Kimkim Trip Reviews

Mauel in Porto, Sara's replacement in Coimbra, Jose in Lisbon, and Paulo in Sintra all did a wonderful job. Filipi did an okay job in Bragga---but the concept of driving us to a location to let us walk around on our own was not really beneficial to us. Duro Valley boat trip did not happen because the guide was not at the location we were told to meet him---that experience was disappointing and also the discussion with KimKim regarding the guide proved very frustrating.

Hotel Reviews

Rossio Boutique Hotel

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall nice hotel

The Editory House Ribeira

Porto

Very friendly and helpful group.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta de Casaldronho Wine Hotel

Lamego

Very narrow and winding road to access. Would not really recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nothing....just difficult to access

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful views

Sapientia Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

Very nice view and nice room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vintage Car Tour of Porto

Porto

Okay but the vintage car really did not add anything

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Excursion to Guimarães

Porto

Since the guide just drove you to a location and dropped you off....not really of much value.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

River Boat Experience in Douro Valley

Douro Valley

Guide was not where we were told to meet him and therefore missed tour on boat. As with all guides they should have a KimKim sign or some other way for the traveler to recognize them. We were very vigilant in trying to find guides and did use the phone to locate....this guide did not answer his phone or text.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Historic Coimbra

Portugal

we enjoyed and guide was very informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Architectural & Historical Highlights of Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

enjoyed and guide was informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Guide was good and informative....but the hype of visiting Sintra was overrated in my opinion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved our trip to Australia. My favorite was snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The colors were amazing and so was the boat ride to and from the reef.

I also enjoyed the Blue Mountain trip. Even though it was foggy so we couldn't see anything, our guide tried his best to find us a view, the weather just didn't cooperate. It just means I need to return sometime to actually see the mountains and Three Sisters. It was fun to see the Australian animals at the farm.

My least favorite excursion was the Sydney Harbour Cruise. We couldn't really hear what the guide was saying since their sound system was muffled. The lunch provided was also not very good. I feel like there has to be a Harbour cruise that was better than this one.

Overall, we are very happy with our trip and I hope to return to Australia some day.

Hotel Reviews

Sydney Harbour Hotel

The Rocks

Hotel is in a great location but is an older hotel. It was a clean but smaller room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pacific Hotel Cairns

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

⁸

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Perfect location for flying out the next day. Very clean and nice room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private (Luxury Diamond Tour)

Sydney

Definitely saw the Sydney highlights and very informative on the history of Sydney.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

This would receive 5 stars if the weather would have cooperated. The guide did an amazing job trying to find us a view. Unfortunately all we saw was a sheet of white fog. Also loved the stop at the farm where we were able to see the Australian animals.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour Discovery Luncheon Cruise

Sydney

Sound system was muffled so it was hard to hear anything the guide was saying. Food was also very poor.

Quality of Experience

Food

Better tasting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Cruise (without pick up - self drive)

Australia

Everything was amazing on this trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daintree Rainforest Full Day Adventure by 4WD

Australia

Guide was knowledgeable and informative. However, the sound system in the bus muffled his voice so sometimes it was hard to hear him while in the bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We continued to be pleasantly surprised throughout the trip by all the information and experiences and local guides that Kim Kim sourced and provided for our trip. We felt like we had the most exciting and authentic experience and it felt very much tailored to the style and taste of travel we were looking for.
in the planning stages, Marina was great at adding and altering the trip to our needs as we figured out the days, pacing and activities we wanted to do. Marina was also very accommodating and managed to make changes to the trip while we were in Portugal which was amazing to be able to do this and allowed us to alter our travel stress-free.
Although the pre-planning and documents provided were amazing and easy to understand. I wish that we organized a call to discuss the trip with Marina, that was an oversight on our end. I think it would have been great to go through each day and be able to ask general questions.
It was amazing to have an App available with all travel information in one place. This is time-saving and made the trip easy to navigate while we were on the go!
I have already recommended Kim Kim to friends who are looking for some help booking their next vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Sapientia Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

Very cool hotel in the perfect location for a trip to Coimbra! The chef and staff very friendly and welcoming. I wish that they had a bellboy service to help with the bags to and from reception to the main streets, it is a little tricky coming in and out of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vila Galé Douro Vineyards

Armamar

The exterior of the property and view is outstanding! The staff were very nice, friendly, and informative. The food was only OK, I recommend going out to dinner if possible. The rooms also had a great view but were also more on the basic and smaller side. I think it would help if they put less furniture in the rooms, we found it hard for 2 people to put our bags in the room and get ready to go out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Porto Cooking Class & Market Visit

