Kimkim Trip Reviews

I want to say thanks to Kunchok and his team for a wonderful experience. My brother and I visited Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Nagarkot for a week long trip in October 2022. The trip was an adventure and we had the opportunity to trek, explore the towns, and go river rafting. Kunchok was an excellent host and made sure everything went smoothly. We had enough downtime to enjoy the experience and I highly recommend KimKim and Kunchok in particular.

Our trip to Italy was fantastic! Fabio helped us plan an excellent trip that included Rome, Florence, Siena and Cinque Terre. Fabio took care of all the details including arranging for: private tour guide for the Vatican, tours in Florence, private driver to Siena, tour of Cinque Terre. Our hotels were excellent and the restaurants recommended great. We look forward to visiting Italy again within the next year and will definitely use Kimkim and will request Fabio.

Thank you to Kimkim and especially Fabio!

Soufian, our guide, driver and restaurant finder was awesome! He made our trip fantastic and easy. It was our first guided tour in Morocco and we would definitely do it again. We made great friends and memories.

Hotel Review

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

We had an issue with our room the first night, and they made up for it with great responses! Highly recommend it.

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Wow! What an incredible loving and breathing organism the Medina is. It definitely comes more alive and real with a guide. Highly recommend the trip

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Volubilis should not be missed! Get a guide to tour you around. Amazing Roman ruins.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I'm glad you didn't put a character limit on the review - this may take a while. I'll start by saying that we learned something new every day and had a great time doing it. The drivers (for the most part) were great and the tour guides amazed us with how easily they taught us about the history and every day living of the populace of centuries ago. The only downside we experienced on the trip was it forced us to realize we weren't 20 years old anymore. It would have been nice to not have to get up early nearly day and rush through breakfast to get to the tour - or to have more down time during an afternoon. We always had a good time, but we were getting tired by the end of our trip.
Villa Poggiano was the perfect first stop. Fantastic staff, grounds, and meals. There was a small field in our back yard with a farmer plowing up the ground with a small tractor and a 2 bottom plow. It took him 3 days. In the U.S. - that would have been done in about 5 hours. Just shows a different pace of living. Montepulciano was a lovely little town where we fell in love with a small little wine bar and the various shops. The staff at Villa Poggiano was great about calling a cab for us if we needed one. The taxi drivers were a little crazy, but we found that to be true all over Italy. Our driver - Danny - went out of his way to make sure one of our travelers was able to get a needed medication that was left at home, and in the mean time, kept us fully engaged with stories.
Palazzo Niccolini is in keeping with the small boutique hotels that sometimes gave us a "WOW" factor when we first walked in because of the paintings in the rooms. Supposedly original and untouched over the years, but maybe someone should "touch" them. It appeared as though there were water drips running down the walls and they needed some help. Again - meals were great and the people were fantastic! I'm sorry I don't remember the name of our guide (Livitaly Tours), but she was very good.
Train - Florence to Rome. Once we figured out how to read the train schedules, we were ok, but still managed to exit the train 1 station early. Louise was able to contact the driver and he picked us up with no problem.
Hotel Modigliani - location was great. Meals and staff were, once again very good. The room was way to small - to the point where it was uncomfortable and I wouldn't recommend it. Our sunset Rome walking tour, with Riccardo as our guide, was super. He was (in my mind) so typical "Italian", speaking with his hands so much, that I had to video him for about a minute. It was a great tour and while my preconceived notion was to not expect much, I'm glad to say it wrong and I would highly recommend this. The private Vatican tour with Sam gave me a lot of "wow's" because of the art, but I didn't feel this was exactly what I would consider a "private" tour, and Sam could have moved a bit more often. The constant standing in one place was starting to drain my knees and feet and it seemed his voice was becoming a constant monotone. It's a fabulous place and I think a different guide might be able to add more than I got out of it.
Our private Colosseum tour was probably the highlight of all the places we visited. I'm sorry to say I forget the name of our tour guide because she was really good! (Liv Italy tours) Walking through the bowels of the Colosseum gave me the chills wandering all tunnels and trying to imagine what it was like thousands of year ago. Really, really great!
