Kimkim Trip Reviews

Lisbet did an incredible job planning our twelve day trip to Iceland. She really listened to our needs and gave us a very structured list that made planning the trip easy to follow. Not only that, she was very responsive to any messages we sent regarding changes to our itinerary or any other questions we may have had. In fact, one day an excursion we had planned was canceled due to the weather and she contacted us before we had a chance to reach out to her to reschedule at a different location. There is so much to see and do in Iceland (and the language is so difficult) that it was a huge relief to have someone who lives in and knows the country plan our stops and ensure that our trip stayed on a realistic schedule. We loved our horseback riding trip at Hellasport. I have every reason to believe those horses are very humanely kept. Vok Baths, the Secret Lagoon, and Sky Lagoon were our favorites. Blue Lagoon is a must stop, but the other three places were more intimate. I wish we would have had time to fit in a dog sledding excursion, perhaps another time. Our favorite hotels were Hotel Geysir in the Golden Circle and Hotel Laxa at Lake Myrvatn. Hotel Laxa’s staff were so warm and welcoming, and they’re manager, Fion, has created and nurtured a fun, friendly, very comfortable environment. Be wary of the IcelandAir/Berjaya hotels. Evidently, they behave been purchased by another company and are planning to renovate, but some of the rooms look like they haven’t been renovated since the 90s. It’s also a more family friendly chain, which isn’t the environment one would hope for when celebrating a wedding anniversary. However, some places are so remote that they were likely the best options. All in all, I’m very grateful to Lisbet and kimkim for taking the stress out of a fabulous vacation.

Ngima and his team did an outstanding job from the planning stages all the way. Ngima was very prompt in responding to all my queries and helped us plan our trip without any problems.
We were welcomed at the airport by Lakpa who was very friendly and helpful and he took us around everywhere till we left.
Our trekking guide Ang and our porter Kungha were just as amazing as all others on the team. Very accommodating, kind and helpful.
Ngima is a wonderful tour operator. He made all arrangements for our stay and flights in spite of bad weather and flight cancellations. He worked very hard to get us a rescue helicopter when things got bad in Poonhill.
We will be definitely using Kimkim travels again and Ngima’s team in Nepal for our next expedition.

Marina was fantastic. The organization and transports really took the stress out of planning and traveling. We absolutely loved every city, especially Granada and Cádiz where we had the opportunity to relax and really take in the amazing history and culture. Fantastic tour guides, great hotel locations even with a smaller budget. I also loved that even with some downtime and free afternoons, there were a ton of great recommendations and literature about each city on the itinerary. We never felt lost, stressed, or like we didn’t have hundreds of exciting options, even on free afternoons. We were also having trouble getting tickets to some of the Gaudí sites in Barcelona and Marina was able to quickly get us tickets at great times. If we had a question about anything, she always responded quickly and was able to help us in record time. Thank you so much Marina and KimKim for a fantastic trip!

Hotel Review

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

This hotel is lovely and comfortable with amazing views. We also loved the breakfast. The location is fantastic, right next to a bustling plaza with some of the best tapas we had the entire trip. Thanks so much for making our stay in Granada even more beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, great location, incredible views.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Jaime was an amazing guide! His passion and excitement for the Alhambra was inspiring and apparent throughout the tour. He was patient and answered any question we had. Highly recommend this experience. It was a main highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Pablo was a wealth of information. He is so clearly passionate and knowledgeable. His energy was infectious and the 3 hours flew by!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traveling through Morocco with our driver Samir was amazing! This gentleman was extremely knowledgeable about the area and accommodating. He advised us well on the culture of the locals in the area and was most pleasant at all times. Mohammed was our personal guide through the markets and well needed. Truly we would have lost our way if not for him. Mohammed recommended stores and restaurants that were worthy of visiting.
Overall, the entire experience was incredible. If I could do this visit again, I would do only one night of glamping and stay an extra day in Marakesh and three nights in the resort. I will add that Morocco is not only a beautiful place to explore and enjoy, but an area with an extraordinary cuisine that is delicious and healthy!

This special trip otherwise known as My Dias de los Muertos Birthday Celebration was beyond amazing & was magnificent!! Leslie was kind, helpful, patience & extremely creative with her planning & designing our 10 day adventure! We also were so very impressed with the constant communication from our "Guardian Angel" Ximena Villavicencio. She gave us the comfort of always being there with confirmation info, questions or problems we had. It was like having insurance our entire journey as she was an excellent communicator & problem solver. This is what makes Kim Kim so special and personalized, Leslie's planning & Organizing and Ximena's follow through & communication. As for the entire trip itself, it was a a dream come true. Starting with The Hotel Morales in Guadalajara was perfect in terms of location, onsite restaurant and amenties was perfect. Our driver Ceaser was a sweet heart, kind, gentle & always on time or even a tad early. We knew we could depend on him. Our tour guide Josue was wonderful, helpful & very knowledgeable. Our trip to Oaxaca was a dream come true and our hotel at Hotel La Parra was amazing. The pool & bar side service were wonderful. Our trip to Mezcal country was a special experience. We also were blown away with the rooftop access and terrace at our second hotel in Oaxaca. Our last night was in the cute Mexico City neighborhood of Coyoacan and we loved our quaint b&b at Casa Jacinta, but the showstopper & grand finale Gastronmic workshop & coffee tasting was beyond any experience we could have imagined. It was the best way to end a dream vacation and left us full with happiness!

Activity Reviews

Tequila Distilleries Tour

Guadalajara

Loved our guide & driver and the town of Tequila. I do think there was a little miscalculation of time and we didn't get to go to Jose Cuervo as we had been told. But what I appreciated about the guide was he wanted to make us happy and found a way to get us a tour at Sauza. That really was impressive to see how much they wanted us to have a good experience. The lunch was a little long in time but was a great choice for food & atmosphere. We really enjoyed the day.

Quality of Experience

timing of sightseeing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kind & Helpful

Transport

On time and enjoyed their company. It was great as we got familiar w/ them having them on other tours

Tlaquepaque: "The Magic of Cacao"

Mexico

A mouth watering sensory journey for your pleasure! This was an amazing tasting & educational experience. I learned so much and felt this was a special session that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Quality of Experience

The food, samples, drinks, atmosphere were top notch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Educational & helpful

Transport

On time and helped with carrying my purchases!

Tlaquepaque: The artisan's route

Guadalajara

This was a magical & visual experience I will never forget. Seeing all the town decorated for Dias de Los Muertos and the vendors and Catrinas was eye candy and made me so happy. I felt like this was my DisneyWorld experience. Loved seeing the town, alters, vendors and more. A special town with a special celebration.

Quality of Experience

Getting my face painted, watching the Brides Parade

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and knowledgeable

Transport

knew the short cuts to avoid traffic

Archaeological Tour in Monte Albán

Oaxaca

A great place to visit to get the history of the area. It was a hot day and very busy so we cut the trip a little bit shorter. We appreciated the guide letting us cut the trip shorter as the information was alot to absorb.

Quality of Experience

Give options of 2 or more hours

Guides, Drivers and Staff

not sure

Transport

Walk through Oaxaca's colourful streets

Oaxaca

I did not personally do this tour as I wanted to see the Dias De los Muertos parade (we were not told about this by Leslie) but by our hotel and this was a priority. My roomate enjoyed the thour and thought it was great. She left it an hour early to go with me to the BIG parade!

Quality of Experience

seeing the town

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Mezcal Route

Oaxaca

A wonderful day with lots of stops to see many things that make Mezcal country special. Loved the variety of places we visited and the two different type Mezcal Distilleries. They really were informative and the Mezcal was yummy. Our private dinner at a families house was very special and the food was very good.

Quality of Experience

The whole day

Food

Homemade food was wonderful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anna was a beautiful lady with a kind heart & very knowledgeable. She just needed to speak a bit louder

Transport

Wasn't so comfortable in the van. The driver never attemtped to talk to us. He wasn't mean just no connection w/ us

Biking tour and street art

Oaxaca

My Birthday Day was kicked off with this amazing Bike Street Art Tour and it did not disappoint! The guide Shai was amazing, kind and spirtual. She made the trip 5 star. Her kindness & help was beyond. Somehow we had no confirmation number and they initially were not going to let us on the trip. I was so upset, but she was kind, patient and spoke to Kim Kim so they could provide an email confirmation. Luckily it worked out. The tour itself was perfect. Plenty of stops to see art, hear explanation and a few stops to galleries as well. A perfect size group too and the best way to cover a lot of ground in the busy city roads of Oaxaca.

Quality of Experience

All

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shai was the best tour guide ever

Transport

Bikes were comfy and great to have mountain bikes on the cobblestone roads

Learn how to prepare delicious traditional food

Mexico City

This experience was truly one of the highlights of the week and a perfect ending to a perfect vacation! The education & guidance for our cooking experience was superb. We learned techniques on how to chop veggies, prepare food and tricks w/ garlic. The menu that was provided was so much and a great way to learn about Mexican culture and dining. The food was delicious and our Host Chef was excellent. He truly made us feel comfortable and he was very entertaining & engaging. This experience was exciting, enjoyable and full of passion.

Quality of Experience

The Chef, his direction, menu and the whole experience!

Food

The Guacamole, Mezcal, Coffee Drinks, Rice, and putting it all together

Tiago incorporated all the places we wanted to see and arranged tours to do all the things we we asked for. All the hotels were wonderful. The port tasting and food tours were great with the best one in being in Lisbon, but the cork farm was a highlight for me. Nothing would have been as seamless, if we didn’t have Diogo taking us all over Portugal and explaining the culture. As a bonus he took us to a bar to see a soccer game. He shared all the history of his beloved country and knew every building, statue, river, bridge etc. Diogo enhanced the whole experience.

Hotel Reviews

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

The Vintage House

Pinhão

Beautiful setting and view. Nice restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of the Douro river and vinyards.

Thomar Boutique Hotel

Tomar

The location ended up being good. We had a nice walk to the soccer bar from the hotel and also to another location the next day. They were very welcoming at check in with port.

Location

Staff

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Beautiful hotel and setting. The nicest room.

Location

Staff

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisboa

The art deco features were authentic and well done but the toilets and shower could be updated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

They were doing a big renovation across the street which was very noisy. There was so much traffic in that area it was hard to drive in and out. It was close enough to walk places but it was a long walk.

Staff

All the front desk people were very helpful

Hotel Hospes Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Good location and helpful staff. Sweet treats were delivered to the room every afternoon.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Culinary Tour of Porto

Porto

It was just ok. Nothing special. The food market was nice.

Food

Port Wine Cellars & Tasting Experience

Porto

The history was informative. The port was delicious.

Wine Estate Visit in the Douro Valley

Portugal

Not worth it. Repeat of the same info.

Cork Farm Visit

Portugal

Loved the enthusiasm of our guide. She explained in great detail how the farm worked and all the extra things that were done in addition to the details of cork harvesting and the many ways cork can be used.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk (morning)

Lisbon

Excellent food in welcoming places

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon - half day guided visit

Lisbon

Good overview of Lisbon. Loved seeing the old town and Jewish section, Belem, the Coach museum. Diogo took us to all the mentioned places plus the overlook of the whole multi colored buildings and river.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diogo is the best!

Transport

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

The fado was well done but no explanation. The food was terrible.

The overall trip was a remarkable experience being my first time to Morocco. My guide Yassine and I covered a lot of ground in the 10 days I was there but that was what it was meant to be. My next trip to Morocco will most likely be to spend more time in each city/village, etc. to get more of the daily life experience.

As I mentioned, Yassine was my guide throughout the trip. By the second day, I felt like we were "brothers". We got along so well. His warm, welcoming nature and knowledge, I couldn't ask for more. I enjoyed and looked forward traveling with him everyday, he made the trip so easy. It was hard leaving him on the last day but hope to have a lasting friendship well into the future. I would certainly, without hesitation, recommend him as a guide. Here's to you Yassine!!!

So hard to pinpoint what was my favorite of places since they all had their own uniqueness. My top four would be the overnight in the desert (Merzouga), Chefchaouen (wished I had spend two nights instead of one), Fes and Marrakech. Feeding the barbary apes in the Atlas Mountains was a highlight as well.

In addition to Yassine, I also had day guides in some of the cities/villages I visited.

Taher, was my guide as he showed me the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Very pleasant, he informed me of the history of the once former grand city along with its demise.

My Fes guide, Said, was a true gentleman. Also a very knowledgeable, educated person who showed me the Royal Palace, Jewish Quarter and the medina. We had great conversation at lunch of which we shared New York stories as he once lived there for a time. I hope to reconnect if he was to visit NYC again or myself to Morocco.

In the oasis town of Tinghir, my guide Mustapha, showed me the palmeraie, which is a green oasis where the locals grow their own food and then we walked through the Mellah (old Jewish area). Although my time with Mustapha was limited, I was humbled by the experience.

Lastly, my day guide in Marrakech, Rachid, showed me the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the souks (bazaars) of the city. Also a pleasant, happy person to be with, Rachid seems to be what I would consider a "foodie type" as he brought me to untouristed places for tea/coffee and then to lunch in the Mellah at a restaurant which served lamb cooked from a Merchoui underground oven made of bricks and local earth. The lambs are drained, steamed and roasted for several hours. If you're a meat/lamb eater, you've never tasted anything like this - amazing!

I will treasure my trip to Morocco in the years to come having the privilege to have met such wonderful people. I hope to return sooner than later. My love to you all.

Erin and her team were all phenomenal from start to finish with this trip. We were initially very overwhelmed with planning it out until working with the team who were super attentive and gave us so many options for activities to book based on our interests, as well as booking all of our accommodation for us and bus transport between cities. They were so helpful when we finally arrived in Chile, gave us a briefing on arrival and a very detailed itinerary outlining where we would be going and when we should leave. One of the highlights was that they arranged for us to have a private tour of Torres del Paine National Park with an amazing tour guide who was super friendly and knowledgeable, cannot recommend Christian enough and our driver for the day Miguel was also a very safe and careful driver!
We ended up missing one of our tours due to a misunderstanding and Nara really stepped up and helped us find a fantastic alternative activity to take up that day, where we had an unforgettable horse trek at Pingo Salvaje outside Puerto Natales, another highlight of the trip!
Erin, Nara and all the team were amazing and we cannot thank them enough for helping us make the most unforgettable trip happen!

Activity Review

Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Patagonia

Amazing and unforgettable tour with the best tour guide!

Quality of Experience

Tour guide was so knowledgeable and took us to the best spots, was also very patient

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and driver were great. Driver was super safe

Transport

We loved visiting Peru and learning about the country and culture! Our favorite places were Tahauyo Lodge in the Amazon rain forest, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in Puno. Our guide in the rain forest was Juan. He was so knowledgeable about all the plants and animals in and around the rain forest. We saw so many amazing animals including: pink dolphins, pigmy marmosets, emerald tree boa, sloth, river otter, peacock bass, caiman and LOTS of awesome birds. Juan was amazing and taught us so much! Cusco was our favorite city. The people were so kind and genuine in and around town. We especially loved spending Halloween with all the sweet children around the city square. They were so lovely in their costumes and so polite when we were handing out candy. Great Halloween in Cusco! Our guide in Puno, Willie, was fantastic! I especially liked how he would tell us things in English and Spanish to help us learn. His passion for his country and culture were contagious. He taughus a lot about the local people and history. We especially enjoyed our trip on Lake Titicaca and exploring the islands. Such a beautiful place! Overall, we were very happy with our travel and accommodations. When we did have some minor challenges, Anne was responsive and helpful in getting things sorted. We would highly recommend a trip to Peru and the use of Peruvian Soul to coordinate it.

Hotel Reviews

Double Tree Iquitos

Iquitos

Comfortable hotel, excellent service! Our room was well appointed and comfortable. The staff was helpful and professional. The restaurant staff was very accommodating with my vegetarian requirements. We enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Local decor

Location

Near the square

Staff

Accommodating and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable room

Tahuayo Lodge

Lovely staff and a lodge with basic comforts. The staff was very friendly and flexible. Great food and beverage options. The rooms were comfortable with nice linens, hot and cold water and lights. Nice common areas. Excellent guide (Juan) and lots of great options for excursions. Clean and basic, perfect for exploring the Amazon rain forest.

Authenticity & Character

Great, basic lodge

Location

Away from civilization

Staff

Super friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable room

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Nice, comfortable hotel. Great bed and linens. Nice breakfast. Helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Nice decor

Location

Near shopping and restaurants

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely, comfortable room

Inotawa Lodge

Nice staff and good food. The lodge itself needs repairs and upgrades. There was no warm water or shampoo in the bathroom. The mosquitoes were horrific and the room had so many openings in the walls and floors, that they (and other bugs) came right in. The common areas need to be screened in, so you can eat and relax without cockroaches and mosquitoes intruding. The stairs up to the lodge and pathways were in need of repair and were difficult to walk on. The guide, Joaquim, was great. The boat excursions were enjoyable, but the forest excursions were difficult to enjoy because of the swarms of mosquitoes. We liked the people and loved seeing the animals, but the lodge needs some improvements.

Authenticity & Character

Lodge needs some work

Location

Away from civilization

Staff

Friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Add screened in areas, make repairs, offer warm water and shampoo in rooms

Los Portales Cusco

Cusco

Lovely, friendly staff. Comfortable room and common areas. Excellent food and service in the restaurant. Super close to the square with lots of shopping and restaurants. Nice place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor

Location

Close to the square

Staff

Friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable room and common areas

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Beautiful hotel, nice location. Comfortable room, nice restaurant and common areas.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor

Location

Close to train station, shopping and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Intiqa

Puno

Lovely, helpful staff. Comfortable room. Nice breakfast and common areas. Convenient to lots of restaurants and shops.

Authenticity & Character

Cute decor

Location

Close to restaurants and shops

Staff

Super friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Inotawa Lodge 1/3: Boat Journey to your lodge & Nightwalk

Tambopata

Pleasant, comfortable ride. Nice lunch on the way to the lodge.

Quality of Experience

Food

Awesome, local lunch!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly staff

Transport

Journey to Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve from Iquitos City

Iquitos

Pleasant ride, nice staff. We got to see the pink dolphins on the way…added bonus!

Quality of Experience

Pleasant ride

Food

No food provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional staff

Transport

Endless possibilities in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve

Iquitos

Amazing excursions tailored to our needs. Our guide, Juan, was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, professional and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Excursions, staff and food

Food

Great vegetarian options, lots of fresh fruit and veg

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and helpful

Transport

Urban food tour at Lima Historical Center

Lima

Great overview of Lima. Tough tour for a vegetarian, not many options.

Quality of Experience

Food

More vegetarian options

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge and friendly

Transport

Comfortable

Inotawa Lodge 3/3: Leaving Tambopata

Tambopata

Comfortable ride.

Quality of Experience

Food

No food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inotawa Lodge 2/3: Las Torres Claylick & Tres Chimbadas Lake

Tambopata

Loved the trip to the lake! We saw monkeys, river otters and beautiful birds. Best part of the lodge experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Cusco City

Cusco

Missed our connection to Cusco, so arrived later than anticipated. Our guide, Cesar, was very friendly and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

Loved the visit to the ruins and the textile place. Beautiful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Chuncho Restaurant

Sacred Valley

Nice restaurant! Great staff and food. Enjoyed watching them make the Uchucuta dip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Uchucuta dip was awesome!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pisac Archaeological Site

Peru

Beautiful ruins and valley. We loved the cultural stop with the painting and music. Loved learning about the different instruments and uses. Very nice family and environment.

Quality of Experience

Painting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Beautiful ruins and valley.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Wish we would have had the whole day, because the weather was wet and foggy in the morning and we couldn’t see the ruins very well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The train on the way back was MUCH nicer than the one on the way there. I would use the nicer train both ways.

Scenic Journey to from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Peru

The day with stops ended up being 12-1/2 hours. WAY too long in a car. Our guide, Willie, was awesome and we really enjoyed all of the stops along the way, it was just a really long day.

Quality of Experience

Food

They weren’t prepared for a vegetarian.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing in Lake Titicaca, Taquile, Luquina & the Uros floating Islands

Puno

Wow! What an amazing day. This was one of our favorite things about the trip. The floating islands are incredible. We enjoyed meeting the people and seeing how they live. Taquile was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed visiting and meeting the folks there. Lovely lunch experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sillustani tombs

Puno

Fascinating ruins! We enjoyed learning about the history and meeting the local people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guadalajara and Oaxaca, Mexico. My friend, Deb Weed, organized the trip and worked extensively with Leslie on planning and Ximena on the details. So I was along for the ride. From my prespective, the trip was fabulous. Our guide (Josue) & driver (Caesar) in Guadalajara were friendly, prompt, sincere and flexible. We felt like they were our friends when we left. Day trip to Tequila was memorable. In Oaxaca, our guide for our art bike tour (Shai from Coyote Aventuras) and Ximena helped us through a miscommunication issue which was resolved satisfactorily. Ximena was available every step of the way to help. She was awesome. Last night was in Mexico City before our departure, we did a cooking class with Luis Alfonzo, chef of Barra de Cafe de Malinche which was over the top. I will definitely recommend KimKim to my friends.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Morales Historical & Colonial Downtown Core

Mexicaltzingo, Guadalajara, Jal.

We loved this hotel with its rich history. Beautiful courtyards and centrally located. The restaurant was an added plus since some nights we were too tired to venture out. Staff was very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel De La Parra

Oaxaca

This smaller hotel was perfect for us. The location was perfect and within walking distance for all of the Day of the Dead feastivies and sightseeing. The staff was very helpful. Loved the pool area and the ability to get a cocktail in the afternoon. Breakfast was delightful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suites de la Parra

Oaxaca

Only stayed one night, but loved the penthouse suite. Large suite with outdoor patio and 360 degree views. Lots of stairs to the penthouse.

Casa Jacinta Guest House

Del Carmen, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México

Only one night here but wish it were more. Property was cute and quaint in a good neighborhood.

Activity Reviews

Tlaquepaque: "The Magic of Cacao"

Mexico

Christina Taylor was amazing with this private experience. You could tell she was passionate about her work and shared that passion with us. Loved the pairing portion of the tasting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josue (guide) and Casear (driver) were professional, knowledgeable and very friendly.

Learn how to prepare delicious traditional food

Mexico City

Loved this private experience! Luis, our chef, was amazing, friendly and professional. The food we prepared was delicious and we learned that everything is used in one form or another. Highly recommend this experience.

The tours were excellent and the tour guides knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and prepared to go beyond my expectations to allow me to experience the atmosphere of Chile,

There were a couple of hiccups along the way but your organization worked diligently and solved them quickly. The one was prior notification prior to the start of the tours in San Pedro de Atacama and the second was where the tour ended (different from where it began). Both were resolved quickly by your extremely responsive staff,

Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

very rustic with very nice services

Authenticity & Character

Fits into the area so well

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novapark

Santiago

Excellent service

Authenticity & Character

It's a hotel

Location

right downtown

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Panoramic City Tour

Santiago

History and beauty of the city and the country

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day - Valparaiso & Viña del Mar

Santiago

Same guide and driver. very knowledgeable and friendly. It was like being on an adventure with a buddy. Highest marks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Valley

San Pedro de Atacama

Again knowledgeable guides and very capable passing the knowledge on

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Really important to have start time knowledge before the tour starts especially at 0500.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons - Atacama Salt Flat

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the first interaction with Tamer through KimKim, we were blown away by his excellent customer service, kindness, and professionalism. We really hadn't done much research on the Galapagos and so he had his work cut out for him. He came up with an outstanding itinerary for our 10 day adventure across Quito and the Islands of Santa Cruz (with a day tour to Bartolome), two day stay on Isabela, and another two days in San Cristobal. Prior to our departure, we had several phone calls with him verifying the hotels, tours, etc, and he truly managed to make us even more excited than we already were about our trip. He also touched based with us each day of our journey to check in and re-verify pick up times, itinerary, and what we needed for the next day ahead. The entire experience was seamless, and we were throughly impressed with the way we were handed off and taken care of during the periods of transition to ports and activities. The tour guides he set us up with ( Viviana, Philipe, Eduardo, Wilson, and Sebastian just to name a few) on the different islands and mainland were incredibly knowledgable, hospitable, and so very friendly! We elected for the luxury accommodations and it was definitely worth the extra expense as it made us feel safe and well taken care of. On our adventures, we were able to see many blue footed boobies, frigate birds, sea lions with brand new pups, giant land tortoises, and snorkeled with sea turtles, and white tip sharks! The Galápagos penguins had migrated to a part of Isabela island that we weren't able to visit, but this was truly the only animal we wanted to see that we weren't able to for the time of year we traveled. This honestly was a trip of a lifetime, but in no way would we have been able to plan it on our own. Tamer even took the time out of his day to meet us for coffee in Quito which was just another testament to what it was like to work with him in planning this incredible journey. Thank you for everything, Tamer! We highly recommend working with him and his company to plan your adventures!

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Great choices at the hotel buffet, comfortable beds and great view of the Andes. Prime location for early or late flights is a perk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

Great location on the Harbor. Right on the main strip with access to great restaurants and shops. Great food and drinks at the hotel restaurant too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

This hotel was an amazing experience with great views of the sunset, friendly and hospitable staff and very clean accommodations. Be sure to grab a local beer from the lobby and enjoy the rooftop terrace at sunset! You might even catch a local soccer game if you are lucky!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Golden Bay Galapagos – Specialty Boutique Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal

By far the most beautiful room of our stay. Watching the sea lion pups on our balcony and off the hotel property was incredible. Eating at the hotel restaurant MUYU is a must!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

Great snorkeling adventure! The tour guide and boat crew were wonderful and we even had a champagne toast at the end of the day to celebrate new friends and a wonderful day on the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family (two kids, 10 and 14) had a great time in Sydney and really appreciate the opportunity to set it up in advance. Ruth was very accommodating in building and changing our trip plans and made sure we were well prepared before leaving.

We really enjoyed touring the city by foot, boat and bike, including the Bonza bike tour. We stayed in a short-stay apartment in Nesuto Woolloomoolloo, which was a great quiet launching point for the Royal Botanic Garden, Harris Farm Market and restaurants in Potts Point. Highly recommend wandering through the Royal Botanic Garden in spring! We also enjoyed our tours through Southern Highlands, Northern Beaches and Blue Mountains and recommend planning ahead to keep kids happy on the long drives, though the time in the mountains on beaches made it worthwhile.
Recommend the Aussie Gold Tour at the Taronga Zoo, as the behind the scenes and up front look at the Aussie animals, with tour guide, really made the visit. We also loved the Sharks exhibit at the Australia Museum, short-time only.

Ruth worked with us to bring down the overall cost of our trip, and it really was helpful to have all of the arrangements made for us and put into a single trip plan. It was good to know that we could swap things in and out to meet our needs.

Activity Reviews

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

Loved the short and longer hikes in the Blue Mountains, including some really diverse geography and flora. We had a very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide and enjoyed the Botanic Garden and apple pie stops towards the end of the trip.

Quality of Experience

variety, hiking

Food

apple pie stop

Guides, Drivers and Staff

friendly, knowledgeable

Transport

comfortable van

Taronga Zoo - Morning Aussie Backyard Adventure Tour

Sydney

It was great to have a private guided tour of some of the Aussie animals, including up close visit with the koalas. Zoos can be crowded and overwhelming, so this quiet tour was a great way to start our visit.

Quality of Experience

the animals

Guides, Drivers and Staff

friendly, knowledgeable

Ocean Cliffs & Blowhole, Waterfalls, Wineries & Rural Delights Southern Highlands Tours and South Coast

Sydney

This tour has a lot to offer, and it's mostly enjoyable when you let the tour guide and KimKim know up front what you'd like to do. For example, we loved the Illawarra Fly Park and found out that we needed to reserve the zipline tour ahead of time. Unfortunately for us, the zipline was not available, as it was too windy that day anyway. We enjoyed the stop for lunch and shops in Kiawa and enjoyed spending some leisurely time at Illawarra. We even saw a wombat in the wild on the way there and some local birds at the Park.

Quality of Experience

variety, pretty landscape, loved the rainforest at Illawarra

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Go Beyond was friendly, accommodating

Transport

If you are traveling to South America, you need to go to Patagonia / Torres del Paine National Park & stay at Patagonia Camp. It is the most luxurious glamping & unique stay we've ever experienced! Emilce was wonderful & helped plan the perfect honeymoon for us!

Our trip to Scotland planned by Rachel exceeded our expectations and became the trip of a lifetime for us! With very little lead time, she planned a two week trip filled with wonderful experiences and excellent accommodations. We were fortunate to have excellent guides to drive us from one location to another. Their commentary and insights helped us to appreciate what we were seeing. We especially enjoyed Neil McLeod, who did a fantastic job of finding interesting sights and stops for us, and we loved his stories! We had such a good time together and he made our trip filled with special moments.

We asked Rachel for some quiet times to sit by the fire or read, and we loved being able to do that at The Haven Guest House and Monachle Mohr. The DunstaneHouse was also memorable and in a great location.

Hotel Reviews

The Roseate

Edinburgh

We had a comfortable room and loved the location. The food was amazing and the staff went out of their way to be friendly and provide excellent service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the biscuits provided, modern luxurious bathrooms

Monachyle Mhor

Lochearnhead

This is a dream come true kind of place! In a gorgeous setting. Our room was super clean and comfortable. The staff was outstanding and the food was the best we had on our trip. Don't miss staying is this unique and wonderful place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Private Walking Tour

Edinburgh

This was not the ordinary walking tour! Our private guide took us to several places in the city that were off the beaten path and so interesting! She had a wonderful presentation!

Quality of Experience

Visit Inverarary Castle

Scotland

Sonia was really great!

She was warm, friendly and responded very quickly to all of our concerns. She also addressed all our inquiries very quickly and thoroughly. We were very happy to be matched with Sonia and had a great trip. I would hope everyone could be so lucky :)

Our request was for the chance to see as much of Sicily as possible within a 10 day period. Sonia came through with a plan that we loved. We began in Palermo, traveled to Agrigento and Romana del Casales and then on to the east coast via Siracusa, Taormina and Mt Etna. In all we feel we have had a great overview of the Island and would love to return someday. The hotels were fine, our car rental went off without a hitch and the connections all worked well. We were met by Tony in Palermo who was there to provide assistance if we needed it [we didn't]. I don't think we would have had such a well organized trip without the input from Sonia.

In general we have had a wonderful trip. We have lots of great memories to think about. Sicily is amazing. Would we go with Kim Kim again? I am not sure because of one reason. I would like to know that line costs for our travels. There is no accounting for what is charged that can be easily seen. I get that it is not always possible to create an exact budget, however, as a consumer, it is common practice to tell people exactly what they are paying for and how much. This is nothing to do with the great efforts of Sonia and co. It is all to do with the business model of kim kim. We might use it again, we might not because I cannot tell if we have paid a reasonable amount, underpaid or overpaid. Had I a clear accounting then I would know and feel more confident that my dollars have been spent wisely. I stress that this is not anything to do with the wonderful trip we have had, but a suggestion for future travels. Perhaps KimKim should figure this part out a little better. Would I recommend KimKim? I honestly don't know, because of the above reason. Travel is costly. We feel we have had value for what we paid. I just cant really tell.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Principe di Villafranca

Palermo

This was fine. We really liked the staff. The breakfast was good. The location was great as we could walk everywhere. It was clean but not fancy.

Authenticity & Character

The amenities were not 4 star or was it 3? Not sure. It was adequate.

Location

You could easily walk anywhere.

Staff

Really liked the front desk staff- they were super

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean but not fancy

Doric Boutique Hotel

Agrigento

This was the best place we stayed on this trip. The welcoming staff were wonderful. The hotel is lovely. Can't recommend it enough!

Authenticity & Character

The people, the farm which produces the food that you eat here, the very thoughtful approach to sustainability that one does not see often enough! You feel welcomed and appreciated as a guest.

Location

Beautiful, peaceful country location with a stellar view of the Temple of Juno. Only a five minute drive to the Valley of the Temples

Staff

This hotel has an excellently trained staff who are very attentive and nice people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very high calibre. We loved the pool in our room!

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Siracusa

Lovely hotel in a super good location as well.

Authenticity & Character

I liked the old building in the middle of all sorts of old buildings in various states of repair. This hotel is meticulously kept up and I felt very at home here

Location

You are in Ortigia and can walk everywhere throughout the historic city. WE were delighted with this- It is also on the water's edge which is very special.

Staff

The staff was very pleasant and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Also very high caliber in this area.

Zash country boutique hotel & SPA

Riposto CT

I liked the location in an orange grove. It looks out to Mt Etna which is nice. However it was not my favourite hotel on this trip. The countryside is lovely but the entrance to this hotel is THE most awkward I have seen in my travels to many countries. It is not welcoming. There is a very narrow gate between concrete posts and you must speak into an intercom to get the gate opened. It is on a back country road and I thought our GPS was off. The road from the gate [about a kilometer long?] is in very poor condition. There is no signage to indicate the entry to the front desk. On arrival we were told there was no room at dinner [out in the country after a long day travelling]. Then they changed their minds and we had the Michelin starred tasting menu at vast expense [ it was good enough but... there was really no other choice]. The breakfast was good. The second night we declined to eat in the restaurant as there is so little choice... . So- in my opinion, this hotel has some confusion as to what their core business actually is-- Is it a hotel? A Michelin starred restaurant? A citrus farm? A spa? I remain puzzled by this place. Maybe I am missing something...... but I wouldn't return. I also did not like that we were asked to state our arrival time and food preferences/ allergies 3 or 4 days in advance.... travel for us is spontaneous.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely old winery- beautiful grape press in the restaurant. In desperate need of a welcoming and easy entrance with good road and signage.

Location

Yes and no- very pretty but far from town/ really awkward to get in and out. No choice therefore , for dining options for us. [We were offered a list of restaurants in the area on arrival and declined it. If you know that you will have guests for weeks in advance wouldn't you try to accomodate them? Just a very strange place]

Staff

Nice people and quite charming- but off putting at the start as they did not want to feed us. Then we had to pay a fortune for a meal we would not likely have chosen. One is pretty much captive to whatever is on offer here as a hotel guest. We did find the waiters to be very charming and friendly- in fact they saved the whole experience for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean enough for our standards. Bed was comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Private driver to Monreale (self-guided tour)

Italy

Emmanuel was terrific! We really liked him and the afternoon was a lot of fun. Thank you!

Quality of Experience

Loved Sicily for its diverse geography , vegetation and fantastic history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonia steered us on a very good path. We are grateful. We liked all the people we met, everywhere.

Transport

We rented a car- it is not an easy place to drive but we managed and saw things that we would never have seen had we been on a tour. We are very happy for that as well

Afternoon private guided Tour of Valley of the Temples

Agrigento

Enza was the Best Tour Guide Ever. If you get Enza you are really really lucky. She was v knowlegeable and made the entire Valley of the Temples come to life for us. We were not familiar with this incredible site and yet felt that we had had a crash course in the history of many cultures that have come together in this part of the world. We will never forget our afternoon with Enza. We highly recommend her! Thank you Enza!

Quality of Experience

This is a truly awe inspiring place- like no other in the world that I know of.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enza was the best

Transport

This doesnt really apply as we drove ourselves.... but it was easy to access.

Emi and Mateo were amazing at providing planning services and engaging in communications regarding changes and updates. The horseback riding tour with an Argentinian asado in Mendoza was amazing as was the glacier tour and trek in Calafate. Everything went seamlessly and made our travel experience amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Entre Cielos Wine & Wellness Hotel

Vistalba

The staff was very helpful and communicative. They were able to answer all questions and assisted in any request we had. The view of the Andes Mountains were amazing from the hotel and the breakfast buffet was great as well. We would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There was not a lot that was walkable, and it was about 30 minute drive from downtown Mendoza.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loi Suites Recoleta

Buenos Aires

This hotel is in a perfect location in the Recoleta neighborhood. The staff was friendly and the breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the Cementery of Recoleta, a good market, and some other sights. Close drive to other neighborhoods.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chalten Suites Hotel

El Chalten

Bigger rooms with plenty of space to spread out. The staff was very friendly and helpful in terms of providing maps and resources for treks and assisting with other questions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the main strip close to stores, restaurants and shops

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mirador del Lago Hotel

El Calafate

This hotel was close enough to the main downtown and had very friendly staff, but it needed some updates. There was mold in the bathroom of our room, and it was very noisy every time someone above us walked around their room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

At the end of the main strip and about 10-15 minute walk from the main downtown

Staff

Very helpful and friendly, provided reminders on excursions and pick-ups

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel needed some updates, as there was mold in the bathroom in multiple places. The room also allows a lot of outside noises from the street as well as from the surrounding rooms. Any time someone above us would walk it would be very loud and prevent us from sleeping.

Activity Reviews

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion 🗻

El Calafate

Going to see the Perito Moreno Glacier is worth a visit to Calafate. It is amazing to be in a forest one moment and then in view of a glacier the next. There are many opportunities for view and pictures.

Quality of Experience

Once in a lifetime experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was very friendly, knowledgeable, and accomodating. They made sure everyone was always accounted for and answered questions.

Transport

Cathedral of Wine: High end Valle de Uco 🍷🍃

Mendoza

The Uco Valley is pretty and worth visiting, but we did not visit the wineries we were told we were visiting. Additionally, we were to see three wineries and only visited two. It was a far drive (90 minutes) to only go to two places and it was not what we signed up for exactly.

Quality of Experience

The first winery was a nice experience, and although the second winery and lunch was nice, we did not intend to do a coursed lunch with wine pairing. That took up the entire afternoon and we were unable to see other wineries. Additionally, it was a beautiful day out and we felt stuck inside and unable to truly appreciate Uco Valley.

Food

The food was excellent, but we did not sign up for a tasting lunch and instead were hoping to visit more wineries since we originally had 4 wineries scheduled while in Uco Valley and only got to see 2.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel was friendly and knowledgable.

Transport

Horseback Riding at Sunset (And creole BBQ) 🐴🍗

Mendoza

This horseback riding excursion was excellent. We were able to ride along the Andes Mountains and enjoyed a wonderful Argentinian lunch with the mountains in view.

Quality of Experience

Food

Amazing grilled chorizo and steak, plenty of food and wine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers and guides were very nice and friendly.

Transport

Minitrekking in "Los Glaciares National Park"

El Calafate

A must do. This glacier trek is on the side of the glacier that is walkable (the many peaks are not). We were able to see many parts, including crevasses, high peaks, water falls, and even were able to go into an ice cave. We drank fresh glacier water and at the end, the guides served some whiskey with glacier ice. Truly phenomenal experience.

Quality of Experience

Best excursion by far, great learning experience as well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides were fantastic. They took time to explain the glacier and even made sure everyone got the best pictures while on the excursion.

Transport

Nativo Experience

El Calafate

This excursion involves a quick ride up for a view of Lake Argentino. Then you learn about some native heritage and have a beautiful lunch of pumpkin soup, lamb stew, and chocolate mousse with wine in a cave. The actual driving and excursion part are relatively short, but the lunch makes up for it.

Quality of Experience

It was nice to do, but felt like the general driving portion could have been longer.

Food

Lunch with a view of the lake was amazing. The food was excellent and there was plenty to go around.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robi was great to work with, flexible throughout when we needed small adjustments. He had selected great places to visit, accommodations and recommended restaurants and optional activities that were great.

Dubrovnik and Split were both very interesting and the hikes we did in the parks and around the locations where we were staying were appropriate for my capabilities. Finally, biking on the peninsula was a truly unique experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Good basic 4 star hotel. Great location for walking around the city

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk from

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

Good location. Nice clean rooms. Breakfast was very good

Authenticity & Character

Modern clean good ambience

Location

Very easy drive to park with our guide

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Bonaca

Skradin

Good quality and clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kastel 1700 Boutique Hotel

split

Location was amazing. Right in the wall of the palace and looking out over the promenade on the water

Authenticity & Character

A bit small but more than adequate.

Location

Staff

Didn’t have much interaction

Cleanliness & Comfort

Breakfast was good but down a step from our other places

Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel

Hvar

Five star quality. Right on the water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Breakfast was awesome.

Aminess Korčula Heritage Hotel

Korčula

Truly as advertised. Heritage location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only small downside was the room was a bit dark and not immaculate. But still outstanding. And again breakfast was amazing

Apartment Zicara

Dubrovnik

Location was okay and easily walkable to old town. By this time we had been spoiled. Also no breakfast which we had been told but given all our others had breakfast was a bit of a negative. Clean and well outfitted.

Authenticity & Character

Basically a studio apartment on a relatively quiet street. Was close to cable car and bus stop.

Authenticity & Character

Basically a studio apartment on a relatively quiet street. Was close to cable car and bus stop.

Location

Location

Staff

No interaction in person. We were accommodated With access to a washing machine in another suite

Staff

No interaction in person. We were accommodated With access to a washing machine in another suite

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean. Good bed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean. Good bed.

Activity Reviews

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Location was great. Easy walking about.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best staff interaction at hotels.

Transport

Ferry to the island and met or guide ther was great

Visit to Hvar and exploring the Old town

Split

Loved Hvar. Walking the promenade was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We did Hvar self guided and other than our bad route choice to the fort that would be what we would recommend.

Transport

Ferries are easy!

Zagreb - Arrival

Zagreb

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zagreb visit

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leaving Zagreb and exploring Plitvice Lakes National Park

Zagreb

Beautiful park. Great hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zadar - Šibenik - Skradin

Zadar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Krka National Park

Skradin

Get there early!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Location of accommodation was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pelješac penisula and Ston- triple atraction - from Korčula

Korčula

Ston was great but biking on the peninsula was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Definitely want a guide if you are intermediate level riders.

Transport

A must to get started at a good spot. We took e bikes which wouldn’t be essential but was good for Dwight’s 68 year old legs.

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Everything we expected. Walking the walls is really a good idea

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were mostly self guided. Given the variety might have been worth considering some more hands on with our guide. Q

Transport

Great to have driver drop off and pick up.

Leisure day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Lots to do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self guided. We were awesome.

Transport

We walked almost everywhere.

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Driver was there on time. Got us to airport with adequate time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working With KimKim stared off rough. We had an agent who could not seem to connect with us nor was able to build an itinerary around our interests. Then we were given a new agent, cue Zulmy! Zulmy! was amazing! She saved our trip! She built a great itinerary with all of the activities we asked for! She was communicative and gave us a comprehensive outline of our trip. She was able to totally match our vibe to the locations. When arriving, transportation was seamless. All of the accommodations were beautiful, the Food was spectacular, and the activities (including tours) we fun and informative!

Overall it was a great trip!

We had an amazing time on our honeymoon in Paris and the Loire Valley! We started the trip arriving in Paris and stayed at Hotel a la Villa des Artistes. We loved this neighborhood and the hotel very nice/had a great breakfast. We took day trips from Paris to Giverny to see Claude Monet's house and went to Versailles. While in Paris, we did a chocolate & pastry tour & did lots of sightseeing. We then took TGV train to Tours where we spent an evening. The hotel in Tours (Chateau Belmont) was very nice but we did not love the city itself. We took our rental car from Tours and drove to the Loire Valley and stayed in Amboise. Amboise was beautiful and we loved the hotel we stayed at (Le Manoir St Thomas). While in the Loire Valley, we did some wine tours and castle tours. Our absolute favorite tour of the whole trip was the all day excursion to Chenonceau, Chambord, and a private chateau where we had lunch. Our guide was amazing and very informative. We took the train back from Tours to Paris for our last day and stayed at the Handsome Hotel. This was our least favorite hotel of the trip as it was very small and in a very noisy area. The hotel was centrally located though and was near a lot of shopping destinations which was convenient for our last day. The only hiccup we had on our trip was that the driver never showed up to pick us up to go to the airport as he was given an incorrect time. We ended up calling a cab ourselves though and were refunded the money. Simon was very helpful throughout the whole process and we definitely would recommend using him and KimKim to book a trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel A la Villa des Artistes

Paris

Hotel is on a quiet side street in a very nice neighborhood. We are glad we stayed in this arrondissement for the majority of our time in Paris. Breakfast was delicious too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Château Belmont Tours by The Crest Collection

Tours

Hotel was very nice and we wished we would have booked a spa package earlier as they did not have any available when we checked in. Breakfast was very good. We had dinner at the restaurant and thought it was average.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Manoir Saint Thomas

Amboise

We loved the charm of this hotel and how friendly the staff was. There is no elevator in this hotel so it may not be good for people with mobility issues, but we had no problem staying here. The breakfast here was wonderful. Hotel was a few minute walk from all of the shops/restaurants in Amboise. It was also close to Restaurant l'Ilôt which was one of our favorite restaurants we ate at on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Handsome Hotel Paris

Paris

This hotel was good for a one night stay as it was centrally located and close to the Marais district. It was quite loud though so I do not think I would have liked to stay here for several nights. The room itself was very nice and staff was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Versailles Palace & Gardens Half-day Guided Tour from Paris - small group

Paris

Our tour guide was great and we are so glad we got to see Versailles!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marais Pastry and Chocolate Tour

Paris

We enjoyed this tour, however, we felt we did not try enough pastries and mainly tasted a lot of chocolates. It also was extremely busy in the Marais district when we visited, so at times our guide had us wait outside instead of going into the shops with her. I think this would be better to do on a weekday when it is a little less crowded instead of on a weekend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monet's Giverny House & Gardens Small-Group Half Day Trip From Paris

Paris

The gardens at Giverny house were absolutely beautiful and we loved exploring the house as well. We were under the assumption that this would be a guided tour though and instead of the tour guide going with us through the gardens/house, he just dropped us off and let us explore on our own. While it was nice to walk through on our own pace, I think we would have liked more explanations behind Giverny and Monet's work. Definitely still recommend going to Giverny, but perhaps with a different tour company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vouvray & Montlouis Wine tour

Tours

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and we loved being able to see all the behind scenes of the wine making process along with tasting all of the delicious wines. Definitely recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chambord, Chenonceau & lunch at a chateau - Full-day

France

This was absolutely the best tour of our trip. We felt we learned so much about both castles and our guide was awesome. We also loved having a private lunch at a chateau to be able to experience some home cooked French food. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Paris hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

France

Our transfer was not scheduled for the correct time so the driver did not show up when he was supposed to. We waited for fifteen minutes and then ended up calling a taxi so we would not be late to the airport. Kimkim did refund us for our taxi ride.