Porto

This was a true highlight of the trip! Our guide and chef were personable and knowledgeable. The food was OUTSTANDING! and tailored to our tastes.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Our guide was very knowledgeable and we felt like we learned so much! She had great stories and antidotes of the past and present.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Our guide was so cool and sweet! A local that loved his city and showed us some of the most beautiful beaches and parks in the city, it was a treat to see this on bike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

We got a great showing of the area and our guide was very personable and knowledgeable! A wonderful day with lots of great spots and yummy food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting in the Douro Valley

Portugal

Our guide was fantastic! We had the best lunch experience, one of the best of the trip! and we were able to cater the day to our specific needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Many thanks to Lucy at Salty Travel, who set us up with a fantastic holiday in Cape Town/environs and Johannesburg, South Africa. The lodgings were diverse, comfortable and welcoming. The daily activities were varied and exceeded expectations and the guides and drivers, without exception, were deeply knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend time with. In addition to Lucy, special thanks go to Craig Taljaard and Humphrey at Capey Travel, for great driving, great food, insights into ZA and excellent reggae. Also, the entire staff at Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge for general wonderfulness and special birthday treats, with a special mention to David, the guide who took us walking to see the rock art. The Penguins were amazing! Our Cape Sidecar Adventure was a delight. Our Johannesburg visit was eye-opening, deeply meaningful, and often fun, thanks to our hosts at Lebo's Backpackers, who supported and challenged us. This was our second outing with kimkim and we will continue to use them or future trips. Thank you!!!

Jesus was a good coordinator: responsive and easy to communicate with. In Lima, Johanna gave us a great gastronomic tour that was really an overall cultural tour. We enjoyed the food, the sights, and the company. Our Sacred Valley guide, Daniel (Danny), was excellent. He really knows a lot about the area. He was always on time, took us on some unplanned side trips that were so fun, and made everything easy and interesting. He was good with explaining our schedule and never left us wondering what was next. When we were just too tired, he changed gears and gave us some downtime. He was able to make the trip fun and still be professional and get us where we needed to be on time.

Hotel Review

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción

Puerto Maldonado

Wow!!! Excellent food, friendly staff, comfortable accommodations with amazing jungle views and sounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Urban food tour at Lima Historical Center

Lima

Johanna did an excellent job and went beyond our expectations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at the Skylodge, Via Ferrata & Zip Lining

Sacred Valley

Julio and Daniel were perfect guides. We had a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julio and Daniel best guides on the trail!

Transport

Wilbur - amazing driver!

First afternoon at Hacienda Concepcion

Peru

Beautiful everywhere, everything

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moray Terraces

Peru

Don't miss this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel and Wilbur - perfect team

Transport

Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Sacred Valley

Come hungry!!! Very good food!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wilbur - best driver

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Hard to describe how wonderful this was!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train was fun

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel and Wilbur made everything interesting, fun and safe

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

Daniel knows just everything about Cusco. He is happy to tell you about it, or he is happy to let you look on your own. Perfect guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really appreciated Leslie’s recommendation to visit Mazunte. It was exactly the kind of quiet, private, low key beach getaway we were looking for. Casa Lu hotel was perfectly located, clean, relatively upscale for the area, friendly staff, bar/restaurant on the beach. Loved that the infinity pool was steps away from the sand so you could lounge in the fresh water while taking in the dramatic coastline. Outstanding dinners at Navigante in San Agustinillo and Alquamista in nearby Zipolite. Also enjoyed our 3 days in Oaxaca city. Excellent tour guide, Leonardo, took us on a private city tour, as well as visits to local archeological sites, a mescal production facility, the giant Tule tree and a small weaving village. A former teacher, he was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. the best! Food was ok, but didn’t live up to the foodie capital reputation we’d heard. Only downside was returning with dysentery as we were not particularly careful about ice in drinks, salads, etc. Otherwise, great trip and Kimkim was helpful, responsive and professional.

Our trip to Morocco was amazing from beginning to end. Our driver/guide, Karim, was fantastic -- knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, funny. We felt so lucky to have had him as our guide. He seemed to know someone at every stop, which meant that our trip was smooth sailing.

We especially enjoyed Karim's expertise with the mountains and the lives of nomads and appreciated his willingness to share his own experiences. We loved our hike with Mohammad in the Atlas Mountains (Monkey Fingers hike) and the lunch afterward with him and his wife and Karim. All of the local guides were knowledgeable and friendly.

Even though we opted for accommodations that were more moderate in cost, the accommodations were comfortable and delightful at every stop. We especially enjoyed the Tiziri Luxury Camp in the desert near Merzouga and our last stop in Essouira at Riad Mimouna, which was just lovely. Our room was right over the ocean, with views and ocean wave sounds from both sides. We wished we had another day there.

Before the trip, Abdellah and Said were great at communicating, answering questions, and responding to requests for changes. I appreciated that Abdel stayed in contact (without being pushy) throughout the period from March 2020 to October 2022, when we had to reschedule and then reschedule again.

Thank you Karim, Abdel and Said!

Hotel Reviews

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

The food here was just amazing -- some of the best we had in Morocco, which is all the more amazing since it's out in the desert. The staff were very friendly and the accommodations were extremely comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Tizzarouine

Boumalne

The hotel was very comfortable. It had an amazing view. We thought the food was kind of average, but that may have been because it was a buffet designed for bus tours and less intimate and individualized than food we had in other parts of our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ghita

Fes

This is a lovely hotel with amazing tile, plaster and wood work. The owner/host was extremely friendly and welcoming and the food was quite good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dar Mounir

Chefchaouen

This was a lovely little place to stay right off the main square. It featured lovely tile work. Staff were friendly and helpful. We were only there one night, but it was a pleasant one.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

We enjoyed the funky modernity of this hotel. It was a change of pace from the more traditional riads we stayed in the rest of the time. We were only there one night and so our information is limited, but it was a fine place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Mimouna

Essaouira

We absolutely loved this place. Our room (310) was just the best, with ocean views and sounds out the windows on two sides. The room was lovely and comfortable. The staff were friendly and accommodating. We only wished we had another night there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hike through Berber Villages

Morocco

We really enjoyed our hike with Mohammad and the lunch with him and his wife. It was a great opportunity to learn about the area from a local. The hike was just beautiful and Mohammad has a great sense of humor. We had a lot of fun. Lunch was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boumalne Dades to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Tinerhir & Rissani

Morocco

We enjoyed the camel ride. The dunes were beautiful. While the camels are a little scary and bumpy (particularly getting up and down), the guides and staff were very helpful and we were glad we did the ride. The view from the dunes is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Desert Adventures around Merzouga

Merzouga

I want to emphasize that we really liked our driver (I think his name was Mohammad) and appreciated the information he imparted at every stop and also about himself and his life. He was wonderful. On balance, however, I think we would have skipped this day and spent another day in Essouira. The tea in the Bedouin tent was not really with the Bedouins and just felt kind of sad. Their lives are so hard and this stop felt somewhat voyeuristic. The other stops -- at the mining area and at the dance place -- were not that interesting to us. Again, not the fault of the driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Fes via Rissani, Midelt, & the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

As always, we enjoyed our time with Karim. He was informative at our various stops. The mountain town modeled on a Swiss village was a hoot. We had fun feeding the monkeys. This day was perfectly fine, but really was mostly necessary transit from the desert to Fes, which was broken up by some interesting stops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day guided tour in Fes

Fes

Fes is an amazing place with a lot to see. Our guide was knowledgeable and informative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a local family

Morocco

Getting a chance to meet and spend time with local families is one of the special parts of the trip. We had understood that there might be a chance to help with cooking, which wasn't the case for our particular dinner. We really appreciated that the teenage son was friendly and willing to speak to us (not sure our own kids would have been as accommodating when they were teenagers). The food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes & Volubilis

Morocco

The guided tour of Volubilis was really interesting. This was an added bonus as we had not realized it was on the itinerary. Really worthwhile and definitely worthwhile to pay for one of the local guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can’t remember what Marta arranged or what I arranged so I will tell you our favorites with only one negative.
Cuenca - great tour with Daniel
Cartegena - we did not enjoy our time with
Gemma
Venice - great hotel Helen Berger, good bike tour, great restaurant Tagomago
Girona - excellent history & food tour with Gina
Huesca - amazing Castello de Corvinos
San Sebastián - excellent hotel Villa Favorita, excellent tour with Diego

Activity Reviews

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

This tour was cancelled for us prior to our trip but I would book it with Diego if we go back.

Hiking Cuervo River and Callejones de las Majadas

Cuenca

Daniel was a great guide. Nice to get out & walk. Went a little long.

Hiking through Mount Galeras + Christmas Fort

Cartagena

We did not hike but took the boat which was fine. Same problems with the guide as the other tour.

Privately Guided Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

Our guide seemed quite nervous & uncomfortable & had a hard time answering specific questions. We moved much slower than we wanted.

Valencia Seightseeing Bike Tour

Valencia

Excellent guide, good speed of tour, good information, felt safe riding

Food & Market Tour

Girona

Our favorite. Gina was great & we did have a very compatible group. The places we stopped were diverse & were well prepared & awaiting us. Wouldn’t want to change a thing.

Guided Visit of San Sebastian

San Sebastián

Diego gave us an excellent tour of the city with lots of interesting information. We moved quickly which works best for us. Would love to go on another tour with him.

Maria was awesome in planning everything prior to our trip, and Jessica was an awesome resource when we were there to help us set up an additional private transfer.

The private transfers were really nice to have, so that was a great recommendation from Maria!

The only issue we had during the trip was that the private transfer picking us up from our wine tour/cooking class arrived at 1:30, but the tour wasn't yet complete. We had just sat down to sample to wine and the food and unfortunately had to leave before trying any because our ride had already arrived. One recommendation for the future would be to plan for that private transfer to arrive about an hour later for bookings at this tour.

Other than that everything was great! We loved the four cities we visited and will definitely be recommending kimkim's services to friend and family.

Thank you!

Activity Reviews

Cooking class and wine tasting at Castle

Italy

The instructor was awesome and the tour was very interesting. Only comment would be to be sure the private transfer shows up about an hour later, as we were unable to stay for the sampling of the wine and food we had made.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Positano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Greece in style!

I worked with Amalia to plan my trip to Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos. She was really great. She asked what I wanted to see and do and from there she planned an incredible trip. From the transports to the hotels to the excursions, everything was handled. I would highly recommend using her for your next trip to Greece!

Hotel Reviews

Aqua Luxury Suites Santorini

Imerovigli

WOW! This is the best word to describe this hotel. It is luxury at its finest. The staff are very attentive and caring, the breakfast (I highly recommend you have this in your room) was delicious and the views are incredible. The location is closest enough to walk to Oia, which is more crowded and expensive, but very close to Fira which has the same things as Oia but closer and less expensive. I cannot imagine staying anywhere else in Santorini!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NJV Athens Plaza Hotel

Athens

Great location, lovely staff, and an upgraded suite with a view of the Acropolis. What more could you ask for here? I loved my staff at this hotel and highly recommend it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Semeli hotel Mykonos

Mykonos Town, Cyclades

The staff and hotel are lovely. They have a great laundry service, if needed. The room was amazing with a hot tub that felt incredible after a long day of discovery. I highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Food Walking Tour

Athens

This was a delightful experience. The tour guide was so knowledgeable and takes you to some local places where the food is delicious. I highly recommend doing this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset cruise around Santorini

Santorini

Do not leave Santorini without doing this excursion. The views are amazing, the staff is lovely, the food is delicious and the water is incredible. Don't miss this one!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis & Ancient Greek Mythology & Museum Tour

Athens

This was an incredible experience made 5+ stars by the guide. She is so knowledgeable and shares this with you so the experience is so much more than a tour. She has a lot of information about the museum you will visit as well. This is a great tour and a perfect guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I used Berat with Trail Travel through KimKim for my trip to Istanbul. I have to say, from start to finish, they were incredibly responsive! They arranged, with my feedback, for some thoughtful excursions and my guide, Ibrahim, was so knowledgeable. If you can request him I strongly suggest you do so. I learned so much about the Turkish culture from him as well as hitting some amazing restaurants and he is an incredibly lovely man. Ladies, be sure to take a scarf to wear in the mosques, we should be respectful of this long-standing religions beliefs. The mosques were breathtaking, the bazaars very interesting but be careful when buying and don't overpay! The largest cistern Ibrahim took me too was out of this world beautiful, he has great connections! The hamam that Berat arranged was a memorable experience. You will be naked so be prepared for this but it was so relaxing and I highly recommend it! Overall, Berat and her team made this a trip to remember. I usually do not revisit a place twice but I might make an exception for Istanbul. ❤️❤️❤️. Thank you, Berat and Ibrahim, for your amazing service and assistance!

Hotel Review

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

This is a humble hotel but the location is great. However, what really makes it special are the people. They truly care that you have a great stay while here. It was my birthday when I visited and the staff worked with my family to have a cake brought to my room where they sang Happy Birthday...you don't see this kind of thoughtfulness just anywhere. The daily breakfast is also fantastic. I highly recommend this hotel in Istanbul!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff make this stay a unique and lovely experience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Turkish Bath and Spa at Hürrem Sultan Hammam

İstanbul

Wow, this is the best way to sum it up. The experience here was like nothing else. You will be naked so keep this in mind but if you prefer not to remove the wrap you can wear a swimsuit. Just note, everyone else will be naked. They are very good about be respectful so don't worry. You must experience this! You will leave feeling relaxed and pampered. Do not leave Istanbul without this experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a wonderful trip - every detail was considered! It was so nice and relaxing for our first trip to South America to know that all the lodging, travel and transfers were scheduled and taken care of.

Our hotel in Palermo, Be Jardin Escondido by Coppola, was one of the favorite places we have ever stayed. The space and our room with the balcony overlooking the garden was so charming and cozy, but the true highlight were the staff - who were all so so so helpful and accomodating. I couldn't speak highly enough about the staff at Be Jardin. Also the included breakfast was so delicious and generous every time - which we mostly enjoyed from the balcony in our room.

All of our hotels were unique and comfortable. The Lares De Chacras was an absolutely beautiful hotel and property. Our room was large, comfortable and the balcony was so nice. While it wasn't quite warm enough for us to use the pool, the pool and hot tub areas were really beautiful and the patio inviting.

All of our scheduled excursions were as promised or better. The gaucho experience at Estancia El Ombú exceeded our expectations. Our host for the day was so knowledgeable about the history of the region and helped take care of every detail and introduce us to local shop so we could really feel immersed. The group at the ranch was small enough to feel intimate and like were taking part in a family dinner. (and the food was some of our favorite on the trip!)

Other highlights included the speakeasy bar tour - we never could have figured out how to get into such cool cocktail bars on our own! Also the dinner and tango show and Rojo Tango was magical and both of our bike excursions (around Buenos Aires and through Mendoza vineyards) were so much fun and a great way to feel a part of the land and the city.

Thank you for helping us discover Argentina and have a wonderful holiday. We can't wait to go back!

Hotel Review

Be Jardin Escondido by Coppola

Buenos Aires

This was one of the favorite hotels we have ever stayed at. It is absolutely charming and cozy - you really feel like you're visiting someone's gorgeous home in Palermo with your own private garden. The staff were some of the friendliest, most helpful and accommodating hosts we've ever had. Everyone spoke great English and were always willing to help us find great local spots, answer questions or just make us a needed afternoon cappuccino. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff. The breakfast was always delicious and generous, it was always such a wonderful way to start our day. I appreciated the flexibility of time and ability to dine in our room - it felt so luxurious! I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone and would love to stay here again. Thank you for an amazing stay.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel had so much character - it felt like you were staying in the luxury garden oasis of the Coppola family. Dreamy.

Location

Easy walking to all of the trendy shops and restaurants in Palermo. Great location.

Staff

Probably the friendliest and most helpful staff I have ever experienced at a hotel!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Speakeasy Cocktail Adventure in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

This was so much fun to have our own private guide and driver to get us access to some of the coolest and most exclusive speakeasys in Buenos Aires. We never would have been able to figure out how to access these spots without our guide, and learning about the cocktail history in the city was super fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved having a private driver - I felt like a star!

Gaucho Full Day Tour at El Ombú de Areco Ranch

Buenos Aires

This trip exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be a large group and feel very "touristy", but it turned out to be a very intimate group for the tour of the town and we got behind the scenes access to local artisans and shops while learning about the region's history. The ranch was also a small enough group that you felt like you were celebrating with friends and family. The horses, food, music and dance were all very magical.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host in the town and the ranch was lovely. She was so knowledgeable and passionate about the area's history and made our day truly special.

Transport

Bike & Wines Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza

Mendoza

The bike paths around Mendoza are so easy to navigate and give you a unique perspective of the region. What a lovely way to spend the day. Also, the final stop for food and drinks felt very special - like were visiting someone's home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner (Tango Rojo) + Private Transfers

Buenos Aires

This was so cool. What a beautiful venue and talented artists. Being able to enjoy a meal and Malbec and have everything you need while enjoying the show was a very special experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was so kind and excited that we were going to have this experience. Although it was so close we definitely could have walked from our hotel. :)

Urban Bike Tour Buenos Aires, Heart of the City - South Circuit

Buenos Aires

Our day of riding around Buenos Aires with Jackson was one of the highlights of our trip. We learned so much about the city and it's history while taking in beautiful parks and streets. The bike lanes were plentiful and we always felt safe and comfortable on our ride. We enjoyed Mate by a lake and fresh empanadas for lunch. It was a really magical way to see more of the city than you could easily cover on foot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Here is my honest review of Greece and our experience with Kim Kim. I will 1000% use Kim Kim to book my next trip. Angela was fanatic. All of our drivers were on time to take us from one place to the next and all of our tours and ferry tickets were handled in advance which was extremely convenient. More about the drivers below.

The weather was not great for us. Looking back we wish we went in September. There were no crowds which was amazing and we never waited for a restaurant and were wondering the streets without bumping shoulders with other tourists however it was very windy and we needed coats. It certainly didn’t ruin our time but I think a month earlier would have been less crowded but warmer!

Here are the hotel reviews:
Melo- Athens
Marta was awesome. She worked at the reception desk at the hotel. It was in a great location however it’s kind of loud at night if you’re not able to sleep with a lot of noise. It didn’t bother us but worth noting. The room is an odd shape but it worked for the 2 days we were there. It was clean! The shower was cold at night so shower in the morning! Local breakfast was good especially Frogs!
The floor in the bathroom gets really wet when you shower and the tub takes awhile to fill just an fyi

Abasa- Santorini
Tiyana and the owner were so sweet. They provided recommendations for restaurants and kindly drove us into town 1 night and to a winery another day. The room was a really nice size and the water was always hot. Tiyana recommended a restaurant in town and made us reservations and the breakfast at the property was great . The only negatives for me were the location, it was a bit of a hike all uphill into Fira and there weren’t many sidewalks. We made it work because luckily we had some tours and things so we didn’t need a car. The other downside were the flies.

Liana in Naxos
The view was the best and we got free drinks that were really great upon arrival. The downside the room was musky the people were not as friendly the breakfast was terrible the jacuzzi wasn’t hot and overall was our least favorite even though it was right in the beach. We were only here for 2 days so it wasn’t a big deal for us. I think September this would be perfect time to go because you could’ve spent alot of time on the beach and not the room. Plus more places would have been open. The town of Naxos was really great though. We enjoyed visiting and it was quick bus ride into town.

Ivis 4 -Athens
Was our favorite. Sooo clean the food and drinks were both fantastic and the room was modern, functional and clean. The only negative for me was the bed wasn’t super comfy but I could look past that given the other bonuses. The hotel had a gym unlike other hotels. It was in great location was still a little loud but less than Melo. The bartenders and servers were all fantastic. The breakfast was the best!!

Overall the drivers were good and all were on time. I would give all but 2 of them a 10/10. Our first driver was a little lost in Athens so I had to navigate for him. It was a long travel day and he kept doing laps of the city which was getting a little frustrating. The other driver was after our catamaran cruise in santorini. He was flying on all the windy roads and changing music and I think he had 2 friends with him during the drive. Everyone else no complaints.

Restaurants / tours
In Athens we went to dopios which was amazing. The popcorn shrimp was fantastic.

We did the Greek mythology tour and our guide Magda was wonderful. She remembered all of our names and was so insightful on the history of the city and mythology.

Santorini we really liked all the coffee/ espresso we had. Do not get smoothies at the hungry donkey though and for dinner we liked kokkalo. The villages tour was great because we got to see a lot of the island. It was probably our least favorite of the 4 we did but we still enjoyed the sightseeing. The catamaran cruise at sunset was awesome but towards the end the water was choppy so if you get seasick just know it’s a long tour but worth it if you don’t mind being on the water!

Naxos was the cutest. I high recommend the taste of Naxos tour. We learned alot of about the island and were able to taste local cheeses, liquor and foods. Our guide George was also wonderful. 10/10 experience.

Thank you to the Kim Kim team for all your help! I would recommend working with Angela to anyone looking to go to Greece! Looking forward to planning our next trip with Kim Kim soon.

Hotel Reviews

MELO Athens

Athens

Great location. Clean. A little loud at night. Great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Clean room. Kinda quirky

Location

Right in the action, close to the city square

Staff

Awesome!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

Abasa Suites

Santorini

The room was great and spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was a walk into town(all uphill!) and limited sidewalks. We made it work but we warned.

Staff

The team and Abasa is amazing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean but there were flies everywhere which was weird. The rooms were comfortable.

Liana Beach Hotel & Spa

Naxos

The hotel was in a great location. The rooms have a really musky smell, the staff was meh, and breakfast wasn’t good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views of the beach

Staff

They were fine nothing special

Cleanliness & Comfort

Smelled weird and found a toenail on the floor when we arrived.

Ivis 4 Boutique Hotel

Athens

Best hotel we stayed in. Very cool vibes the rooms were functional, water was always hot and the location was great! The drinks at the bar were fantastic and so was the breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Cute and trendy vibes

Location

Great spot!

Staff

Everyone was so nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Everything was great minus the weather for us!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Traditional Villages tour

Greece

Quality of Experience

It was cool but probably our least favorite of the 4 tours we did.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

Loved this but it was a bit long for some who experience sea sickness.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mentioned in previous post the driver on the way back was driving very crazy!!!

Naxos Old Town Flavors

Greece

This was our favorite tour. George did a fantastic job!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip overall. Every day something new.
The good:
Edinburgh hotel
Stirling castle
Scotch tasting tours in general
Kings hotel in Glencoe was stunning
Restaurant in Portree for tasting menu was phenomenal. 40 min drive but worth it.
Guide at Bannockburn was amazing. Super knowledgeable and a good sport.
Portree northern loop drive and hikes fantastic. One of the main hikes was closed though which was disappointing
Hike near the hotel with a hiking guide was terrific and guide was very good

The disappointing
Edinburgh guide was not from Edinburgh, had only lived there two years and was 15 minutes late.
Would have preferred a more well know whiskey set of tours. Ones we went to were either brand new or not single malt focused.
Staff at hotel in xxx didn't have our dinner paid for and didn't apologize or make up for it when our trip planner proved them wrong
Hotel in Portee was two star at best. Cold, small, run down.

Hotel Reviews

Eden Locke

Edinburgh

Good location. Tiny rooms. Great staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Atholl Palace Hotel

Pitlochry

It's run down and staff are not local

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Not friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel is running down. Probably very nice 20 years ago. Feels like it's run from far away with eastern European staff

Rosedale Hotel

Portree County

Run down. Small. Cold. No heat at night...needed a plug in heater. No closet. Very hard to find a parking spot.

Authenticity & Character

Kind of a dump

Location

On Harbour but limited parking was an issue

Staff

Bar and kitchen staff very friendly. Less so front deck.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Too small to be a hotel room.

Kings House Way Inn

Glencoe

Amazing location and building and views and staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Moxy Hotel Edinburgh Airport

Newbridge

Only stayed there for location to airport

Authenticity & Character

Trying way too hard to be cool.

Location

Staff

Waited for 7 minutes before anybody came to front deck to check us in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds hard a rocks and for some reason the pillows are so big that both our necks hurt the next day

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

She showed up late. Not from Edinburgh so it was authentic

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exceptional Visit and Tasting at Blair Athol Distillery

Pitlochry

Good tour although it's mostly there to produce a blend and not enough variety of single malt. Nor do they sell in duty free so we couldn't but anything.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isle of Skye Whisky immersion at Torabhaig

Scotland

Stunning location and buildings but they are new so not sure why we even were there. Only one wiskey to try in the "tasting". Also doesn't sell in duty free

Quality of Experience

Too new. Only one to taste

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phd level guided tour of Bannockburn

Stirling

Get Dr David if you can A PHD in archeology and super knowledgeable about Bannockburn 3 hours tour. Lots of walking. It was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Kitchen Table at The Three Chimneys

Scotland

Awesome food. Chef tablets way to go. Book well well in advance

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Middle of nowhere and 40 minutes drive so someone has to be designated driver in the dark and rainy drive home

Private Guided Walk in Glencoe

Scotland

Great guide. Good hike mostly uphill but perfect if in shape but still not a hiker.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip to Bolivia and Chile. We were well looked after and the local guides were very knowledgable. All in all a good job organised by Kimkim

The goal for our 16-day trip to Morocco was to see the country but at the same time, to have a relaxing holiday and Sharon and Sallam, our tour manager, were instrumental in making this happen!
We never felt rushed. We could enjoy a morning lie-in, we could take extra time at certain sites and Sallam made sure to drive us safely and keep to the speed limit to our next stop.

We were amazed at the good quality roads all over the country but especially in Rabat and Casablanca. We were blown away by the internet connectivity, even in the remotest villages and deep canyons.
Our accommodation was in all instances very good and above our expectations. Here I must mention that our best stay was at Chez Ichou in Boumalne Dades. The food was exceptional and the service, was by far, the best in all Morocco.

Our Top 3 memories from this trip were:
1. The hike at Akchour Park in Chefchaouen, where we drank mint tea next to the cascading waterfalls.
2. The desert camel trek in Merzouga.
3. The cooking class in Essaouira at Khadija’s Kuzina.

This was an amazing once in a lifetime experience. Perfect mix of relaxation, thrills and learning new things. There were some issues along the way but this is Africa (I lived there 10 years so I know) and the team handled it great. The tour guides (Hesham and Muhammed) were simply amazing. Funny, knowledgeable, and friendly. Couldn’t have asked for more. The night in the desert was absolutely amazing. I would recommend this outfit to anyone. We returned home and talk about things that happened on this trip often. Very reasonable pricing for what you get.

I can't say enough about using kimkim for our Iceland trip! After reading reviews, we decided to explore the service. Preeti asked us a series of questions to gauge the experience and price point we were looking for, then she sent us a starting-point trip. From there, we were able to tweak and customize every aspect of this "bucket list" trip. She helped us navigate the covid cancellation of 2020. She helped us navigate the cancer cancellation of 2021. Through all this time, we always felt supported and actually cared for. This year we finally got to see the planning through! During our trip we had some weather issues that affected our bookings - Preeti and her team were there for us. They rearranged our hotel accommodations and our trip bookings for us and made the whole process so easy and effortless on our part. And for the bookings that couldn't be rescheduled, we had a refund within days. I've never had this level of service or support from any other travel agency. I already have, and will continue to talk about our experience with Preeti, and kimkim. We will absolutely recommend, and will plan our next trip with kimkim!

Hotel Review

Hotel Rangá

Hella

I had hand-picked this hotel to be part of our Iceland experience, and it did not disappoint! The check-in experience was friendly and efficient. The hotel was comfortable and offered features that really enhanced our stay - like the game room, the multiple HOT hot tubs, and the Aurora wake-up call! Not only did we sign up for it, but we got the call and saw the lights for the first time in Iceland! We were also able to enjoy the observatory. Our dinner was splendid, and the first time we had been able to order reindeer. And the breakfast buffet included MIMOSAS as well as a hot entree in addition to the standard buffet. Our stay had everything we were hoping for. My only regret is that we couldn't stay longer. I highly recommend Hotel Ranga'!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour

Iceland

This was my favorite tour on our Iceland trip! We got up close with an iceberg breaking up, and with seals! You know when your guide gets their phone out to start capturing a moment, you're witnessing something special! Also loved that it was only about an hour long, so it didn't take up a big chunk of precious time. There were food trucks onsite for lunch too! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julian was funny and really knowledgeable of the area and the history

Transport

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

So glad we made this our first stop from the airport! I was worried that we might be too tired to enjoy it, but the excitement and adrenaline keep that from happening. This was the perfect start before hitting the road. Relaxing, warm and comfortable, fun! Love that there are fresh cold drinking spouts (we call them bubblers here) to stay hydrated. I would absolutely do it this way again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to France was everything we hoped and more to celebrate my 40th and our 10th! Given that we had never been there before and do not speak the language, I can’t imagine having the same experience if I planned this myself (which I usually do!). Even when there was a strike that shifted our plans last second Lucie figured it out and was so accommodating.

Raj planned a 11 day trip to Nepal for us. During the planning stages he provided quick and very detailed responses to our questions and also made himself available for a couple of video chats. He has a great team of local guides. Our trekking guide Rabin was exceptional. After we landed in Nepal the itinerary had to be modified a bit but Raj and team took care of it and everything went well without a hitch. His team was very easy to reach during the trip - we always got a response in a timely manner.

Looking forward to a return visit!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ambassador

Kathmandu

Well located, great people, great restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Temple Tree Resort & Spa

Pokhara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Buddha Maya Garden

Lumbini

Authenticity & Character

Lovely facility - like a huge old bungalow. Could use a bit of updating but definitely recommend.

Location

Staff

Very helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Walk at Soyambhu

Kathmandu

Could have used more time here - did not last 3 hours.

Transport

Kathmandu Heritage Tour

Kathmandu

The tour was done in about 4 hours, even after we added Patan Durbar square which presumably was not in the plan. Felt rushed. So many things to take in. Could have definitely used more time.

Traditional Welcome Dinner

Kathmandu

Lovely dinner in a lovely place. Enjoyed chatting with Bipin and Rabin.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Trailhead & Trek to Ghandruk

Pokhara

We changed our trek. But the whole experience was just amazing. Can’t say enough about Rabin - super nice guy and extremely knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport