Kimkim Trip Reviews

I could not ask for anything more with regards to Pedro and his services during our Portugal trip. We would receive notifications as to who was going to pick us up and the designated time. If we had questions regarding our trip, we got our questions answered. So glad I was able to find Kimkim.com to customize our trip to fit our needs for 9 days. Will definitely use Kimkim.com again.

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Turim Santa Maria

Funchal

Authenticity & Character

The location

Location

Staff

Have staff in the pool area more receptive. Everyone else was nice and courteous.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Royal Bridges Hotel

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Center of town

Staff

Very approachable and nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

The Fado experience was great. The singing was amazing and an intimate experience since it was a small venue. The food and wine was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

The iberico pork, the cod fish and the steak

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

Nice transportation

Unveil the Western landscapes of Madeira Island on a Small Group Tour

Madeira

Nuno was very knowledgeable as he drove us to every point. He was very patient and gave us ample time in every location.

Quality of Experience

Our driver's skill in driving up and town the narrow roads.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge and skills in driving

Transport

Relaxation and Exploration: A Perfect Day of Leisure on the Eastern Side of Madeira

Madeira

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuno was able to accommodate our last minute Toboggan ride and cable car experience.

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service from Porto

Portugal

The tour was better than we expected. The driver was friendly and prompt.

Quality of Experience

Would definitely recommend the boat ride because it was so scenic and memorable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver went out of his way to show us Porto and Gaia so we can experience Porto while there is still daylight.

Transport

The ride was very comfortable.

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Quality of Experience

The scenic view from the boatride

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The guide even had restaurant recommendations.

Transport

The smooth boat ride.

Actually, Colombia was not my main destination, it was more of an add-on for my trip to Brazil. However, once I stepped into this fantastic realm, I am blown away and even extended my holiday. I love everything about Colombia, the food, the view, and the people, and I am already planning to come back. Wendy, my local specialist, is extremely helpful and quick to respond to my messages. The itinerary she arranged for me is amazing, and I had great fun every day. The local guides are also the highlights, they are all really passionate and informative. I have to say my favorite place in Colombia has to be Cartagena, the colorful buildings and Caribbean coasts are breathtaking and memorable. To be honest, every place I went to is incredible, and each has its unique views and cultures. I can't believe that my main impression of Colombia is mainly Encanto and El Dorado before, but I know I have a whole new understanding of Colombia, thanks to Wendy and all the local guides.

Activity Reviews

Walking Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour with a Professional Photographer

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the iconic Comuna 13 & Medellín

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colorful Colombia: Hike to Guatapé Rock, Guatapé & Peñol-Guatape Reservoir

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colombian Chocolates and Basketry Workshop

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cócora Valley & Salento

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover La Candelaria & The Monserrate Hill

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Dinner

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Matias (and KimKim) for helping plan, arrange and support a wonderful trip!! We had memorable experiences in Buenos Aires, not only because the WC Team won, but because we have wonderful tour guides, dinners and casual meetups. We enjoyed the beautiful lakes and mountains of Bariloche, Patagonia and the beaches and museums of Punta de Este. It was a well balanced trip with plenty of time for relaxation. Thank you!!!

Activity Review

Lake Kayaking

Bariloche

Wonderful guide and experience. Lunch on an isle and in the middle of paradise was terrific!

Said was wonderful, and friendly!! If I were to visit Morocco again, I would definitely want him to guide us. Our driver, Mohammed was quiet but a very nice gentleman. Timely and drove well.
Kamal in Fez was very knowledgeable and nice. He took to a restaurant for lunch, which turned out to be the best meal of our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

Loved our stay at this hotel. Loved the “complexity” of the different buildings. We hung out by the sitting area by the restaurant and the service was great. The welcome with the dates with walnuts was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Every single staff member was very nice, courteous and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

Pros: Nice tents Amazing staff Good food!! Location Cons: Some of the tents had water and heat issues Bathrooms were very basic but considering it’s a desert, it was set up well..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just check to make sure the heaters work well throughout the night. Water also stopped a few times for us. If there are time restrictions due to eco-conservation, it would be nice to know beforehand.

