Kimkim Trip Reviews

... and it's all thanks to Irene! She was very patient as we learned KimKim and helped us to plan, and then setup a wonderful vacation that worked well for both me and my wife. What's more, whenever we found ourselves missing our driver, on a late train, or just confused in general, she was a quick message away to help us navigate our trip. She even checked in on us a few times to make sure we were having fun and enjoying ourselves as much as possible.

We started our trip with a group tapas tour in Madrid, led by Neomi, who was very knowledgeable and made excellent suggestions at every step. It was truly a blast! We got to sample numerous delicious beverages, food, and make great conversation with our fellow travelers. Next, we enjoyed a guided tour in Madrid, where we learned all about its history, even joking and having fun with our guide (whose name I unfortunately cannot remember - but she was amazing!). Our time in Seville was also well planned, with Barbara showing us the Great Cathedral and the Alcazar our first day, making some fantastic recommendations for dinner. The day trip to the White Villages and Ronda was filled with beautiful scenery, fun shopping, and good food that truly left us wanting more. Granada is a gorgeous city, with so much to see, including the much (and rightfully) touted Alhambra. Our guide, Gabriela, was very knowledgeable and fun, leaving us once again feeling more like we'd been shown around by an acquaintance, rather than a stranger we hardly knew. We discovered a nice coffee house - Cafe 4 Gatos, that I would strongly recommend for good coffee and excellent food (bring cash!). Finally, our dinner at Aben Humeya was the perfect end to our last day in Granada, coupling delicious food with a view neither of us will ever forget.

I know I've gone on for quite a bit already, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that every hotel Irene found for us was fantastic, with comfortable beds, polite helpful staff, and delicious breakfasts. The drivers were all polite, professional, and very helpful. And our information packet was very thorough and helped us avoid making numerous mistakes we likely would have made on our own.

Thank you Irene and everyone who helped make our trip such a success!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel One Shot Luchana 22

Madrid

Nice location with very comfortable beds. Polite, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intelier Casa de Indias Sevilla

Seville

Nice location with comfortable beds. Polite, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Very location with a lot of history in the building, converted in a very charming and aesthetically pleasing way. Extremely helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Aben Humeya

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Restaurante Casa Suecia

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit la Alhambra

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch in La Bola

Madrid

Guided tour in Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip : Ronda and White Villages

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalia was an amazing local specialist. She was very quick with her replies and altered our itinerary multiple times until we fit everything we wanted to do in!
Travelling between islands was very easy with the arranged pickups and drop offs, we had no issues figuring it all out when we got there!

Activity Review

Welcome to Naxos

Naxos

Less touristy, beautiful beaches and a cute town!

We can't say enough positive things about our experience with Jessica and Chiara. If you can afford it, the concierge approach to planning and experiencing your family vacation is the ONLY way to go. It's worth every penny! The investment was worth the amazing service, attention, and care we received throughout our trip to Italy. During a turbulent time when the service industry is inconsistent and at times lacking, Jessica and Chiara were a breath of fresh air. Jessica, who is the head of Storywalking in Italy, worked with our budget to create an itinerary to maximize our 8 day family vacation. All her recommendations were spot on. Chiara checked in frequently to make sure every detail of our trip was locked in. We loved our tour guides from LivTours (Adriana, Sara, Raf, and Frederica)- they were great with our 9 yr old son who wasn't always so awake or chipper, but they ALWAYS got him to smile at some point during the walking tours.

We felt like Jessica and Chiara were our personal travel assistants. Whenever we had a concern, question, or need, they were prompt in their response and always came up with a solution or recommendation.

We highly recommend using kimkim, Jessica, and Chiara to plan your next family vacation to Italy. You won't regret the investment. It's worth the peace of mind to ensure you have the best stress-free vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Giorgione Venice

Venice

Small room and a little dated BUT great location and staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

so convenient but tucked away from all the noise!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

just a little dated and musty

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

Love the location and staff!! Room was generous for European standards. Great breakfast too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

so convenient to everything!

Staff

Nina and her colleague with the braces (forgot her name) were super!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

our room was spacious and didn't feel crowded for three people. Beds were very comfy!!

The Independent Hotel

Rome

convenient to the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

even though it's not located in the prettiest and trendy part of Rome, it was convenient to the train station.

