Kimkim Trip Reviews

We loved all the hotels where we stayed and the small group guides were excellent
Overall it was a wonderful vacation
We were able to do a lot and see a great variety of what Ireland has to offer

Athens was amazing and we had a very knowledgeable tour guide. Mykonos was actually less “party atmosphere” than I expected. I don’t know if it was because it was during the week or because it was after the summer. Paros was a little disappointing as there was not much to see or do there. Santorini was great, especially the Sunset Oia cruise. The dinner they cooked was delicious. And Natasha was an excellent photographer as well!

Kudos! To all the team members of Columbus Guatemala travel! They are always there from the beginning of our journey til the end it was perfect! I will recommend this travel agency to al travellers they are very reliable, and trustful. All the team effort they did makes you feel comfortable in every way of the journey. They will create our journey memorable! I would like to thank all the team members from the drivers, tour guides and especially the group of the Columbus Guatemala travel. I really wanted to give you all 10 stars!!! Till we meet again , Muchos Gracia’s!!!

Hotel Reviews

Maya Internacional

Flores

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Utzjay Hotel

Panajachel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naif Boutique Hotel

Antigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Recreo

Lanquin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Guatemala

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Semuc Champey

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pacaya Volcano visit

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tikal Maya Ruin

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Boat

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi Kimkim, I received your text and my apologies for not being as punctual as I should have been but we were having too much of a good time. The itinerary your team put together was perfect for seeing County Mayo. We met some of my wife’s relation that live in Mayo. We also saw the family homestead which was just as my wife’s grandfather always said, you could sit on the front porch and gaze out at Clew Bay.

We had no idea that Mayo was so large, the counties in Ireland are much bigger than in Ohio. As Dean assured us, driving was no problem but getting used to the narrow roads was a bit of a challenge. The Hertz car we rented was the perfect size. We went to several beautiful beaches (Silver Strand in the Lost Valley, Keem and Keel beaches.). Croagh Patrick proved too much of a challenge but we did walk part of it. Gorgeous views!

Clew Bay Hotel was great but it was unseasonably hot, no air conditioning or fans in the room which may have helped. Westport was a fun city and Westport House was very interesting. We didn’t make Clare Island because of illness (a bad head cold.) Achill Island is beautiful, Stella Maris was good. We had dinner at Brevie which was exceptional. We went to the Deserted Village, interesting. Went to Ceide Fields, again beautiful views and very interesting. Down Patrick was closed for road repairs. Ballina was also a nice city, Ballina Manor Hotel was good. They gave us a fan for our room which helped with the unseasonable hotter weather.

Our kudos to Dean Garrison, he planned a wonderful trip for us.

Overall a very enjoyable experience.

Ken & Chris Tabellion

Out of Laura, Queensland we arranged a 3 night bush camp rock art excursion with Jarramali Rock Art Tours & the owner Johnny. An aboriginal young man who shares his culture & some cave paintings with those interested in learning. Marty & I visited Carnarvon National Park & stayed at their Wilderness Lodge. Carnarvon Gorge is a steep, narrow gorge in a wet, dense forest. Fantastic hiking there. We also enjoyed visiting the Blue Mts., Mt.Grenfell Historic Site, out of Cobar, Gundabooka N.P., Mutawintji Cultural Tour out of Broken Hill, Grampians NP our of Murray Bridge, Cape Range NP out of Exmouth, a Turtle Ecotour in a glass bottom boat to see Green turtles, rays, coral reef, out of Coral Bay. Out of Denham we did a 4X4 tour to Francois Peron NP, & in Kalbarri we did several hikes in Kalbarri NP. Wonderful red rock gorge with the Murchison River running through it. The Kings Park & Botanical Gardens with an assortment of colorful Australian fauna/flowers to feast the eyes on. A must for any one visiting Perth. The hotels KimKim chose were near many of the places we wanted to visit & we did rent a car so we could go explore on our own. Tia at KimKim did a wonderful job working with us to make our 65 day Australian trip a trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Review

Kalbarri Edge Resort

Kalbarri

The Kalbarri Edge Resort was within 5 to 10 minutes walking distance to the waterfront to see the daily feeding of the Australian pelicans & lots of restaurants & take away foods to choose from. And a delicious ice cream place. The living room was very adequate size as was the kitchen & a separate bedroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arrive Cairns

Cairns

Easy small town to drive in especially if you are not use to driving on the left side of the road. Getting to & from the airport was also easy. Beautiful explanade to walk just a few blocks from our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prado guide, Stefanie, was very knowledgeable. Tapas tour was great fun.
Barcelona vineyard guide was delightful.
Toledo guide was incredible.

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid

Madrid

The Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid is incredible! I would stay there again in a heartbeat. The people at the front desk were exceptionally helpful with suggestions on dining and more. The restaurant at the hotel was excellent.

Sonder Casa Luz

Barcelona

Very pleased with Sonder Casa Luz in Barcelona. The staff was incredible, and when I needed a doctor for my husband, they arranged one in an hour. The rooftop restaurant was excellent, and the manager was lovely. Overall, it was a lot of fun.

Petit Palace Posada del Peine

Madrid

Petit Palace Posada del Peine in Madrid is over 400 years old and we loved it. The front desk upgraded us, which was great even though we were only there for about twelve hours. The room was gorgeous, and the staff was wonderful.

Activity Review

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família

Barcelona

The Park Güell & La Sagrada Família tour in Barcelona was a bit challenging because the guide, though knowledgeable, was hard to understand due to his accent. It made the experience less enjoyable.

Solon is the best tour guide I have ever worked with, he went well beyond my expectations. I have traveled globally more than 50 times and worked with many travel agencies .Maria, Micheal and Sonia were very well received by the team, funny, knowledgeable and accommodating.
I will recommend KimKim to everyone.

Andrea in São Paulo, Diana in Foz do Iguazu and Patricia in Rio. All the 3 of them with the drivers did an excellent job. They did their job above and beyond. I can recommend them to anybody especially to my family and friends. The entire trip was amazing. My hats off to Renata who did a wonderful planning, coordinating in smooth fashion. Thank you KimKim team!
Regina Estorninos

Hotel Reviews

Estanplaza Paulista Hotel

São Paulo

Excellent service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nadai Confort Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

Excellent service, Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Palace

Rio de Janeiro

Love the location most. Excellent service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Catholic Tour

São Paulo

Love visiting religious site, places and learning history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Aparecida do Norte City Tour

São Paulo

So blessed, at least to fulfill my dreams to visit Our Lady of Aparecida. Brought my family and friends, everyone were amazed and touched by our Lady. It was the highlight of our pilgrimage. I can share my experiences to the world

Exploring the Brazilian Falls & Bird Park

Foz do Iguaçu

Another dream fulfilled visiting and seeing in my own eyes God’s amazing creation the Iguazu Fall. also discovered different kinds of birds and species that i have never seen before.

Quality of Experience

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side

Foz do Iguaçu

Oh my God, tell me about it , the Garganta do Diablo is nothing comparison to the other falls I have seen. Just amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe divers

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

All I can say, I love Rio, the place and people. I wanna go back one day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Tour of Sugarloaf Mountain (walking trail) and Christ the Redeemer Statue

Rio de Janeiro

Everywhere we went was incredible, amazing

Quality of Experience

Standing right at foot of Christ the Redeemer Statue. Was able to attend mass at 3:00 pm at Chapel of Our Lady of Aparecida at the the back pedestal of the statue. We met Fr. Raphael

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Carioca Lifestyle

Rio de Janeiro

Just enjoyed everything

Quality of Experience

K

Transport

Dear Kim Kim. Thank you for Emanuela. I have traveled to many countries and iceland has put all doubt to rest on which was my most memorable. From the first phone call with her to all of her updates and check ins during my trip I could not have had a BETTER experience. Every detail was meticulous. Her recommendations where to go and what to see were spot on. If I had a question before and during this trip to heaven she handled it with precision,immediately and well informed knowledge. Every mile of this country was awe inspiring. Everything was gorgeous and immense. The sheer beauty was breathtaking and spiritual. I told her I will definitely be returning and was interested in living there as a commercial fisherman. Sure enough, Emanuela sent me all the information to start investigating a possible future there. The residents are all first class ,completely polite and helpful, along with a gratitude towards life I've never experienced anywhere. The entire country is the cleanest place I've ever seen.
Thank you From the bottom of my heart Emanuela. I promise you will be hearing from me again for my return in April and I've already shared your name and the company with everyone I met and will do so with my friends here in America.

The trip was planned amazingly. The guides and personal drivers were so informative and friendly. I enjoyed every tour we attended. Melanie was amazing at helping us to plan our trip to our specifications. Thank you for all your help in planning our dream trip to Italy with our father.

Activity Reviews

The Accademia Gallery and Uffizi Masterclass Experience

Florence

The tour guide was so knowledgeable about the artwork and made the tour so interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

Again the tour guide was so knowledgeable and made the tour very memorable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olive and Wine Tasting in Tuscany Countrtyside

Italy

This was an amazing day with a small group of people and enjoyed the countryside and wine and olive oil of three different winery’s. Very well planned and was not rushed. One of my favorite days.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour along the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento

Was a beautiful boat ride but did not get to do all the activities that were listed with this tour. Felt as though we were rushed through parts of the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim is awesome!
Margaux is awesome!

This was my first experience with KimKim and Margaux. Will certainly not be my last. Definitely a “white glove” approach to travel service. So much so that I’m already thinking about how KimKim can help me with next year’s vacation and I'm not quite over the jet lag of my current travels.

You will not be disappointed!

We had the perfect trip to Rome and the Amalfi coast. Luca always was prompt to answer any questions and when we couldn’t find our tour guide for one of our tours, he solved the issue. We loved the hotels, locations and the food served at the hotels. The tours were great. We especially liked Pompeii and the Path of the Gods. Mathew was so much fun and we loved the fact his family farmed the region. We really have only positive memories and stories. Thank you for a trip of a lifetime.
Warm Regards,
Gayle and Gregg

Prado museum in Madrid (Stephanie was excellent guide); Tapas tour in Madrid (Augustine was great guide). Tour of Toledo (super guide - Chavi!).

In Barcelona, before I was sick, on our own we toured Casa Batllo. A wonderful place architected by Antonio Guadi. I recommend you add it to your list for future customers!! That's all I attended due to illness. Patty should be able to tell you about the rest of the tours.

Hotels were all excellent wit very helpful staffs. Drivers, whether KimKim supplied or taxis we hired worked out but most were OT bilingual.

I recommend avoiding Madrid train station unless the customer speaks Spanish! Very difficult to navigate. Barcelona station not a problem. High speed trains are really cool; as a US citizen I am jealous!

One more topic: The food. Excellent EVERYWHERE we ate.

She planned every detail of our trip. Transport drivers, train tickets, airport transportation etc. I enjoyed all of the day trip guides and the cooking class was my favorite!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel la Flore

Villefranche Sur Mer

Ask for a room with a view of the sea. It’s beautiful to watch the sun rise & set. Breakfast was plentiful & delicious! Convenient location so that most places were within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

The views are nice.

Location

Easy walking distance to most places - to the town, restaurants, the beach & the train station. Also the Rothschild mansion. That’s more of a hike, but it’s a lovely walk.

Staff

Everyone was kind & helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, nice modern rooms with a patio, lovely large bath & bathroom. & view

Aparthotel Adagio Aix en Provence Centre

Aix-en-Provence

Good location. Delicious breakfast. Small rooms. No decks unless you get room 404 upstairs. Otherwise it’s a tiny room but a good location.

Authenticity & Character

A modern hotel with very good WiFi. Not known tor its character. But a good solid business type hotel.

Location

Most things were within walking distance

Staff

All were helpful & kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean & comfortable but small

Activity Review

Provençal Market Visit & Cooking Workshop

France

My favorite activity on the itinerary. Loved our visit to the Farmer’s market & how we brought home our provisions & he directed our cooking. Delicious!!

Quality of Experience

Enjoyed all.

Food

Loved all the food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They spoke honestly & directly with me.

Transport

All drivers were nice, friendly, knowledgeable, helpful.

Jordan is fantastic! We spent time in Amman, Petra, wadi rum and Dead Sea seeing all the top attractions. Accomodation selections were excellent, exactly what we were after. Ahmed planned the trip well however included a few too many stops, our driver Wasef was more than happy to adjust to our needs and give us a little more down time. Wasef was an excellent driver, very good English and always there to help, friendly and looked after us very well, taking us to some excellent local restaurants for lunches! And great shopping spots!! He knew people everywhere! Rami was a great help at the airport on arrival and departure, it was greatly appreciated!! Amina was very helpful finalising the tour and ensuring we had all the required information. We also had tour guides in Jerash and Petra which were very good, friendly, good English and great knowledge. All around a great trip

The trip was very well organized on short notice. I enjoyed the nature and the culture part of the trip. I would highly recommend it to those who would like a little adventure or relax and enjoy nature and old towns, like Antigua.

I had a wonderful time engaging with Ashley. She helped make my trip memorable, not only during the planning stages but also while I was on the trip. Incredibly responsive, informative, and helpful, Ashley made sure my trip went smoothly day to day. She provided me with great ideas on what to do in the moment while I was on my trip that helped make it more unique and also made it feel like I had a local friend to consult with. I’d absolutely repeat my experience working with Ashley.

Me and my husband just came back from our trip in Chile and it was a very satisfying trip. Chile is a very diverse country that everybody needs to add it to their bucket list. Our 10-day sojourn was just a glimpse of what the country has to offer.
This was all made possible when we contacted Tamer who was instrumental in making this happen. Tamer was very patient with us during the planning. He gave us a few tour packages to choose from and he was very responsive. He basically answered all our questions in the quickest time possible.
Angel, who was our first contact during our Santiago stay was awesome !!! He is very professional and yet very personable. He treated us like we were family during our stay. Angel and his entire team were always reaching out to us and asking how we are doing. Very responsive, very punctual and just very comforting to know that he has our back. I like the fact that they reach out to us and gives us updates on our daily itinerary.
Our tour in San Pedro de Atacama and Patagonia were just outstanding.
We've been to quite a few countries and always had no trouble with our tour packages but in Chile- they seem to go above and beyond.
After all our tours-our guides always have a spread of food and drinks which is really something that you can look forward to.
Chilean people are very nice and welcoming.. We've never encountered any person who hasn't smiled or helped us out in every way possible.
So many places to go and explore but we don't mind coming back to Chile. There's so much this country has to offer that we have barely scratched the surface.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Diego de Velazquez

Santiago

The location itself was great. The bellboy to the front desk employees were really attentive. What it lacks is an update to their rooms. Seems very dated. The bathroom needs to be fixed. It is functioning but it just doesn't look inviting at all. It needs caulking. Food was okay. Nothing fancy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

please update the rooms especially the bathrooms

Ckoi Atacama Lodge

San Pedro de Atacama

I like this place. It's maybe a good 10 minute walk from the city center but i like the peace and quiet that it provides. Room and bathroom is clean. It's not a high end lodge but i like the fact that they upcycle materials to use. The restaurant is clean and inviting. Food is okay. it's just a typical free breakfast. But i'll pick to stay here again if ever we'll be back in Chile.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca

Punta Arenas

We absolutely love this hotel !!! This has a lot of character. We love the quirkiness of this hotel. Every detail was thought of. The room has awesome. Clean and inviting. Too bad we only stayed here overnight. The restaurant was awesome. This hotel is an example of having a clean, inviting and comfortable without being expensive. They made use of what's native to the area and re-used vintage treasure finds to keep this place authentic. It is a small hotel since this used to be a house that's almost a century old but i just like the vibe. The only downside is the fact that there is no elevator which makes carrying your luggage harder not only for us guests but also for the staff that carries them.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astro Fotografia

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time on our trip the Barcelona and the island of Mallorca. Marina took all of our likes and planned it all. Hiking, biking a Catalan and beaches. I have to say the Trips Plan app was great. It provided loads of directions, suggestions and a chat in case of any questions or complications. Both of our hotels were very nice. In Mallorca in was nestled in a nice small bay that was simply beautiful. Highly recommend Marina.

Hotel Review

Hoposa Niu

C/ Cala Barques 5

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking the Tramuntana Mountains - Village Tour

Mallorca

Quality of Experience

Beautiful sites and visit a small town up in the mountain

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Barcelona by Bike

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Fun evening walking around Barcelona and eating Tapas at local establishment’s

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Montserrat & Scenic Hike

Barcelona

Nice visit to Montserrat and the hike around it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I'm sure I couldn't have done this trip without the help of Caterina and the other guides. There are certain things I would have done differently, however had I known, and which might be useful for other travellers in the situation of pushing a wheelchair. We almost didn't go to Venice but it was actually much easier in Venice than Florence to get around. I would not go to Florence with a wheelchair again. I would also choose and bring a wheelchair with me and not rent. The one that was rented was very small and difficult both to push and for my mom to sit in. The third thing I would do is to rent 3 double rooms and not 2 triples. We rented the triples as a money saver but it resulted in my mom being in a cot in many places which is okay for a child but not for the elderly. The car and driver were very helpful in many places but at other times we really didn't need them to sit for hours while we were in a museum or even to transport us a few blocks to the museum. It was great for driving around to viewpoints though. All of the tour guides were very flexible, helpful and knowledgeable. I also appreciated having the contact of Roberta at all times which I haven't experienced on previous KimKim trips. Svetlana in Como was relaxed and flexible which allowed us to have some time to just look around. Beatrice was indispensable for getting in and out of Venice smoothly. Alessia, in Venice made the trip for 11 year old Katie, with the costume she brought and the effort she went to to engage her. Alesia's dad even helped taking photos and walking us to a restaurant. They were both so warm and friendly. Cecelia blew our mind pushing the wheelchair around and ensuring my mom's comfort. The driver in Verona was also amazing. Both of them made our stay in Verona our favourite stop on our trip. Barbara in Milano, was super fun and also great at engaging Katie. We had the trip of a lifetime and made unforgettable memories with my mom, whose life long dream of visiting the homeland of her grandparents was finally realized.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Astra Opéra

Paris

Candy buffet!!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Turin Palace Hotel

Turin

Rooftop terrace and dining is amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Hotel Lake Como

Como

Difficulties checking in and getting appropriate rooms. Wheelchair accessibility was poor

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right across from the water with lovely terraces for dining.

Staff

The staff at the rooftop lounge were fantastic with my mom - so helpful and kind but the staff at the front desk were useless and didn't seem to have any idea what was going on. We spent hours trying to find a workable solution for my mom. They put us in two rooms with two beds one of which had stairs inside the room and the other of which was up stairs to get to the room. There was a narrow ramp that was okay for luggage but not for a human in a wheelchair.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cot they brought in was dirty and not level and when we complained , they argued that it was fine.

Hotel savoia & Jolanda

Venice

View of the canal was spectacular

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff in the restaurant were quite grumpy and difficult.

Cleanliness & Comfort

One of the rooms was spectacular but the other room was badly in need of renovating and had horrible lumpy beds. The pillows in both rooms were rocks.

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

They advertise their rooftop bar but good luck getting on to it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Accademia

Verona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Between Juliet's balcony and the arena

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uptown Palace Milan

Milan

Longish walk to things and construction in front

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nearby restaurants very limited and longer walk to anything than we were expecting

Staff

Super helpful opening doors for the wheelchair

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice walking tour

Italy

Private Water Taxi Transfer to Venice Airport

Venice

Everyone made this beyond easy for us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour of Verona highlights

Italy

Florence and Accademia City Tour

Italy

We wished we had gone to the Uffizi on Sunday since it was closed on Monday. Seeing David was great but the gardens were recommended to us after which was a disaster with a wheelchair .

Day trip to Sparone & Calea

Turin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was incredibly flexible and helpful. We were so glad we had a driver for this.

Transport

Private tour of Milan Highlights

Milan

Tour was great and so was the guide. It was so helpful having a guide to negotiate the wheelchair accesibility. The driver sat around for quite some time before we sent him home. A cab to the square would have been better

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We didnt need this

Sirmione Highlights

Italy

Unexpected and beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wheelchair rental

Turin

Should have rented and brought with me

Quality of Experience

Private guide the Royal Turin: royal museums+chapel of the shroud and galleria sabauda

Turin

Museum was beyond our expectations. We didn't need a driver to drive us for 20 minutes on what was a five minute walk. We also didn't need him to sit around for 3 hours. We could have easily walked or taken a cab

Private boat tour of Lake Como - Explore Bellagio

Italy

Trip highlight