Kimkim Trip Reviews

Absolutely fantastic trip! We loved our experience visiting the northern parts of Morocco and the imperial cities. Every place we visited was incredible--Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes, Fes, Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech. Our driver Abdellatif was very friendly and accommodating to our requests. He provided us with a lot of information about Morocco and its people and culture while we drove. We also had two outstanding guides showing us around Fes (Abdullah, nickname "Banana") and Marrakech (Hassan). In Fes, Abdullah customized our itinerary per our requests, and made sure to give us plenty of time to visit all of the sights and monuments that we were most excited to see. Hassan was very funny, knowledgeable, and witty during our tour of Marrakech. He told us so much about the Moroccan culture and shared many stories about the famous monuments we were seeing.

The hotels where we stayed in Chefchaouen, Fes, and Marrakech were absolutely incredible! We stayed in Dar Jasmine in Chefchaouen, Riad Fes in Fes, and La Maison Arabe in Marrakech. What amazing experiences. We felt like we were staying in palaces, and we definitely got a flavor of the local art, decorations, and culture at each place.

When we were planning the tour, both Abdellah and Said from Original Travels were very helpful and responsive. They gave us good advice about which cities to visit, and they customized our overall itinerary per our requests. Said also rearranged our entire itinerary after we decided to fly into Tangier rather than into Casablanca.

Thank you to Original Travels, as well as to our driver Abdellatif and our tour guides Abdullah (Banana) and Hassan. They made our trip to Morocco truly an unforgettable experience.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Beautiful views of the Blue Pearl of Chefchaouen. No need to visit the Spanish Mosque, because you get even better views from the accommodation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fès - Relais & Châteaux

Fès

Incredibly decorated, simply beautiful Riad right in the heart of the old medina of Fes! Rooftop terrace bar with panoramic views of Fes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Beautiful historic hotel, wonderfully decorated, outdoor dining right next to their pool! Great location as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wonders of Fes: Exploring the Medina in Half a Day

Fes

Our tour guide, Abdullah (nickname Banana) was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exploring Marrakech's Wonders: A Family-Friendly Guided Tour & a Special Visit to the Tomb of Imam Al Jazuli´

Marrakesh

Our tour guide, Hassan, was fantastic! Very knowledgeable, funny, witty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Absolutely incredible trip. Our guide, sherpa and porter were all awesome. We saw some spectacular sights and it was the trip of a lifetime.

Our trip to Thailand was excellent! We did everything we wanted... started off at Bangkok with our guide Jack, ver attentive and nice, gave us all the must do's in the city and during our visit to the grand palace, floating and train markets he gave us all the history of each place and took a lot of pictures for us. In Cambodia we were with Vannak, who was also excellent, smiling all the time, we learned a lot about Cambodia during our time with him, very caring. Ankor thom and ankor wat are a must.
Sutheeporn in Phuket, we did day trip tour to Khao Sok national park, experience was very good as well. We are very great full for choosing KimKim to plan our trip.

Activity Reviews

Full day Khao Sok safari (private trasfer and private activity) with lunch from Phuket

Phuket

Our visit to Khao Sok was a bit different than what we thought it would be. Early morning they took us to the Tsunami memorial which was nice, then they had told us that we would do a 1h hike along with elephants and the took us to Wassana Elephant park... there was no hike, it was a place with 2 elephants tied up with chains to palm trees, they were skinny and dehydrated, a guy with a pointy spear made him do tricks like playing the harmonica, dancing and kicking coconuts. I had read al over the internet that if you were going to see elephants you should go to a sanctuary . I would've thought Kim Kim would know something like this. I strongly recommend to stop taking your customers to Wassana. Otherwise the monkey cave and bamboo rafting were really nice and fun. All pictures of khao sok on the internet show off the Damn, I thought we would see it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were a little lost, the had to stop to ask for directions for almost every spot we went

Transport

Full Day Tour to Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

We really enjoyed our trip to Angkor. Mr Vannak gave us a great tour. I would recommend every one who visits Cambodia to make this stop in siem reap.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

Our visit to the train market and floating markets were great and very fun. They did a stop at a sugar factory in between markets and we learned about the process of how they make sugar off coconuts. We ate at the floating markets and it was very tasty! Most shops had the same tourist market typical stuff.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The museum, architecture and cultural tours organized were great. Local tour guides were great and very informative. This service was great that I could have all of the logistics, etc taken care of for me. But I don’t think the tapas tours were worth it. For the price paid, I didn’t expect to have to worry about cleanliness or food quality or safety. For both Seville and tapas tours, I was taken to places that were dusty and with food sitting out. I would skip tapas tours type of activities for my next trip.

Seven day action-packed trip to Iceland would not have been possible without the help of Silvia at KimKim. She worked out a fantastic itinerary: 2 days based in Borgarnes, 2 days in Vic, a fantastic night at a cabin in the Hrifunes Nature Park (great venue for Northern Lights!), finally 2 days in Reykajavik. We had pre-paid vouchers for everything and Silvia worked with us ahead of the trip to make sure we were hitting everything we wanted to see.
More important: Silvia kept in touch throughout the trip and when bad weather caused us to cancel a trip east to Skaftafell, she had alternatives for us and handled all the rebookings. Loved the constant check-in and help with everything.
We will definitely use KimKim again and "where to go next" will be determined on where KimKim operates. We saved money with KimKim and had a fabulous time. Thanks!

Everything about this trip was smooth and perfect!
The planning was easy with Veronica. She asked great questions, provided needed information, recommendations and assurances , and then organized a wonderful trip for us. The accommodations were amazing and all the tours, operators and guides were excellent! We had private tours with guides on many days.
Highlight:
Staying at the Tabocan Resort (a beautiful hotel with amazing hot springs) and the view (once the clouds cleared on our final day) of the volcano

Hotel Reviews

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

This was the most beautiful hotel we've ever stayed at. We LOVED the hot springs and enjoyed the entire atmosphere of the hotel. The friendliness, helpfulness and service was exceptional. Food was very good. Room very comfortable. Shuttle service to the hot springs runs every few minutes and makes everything very accessible. We stayed for 4 nights and very glad we did! Because of the clouds, the volcano was only visible on our last morning, but what an amazing view we had!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gaia Hotel & Reserve—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

We loved our 3 night stay at this hotel. The accommodations were beautiful and staff was very helpful, friendly, accommodating. The owner is very kind and friendly greets every guest warmly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San Jose by Radisson

San José

This hotel was just fine for an overnight stay. The location is good for walk around the area and finding a lovely restaurant for dinner on the other side of the park (across the street from the hotel).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shuttle Transfer with Rafting on the Sarapiqui River En Route

Costa Rica

Our driver picked us up on time and we drove in comfort to the Sarapiqui River. The driver provided us with good background information as we drove to our destination. The rafting adventure was awesome! We did class 2-3 rapids in a raft with only us and our guide. A photographer paddled in a kayak near us and took photos. It was beautiful, fun and very exciting! The break for fresh fruit and the meal afterward were very nice.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hiking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a private tour with a guide to this beautiful location.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Guided Walking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

This great hike to the volcano was beautiful and moderately challenging. We loved the fabulous views. Our guide was excellent and provided much information as we hiked. Relaxing afterward with a pineapple snack and watching the wildlife was memorable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a very interesting, fun and tasty tour! Very good tourguide at Don Juan Company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Another highlight of our week! The park was crowded, but we were able to enjoy an amazing morning. We were on a small group tour with 11 people in our group. Our guide was very kind, interesting, professional and considerate of everyone's interests. We were able to see things with the guide that we never would have seen on our own. The beach was gorgeous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mangrove Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

This was an enjoyable, calm activity for our last day in Costa Rica.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rehabilitation Center - Volunteer Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Spending the morning at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was one of our trip highlights. We had a small group tour with 2 other families and our guide was fabulous! He provided an educational and engaging overview of the center. The volunteer experience was fun...we weighed, measured and chopped up fruits for the wildlife and then put the meals in home-made kongs, then delivered to the animals.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall the trip has left remarkable memories for me . Kim Kim did a good job being a small company . As promised all was taken care . Car, private guides all along Bogotá Medellín and Cartagena. The guides were good with understandable English skills . The best of all was Sandy in Cartagena. . The people were all good and friendly and the coconut workshop with the ladies there to teach us accessory making with coconut were really nice and interactive . The place I enjoyed most was comuna13 and Penol Guatapé in Medellín.

The trip was amazing although Beth did all the pre planning with Silvia. I wasn’t involved in that. So appreciated the regular contact to make sure that everything was going well. Also Silvia was able to switch things for us when we were delayed. Also kept us updated on the strike situation. Would definitely recommend Silvia to anyone

Also, our guide David who took us to the ice caves out of Vik was excellent. Would give him a 5 star review

The trip and all of the connection points was arranged extremely well. We only had to know what time we needed to be in the lobby of our hotel to have a completely hassle free experience. The guides that were set up for our daily tours were incredibly knowledgeable and managed to find many wonderful animals for us to observe. They even took pictures for us through their scopes so that we would have lasting images of all of the wonderful animals and plants we encountered while in Costa Rica. Toucans, monkeys, sloths, macaws, lizards and coati mundis were all part of our experience. The trip itself had a good balance of organized tours and relaxation time. The hotels they chose were pretty as well as comfortable. The scenery - spectacular, we even saw double rainbows from our porch in Monteverdi.
One day was spent visiting natural hot springs which proved to be a very enjoyable and peaceful experience.
We were able to sample local and very delicious foods at low prices. Kim Kim / Serendipity supplied us with some recommendations for dinners and our local tour guides also provided some excellent suggestions like Pollo Fortuneno (wonderful Mahi Mahi dish) while in the Arenal/LaFortuna area.

Being foolish, tired tourists, we also managed to misplace a large sum of money and originally thought our money was stolen.
The hotel staff at Volcano Lodge found the lost money in our hotel room and, in working with Charlotte, our contact at Serendipity tours, managed to wire the money through our next hotel and hand deliver it to us.
That is what I call fantastic, over the top service! Totally incredible in every way.
We will visit Costa Rica again and will also use KimKim for future bookings in other areas

Hotel Reviews

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

This hotel had very beautiful grounds and many wonderful animals located right on the grounds. We saw a wonderful mother sloth with her baby. We also saw many beautifully colored birds right on the grounds. The swim up pool and the hot springs on the hotel were really fun to go into and swim around in. We even had a private jacuzzi for our room which we really enjoyed using. The staff at this hotel could not have been nicer. Being foolish tourists, we managed to misplace a large sum of money at this hotel and after thinking we were robbed, the hotel staff found our money and had it returned to us! Phenomenal!!! Amazing beautiful hotel with a delicious breakfast and an incredibly friendly staff that made our stay even more enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff returned to us money that we had lost with the help of the Kim Kim team

Cleanliness & Comfort

jacuzzi and hot springs were great, room was very pretty and comfortable

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde Costa Rica

This hotel had very pretty and comfortable rooms and was located near enough to town to walk to town and walk to some great dinner places like Don Luis. The hill on which this hotel was located was a bit of a climb so I would not recommend walking up this hill during the heat of the day but it was quite comfortable in the evening. The staff at this hotel was very friendly and accommodating. They assisted myself and my traveling companion by helping to get us the cash we had misplaced at a different location. They really went out of their way to assist us in this regard and we will be forever grateful. We also saw some unbelievable rainbows from the porch of this hotel adding to the overall beauty. The hotel was located near enough that even when we went to the cloud forest, it was not a far ride. There is a spa at this hotel but we did not utilize it. The breakfast that was provided was not as spectacular as the other hotels in which we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

nice spacious rooms and you can get a bite to eat right at this hotel.

Location

easy walk to town and some dinner places, hotel is on a hill so you cannot walk back on a hot day.

Staff

The manager of the hotel assisted us with getting the cash that we misplaced back in our hands, truly amazing in that respect.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice room with very comfortable beds.

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Nice, older hotel with excellent pool for the entire family and a separate 6th floor pool on top. Rooms very spacious and comfortable. Nice bar and excellent breakfasts. This hotel is located right next to the Manuel Antonio park so it is very conveniently located for quick access to the park and quick access to many, many restaurants in walking distance on the street. The concierge also very accommodating and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

located right next to Manuel Antonio park and the animals can also be seen on the grounds of this hotel

Staff

very friendly staff who assisted with taxis and getting around town

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean comfortable and spacious rooms

Activity Reviews

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

I enjoyed learning about a major export of Costa Rica and how the coffee is grown and harvested. When it was very dark, we did have a nice walk through the jungle, saw sloths, pit viper, porcupine, basilisk lizard and a kinkajou. Not bad for a short stroll through the jungle. I believe other night walks in the Arenal area might prove even more productive. Our guide was very knowledgeable and tried hard to ensure that we saw all that he was pointing out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport was a little confusing, we did not know whether a ride back was going to be provided, in the end it was and was included but the staff there was unaware.

The Springs Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Well worth the day trip to the Hot Springs. The natural hot springs were quiet and calming. I had never been to real natural hot springs before and these were fantastic, some of them had small waterfalls falling into the pools. Very fancy hotel that was also fun to visit.

Quality of Experience

Food

This was not our best meal in the Arenal La Fortuna area, we like Pollo Fortuneno better. But the dining room at the Hot Springs was very beautiful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip to the hot springs was only a few minutes drive away from where we were staying.

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Guided Rainforest Hike

Costa Rica

This was a fantastic day, Our guide Paulo was incredible and was able to find many animals for us to observe. The experience of seeing the very blue water was worth it here. Incredible and the paths were good to walk on. Of course there are many steps down to the waterfall so be prepared to climb the stairs once you get to the bottom but well worth it. We also saw a coral snake here which was very beautiful (if you like snakes!). At the end, the guide gave us coconut water out of the shell to drink and that was incredible as well, great finish to the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paulo took pictures with the smart phone using his scope.

Transport

the transport was completely stress and hassle free.

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Great snorkel and a bit of a work out getting there in the kayaks. We all did a water entry from the kayaks and also had to get back in the kayak from the water. One person had to hold the kayak steady while the other climbed in. Everyone did this without much of an issue. We saw lots of fish, some fairly good sized snappers and parrot and trigger fish. The lunch that we had later was really delicious.

Quality of Experience

The snorkel was really good, we saw a great variety of fish in a small area.

Food

Mahi Mahi was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport was so easy, we just needed to be in the lobby of our hotel at the appointed time for pick up

The trip was amazing, I knew virtually nothing about Oaxaca so the tours provided were perfect, giving me a good overview of the city and region. The hotel was unique, a bio friendly set with a rather novel toilet arrangement that may not be good for everyone but it was clearn, safe and centrally located so easy to get around on foot. Very good experience.

Hotel Review

Niyana Biocultural Hotel

It was a unique set up with a novel toilet arrangement tat may not be suitable for everyone but was clean and centrally located which was nice. Hosts were friendly, I like that we connected by WhatsApp so they were available quickly for any questions, issue.

Authenticity & Character

Simple, clean, friendly

Location

Walking distance to key areas.

Staff

Didn’t interact that much, but nice and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dry toile a bit unique, not a problem but not sure I would use it again.

Activity Reviews

Biking tour and street art

Oaxaca

Really likel this, didn’t know about this aspect of Oaxaca .

Quality of Experience

I loved looking at the different art and stories behind them

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable, friendly

Transport

Biking was fun

Explore the history and crafts of Oaxaca through Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec.

Oaxaca

I love learning about ancient history of areas, this was very interesting, a lot of time allowed to explore.

Quality of Experience

Like the topic

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good knowledge of the issue

Transport

Comfortable, clean

Oaxaca's Hidden Gems: Discover Mitla, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlán & Mezcal!

Oaxaca

I didn’t know about any of these areas so I like learning about them.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I only have an issue with the tequila tour- the English speakers were taken by an English guide who, frankly, had a poor command of the language. I felt we (only 2 English speakers) did not get a good overview of the history of tequila, how it was made, etc.

Transport

Comfortable, clean

Walk through the enchanted forest of Ixtepeji

Oaxaca

Didn’t happen, mixup in depart times, not a problem, got refunded.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim provided us with really great guides. Jose shared Mexico City with us (Coyoacan, Casa Azul, Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli). Eloy told us so much at amazing Teotihuaca, City of the Gods. We explored awesome Monte Alban and several Oaxacan neighborhoods with Leonardo; we saw several wedding celebrations. Ada, with connections to our home town, walked us through Guadalajara's squares and museums. In Guanajuato, Susanna took us on a tour of her very quaint town. From San Miguel de Allende, Jose took us to historic Dolores Hidalgo and learned about Mexican independence. We had a moving experience with him when we participated for a few minutes in the funeral Mass and procession to the cemetery of a 68-year old wife, mother, grandmother. In Queretaro, Fernando took us to see the Pena de Bernal, a monolith, surrounded by a touristy town.

Hotel Reviews

La Casa del Atrio

Queretaro

We had this room for approximately 12 hours due to a 0100 departure time to get the Benito Juarez Airport. There was an 'honor' bar, which is a good idea. There was no heat source in this room; it got chilly during thr night. I don't believe there was a coffee maker in this room; that is always a disappointment. All showers should have grab bars and/or seats for older travelers.

Authenticity & Character

It's a beautiful place.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

Drinks and light meals are provided 24 hrs a day, gratis. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Catrina de Alcalá

I don't believe this hotel had a coffee maker in the room; that is always a disappointment while we are traveling. All showers should have grab bars and/or seats for older travelers. Because I had requested ground-floor rooms or hotels with elevators, we had a nice room on the ground floor. It would've been lovely to have had an upper floor with balcony in one of the hotels overlooking the square.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Short walk to the square.

Staff

Breakfast servers were very attentive and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Morales Historical & Colonial Downtown Core

Mexicaltzingo, Guadalajara, Jal.

There was a coffee maker in the room. I don't recall if this hotel had a grab bar and/or seat in the shower for older travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Charming place.

Location

Staff

Breakfast staff was kind and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Edelmira Hotel Boutique

Centro Guanajuato, Guanajuato

We were upgraded to a suite: that was great. But the suite was reached with a number of stairs, both up and down, around many corners. It was a real labyrinth. There was an espresso-type maker in the room. I don't recall the room's shower. All showers should have grabbed bars and/or seats for older travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a block from the really lovely square.

Staff

The tall porter was great; he took good care of us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Monteverde Best Inns

León

I regret that the one memory of this hotel was that there was no source of heating in our room. The outside temperature was low, so our room was cold. There was sufficient warm bedding. I don't believe there was a coffee maker in the room; that is always a disappointment. All showers should have grab bars and/or seats for older travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Casa Azul Museum

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private walking tour of Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Awesome!

Quality of Experience

Food

Sorry, I don't remember food as part of this tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archaeological Tour in Monte Albán

Oaxaca

Must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oaxacan Markets: A Culinary Journey through Colors and Flavors

Oaxaca

Great for food-market lovers.

Quality of Experience

Enjoyed an unusual corn/chocolate/water drink.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historical Guadalajara & Museums

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historical urban walk en Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dolores Hidalgo and the Sanctuary of Atotonilco

San Miguel de Allende

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bernal, Querétaro: colonial Mexico’s home

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My niece and I took this trip together to Morocco and it was absolutely amazing. Our driver, Hamza, was outstanding and really made the trip extra special. He is a wonderful man, and he made everything so easy. He made us feel very safe. We hope to travel with him again! All the guides were great with excellent English. Mustafa was especially good and made our day in Fes a really enjoyable one. Riads were also wonderful, especially Chez Pierre.

We had an amazing time. I had to arrive late due to unforeseen circumstances but has some was very accommodating to help me come up with a plan to join the tour late. Our driver, Hamza, became our friend throughout the trip and was there whenever we needed him. He also provided great recommendations for food and drink. He really made the trip what it was and represented Morocco so well. We’ve already discussed coming back and having him as our driver again! We also had a private guide, Mustafa, who took us through Fez. We saw so many things that we wouldn’t have seen on our own and learned so much about the town from him because he grew up there. Will recommend doing a Morocco trip this way to anyone. It was amazing and hope to return some day.

Activity Review

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fez

Fes

This was a very very interesting and diverse city. There were some amazing architectural sights, great shopping, and cool history.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had an amazing bean soup recommended by our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mustafa was very knowledgeable about the area

Transport

The trip Sharon organized for us was perfect. Each day was filled with adventure while being relaxing, the pace reminding you to enjoy the moment and the people around you. My sister-in-law and I laughed ourselves to tears multiple times a day and learned to take our rest with a cup of mint tea. Our tour manager, Rafqik, definitely made the trip an adventure and helped us feel at home wherever we went. Those who were our local guides along the way became fast friends, too.

So many experiences stand out in my memory it's hard to select a favorite - the adventure of exploring the Medina of Fes with Siad; seeing the Roman ruins of Volubilis on a partially cloudy day with momentary rain (beautiful pictures); being cold in the Sahara desert as we watched the sunset and then later the sunrise; all the stairs in the riads; the movement and energy of Marrakesh; the beauty of the Atlas mountains (seeing a snowstorm in the Atlas mountains); Chefchaoeun; watching sunset on the beach in Essaouira; the calls to prayer throughout the day; and the cats. And so much more! Every picture we took seemed to turn out perfectly - Morocco is a photogenic country. Reflecting back, considering how relaxed our pace was (compared to our normal lives), Angela and I are amazed at how much we saw and experienced. We both feel like the trip was perfectly designed for us and we look forward to returning to Morocco in the future.

Overall, we didn't feel like tourists exploring a country, we felt like we were on a road trip with a friend to visit other friends across Morocco. I remember as we near Marrakesh and saw more foreign tourists, we felt out of place (it felt too touristy lol). Being Angela and my first international adventure together, I'm so grateful that we came across Morocco Immersion (via KimKim). Had we tried to plan the trip ourselves, it would pale in comparison to what we did get to experience.

Considering the fun we had on the private tour, I'm sure the small group tours will be just as much fun, perhaps even more.

I can't express our appreciation for all of the hard-work, dedication and effort that Margoth put in to planning our 16 day trip to Colombia. We had finalized our trip pre-COVID and then of course everything changed. Margoth remained in contact with us over the next 2+ years and worked so hard to get our trip rebooked and have our respective credits applied to our new trip. We visited Guatape, Medillin, Bogota and Cartagena and all of our hotels / experiences were handled seamlessly. Any time we needed to make a change (even if last minute) Margoth and her team did their best to accommodate -- going above and beyond. If you are considering visiting this wonderful country, it is a must to connect with Margoth and the KimKim team as you will have an experience that you will remember.

We used KimKim to book our transport and tours - we took care of the lodging on our own. Brittany and Jessica were both wonderful - and their care really took the concern out the logistics - everything went smoothly and according to plan. Thanks ladies!

Fortuna/Arenal Area
Volcano Hike & The Springs Hot Springs & Meal
Jacamar Naturalist Tours
Giavone Villalobos was our guide for the volcano hike - it was just a low key walk but very, very informative - it wasn't only about the volcano but it was a holistic talk giving the background of how Costa Rica came to be, the social/economic/cultural influences - why the volcano eruption was so important to really kicking of the development of the country as a whole, beautiful hike and great informative background - great way to set the ground work for a trip around the country.

The Springs were nice - but we had to set our own pickup time after being dropped off by Jacamar - we didn't really know, we were picked up at 9:30pm - after arriving around 5pm. If I had a recommendation - it would be to start the hike earlier in the day, spend a couple of more hours at the Springs. Husband and daughter enjoyed the water slide a whole lot - I enjoyed just soaking in the water. But felt rushed to soak, have dinner (dining closes at 9pm) and get picked up. We were unsure how long we could have stayed - still not sure what time the pools close or if we could have stayed until midnight.

Private: Canyoning in the Lost Canyon
Desafio Adventure Company
Rafi and Josea were our guides - it was just the 3 of us plus the 2 guides , and it was wonderful. This was such a fun tour, rappelling down the waterfalls, hiking down the absolutely beautiful creek bed, jumping in the deep pools, Costa Rican tsunami (you have experience it to know what it is) - our 15 yr old daughter said that was a great way to start the trip and she didn't know how anything can beat that tour. There was a large group that went down before us - I cant imagine this would be fun with a large group, private was the way to go. You will be hiking down the Lost Canyon, and you will also have to hike back up - we are a very active family so it was no big deal, but note it is a steep climb out, but its not very long.

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner
EcoTerra Costa Rica
This was great, we saw a sloth and her baby, lots of different frogs and birds, and some crazy bullet ants. Our guide - I forgot to write his name - was very, very educated and he told us so much about each species and just the ecology in general, his is working on his thesis with amphibians and fish farming techniques to clean the water. It was a fascinating tour - and the family home the tour is held at is just beautiful and the homemade meal was wonderful. The family also has a gift shop on site with things they make/grow right there. I purchased some peppercorns that we also sampled touring thru the gardens.

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring
Desafio Adventure Company
We weren't sure what to expect on this one - but it was so FUN!!! Upon entering the cavern, you are on your hand and knees crawling thru the underground creek and cracks and crevices, climbing thru shafts and under waterfalls. There are some cool spiders (they are BIG) in the cave and lots of little bat families. We climbed thru a shoot, up a rock wall, and down the other side in the cave. We were soaked by the end of the tour - and it was worth it. I love geology - so it was fascinating to me to see the large fossil beds and all of the different calcium carbonate formations and deposits. It was warm in the cave - and they gave us rubber boots and headlamps to wear in the cave.

Monteverde Area
100% Aventura Zip Line
100% Aventura
Its ziplining - what can I say? It was fun - and the 2 really long runs across the canyon are great because you are going thru the mist and the rainbows - but if I had limited time - I would bypass this activity. It was a huge group - and it felt rushed and since you are zipping thru so fast you cant really appreciate much of the amazing scenery - that's just our opinion. If you have never been zipling before - this is worth it.

Self-Guided Hike - Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Took a taxi from town to reserve, maybe 10 minute drive $13
We loved this, we didn't know what time we would get back to down after the ziplining - but we were able to catch a cab from Santa Elena - we missed the shuttle that runs regularly. It was sooooo beautiful - we hiked out to the far point, back tracked across the hanging bridge, and then out to the waterfall before returning. We had limited time because of the ziplining - but we could have spent all day here. We also found out they do guided night hikes in the reserve - next time for sure we will do this. Like this reserve because its run by the vo-tech and community - next time we would take a guided walk thru the reserve both night and day - but the reserve closes at 4pm so didnt get to stay as long as we would have liked.

Kinkajou Night Walk Tour - we booked this after getting back to town because it was recommended, we did this outside of KimKim - but I would NOT RECOMMEND. This tour was way too many people, and the guide leading the hike was just pointing to things that they probably spotted before the sunset. I found more critters with my flashlight than the guide - because he was just going from point-to-point (seemed predetermined) instead of shining his light up into the trees or along the bottom of the leaves, especially when we were walking along the creeks. And then - when I would point stuff out, he would call on the walkie talkie to tell the other guides and then big crowds of people would come stomping thru. If there were any creatures there - the volume of people would have scared them away. Then he mis-identified a tree frog species - and jumbled all of his facts up contradicting himself. It was so disappointing - go the Santa Elena reserve and get a night tour there!

Sky Adventures Hanging Bridges
Sky Adventures
We were again, a little skeptical of this because of our ziplining experience and the Kinkajou night walk- nearly cancelled this, but so glad we didn't! Our guide was Elvis, again, he was so educated and we learned so much from him. We happened to go before the clouds blew in for the day, so we got to see the top of the canopy and walk across the hanging bridges and even see the Pacific Ocean from one of the bridges. Elvis was amazing - definitely background in ecology, he was been working here for 6 years and he was able to answer any and all questions - we all said we should have hired Elvis to do a night hike for us!

Manuel Antonio Area
Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling
Tucanes Tours
This was fun, its an easy kayak trip across the bay - there was no wind or waves. Our guide was fun, and hilarious, the snorkeling was fun, it was a fun way to spend the AM. BUT - if you are looking for impressive snorkeling - this is not it. After snorkeling the reefs in Belize - where you have lots of plants and a large variety of fish species - this was a disappointment. But it was a beautiful day - and the lunch included was very good.

Visit the Indigenous Boruca Tribe
Tucanes Tours
We debated canceling this tour because of the long day of travel the next day, but let me just say - THIS WAS AMAZING - I wish more people would do this tour. Jesus and Douglas were our guide and driver - they were wonderful. It is an all day event - but the drive is beautiful - and you get to see some amazing scenery. If you have flexibility in your schedule, it is well worth it to spend a day learning about these wonderful people. You see the Boruca masks sold around Costa Rica - but going to up to the tribal village where they grow and harvest and hand carve each piece was great. When we arrived, and took a hike with a tribe member down to their sacred water falls, learned their legend of how they came to be, learned about their relationship with nature, their industry, medicinal herbs, how the Boruca masks came to be popular and a way to help sustain their way of life - including a demonstration of the carving and painting process - and then they let us paint masks too - it was fun. We then had a wonderful traditional lunch prepared for us, smoked in the palm leaves - with fresh salads - it was delicious. We then had a demonstration of the plants the tribe uses to die their textiles and weaving into different items. We then got a tour of the museum, set up by they matriarchs of the community and learned some of their legends. Its fun just to learn about and observe the way of life of this indigenous tribe - they were so kind and so welcoming and we learned so much. Bring some cash with you - we purchased the most beautiful mask directly from the craftsman who made it - far superior to the masks they sell across the country. They also have hand woven textiles - unique crafts made by the people and the funds go to them instead of the tourist trap gift shops - something unique and the funds benefit the tribe. We weren't sure our 15 yo daughter would enjoy it - but she said on the way back that it was a great way to end the trip. Plus we still got back with enough time to spend a couple of hours at the beach.

Activity Reviews

Visit the indigenous Boruca tribe

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & The Springs Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Canyoning in the Lost Canyon

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

100% Aventura Zip Line Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Too many people for my liking

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Treetopia Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip: your reps in Guayaquil & San Cristobal were on-time, knowledgeable & flexible, which turned out to be a big plus when our return flights on Cabo Air became a major snafu. Of course the boat was top-notch, and we'd recommend others take the 8-day cruise but not necessarily the 4-day one (100 points vs 75, let's say). All guides were knowledgeable about the history, the science & other facts like populations of both humans & other animal species. Their daily plans worked.

One suggestion: when booking clients on any boat do warn them to prepare ahead of time for being seasick unless they KNOW FOR SURE they will not suffer from that. On both of our trips we had fellow "sailors" unable to eat, or participate in the things they came to do: out of only 14-16 pax there was always someone out of commission! They had not been warned by anyone it seemed!

The day trip around San Cristobal was excellent to include. The harbor-front hotel there was perfect, although for most 80-yr-olds its not having an elevator would have been a bad surprise; we are, thankfully, not most 80-yr-olds. The Guayaquil hotel was adequate & for $100/night incl breakfast & some drinks a "good buy". We even had dinner there every evening. Overall, in spite of knowing a lot about what makes those islands so special before we arrived, we came home knowing so, so much more

It was a great trip. The falls were beautiful.

We were initially very happy in dealing with Andy as he seemed to understand our interests well. Subsequently due to Covid delays and his change of jobs we ended up interacting with other specialists who were sometimes pretty unresponsive (1-2 weeks to reply) and didn't see to know our interests as well

Marc was great to work with in our trip planning. He was open to providing more options for tours or lodging if anything was not a best fit. Additionally he answered lots of questions we had about itineraries, cultural norms, and made sure we knew who would be meeting at each trip stage and provided contact information for all drivers, and hotels, etc. I would highly recommend his services to others as his Bali knowledge was extremely helpful.

Our driver Jerry was was kind and helpful and was flexible to adding or changing any stops or plans we had made. He was open to answering lots of questions about Bali and made us feel welcome and safe at all times.

Thank you!