Staff

very attentive and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

large room and well appointed

Activity Reviews

Private Evening Gondola Ride Venice & City Stroll

Venice

Adriana, our tour guide was great. We had a tired, grumpy, and hungry 9 year old. She walked us straight to dinner at the end of the tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gondola ride was so magical!

Best of Venice tour: Murano Island & Guided Walking Tour with St. Mark's Basilica

Venice

Great way to visit Murano, see Venice, and learn the history of this unique Italian city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

boat ride to Murano was wonderful

Learn how to make Pizza and Gelato

Florence

My son's fav part of the visiting Florence! A must for families but also fun for all ages

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon was a great instructor who made it fun to learn how to make pizza and gelato!

Transport

Family Experiences: Uffizi for Kids Private Tour

Florence

Very family friendly way to cover a museum which isn't always fun for kids!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara had her work cut out for her but she was super with our 9 yr old!

Transport

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Raf was great!!

Transport

Family Experience: Vatican Tour for Kids

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Frederica was super! She kept our son engaged with the activities in book provided with the tour.

Transport

Thank you for reaching out and asking about our trip. It exceeded all of our expectations! First, Kimkim and Himalayan Trails executed everything perfectly. The people that surrounded us were always very professional, caring and made the trip seamless.

Rajiv did a great job of introducing us to the important historical sites in Kathmandu and Patan. What a great day that was. We were in informational overload and I had to let it sink in before going back and reading more about the sites we saw.

Our guide, Wang Chu, and porter, Neema , we’re first rate. I think one of the most important things a guide can do is understand his clients and Wang Chu was able to do that very quickly. He made adjustments throughout the trip that catered to what we were looking for and made our experience unbelievable. We often times felt like we were the only ones on the circuit and saw things I know other groups did not get to witness.

The trek itself was difficult at times but rewarding in every instance. The scenery was spectacular and Wang Chu taught us a great deal about the culture, livelihood and history of the Nepalese people as we trekked from village to village. What a great classroom and teacher!

I am glad we chose the Manislu circuit and I would recommend that to anyone interested in trekking the Himalayans. It offered a good challenge, varied landscapes and what felt like a relatively less travelled path.

Thank you for setting everything up for us and sticking with us for almost two years due to travel restrictions!

Again, thank you, Kripa, Rajiv, Sanzeb, Wang Chu, Neema and the whole staff at Kimkim and Himalayan Trails for making it a wonderful, memorable trip!

David Makepeace

Morocco is a crazy place to visit and without the assistance of Hakim to set up our travel and Mahdi to act as driver and guide we would not have been able to navigate this wonderful country. The hotels were set up in advance. The hotel staff were all super friendly and helpful in finding restaurant reservations or even in having a quality dinner at the hotel. All of our hotels included breakfasts which was nice. Mahdi was a fabulous driver, obeyed all driving rules and was so knowledgeable about geography, history and commerce within Morocco. I would strongly recommend kimkim to anyone wanting to visit Morocco and suggest to ask for Mahdi as driver.

My family and I travelled to Costa Rica in October 2022. We had the best time! Sergio and his team made our experience completely seamless and yet adventureful. My husband and I are used to blazing our own trail when we travel, but this time having our 10 & 7 year old daughters along with us we wanted to capitalize on our time and have activities that they would find engaging and provide them opportunities to learn along the way. Sergio and the team at Serendipity provide this and so much more!

We visited Tortuguero, Turrialba and Puerto Viejo. Each location had well thought out activities that allowed us to explore the local culture and environment.

While in Tortuguero we enjoyed a canal tour and learnt about Costa Rica's conservation efforts and national parks. We watched a turtle lay her eggs on the beach and our highlight was an evening walk where a bunch of baby turtles were hatching and making their way to the ocean.
Our guide Jose engaged with the kids and made sure they felt safe, he also helped them spot some tree frogs and bull frogs by the pool at our hotel. It was a rainy couple of days but Jose showed up with ponchos, a sense of humor and a whole lot of fun!

On our 4th day we said goodbye to Tortuguero and met our driver Andres. Andreas was our driver for the duration of our stay in Turriabla and further to Puero Veijo. Andreas was such an amazing guide, he was incredibly knowledgably about Costa Rica and was very helpful translating for us when we needed some help. He safely delivered us to our hotels and always stayed to make sure we got checked in safely. He was wonderful with our kids and even had Disney radio cued up for them in his car!