Train to Naples. No problem. We got off when we were supposed to! 😉 Driver to the Caruso Place Hotel was jerk. He drove like a maniac (although it appears as though that is common in Naples), gave us a brief - and inaccurate - description of how to get to the hotel, and then asked for a tip! (so I told him to drive slower) We wandered around and helped by a local shop keeper who called the hotel and Alessandra came to our rescue. She led the way to the lobby and helped us get checked in. This was absolutely the nicest hotel we stayed in during our 3 week trip. The pizza making class turned out to be much more entertaining than I had anticipated - something fun for tourists to go to. The Pompeii tour was quite eye opening. I had no idea that the digging had to go down so far to find the artifacts and quite amazing at how well preserved they were. I can't remember the guides name (again), but she was just the opposite of Sam when we did the Vatican. She kept on going at a rapid pace, but still explained everything as we went along. Could have slowed down a little, but better than just standing around. Other than the Colosseum, Naples was probably my favorite city in Italy - but the drivers are crazy!! Glad I didn't rent a car while I was there.
On to Greece. An alphabet that I'll never figure out. We probably laughed more, and more often, than any one time in Italy. It wasn't that things were boring in Italy, it just happened that we clicked with our guides. Arrival to Athens was uneventful. Our first stop - Zillers Boutique Hotel. Great place, but the highlight was the view of the rooftop bar at night. There - in all its' glory, is the Acropolis all lit up. It's like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time - all you can do is say "WOW!" Our tour guide the next day was Kiki. She was great at letting us catch our breath on the way up the hill, but still talking about the area or the ancient Greek society while resting. Somehow or other, she got us to the top but made it feel like we didn't work that hard. After that the rest of the tour was almost an afterthought. Kiki was one of the best guides we had if for no other reason than the pace she maintained. This was the one tour I was really looking forward to and it was overshadowed only by the Colosseum.
Our driver for the rest of the mainland was George. Always on time, always smiling, always a smooth and careful driver.
On our way to Olympia, we stopped at "My Precious Olive Tree". Ioanna was our guide. I thought this was just going to be a gimmick to sell us something, but we not only got lunch, we adopted an olive tree (thanks to Tasos). The best part was after lunch was over, we met Ioanna's father, mother, and the farm manager - Jimmy. Well, Jimmy is now my new best friend. He produced a small bottle of Tsipouro! Never had anything like it, and we drank and laughed and everyone had a great time! That was the hardest I've laughed in months. Great stop on the tour!! We finally made it to Olympia and while we weren't expecting a Marriott, but the Leonidaion certainly was step down from what the last couple weeks were. We all realized that we are not in a major hub, so the idea of a new, modern hotel was out of the question. It was clean, and breakfast was good, and Damion was a first class host always offering his help and giving us directions and making sure our dinner next door was taken care of. Great guy. The hotel? - you have to remember where you are. It was fine. The tour of Olympia was everything I was expecting. Nothing spectacular, but I wanted to see what it was like at the beginning. Lots of temples, statues, and pillars. Much the same as what we have already seen. Fortunately, our tour guide left time for us to sit and take pictures when we wanted. This tour might not be for everyone, but I'm glad we got to see it. Well worth the time. We also stopped at the Kilo Honey farm, met the owner, got a little tour and explained how it was all done. It took no effort and really wasn't out of the way, so I have no problem doing this.
Last stop on the mainland was Nafplio. What a cute little town. A big fortress on top of the hill to protect it years ago. Sitting right on the water, we had a front row seat to some extremely fancy yachts coming and going. Great little restaurants all over town. We stayed at the Amymone Suites hotel. No elevator to get our bags up to the 3rd floor, but we did have a balcony and breakfast next door at the Wild Duck was delicious. Our tour guide was Theo for evening and the next morning. There is more to be seen than meets the eye and while I wasn't thrilled with him in the evening, he earned his keep the next day. Our dinner the last night was from Alaloum restaurant (courtesy of Travel 12 - thank you) and it was fantastic! I had never had roast rooster before! Our final stop was a wine and farm tour at Venikos. Cate was our guide and by the end of the tour we were laughing like we were old best friends. The lunch was very good and they were kind enough to get me a beer when I told them I don't drink wine.
Last but not least - Santorini. The Ambassador Suites Hotel was listed as 5 star, and while it was nice, the up and down of all the steps (and there were many) would cause me to look for something else. ...but the view was great, the breakfasts were just about anything you want, and they have their own helipad - just in case. The second day was guided by Will from Argyros Travel, and he not only did a fantastic job showing us things that everyone wants to know about, by the end of the day he turned out to be everyone's best friend with a big group hug to say goodbye. Finally - our Catamaran cruise in the Caldera lagoon. What a perfect way to end the trip. The crew on board was top notch, and the food and drinks were never ending. We happen to be lucky in that we got a good group of people to help share the cruise with.

Wow!!! I am speechless!!! My husband and I had the very best trip of our entire lives and we are absolutely convinced we will never go on another trip that could possibly be any better than this one!!! We love the outdoors and the jungle tour, the volcano hike, the waterfall excursion, rafting down the Blancas River, coffee tour, chocolate tour, cooking class, a volcano and the Howler Monkeys just outside our hotel room, the hotsprings, the beautiful hotel, the wonderful food!!! Anyone who loves the outdoors should take this exact trip!! Our tour guides were phenomenal!!! Alberto arranged the trip of a lifetime!!! We will never be the same!!! I miss my volcano and the sound of Howler Monkeys in the morning!!! Thanks to all who made our trip so special.
Tim and Lisa

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa

Fortuna

We know this hotel is the most beautiful one in the area with the best scenery!!! It was like being out in our own world because of the separation from town/other hotels. Room service was fabulous!!! The people who cleaned our room made the room spotless every day and even folded clothes we had draped over a bench. They made beautiful towel/flower jungle animals on our bed each morning after cleaning. All were very helpful and friendly at the front desk. Our included breakfast was phenomenal!!! Loved the rice and beans, the casava, the cheese, the French Toast, the freshly squeezed juice and fresh, local fruit, the beautiful view of the volcano with the huge windows wide open in the dining area as we ate. Loved the coffee too!!! I am convinced we stayed in the best hotel in the entire area!!! So beautiful!!! Such beautiful plants and flowers!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

A must do 8-hour tour for those who want to experience the jungle, volcano and waterfall! If you love the outdoors and walking, you will love it. We saw every kind of bird, insect, plant, flower!!! Our tour guide was amazing!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our first driver in from the airport told us to get up early to see the entire volcano every day before it clouds over and listen to the Howler Monkeys. We got up early every day and these experiences were some of the best part of our trip!!

Transport

so friendly, so concerned that you are comfortable, we asked one driver if he would take us a little out of the way to a bank machine as we were running low on funds. He acted like he would be happy to take us like he's used to this type of request everyday. Learned so much culture of Costa Rica from these drivers as every one grew up in Costa Rica.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

I never realized how hard people have to work to make coffee!!! The coffee tour will make me appreciate coffee from now on!!! We bought coffeee for absolutely everyone back at home and they all thought it was delicious!!! Our chocolate that we made did not taste very good, but it gave me a big appreciation for how chocolate was made. Saw a lot of interesting plants on this tour--baby pineapple plant, multiple kinds of coffee, vanilla plant, etc.. We saw an extremely active sloth on this tour as well!!! Our tour guide was phenomenal!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Cooking Class with Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wow!!! What can we say???!!!! Kathy was an amazing instructor!!! We were with a couple on their honeymoon and we were on our 25th wedding anniversary trip. Kathy shared stories of her life growing up with her mom and told us about her daughter!!! We made a huge Costa Rican dinner and even made our own tortillas--my favorite thing we made. Kathy even emailed all of the recipes of everything we made, so we can try to replicate what we made there. Very nice addition to our trip and a suggestion by Alberto!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

I am certain this tour was my very favorite on the trip! We floated down the Penas Blancas River in our raft with our guide and saw monkeys, iguanas, bamboo trees, you name it. So peaceful!!! Our guide here was very funny!!! We stopped halfway down the river and he wanted to know if we would like any pineapple. He took out his knife and said this was the way he learned to cut up pineapples in prison (very funny!!!). He cut the pineapple in fourths and then cut the pineapple from the rind and then cut triangular pieces and pushed them out every other one and kept them in the rind for a beautiful way to serve pineapple. I will use that!!! Very cool and nothing like eating pineapple in the jungle!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Riki was our guide and he was wonderful. Not only did he drive us around, he gave us insight about his country both past and present. The personal touch made the trip very special as did his patience with our flinching on the back roads where everyone drove on the “wrong “ side.

After a two year delay we finally got to start our trip from Australia to Spain & Portugal.
From the moment we landed in Spain everything that we planned with Sam and his team were in place.
From being collected at the airport, drivers, guides, hotels and updates along the way, everything was well organised. He even booked restaurants in each town for us.
Sam and Chaima kept in contact with us during our tour, making sure everything was going OK.
The details this team put together was excellent from the length of time of tours, pickup times, guides names, recommendations in each place we stayed as to where to eat, shopping and sightseeing in free time.
All the drivers and guides were excellent with their care for our wellbeing and local knowledge.
All the accommodation was excellent and central to all attractions.
We would highly recommend Sam and his team for your travel needs in Spain and Portugal.
Sam thank you and your team for a wonderful experience we had a great time.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

Great hotel with spacious rooms and very clean. The hotel had a great select for breakfast and all the staff were very helpful. It is in a very good location, short walk to the hop on hop off bus station starting point and close to a metro.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

This is a beautiful hotel centrally located in Seville. The staff were very friendly and helpful even helping to suggest restaurants and shopping. The rooms are comfortable and very clean. Can highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

This is a very charming hotel in a good location. The rooms were very spacious and clean and the bed was comfortable. Staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was a let down but this may be due to Covid impact. Overall this is a lovely hotel and I would recommend it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Casas de la Juderia Hotel

Córdoba

This is a really beautiful charming hotel. The staff were very helpful and friendly. It is centrally located but still quiet. The rooms were spacious and very clean. Even though we only stayed one night we would of loved to stay more we would highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iberostar Las Letras Gran Via

Madrid

We had a great room at the front of the hotel overlooking the main street. The room was very spacious and with a large bathroom. It was in a great location and the staff were very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L'and Hotel & Vineyards

Montemor-o-Novo

This hotel is in a very beautiful spot for relaxing. The hotel and rooms are very clean, rooms are very spacious and the bed was very comfortable. Good size pool and lovely vineyards to walk around. It is a little out of town so you do need transport of some kind. The breakfast here is great with lots of choices and the restaurant was great. The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel One Shot Goldsmith Aliados

Porto

Lovely hotel in Porto. The rooms were very clean and large enough and the bed was very comfortable. Our rooms had great views of the town square. The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

very central in town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

This tour was amazing, and the La Sagrada Familia is just something else. Having our guide Olga to explain this history was also very helpful. Highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Private Walking Tour of Porto

Porto

This is a great tour taking in a lot of the city of Porto. Walking the streets gives you a great insight into Porto. Our guide was very helpful and answered all our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Madrid & the Prado Museum

Madrid

This was a great tour learning about Madrid's history and the museum was very interesting. Having a local guide who knows the history helps bring the town to life. Great tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walk of the Gothic Quarter with Tapas Dinner

Barcelona

This was a great tour and our guide Olga was very informative. We learnt about the history and culture and enjoyed the walk around the city and enjoyed some tapas. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Toledo

Madrid

This tour was excellent. This city is beautiful and its history is very interesting. Our guide was informative and help answer our many questions. Great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Lisbon with a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

Margarida was a wonderful guide for our walking tour in Lisbon. She provided so much information along the way and answered all our questions. We loved all the different parts of this tour. Great tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip All About Dali

Spain

The trip to the home of Dali was a great day. Dali 's home is very quirky and interesting from the inside to the gardens to the beautiful seaside position it is located. The Dali museum again very interesting and worth seeing. Our guide Craig did a great job bringing its history to life for us and was very informative and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Douro Valley for a Wine Tour & River Cruise

Porto

Our guide Catarina helped make this a great day out for us. This day trip from Porto to the Douro Wine Region was great. The drive is very beautiful through the wine regions and the history of wine making is interesting. Sitting in the beautiful mountains sipping wine is a great day out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Take a Day Trip to Magical Sintra & Cascais

Lisbon

This tour was a great day out. Our guide provided so much information along the way and the Palace was worth seeing. Stopping along the way at the Natural park and driving along the coast was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Flamenco & Tapas Tour

Seville

Our local guide Sam took us on a tour through Seville giving us information about this beautiful city. The tour included a local flamenco venue where we had the pleasure of watching a beautiful show with local artists. Sam explained the history behind a Flamenco performance. We then went on to enjoy a few tapas bars with excellent choices of food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Tour of Seville

Seville

Our guide Estela provided us with a great insight to this city. From the beautiful palace and its gardens to the Jew quarters and the Cathedral. She was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Seville is a lovely place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, via Ronda

Spain

The town of Rhonda is a must see. Our guide made this day very memorable proving us with information about the old and new town and the beautiful Rhonda bridge that joins them together. We enjoyed our walk through the streets and the Plaza De Toro's bullring and its history is interesting. This was a great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Granada

This was a great tour of the Alhambra. Our guide provided us with information along the way and answered our many questions. The building and gardens are amazing and the view over Granada was worth seeing. This is a really lovely town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Córdoba

Córdoba

This tour was great. Our guide was very knowledge and answered many questions from us. The history behind the Mezquita mosque-Catholic church is interesting and our guide helped bring it to life. Exploring the winding streets and hearing the history was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Amanda, Kripa and Subash for the most amazing trip to Nepal!

Your excellent preparation, guidance, diligence and humour made every second of our trip so special.

The atmosphere in Nepal is best described as simply magical and it doesn't take long until it pulls you in completely. Thanks to the "all in" service attitude of the wonderful kimkim team, we had nothing to worry about or take care of, we could just concentrate on soaking up all images and vibes of this beautiful country with its lovely, friendly people all around.

Our trip itinerary was worked out, hotels booked, every car ride arranged, meeting times scheduled, all planes trips organized for us - all we had to do was kick back, enjoy and not worry about a single thing! It all worked out like clockwork.

Amanda did an excellent job figuring out what exactly we wanted to see way before our trip, had a great upbeat attitude that made planning the trip even more fun. She understood perfectly well what we wanted to experience and she put it all into a very carefully selected and planned out itinerary. One that could only be worked out by someone knowing the country very well!

Kripa thank you for taking such good care of us during our stay in Nepal. You were the anchor and support who was always there in the background pulling all the strings and making miracles happen. It also felt great to have you call in and ask if everything is going well and if we are doing great. We felt very pampered!

Subash, our wonderful and very attentive guide showed us corners and customs of Nepal that we otherwise would never have found by ourselves. He paid close attention to where our interests were when we first met and catered exactly to our needs with the sights he showed us and the information he provided about them. As my teenage daughter was travelling with her nosy Mum, this was sometimes a stretch, but he managed beautifully! He was very finely in tune with us to always make the experience comfortable and interesting at the same time for both of us.

We have since returned and still Nepal is lingering in our thoughts and our bodies. And as well as this experience will always stay in our hearts and lives forever, so will it be tied to the people who helped create it.

Thank you very deeply to all of you
Namaste!

Overall we had a wonderful trip! Chile is a very beautiful country and the people down there are very welcoming and accommodating. We met a lot of nice people down there including other tourists from around the world! I didn't know what to expect for it to be my first trip to South America. As far as our itenirary, we We met a lot of nice people down there including other tourists from around the world! it was planned out very nicely and our time was spent efficiently. We also appreciated the landmarks that were suggested as places to visit. Also, each days activities and directions were easy to follow and understand. As far as the activities, we are satisfied with each one overall. Our hotels were very good and met our expectations. We also appreciate that each one was relatively close to everything. Like I said before, overall it was a spectacular trip and we are glad we did it. Our trip planners and coordinators were very helpful and gave us timely updates and were very responsive to our questions and concerns.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Albatros

Punta Arenas

Everything you can expect from a 3-star hotel. It wasn't shabby or rundown. The rooms were about as nice as one could expect. There was a heater in each room that kept us nice and cozy being that the temps can get very cold at night depending on when you travel. I would just rate this hotel as being more of a "utility" hotel, meaning it serves its purpose and is good for what it is. There is nothing extra about it no amenities or anything like that. Would recommend staying there if you're not looking for anything too fancy or luxurious after all you are in Punta Arenas and not Dubai. The breakfast was good and they make it to order so that was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like we were in a seaside lodge which us what you would expect from a town like Punta Arenas.

Location

It was relatively close and at the center of the town. Not too far of a distance to walk anywhere if need be.

Staff

They were helpful and showed us on a map the best spots to visit

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very clean and the beds were very comfortable.

Amerindia Patagonia B&B

Puerto Natales

Another quaint and cozy hotel. Met all of our expectations and then some. The rooms were bigger than we anticipated. Also they had a heater in the room which was nice. I will say they don't give you washcloths, which I don't if that's just a policy of there B&B or what but yeah was a little disappointing. But overall, would recommend staying there.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic, again felt like we were in a seaside port town

Location

Not too far from anything. Everything is either in waking distance or a short uber ride.

Staff

Very good staff. Showed us our room and very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Visit the Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony

Punta Arenas

Everything is as advertised. You will definitely see tons of penguins on this excursion and even some seals from a distance. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Punta Arenas. One of us would say it was the highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

Grey Glacier Boat Tour

Chile

Everything as advertised, terrific experience! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided hike to Las Torres lookout [Central - Base - Central]

Chile

This is one of the activities that if we could do over we probably would replace it with another activity. The park itself was awesome and beyond spectacular. However, it should've been emphasized that this hike is not for first time or beginner hikers. To be fair, it did say in the description that it was a "difficult" hike, but I dont think thats appropriate wording it should be "advanced". It is a very strenuous hike and if you go on a particularly windy day can even be life-risking (not hyperbole). Be warned this is not a hike for beginners. The guides that we had go at a particularly fast pace and they do not take long breaks. I think our longest break was 10 minutes! My wife had to turn around within the first 30 minutes of the hike and go back. I managed to make another 2 hours or so past Chileno but eventually had to turn back also. I would consider myself to be in pretty good shape and physical fitness. But there is a big difference to being in shape and being used to hiking. It takes a tremendous amount of stamina to go up and down a mountain for 8 hrs straight. If you're used to hiking and have done it a good amount of times this hike may be a breeze for you. But if this is your first time or second time I would not recommend. There are other hikes I think offered that are not as strenuous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Felt like we were being rushed, not enough time for breaks

Transport

Francesca was incredible! She took our likes, dislikes, dietary restrictions, etc. into account and had incredible recommendations; she worked with us to make sure we had the best possible hotels for our budget, too. We had a minor hiccup when our plane couldn't land (weather at Keflavik) and were delayed a day, and she helped us to get refunds and to adjust our trip so that we didn't miss anything. Every time we talk about Iceland, I recommend KimKim and Francesca. She is the best!

Activity Review

Jokulsarlon Glacier Kayaking Adventure

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guide/Drivers: Hamid. Could not be better. Excellent safe driver, very good English, rich knowledge of places, history, customs. Always available (really, always!). Kept the car impeccably clean. Just perfect. Possibly the best driver/guide we ever had in our may years of world travels.

Guides: only three(Volubilis, Fes, and Marrakesh): all excellent.

Hotels/Riads: generally good to very good. In Rabat the service was poorly organized. The owner Aziz was mostly absent and left things in the hands of a very pleasant lady who did her best but did not know much of anything. I would not use it again. In Fes the place was great, but service was non-existent. Ouarzazate had the best combination of a nice place and excellent, attentive service. Marrakesh was also very good (location, facilities, and service). Our hotel in Casablanca was modern and clean, with standard American-like facilities. However, its location was poor and we could not even walk outside because the neighborhood had little or nothing to offer. A place by the ocean would have made our night in Casablanca more preasant.

Visits/excursions: all excellent. Well-chosen, interesting, well-organized visits. Zero negatives here!

Overall: a very satisfactory trip. The country is beautiful, all people we met were exceedingly polite and friendly and we experience no unpleasant events of any kind. We had read some highly critical reviews with alleged cheating, harassment, etc. We walked a lot on our own, day and night, asked for directions, talked to ordinary people (we speak French, which made it easier to reach a wider segment of the population), ate street food, and were always met with great kindness. Even shopping is a nice experience, bargaining is conducted with a light attitude and even if we decided not to buy something after some negotiations, we never experienced the anger or hostility we have seen in other countries.

Megan and Wanderlust were flexible, cooperative, and ready to make some changes when we asked them to do so. We are completely satisfied with the experience!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Almazhar

Rabat

Pleasant structure but managed almost in absentia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

by being there!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad El Amine Fès

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

There was nobody around. One had to go to the kitchen or other odd places to find a staff member. When we arrived we were received only by a man who turned out to be the baggage carrier.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very pleasant and eager to make us feel comfortable. Genuinely friendly. We had an delightful interaction with all the staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Considering it is a tent in the desert, it was just perfect!

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Attentive and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Casablanca City Center

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

American-style hotel. Confortable but no "character". Two poor and overpriced restaurants. resta

Location

Nothing nearby. The ocean is 5 km away.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Rissani

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sahara to Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ait Benhaddou, Tizi-n-Tichka Pass over the High Atlas, Marrakech

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver (the same throughout the tour) Hamid was absolutely perfect in all respects. See general review

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I typically love to research and plan trips, but I felt overwhelmed with Paris/Burgundy. KimKim connected us with Stephen and Valentine of Objectif France and they were a boon in advising, organizing and setting up our itinerary. This trip had to be post-poned in April 2020 to Oct 2022 due to pandemic. It was worth the wait. We enjoyed Fabio's walking tour of Montemarte, the Eiffel Tower at night, a personal tour of the Louvre (forgot the guide's name but she was very knowledgeable and allowed us to hit the highlights within 2 hours), a half-day trip to Versaille (Corinne is a great guide), and a splendid trip on train to Beaune (Burgundy) for a wine tour and 2 nights in that old, quaint, country town (Alexi from Safari Tours was a delight and very informative). We have many fond memories thanks to these fine folks.

My husband and I just returned from an amazing 10 days in southern Iceland. The stunningly beautiful landscapes together with the detailed itinerary that Terry put together for us made for a trip that exceeded all of our expectations. We wanted a trip that was hiking based and Terry had wonderful suggestions that kept us happy and wanting more! We started in the Reykadalur Valley which was beautiful and an introduction to Iceland's many hot springs. Our Super Jeep trip to Thorsmork was definitely a highlight with an amazing hike that provided spectacular views from above of the valley, glaciers and mountains. The Mulagliufur Canyon was a trip into another world with 2 waterfalls and moss covered cliffs. We loved the Svartifloss waterfall and the stunning lava columns that surround it. We hiked up the Hjorleifshofdi Cape and also walked a trail from Vik's center where the views of Reynisdramgar beach's black sands and sea stacks from above were amazing. Terry nailed it and made it possible to put all of our energy into satisfying all of our senses and our love of exploration with none of the usual travel concerns about logistics. Thank you Terry!

KimKim arranged and managed our trip to Greece with the utmost in customer service and professionalism. The transfers to and from airports and ferries were flawless. We were picked up on time and driven in very nice cars by friendly drivers. The hotel in Athens was small but clean and conveniently located. KimKim arranged for Christina, a lovely, bright and fun tour guide to take us through the Plaka and to see the Acropolis. We’d planned to connect ferries at Syros traveling on to Naxos the same night, but high winds shut the ferries down. KimKim contacted us about the ferries, arranged for us to stay 2 nights at a very nice and nicely located hotel in Syros and then sail on to Naxos 2 days later. The glitch was unfortunate but KimKim showed their expertise in handling the unexpected, even arranging refunds from the two missed nights at the Naxos hotel and a refund for a boat trip we’d booked. We were happy to see Syros and made the best of our day on Naxos. The room in Naxos (Cyano Suites) was spectacular but was strangely disconnected from the hotel, our only complaint. Travel to and transportation in Santorini was also seamless. The hotel, Petit Palace, was extraordinary. With a plunge pool, good food, exceptional service, jaw dropping beauty, and a fantastic catamaran trip, we couldn’t have been happier. We will definitely call on KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Flavors of Athens

Athens

Christina was a smart, fun and very capable tour guide. She introduced us to Greek pies and had lots of interesting stories about Athens and Greek history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Athens

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Tour around Naxos

Naxos

Had to be cancelled because the ferries were grounded because of high wind. KimKim arranged a refund.

Local Transfer in Santorini

Greece

On time, nice car, courteous driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Convenient, on time pickup, comfortable boat, good selection of snacks, lunch and drinks aboard. We didn’t swim, but several other guests did and enjoyed it. Very nice trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is my second trip booked through Kimkim (1st time was to Ecuador). It’s similarly been a great experience. It’s definitely the service to use if you have very specific itinerary and style of travel in mind that doesn’t fit into a prepackaged standard tourist format. As a very experienced traveler, this is essential for me. This time we wanted a very specific 2-week itinerary covering major and lesser known Jewish heritage sites throughout Vienna, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, while also enjoying the sumptuous palaces and castles of this region in deluxe style. Tomaz and Zala took care to book every detail exactly as requested and were available and responsive to all specific requests and changes.

All the local guides and drivers were excellent. They were all extremely knowledgeable and had a lot to offer—a rarity these days when traveling where guides oftentimes know little more than you do if you’ve done your research. I want to call out a special mention to Eva and Milos in Bratislava, and most heartfelt appreciation to Lenka who guided us throughout the Czech Republic.

Excellent service, the transfers all happened on time and took the stress out of travelling alone. Great service.

If you go to Southern Spain and are adventurous, get on the internet and do your thing for 5 or 10 hours and hope you got it right. If not, hire Raquel and Kimkim. It costs a little more but you get the best location of 4 star hotels, great local guides, meet and greet at airports and train stations and great advice on travel matters.
I can't say enough about the destination hotels that Raquel selected. Hotels in Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, and other cites were in "Centro" locations making most sites walkable for the city tour Raquel arranged or even when we were on our own. These Andalusia cities have "Old Town" districts formed many centuries ago that I think you would want to be near so you can enjoy all they have to offer. You may never have a chance to get back so enjoy it!
We traveled Southern Spain for 2 weeks and Kimkim set everything up. Raquel recommended cities (don't miss Ronda), arranged a 9 course set menu lunch (we could only get to #6) and made the trip fun and exciting.

We then we explored Paris (Kimkim arranged the flight) for 6 days on our own (Airbnb) then back to Madrid for an additional week (Airbnb).

Best trip to start our retirement years and we'll be back to Kimkim the next time we travel.

We had a magical trip to Morocco thanks to KimKim and our amazing driver and local guides!

We traveled with three kids (ages 4-9), my mother-in-law and two parents (my husband and me). We started in Marrakesh, went to Boalne Dades, Merzouga/the desert, Fes and then Casablanca as our flight departed from there.

The desert and Camp Tiziri was a lifetime favorite memory, but the entire trip was amazing. Our driver Samir was so kind and went out of his way to make us comfortable. Our local guides Oosama (Marrakesh) and Adil (Fes) were so friendly and great with the kids as well.

Abdel and Said were so patient as we planned and asked questions. Thank you to the entire team for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in beautiful Morocco!

Hotel Reviews

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Tiziri Camp is one of our favorite experiences/places to stay EVER! We felt at home as soon as we arrived and the staff was so welcoming at every turn. The tents are so comfortable and even luxurious! The staff prepares delicious meals and was so accommodating for our whole family - they helped our kids sandboard, arranged for us to visit a pool during the day and played Berber music in the evenings. We stayed 2 nights and would definitely recommend! 1 night would have been too short to fully enjoy the experience!

Authenticity & Character

We enjoyed learning about the Berber culture

Location

Beautiful scenery

Staff

Can’t say enough about the friendly and amazing staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable accommodations and delicious food

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

We loved this hotel run by two amazing brothers! It was raining when we arrived, and they came to our van to welcome us and help carry our bags in. We felt at home right away! One of the brothers is the chef and prepares truly amazing meals. We had dinner and then breakfast. Our rooms faced the street (back rooms have a nice view) but we arrived after dark so wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the view anyway. We would have loved to stay here longer! The back terrace and pool looked beautiful. The beautifully furnished rooms, top-notch food and warm hospitality are not to be missed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views in the back of the hotel

Staff

The staff were SO kind!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

This hotel was 100% comfortable - just didn’t have the character of our other hotels and airbnbs. No complaints and it was a great place to stay before our early flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff were very nice and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our local guide Oosama did a great job showing us around Marrakesh. He patiently answered our questions and was great with our kids (even carrying our 4-year-old!). We loved touring the city with him, and he knew so many people as we walked around - that gave the tour a really authentic feel! Oosama felt like a friend showing us around his city.

Quality of Experience

Friendliness of Oosama

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Majorelle Garden

Marrakesh

We loved walking around the gardens! They are incredibly beautiful, and our kids enjoyed the animals as well (koi fish, turtles, frogs). We also really loved the YSL Museum even though we don’t know anything about fashion. The dresses are beautiful, and even our two older kids enjoyed it! This was definitely a highlight and not to be missed. Our driver recommended going early (9am) and we’re thankful for that - the gardens got busier as the morning went on.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam & Spa Experience Marrakech

Morocco

This was so relaxing and a fun experience! We started with a wash and scrub in the steam room, then had foot massages, followed by full body massages (the 4-year-old skipped that and ended up napping in the foot massage room).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff were very accommodating of our kids

Transfer from Marrakech to Boumalne Dades

Morocco

We loved walking around Ait Ben Haddou. Our driver Samir arranged a local guide (Aziz). Aziz was awesome! He was very patient with our kids and we learned a lot about the ruins. This was fascinating to see! We didn’t have much time in Ourzazatte so opted to skip the studio tour. I’m sure it would have been fun, but we wanted to get to our hotel in Boulmane Dades before too late in the evening.

Quality of Experience

Such a rich history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shout out to Aziz!

Transfer from Dades to Merzouga via Todra Gorges & Erfoud

Morocco

Long travel day, but Samir did a great job as always! The views along the way were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV Ride in the Dunes of Merzouga

Merzouga

The sand dunes of the Sahara are such a unique place to do an ATV ride and it was really fun to ride through the dunes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Desert Adventures around Merzouga

Merzouga

We enjoyed learning about the nomad lifestyle. Our guide Hassan was very accommodating, but not the best personality match for our group. We didn’t really interact with the nomad family - Hassan served us tea in their tent. I’m not sure if that is the norm or not. Hassan stopped at a pharmacy for some medicine for our daughter, which was much appreciated! We also enjoyed Berber pizza for lunch!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a local family

Morocco

The dinner with a local family was an excellent experience for our family. The food was delicious, the family was very welcoming and the son spoke very good English to chat with our kids! The host mother / cook even did Henna for us after dinner to add to our experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pastilla was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marrakesh Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Fun, local experience of the Medina food options. The tangia and yoghurt were particular highlights, we even tried the snails from a Street vendor! The guide, Usama, was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Tangia was delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Usama was awesome and so good with our kids.

Sand-Boarding in Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

Good fun, and a workout carrying your board back up the sand dunes!

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Really a nice tour of the city, particularly the Medina. We really enjoyed the viewpoint from the fort over the old town, the ceramics co-op, the old, beautiful quaranic school and the tanneries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adil was a great guide

I was embarrassingly uninvolved in our trip planning to Florence and Tuscany, to the point that I was only vaguely aware of the itinerary. Andrea nailed it! He chose great accommodations that included excellent outings and guides. The 2 Tuscan countryside hotels, with their gorgeous views and superb restaurants, obviously required local knowledge to choose. Thanks so much!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Santa Maria Novella

Florence

First time through nit the greatest room. Second time was better. Wonderful breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

1st room had 2 levels, upper level cold.

Castello La Leccia

Castellina in Chianti

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Osteria Dell'Orcia Tuscany

Castiglione d'Orcia

Great restaurant. Owner is an amazing, relaxed character. Restaurant superb.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and personable

Transport

Wine tasting in Tuscany countryside (1 winery)

Italy

Parking difficult. A bit of a mill. Wine was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena guided walk - private guide

Italy

Great experience, but could have been an hour shorter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cheese farm visit and tasting in Pienza area

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pienza guided walk (private guide)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I thought our guide did a very nice job. We enjoyed everything about our trip! It was challenging but doable (which is what we were hoping for) and very memorable. Definitely a once-in-a- lifetime experience. Johanna was always very responsive and helpful. I would’ heartily recommend Kim Kim to potential travelers and would certainly choose them again if the opportunity arises. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Short Inca Trail Day 1: Hiking to Machu Picchu via Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna

Peru

It was challenging but we made it. We were lucky with the weather—not too hot, not raining! To me, making it all the way up to the Sun Gate was the highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport