Kimkim Trip Reviews

This trip was 3 years in the making as Covid restrictions delayed our plans. Working with Randall was a god send! I have never felt more comfortable with someone that I haven’t met personally and only conversed with through emails and texting. Randall took our requirements and put together a 17 day trip that we will remember forever. The details of the itinerary were extremely helpful particularly when going on the different tours which included equipment & clothing requirements, pick up times, tour operators, and travel durations etc. We visited several national parks through guided tours and learned about the fauna and flora on both the Pacific, Caribbean and the inland mountains. Highly recommend going on guided hikes/walks and all the guides were amazing at spotting and learning about flora and fauna you wouldn’t pick up on your own. The trip was well balanced with excursions and down days were you could chill and relax when you wanted to. Also Randall and the Kim Kim were there if you needed them at all during the trip. Thanks so much Randall. Pura Vida!

We visited Costa Rica from Jan 4-18. We started in Tortuguero and finished in Manuel Antonio. We spent 2 nights in 5 different locations and 3 nights in Tamarindo. For the most part that was a perfect amount of time. However I do wish we had 3 nights in Manuel Antonio and a better hotel location in Arenal. The Kim Kim team was always easy to contact. The tour guides they work with are very good especially Marco in Tortuguero and Charlie in Arenal. We appreciated the good food we ate for breakfast and the kind workers at the lodges. All were very helpful. Don’t hesitate working with Kim Kim.
We did buy trip insurance since the payment amount due was several month before departure.

We felt that Kimkim was well worth the amount we paid for our trip to the Lake District in Chile. Every need was anticipated, all transfers were easy. On each leg of our trip, we had contact before, during, and after each new event was scheduled. A

Almost all of our guides and excursions were excellent. (we had one guide who really was unqualified, and were very disappointed with that, as we did not get to see some of the cultural offerings we were interested in). Our outdoor guides were tops, especially Consuelo, who headed our kayak excursion in Porto Varas, and reconfigured it well due to deteriorating weather; Juaquine in Porto Varas, who guided us in Alerce Andina National Park, with a wealth of information about flora and fauna, and Felipe in Pucon, who had extensive knowledge of geology, mountaineering, and botany. The hikes we did were varied and fascinating, and we couldn't have been happier.

We did not want luxury accommodations, and we were very happy with all of our hotels, most of which we were the only gringos in the guest list. All of the hotels were clean, all of the hosts were friendly, and all of the breakfasts were adequate.

I would not hesitate to book through kimkim again, as they really checked every box we had on our list.

This was our first time using kimkim, the experience was great and we will definitely use the service again!

Kimkim worked with Serendipity Adventures to plan our trip.
Communication with Sergio, Charlotte, and Nancy from SA, while planning and during the trip, was excellent.
Sergio tweaked our plan to accommodate our travel interests and created an itinerary that matched our requests. Charlotte and Nancy were both quickly reachable while we were in Costa Rica via WhatApp, this was a huge benefit as we made a few changes on the fly.

Prior to leaving we had some concerns regarding self driving in Costa Rica, after a call with Sergio we felt comfortable proceeding as planned. Self driving around Costa Rica allowed us to explore and stop as we wished, we felt safe. The winding roads through mountain elevation changes might be a bit much for some travelers.

Tours:

La Fortuna area-

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano

This private tour was operated by Arenal Star. We were picked up by a van with a guide and driver. Nester was our guide for the entire day, his knowledge and passion for the local flora, fauna and ecosystem was outstanding. This package is a ‘do not miss’ tour.

Monteverde area-

Sky Adventures Zip Lines Monteverde Park

This is an amazing zipline system running through the jungle at high elevations up to 5,000 ft. The runs vary from 1/4 to 1/2 mile in length each; there are seven total cable runs. Be forewarned that this attraction operates in weather that would normally be considered dangerous in the United States. We had high wind and light rain accompanied by dense fog/clouds.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Don Juan coffee and chocolate tour is another 'do not miss'. A well organized and educational tour of the process involved in cocoa and coffee production also information about sugarcane.

Accommodations:

All were excellent and very different from each other. Rating on a 1-5 scale shown next to the property name below.

Arenal Paraiso Resort & Spa-4

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens-5

Los Altos Resort-Quepos-5

As we travelled to both Chile and Argentina, we have broke our comments into two sections.

CHILE:
All told we are quite happy with our Chilean road trip, but if you are open to some points going forward,
here are my Chile notes and recommendations for future bookings.

-Santiago: quite happy with this our arrival and starting off point;
- Temuco: I would personally scratch the hotel stay here,as for the one night stay, it was constant 1 hr. traffic fight to go into the City and then the next day go back out the same way, once again passing the airport where we came in to then drive to Pucon, where I would recommend a two day stay there instead of one night in Temuco and only one in Pucon

- Pucon: beautiful spot;again saying two days here would have been better, as that way you could have the Guide there be able to do the tour to the Volcano, without the rush and having to pack the rental cars with the luggage, do the hike and then leave for Huilo-Huilo. As far the organized hike with Juan Paublo, you already got my report on using a rental car to go up the rugged mountain trail only suitable for 4 wheel drive jeeps and the problems that created.
- Hate to take business away from Juan Paublo, (JP) but I would suggest that hopefully JP or if not him or her another English speaking guide could pick up the customers in his or her 4 wheel drive Jeep to do the drive and hike, because we we’re very disappointed to miss that hike, due to the car unable to get up there.
- Huilo-Huilo: Magic Mountain: great experience,unique place.
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- Valdivia: Sorry again to take possible business away from JP, as he is very nice and speaks very good English,but again a little rushed, as it is a 3 hr drive to get there and then JP was waiting for us upon arrival and immediately we had to go on a drive and hike, with barely catching our breath and then again with an unsuitable car to do the proposed hike , we had to change locations and did a simple short hike, not the one planned
- Suggest: giving the first day of arriving in Valdivia after the 3 hr drive, just a chance to do a Self day to look around as we didn’t get much of chance to see Valdivia, as you also had a full day excursion planned for the next day with JP.
- Speaking of the next day, again JP was not really needed as we drove out with him to cross the ferry to Corral and then had to go to the National Ranger office, to pick up their guide and go in his Jeep on a very rugged trail to see the ancient larch trees. We could have driven there ourselves and met the guide without having to use and pay for JP’s services, as the local guide ( Edmundo) could have been booked and expected us at a given time frame. JP wasn’t even aware he couldn’t go up there himself and we had to use their guide. We couldn’t have gone up anyway, as there is no way our car would haven’t made it.
- Puerto Varas: everything good
- Ancud: as this was over the day before New Year’s Eve, New Years Eve and New Year’s Day, hardly anything open. Understandable and no way around that.
- However suggest add the trip out to the Penguin colony in Punihuil as the day trip, as this we found on our own and it was less than an hour away from Ancud and the highlight of the area.

Thank you for the Chilean experience;

Mike and Pat Chatwin
Comox, BC
CANADA

Argentina

I had previously sent a recap of our journey and travel through Chile , to Oleksandra. The following is our time through Argentina.

First though, we would like to congratulate and applaud the fine work that mainly Oleksandra and then Axel and the Tour Company Tangol put into our package. It was definitely not easy to come up with a 40+ day travel package that included both Chile and Argentina, that we would be happy with , including a large portion of it been a self- drive holiday, trying to cover the main attraction spots in each country and to make it even harder; over the summer and Christmas/New Year holidays. So, thank you so much for arranging this.

Argentina

- We first travelled into Argentina by the experience of “Crossing the Lakes” . A series of : 3 Catamarans and 3 buses from Puerto Varas in Chile to Bariloche in Argentina. A very long 14 hr day , but definitely worth the experience.
- Bariloche: only down side to the Very touristy city of Bariloche was, we we’re there during the very peak summer season, so the population of the area triples during that time, which may have been the reason for some of the delays and hotel availability selections. In saying that, wouldn’t have chosen the Carlos V Hotel there, as it wasn’t on the drop off route for the buses and where we we’re dropped off, was a 4 block, uphill climb over uneven cobblestone roads, plus with a car rental arranged , the hotel has no parking spaces and it was near impossible to get parking anywhere near the hotel (3 blocks away for parking and extra 4,000 pesos for overnight, secure parking). Which , speaking of car rental there; as we didn’t arrive until 21:30, the arranged car rental office was closed, so would suggest not having the rental pickup arranged until the next day.
- **Both the El Chalten and El Calafate portions we’re wonderful . Great experience. Great hikes and extraordinary scenery. All transfers went well, no problems.
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- Ushuaia: : A definite highlight portion. Hotel in walking distance to the town and the tours arranged we’re very interesting. Points to note though: as mentioned for the hike out at the National Park, credit card was not accepted and had to borrow money from the guide for entrance. Should tell future clients to expect this and have 5,500 pesos per person ready for the entry fee.
- Hike was very nice, as well as the lunch and rafting.
- Penguin Island cruise was a good day, but again as mentioned; good thing we checked the new vouchers with the old ones, as the two excursions we’re flipped on each day.
- ** As mentioned: When your contact company makes changes to the original vouchers, they should send a * Change note to both us and you, as the excursion dates we’re flipped for each day and almost missed it. That goes for Hotel changes as well, from the original vouchers .
-
- Mendoza : 3 days, there was plenty, as it was over a weekend,so a lot of places we’re closed; wineries, etc. But managed to get some driving sightseeing in and even a round of golf. Nice hotel.

- Salta: This was where it was too bad our original hotel (Marquis De Tojo) out in the country got changed to the one in the city of Salta ( The Inkai) , as we we’re to return here 3 different times and again very limited, to no parking and very busy area, with a lot of street construction going on. Thank you for changing the hotel on the last day.

- Purmamarca: Fantastic Mountain Village. Great hikesand dazzling coloured canyons. A ver interesting old western style town . Thoroughly enjoyed.

- Cachi: The Drive from Cachi was a sensational,long twisty road , with huge elevation changes that definitely kept you focused. The drive was the highlight , as by the time you got there, your pretty tired, and with only one night booked, not really enough time to look around ( two nights here would have been better).
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- Cafayate: Again, same as above; the Drive was the highlight, as only one night , would have preferred two), as a nice hotel at the Wine Resort. Be warned: The drive from Cachi to Cafayate,along Route 40 is a long washboard track that you are constantly driving at approximately only 20-25 km’s an hour as you are being bounced around.BUT; the scenery through the canyons was spectacular. If at all possible the car rental in Argentina should be a SUV or something similar.
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- Cafayate back to Salta: What could have been a spectacular , easy drive along the Canyon filled Route 68 , ended up due to a huge rainstorm and flooding the night before , being anything but relaxing. A 2.5 hr drive ended up taking 7.5 hrs and we we’re just lucky to even get through at all, with constant stops, flooded out roads and heavy eqpt working just to try to keep a small one lane mud path opened to let cars go through. Just back luck on our part, that the rains came when they did.

- Iguazu Falls: This is where once again where our hotel vouchers we’re changed from the original hotel to the Mercure Hotel. However, a nice change , as we we’re spoiled to be upgraded to this fabulous 5 star hotel.
- For the Excursions to the Falls; First the Argentina Side:
- Group tour with a guide that really a guide was not needed, nor the large group. As we had to leave early in the a.m. and got there at the same time as ALLLL the other large bus tours, which unfortunately put us ALL, on the same walkways, at the same time, causing turtle like walking and very limited opportunities to enjoy the view points. The guide doesn’t give any information of interest, just helps herd everyone.
- We would have rather gone out on our own for a 3,500 pesos taxi ride, later in the afternoon,when all the tour buses have departed and walked our own route, with far less people. Again credit cards did not go through, so ensure you have the 5,500 pesos per person for entry.
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- Brazilian Side: Obviously guide needed to coordinate the border crossing . Credit cards did work here for entry.
- Spectacular views from this side and although still crowded due to the Summer Season, did not feel as congested. Fantastic views.

- Buenos Aires: final stop and as not city folk and really not liking the concrete jungle of big cities, but we had to come here to be able to fly back home through the International Airport. Just our bias opinion, some would probably love it. We did visit a few historic sites and had some nice meals and of course the highlight of the city having you arrange the most spectacular Tango Show and Dinner for us.

Leave to go back to Canada on Monday, and want to once again; thanks to all for putting this South America package together for us.
Mucho Gracias;

Michael and Patricia Chatwin
Comox, British Columbia
Canada
🇨🇦

Just amazing itinerary professionally organized and executed...
My third time in Argentina and by far my favorite experiences...

Looking forward to future adventure plans...

We had a great couple of weeks in Costa Rica, all planned through Kimkim and their agent Yuliana with Amazilla Travel in Costa Rica. Yuliana did a great job planning the trip following our, and our friends from Canada traveling with us, input on what to see and things we were interested in doing.
We travelled from Liberia to Monteverde by private transportation and knowledgeable guide that explained points of interest during the ~ 3 hour drive.
The Zip Line organized by Yuliana was fantastic. It worked out very well starting in the north cloud forest region first as it was a bit cooler but still very conformable mid 60’s to 70’s then making our way to lower elevations and south as the trip progressed. The accommodations were clean, comfortable and nice throughout the trip. Other main places visited included, La Fortune, Manuel Antonio and San Jose. Highlights were the Zip Line, Los Lagos hot springs resort, planned tours and hikes to beautiful water falls. Tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable which made the trip that must more enjoyable.
We learned a lot about the country, regions, culture, parks and animals through the organized tours so very glad we took them. All in all, it was a great trip, saw and did lots of things and had the right amount of down time. Would do it again.

Lorenzo & Helen C

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

This is a very nice resort with lots of hot spring pools, things to do and good restaurant. The rooms are spacious and clean as are the grounds and facilities. The town is easy to get to and Uber was a good mode of transportation. Great view of the volcano from the resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located at the foot of the volcano and 5 minute drive to the town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

Good accommodations. Its on a hill so walking to stores and restaurants is very tough. Can take taxi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente San Jose City Center

San José

Well located in the heart of the city. Lots to see in within walking distance. As with many big cities, you will see some homeless people is some areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Amazing view of the ocean. Located in the hillside and close to the beach. Walking distance if you're a walker that doesn't mind steep hills. Local bus passed and stops near the hotel and other places of interest. Hotel grounds are well kept and a number of pools and great views. Restaurants are close by. Rooms are clean, spacious and great A/C.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of the ocean.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

These were amazing zip lines, 13 in total. Some long some short. Well run and safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour in Monteverde

Monteverde

Fun and tasty. Learned a few things about coffee and chocolate too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano National Park Guided Rainforest Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Timing was right, if too raining you won't see the turquoise color, we were lucky and it was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Fun kayaking here. The guide was good and water calm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San José City Tour

San José

City tour was informative and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What a beautiful and physically awesome trip. Kim Kim suggested the right excursions for us and how wonderful to not worry about transfer transportation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Great location for food and drink.

Authenticity & Character

Boutique hotel with lovely garden.

Location

Multilevel restaurants in area

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Dreams del Estrecho Hotel

Punta Arenas

Nice room, but casino on weekend was loud into the early hours of the morning(it is a casino after all).

Authenticity & Character

It is a casino hotel.

Location

Location and views good, but busy street to cross to get to town.

Staff

Not all that helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are very nice.

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Great views, nice room, and restaurant was good for a dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Lake vacation hotel with views and access to town and sites.

Location

Walkable to town or inexpensive taxi ride, and on the lake with wonderful views.

Staff

Very helpful and always smiling.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable room.

Activity Review

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Chile

You cannot top seeing a large Puma upclose.

Quality of Experience

Puma

Food

No vegetarian meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well based natural knowledge

Transport

On time

Astrid was a terrific local guide and so knowledgeable.
The various islands were great choices.

Fabulous trip and experience in the Galapagos.
mathias planned a great trip and we loved every excursion. Our hotels were really nice, guides knowledgeable, and boats to islands were terrific. Truly a beautiful experience!

This was my fourth visit to India but the first for my daughter. It was my pleasure to re-visit sights I had seen before and to experience them with her. KimKim and our local specialist, Ravi, helped build a trip that provided opportunities to see the best of the Golden Triangle and Varanasi. Each place we visited we had an experienced local guide and in each location the guides provided us with rich experiences that made our visit memorable.
in addition to the most famous sights in Jaipur, our guide, Virendra, showed us the vegetable and flower markets and beautiful local temples.
In Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, our guide, Raju, gave us insight into the reign of the Mughal Empire.
In Varanasi, we were able to experience sunrise on the Ganges and enjoyed the festivities on Republic Day. Our guide provided us with the best seats for Aarti on the Ganges.
In Delhi, we enjoyed the major attractions and our guide, Jitendra, took us for a wonderful walk in Old Delhi which was a highlight.
Our driver, Vijay Singh, was with us through our trip. From the moment he picked us up until we left for home, he took very good care of us. He was professional, courteous, prompt and entertaining. He was always ready to answer any question we had along our journey.
KimKim and Ravi managed to take our list of must do's and make them a reality. They provided us with knowledge that helped us hone our ideas into a workable plan. We would highly recommend their services to anyone considering a bespoke travel experience.

Hotel Reviews

Alsisar Haveli

Jaipur

Well maintained, good service, location was good and we enjoyed our breakfasts there very much. Our only regret was that we could not use the pool because the weather was too cold!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oberoi Amarvilas

Agra

A beautiful hotel with amazing Taj Mahal views. Impeccable service, lovely decor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pride Plaza Aerocity

Delhi

Convenient location -- next to entertainment and dining.

Authenticity & Character

It was a basic airport property

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel had a very odd smell--there were signs of deferred maintenance throughout the hotel

Brijrama Palace

Dashashwamedh, Uttar Pradesh

LOCATION! Historic hotel with incredible service. Truly a special place. There were so many perks to staying here, special snacks in room, free high tea daily, free henna tatoos, free yoga, traditional dance performance...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taj Palace Delhi

New Delhi

Good location, beautiful modern luxury hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival Delhi and Drive to Jaipur

Jaipur

Great service by entertaining driver, Vijay Singh. The long drive was made enjoyable because he clearly loves his work and his country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at Active India was helpful, polite and when we encountered a small glitch they were proactive and really quick to work out a solution. Guides were all very good--each one was able to show me something or tell me something new. Since I have visited India three times before that is not an easy task. Our driver, Vijay Singh, was such a joy to be around. He always was making sure we were comfortable, he helped us capture the best photos along the way, he found delicious meals on the road and in the cities we visited. He answered all of our questions about life in India, the customs and the people. The trip was enhanced by the time we spent in his car. We appreciated his command of English.

Transport

The car was immaculate and comfortable.

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour Including Nahargarh Fort

Jaipur

Traveling with a guide and driver helps make sightseeing very efficient. This allows for seeing lots of sights (and there are many in Jaipur!) Also, the guide and driver know how to group activities so no time is wasted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Exploration

Jaipur

We were able to see several temples and learned so much. Also, we were able to see the local markets and experience street food. These are activities made much richer when you have a local guide and driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Agra via Abhaneri and Fatehpur Sikri

Agra

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taj Mahal at Sunrise and Drive to Delhi

Agra

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi to Varanasi (Indigo Flight - 10:55/12:25 Hrs)

Varanasi

Indigo is a great airline--good service.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver and the person who accompanied us to the hotel were very good. It was nice to have an English speaker take us on the boat to the hotel. We could have managed it but this was an added benefit.

Varanasi Sightseeing With Sarnaath

Varanasi

Great experience--walk in the old city, seeing Banaras University and enjoying the Republic Day celebrations. Sarnath was wonderful to see. We also enjoyed the Aarti on the Ganges.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Varanasi - Delhi (Flight - 12:55/ 14:30 Hrs)

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi Sightseeing and Departure

New Delhi International Airport (DEL)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Myself (Irish) and two of my friends (Canadian) spent 10 wonderful days travelling from Marrakech around the North of Morocco with lots of stops along the way. The accommodation was beautiful, the food was delicious and the route we took had such amazing scenery. Our driver Samir was brilliant, really informative at any of our stops, had some great recommendations and nothing was any trouble for him if we needed to stop for any supplies or fancied a McDonald's for breakfast one day! :) He was very relaxed and we really enjoyed travelling with him.
The highlight if this trip was our experience in Merzouga, the sunset camel ride across the Sahara and spending a night in a beautiful campsite with some locals who played traditional music for us and shared stories around the camp fire. Followed the next morning by some quad biking across the sand!
The day tours around different cities were also really good and we learned lots about the culture. The tour guides were really nice and very informative, showing us all the best of their cities and medinas.
The people of Morocco are so, so welcoming and we felt very safe everywhere we went and guided by Samir.

I would highly recommend KimKim, Samir and a trip to Morocco. Can't wait to go back and explore the South next time. Thank you for organising. Definitely a trip to remember! :)

All the best,

Debra, Sarah and Lauren.

The trip to Egypt and Jordan was organized for us very nicely. Mr. Ibrahim planned an itinerary based on my requests and gave me options for hotel and cruise boat options and then booked the ones as I chose. The team on the ground, tour leaders and drivers were all great and well organized. I highly recommend using them as Egypt and Jordan require guides to be explored and enjoyed. This team made it unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Mazayen Rum Camp

Al Dissi

Great accommodation in the dessert. Nice, clean with great food and great staff. Highly recommend

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petra Guest House

Wadi Musa

Fantastic, clean and modern hotel right by trail to Petra. Amazing staff and great food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel El Borg

cairo

Great hotel and great location. Other than hotel restaurants, there were not many other food options around but it is on the Nile with walking distance to museums so very centrally located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Farah Nile Cruise

cairo

This is absolutely beautiful boat with an amazing staff. Choose this one. You won’t be disappointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

KaiSol Romance Sahl Hasheesh

Hurghada

Hotel is beautiful and on a perfect stretch of the sea

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was located 20 min by car to city so nothing around it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Concorde El Salam

cairo

Hotel had a nice lobby area but rooms are old and mattress was sagging so uncomfortable. Close to airport for convenience. There are no food options around hotel other than it’s own restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Abu Simbel - Kom Ombo

Egypt

Even though it was a long drive to get to it was one of the most amazing temples we saw. Definitely worth it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

West & East Bank Luxor

Luxor

Luxor was amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I’m 100% thrilled with my trip. Realistic Asia was responsive, flexible, creative, and helped me see the best spots in vietnam. I was a difficult client because I needed to change plans a few times and they were gracious and proactive each time. Highlights are the halong bay cruise and hoi an.

The kimkim platform is a great tool to help match travelers directly with local specialists. We wanted to create an itinerary for Cambodia that was an authentic, personalized and responsible travel experience. Steve provided excellent service for the pre, during, and post travel journey. We were happy with nearly everything that was planned and he matched our travel intentions well with local guides and resources. For the one snag that did take place - Steve worked expediently with the local hotel to provide us with a solution that went above and beyond our expectations.

Without a doubt, we would recommend kimkim and Steve's management service for SE Asia to our friends and family.

Hotel Reviews

The Aviary Hotel

Siem Reap

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Gate Hotel & Resort

Phnom Penh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cardamom Tented Camp

Trapeang Rung

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Passion by Achariyak

Koh Rong Sanloem

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full day temple exploration by remork (with lunch)

Siem Reap

Our guide was extremely knowledgable about the history of the temples and made the experience comfortable with refillable water bottles and a kind remork driver. He also used a terrific book that showed visual illustrations of what the temples looked like historically as compared to today. We ended up purchasing several as gifts for friends and family.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Basket makers, rice noodles & ancient trails cycling tour

Siem Reap

Wonderful way to see truly see local people and families and the crafts and foods they make for their income.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A morning with the elephants at Kulen Elephant Forest

Siem Reap

This is a wonderful program that is very experiential. You prepare and feed the elephants and learn about their personalities and have a chance to touch their trunks with careful instruction. Great guide, great lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Cardamom Tented Camp (Trekker & Explorer Packages)

Botum Sakor National Park

This is a must-do for travelers that like the outdoors and want an off the beaten path cambodian experience. Great bird watching, beautiful and clean river, very kind staff and guides, delicious food. The 'glamping' set-up was very modern and comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phnom Penh Half day, Royal Palace & Central Market

Phnom Penh

Our guide Pich was so wonderful. Knowledgable, fun, and the absolute perfect pace for touring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Late afternoon until evening foodie tour

Phnom Penh

This was such a fun experience. We tried the most delicious street food and then ate a local restaurant. We even stopped for a cocktail. This was made truly excellent by our guide, Pich, who participated in eating with us. It was like having a friend show you around the food scene of Cambodia. SO FUN

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow what can I say - this was the best holiday experience we have had. Coming from London we usually book with UK based companies but I decided to try kimkim based on the exceptional reviews and individualised tour options. My wife and I were not dissapointed and Louis delivered a tailor made itinerary that met all our expectations and more. A huge thank you to Louis for this and his excellent communication throughout the process.
Our guides Said (Marrakesh) and Mustafa (Fes) were both knowledgeable, friendly and adapted our tour so that we interacted with the local community so much better than we could have managed by ourselves. We particularly enjoyed the food tour provided by Said on our first day experiencing the culinary delights of real Moroccan food at local places including the legendary snail soup!!
Our driver was Amine and by the end of the trip I can honestly say we became true friends. He was exceptional and I cannot fault him in any way. He is both knowledgeable but can also engage with his clients and adapt to any circumstances thrown at him. His driving was considerate and we felt very safe travelling with him.
There were so many highlights but I think the Camel ride and night in the Sahara Desert topped everything.
I will have no hesitation booking with kimkim for our next trip. Thank you kimkim and the entire team.

Hotel Reviews

72 Riad Living

Marrakech

Fantastic Riad. Loved the decor and the staff were all very attentive and helpful. Good quite location just next to the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravane

Ouarzazate

Fantastic place in the middle of nowhere! Had a superb evening meal here. Great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Wow. Incredible set up. Tents were warm and comfortable. Enjoyed the evening campfire Berber music and the starry night sky!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Anata

Fès

Beautiful Riad in the Medina. Fantastic breakfast with homemade cardamon honey. Musk shower gel was amazing - we bought 2 bottles to take home. Breakfast was on the terrace so needed to wrap up as cold in Jan but in the summer would be amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Meziana

Chefchaouene

Another fantastic location. Local staff which added to authenticity. Great views from our room which was on the 3rd floor terrace area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

Modern hotel in the city which was a welcome change. Lovely spacious room and wide breakfast selection.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Stunning Riad. The rooms are amazing. We were upgraded as they were quite. Best room of the trip. Incredibly nice staff and dinner/breakfast excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Star

Marrakesh

This was the worst accommodation of the trip. Although the Riad is in the Medina it was run more as a communal with no locks on the outside of the bedroom doors and breakfast set up on a large table shared with other guests. Although we did not mind it is worth noting if you want time as a couple. The staff were not as attentive or accessible as in the other places we stayed. Considering everywhere else we stayed this was a dissapoitment for our last night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Evening Food Tour in Fez

Fes

Ate just about everything local. Our guide Said was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight in the Sahara Desert

Morocco

Highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We returned from our South American trip a few days ago , I’m still processing the experience. I however do wish to commend Kimkim on their handling of the difficult circumstances which arose in relation to our Peruvian leg of the trip. Kim Kim’s communication with Stuart stands out for particular praise. Stuart was kept informed at every step , group concerns and questions were answered promptly and addressed appropriately. I was also very impressed with Kimkim’s nimbleness in reorganising our schedule. The Amazon rainforest / jungle stay was a more than satisfactory alternative to Machu Pichu and the guide, Ray, proved a real winner. A gentleman , a fund of knowledge and a joy to be with. He also went the extra mile to handle a tricky luggage problem. A lone bag was tracked and made its way safely upriver 24 hours late. Thanks Ray and team in Iquitos for that. The day in Cusco while long and somewhat arduous was unmissable due in large part to the infectious mess of the guide , Ali. A breath of fresh air , a superb communicator , very personable , a real asset to the Kimkim suite of guides.
Overall what could potentially have been an anticlimactic experience was handled magnificently by Kimkim along with our tireless , unflagging and ever patient friend Stuart.
Best wishes to all at Kimkim and indeed to all our Peruvian friends . Hopefully the present Political difficulties will be peacefully resolved and a prosperous way forward found for all .
One small caveat , the Lima walking tour was , in my view , underwhelming. The guide was perfunctory and somewhat uninformative. Lima as a major world city and centre of Spanish Empire building was underserved.
That said it was the first day of a big trip and as a group we were possibly tired and somewhat lethargic. Benefit of the doubt !!!!!

I'd like to thank and congratulate KimKim for your help and excellent organization during our trip to Peru.
When an alternative set of plans was suggested, as a result of problems in Machu Picchu, we were a little apprehensive.
The trip to the lodge in the Amazon was wonderful; and our guide, Rey, was a delightful character, with a wealth of knowledge about all things Amazon; his English was excellent, and he got his message over with ease and humour. He is a great ambassador for this region.
The flight to Nasca was also memorable, if a little disorganized. My main comment would be that heavy banking in the flight caused motion sickness in most of our party; something that might have been highlighted beforehand. Between this and the long delay in take-off, we were unable to avail of the wine-tasting and sand buggies. A pity, but not the end of the world.
Overall we were very happy with KimKim's cooperation and flexibility during our trip.

A last-minute trip to Cusco was facilitated by KimKim also, during which we spent the day with our fantastic guide, Ally. She was a breath of fresh air, enthusiastic and brimming with information about her home region. We were bowled over by her personality and her ability to inform us so completely; she was great company.

Hotel Reviews

Pacaya Samiria Lodge

AC Hotel by Marriott Lima Miraflores

Lima

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

Activity Reviews

Private Lima City Tour & San Francisco Catacombs

Lima

Private Round transfer to a Restaurant in Lima

Lima

Private Market Tour & Cooking Class with a Peruvian Chef

Lima

Pacaya Samiria Amazon Lodge 2/3

Iquitos

Private Full Day Transfer to Pisco Aerodrome & Route

Lima

Private Walking Cusco City Tour

Cusco Airport (CUZ)

Dear Yuliana,

We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica! Thank you for managing our itinerary and coordinating reservations. Our group was made up of myself, my mother and boyfriend. Ultimately, you and the KimKim team provided us time back to focus on being present for each other throughout each excursion. One of my favorites was the boat tour of Las Catalinas Islands where we each plunged into open sea waters in search of sea dwellers. It all was possible thanks to the customizable itinerary and flexibility. The thoughtful work allowed us to feel pampered, and taken care of throughout our adventure.

A

Ambre-marie was amazing! She did such a great job tailoring the trip to our wants and needs. She was available throughout our trip anytime we ran into problems finding our tour group, using public transportation etc. She was prompt and professional. The hotels were great that she chose for us and gave us great directions when making connecting trains to our second destination. All of the excursions were top tier and so memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel La Comtesse 4*

Paris

Great continental breakfast. Rooms are small but have everything you need. Great views of the Eiffel Tower. It felt warm and hospitable and safe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maisons du Monde Hôtel Marseille Vieux Port

Marseille

Super fun decor and very large bathroom with great shower. The breakfast in the morning was amazing and felt like a home cooked meal. Staff was friendly and knowledgable of the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

DU A Day in Le Marais: Cheese Shop, Museums, & Market

Paris

We had a small tour group so it felt like we got all of the attention and the full experience. Great food and our tour guide was very knowledgable about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovery of the Parisian catacombs

Paris

Really cool to listen to the guided tour and felt like we could take our time in the catacombs. Was a really awesome experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palace of Versailles Half day trip (Skip the line, audioguided & gardens) by minivan from Paris

Paris

I didnt realize that our tour only included the palace and not the grounds. The app that you use to walk through the palace felt incomplete unless you paid for it. It was still a great experience but wish the audioguide was more user friendly and that there was better clarity on what was included in the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great tour bus, very comfortable

Half-Day Afternoon Cruise to Calanques National Park - small group

Marseille

By far our most memorable excursion. There was a mixup with our skipper not being on time for the tour but they made up for it by adding on extra time at the end and overall didnt impact the experience. The skipper was funny and personable and knowledgable on the area. Gave great local tips on areas to eat and things to go back and see. There were soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages aboard

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet & Historic walking tour of Marseille

Marseille

Our guide was super knowledgable about Marseille and gave us a real local experience. we were able to stop and look in shops as we desired. She gave great recommendations for other things to do as we toured the city. She had great historical information and we felt like we got a really comprehensive tour of Old Marseille

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip. Our guides and drivers were extremely knowledgeable and helpful . The boutique hotels were very pleasant and the staff at each hotel were kind and always ready to help.
Margarita, who planned our trip was always ready to help. We are an older couple with excess questions, but Margarita was always there to help. She even applied for our entry and departure Check MIG forms. We saw others at the airport who were held up departing, but not us!!!
We both fell in love with Colombia and hope to return and see more.
Bill Kanz

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Terasu Salento

Salento, Quindío

This is probably this nicest boutique we have stayed in. The setting was wonderful and it was only a short walk from the central plaza in Salento. The staff could not have been more pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

Even feed birds on property

Location

Set in location with nature all around, but close to Salento's nail square

Staff

Very kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely clean.

Hotel Bantu By Faranda Boutique

Cartagena de Indias

In a great location. Staff was great. Created from old mansion with great character.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful ols mansion tastefully turned into a boutique hotel.

Location

Lots of activities within a short walk.

Staff

So, so kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oerfect!!

Activity Reviews

Pablo Escobar History

Colombia

Learned much about history.

Quality of Experience

One leads about the complexity of humanity.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Could not be better.

Transport

The best.

Medellin Cultural Experience

Colombia

Never realized how beautiful and interesting this city would be.

Quality of Experience

Comuna 13 wmshould not be missed.

Food

Hotel was short walk to great restaurants

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The bbest!!

Transport

Great driver. Super clean car.

Colorful Colombia: Flowers, Nature & Villages: Silletas, Guatapé & El Peñol

Medellín

I think the most beautiful area we have seen anywhere.

Quality of Experience

Could not have been better.

Food

Again, loved the meals.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best!

Transport

Clean car and very competent driver.

Salento, Filandia, & the Valley of Wax Palms

Colombia

See movie Wild Colombia and then go this amazing area.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful

Food

Great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best. So knowledgeable.

Transport

Great

Coffee Farm Experience

Colombia

The home and farm were so real. Learned much about life in rural Colombia.

Quality of Experience

Family made us feel very welcome.

Food

Clean and well prepared

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same great guide.

Transport

Again. Great.

Barú & the Rosario Islands

Colombia

We saw the Grand Isla which was the real thing. Our guide knew so much about area

Quality of Experience

Great.

Food

Well prepared, tasty and inexpensive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knew so much and server our every wish.

Transport

Great

Palenque: The first “free town” for Africans in the Americas

Cartagena

No history buff like me should miss visiting this town.

Quality of Experience

Very kind people who live here make for a not-to-be- missed. Tour.

Food

Ate at a local home. Food well prepared.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knew the local people. This made the visit very real.

Transport

Great guid/driver.

Botanical Garden, Coffee Culture Tour

Colombia

Very pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Local guide was very knowledgeable.

Food

N/A

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same guide agai knew everything local.

Transport

All OK

Santa Rosa Hot springs

Colombia

Loved watching the Colombians enjoy this beautiful place.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same great people.

Transport

Same nice and safe driver.

Discover the Magical City of Cartagena & Getsemaní

Cartagena

Learned much about the history. Not to Be missed.

Quality of Experience

Same knowledgeable driver/ guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, great

Transport

Very competent driver.