In Turriabla we went rafting, canyoning and for a farm tour. Our guides while we were rafting, Jonathan and Poco were amazing! Jonathan had a great sense of humor and painted or faces with mud and taught us how to balance rocks on the shore line. The river was beautiful and warm. Poco was great to point out wild life along the shore. While were were rafting, Andres drove down stream and took some action shots of our family to share with us. Andreas also capped the day off by making us the most delicious and beautifully presented picnic we've ever had, he'd made pasta, salads, fresh fruit and even dessert!

The following day we enjoyed a canyoning trip and farm tour with our guides Ceasar and Sergio. They were also very knowledgeable. Our youngest was scared during canyoning and Sergio, who also has young kids got to her level and explained what would happen, how he would keep her safe and also confidently assisted her down the falls. But the last waterfall she was laughing and having the best day! We enjoyed lunch with Ceasar and Sergio at their family farm and then proceeded to a farm tour with Sergio, where we were able to sample fresh fruits and home made coffee. It was a day for the books!

Andreas safely delivered us to our final stop, Puerto Veijo, we were sad to say goodbye, over the last 3 days Andreas had become a trusted friend along our adventure. We arrived at Congo Bongo where we met the owner, Marisol, she was so welcoming and we felt like family instantly. She was an amazing host, providing free laundry service (which was much needed after a few days of rafting and canyoning!), farm fresh eggs, clean accommodations and an amazing eco-village for us to enjoy. Puerto Veijo was a great place to cap off our trip, it was laid back and we enjoy time playing in the ocean, walking to Manzanillo (If you're there check out Colores, the local Greek restaurant - great staff and good food!). Our days were enjoyed touring a chocolate tour at a local indigenous farm, our guide Theresa was incredibly caring. She spoke the local Bri Bri language which added so much value to our tour. We attended a cooking class with a local chef, Glenda and made a traditional Rondon Soup. The following day we went snorkling and on a light hike through the national park where we swam with a lemon shark, sting ray, a variety of fish and coral.

Our final stay before departure was at the Studio Hotel in San Jose. the roof top pool, art, food and Piano / Violin show we were treated to on our last night perfectly summed up our family vacation.

We came home with so many amazing memories and stories, we could never have planned a trip like this on our own. We met amazing people and experienced so much of Costa Rica! We are so grateful to Sergio and the Serendipity team for creating a memorable family vacation. If you are considering Costa Rica, reach out to Sergio, he will enhance your experience and take away the stress of traveling.

Sergio - Thank you for being a phone call or message away whenever we needed to adjust timing, ask advise and for easily rearranging activities based on the weather.

Pura Vida!
Jody

Hotel Reviews

Auténtico Hotel

San José

We weren't here very long, just slept and left, but the room was clean, the hotel was beautiful and the waiter at dinner was very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laguna Lodge

Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jose and the tour guides were very helpful. The front desk staff was not overly friendly or helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Turire

Turrialba

Authenticity & Character

We loved the Cuban feel and 1950's vibe this space had

Location

Staff

The staff was so helpful, friendly and accomodating, they offered games for the kids and suggested local scenery to take in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Congo Bongo EcoVillage Costa Rica

Manzanillo, Limon

Authenticity & Character

Marisol has done an incredible job with this eco-village I found her entrepreneurial nature and creativity refreshing. The world needs more people like Marisol

Location

A close walk to Manzanillo, but about 15-20 min drive to Puerto Viejo. This was nice as it was quite and away from the business of Puerto Viejo, although if your looking to be closer to the action and restruants in Puerto Viejo you'll need to find transport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marisol cleaned our house every day and helped with our laundry. Thank you!!

Studio Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

The art, piano, violin players were all incredible!

Location

about 40 mins to the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

A Journey into the History and Culture of Tortuguero Village

Tortuguero

Cute town, I wouldn't recommend going at night. No street lights and it would be very dark and unsafe.

Nighttime Turtle Nesting Tour

Tortuguero

Super cool experiance!

Guided Boat Excursion Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Private rafting on the Pejibaye River with children

Turrialba

Our guides were incredible!

Quality of Experience

Food

Best picnic lunch ever!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning in Turrialba

Turrialba

Local Farm Experience

Turrialba

Dive into Afro-Caribbean Culture with Exquisite Cooking Classes

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Exploring the Underwater Wonders of Cahuita National Park

Costa Rica

Everything fell into place, plane and transportation and tours, loved Sydney and the harbor and went to a concert in the Opera House, got rain at Ulrulu but that was a good thing as multiple waterfalls developed across it’s face. The eucalyptus forest on the return from the great ocean road was like a jungle version of our redwood forests in No Cal
Great planning for a wonderful trip. Now we’re in NZ

This was our first time in Spain and our first big trip since Covid-2020 shutdown. We did not have a lot of free time to do our own research and book a trip on our own. Luis understood the types of activities we wanted to do and the places we wanted to see. He provided a lot of background information on the places we will be visiting and summary itinerary with times and locations of tour meeting places. He responded on a timely manner whenever I sent a message with requests or questions. The accommodations he booked for us were exactly where we wanted to be - centrally located and near public transportation. They were clean and comfortable. The staff in the hotels/apartment were cheerful and helpful.

We enjoyed the private walking tours Luis arranged for us. It allowed us to see many sites at a more flexible pace. Our guides - Almudena (Madrid), Maria (Toledo) and Luca (Seville) were very knowledgeable of the area and pointed out things that we would have missed if we were just walking on our own. We appreciated that they were checking in on how we are doing with all the walking. They were all open to receiving feedback as to what is and is not interesting to us.

Luis also arranged for group tours to Cordova, Granada and Ronda. We were first concerned about going on a larger group tour but the tours were well organized and efficient. Although the bus ride were long, they were comfortable. We were in awe of the Alhambra as well as the view of the town from Alhambra. Just amazing! It was unfortunate that I got sick and missed the Cordova tour.

The last trip that Luis arranged for us was a small group tour to Montserrat from Barcelona. It so happened that our guide only had 1 tour that day so we had the flexibility to stay a little longer in Montserrat and listen to the Boys' Choir. It was a blessing to hear the angelic voices of the choir.

Overall, we had a great time! Exhausted but full of fond memories! Thank you Luis and staff for helping us enjoy our first time in Spain.

This was our first experience with a custom tour. Usually, we do all the planning ourselves or have relied on a small group tour provider. The plan Tiago put together was well organized logistically, incorporating our specific asks. Hotels were well chosen, in some cases exceeding our expectations. It was our driver/tour guide Diogo that made our trip so fabulous.
Since this was our first time in Portugal, we wanted to get a full sense of the country (as much as possible) in 12 days.
We started in Porto with a Port tasting and excellent food tour. With Diogo as a our driver and guide, we headed to the beautiful Douro Valley for a vineyard tour, staying at an iconic hotel. On following days we visited Obidos for Jinja, Coimbra ostensibly to see the library, which turned out to be a delightful town. As we pulled into Tomar, I had my doubts. Diogo hooked us up at a local bar where we had a great time with the local football fans watching Benfica beat Porto.
Over 3 days in the Algarve we hiked the cliffs, took a boat tour of the caves, went to surfer beaches and ate fresh caught fish along the beach before heading for 4 nights in Lisbon. As part of our excursion to Evora, Tiago arranged for us to tour a cork oak farm which was particularly interesting. We saw all the must-see spots in and around Lisbon - the Pena Palace, a Fado show, the Coach Museum . . .
Having Diogo as driver took the pressure off our group of four- we could easily enjoy the local beverages and take in the views. Plus we got to see/experience things I don't know we would have without him. His knowledge and obvious pride in his country was evident at all the cultural sites and while driving across the country.
Bottom line: we had a great trip!
Tiago provided us with a custom roadbook with local info and suggestions. It would have been nice to receive that info more than 3 days before departure.

Hotel Reviews

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Pousada Porto-Rua das Flores was very comfortable. Rooms were small but nicely appointed - every bit of space was well utilized. Hotel was well located which made it easy to walk all over the city. The reception staff when we were there let us down a couple times - they were distracted, and made careless restaurant suggestions. Which is a strong reason to get friendly with locals and other travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

comfortable, well designed , albeit small rooms

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hospes Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Great room, candy delivered to the room twice daily. Well located. Excellent staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Culinary Tour of Porto

Porto

Tour guides were enthusiastic, had lots of local community knowledge. Wide ranging selection of foods. Arrive hungry.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cork Farm Visit

Portugal

This is a small vineyard with cork oaks. Our guide explained the interconnectivity between grapes, cork oaks and Iberian pigs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk (morning)

Lisbon

Food tours in Porto and Lisbon were two of the best we have anywhere - and we do alot of food tours. Great variety of foods and places. Heck, this tour started with the best chocolate cake in the world!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I didn't take this trip but my brother and sister-in-law enjoyed every moment. Eleni was very responsive and extremely helpful in providing me with suggestions for experiences they might enjoy based on their interests. I'd rate this 10/10

Thank you to Samir our tour coordinator and Nadir our guide / driver., for an unforgettable trip to Jordan, Israel’s and Turkey. Samir was very professional and efficient and answered all
my concerns in the most efficient manner. He also organized our trip to Israel
which was last minute .Nadir was professional,friendly and made sure we were happy with our tour each and every day. Nadir went above and beyond in every way possible and I highly recommend him when touring these places. We will always remember him fondly as he was so welcoming and gave us a wealth of information of the places we were visiting. Thank you to the Kim Kim team, Samir and Nadir for making this vacation truly memorable.

Jackie was a complete delight to work with. She was knowledgeable, professional, enthusiastic, and totally engaged with us as clients. We had booked a Galapagos cruise directly with a cruise tour operator, pre-Covid, and then worked with Jackie to set up a land portion for us at various haciendas in the highlands. We ran into numerous cancellations with the cruise, including one that happened *while we were in transit* to Ecuador. Although it was not her problem to solve, Jackie took the time to talk with the less-experienced agency now in charge of that, and it was *only* through her intervention and advice that we had a Galápagos experience on par with the one we had originally booked with a now-defunct company. Her initiative to help us with the very stressful cruise situation showed a level of professionalism and client engagement that was truly above and beyond the call of duty. Our driver and guide for the land portion, Dario, was exceptional — his knowledge was simply remarkable. We particularly liked the Hacienda Cienega (truly superb) and Hacienda Pinsaqui. Jackie arranged for a several surprises that were memorable for different reasons, including a visit to an indigenous community and an opportunity for horseback riding at another hacienda. In closing, we came to feel a great sense of trust in Jackie as someone who had both the experience and empathy to make our Ecuador experience quite remarkable. And when arranging things from far away, trust in the person you are working with locally is paramount.

Hotel Reviews

Hacienda La Cienega

Cotopaxi

Hacienda La Cienega is simply a stunning place. Steeped in history. Amazing staff and food. I would recommend staying more than a single night (we didn’t wish to leave!) and using it as a base to explore the area.

Authenticity & Character

Words cannot describe how utterly stunning it is.

Location

Convenient for day trips out, with a driver.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Jose de Puembo Quito Airport, an Ascend Hotel Collection

Puembo, Quito

We stayed here for two nights to recover from a vert long trip down, and because we we’re starting a tour of the highlands (so it didn’t make sense to stay in Quito at that time). Recommended by Jackie, our Kimkim agent. We felt delighted in the Ecuadorian feel of the common areas, rooms, and grounds. Its atmosphere belies the notion that it is an “airport hotel” — it was originally something else and its property includes adjacent farms land., which guests can walk through. The immediate property had stunning gardens, complete with a few wandering llamas on the grounds. I it was a magical place to experience upon arriving. If your immediate plans are to explore regions outside of Quito, we *highly* recommend staying here.

Authenticity & Character

The Ecuadorian feel of the common areas and rooms, gardens and the paths for guest through the adjacent farm and pasture lands. A fantastic place to land upon arrival in Ecuador.

Location

Outside of the city and therefore convenient for immediate arrival in Ecuador, especially if arriving late and/or taking off for explorations outside of Quito.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This is a lovely hacienda with exceptionally lovely gardens, and a walking path through them and property at large. The common areas were especially nice. Although we were there just as a couple, we were invited to attend welcoming receptions for larger groups (10 or so) that were also staying there. The reception included music from a local Ecuadorian group, Ecuadorian drinks and snacks, and a bit of history about the place. Recommend getting the largest rooms or suites available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Useful for excursions planned by our kimkim agent.

Staff

Management was very engaged and approachable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

My husband liked it well enough, but I didn’t. The road to get there is horrible and long—-the end result was simply not worth it. The food was not that good and yet more expensive than more upscale haciendas. ; extra charge for eggs with breakfast. I unwisely ordered a salad — forgetting that any greens wouldn’t necessarily be washed with purified water and I guess they weren’t. I got quite ill for days afterwards. The rooms are rustic at best. Granted, it’s a farm kind of hacienda. But it’s a very arduous and uncomfortable drive for a not very remarkable experience. I saw some nose-to-tail horse riding in the cold mist going on. It was clouded in, so any advertised amazing views of Cotapaxi weren’t going to happen. Cotapaxi views are more easily had anywhere else. So even without the getting-sick experience, I just would not recommend this place.

Authenticity & Character

It’s character is what it is — a very remote farm.

Location

Such a long and uncomfortable drive to get to. Nothing to be changed about that.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing can be changed I think, given the structures they are working with.

Activity Reviews

Limpiopungo & Roses farm

Ecuador

The roses farm was jaw dropping. I didn’t expect it to be. I didn’t even have a concept of a ‘rose farm’. This was a real highlight of our entire 2 week stay in Ecuador. The Laguna de limiopunga was also lovely. Allocate enough time there if your schedule (and weather) allows to do more walking around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Dario, seemed to know so much about everything fro. Geology to history to medicinal plants.

Transport

Panoramic visit to Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

This is a spectacular crater lagoon and another example of Ecuador’s natural beauty. But as important, the area is home to indigenous people who have adapted to and taken responsibility for this locale. The ability to see Quilotoa Lagoon as an example of this, and the chance to visit an indigenous family in a remote area were both profound and thought provoking experiences.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Spain and it was largely due to the planning and thoughtfulness of our agent Marina. She helped us plan a fantastic anniversary trip while staying on budget! She also kept us informed and up to date on any changes and was consistently responsive to any questions we had both in planning the trip and while we were there! Would definitely use her for a trip in the future!

We had a wonderful trip to Argentina and Chile thanks to the Kimkim team. My sister and I are international travelers who typically plan the details ourselves, but for this trip we decided to use the help and service of Kimkim and we are so thankful! Emi helped us plan itineraries to suit our preferences and answered our questions in preparation for the trip. Our drivers were always on time, and Andrea in Buenos Aires was so friendly. The experiences in Mendoza were amazing - we are foodies and wine lovers - the Wine Walking dinner, tasting at Finca Adelma and lunch at Alfa Crux were top notch. Best of all was our Mendoza driver, Daniel, who was knowledgeable and helpful - enjoyable conversationalist while also giving us appropriate space. We added a full day in Chile as well, and Vitor took us to a fabulous winery in Casablanca, a castle seafood restaurant and a tour of the colorful Valparaiso. A wonderful experience - great service at a reasonable price. Will do again and recommend to friends and family!

Hotel Review

Villa Mansa Wine Hotel

Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo

We had a a full balcony of our own, even in the Superior Room. After full days of wine tasting or hiking, it was awesome to come back to our spacious hotel room, then enjoy a reasonably priced meal and great service at the on site hotel.

Activity Reviews

Wine Walking 🍷🚶‍♂️

Mendoza

Excellent food, gin tasting and wine tasting experience. I am a foodie and oenophile and enjoyed every bit of this evening.

Food

The food pairings were wonderful. The goat was exceptional.

Aconcagua Park & Inca Bridge

Mendoza

Daniel is an amazing driver - knowledgeable and helpful. He is a good conversationalist and also gives space and privacy where appropriate. The entire drive is gorgeous and the hike is an easy walk - good thing, given the altitude :-)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel is exceptional.

Transport

Cathedral of Wine: High end Valle de Uco 🍷🍃

Mendoza

I've tasted wine in regions across the world, and this Uco Valley experience is at the top of my list of recommendations. Finca Adelma was a small family winery with wonderful empanadas. Alfa Crux is glorious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, Daniel was excellent.

Transport

we had a wonderful experience booking our italy trip with kimkim. Valeria was very responsive and quick to maodify the trip based on our interests and made great suggestions for tours. All booking were made ahead of time and hotel tour and car reservations went smoothly. guides everywhere were awesome . I would totally book another tour with kimkim. Thansk Valeria and big thank you to all the local folks who made our trip fun and very memorable.

The accommodations locations in Dublin and Killarney were great as they were close to things. Killarney was the best. Cork and Galway were far from any local experience on foot for us. The breakfast at all was a plus.
In hindsight , for being the first time in Ireland, I would have stayed in Dublin for three or four days and experienced the area with day trips instead of long drives and being rushed at the end of the day.
You guys are great and did everything you said you were going to do. I will have no problem recommending you in the future.

We had the most amazing trip to Chile (Santiago, Patagonia, Andes Mountains, Casablanca Valley, Valparaiso). Emi was SO helpful in the planning process. She listened to all of our desires and was always willing to make another change to the itinerary if we asked her to. And everything went very smoothly when we went on the trip. We absolutely loved Chilean Patagonia (stayed at Patagonia Camp which is the best place we will ever stay). Thanks to Emilce's communication she was able to hold a room for us for a week while we confirmed our trip plans.

Before, during, and after the trip, I am impressed and amazed and how KimKim and Emilce helped us plan the perfect honeymoon. I honestly wasn't sure how I would feel about using a service like KimKim to plan our entire trip, and I couldn't feel better about it. We highlight recommend KimKim for your next trip.

We are so thankful for your Emilce!!!

Hotel Reviews

Patagonia Camp

Torres del Paine

BEST HOTEL WE WILL EVER STAY AT IN OUR LIVES! Every detail was perfect. They are so nice and the quality of our stay was amazing. If I could give more than 5 stars for a place to stay, this is the place. 10 stars out of 5. My wife and I were so sad to leave this magical place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cumbres Lastarria

Santiago

Great hotel in a good location! Go to Bocanuriz nearby for dinner. The quality of the room was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fauna Hotel

Valparaíso

Fantastic hotel in Valparaiso. Great location, very cool inside of the hotel, and the rooftop restaurant has a fantastic view and food was great (breakfast and lunch!).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascada de las Animas

San Alfonso

Great place! This was recommended to us by a coworker who stayed there 10 years ago. Really cool location in the Andes mountains, takes about 2 hours from Santiago airport to get there. It is definitely more remote. The staff was nice, but this was the place where we encountered the fewest amount of people who spoke english. Also, our perception is that this is a destination for local Chileans on the weekends. When we arrived Thursday night and had breakfast Friday morning, there was only one other group eating breakfast or had excursions planned that day. Then on Saturday and Sunday the place had lots of people. We always felt safe, but it's a big property so walking back at night was a little dark. Overall we enjoyed our stay, very unique and cool place that offers a lot!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine all inclusive - Activities menu provided by the hotel

Torres del Paine

10 stars out of 5, we are active and just loved every minute of Patagonia Camp with guided hikes, and the guides would bring tea and fruit and chocolate for when you got to the top of the hike. And you'd have beers/drinks/wine after the hikes in the parking lot. The coolest stay ever, everything about it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic private city tour around Santiago de Chile - Half day

Santiago

It was good, Orlando did a great job! I feel like Santiago doesn't have as much to see as I maybe thought, however it is a cool city with mountains surrounding it. Very scenic in terms of mountains.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I enjoyed a very relaxing and wonderful 15 days trip in the Amalfi Coast and Sicily in early October.  We contacted Jessica, a travel specialist for Italy through kimkim.com.  Within a week of speaking to Jessica, she arranged a private tour for us and we were on a flight to Rome.  

Jessica was very efficient responding to our requests or updating changes before and during our trip to Italy. From the airport pickup to each destination, our trip was seamless and relaxing.  We enjoyed the central location of all our hotels and B&Bs which allowed us to walk everywhere and enjoy excellent meals with locals.  All the tours arranged by Jessica were very enjoyable and interesting.  We learned so much about Italian and Sicilian history, culture and art through our excellent tour guides.  In particular, Tony gave us a wonderful tour of the Cathedral of Monreale and Marta gave an excellent tour of the Ancient Villa Romana del Casale.  Our drivers, Ciro, Stefano and Fabio are great drivers and are very friendly.  We also enjoy lots of free time exploring on our own, visiting small old fishing villages and swimming in the crystalline waters of the Tyrhennian and Ioninan Seas.  We have so many beautiful memories.

We can’t thank Jessica enough for this very enjoyable last minute trip and for frequently checking in with us to make sure our time in Italy was going smoothly and according to plan.  We would highly recommend her to anyone thinking about traveling to Italy.  

Hotel Review

Grand Hotel Royal Sorrento

Sorrento

Grand Hotel Royal, Sorrento is the best hotel from our Southern Italy trip. It is centrally located in Sorrento with many nice restaurants near by. This elegant 5 star hotel is located at the top of a cliff with an elevator to the beach. The view from the beautiful garden and our balcony were magnificent . The staff was great and breakfast was delicious! It's so enjoyable and relaxing staying at the Grand Hotel Royal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

The Limoncello Tour with Chef Fiore was lot of fun. The wonderful meal from his restaurant was so delicious and I learned many different ways using lemon in my cooking from this tour. Thank you Chef!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ciro is an excellent and friendly driver. We enjoyed his service to the Amalfi Coast and Limoncello tour.

Transport

Day Trip to Monreale & Cefalù

Italy

It's amazing seeing the beautiful mosaic Bible stories all around the Cathedral of Monreale. Thanks to our terrific tour guide Antonio who made this tour very interesting and enjoyable! We had a wonderful time walking through the lovely town of Cefalu with many interesting shops and we tasted the best warm meat and sausage rice ball there. It's so wonderful cooling off and swimming at the beautiful Cefalu sandy beach.

Quality of Experience

Guided Tour of Villa Romana del Casale

Italy

Seeing the incredible story telling mosaics in the Villa Romana del Casale was very impressive. Our excellent tour guide, Marta made this tour very interesting and lively. The vivid depiction of the captured animals and ostrich being loaded into a boat was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catania: Food & Folklore

Catania

Enjoyed the sounds, taste and color of this delicious fish market tasting tour. Giusi our tour guide is excellent and we enjoyed the delicious green drink and fried seafood from her restaurant. The tasting menu from other restaurant and cheese sampling were great too.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Haiiiii Aggeliki! Apologies for the late response, October was cray, but here is our review/feedback as promised. As mentioned previously, all of our tours were fantastic! Everyone we encountered were soOoOo personable and helpful. It can be overwhelming when you’re visiting a new place so it was really refreshing to be welcomed by the locals! Thank you for being able to make last minute changes, such as adding on Naxos as well as the catamaran. We really appreciate you for taking care of pretty much everythaaaaang for us as it made our trip that much more smoOth sailing. Pun intended! We got to practice our Greek, hehe, you would’ve been so proud, lol!! As stated multiple times in our group chat, you’re amazeballs, and we love your personality! KimKim was so worth it because of you!! The only thing that would’ve made it better is if we all got wine together, hahaha!!! Thanks again for being SO patient with us. All the best! ~ Μεγζ και Πατρικιε <3

Hotel Reviews

Urban Frame Hotel

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aeolos Resort Mykonos

Mykonos / Chora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxus VIP Suites

Oia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asma Suites

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Round Ferry Tickets between Naxos & Mykonos

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Following Ariadne’s path in Naxos (Wine, Spirits & Olive Oil Tasting)

Greece

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We guide you in the Past 2023

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, the planning and support by Eva of Iceland Untouched was terrific. We had a small hiccup in that the airport transfer for one of two couples on arrival never showed due to a travel agent miscommunication, but was remedied quickly. If there were any complaints, I would say there was very little down time. We were constantly moving in a hurry to keep on schedule. Because the days were planned around our ability to stay in certain hotels, when one hotel was unavailable, the driving went from 4 hs to 5 1/2 hrs on one day, which was very difficult.

Generally, our guides were excellent, except for one: Ricky, of Glacier Adventures, for our Ice Cave Expedition. He was always in a hurry (our hike from the van to the cave was done at a far faster than needed or normal pace) and he was void of personality. We were the last ones to check in at the facility because we had a 1 1/2 hour drive under normal conditions, but because of the hotel change, we had to leave the hotel well before sunrise and travel on icy roads, which slowed us down considerably. When we were boarding the van to depart Base Camp for the cave, my wife asked if she had time to use the restroom before departure. Ricky appeared irritated and anxious to leave. His response was ok, but there's always the river. My wife, sensing his desire to be on the road, climbed aboard. The ensuing expedition was not very comfortable for her.

If we were to do it again, we would work to limit the amount of driving and build in time each day for some relaxation, instead of always being in a rush.