Kimkim Trip Reviews

Hakim and the kimkim team did a great job in organizing our trip to Morocco. They took the time to understand what my wife, daughter, and I were looking for on our trip and planned exactly what we wanted.

We started off with two days in Fes which included a six hour tour of the medina and surrounding areas of the city. Our guide gave us a brief history of Fes and he also gave us some great insight into the Muslim religion and Ramadan. We stayed at a riad in the medina with a beautiful courtyard and very comfortable rooms. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

From Fes, we drove south to Merzouga which is a small town in the Sahara Desert. From Merzouga we took a camelback ride through the desert sand dunes to a campsite about an hour away. We spent the night in a luxury camp with a fantastic dinner and breakfast. We also took in the sunset and sunrise from the dunes. This excursion out to the desert would turn out to be the highlight of our trip.

After breakfast in the desert camp, we rode the camels back to Merzouga and continued westward towards Marrakech. We made several stops along the way to see some beautiful gorges, the film town of Ouarzazate, and an overnight stop at Ait Benhaddou. I must mention that we were traveling just the three of us in a very comfortable SUV and our driver was excellent. He would explain to us the various sites along the way.

Marrakech was our final stop, and the city did not disappoint. Our stay included a food tour, a three hour tour of the medina, and a Hammam experience. We also spent a day in the Atlas Mountains hiking and having lunch with a Berber family. The Dar (hotel) was fantastic, again with very comfortable rooms and excellent staff.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Morocco. Hakim was always responsive to our questions leading up to the trip and he did an amazing job in booking first rate hotels (riad/dar), and in organizing tours and other events for us. Hakim was in touch with us throughout the trip to make sure everything was going according to plan. My family highly recommends the kimkim team, especially Hakim, for a unique experience in Morocco.

we do appreciate the planification and follow up of our trip .
Santorini hotel is great for service and location , our guide in Santorini is amazing., but do not like so much cruise as circuit is not great , boat passed by santorini and Oia 3 times !
Naxos is a hidden gem for circuit, guide and food. Hotel is ok , design of room is weird but location is amazing.
Mykonos is to visit once , hotel is absolutely amazing for service and room . We love tour of Chora guide is very good. Hightlight is cruise to Delos, the team ( father / daughter) is the nicest people it really show Greek hospitality, small group (8 people) , the only downside is tour of Delos where we are combined with a group of 20 people with 1 guide , hard to follow explanations .
In resume it is a great trip well organized , well follow up , we will be using your service again for our next Greek trip. We will post also comments on trip advisor
Again thank you for your efficiency and hospitality

Hotel Reviews

Palladium Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Great hotel with amazing service. Breakfast is so good with a lot of choices and fresh ingredients

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit far from Chora, but hotel has a paying transport

Staff

Most amazing staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enigma Suites

Santorini

Hotel to stay if you are in Fira, location and room are great but the hospitality is main factor. Chris and her team is so nice and make us feel like home.

Authenticity & Character

Design and location is absolutely amazing

Location

Right overlook Caldera and walking distance to everywhere

Staff

Great hospitality

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cyano Suites

Naxos

Hotel is well situated but design of room is a bit uncommon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Santorini Island Discovery Small-group Tour

Santorini

Guide is great , very knowledgeable and kind. Circuit is very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This jam packed trip was incredible, and I can't speak highly enough of Berat and our full time guide Erdam.

The trip: Wow! Berat managed to squeeze 4 different locations filled with activities in 7 days for a family of 9. Our ages ranged from 10-70. We could not have been happier with the trip itself.

The service: Above and beyond!
Erdam had 9 people to rangle, and he was the kindest, most patient guide filled with knowledge and fun stories for both the kids and adults. He was flexible with our requests to add stops, and was all around a great guide. We ADORED him.

Berat: She actually came to lunch with us one day to surprise us, and she went way above and beyond trying to help track down a lost passport. (Which she found at a restaurant) She did WAY more than she was required to do, and we are so very thankful we were working with her. She had great communication with us, changed the schedule as needed, and she personally drove around one of us during the passport debacle to track it down. I don't know any other agency that would have done that.

Hotel Reviews

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Great breakfast, and the location was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfectly located to walk right across the street to major attractions. It was even quiet at night for a city.

Staff

Really nice people and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Our favorite hotel. It was super unique and the heayed floors were amazing! The breakfast spread here was amazing too.

Authenticity & Character

The views!!!!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Beautiful and unique. We loved the character of the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Best part about this place. Beautiful inside and gorgeous views!

Location

The hotel was great for the younger people in the party. For the grandparents in the group, the walks to the room and town were very steep, and there are not really other options to get around. We did fund super nice people in the village below to help drive them back up though.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Nice hotel. Decent dinner offered, and had cool amenities.

Authenticity & Character

More like a resort, but still nice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We really enjoyed this tour. The Palace, Monique, and cistern were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

The public boat tour was a little underwhelming. The day was drizzly, and without a guide, there was not much to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Loves Cappadocia and everything here. This was our favorite place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Amazing! Loved this as well. We stopped at a rug making shop for a demonstration. We really enjoyed that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

We did not get to do this due to the wind. Pretty bummed about that. Perhaps let future travelers know that this option only goes about 50% of the time and to be prepared for a back up option. We did the ATV tour at sunset, which was a great experience though. We appreciated Berat changing that out for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Really amazing! Loved this !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Great little place who let us all try it. We enjoyed this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Great spot. And Erdam was a perfect guide. He even squeezed in Mary's house for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Again, great experience here. Appreciated the guides knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Met at convenient location - four people had signed up for trip, two of us showed up so we had a great
private tour! Driver was excellent - leader was fine, also - he was a seasoned photographer and gave us
important tips about cameras on cell phones - an added bonus!

Siena tour was thorough with lots of history - local woman really knows her stuff. San Giiminano very
touristy - we climbed up, had world famous ice cream and returned to van for trip to vineyard. a fair
bit of driving at rush hour.

only disappointment was the meal at the vineyard. we didn't get a tour - just a quick intro but then
sat in a lovely dining room - howere, our menu (no choices) was pedestrian at best. we watched others
enjoy beautiful offerings! wine was minimal but excellent. Thank you, Kim Kim, for remembering my
deposit and making these arrangements.

From start to finish the planning and execution by the team was amazing. I did the 4 day trek up to Muldai and back down through Ghorepani, my guide Wanchhu was great throughout, making sure everything ran smoothly. Kripa was in constant communication and always made sure everything was answered when I had questions. Big thank you to Sushmita as well who went out of her way to get my phone back when I left it in a cab on the first day. This team really goes the extra mile and I will be definitely be using kimkim in the future and recommending it to other people.

This trip to Morocco was everything I had wished for and more. Kimkim made it easy to set up an itinerary, book amazing riads, and set up transportation to see all the highlights that we wanted. Abdellatif and Saïd were very responsive and helpful with some last minute edits and additional activities.
All the accommodation we stayed at was stunning, clean, and welcoming. I especially loved Dar Rihana in the Dades Valley and our riad in Marrakech, Riad Pachavana. Each had a pool and scenic views from the balcony. The Tiziri Luxury camp, camel rides, and Berber experience was so special. Our stay in the Sahara desert was such an unforgettable experience. We loved learning more about the Berber culture, singing, and getting to meet those who live or have lived as nomads. We felt so safe and welcome throughout our journey through Morocco.
We can't say enough praise for our driver Samir! The real MVP of the trip! He not only was a safe, reliable driver, but a great companion to have on our 10 day road trip. He had amazing suggestions for restaurants and was so helpful at coordinating with Saïd some last minute changes to our itinerary. We couldn't have had such a smooth and successful trip without him.
We can only say we wish we had more time in Morocco! We are so grateful to everyone who made this trip such a wonderful experience.

Amazing family vacation to the Galapagos islands. From the moment I contacted KimKim and began conversing with Tammer I felt confident in my decision not to do my own bookings. During our adventure I felt we had a safety net and we’re in good hands. Tammer constantly provided us with accurate and timely details what to expect and when. The itineraries he created for us, was absolutely perfect in every way.
Without hesitation I would use this service again, and know that others would be equally impressed with the excellent service, quality of accommodations, itinerary planning expertise and attention to every detail. Tammer nailed it for me and my family! Bravo and thank you for the wonderful memories which include our interaction along the way with Tammer!

We had a great time and would never have been able to plan this trip ourselves. Margoth was helpful and friendly helping us iterate through trip plans. The spacing of everything was great - we were never rushed for time or wishing we were busier. Every tour guide we had was excellent (we had 3). Overall great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

Loved staying here. A lot of the reviews called it “magical” and that’s a good description. The hotel feeds the birds in the morning, and we loved watching them during breakfast. We had a cooking class with Juan Pablo and he was great.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like staying in someone’s house

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

Convenient location, nice room, huge breakfast, friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt very clean

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani

Cartagena de Indias

Beautiful hotel but difficulty with hot water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff here was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day City Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

The best tour guide! Amaro (I hope I’m spelling that right) is world class. Friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly well liked around town

Quality of Experience

Definitely our tour guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All great drivers

Cocora Valley,  Salento, & Coffee Farm Visit

Colombia

Fantastic hike, fun coffee farm visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natalia was awesome, all the drivers were friendly

Transport

Great drivers

Half Day City Tour of Bogotá

Bogotá

Great tour with Oscar. Really knowledgeable and friendly guy. We appreciated his company and flexibility

Quality of Experience

Tour guide was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rachel took the time to talk with me several times in last minute plans and accommodate several child friendly activity requests. She gave helpful advice about each location and didn’t overschedule us. We had a fantastic trip!

Hotel Review

Bushmills Inn

Bushmills

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Watch a Sheep Dog Demonstration at Glenshane Country Park

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Trust Causeway Coast Visitor Experience

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Jessica our contact person in Italy is the best, amazing and awesome. She really did take care of us. Always available whenever we need her
She did go above and beyond the call of duty.
The situation we had in Rome she handled it really well.
Ciiro our tour guide in Amalfi is awesome. He entertained us really well.
Overall we had a great time

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Giorgione Venice

Venice

Nice hotel, friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to city center

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kraft Hotel Florence

Florence

The rooftop , the breakfast , the restaurant are really good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wish it’s closer to the city center

Staff

Willingness to help and answer all our question

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room and bathroom

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

Very poor. The hotel has a stinking smell. When we complained about they gave us incense but it didn’t help with the smell. It’s smells moldy and sewer. When we came back the room is open and there is a big blue bucket in the middle of the room . The smell stays in our luggage

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Kalea

Sorrento

The hotel is really cute. The decor, the staff are Awesome. Maria the best cook. Kitchen is really clean.

Authenticity & Character

The color Coordination

Location

Close to city center

Staff

Maria

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall

Hotel Quirinale

Rome

Great service. Upgraded one Of our room after having a bad experience in the previous hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Griffe

Rome

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica Access

Italy

Our tour guide is the best. She really knows the history. We enjoyed every minute of it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museum tickets

Rome

The tickets doesn’t include the Sistine chapel and the St Peter’s basilica , which I think is very important to explore. We don’t have a tour guide inside the museum. So we are lost most of the time.

Quality of Experience

Half Day Tour from Florence to Pisa - including the Leaning Tower

Florence

The group tour was organized and our tour guide is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Ciro , the singing tour guide, driver is the best. He entertained us with his Nm singing voice. He recommended the best restaurant for Lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ciro is awesome

Transport

A big thanks to Francesca for the care in planning my trip to Iceland. This was my first international travel and it did not disappoint. Every checkin process was flawless. Accommodations were above what was expected. The excursions were a perfect match with my interests. I felt heard in the planning process. I would certainly use this service again!

My recent trip (mid-March 2023) to Nepal was perfectly executed with help from Amanda at Himalayan Trails and the best guide you could hope for, Dawa. The guided site-seeing in Kathmandu was the perfect start to the trip, and provided a great deal of context around the culture and religions of Nepal before setting out on our trek. We explored the Nar-Phu valley for a week, which was incredible. For those looking for an off-the-beaten-path trek with few other people on the trails and a unique look back in time, this is the place for you. We then returned to the main Annapurna Circuit for a side-trip up to Tilicho Lake. Seeing the highest lake in the world was an absolute highlight. This truly was an incredible trip, made all the more easy by the seamless communication with Amanda. I also cannot speak highly enough about Dawa, who was extremely knowledgeable, adaptable to my needs, and also a great trekking companion who I shared many cups of tea and card games with along the way :) I would recommend KimKim, Himalayan Trails, and Dawa to anyone. Thanks so much for an incredible trip!

The KimKim interface and Clément's flexibility and attentiveness were amazing.

First, before the trip we truly partnered with Clément to design a vacation everyone was very happy with. I did take a few iterations but Clément was understanding and had many wonderful ideas. Before we left everything needed was booked and provided. This significantly decreased the stress of vacation planning especially when you are dealing with a family vacation with children.

I don't feel like we are demanding customers but during the trip we did have hiccups a few times along the way and Clément and the rest of his partner staff were wonderful, patient, understanding, and I always felt they would take care of us if something went wrong.

The two bicycle tours we did were a lot of fun. David in Nantes was patient, friendly, knowledgeable, and went with the flow on a few instances of poor weather. CiCi in Paris kept the kids entertained, was very knowledgeable, and I felt safe with her leading our group in some very busy parts of the city.

Hotel Reviews

7 Urban Suites

Nantes

Nice clean hotel. Breakfast was very good. Staff was polite and kind. There is a market next door which was convenient. It's not super close to restaurants or shops but that did make it quiet. Walkable to the main areas but is a bit of a hike.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Lorette - Astotel

Paris

Location was good close to shops and restaurants. Breakfast was alright but not fantastic. They did lose our train passes that were supposed to be waiting at the front desk for us which was frustrating. If you are on the lower floors the subway/metro train can be loud. Rooms were clean and nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover the "Machines de l'île"

Nantes

Everything was very interesting to see. All communication was in French so had to install application to get English explanations but felt this missed out on some of the experience.

Nantes discovery tour by bike with a private guide

Nantes

David is from Nantes but has had life adventures he is happy to talk about. Is very knowledgeable about the area and seems passionate about being an advocate for Nantes. Really enjoyed the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arc de Triomphe timed entry tickets

Paris

A quick tour but has beautiful views. Worth the hour or two to do.

Eiffel Tower Tickets

Paris

Really enjoyed this experience and was on our life bucket list. Our tour guide was extremely nice, patient and made everything move quicker.

Cruise on the Seine

Paris

Was relaxing and interesting to see the city from the river. Was nice to be able to see some sights in a more relaxing adventure after a lot of walking.

Timed tickets to Le Louvre

Paris

Le Louvre is well known and not a secret. Just be prepared for lots of waiting and crowds. There is more to see here than can be experienced in a day.

Parisian bike tour in the "Latin quarter" and "Le Marais"

Paris

I had some doubts if the 'Amazing Race' theme would be fun but it really was. The parents and 3 children were very entertained and still got to see some behind the scenes parts of the city. Our tour guide CiCi was amazing. Energetic, fun, patient, and very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I can't say enough good things about this trip and experience! Catherina did a wonderful job planning a week in Guatemala with an itinerary that was customized for our needs. We were traveling with our 5-year-old daughter, so we needed to plan a lot of interactive activities that would keep a kindergartener engaged. Catherina went above and beyond. Every day we had something exciting on the agenda - hiking an active volcano, ziplining through the jungle, making chocolate by hand, visiting a goat farm and eating cheese with the owner of the farm... The highlight was getting to participate in creating an alfombra (Holy Week sawdust "carpet" for religious processions) with Catherina, her family, and members of the community, which was an opportunity that Catherina created especially for us. That was so special and something we will always remember! We also need to talk about how incredible our guide Esteban (Catherina's brother) was. Esteban was with us all week and made sure our entire stay in Guatemala was fun, easy, and smooth. Esteban is simply the nicest guy and we had a ton of fun with him. He was so great with our daughter and was a blast to talk to, answering all my questions about Guatemala and helping us work on our Spanish. I would 100% recommend Kimkim, Catherina, and Esteban to anyone considering a trip to Guatemala!!!

I have just returned from an amazing trip to Costa Rica.
Bryan was our local specialist and was on hand to organise everything.
HIs advice, planning, flexibility and response speed was outstanding and I cannot recommend the service enough.....and I am fussy!
Costa Rica was fabulous for our family with a 7 and 10 year old, we had apacked set of activities but it all worked out perfectly.
Any small issue we had, which was frankly minor, the local team addresses within 20 minutes and always responsive.

So all in all thank you Bryan and team....will definitely book again .

All the best Daniel

Our guides Ibrahim in Istanbul, Hatice in Kapadokya and Onder in Ephesus and Pammukale were all excellent. The trip was wonderful over all covering many sites of historical places and we got to taste delicious local Turkish cuisines. Our guides also gave us ample time and very patient with us for our shopping pleasure. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to ride balloons in Kapadokya due to weather and for that we definitely have to come back again in near future!

Hotel Reviews

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hello,

I booked a trip for myself (36), my three children (17, 13, 11) and my Elderly Father (73) for about ten days in Thailand. During that time frame we spent time around Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one day south of Bangkok for "snorkeling".

I think the itinerary on paper was generally well set up, but the delivery and the guide were mediocre at times. I would rate the entire experience a seven out of ten (70%) which is slightly better than 3/5 stars. Had our last final day not been so bad and inefficient, I may have felt differently and given this experience 4/5 stars and not been so critical of our guide.

Our guide on the ground, named Ken, was playful and funny, but often sloppy and did not always listen effectively. For example, on multiple occasions I asked him to slow down and speak about the history of various things to my Father, rather than speaking to my children who were up front when we were walking. I also told him to speak louder and towards my Father, but he rarely listened and I gave up after awhile. My children were not interested in the history, but my Father would have soaked up everything happily.

On another occasion we missed the tour of an old temple (it was closing down as we arrived late) and had to rush through a cool festival because we had spent too much time stopping at coffee shops along the way. When I complained to Ken afterwards, he tried to blame this on us rather than taking responsibility for not communicating effectively; he also spent a bunch of time himself getting free internet at KFC while we were searching for him. A good guide would have spoken to us about the timelines and made sure we understood the consequences of spending additional time at multiple stoppages; a good guide would not have contributed to such delays along the way either. I was very disappointed that we didn't get to eat/shop at the festival and spend more time around the old temple.

Ken also loved singing and often sang the same song about "The train is coming here, Baby!" over and over. And over. It was redundant and annoying each and every day, and when I politely asked him to stop, he seemed to think it was funny and often continued. I wasn't impressed, and days later I can still hear his annoying voice singing this particular song.

On the final full day that we had in Thailand in Bangkok, we were supposed to go skydiving out of town, followed up by snorkeling. We had Ken arrange things with the skydiving business over the phone, who told us it was important to get there a few minutes before they opened around 7:55am the next day. Ken arranged for us to be picked up from the hotel at 6:15am, and we ended up arriving at 9:20am about an hour and a half late. The consequence was that there were 40 people ahead of us upon arriving, and given the other plans we had during the day, it was impossible or us to do the skydiving. What made matters worse was that the skydive area was 1.5 hours out of the way from our snorkeling activity route, so we ended up wasting 3 hours on the road for nothing, getting the kids excited for nothing, and wasting the additional time lining things up and doing research the day before. When I complained to the tour provider on WhatsApp about this terrible occurrence, they offered to take us out for dinner, which turned into a cheap street food meal with Ken later that evening around 10pm (after waiting for Ken more than an hour in a loud market area; we had fun keeping ourselves busy).

In the evenings that we were free after various activities, Ken did not always make meaningful suggestions, and I often found additional activities myself. For example, Ken didn't mention the popular Night Safari in Chiang Mai, which was well-known, popular and excellent. I found this myself, asked Ken about it, and then he joined us. I do give Ken credit for always being willing to go out to evening activities with us, and I was impressed at his stamina when we were hiking and rafting on the one day. He was a good guy and I still gave him 5000 Baht as a tip at the end, but I did this more out of pity rather than genuinely feeling as though he had earned this for being excellent. Had Ken listened more and been more diligent, some key issues could have been easily avoided.

As for the planning itself, the "snorkeling" was terrible. We boated to a single island, then myself and two sons went on a different small boat to a larger boat which had five people and a bunch of gear just a couple hundred feet from the shore. The waters were not clear and began burning our skin immediately. My youngest got out right away, while my eldest son and I tried to make the most of the opportunity for a few more minutes. When we got back on the boat, someone had a green cream there waiting for us because they knew of the terrible water conditions. I still have rashes on both armpits and it still itches and hurts. We wanted to leave shortly thereafter, and all five of those on the snorkeling boat left along with us. I don't want to know how much we paid for this entire experience, but I'm sure it was quite a bit considering the van ride to the first boat (two hours from our hotel), the boat ride to the island (25 minutes), the additional boat ride to the bigger boat (5 minutes), and then the boat ride back (5 minutes) with all the people who were there only for us. Terrible.

The last negative thing I'll say is that I emphasized the importance to Kimkim for us to spend some time with an indigenous group in their local surroundings somewhere, and this wasn't done well. We simply walked through a village of Karen people, they tried to sell us trinkets they didn't even make themselves for five minutes, and we quickly left thereafter. There was no showing us their daily lives or culture or anything meaningful or fun or memorable.

All that being said, the temples throughout the trip were amazing. The hiking and bamboo rafting down the river in the same day was great. The elephant experience was cool, although it wasn't as good as others I had done in the past (in Thailand) where we learned about buddhism and were allowed to ride the elephants (just one person per elephant without a carriage; I don't view this as being harmful to the elephant). Staying at the hotel along the river was awesome; we were the only people crazy enough to swim in the fast current in the morning a few times.

Ken helped us navigate a lot, and we felt like he was a family member by the end of the trip. I learned a lot about Thailand, as this is the first time I was here for more than a week and the first time I had money to pay for a guide and more experiences. The next time I go, I'll use the experience of this trip to be more efficient and will certainly return to Chiang Mai. I think I would fly directly to Chiang Mai and just do three of four sets of tours without going through someone like Kimkim again, unless I went somewhere new and was convinced the experience would be better.

I feel bad being so brutally honest about Ken and some of my negative experiences, but I feel Kimkim really let us down this time and I will likely not use them again if this isn't rectified in one way or another. When I utilized the company in Colombia our guide and experiences were basically flawless, so I had higher expectations to say the least.

We had the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica. Charlotte organised our itinerary to our exact needs, and we had some fantastic local guides including Eddie who took us sea kayaking and guided us through Manuel Antonio. We saw more wildlife in a day than we would see in a lifetime elsewhere.
We were also very lucky with the weather, and the kids showed the adults the way during activities such as white water rafting and canyoning. A first for the whole family.
I can't recommend Costa Rica enough, and if you are looking for further inspiration then Charlotte will be sure to have plenty of suggestions. We will be back.

We loved our kimkim trip! Here are some details:
•El Calafate: Our first hotel, Cauquenes de Nimez, was clean and quiet although the breakfast lacked variety. The two excursions we went in this area were very good. The Mayo Spirit Trek had a wonderful guide and the activities were so fun. The trip to Estancia Cristina was very special. The boat captain made it easy to see and photograph the magnificent icebergs we saw on the way to the estancia. We learned so much history about the estancia when we were there. Lunch was so enjoyable on that excursion.
•El Chaltén: Our hotel, Lunajuim, was comfortable and had a nice lobby with a bar. The restaurant was good, too. We were unable to take the guided hike scheduled for our first day en El Chaltén since I wasn't feeling well and it was pouring rain. We really enjoyed our free days doing short hikes and being unscheduled.
•El Calafate: Our hotel, Kosten Aike, was very lovely and we were sorry that we were unable to stay there upon our first arrival in El Calafate. Our bus ride to Puerto Natales went quite smoothly.
•Puerto Natales: Our hotel, Vendaval, was really good. We especially enjoyed the rooftop bar and deck. We also had a view of the water from our room. 21 de Mayo neglected to inform Dittmar that our excursion would start an hour later than the 7AM scheduled time. We got up very early to stand around for an hour in the cold. The excursion was somewhat crowded and loud. We couldn't hear the guide on the boat. However, the glaciers were beautiful to see and the estancia lunch was good.
•Torres del Paine: Our guide, Andrés, and our driver, Mauricio, were right on time to take us to Torres del Paine. Both of them were wonderful, kind, thoughtful, and always looking for interesting things to show us. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with them. Hotel Lago Grey was the best! The view from our room was gorgeous. From our window, we even saw a condor eat a fish. The excursion to Glacier Grey was quite crowded making taking photos just about impossible. It was my least favorite excursion. Then we had another fantastic day with Andrés and Mauricio. We requested to have Mauricio for our driver and, thanks to Nara, he was our driver again and was our driver to take us to Punta Arenas the next day.
•Punta Arenas: The Hotel Albatros was my least favorite. Our view was a cement wall and breakfast, although good, was served too late at 8:30. Everyone had already left except us and we felt rushed since we were getting picked up at 9. Our driver to take us to the Magallanes National Reserve was right on time. Ademil was very kind and made sure we were registered before we went on our beautiful hike. When we returned, there was Ademil waiting for us. He also drove us to the airport later that night.
All of our transfers went well and everything on the trip went very smoothly. The trip was even better than I pictured it when Erin created the itinerary. It was fun to meet the Dittmar team in Puerto Natales. Throughout the entire process from planning the trip to its execution we had the support of that team. Responses to our requests and questions were always prompt. I felt supported the entire time. What a wonderful experience we had thanks to Erin and Nara!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

Kosten Aike is a really nice hotel with a great downtown location. The rooms are spacious and the bedding is very comfortable. The hotel has a charming look and feel, and the huge breakfast is a great way to start the day. We wished we could have stayed here longer.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Our hotel, Vendaval, was really good. We especially enjoyed the rooftop bar and deck. We also had a view of the water from our room. The connected restaurant was also a convenient feature.

Authenticity & Character

The view of the port from the window was nice and the rooftop bar was the highlight.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Hotel Lago Grey was the best! The view from our room was gorgeous. From our window, we even saw a condor eat a fish. Lago Grey is an amazing hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing mountain views. The dinners were excellent we ate here all three nights and the breakfast had a large spread. We loved our stay here.

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Staff

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Hotel Albatros

Punta Arenas

This was not our favorite hotel, if you would like a room with a view I would make sure to request it! The location was great, very close to restaurants.

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Staff

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Activity Reviews

Admire the Famous Perito Moreno Glacier [Mayo Trek - Alternative Excursion]

El Calafate

The Mayo Spirit Trek had a wonderful guide and the activities were so fun. It was a perfect distance with a great guide who was knowledgeable and very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

The kayaking experience at Perito Moreno Glacier was fantastic - Dan absolutely loved it.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit the Upsala Glacier & Estancia Cristina [Upsala Program]

El Calafate

The trip to Estancia Cristina was very special. The boat captain made it easy to see and photograph the magnificent icebergs we saw. Despite the windy conditions, this tour was wonderful The captain even showed us a flipped iceberg and drove slowly for everyone to see. The lunch was amazing. The restaurant was very quiet and comfortable and wine included!

Quality of Experience

Food

Very quite and comfortable restaurant, wine included)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

It was fun to meet the Dittmar team in Puerto Natales. Throughout the entire process from planning the trip to its execution, we had the support of that team. Responses to our requests and questions were always prompt. I felt supported the entire time. What a wonderful experience we had thanks to Erin and Nara!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Bernardo O Higgins National Park, Serrano & Balmaceda Glaciers

Puerto Natales

The tour started an hour later than expected, but the free whiskey shots were a hit. The included lunch was nice and the tour allowed us to roam around on our own. The glacier was beautiful and had a huge lake to view.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Grey Glacier Boat Tour

Chile

The weather was not great for this tour, it was a bit rainy but the glaciers were beautiful.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Chile

Met the Dittmar team, in this town, and everyone was so fun and caring looking out for the exciting stuff and making sure we stopped for everything. Really good photographs from that trip.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Private Photography Tour in Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

The guides asked what we wanted to do and we said to take good photographs as my husband is a photographer so they took us to all the best photography spots! Best box lunches - lamb and beef sandwiches which were the best on the trip. Mauricio the driver was the best too! We personally asked for him again because he was great!

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit the Magallanes Nature Reserve

Punta Arenas

Our driver to take us to the Magallanes National Reserve was right on time. Ademil was very kind and made sure we were registered before we went on our beautiful hike. When we returned, there was Ademil waiting for us. He also drove us to the airport later that night. Magallanes was beautiful with the fall colors and a perfect way to end our trip.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In order to celebrate her birthday, I invited my lovely daughter Sarit to a week long visit to Florence and Venice. It was very well planned and organized by Stephania from KimKim based on our requests and preferences. I must say it was close to 100% to our expectations. Every detail and guide/driver/museum visit went smoothly and the persons guiding us were always on time. That includes the cars from and to the airport, the hotels, the walking guide Irene in Venice, the boat taxis in Venice, the round trip train tickets from Florence to Venice, the morning breakfast offered in the hotels, the hotel locations and the kindness of the car service drivers. Food: the breakfast was prepared well and was pleasing. I am allergic to gluten therefore I can eat only gluten free which is not easy to find. I must point out that the Florence as well as the Venice hotel had a variety of gluten free items including bread, muffins, donuts and cookies. Disappointment: I would like to point out that the Florence hotel room was dignified located on the river with large windows but the television did not work; the sound when fixed came out of the bathroom (!) and the technician needed assistance as he did not know how to repair it. And there was only one channel in English. In addition, the heated towel racks in the modern bathroom did not turn on at all so all week our towels were cold; here too a technician came, claimed he had repaired the racks but no… they never turned on to warm the towels. The Venice hotel suite for one night was beautiful; there were only towels but no bathrobes. Strange to me….
I would like to complete my review with a huge compliment to Stephania and KimKim for granting us such a high level vacation! We will definitely recommend your services to all our friends. Kind regards, Bella Klein

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balestri

Florence

Great central location. Great breakfast even for persons allergic to gluten. Very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Al Theatro Palace

Venice

Location good. Close to stores and other hotels, restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Private Evening Stroll with Gondola

Venice

The English guide Irene was lovely. Spoke well, had a lot of knowledge . She was open, friendly, smiling and we walked and saw different sites we would not have noticed without her.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Private Tuscany Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

Italy

Large beautiful automobile, very clean and well taken care of. The female driver was friendly and knowledgeable. Two locations we enjoyed.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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