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

Dinner is included in your stay at this place. We only found out when we got there. The place is okay. Not the cleanest. I would rate it a 2-3star place

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The shower overflowed into our room. Also the rooms were not the cleanest

Riad Wow

Marrakech

Enjoyed the location of this place. Within the Medina and walking distance to pretty much everything. Staff was friendly and the courtyard was pretty and clean. They have a rooftop area with a bar but the staff, although extremely friendly, was not the best bartender.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Absolutely stunning!! Definitely check out this mosque from the inside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was not the best. It was a large group. We could barely hear or understand him.

Transport

We walked. Not sure about transport within the mosque

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Amazing tour with Kamal. He was knowledgeable about Islam as a religion and the town of Fez. Just didn’t care for the stores they take us to during the tour for shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Amazing experience on camelbacks at sunset!! An absolute must do!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sahara to Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge

Morocco

Beautiful scenery during this drive!

Quality of Experience

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

This tour was good. But just inside the Medina. It would have been better if it included the Majorelle Gardens as well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class

Morocco

Our cooking class was at Faim D’epices just outside of Marrakech. Transport is provided by the class. Run by a couple - a French person, Michele and his wife, chef Ilham. It was really fun day! The cooking class was fun. Michele was entertaining and educational and chef Ilham shared some amazing recipes. Definitely a thumbs up and fun activity in Marrakech

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

This was a trip of a lifetime! Everything happened exactly how Eleni planned. The tours she chose were fantastic. All of our tour guides were knowledgeable, spoke excellent English, were fun, and provided an amazing experience. The hotels that Eleni chose for us were perfect. I can't say enough about how amazing the service was for the planning of this trip and will definetly use KimKim again.

Francesca was fantastic!

She was exceptionally quick, responsive and accommodative during the planning stages of our trip to Peru. We've worked with various travel planners at other companies and working with Francesca was definitely the smoothest experience we've had.

Francesca and her team really shined when our Peru trip had to abruptly be changed. Due to a presidential coup and a state of emergency, we had to cancel our Machu Picchu plans and quickly figure out a new itinerary. Francesca jumped in and did her best to secure refunds for the Peru services that were cancelled and then was very helpful in securing new logistics and plans for a trip to Mexico instead...all on very short notice and during peak Xmas season.

Many thanks to Francesca, her local agency team and Kimkim!

we were very pleased with the trip and all your crew and Abdou for the caring and help.Really was enjoyable.

If the idea behind using an agency is to make the travel experience seamless and easy, then working with kimkim and their local partners is absolutely the right move. Our flight from the US was cancelled and rescheduled...they made everything work. They recommended and booked wonderful hotels, adapted on the fly to changes we requested, and were there for us whenever we reached out.
Marrakesh is unique and interesting and Fes is all about the history and the culture, but you cannot beat spending time in the Sahara for sheer epic wonder.

Hotel Reviews

Desert Luxury Camp Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

True desert experience. Don't miss sunrise and sunset

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Had dinner ready for us at 3am because of delayed flights. Who does that?

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Berbere Palace

Ouarzazate

Interested in Hollywood? This is the place for you in Morocco.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

Authentic riad, not a purpose built hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central, but a bit sketchy to locate

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Serenity Unleashed: Indulge in a Tranquil Hammam & Spa Experience

Morocco

Little bit odd but relaxing

Ali was very informative and helpful in Marrakech, showing us around the old Medina including the mosque, gardens, and souks. He accommodated our preferences, asking where we wanted to spend the most time

This trip began in Nov 2019 just before Covid hit so unfortunately we had to postpone until Sep 2022. Sam was incredibly helpful with planning and tweaking to accommodate our changes.
We were amazed by the level of detail Sam provided and we actually spoke to him by phone from Spain which left us feeling very comfortable with the itinerary and that everything was above board.
We absolutely got value for money. Accommodation was 95% very good with just a couple of little glitches but these were compensated with other items. Drivers, guides and transport were above what we anticipated.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Kimkim in general but Sam in particular.
In fact, we are currently trying to organise a trip to the UK with Kimkim and do so very confidently

We planned a seven day trip in Morocco for seven people and everything was amazing. The organization was top notch and the operation was flawless. A special shout-out to Khalid our guide-driver and Saïd, our organizer, they were always available, checking in to make sure we were okay and super attentive. If you are looking to plan a magical trip to Morocco, I highly recommend Original Travels.

We visited 3 countries, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Egypt was outstanding 4.5/5. The driver was excellent and the guide although a bit quiet at times was smart and helpful. Jordan was the highlight of the trip. All visitors must go to Petra and Wadi Rum. Mind blowing to say the least. If you go you must ask for Anees to be you guide! 10 out of 10 fantastic person! The trip fell off a bit in Israel as we were only given a driver and no guide. I don’t think a tourist should be left to navigate Old Jerusalem on his own. We did have to spend an additional $1150 on guides in Israel to get the full experience. Overall an amazing trip though. And oh yes the help we received from ambassadors at the airports in Cairo and Amman was outstanding as well!

Hotel Reviews

Helnan Dreamland Hotel & Conference Center

6th of October City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shams al weibdeh hotel apartment

Amman

Authenticity & Character

Location

You

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petra Palace

Wadi Musa, Petra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holy Land Hotel - Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nof Ginosar Kibbutrz Hotel

Tiberias

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tal By the Beach Hotel

Tel Aviv

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cairo Airport - Cairo (Transfer)

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giza Pyramids Tour with Sakkara & Memphis

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cairo - Tour3 - Museum & Mosques

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to Masada & Qumran

Israel

Qumran closed when we got there

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old City Jerusalem

Israel

No guide provided. Disappointing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jerusalem, Mount of Olives and Mt Zion

Israel

No guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Tiberias, Haifa, Caesarea and Acre

Israel

No guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Christmas Mexico trip was perfectly planned - everything ran smoothly, our guides were extremely knowledgable , flexible and friendly, and the suggested tours and experiences were fun and all worth our time and money! The best guides were our 'Mexico a pied' guide Emilio in Mexico City who showed us the culture and history and food culture in a tour around the historical district, Alex from etnotouristica for our Oaxaca tour of Monte Alban and the crafts people, and the guides from Huatulco Salvaje who guided us through the National Park's ecosystems and to the magic waterfalls. We are grateful to them for sharing so much of their beautiful country with us!

Hotel Reviews

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Casa Garay

Oaxaca

Images on web are not what the hotel looks like. Rooms are a dark, all face in towards an atrium / common spaces + staircase so you hear when everyone comes home at night. Roof terrace and balcony are not in use. Breakfast is not served until 8:30, which is a problem if you are leaving for tours in the morning. It is generally clean but looks very 'lived-in' and is in need of some upgrading. Def. not a "5 star boutique hotel" and not what could be expected at the price. During our stay there were plumbing problems (black water, water turned off at night on one of our rooms), which eventually got fixed but no extra water, refunds, move to other rooms were offered. Would def. not recommend

Authenticity & Character

Location

right in the middle of center, close walk to cathedral and other attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Brisas Huatulco

Santa Maria Huatulco

Great place for beach fun! 3 beaches (1 with water sports) and 5(?) separate 'pueblos' break up the large complex. Recommend to stay in "Mar" section - it has a separate lounge ("Beach Club") for Continental breakfast and happy hour from 5-7. Great service, friendly and helpful. Food is soso (especially the lunch buffet), but La Crocecita with fun (La Crema Bar + Pizzeria) and other good food options and the amazing 'Ocean' restaurant in the Cosmo condo complex next door are only a short taxi ride away. "El MExicano" is the nicest restaurant on site, located on one of the beaches. Be prepared for a lot of walking in the complex - it has beautiful walks along the beaches to get from one end to the other (or hilly walks and steps, depending on where you live), but shuttles can also take you around. Great entertainment with DJ's, bands, cultural groups, evening shows., and kids' crafts. On site store with everything you could need for the beach and your OTC medicine cabinet. Tour into the National Park and surrounding beaches with Huatulco Salvaje!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Emilio from 'Mexico a pieds' was amazing. He knew everything....

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Oaxaca

Alex from etnotouristica was an amazing guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomic Indigenous Roots

Oaxaca

THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD on our entire trip was in Oaxaca!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Wild Huatulco

Mexico

Fascinating tour through the National Park. Our guide knew all fauna and flora and their medical uses. Great snorkeling, too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magical Waterfalls Adventure

Mexico

The waterfalls were fun - our guide Raoul was always the first one int he water, unter the falls, climbing through the crevices!

Quality of Experience

Food

Expect local dishes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the archaeological site of Teotihuacan

Mexico City

Interesting. We had an average guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are finally back from our trip and although we are glad to be back, we will cherish this trip as it was a phenomenal experience. From our first day in Chouen to our last day in Casa Blanca everything worked smoothly and when there was anything to be fixed, Said delivered immediately

I'd like to thank the whole KimKim team for making this possible. From Said's constant follow-up on our trip to Abdoul's very friendly and efficient service to the job done by both our guides in Chouen and Marrakesh, every little detail made our trip a memorable one.

Our day in the Blue City, the ruins at Volubilis, the Riad in Fez, our trip to the Market in Marrakesh, the donuts Hasan took us to in our culinary tour, our ATV tour in Agafay were only some of the memorable highlights of the trip

Hotel Review

Hotel Dar Mounir

Chefchaouen

Simple but very nice and the service is super friendly - one amazing fact: teh best WiFi of the whole trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tasting Marrakesh: A Private Gastronomic Adventure

Marrakesh

We had an amazing day visiting the city of Marrakesh, it's mosques, streets, and the Majorelle Gardens, and closing the day with a wonderful private food tour of the market. She took us on an interesting, colorful, and rich experience while giving us wonderful memories and flavors we will always remember. I would always contact her if we plan on visiting Marrakesh again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Abdoul, our driver, made us feel at home from the moment he picked us up at the airport, until he saw us off to come back home. He was always warm, funny, kind and friendly and by far, one of the best drivers we've ever seen. His expertise was palpable at every moment of the trip. We couldn't be more grateful for having Abdoul take us all around Morocco!

Lydia and her team at New Zealand Self Drive Tours were fantastic! They were quick to respond when there was a minor issue at one of the wine cellars and the issue was resolved immediately. And this was on Christmas eve!! The app was extremely helpful throughout our drive. Just one suggestion for the folks at the New Zealand Fine Touring-- The Milford Fly Cruise Fly website is inaccurate about the pick up times from the hotels in Queensland for the 10 am trip. Please let them know that people will be picked up at 8:45 am and not 10 am as stated in the app and on the website.
Thanks again, Lydia & team for a memorable NZ vacation.

Hotel Review

QT Wellington

Wellington

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Auckland City & Waitakere Ranges

Auckland

Murray and Erin are excellent guides!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloudy Bay - Bookable Experience

Blenheim

A beautiful winery and a great tasting experience. The lunch at Jack's Raw bar was just great.

I can't say enough about the KimKim process and their team. Our first trip with them was a family trip to Italy in July 2022, and everything that they either arranged or suggested was perfect for us and our expectations. Immediately following our family time in Italy, our kids (19 and 21 years old) traveled by themselves for a week under a KimKim arranged itinerary, and most recently, our kids just came back from a trip to Thailand, also coordinated through KimKim. They have proved themselves to be responsive, flexible, and reliable for each of our trips, and we have since recommended them to others.

This company is the real deal. I was skeptical to use a travel agent to book a trip but I am so glad I did. I found Kim Kim on a Facebook page and decided to give them a try. Matthias communicated with me in a timely fashion and listened to what I wanted and made it happen. We were greeted as we walked out of the airport and from there everything was very close to perfect. We had great hotels; great excursions; great tour guides and food. We felt safe every where we went and could not have asked for a better service.
From Quito to Galapagos to Banos and finally Archidona, it was a Fantastic Vacation! Thank you so much.

10 out of 10, would highly recommend

Hotel Reviews

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

The most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed! Amazing It’s kinda scary to get to but so worth the drive.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The food and staff were amazing. Gorgeous place

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Great location, friendly staff and clean rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Alquimia

Quito

Very quaint Was not expecting it to be warm but we got a fan and that was cured.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Quito Airport, an IHG Hotel

Tababela

Nice Hotel Close to the airport Provides a shuttle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class

Quito

My son and I did this and loved it. I came home and tried to recreate the potato soup. It turned out famously.

Quality of Experience

Learning new fruits and recipes

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josue and Alex

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

I love turtles and tortoise so this was a real treat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Middle of the World

Ecuador

I really enjoyed this visit to both equator destinations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

Great snorkeling on Bartolome! Penguins, sea lions, shark, octopus, sting Ray. The boat was great, the staff was amazing, Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving - Day Trip from Santa Cruz

Ecuador

The dive company is fantastic. I felt safe and would absolutely recommend them and dice with them again. The only reason it was rated as a 4 is because the water was super cold and visibility was not great. My son really enjoyed the dive on the second day. Schools of sharks and rays.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning in Baños

Baños

Fun excursion. You do have to hike out but it’s moderate. Great time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the Pailón del Diablo Waterfall, Transfer to Archidona

Ecuador

This waterfall is beautiful! Danny was our guide in Banos and he was fantastic. He took such great care of us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Río Jatunyacu

Ecuador

Super fun excursion!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exploring El Gran Cañon & natural caves

Ecuador

I am out of shape but I still really enjoyed this hike and the waterfall. We did get tired and skipped the cave portion so I can’t comment on them. I would recommend this canyon hike and swim in the pool under the waterfall. Shawn was out guide at the hotel and on this excursion. He was awesome

Quality of Experience

You need to be somewhat in shape to hike this

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our family of 6 adults just returned from a fabulous week-long visit to Costa Rica thanks to Bryan and Nancy at Serendipity Adventures.

We flew in and out of San Jose and took private transportation to visit the Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Manual Antonio National Park. We worked with Bryan to book our transportation, accommodations, and most importantly our guides. We could not have been more pleased with his knowledge, professionalism and timely responses to our questions. We were in touch with Nancy during our trip confirming pick up times and making schedule changes if needed.

From end to end the private transportation was clean, comfortable and on time. The drivers were friendly, brought snacks for us, and happily stopped for bathroom and lunch breaks. We considered renting a van and driving ourselves and are very glad we chose to leave the driving through winding mountain roads to professionals!

Christmas week was very busy but Bryan was able to find excellent accommodations in the small, locally owned hotels we requested. Each one was different but they were all conveniently located, clean, comfortable and included a hearty breakfast. We felt welcome and cared for by everyone we met.

We now know that the key to seeing wildlife in Costa Rica is getting great guides. Chris and Roy (Arenal Star), Andy (Forest Alive), Chris (Sky Adventures) and Andres (Endemic Bird) were fantastic! We appreciated their vast knowledge of each ecosystem along with its flora, fauna, insects and reptiles. They carried high-quality equipment and helped us capture amazing pictures and videos. We highly recommend them all!

Costa Rica is a beautiful country, rich in natural beauty and wildlife. We are grateful that the friendly people of Costa Rica have chosen eco-tourism over deforestation and are preserving their rain forests, cloud forests, fog forests and beautiful beaches for themselves and those of us lucky enough to visit.

Pura Vida!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge & Wildlife Refuge

Fortuna

If you are looking for an authentic ecolodge experience, this is the place for you! Rustic, individual bungalows set in the rain forest. Bungalows were spacious, clean, comfortable with modern amenities. There were howler monkeys in the trees throughout our visit and colorful tropical birds on display at the restaurant. We enjoyed walking the nature trail and were lucky to see a large Fer de Lance off to the side of the trail at a safe distance. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Not for everyone but we loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 minutes taxi outside Fortuna.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were large, clean and comfortable but kept rather dark. That might be because they don't want to disturb the wildlife...

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde Costa Rica

Great location at the top of a hill outside Santa Elena. Nice views of the valley. We stayed in 3 family garden rooms in the main lodge close to the restaurant. The rooms were large, comfortable and clean with a big bathroom and walk in shower. The restaurant was great for breakfast and dinner, not open for lunch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy 20 minute walk down hill into town but you'll definitely want to get a taxi for the trip back.

Staff

The staff at the front desk and in the restaurant were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Resort style hotel with two pools and beach access located adjacent to the entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park. Very relaxing place to end our trip. Our standard rooms were large, clean and comfortable on a lower floor. Future guests might chose to be on a higher floor to have a better view of the forest or the ocean. The family pool looked great but we'd highly recommend the adult only pool, bar and sushi restaurant on the 6th floor! Excellent breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We avoided all the traffic in town because we were so close to the entrance to the park.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Studio Hotel

San José

Excellent location for arriving and departing from San Jose International airport. Very artsy vibe, clean, comfortable, very friendly staff. Nice bar and restaurant, hearty breakfast. We especially appreciated the friendly airport shuttle drivers who picked us up and dropped us off on time at all hours.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide Chris and our driver Roy took great care of us!

Transport

Catherina and her team were very welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating. We had a fantastic time and felt completely at ease with their guidance. Every aspect of our trip exceeded our expectations! I would highly recommend Catherina and Columbus Guatemala Travel. They made our vacation run smoothly from transportation to guides, to tours, everything was perfect!

Using Kimkim to plan my honeymoon was so easy and definitely worth it! I recommend to anyone planning a big trip, especially in a foreign country to use this service! It can be really stressful to look up reviews of places, compare pricing, and then need help with the language after booking. Fabio and Deborah were fantastic to work with. Fabio created the itinerary and helped adjust it after some feedback. Deborah was a great contact before the trip.

To start my trip, my husband and I experienced a delay in our flight and ended up arriving very late at night. Our Italian concierge, Roberta, was phenomenal. We communicated through Whatsapp and she reassured me that we would be taken care of once we arrived and not to worry about any delays in our flights. She also helped us get recommendations and reservations for a Christmas Day lunch which was very helpful. It was also really nice to have private transfers when we moved from city to city and to and from the airport. The train station in Milan would have been a little difficult to navigate on our own.

I thought our itinerary was a great mix of small private tours and days where we were free to explore on our own. In Milan, we did a tour of Duomo as well as La Scala theater. Our guide, Barbara, was wonderful and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed this on our first day as we got our bearings in the city and were able to walk around a bit and explore the Christmas markets nearby. We also did a cooking class that was awesome. Our cooking teacher, Debora was very friendly and made it seem so easy to cook up some delicious pasta and tiramisu.

In Florence, we did a wine and olive oil tasting tour in Tuscany and a walking tour of the city that included museum tickets to see Michalangelo's David sculpture. We enjoyed all aspects of these itineraries in Florence.

In Rome, we did a tour of the Coleseum, Palestine Hill, the Roman Forum, and a separate tour of Vatican city and the Sistine Chapel. These were really crowded, so I was glad to have tickets and not worry about entrance into these tourist destinations. Additionally in Rome, we did an Aperitivo tour/food tour which was delicious and had us returning to a few favorite spots while we were still in town. Valeria, our food tour guide, was great company and we really enjoyed eating our way through Rome.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balestri

Florence

This hotel was so lovely and perfectly located along the river. They had a bottle of Prosecco and fruit for us waiting in the room as a congratulations and that was so lovely to start our trip in Florence. The breakfast was delicious and staff was very helpful. The hotel provided umbrellas for guests and honestly the location couldn't be beat. It was so close to everything and had a beautiful view from our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rose Garden Palace

Rome

The hotel is located right across from the US embassy and very nearby one of the large parks. The rooms itself was nothing too special and it was fine for us to just rest and be out exploring the rest of the day. The beds were a little more firm than I am used to, so it was not very comfortable for me. It was about a 20-minute walk to most attractions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Small group Tour of Tuscany Oil & Wine Tasting with a personal sommelier

Florence

Using Kimkim to plan my honeymoon was so easy and definitely worth it! I recommend to anyone planning a big trip, especially in a foreign country to use this service! It can be really stressful to look up reviews of places, compare pricing, and then need help with the language after booking. Fabio and Deborah were fantastic to work with. Fabio created the itinerary and helped adjust it after some feedback. Deborah was a great contact before the trip. To start my trip, my husband and I experienced a delay in our flight and ended up arriving very late at night. Our Italian concierge, Roberta, was phenomenal. We communicated through Whatsapp and she reassured me that we would be taken care of once we arrived and not to worry about any delays in our flights. She also helped us get recommendations and reservations for a Christmas Day lunch which was very helpful. It was also really nice to have private transfers when we moved from city to city and to and from the airport. The train station in Milan would have been a little difficult to navigate on our own. I thought our itinerary was a great mix of small private tours and days where we were free to explore on our own. In Milan, we did a tour of Duomo as well as La Scala theater. Our guide, Barbara, was wonderful and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed this on our first day as we got our bearings in the city and were able to walk around a bit and explore the Christmas markets nearby. We also did a cooking class that was awesome. Our cooking teacher, Debora was very friendly and made it seem so easy to cook up some delicious pasta and tiramisu. In Florence, we did a wine and olive oil tasting tour in Tuscany and a walking tour of the city that included museum tickets to see Michalangelo's David sculpture. We enjoyed all aspects of these itineraries in Florence. In Rome, we did a tour of the Coleseum, Palestine Hill, the Roman Forum, and a separate tour of Vatican city and the Sistine Chapel. These were really crowded, so I was glad to have tickets and not worry about entrance into these tourist destinations. Additionally in Rome, we did an Aperitivo tour/food tour which was delicious and had us returning to a few favorite spots while we were still in town. Valeria, our food tour guide, was great company and we really enjoyed eating our way through Rome.

Quality of Experience

The tastings were a lovely experience, along with the food provided.

Food

The combination of foods paired with wine was fantastic. I enjoyed the olive oil tasting as well!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone we encountered was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Transport

Small group tour of Vatican City , Sistine Chapel & saint Peter's Basilica

Rome

While it was really cool to see Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, it was overwhelmingly crowded. I felt we didn't have the full freedom to walk around and view things on our own until after the guided tour was over, in which case you had to go back around and start at the beginning. The art was beautiful though and it was nice learning about the history.

Quality of Experience

Crowd control- even though it was a small group tour, the area was crowded and we often were separated from the tour guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly tour guide

Private tour of Milan Highlights (3 hours) with La Scala theatre

Milan

We got lucky and were able to hear an orchestra practice at La Scala theater which was special. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the city and exploring the Duomo with our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening Aperitivo Tour

Rome

I enjoyed learning about the Jewish "ghetto" and how it's been preserved in Rome, as well as trying the different kinds of Italian foods. Even though I was full at the end, I wish there was one more stop for pizza or pasta. Unfortunately one of the places the guide was going to take us to was closed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport