Kimkim Trip Reviews

My wife and I had an unexpected ending to a planned two week trip to Portugal with Kim Kim. On our fifth day in country my wife Kathi tripped on a stair step at our hotel in Porto. She broke her shoulder in three places. Now here is the huge kudo to our travel guide João.

Upon hearing of the accident he arrived at the hospital late evening. When the orthopedic doctor prescribed four meds to ease her pain he went on his own to a 24 pharmacist to get the prescriptions filled and met us back at our hotel at 2:30 am. The next day he drove us back to Lisbon to catch our rescheduled flight home to the states. We cannot say enough high grades for Joaos help in planning our itinerary and his support on the ground.

Best possible review for KimKim and João! Jim And Kathi Manke in Minneapolis.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Balthazar

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

When my wife tripped on a hotel stair the front desk manager Fabio was quick to react and got an ambulance to the scene quickly. He also contacted our tour guide João to meet us at the hospital. When we arrived back at the hotel at 2am the front desk person Diago was extremely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Food tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danial was a terrific tour guide.

Transport

Full-Day Guided Tour of Cascais & Sintra

Portugal

Our KimKim guide João selected a wonderful lunch spot. He made the trip very informative and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

João is the best!

Transport

Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

Food was so so . Music was wonderful in a very small setting. About 30 seats.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cab driver drive like a nut ball!

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Experience the Canals of Aveiro

Aveiro

João found a wonderful spot on the waterfront. Little Venice of Portugal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a wonderful trip!!! The KimKim people were readily available and led us to some fun sites and activities. The guides were comfortable and knowledgeable and were quick to sell the good of Norway. It really pays to do the city guide deal, getting oriented and finding opportunities for more exploration. The stave churches are pretty amazing, but finding them and exploring their localities makes them even more valuable. We heartily endorse KimKim and our main contact, Katie😎👍

Blue skies!
R&L Gee
Cambridge, Ma

Thank you for all the excursions and hotel stays you planned for us while we were there! Norway is a beautiful country. Clean air, clean water, exceptional people and scenery. Nothing quite like it.
We enjoyed the culinary/historical tour with Frida. She was knowledgeable and fun and the food was wonderful.
I was sorry to have missed the kayaking trip but Mark enjoyed it a lot. The trip to Flam was gorgeous. The Lofoten Islands were a real treat. We loved the speed boat trip to the fjords with the great guide and sea eagles galore.
We regretted the cancelation of a couple of trips due to the weather but because we had a rental car we made good use of exploring a lot of the towns and islands!

Activity Reviews

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

This was a great way to see the city, hear the history & sample the food! Frida did a great job of showing us everything.

Quality of Experience

Food

Tasting the food of Norway!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Floating Sauna in Svolvær

Svolvær

It was a good experience but not one that worked out too well because of scheduling. Hurried to get there and weren't sure whether we could change clothes there or should change before we came. A little more info would have been nice. We aren't used to saunas and only lasted a few minutes.

Quality of Experience

It was too hot for us. I could have cooled off in the water but couldn't rely on the steps out of the water to be able to get back on shore.

Northern Lights Hunt with a Photographer

Svolvær

Getting to the correct meeting place seemed hard and awkward only to find out that it was cancelled because of the weather. Because we weren 't able to contact anyone we had to rely on the kindness of a stranger (who also led expeditions) to call for us. It was just disappointing because we hadn't been notified earlier. Even though we understood that the weather would be a factor we were sorry to have missed the opportunity to see the lights.

Sea Eagle Safari RIB to Trollfjord

Norway

Even though I was doubtful that the speedboat would be fun it turned out to be great! We were in for a great ride and the scenery and explanations from our guide were super. We loved the views and the sea eagle experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Reine

Reine

I'm unable to rate this since it was cancelled.

We have just finished an amazing 10 day trip to Morocco. From the start, Hamza helped us plan the most perfect itinerary. He was very responsive to all of our questions and did a fantastic job tapering and planning the trip to meet our needs. It was our guide, Tarik, that made the trip memorable and unique. He anticipated our every need and his upbeat personality and fantastic laugh made each part of this adventure so much fun. Not only is he well versed in his country’s history and culture, he was incredibly resourceful in pointing out all of the small and wonderful places to stop, and making my group of 4, part of these experiences. He also provided practical advice with tips for safety and the understanding of local customs, both insightful and respectful of Moroccan culture. We felt like we were always in good hands, Tarik was always on time, flexible to our needs and kept us comfortable. We benefitted from the addition of Hamza, a guide in training, who brought his personal energy and kindness to our group. He was also special and will be a great future guide for your company. In the end, these two wonderful guides felt more like friends who were an integral part of our group, seamlessly integrating themselves into our travel experience of this enchanting country and enriching it beyond my expectations. Thank you, Tarik and Hamza for fostering the trip of a lifetime! It would not have been the same experience without them and their wealth of knowledge and wonderful personalities!

The team was so responsive and insightful prior to and during our amazing trip in Greece! Like clock work, the agenda and accommodation info would be available the afternoon before. Thank you so much!

Hotel Reviews

Athenaeum Grand Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Argo Hotel

Mykonos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agali Houses Santorini

Firostefani, Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oniro City

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meteora Day Trip from Athens

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day in Athens

Athens

Acropolis and Acropolis Museum!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jane and her team did a fantastic job organizing our 17-day honeymoon to Scotland. They handled countless details, and they were readily accessible 24/7 for any hiccups. They very clearly outline every detail for every day with times, directions, ticket confirmation #s, and the tickets to anything pre-booked.

They picked almost all B & Bs which is the best way to experience the culture of the country you're in. Everything was paid for prior to arrival which made it so much easier. We did have one hotel claim it wasn't paid so they made us pay again, but Jane/team quickly handled it and we got a refund ASAP.

Our trip had several tours booked but plenty of free time to explore, which was a perfect balance. We love exploring nature and they had a lot of suggestions for things to do. It can be overwhelming going to a place you've never been to, not knowing where to start. They give a lot of great recommendations of things to check out which was really helpful.

Jane/team were very responsive and flexible when changes needed to happen. There were a couple of hiccups with tickets for distillery tours, but we got them figured out.

It's important for all travelers to set proper expectations when hiring a travel agent. No one knows exactly what things you like to do, what accommodations you consider to be perfect, what cuisine you like, etc. Some of these reviews from people are complaining that a travel agent can't read their mind, which is unreasonable. Everyone needs to be flexible and go with the flow. You will enjoy your trip by setting proper expectations that international travel (or travel anywhere) is never perfect. Delays happen, weather happens, people are people - go with the flow and you will enjoy your trip so much more that way.

I would hire Jane/team again in a heartbeat and will be reaching out again for our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Motel One Glasgow

Glasgow

Smallest room we had but functional. Great continental breakfast included. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Locals employed

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B+B Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Best traditional breakfast we had on the entire trip. Super kind staff, had a quaint little hotel bar we could visit at night. We had an issue with their shower that didn't really get handled which was unfortunate, but no big deal. Location is a 15 min walk to downtown but manageable and in a quiet part of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not optimal for doing anything in the city as it is a 15 min. walk to the nearest car park. However, once you realize you will do a LOT of walking on your trip, it's less of an issue. We just parked our car and left it there for 2 days and walked everywhere.

Staff

Absolutely wonderful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower didn't drain and they couldn't fix it so water would just overflow onto the floor after 30 seconds. We went 2 days without a shower which was disappointing. On the last day they finally allowed us to shower in another room.

The Kings Arms Hotel

Melrose

Room was extremely tight but functional. Restaurant attached was great and so was the bar/beer garden. Free parking on the street and easy to find a spot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonab Castle

Pitlochry

Very high end hotel. You will absolutely feel like royalty here. Parking lot full of Bentleys and Porches. Bring cash because you will need to tip people (doorman, concierge). Unbelievable views from the deck at the bar. Breakfast was good, service not so much. Restaurant is good but expect everything to be very expensive. The room was about 90 degrees F when we entered and there is no AC. We sweated that night but the bed was comfortable. The bathroom is incredible with the best towels and robes you'll ever use. They made us pay for the room on departure even though Jane/team had already paid, so we ended up having to get a refund.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Restaurant staff gave poor service especially given the prices you are paying. Bar staff was nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glen Mhor Hotel

Inverness

Great location, attached to a bar/distillery. Room was very comfortable and quite spacious. Bathroom was excellent. Included breakfast is a buffet which was mediocre but good enough to tide you over until lunch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Greshornish House Hotel

Edinbane

One of our favorite hotels. Unbelievable setting, very quaint older house with a fantastic restaurant. Very comfortable bar lounge with a real fireplace, books, chess, and snooker table.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There's a 10 min drive on a single track road in order to get to the B & B so make sure you know the rules of the road on single track. Many sheep roaming which may slow you down :)

Staff

Staff was very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room is tiny but who cares? It's an absolutely fantastic place to stay!

The Whispering Pine Lodge

Spean Bridge

Incredible views right off the deck of the loch and mountains. The staff is extremely service-oriented. Not owned by native Scots (the entire staff is Indian), so there are lots of Indian food offerings on the menu (which were absolutely fantastic). Just a few Scottish food items on the menu. Not much to do in town but a great location for hiking and sight-seeing.

Authenticity & Character

Not authentically Scottish

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was quite comfortable

Bridge of Orchy Hotel

Bridge of Orchy

Very busy hotel because it's on the West Highland Way, so lots of backpackers passing through. Great way to meet a lot of non-native travelers from other countries. Beautiful setting with a really nice restaurant/bar. Super friendly staff. This is essentially the only hotel for 20+ miles and you are in the middle of paradise. 15 min drive to Glencoe where you will see the most incredible scenery on planet earth.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Eat Walk Glasgow

Glasgow

Tour guide was lovely and we met some really great people from South Africa. Great way to tour the city and try local foods/beers. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A - it's a walking tour

Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

Glasgow

Highly recommended as a great way to get around the city for very little money. Two tiered bus with upper tier having some covered and some uncovered seats. Bus comes every 15 mins to every stop until about 6p.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Edinburgh

Extremely educated and knowledgeable tour guide! Tons of history given and his enthusiasm was second-to-none. 10/10 recommended and a fantastic way to see a large city in a short amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best tour guide we had the entire trip

Transport

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

A must-see castle. I would highly recommend paying for a tour guide because otherwise you're just wandering around and looking at things you really don't know anything about.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wish we would've hired a tour guide

Transport

N/A

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

We ended up driving past them but didn't have enough time to tour them. It's quite a walk from the car park (15 mins).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lochleven Castle

Scotland

Great experience with the small boat that gets you to the island. Wish we had more time to explore but it was the end of the day so we had to turn around quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

10 min small boat ride

Uilebheist Distillery

Inverness

Interesting distillery that is only a year old, so they don't actually have any of their own whiskys yet (other than blended whiskys from other distilleries).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was OK but we had better experiences at other distilleries

Strathisla Distillery Tour (Home of Chivas)

Scotland

Fantastic tour through a very old distillery with lots of history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Isle of Skye Raasay Whisky, Gin and chocolate tour

Scotland

Really great experience. You need to take a ferry to the island, and it's a 10 min walk from the ferry to the distillery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glass-bottom Boat Trip by Isle of Skye

Scotland

Guide was very knowledgeable on marine life. We saw a few seals but really nothing else. Luck of the draw, I suppose. Not really sure we'd do this again.

Quality of Experience

It's got to be hard to plan for people to see things that are inconsistently present. However, we saw almost nothing on the tour which was disappointing. They might need to rethink their tour strategy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was incredibly knowledgeable and tried to make the best of a situation where there was nothing to really look at.

Transport

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

We ended up not making this tour so I can't really comment.

Kim Kim/Mar provided a helpful service in booking accomodations and providing suggestions for activities.

However, the 35 page itinerary was unnecessarily complicated. The 7 page daily schedule should have been a one page one table summary of locations, hotels and events. The 24 page detailed itinerary was a bit repetitive - could have been refined to 12 pages of key information: e.g. travel routes; hotel booking; booked activity; other options.

Many of the "other" options for activities were impractical given our timing; seems these were sometimes boilerplate lists from other itineraries. (For example, if we finished the Styggevatnet kayak/glacier walk at 17:30 and then had a 2.5 hour drive to Flam, how were we expected to fit in additional activities?) One small note - Skjolden Resort was ok but no food was available. Local pub only opens Friday-Sunday this time of year. Local hotel was not serving outsiders. No other restaurants in the area. Better to generally select bed and breakfast hotels.

If we were to do this again, we would have spent more time in the Jotunheimen Park area.

Ngima tailored a really wonderful trip to Nepal for me. Fantastic level of attention to detail & quality. All the guides & drivers for the trip were also of a high calibre.

Activity Reviews

Kathmandu Sightseeing tour to Swayambhunath ( Monkey Temple ), Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Kathmandu

My guide Surendra has the most incredible level of knowledge and a wonderful story teller. Bhaktapur was my favourite place to visit on the day. My driver Amit made me feel very safe in the crazy traffic of Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Surendra is like a walking encyclopedia. His level of historical knowledge is exceptional. Amit was the best driver I had during my whole trip. Really safe & capable driver

Transport

Drive from Kathmandu to Sankhu, Hike to Nagarkot (7,136 feet / 2,175 m)

Nagarkot

My first hike in Nepal & coming off a foot injury made me slightly anxious. My guide Angalo quickly made me feel reassured that I was in good hands. The view at Magarkot was breathtaking

Quality of Experience

My guide was very thoughtful and patient with my slow pace. The view at the top was breathtaking

Food

The food at Country Villas was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pokhara Sightseeing Tour

Pokhara

What a great place Pokhara is! So beautiful with treks on your door step, great energy and the Himalayas visible on a clear day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Pokhara to Nayapul then Trek to Trek to Ghandruk and return back to Pokhara

Pokhara

What a magical place Ghandrul is…and the people are lovely. The walk up to the village was so beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Morocco was a long time in the making due to Covid related delays. So when we finally landed in Casablanca on the 2 September we were incredibly excited to be starting our trip.
From beginning to end we have had the most amazing experience in this diverse, gorgeous country. From the ancient imperial cities of Fez, Meknes and Marrakech to the relaxed towns of Skoura, Ait Benhaddou and Chefchaouen we encountered incredible artisans, making a range of beautiful things, rugs, pottery, clothes, jewellery. The awe-inspiring landscapes and architecture and most importantly wonderful, warm Moroccan hosts who truly invited us into each Riad as family.
We did encounter some weather related challenges with floods stopping our plans to get to the Sahara but our Kimkim rep Said was amazing at rerouting our trip, to ensure we still got a desert experience and ensured all our accomodation dates were reworked - no small thing to do in the high season. Kimkim also ensured our accomodation was of a very high standard, each Riad and hotel had something special to offer, very comfortable and had lovely interiors.
We were also very fortunate with our driver Faysel, who brought so much fun and energy to our experience and as two women traveling together always ensured we were well looked after and safe. Full of helpful local information, and an excellent skillful driver, Faysel became a friend on our journey as we all travelled together.
Kimkim also supplied us with great local guides - Mohamed in Fes, who knew the Medina inside out and gave us so much insight into local culture. In beautiful Essaouira our guide built on our knowledge of this fascinating city, showcasing the importance of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian influences throughout Morocco's history and its probably the Moroccan city that most signalled a connection with Africa. Finally our last guide Said in Marrakech, who took us on both city and food tours - was so much fun to hang out with. Knowledgeable, thoughtful and with a wonderful dry sense of humour he made both tours so memorable - I even ate snails and sheep's head under his encouragement 😀
Thank you to all of the Kimkim and Original Tours teams - you have made our once in a life time trip, truly the best of journeys in beautiful, magical Morocco!

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche

Casablanca

Good hotel and location - with a great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Beautiful hotel with amazing room and views. Staff were exceptional and had a wonderful hammam experience. One of the best Riad's we stayed in - loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous interiors and a beautiful secret pool

Location

Great views

Staff

Probably some of the nicest people we meet, warm, welcoming and totally efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Beautiful Riad

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We had a lovely waiter while staying at this Riad but the rest of the staff were not overly friendly and the male reception staff were somewhat dismissive in attitude

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar El Kabbaba

Skoura

This Riad was my favorite - absolutely beautiful gardens, interiors and ambience was so relaxed yet welcoming. I could have stayed for a month!

Authenticity & Character

So authentic and I loved the garden to diner food experiences we had here

Location

An oasis of calm, peaceful relaxation

Staff

Mohamed our host and waiter was the most kindest of people, setting a beautiful breakfast table for us in the garden. Excellent service, could not speak highly enough of the staff at this Riad - they were amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nyla And Spa Marrakech

Marrakech

Beautiful interiors - great roof garden and pool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central in the Medina but with relatively good access for pick ups with our driver

Staff

Staff were good though I had an issue with Laundry that shouldn't have happened

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

A sophisticated Riad, with great interiors, large rooms and beautiful music playing and fireplace in the lounge area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location in the Medina - close to fate so no issues going to and from the rest of the Medina

Staff

Lovely staff who introduced us to some great Moroccan wine, lovely afternoon nibbles and great laundry service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Scenic Journey: From Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

Beautiful scenery and city

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Journey of Colours: Exploring Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Great ruins -

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes Unveiled: Unravel the Riches of Morocco's Ancient City

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey Through the Beauty: Skoura to Marrakech

Morocco

Loved Skoura

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Magic of Marrakesh: A Guided Tour

Marrakesh

Best guide - so much fun and great knowledge

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Beauty Awaits: Transfer from Marrakech to Enchanting Essaouira

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essaouira Revealed: An Immersive Guided Experience of History and Heritage

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Tradition: Sharing Stories and Savory Delights at a Moroccan Home

Morocco

Lovely family with wonderful food and beautiful guitar playing by our sons host 😀

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tasting Marrakesh: A Private Gastronomic Adventure

Marrakesh

Awesome guide - great food, highly recommend for anyone who’s a foodie and wants to experience a cross section of Moroccan food

Quality of Experience

Food

So good - tried everything was wonderful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip was amazing with the natural beauty of the national parks and salt flats and the amazing city of La Paz. Everything well organised and high quality tour guides like Dani and Juan Carlos who shared their excellent knowledge and information on the culture of Bolivia. This was the highlight of our 4 week trip, especially as more authentic and traditional people and way of life. We also did the death road ride which team of gravity was excellent with strong emphasis on safety and enjoying. 2 opportunities for improvement re 1 prewar day 1 of altitude as most of us on tour suffered altitude sickness and too late in taking medication and arriving earlier on day 1 could have allowed us to do the valley of the moon tour day 1 and hence allowed day 2 to visit other locations in Chile in San Pedro de Atacama. Thanks Camaros for a wonderful trip and beautiful memories of your country.

Hotel Reviews

Altus Express Hotel

La Paz

Good and convent location,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Main Street and activities

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Don Raul

San Pedro de Atacama

Hotel had great character and good feel which match location. Simple and adequate with wifi, good breakfast and all other facilities in good order

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cordillera Refuge

Uyuni

Hotel is new and still being completed and hence wifi etc. it working. Otherwise given cold temp overnight, bed was warm with lots of blankets, hot water for shower etc.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms made from salt blocks including bed which was appropriate for the location.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Samay Wasi

Uyuni

As prewarned, room was simple with no internet, no hot water etc. with extra layers of clothing and multiple blankets no issues with the cold temperatures.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit the Valley of the Moon & the Valley of Death

San Pedro de Atacama

Amazing scenery and great to see that access to dunes etc is limited to preserve the beauty. Nice way to start the holiday and experience such beautiful landscape.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From San Pedro de Atacama to Villamar (group tour)

Bolivia

Amazing scenery with lots of flamingos and Lamas in the wild. Again a lot of natural beauty with the lagoons and mountain side that is hard to put into words. It’s well preserved despite tourist thus giving a great natural experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica this September, 2024 during Green Season was amazing. We traveled for a work conference in Papagayo, and decided to use a travel service to organize a trip extension to several other parts of the country. We found Kimkim, and were extremely impressed from start to finish. Kimkim contracted with a local tour company, Serendipity Adventures, which was excellent. We went to Arenal and Tortuguero. Both hotels selected by Serendipity — Moana in Arenal and Mawamba in Tortuguero — were excellent, as was our driver Alex, and our guide in Arenal Mauricio. The communication with Serendipity while in country was outstanding. I would highly recommend our hotels and booking through Kimkim and Serendipity!

The hotel selections were extremely well planned out, and positioned giving you access to a lot of the areas that you were visiting the itineraries as far as tours, exhibitions, museums was very well laid out. The entire trip was very interesting and met all my expectations and more.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Gran Vía

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Molina Lario Hotel

Málaga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Bonay

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Our tour guide was excellent, engaging, entertaining and keep the group energized. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Great place in the atmosphere was fantastic. Something I’ve always wanted to see and I was more than satisfied. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend it as a must for anybody’s trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

But all my expectations. To have a tour guide is a must so much to see so much to learn what a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

João Was in touch with us at all times which gave us peace of mind that if we needed to ask anything . That ensure a sense of security in a foreign country that someone was there .
All the drivers were very good . Carlos seemed to be able to explain the important landmarks in detail.

Our trip to Greece was amazing thanks to Angela! She carefully organized and booked our hotels and activities based on our interests. She was always available before and during our trip to answer any questions. I was amazed how quickly she communicated! We had an issue with our driver coming to pick us up a day early but she handled it within a few minutes of messaging her about the problem. I would definitely use her again for planning a trip to Greece!

Hotel Review

Galaxy Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

HS 2024 Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

The actual catamaran cruise itself was amazing! The staff was very friendly and attentive to us. The food was great and we had plenty of beautiful stops to swim! The transport to and from was disappointing. The transfer was very late picking us up and we had to call to make sure they were still coming. Then when the cruise was over we had to wait at least 45 minutes for the van to pick us up. It seemed like a lot of waiting around and very disorganized.

Transport

Aegean Lush Bike tour

Naxos

This was our favorite activity by far! The tour guide (Manos) was amazing! We loved the diversity of this tour - we got to see an olive oil press, a local farm and tavern, and go to a beautiful beach. Being on bike allowed us to go places a big van was unable to reach. The e bikes were very easy to use. We cannot recommend this activity enough!

Such an incredible and amazing trip! The process of planning was easy from start to finish. I really feel like Kadri and team listened to what I wanted and created the perfect itinerary. I loved how easy it was for them to work with me to change and move things around to ensure I had the trip of my dreams. Once there, it was nice to have them check in to ensure everything was going smoothly and to have someone to reach out to at any point for anything. I could not have asked for a better experience or more perfect trip! Thanks!!

Hotel Reviews

Overnight Hike in Trolltunga

Odda

Such a cool and unique experience glamping. The "beds" (aka sleeping bags) are all lined up 5-6 on a raised wooden platform so it was a little 'weird' sleeping that close to strangers. It was very comfortable and warm though and you cannot beat the views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Awesome location. Nice hotel. Delicious breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Beautiful property. Great location. Delicious breakfast. Amazing views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

It was a nice hotel; however it was at the very top of the hill and away from everything so if you wanted to go to the grocery store or a restaurant, you had to walk down hill (~20-30 min) and then back up. The rooms were comfy but small and there was no wifi in the rooms. The breakfast was basic and minimal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rosendal Fjordhotel

Rosendal

Spacious room in quaint hotel. A little walk from city center. Breakfast was good. Staff were amazing. Views were gorgous

Authenticity & Character

Location

~15 min walk from city center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Maritim

Stavanger

Great location and great rooms. Delicious breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Trip and Dinner at Cornelius Seafood Restaurant

Bergen

The food and experience was amazing. The only "negative" is that you're at the pace of other diners while eating and there is only one boat back so you are essentially "stuck" there until the boat comes back. The food was delicious and the staff were amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3-hour Fjord Paddling

Flåm

Great experience. Guide was amazing and scenery was beautiful. Great way to see and experience the fjords.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

n/a

Summer and Autumn Fjord Safari on a RIB boat

Flåm

The experience was good, don't know if it was for me. I preferred the kayaking as a way to see the fjords. The guides were amazing and they provide you with gear to keep you warm and dry.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Fjord Sauna experience

Norway

Such an awesome experience! Beautiful view from the sauna and you get a natural cold plunge jumping into the fjord. Love the experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Glacier Kayaking Excursion

Norway

It was nice. I thought we were going to be able to get closer to the glacier than we did (though, I understand why). It was nice that wet suits and gloves/booties were provided. The scenery was nice; however if I had known that glacier hike was an option, I probably would have chosen that instead.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trolltunga Via Ferrata + Sunset/Sunrise Combo

Norway

My all time favorite activity that I did here! Could not have asked for a better experience. Sleeping in the yurts on the top was amazing. Delicious dinner and breakfast provided. It was so nice being up there after all the day hikers left and essentially having the mountain to yourself. And seeing the stars and milky way were unforgettable. I loved doing the via ferrata up and hiking down. 10/10 experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike to Kjerag

Stavanger

This hike is NO JOKE! One of the hardest hikes I think I've done to date (and I'm an avid hiker and pretty active). The landscape was amazing and gorgeous. We had pretty much all elements of weather. It was a little slick which definitely added to the challenge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike to Pulpit Rock: Preikestolen

Stavanger

Such a nice hike. Our guide took us on a different trail up which was nice as we a) got to see more things and b) avoided the crowds. He was great about taking photos and knowing the good angles and poses.

Quality of Experience

Food

n/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall
We enjoyed the trip and thought it was a good itinerary to experience Sicily - the food, the history, the culture and the hospitality. Unfortunately the poor communication left a lot to be desired ...

Communication
• Total lack of responses within a reasonable period - from start to end
• Regardless of time differences, I think a simple acknowledgement or response within 24-48 hours is reasonable. In the case of Thanos, 2 weeks or more, with multiple follow ups, is the norm. If you find this hard to believe, just check the conversation.
• While we hesitated at the beginning, we figured it might have been an anomaly because of the agent's 5 star rating. Now we seriously questioned the validity of the rating system all together.

Administration
• Request for early payment - happened after multiple requests
• Request for final payment - happened after multiple requests and when it finally went online, the amounts were different for each of the 4 parties (when they should be the same)
• Final itinerary was not available until a few days before the start of the trip. What started as a couple of simple questions about the itinerary 4 weeks before the start of the trip, the total lack of response caused the entire group to doubt if the trip was going to take place a week before the trip. Such outcome is totally unacceptable!

Accommodation
• Hotels at Palermo and Catania are good - convenient location, clean and good services.
• The hotel in Agrigento is in the middle of nowhere. We could not understand why this hotel was picked. Fortunately the front desk was able to arrange a special meal for us at a local restaurant (instead of just drinks and sandwiches at a beach bar).

Transportation
• Drivers were good and courteous. But we could not understand why we got a minivan that would only fit 8 ... when the original party had 10 people. Sure, 2 people cancelled out at the last minute, but we do not consider the jump seat beside the driver approriate for 70+ seniors! In addition, occasionally the guide had to squeeze in with us, or simply sat in the cargo bay.

Guides
• All the guides are experienced and knowledgeable on the subject. Of the many different guides we had, we thought Lorenzo at the Valley of the Temples, Natalya at the Villa Romana del Casale, and finally Laura at Catania and Taormina provided exemplary services.
• We also enjoyed the cooking class at Cucina Garibaldi a lot. The activity was fun, the staff were friendly and helpful, and I would not hesitate to recommend the activity to fellow travelers.
• Mrs Maria, our local contact, has been very responsive and helpful throughout the trip.
• This might have been a misunderstanding on my part - that we would get the same driver / guide for each city - especially after all the troubles we went through to finalize the itinerary. Despite what was stated in the itinerary and two queries during our stay in Catania, we never met our assigned person Daniela. While we had the same driver for our stay in Catania, he could not tell us if he would be our driver the following day. While everything worked out in the end, I thought, at a minimum, the expectation could be managed better and not lead one into thinking this is a fly by night operation.

We have used and recommended Kim Kim to others many times. The attention to detail; the ability of the agents, such as Mar, to plan a trip, met our highest expectations. We gave Mar specifics such as, booking boutique hotels and setting us up with guides in the cities and booking specific activities such as a Zodiac boat ride on the Fjord waterways . Her choice of hotels was perfect. I think the most important advantage of Kim Kim is that you are given a local Norway agent who responded quickly to any questions we had while on this trip.

Our first trip to Croatia was an absolute success!! Thanks to our specialist Roberto, every detail was planned to our needs. Because it was our first Croatian experience we had no idea what to expect. Roberto made the unexpected amazing and easy flowing. From self drive, hiking, island hopping, history tour and driver guide, all well planned.
Easy transports, accessible and central accommodation according to our budget. The hosts of the accommodations Robi booked us with where all friendly, helpfull and very accomodating. Reliable drivers to and from the airport. Guided tours, excellent and knowledgeable.
Passionate people.
Thank you Robi for putting our puzzle together and for making our trip effortless and amazing. We would recommend Roberto for anyone planning a Croatia trip. Thank you Robi!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

Ideal location, very friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pellegrini rooms

Split

Authenticity & Character

Part of the castle in Split, beautiful area

Location

Stunning location

Staff

Very helpfull and friendly Marina

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartment Lilly Hvar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stayed 1 night, nice clean kitchenette

Mj Suites

Korčula

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful area!!!

Location

Be aware of stairs, but was quite acceptable

Staff

Very very friendly and helpful Georgia

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartment Zicara

Dubrovnik

Authenticity & Character

Lovely Mediterranean

Location

Not noisy area, close to old town and shops and busstop

Staff

Did not meet anyone, but all was acceptable if needed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was self catering

Activity Reviews

Zagreb - Arrival Day & Sightseeing

Zagreb

Was nice for us, could do our own thing and explore.

Quality of Experience

Was a nice city to start, just to find your feet

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers to and from airport where on time,helpfull and friendly. Our guided drive from Korĉula to Dubrovnik with Robi as our guide and driver was an absolute treat, stopping at special places that we would not have known about. City tour guide that was booked, excellent!

Transport

All very well planned, transport and ticket were pre-booked by Robi. Made life much easier!!

Leaving Zagreb -Rastoke visit- Plitvice lakes

Zagreb

Our car was delivered at our hotel, very convenient. Self drive to Plitvice Lakes was stunning!! Countryside. Loved Rastoke

Quality of Experience

Really enjoyed Rastoke and the surgested restaurant

Transport

Comfortable rented car

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

A must do!!!

Quality of Experience

Visit to Zadar

Croatia

Loved the ancient history. Must see. We were there for 2-3 hours on our way to Split

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Visit to Hvar and exploring the Old town

Split

One of my favourites of this trip.

Quality of Experience

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Pelješac penisula and Ston- triple atraction - from Korčula

Korčula

We really enjoyed this. Seeing the peninsula, which we would not have seen without our guide driver Robi. Stopped for wine tasting and lunch. Enjoyed traditional Croatian dish. Very informative ride, Roberto answered all our history questions

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As above

Transport

Very comfortable vehicle

Lopud island- Hiking and/or beach

Croatia

We decided not to do this at the last minute. We were side tracked by Dubrovnik's beauty. But we were well informed were to catch the ferry and what to do on the island

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

We loved Dubrovnik!!! Be aware of all the stairs. We explored the streets, city wall. Had a fantastic guide for our private city tour.

Quality of Experience

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Easy departure of accommodation

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly , on time

Transport

Spacious vehicle

Our trip to Iceland was the third trip we have used Kim Kim to plan. We have never been disappointed. Adam was so helpful in putting together a trip that reflected us. He made sure we were prepared for the weather, the driving, and anything else that might come up. We appreciated how he put together a trip that was geared for us and not just for anyone going to Iceland. He offered several options for us, and we did several of them and enjoyed every one of them. The hotel accomodations were perfect and the breakfasts were wonderful. I'm glad he included one rather unconventional type of lodging that let us experience a differnt style of overnight that included a very interesting film about a local soccer player. He did run it by us before making the reservation so we would know it was a tad different. Great way to end our evening. Our last night accomodations in Reykevik were in a perfect location - close enough to walk to some fun local spots, and a short drive to the airport. Adam also made sure we had the perfect rental car for driving on the roads in the northwestern area and in the mountains.

We absolutely enjoyed our trip to northern Norway! Mathia was great to work with and we even got to meet for coffee during our trip! He was very professional and proactive in arranging everything and also quick to respond to weather conditions affecting certain activities, making changes, etc. Best of all- we got to see the northern lights! Thanks Mathia!