much to do think it would cost to take a taxi from A to B? Should I tip and how much?" You never felt alone and it was awesome to have a resource at your fingertips that lived and knew the country you were visiting. I would highly recommend them if you want your trip customized and at a reasonable cost. 6/5 STARS!

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Wonderful hotel and excellent staff. The breakfast was amazing! It is very central to everything and close to the main train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and as comfortable as it could be. I only say that as we arrived during a heat wave and they (and most hotels in Europe ) didn't have air-conditioning. They did supply a fan to our room., but with upcoming global warming they may wish to consider it, but I'm sure this happens only 3-4 days of the year and I just happen to hit the 'heat wave' they were having.

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

This is THE PLACE to stay in Flam. It was amazing and so beautifully decorated. Their breakfast buffet was absolutely amazing! I'm sure their dinner buffet (675K is about $67US p/p or $100CAN) which is a stiff price to pay if you're not that hungry, but I will say we could see lobster and a plethora of other seafood as a choice among many other food stations at the buffet, so I'm sure it was amazing. All of Flam seems to 'roll up their sidewalks" at 6pm, so I wish the hotel could have offered a less expensive meal option. (Perhaps they did and I just didn't know about it). It is definitely and nicest and best place to stay in Flam and I would do it again, no problem.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was just perfect!

Sogn Hotel

Vadheim

This hotel is a bit scary (for us older folks) as it appears at first glance there is graffiti everywhere! There were pictures in the lobby and each door had graffiti art done by a well known Oslo artist. Upon entering the room it was clean and nicely maintained with THE MOST amazing view looking down a fjord. Since we arrived around dinner time and everything was closed they did offer us dinner, which was pizza or pizza. Very nicely made. Included breakfast was yogourt + cereal but we were offered bacon and eggs which we did not realize was not part of the 'included breakfast'. (our mistake). I was looking for fresh fruit with breakfast and there was none, as was explained to me that there are supply chain issues being in Vadheim (aka, the middle of nowhere). It's owned by a lovely couple who are in the midst of trying to upgrade the hotel (new carpeting was coming and they were planning a complete re-do in the coming years). The bus depot is also right outside their front door, so that couldn't have been easier to continue our trip.

Authenticity & Character

The character came from the graffiti

Location

It's central, near the bus and their is a grocery store a 1/2 block away.

Staff

Lovely couple, Ruth and Mark

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless as was the bathroom. I did have to request a hairdryer which Ruth brought to me.

Activity Reviews

Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

This was ok, but it took 1.5 hrs. It was 0 .5hr to get there and 0.5hr to get back to you only get to spend 0.5hrs there. Buses are clean and comfortable. The bus driver simply drove and did not include any commentary along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Give a commentary as you're driving...

Transport

The buses were clean and comfortable

Fjord Safari Taste

Norway

This would be top of my list to do in Flam! You got right down into the fjord and up close and personal with the waterfalls. It was just awesome. They fit you out with proper gear, including googles. The guide was so entertaining and informative too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful in getting the gear on and the tour guide was very informative and funny

Transport

It got you up close and personal with the fjord and waterfalls.

This was our first time using kimkim and did so based on the reviews we read. We could not have been more pleased. Every planned experience went like clockwork and the hotel choices were perfect for us. Anu’s perception of us was on point with the selected excursions. The highlight was the RIB Fjord Safari. The reason to go to Norway. Also really enjoyed the Cultural and Food Tour in Bergen. Mary Anne was great. The Vigeland Garden in Oslo cannot be missed. Balestrand was our favorite overall destination, so charming and picturesque with a fabulous hotel and delicious ciders. Thank you all for your help and we are already thinking of next year.

Hotel Reviews

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

We really enjoyed our stay at the Kviknes Hotel. The room was large and comfortable with a killer view and the old part of the hotel is beautiful. We described it as old world meets Viking. The breakfast was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Small rooms but comfortable. Good location

Authenticity & Character

Lotion in bathroom. Better view.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Like going back in time. Great location and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret

Bergen

Beautiful hotel and perfect location. Staff were the best and the food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Dinner Cruise in the Oslofjord

Oslo

Food was very good and sights amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Stegastein Viewpoint with a bus

Norway

View is everything. Very touristy but good bus ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer RIB boat Safari Local Taste of Undredal

Flåm

Overall our favorite on the trip. Exciting, beautiful, comfortable and professionally done. Could not have been better. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Fjærland

Norway

Enjoyed the experience. Glacier museum is well done and informative. Thought we would be closer to the glacier itself but not possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride the Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

View is incredible and ride very smooth. As must for Bergen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

Our second favorite experience on the trip. Our guide Mary Anne was ideal. The food we had was delicious and quite filling and the tour around town was perfect. Highly recommend this excursion.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 1: Thursday, May 16, 2024 Florence Hotel Berchielli
Arrival in Florence, Duomo Florence and Tour – Lucia was delightful and gave us a very in depth tour of the Duomo, its Baptistry, and Museum. As our first guide of the trip she provided a great introduction to Florence and the intersection of the history or the church and city. We ended up not climbing to the dome, because it started to rain when we were waiting in line for them to start entry, and I think because we were exhausted by that time.
Hotel Berchielli – We loved this hotel. It was so wonderful to open the windows and just watch the activity on the street and river below. The room was comfortable and beautifully decorated. Breakfast each morning had attentive wait staff and a great variety.
Day 2: Friday, May 17, 2024 Florence Hotel Berchielli
Florence small group guided walk including Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery – Sabilla was our guide for all but the Uffizi Gallery. She was so knowledgeable about every aspect of Florence as well as the art we saw. It was very helpful to have the earbuds that enabled us to hear her from a distance.
Day 3: Saturday, May 18, 2024 Florence to Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Time at your leisure in Greve in Chianti., and Montefioralle. As it turned out we spent very little time in Greve and Montefioralle. Stefano our wonderful driver, seemed to know these would be short stops, so took us to Castellina which we enjoyed quite a bit. A nice place to stop and have a drink and bite to eat, shop and great views.
Wine tasting with light lunch and winery visit Poggio Amorelli – While we didn’t enjoy the wine, we absolutely loved our guide there and the delicious lunch. And of course, the view.
Hotel Santa Caterina. While the room itself was very basic there were pluses to this hotel. The staff and owner were very nice. They made dinner reservations for us every night. Roberto was always there ready to make us drinks as we sat around with other guests.
There was quite a bit of road noise all day and night. The contrast was the pastoral view sitting in the back garden of the hotel. I realize this is a small hotel, but the breakfast choices were small. Best was its proximity to the walled city.
Day 4: Sunday, May 19, 2024 Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Siena guided tour, Siena Cathedral entrance ticket. We spent the beginning of our day just relaxing in the hotel garden. Our tour with Roberta started promptly at 14:00. We really enjoyed this tour too! We loved learning everything about the 17 neighborhoods and the race. After our tour of the Duomo we did walk up to the dome and tower. Even for someone who has issues with heights, this was very easy.
Day 5: Monday, May 20, 2024 Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Wine Day – Tenuta Vallocaia – We loved our afternoon at this winery. The winery was beautiful, the lunch was very creative and delicious. They provided a custom wine tasting. After each wine they would adjust the next provided based on our tastes. We do have a case being sent to us…
Ciacci Piccolomini – This was a smaller winery. The tasting was fine. The views were beautiful.
Pienza - Our driver Carlo, who we also loved, added a stop in Pienza. This too was a nice addition. Lovely shops and views.
Day 6: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Siena to Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Lucca guided walk (private guide). We met our guide Lucia at the welcome center who took us on a detailed tour of Lucca, it history and walls. It was also interesting to learn about her family, spread between Italy and the US and the cross culture experiences she has had.
She also pointed us to an excellent pastry shop!
Cinque Terre time at your leisure. We learned right away about the hills of Cinque Terre, needing to bring our luggage a few blocks from above Monterosso to our hotel. Thankfully, Carlo and the hotel desk person helped us. We spent the remainder of the day relaxing in the tiered garden above the hotel. Just a gorgeous view surrounded by lemon, lime and olive trees.
The hotel Amici – The room was small as we expected, but very efficiently designed so it worked well. While our immediate view wasn’t of the water, walking around the corner of our patio provided a beautiful water view. The staff was very helpful especially Nadia, the desk person I mentioned. The breakfast was the best, offering a great variety.
Day 7: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Cinque Terre Card, Cinque Terre visit - private guide. – Julia our guide met us at the hotel then walked us to the train. We visited Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza.
Day 8: Thursday, May 23, 2024 Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Cinque Terre - Free day. Because the trains were so crowded we decided to stay in Monterosso. We walked a trail that started up the street from our hotel and ran into a beautiful winery and vineyard, Buranco. We came back at noon for a wine tasting. While we didn’t enjoy their wine, the people were lovely as was the view.
Our favorite restaurant – probably of the whole trip was L’Osteria in Monterosso. We went there two times.
Day 9: Friday, May 24, 2024 Cinque Terre to Florence Palazzo Alfieri
Stefano was great, going to the trouble to fill out paperwork so that he could pick us up in town. The ride was beautiful back to Florence.
As I told you before, the Palazzo Alfieri was very nice. Since it was Friday, Florence was more crowded than our first two days. So, we mostly stayed near the hotel which was close walking distance to Pitti Palace.
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens guided visit. I cannot remember the name of our guide, but she was also very knowledgeable about the history and art within the Palace.
Day 10: Saturday May 25, 2024 Depart Florence Florence to Florence Airport (FLR)
Our driver for the airport ride was very prompt. At 5:30AM we had no problem getting through the city.

Summary: This trip absolutely met all the expectations that I had. Andrea's attentiveness to all the details in planning and willingness to make changes before and during our trip was the reason it was such a wonderful experience.
Thanks for everything…
Sue English-Kovar

This was our 2nd international trip with Kimkim. The first was in Greece- exceptional communication & tours were exactly as described. We had a couple of things that concerned us this time. First- our first tour - we (& another couple at a different resort) were told by Rosie that the transportation to the tour was a 40min drive. It was 3hours each way! Due to another stop for another party- 6 hours on a bus-longer than the tour. Also- ended up with car sickness.
Second: we knew the surfing needed to be booked on & paid on site. We were told to book dives onsite with due to levels & sites- BUT we were led to believe it 2dives 2 days were paid for in our price. This was even listed under “The included” section in our itinerary. We were approached to pay upon check-out. Ruth then stated she explained we had to book onsite to the owner & said she told us more than once- Not the case- we did not know it wasn’t paid for. Super disappointed & pretty sure with the amount of money we have spent on this trip - I would not recommend Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, an IHG Hotel

Natadola, Fiji

Authenticity & Character

Too American like

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Malolo Island Resort

Nadi Airport

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Taveuni

Waiyevo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Transportation guide was a bit uncomfortable- personal truck that was very dirty & smelled very bad-just needs to be cleaned -

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were super hard

Activity Reviews

Jewel of Fiji Tour

Fiji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Was told 40 min drive was 3 hours each way

Welcome to Fiji !

Fiji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cave Tour

Fiji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Taveuni

Taveuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Taveuni

Taveuni

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro put together a spectacular trip for us, based upon what we were interested in exploring. The drivers, especially Andre and Ricardo were a wealth of knowledge and so kind, flexible and helpful. The guides in Lisbon, Porto and Évora were very knowledgeable and kept us moving. They all knew our interests and dietary restrictions based upon notes provided from Pedro. Andre took us to Sintra, and then Obidos and Nazaré on the way to Porto. He was so much fun! He also returned us to Lisbon from Lagos and were now friends for life. Ricardo took us from Porto with a stop in Belmonte and the cork factory in Evora, a long but enjoyable day. We walked over 5 miles each day, so we covered a lot of ground! A highlight was the hike with Nuno in Serra Do Estrela, just stunning! In Lagos the boat ride to the Benagil caves should not be missed. All the hotels selected by Pedro were perfectly located and had great service. Pedro kept in touch very frequently and also worked with us to change some pick up times when we wanted to modify our schedule. All told, it was a spectacular trip and worry-free because Pedro was always available to us and made sure we were happy.

Our family (me, my husband, and our two sons aged 21 and 27) travelled to Athens, Rome, and Sorrento May 22 through 30. 2024. This was a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip for all of us. Both of the boys have always been very interested in ancient history, so that informed our choices on this trip.

Everything in Athens was perfect! Hotel staff was friendly and helpful. The guides we got were very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The sights were amazing, obviously. Food was good! Shopping was fun! Locals were lovely! Weather was gorgeous! Really, I couldn’t ask for any improvement. If I could find a Diet Pepsi in the city, I think I could move here.

We were rather disappointed with our time in Rome, although some of it was beyond anyone's control. On our first day there we had a tour scheduled for ‘Ancient Basilicas and the Catacombs.’ We were instructed to meet the tour guide in front of a hotel a ten-minute walk away. As we loitered around the front of the hotel for 15 minutes, (since we were told to arrive early), we spoke to one man who said he had the tour of the catacombs, but it started at 2:30, not 2:00 like we thought. So, we waited and wandered around some more. Finally figured out that was not our tour and found the correct guide. We were also told it was not a private tour, which is why we had to meet someplace that wasn’t our hotel, but we were the only people on the tour. The tour guide was lovely and interesting. The next day was a free day. It also happened to be the day of a cycling ‘tour of Italy’ event. Streets closed, crowds, grumpy taxi drivers. The third day we had a tour scheduled for the Colosseum, Palatine hill and the Forum. Got to the meeting place 15-20 minutes early and tried to figure out where we were supposed to be. There were tour guides there, but none of the names of the tour companies matched anything I had. The original tour guide didn’t show up. Finally figured it out and got underway. This tour was really not very pleasant. Maybe because she was late or was called in at the last moment, she moved like she was in a race. Barely time to take any pictures. Often she was so far away that the audio cut out on the headsets. “You see my scarf? Andiamo!!” Her commentary sounded like memorized bullet points from an index card. And then we got to the Colosseum. I could not believe the crowd. Impossible to see anything, impossible to hear the guide, really miserable. Looking back at my conversations with Emi, this is really where I would have hoped for a little more local insight. Maybe we shouldn’t have done the traditional tour of the Colosseum. Maybe we could have just done the floor tour. I would have appreciated her input here instead of just saying “you have to buy tickets for the floor tour yourself.” Pretty disappointed in the three days we spent here.

The next morning we were on the train to Naples. No problems on the trip and the driver met us even though we were about 45 minutes late. The hotel in Sorrento was amazing. I have never stayed in a hotel that nice and I’m sure I never will again. The tour guide for Pompeii was excellent. I wish we could have spent more time there – visited the museum and the gift shop. The boys went to Herculaneum the next day while my husband and I walked around Sorrento. (There was some confusion as the number of people on the tour was never changed from 4 to 2, as requested.) Again, the boys said the guide was excellent. Then back to Naples the next morning for our flight.

Overall it was a great trip. We saw so many amazing things and met some wonderful people. Since we are not big travelers and we are unlikely to ever do a trip like this again, I felt the pressure was on me to plan and execute a trip as close to perfect as possible. And it was, mostly. Just wish the days in Rome had worked out better.

We had an amazing Costa Rica adventure! Our KimKim specialist, Gustavo, listened to our (very long!) dream list of activities and patiently worked with me over several weeks to fine tune and work out the details. Each activity was perfect - from the arranged transportation, length of excursion, tour guide (each of them were AMAZING), and what we saw or experienced - and I would not have changed a single thing. We will definitely be working with KimKim again!

We loved our May 2024 trip to Ital. The KimKim team did a great job curating our travel and everything was seamless. The app was easy to use and our tours and accommodations were excellent. Fantastico!!!

Hotel Reviews

Passpartout Boutique Palace

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Secret Garden

Florence

The owners were so lovely and accomdating. It was a very unique place to stay and close to everything in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carnival Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Horti 14 Borgo Trastevere Hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Walking tour: Squares & Historic center

Rome

Our tour guide was lovely and so much fun to be with!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Wine Windows Tour

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murano Island Excursion

Venice

Very fun and informative tour guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Typical Dining Experience in a Local Home with Aperitivo

Rome

Excellent hosts. Food was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Private Tour

Rome

Excellent guide. Very informative!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I are not guided tour travelers, but I was concerned about the timing of our trip and worried we were too close to Scotland's tourist season. After searching some possible ideas, I came across Kim Kim and I was hooked up with Neil West. Neil is absolutely the best. He quickly understood the type of travelers we are and what we wanted to see and do while in Scotland. Neil put together a wonderful self-guided driving tour along the North Coast 500. We were able to stop where we wanted while still visiting the places Neil recommended. We especially loved Inverness (loved the Ness Walk hotel there - excellent choice) and the Isle of Skye. We also found the Granary Lodge, where the Castle of Mey is located such a wonderful hidden gem, and we were so glad we got to tour the castle and meet the woman whose family has taken care of the castle for five generations. We loved every minute of our trip to Scotland. It was everything I thought it would be - and more! We are already thinking about a return in the near future. We were also very happy that we got to meet Neil in person upon our arrival in Edinburgh, which helped set the tone for our three weeks in Scotland - thank you, Neil!

Hotel Reviews

Ness Walk

Inverness

The Ness Walk hotel was definitely one of my favorites. The staff was exceptional, our room was wonderful and the hotel's Afternoon Tea a delight. The hotel is perfectly situated on the river and easily walkable to other places around town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very attentive staff; catered to our every need

Cleanliness & Comfort

Summer Isles Hotel

Ullapool

This hotel was, simply put, awful. Our room smelled like the sewer, it was very cold as the heaters did not work, and the worst part was when I went to make a cup of tea in the room, I found a pubic hair in the tea mug.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was perfect; the hotel was not.

Staff

The restaurant staff was the only thing great about this hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above.

The Granary Lodge

Thurso

We arrived at this hotel quite late at night after having difficulty finding it. We were hungry and not in a mood to try to find somewhere to eat. The manager on duty was so kind and went into the kitchen and prepared a wonderful, little tray of food for us. She set the tone and it was wonderful. When we woke the next morning, we had no idea we were staying right next to the Castle of Mey. What a treat that was! Our only regret is that our stay was just for one night. We would have loved to stay a couple nights longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved this hotel, but it was extremely difficult to find as our car navigation could not get us there.

Staff

As noted above.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Duisdale House Hotel

Isle of Skye

On the surface, it is a lovely hotel. The location is good, the grounds are beautiful, excellent front desk staff (especially the blonde woman, but did not get her name) and we especially liked the two bartenders in the bar, who recommended the gins for us to try. Where the hotel fell short were the hotel rooms. The rooms would be very nice if not for the constant loud hum from the kitchen. We liked the hotel, but would not stay there again because of the hum. The excellent woman at the front desk told us she has brought up the issue with the owners many times, as guests have complained. If we were to go back to this hotel, we'd stay in one of the few cottages/guest houses on the property.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easily accessible

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Garrison

Fort William

This is a tough one. The location of the hotel is great. One can easily walk through town to restaurants, shopping, places of interest, etc. But the hotel itself is not that great. Playing off the fact that the building was once the "jail" is the draw, but it doesn't work. Our suite looked out over the back parking lot. We had to lug our bags up three flights of stairs. If you just need a quick hotel for one night, it's probably fine. But it wasn't our cup of tea.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pine Trees Hotel

Pitlochry

Loved the Pine Trees Hotel - and Pitlochry! What a wonderful town. Would definitely go back to Pitlochry and stay at the Pine Trees Hotel. We had the master suite, which was absolutely wonderful. Again, we were in Pitlochry for only one night and wish we could have stayed longer. It's definitely a longer-stay hotel. The staff was wonderful and very accommodating. Plus, a (very short) and nice walk into town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, an IHG Hotel

Edinburgh

As "tourist" town hotels go, it's location is great and easy to walk to everything around Edinburgh. We've stayed in better Kimpton properties.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Glass-bottom Boat Trip by Isle of Skye

Scotland

We went into this thinking - "it's a glass-bottom boat tour; we're from Florida, no big deal." However, I am so glad we did this boat trip. As we were driving to the Isle of Skye thinking that we'd have plenty of time to check into our hotel and relax, I received a text from the owner of the boat asking us if we could make it for the 2 p.m. cruise instead of the 4 p.m. cruise as we were the only two people booked for the 4 p.m. cruise. We knew we'd have to hustle, but I told her we would try to get there. Long story short, we made it there before 2 p.m. and as it turned out there were only three of us on the boat cruise. It was wonderful! We had the whole boat to ourselves and had wonderful conversations with the co-owner and the captain. We would not have had this much interaction had the boat been full. It was a wonderful boat cruise and visit to a ship wreck and salmon farm.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

There was torrential rain the evening of this cruise and were unable to do the cruise.

Private guided walk in Glencoe

Scotland

Loved every minute of our guided walk. David, our guide, was absolutely wonderful. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Stunning scenery. Would love to go back to the Glencoe area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blair Atholl Castle Entrance tickets

Pitlochry

Very stunning and interesting castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walk up Calton Hill

Edinburgh

Definitely worth the walk up Calton Hill.

Quality of Experience

We had an amazing trip. Everything was seamlessly taken care of for us. This is my first time not doing an organized group tour (I have done more than 40), and this was by far the better way to travel. Renata was able to find things that we never would have been able to do. Our locals guides were exceptional. Manuela, our Pantanal guide, was friendly, reliable, knowledgeable, and honestly really fun. Our stay at Barra Mansa was by far our favorite part of the trip. The folks there legitimately made us feel like we were at home. Manuela, also followed up to assist us in making bookings in Sao Paulo. She was fantastic.

Dai, our Bonito guide, was funny, had so many interesting stories, and was not afraid of jumping in and doing the adventure stuff alongside us. She made sure everything was taken care of for us.

Rocco, our Paraty guide, not only drove us all the way from Sao Paulo but also had extensive knowledge of the local history. He also recommended some places for our favorite meals on the entire trip. He went above and beyond to assist us in booking a last minute boat tour.

Bruno, our Sao Paulo guide, was extremely knowledgeable and able to read our group and pivot on a dime to make instant changes to our itinerary that suited us (MASP was amazing!). We all loved Sao Paulo by the end of the day.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. I can't say enough about how kind the people were, how delicious the food, and how beautiful the scenery. I would highly recommend using Kim Kim. We'll certainly be booking with them again.

As a minor detail, the GRU airport transfer and airport hotel we stayed at twice was the only negative experience we had the entire time. The GRU hotel van transfer was nearly impossible to figure out, especially after an overnight trip. We ended up getting a taxi, which was much quicker and more convenient. I wish we had just done that up front and saved us trekking all over the airport while exhausted only to not find the connection.

The airport hotel we stayed at in GRU was conveniently located and had a good breakfast but was otherwise somewhere I would not recommend to anyone. We ended up in the same room a week apart and it very clearly hadn't been cleaned other than the beds being remade. The bathroom was dirty and unhygienic, the table tops sticky, and something I had accidentally left 6 days earlier was still on the floor (which, I guess was lucky). It was also extremely loud and had an odd smell in the rooms.

Anita was so helpful from the beginning of planning my trip until the very last day that we were on vacation. She responded quickly with kind and patient information when I didn’t understand some of the processes. She was also so kind when I was the one making mistakes with times and reservations for things. Always gave me options that helped fix any mistake that I had made. We could not have had this fabulous vacation without her.
The guides that she arranged were amazing and very knowledgeable and friendly!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cortezo

Madrid

Liked the central location, however the room was small and extremely cramped. We did not have enough room for our luggage and walking space at the same time. Was very hard to sleep due to noise and having to sleep in twin beds. Breakfast and breakfast staff were kind, and food was good.

Authenticity & Character

Cleanliness

Location

Centrally located for us to walk anywhere.

Staff

Some of the registration staff were not very friendly or approachable, Breakfast staff were fantastic!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Croma Málaga

Málaga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

60 Balconies Recoletos

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

We found it harder to walk to places to eat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Personal Event at Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Tickets to the Fairy Tale Castle of Segovia

Spain

Struggled with reading the train tickets correctly, so we ended up being too late for our tour. We waited for over an hour for a taxi, even after calling for a ride several times. Anita came to our rescue though.

Quality of Experience

Madrid for Kids - Walking Tour with Activities & Snacks

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Great for the adults, kids lost a little interest. We were looking forward to going into the palace, but was cancelled due to the president of Ukraine visiting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anna was wonderful!!!! Friendly and extremely knowledgeable!! She tried to engage our two kids as best that she could.

Transport

Tapas Culinary Experience

Málaga

Loved hearing the history behind some of the food and restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

If I could give this trip more stars, I would. From the early stages of planning the trip month before into the days leading it, Agnes was great to work with and I was delighted to meet her the evening I arrived in person - what a nice surprise after months of talking virtually. She listened closely to what I wanted from the holiday and followed through with a trip plan carefully tailored to exactly what I wanted around Gorillas (habituation and trekking), Chimpanzee (habituation) and Golden Monkeys (trekking), with the addition of many wonderful experiences and game drives. All the lodges were carefully chosen together and I had a wonderful stay at each one. Particularly, I have dietary restrictions and she was very careful to let them know far in advance what I require successfully. I couldn't have asked for someone better to plan my trip! Agnes was a knowledgeable, efficient, friendly, attentive planner at all times.

When I arrived in Entebbe, I was greeted by Olive, a lovely addition to the Umoja team who was on hand throughout my trip if anything went wrong (it didn't, though!) and Khalif, my driver and guide in the first twelve days I was there.

Khalif was incredible as a guide and an amazing driver. His knowledge about all wildlife, culture, and all things his country added immeasurable value to my trip. He's also very easy to get along with as a person - great guy - and was able to stick handle any issues or concerns I had along our route with no difficulties. He called each place I was eating at (lodge or restaurant) to let them know about my dietary restrictions as well and helped me communicate where needed on them. Any group or person in his jeep will be lucky to have him as guide!

Shout out also to Bright, who drove me on the final two days of the trip to make sure I got to and from the airport - very knowledgeable and friendly as well - great job.

I would recommend Agnes and her team to anyone for a trip to East Africa! Thank you so much and hopefully I will see you on my next one!

Our visit to Norway was beyond our expectations. The original itinerary appeared to be amazing. However, due to Joseph’s special needs, changes were necessary. Thanks to Fenne, we had a wheelchair available at both hotels and needed to change hotels in Bergen. The Scandic Torget Bergen was in a perfect spot as the two bus tours started across the street. Both bus drivers were exceptional. The cider tour and fjord cruise to Flåm were highlights of our trip. We also enjoyed dinner at Engebret Cafe which was on the list of places to eat that you provided. We had no problem with all the tickets for the various events. We were also impressed how responsive team members were to our questions. Overall, we are very pleased. Thank you. Joseph & Patrick

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

We had a deluxe room so it was roomy with windows on two sides. The most amazing feature though was the breakfast — so many choices! On the negative side, the shower had no hand bars for safety, did not limit water to shower area, and the shampoo pump was difficult. There are no hand towels and the bath towels barely wrap around one’s body. The air in the room was still and warm and barely improved with oscillating desk fan.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It seemed to be in the middle of centre city — only blocks up from City Hall and piers and a stroll along Karl Johans gate.

Staff

Friendliness and helpfulness

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Here we had an accessibility room which did not offer adequate space for luggage — no dresser. Beds and chairs were comfortable. Shower did not have hand bars for safety, did not keep water in shower area and offered no face cloths. The temperature of the room was good. Here too the breakfasts were great! Enjoyed the fire pit in the lobby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendliness and helpfulness

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were cozy.

Activity Reviews

Cidery Tour To Balestrand By The Sognefjord

Bergen

Knowledgeable and rewarding — learned a lot about cider. Presentation was professional and cider sampling paired with good was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride the Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Beautiful!! Stunning!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour and fjord cruise to Nærøyfjorden, Flåm and Stegastein viewpoint

Bergen

Stunningly beautiful — blessed to have had good weather. Bus driver was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Have to credit bus driver, not only his enthusiasm but above & beyond our expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comment above

Transport

Marina put together a wonderful itinerary for our vacation in Spain. Here are the highlights:

We were met at the Barcelona airport by a friendly, courteous driver with an immaculate car! Smooth driving to our hotel!

Hotel Regina - great location for sightseeing. We were warmly welcomed. The room was a bit cramped, but very clean and well appointed.

Marcel (sp?) was an amazing guide for our tapas tour! He made sure that our diverse group of five couples was engaged and happy. He was very enthusiastic! We enjoyed the variety of tapas, beverages and eateries. Marcel shared tips for our stay, and made sure that we all had a safe route/plan to return to our hotels. ( Side note, it was a 30 minute walk from our hotel to the meeting site.)

Mari was an excellent guide! She introduced sites away from the typical tourist areas; and, helped us navigate the metro. Our visit to La Sagrada Familia was remarkable. Mari showed us the church from angles that made the church appear to be alive!

Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid was centrally located. The staff was professional and welcoming. We enjoyed the view of the square!

Segovia - excellent!

Hector was extremely knowledgeable! We need to return to Madrid to put his advice/suggestions to use!

H10 Corregidor Boutique Hotel was our favorite! The staff was warm and welcoming and offered plenty of suggestions for things to do until our room was ready (we arrived at 10am). The room was spacious, very clean and nicely decorated!

Flamingo was very interesting and very passionate!

Elena was WONDERFUL! She knew how to navigate the city to take advantage of the Corpis Christi procession! We loved visiting the Alcazar. Elena was so knowledgeable about the neighborhoods, museums and history, the tour flew by before we were ready to say goodbye. She is a gem!

Our driver to the airport was prompt, professional and friendly! His vehicle was immaculate!

Jackie & Richard

Our recent trip to Ireland, arranged by kimkim, was nothing short of extraordinary! From the moment we contacted kimkim, our agent Emily made the entire process seamless and enjoyable. Her expertise and dedication to crafting the perfect itinerary for us were evident in every detail of our trip.

The accommodations were superb, with highlights including the luxurious Aghadoe Heights Hotel and the charming Renvyle House Hotel. Each stay was characterized by exceptional comfort, stunning views, and outstanding hospitality.

The culinary experiences were equally impressive. We indulged in delicious local cuisine that truly highlighted the rich flavors of Ireland. Each meal was a delightful adventure in itself, further enhancing our travel experience.

The excursions planned by Emily were top-notch. Our visit to the Cliffs of Moher was breathtaking, with views that left us in awe. Exploring Killarney National Park allowed us to immerse ourselves in the natural beauty of Ireland, and our tour of Kylemore Abbey was both enlightening and inspiring.

Throughout our journey, Emily's attention to detail and responsiveness made us feel well taken care of. Her recommendations and arrangements ensured that every aspect of our trip was perfect.

We highly recommend kimkim and especially Emily for anyone looking to explore Ireland or any other destination. Their commitment to providing exceptional service and creating memorable travel experiences is unparalleled. We can't wait to plan our next adventure with them!

Our group of six had an amazing 14 day trip to Portugal. Tiago facilitated every detail from our first correspondence about what we were looking for in a trip, all the way to our last moments in this beautiful country. We spent time in Porto, Lisbon, the Douro Valley, and the Algarve, with stops or day trips to Guimarães ,Coimbra, Tomar, Obidos, Cascias, and Sintra. Tiago gave us so much history, introduced us to new foods, and talked about Portuguese traditions, old and new. He took great care to make sure our trip was perfect in every way. The hotels were so nice – – if nothing else, please stay at the Quinta de Sao Luis in Douro Valley. It’s a must! We saw the Algarve coast from east to west and experienced the different land and waterscapes. We took time to enjoy the beautiful beaches, caves, and sunsets. We did walking tours, a river boat ride, kayaking, wine tastings, and a once in a lifetime incredible day on a yacht. We also had time built in to wander on our own and relax. Tiago was so knowledgeable, flexible, kind, and caring. He tended to every detail of our trip. We never would have experienced or learned so much on our own. We thank him so much and will forever cheer for his team…. Go Sporting!!

Hotel Reviews

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

This is a really nice hotel in a good location. The rooms were spacious. Everything was within a walkable distance. The breakfast was outstanding - so many choices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Vine House—Quinta São Luiz

Tabuaço

Everything about this hotel was amazing. It’s small (maybe 12 rooms). Spacious rooms with large patios and such incredible views!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

If you are looking for remote and quiet- this is the place. You will need a car to go anywhere else.

Staff

They were short staffed during our stay, but honestly the rooms and the view are what mattered here most.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisboa

Truly an amazingly preserved 1940s vibe. The staff were top notch and the amenities were plentiful. Breakfast was delicious and served until noon. They also provide tea and snacks in the afternoon and port all the time. They decor is lovely and the rooms are comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has character!!

Location

We could walk to restaurants and shopping and it was easy to get a ride for longer distances.

Staff

The staff were so friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat tour Algarve (half day)

Portugal

Exploring the Algarve on a private yacht was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The landscape changed so much in a short period, and it was absolutely stunning. This activity was one of the highlights of our trip and provided some incredible memories.

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

The dinner with live Fado music was probably our least favorite experience. The venue was very small, the dinner was quite long, and the food wasn't as good as we had hoped. However, the music and the experience were unique and worth it for the cultural exposure, just not something we'll be likely to repeat.

Wine Estate Visit in the Douro Valley

Portugal

The Wine Estate Visit in the Douro Valley was really wonderful. Even though none of us are huge wine drinkers, we wanted to experience the local culture, and this tour did not disappoint. We even got to walk through the fields, which was a unique and enjoyable experience. This was definitely one of the highlights.

Explore Porto (Half-Day Guided Walking Tour)

Porto

The walking tour in Porto was a great way to get our bearings and learn where everything was. The guide was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of interesting historical details. It helped us feel more comfortable navigating the city on our own afterward. Overall, it was a solid way to get a sense of the city.

We had several drivers and guides on our May 24- June 4 Sicily trip Our hotels were very nice, especially the last hotel in Ortigia, Algila Charme Hotel, which was lovely, and our room was large and beautiful. We had 3 wine tastings. the wineries of Firriato-Baglio Sorica and Principi di Butera were personal and great, but we did not like the Gambino wine tasting on Etna. The Gambino winery was in a pretty setting, but obviously catered to bus groups and was very commercialized and many tourists, We would suggest not to choose the Gambino winery again. There seemed to be other choices on Etna.
The cooking classes were nice, with just the 4 of us. I am stiil waiting for a recipe from our great cooking teacher in Ortiga, however.
The Palermo street food tour was done very well with just the 4 of us. However the Catania street food tour put us in a group of 10 people. I expected it would be just the 4 of us. I could not always hear the guide because it is a busy area and there were 10 in our group. So I would suggest you check the size of the group.
Overall, the trip was well planned for our requests. I would give it a 5 star.

We had an amazing trip thank to the skillful facilitation of Lise. She was alway open to the back and forth as we planned the perfect trip.
In Paris we had terrific guides (with the exception of Hugo on our food tour). Everything went off without a hitch.
Nice was also perfect. Sadly our cooking class was cancelled but we were promptly reimbursed. All other tours we amazing with our guides going above and beyond to assure a great experience. We have used Kim Kim for two other big trips and have been very happy but this was truly a trip to remember. Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel le Walt - Tour Eiffel

Paris

A great hotel. Well located, great comfortable rooms, very comfortable beds, nice breakfast and great support from the staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very near the Eiffel Tower and a subway station.

Staff

Loved the breakfast room staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very comfortable.

Villa Genesis

Menton

Such a beautiful hotel. A bit of a walk to the center but worth the extra effort. Rooms were lovely, beds comfortable, breakfasts very good and staff very attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So helpful and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable rooms and beds

L'abeille Boutique Appartements

Nice

An amazing apt. So well located. A bit loud at night as it is an active neighborhood but the windows did a good job of keeping the noise out.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the little private garden.

Location

Staff

While we didn’t meet the staff there was a women who brought a continental breakfast each morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Covered Passages of Paris

Paris

Full day of history and walking through these historic passages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and enjoyable

Louvre Late Opening Private tour

Paris

Joanna was a great guide. Having a. Private tour of the Louvre was essential to really make this very large museum feel accessible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vintage Paris and St Ouen Flea Market tour

Paris

We loved this tour. The flea market is huge, having a guide really helped us focus on what we wanted to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit of the Gardens & Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

France

A location not to miss if you are in Nice. So beautiful and historic. Gardens were amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mikael took us to Villa France sur-mer after the Villa Such a special village.

Transport

Perfume creation workshop in Grasse

France

We loved this experience. We learned so much about perfume and our own scent preferences.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour Private Tour

France

A wonderful day. Our guide was very attentive and knowledgeable. Really focused on the things we were interested in. It was a great day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport