Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was an amazing trip, Exceptionally well-planned, with all the details accounted for. For the most part, the guides were extremely knowledgeable and a great source of information. The pre-trip material gave many suggestions on things to do on free days and kimkin was extremely responsive when we had questions about logistics, meeting drivers, etc. The places kimkin picked for us to stay were not in the touristy mainstream, which is just what we wanted, so our experience felt very authentic.

The only thing I would say that was a let-down was that there was absolutely no transparency as to pricing, and my sense is that as a result, the mark-up may have been more than the quoted 5%.—I suppose that extra markup is what you pay for local knowledge and a bit of laziness on our part to plan the trip. But all in all, we were very satisfied.

Hotel Review

Loule Jardim Hotel

Loule

What a charming location. Small room, but the staff was very friendly and located on a tiny community square a ten minute walk to the center.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very small room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bigger room

Activity Review

Privately Guided Visit of Évora

Portugal

This guide was exceptional, great story teller, knowledgeable about history, local folklore and culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide

Rinolda knows her home country well. We enjoyed the driving route that she created for us, and the hotels she selected on our behalf were nice. Restaurant recommendations she made were helpful.

I would have preferred separate bookings for each couple traveling together, rather than the lead traveler having all bookings in his name.

When creating a travel itinerary, I would recommend that she include the tour providers name, phone number, and time and location for meeting with the guide. In addition, advance notification of trip cancellations would be helpful.

Our rental car was not equipped with a GPS. A portable GPS was provided at an alternate Eurocar rental site, but the GPS was out-dated. It was challenging to navigate due to the lack of road signs, and a GPS with newer technology would have been beneficial.

The hiking guide and fishing guide were outstanding. They both knew their profession extremely well and were a pleasure to be with.

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Laxá

Myvatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laugarbakki

Laugarbakki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Isafjordur Torg

Ísafjörður

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Westfjords

Patreksfjörður

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Fransiskus Stykkishólmi

Stykkishólmur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The young man at the front desk was especially kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lambastadir Guesthouse

Selfoss

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Geysir Geothermal Area

Golden Circle

Quality of Experience

Mývatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Quality of Experience

Viti Crater

Lake Mývatn

Quality of Experience

Kaldbakur Mountain hike

Iceland

Our guide was great and highly professional. He was a wealth of information about the country and culture of Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saxholar Crater

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Quality of Experience

Djupalonsandur Black Sand Beach

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Quality of Experience

Gullfoss Waterfall

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Fly Fishing in Golden Circle

Golden Circle

Ari was great and fun to be with. We caught plenty of fish and he handled them carefully and safely released all to the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible honeymoon, due largely to the expert planning and guidance of Valentine. I am an avid traveler and enjoy putting together adventurous itineraries. However, for this once-in-a-lifetime international endeavor, we're very happy we elicited the assistance of KimKim and local expert Valentine. We appreciated the attention to detail, prompt responses, and personalized experience. Over 7 total days, we spent 2 in Paris, took a train to Reims and spent 1 night, transferred back to CDG to hop down to Nice, and spent 2 days touring Cannes and Monaco. We stayed a bit off the beaten path on the Cote d'Azur in Theoule-sur-Mer which was absolutely beautiful, but you had to pay a hefty price to Uber back down to town. It was peaceful, the infinity pool was nearly private, and the hotel was home to a Michelin star restaurant - so it was wonderful for our honeymoon! Our favorite excursions were the bicycle tour in France, the Champagne tour, tasting, lunch, experience in Reims, and guided history tours of Cannes, Antibes, St Paul de Vance, and Monaco. 2 recommendations: First, we booked our own hotel in the 16th in Paris with Hilton points (free!) with a rooftop view of the Eiffel Tower. The general location was perfect for walking to everything. Second, we asked to leave one afternoon completely free of excursions to relax and enjoy each other's time. This turned out to be some of our best memories. Valentine did an exceptional job of listening to our wishes for the other hotel must-haves (balcony and view) and that really helped make the trip and experience feel very special. Of course, not everything always goes according to plan. Valentine provided us with both daytime and off-hours numbers, and we did utilize the off-hours number when our driver forgot to meet us at the train station. We got hold of someone right away and the issue was resolved promptly. Valentine also checked in with me later that day to make sure we were completely satisfied and enjoying our time. Overall, my new husband and I would definitely recommend KimKim and Valentine (local tour expert for France!) if you want help planning a special international vacation. Merci beaucoup Valentine!

Hotel Reviews

La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Reims

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Tiara Yaktsa 5* - Relais & Chateaux

Théoule-sur-Mer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Hidden Paris Bicycle Tour

Paris

Aaron from Ireland was our guide and he was outstanding!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half day guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with priority access in a small group (1 to 15 people)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short day Family Growers & Lunch

Reims

Perrine was an absolute gem and incredibly knowledgeable. She's amazing and made the experience wonderful! Also, lunch was surprisingly comprehensive and delicious! Basically one of the best days ever.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time in Reims

Reims

Half-Day Excursion to Cannes, Antibes & St Paul de Vence

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey into the Heart of the French Riviera: Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We feel the last two days of our trip were not productive. We could have gone to Belfast or seen more areas with our time

When we returned the car, we thought the charges were prepaid by kim kim. We were surprised to find out that these charges were not included in the package

However, when we had an issue at one bed and breakfast, Dean showed up and handed the problem correctly. Ite issue had a great outcome

Many of the pages in the itinerary were out of order and some pictures did not go with the descriptions.

We loved Ireland and felt this was a great way to see the country. Wish we knew more when planning the trip so we could have made better usage of the time we had allocated

The Tour de Mont Blanc trip we just returned from was really enjoyable.
Julien, who helped us plan the trip was great. Unfortunately he was not available when we replanned the tour after Covid. Julie who took over was initially not on top of the details, like who paid for airport pickups, what hotels we preferred and hiking pole loans. After some emailing back and forth we reached some agreements.
After we arrived in Chamonix Julie and Allibert Trekking responded immediately when we needed assistance. There was a mix up with a hotel reservation. They immediately found another better hotel and sent a Taxi for the transport. One of the hotels was an old **( it was clean and functional)
Some of the hotels were better than we expected. So overall we were satisfied. The MonRoadBook app. was great. We also got lots of written information from them.

Best for people who are looking for customized services, but dont want to search through endless booking portals.
(But of course you pay for that. I had the feeling that most the trips could´ve been arranged by yourself through tripadvisor, but that might be just my case, as I booked only 10 days ahead and its impressive what they put together in that small amount of time.) You still will have plenty of time to do some exploring yourself, which was great. Regarding the Vietnam: the pictures and offers may vary from the reality as it includes many extern partners, but I had a great time.

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Loved the overall vibe. Had some minor hiccups (light was damaged in the first room). Bathroom leaked in the second room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Halong Le Journey

Authenticity & Character

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street food walking tour

Hanoi

Linh and her partner were amazing. You see places you would probably not find as a toruist!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc - Joint in tour

Hanoi

I am not sure that our trip lastes 10.5 hours. But because of the rain we couldnt go on a hike or biking either. But Ninh Binh is certainly beautiful and worth a visit! The boat trip was nice, even if it meant sitting in the rain for 1.5 hr. Hoa Lu was also impressive. Only for stars for me, as I would not recommend the included restaurant. Kinda cold food and very touristy. Would recommend looking around for lunch.

Hanoi Sightseeing - Join in tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

You will be fine, if you know beforehand that it is very touristy! You will have quite the schedule.

Quality of Experience

Food

Really amazing food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dont sit in the back seats. Its not made for people with long legs.

Disembarking the cruise

Ha Long Bay

There was no Tai Chi as promised. Also be prepared to check out the room at 10 am (kind of a shame, if you ask me.) Would have loved to stay a little longer to simply relax.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Same bus issue.

Linda was able to create a custom trip for us to visit Loja and the Podocarpus National Park. She was great at working with us to shape an itinerary with complex transfers and a handful of special considerations.

Everything went great! The guides were fantastic (especially Milton in Quito), the hotels were nice, the park was beautiful, and the transfers smooth. The Loja coffee tasting set up by our guide Kevin was a surprise highlight and HIGHLY recommended if you're in or near Loja--Ecuadorean coffee is a much better gift for folks back home than t-shirts :).

Rinolda did an excellent job working with the four of us--two couples with similar, but also different interests in what we wanted to see in Iceland. Beth and I thought that Rinolda did a great job communicating with us, turning around updated itineraries and, importantly, establishing a reasonable schedule of travel, sights and layovers. All accommodations were high caliber, and connections with flights, transfers, hotels/guesthouses, rental car went off without a hitch. Quick handling of refunds for excursion cancelled due to weather conditions and walking tour.

We would use KimKim again when planning a similar trip.

Hotel Review

Lambastadir Guesthouse

Selfoss

This was a very nice guesthouse. The family worked hard to make it a good experience. Clean, quiet, lots of information/brochures available re: local activities. Close to town, but not too close.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kaldbakur Mountain hike

Iceland

Oli was a great guide. On the drive out and back (and during the hike) he shared a lot of information and answered many questions that we had been accumulating about Iceland culture. He also was knowledgeable about the local natural history (plants, animals and geology). The trip was well planned and safe. We would recommend this hike to any reasonably fit people who want to get off the roads and see some backcountry with incredible views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly Fishing in Golden Circle

Golden Circle

Ari was a great guide, who worked energetically to assist us with our fly fishing trip. He arrived on time, got us on the water and fishing quickly. He was a pleasure to fish with. It also happened to be a beautiful day with perfect weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am a Dad and husband given the responsibility to plan our once a generation trip and I felt huge pressure. It was very easy to contact Nadia and to brief her what we wanted to do. Within a few email exchanges she had an amazing trip planned. My family was so impressed with everything on this trip, from the Mercedes’ shuttles to and from our hotels and daily excursions, amazing hotels, and awesome (educational) tours. I am so grateful for your assistance in this trip and will do so again any chance I get.

Beatriz was awesome! She planned a wonderful trip in both Spain and Portugal and booked us the absolute best private tour guides for the cities that we visited. Really appreciated her working with us on the itinerary and our constantly changing timelines. We had a wonderful time we don’t forget!

Our tour of Ecuador with Sebastian couldn't have been better. From pickup at the airport to each destination, and finally back to the airport, he was with us every step of the way with local knowledge, humor, easy fluent English, and a great attitude. While some of the roads in Ecuador can be a little concerning, he’s patient and responsible driving put our minds at ease as we traveled easily and safely. He consistently went the extra mile, finding us opportunities for a bit of extra adventure when available, recommending great restaurants all along the way. I can't recommend Sebastian highly enough. If you're considering a tour in Ecuador, do it with Sebastian. Also our expert trip planner, Mathias, was very helpful during the planning phase but also was diligent on checking up on us during the trip. He responded in a timely manner and seemed very knowledgeable about Ecuador. Highly recommend this company for planning your trips.

As in all trips there were a few bumps along the way. Our first hiccup was the lodging at Svolvaer. Apparently there was a mix up in the confirmation and billing process and we were required to pay for the room. We got in touch with KimKim and Julia responded promptly and efficiently and the problem was resolved. We would rate the accommodation (Scandic Svolvaer) as over priced and mediocre. The room was so small that my husband could almost touch opposite walls in both directions with arms outstretched. Certainly would not recommend it to anyone.

In Geringer we were scheduled for a RIB boat. We had the tickets but unfortunately our itinerary didn't indicate which company it was with. Karolina had indicated to us that the tours are all day and you just show up for one any hour starting at 10. Once we found the correct company we were told that our slot was 10 only. Thankfully they had an opening at 4:00 and we were able to go.

In Faerland we were scheduled for a mountain hike. Our "guide" was a 19 year old who knew very little about the area and said almost nothing the entire hike. He seemed more interested in getting it over so he could home and play video games. We are in very good shape but felt that he had no clue that people 3 1/2 times his age might want to stop once in a while just to enjoy the scenery and rest. The highlight of the hike was when his cousin appeared at the summit and we had a chance to talk with him. He was foraging for mushrooms and told us a lot about the forest in the area and what to look for.

In Aurland our lodging (Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri) was disappointing.
Our room was large and clean but was on a busy corner with a lot of traffic and had very thin shades that did not block out the glaring streetlight. We asked for another room but were told that they were all like that. We were confirmed for three days in Aurland which was a huge mistake. We departed the second day and booked a room at Fossli Hotel which was absolutely wonderful! It was not busy, served excellent food and the service and staff were very welcoming. The room was recently remodeled and was immaculate and comfortable. All of the windows and and balcony door in our room had blackout shades. It was a lovely stay with a beautiful view and great history. When we looking we were given some options in Eidfjord by Meree and we appreciated that. However once we got to Eidfjord and saw the cruise ships we were relieved that we found Fossli Hotel rather than one in a very touristy town.

The Naerøyfjord boat tour was ok. After our road trip viewing some of the most beautiful scenery of fjords and mountains and small farms dotting the countryside it was a let down. Too many tourists and certainly not the most beautiful scenery in Norway.

Looking at the plan now, we would have avoided Flam...cruise ships and wandering tourists everywhere. The train ride to the top was ok. We did the bike ride down however and that was great!
Three days in Aurland was a mistake as well.
Bergen was ok but also very touristy.

In reviewing our trip we feel that we did most of the work. We planned the route, secured our rental cars, booked all of our flights and found most of the lodging. In our initial conversation with Karolina we emphasized that we don't like "touristy" places and we are always searching for unique lodging when we travel. She gave us a few good suggestions but attention to detail and understanding our kind of travel was lacking. Many of the details were not tended to and our last few messages with questions and requests were not answered.

We have traveled extensively and are always looking for out of the way spots, unique lodging and a chance to get to know the culture and people of each country that we visit. "Canned" travel on cruise ships, "nutshell itineraries" and whirlwind travel to see everything is not what we want.
We had a great trip despite the bumps but will most likely opt to plan our own adventures in the future.

My mom and I took two weeks to travel around Slovenia and Croatia, but because we were new to the countries and could not drive, hiring a travel agent was the perfect way around these hurdles.

Antonia was an absolute gem! She listened to our every need and respected even the minutest details in our list of likes/dislikes.
The trip went smoothly thanks to her detailed preparation and attention. The schedule she provided was a great representation of what we had discussed prior to the trip.

During the trip, Antonia was always quick to respond to any question. Moreover, her communication in English was excellent and very clear.
We could not get better restaurant recommendations and the guides she hired were all fantastic.

We had such a memorable time with good food and amazing people, which made our journey that much more special.
We would definitely like to use Antonia again and to see Croatia more!

Chris was amazing! We cannot thank him enough for all he did to make this trip just what we wanted. He met and exceeded all our expectations. He made himself available on our time schedule to have many conversations to work out the details. The agenda he put together for us was just what we were looking for (a lot of leisure/relax time with a sprinkle of private tours so I could get my history fix). The drivers he used to shuttle us from place to place were AMAZING. They consistently arrived on time or a few minutes early, and always came in luxury vehicles. We could tell Chris put the time into this to make it as stress-free an experience as possible. Every hotel he picked was incredible as well; Hotel Abruzzi with the view of the Pantheon?! UNREAL!). We really cannot thank or recommend Chris enough! Unbelievable experience and cannot wait to do it again :)

Hotel Reviews

Abruzzi Hotel Rome

Rome

The location and view of the Pantheon make this hotel a 4-4.5 Star review in my opinion! The room was a little small and the shower drain was slow to drain the water, which is why I dropped it to 4 stars. However, I would still very much recommend the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view of the Pantheon!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home and Poetry

Athens

Nice hotel within walking distance of most everything you'll want to see in Athens! The staff was nice but sometimes found them missing from the office when we needed something (like a new key card after we locked ourselves out :-/ Also the A/C did not seem to be working very well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Galaxy Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Amazing! Loved every minute we spent here. Cannot say enough about the staff! Helen was amazing and the other two (blanking on their names) were extremely helpful and friendly as well. Great location, beautiful pool, ocean view, highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

LimeStone Santorini

Santorini

Beautiful hotel. The view is almost hard to take in because of how beautiful it is. However, we found it difficult to find. After our driver dropped us off, the signs on how to get to the actual hotel we vague. We dragged our bags up and down the walk-way (which is on cobblestone path on the side of a hill/mountain) and could not find it. The Limestone is connected/surrounded by two or three other hotels that all look the same. Anyways, finally I found where we go to check in and the gentleman came and helped my wife with her bags. They were very friendly and apologetic, and our stay there was good after that (apart from the A/C breaking the first night; which they did fix the next day). I want to mention the breakfasts - unreal! I have a feeling I will be craving their omelets, fresh fruit and yogurt for many weeks to come. I would go back now knowing how to get to our room! But just beware it might be a frustrating challenge when you first arrive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Anna was unbelievable. Her knowledge and friendliness made this experience for us! We would definitely recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Federica was a wealth of knowledge and super friendly! Also very funny! We had a great time with her and loved the tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Helen did a wonderful job! Unfortunately we had to cut it short as my wife wasn't feeling very well, but we still loved the experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Town Wine Tour

Naxos

Oh my gosh, Kyriaki was a highlight of this whole trip for us. She made us feel like family and we had the absolute best time walking around the old town with her after the wine and cheese tasting ( which was also very very good, I should probably mention!) We had so much fun with her and would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Naxos!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera Sailing Cruise

Drama

Beautiful views and very cool experience. Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall we had an enjoyable trip.
Below are some of my personal view
- Quite upset that despite multiple request for a bigger space 4x4 car but on the day of collection of car n loading up all our luggages to find out that the luggages had filled to the ceiling of the car thus blocking driver’s rear view. We decided to change to Volkswagen caddy which is the only bigger car available.
- Another disappointment is the poor GPS device given which couldn’t key in the exact location of our destination.
- To made things worst, the Wi-Fi device came only with 3GB and it ran out on day 3 as most of the time we need to connect to Wi-Fi using our Handphone Google map to get to our destination.
- Thorsmork is another disappoint where we have to walk more than 30 mins over very uneven rocks and crossing 2 rivers risking trip n fall n getting our shoes wet just to see a pathetic waterfall
- hotels are very small without a wardrobe and no space to put and open up our luggages

Hotel Reviews

Aurora Hotel at Reykjavik-Keflavik Airport Terminal KEF

Reykjanesbær

Short distance walk from hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Light Inn

Grindavik

Rooms very small

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Hekla

Selfoss

Rooms too small Rooms were located just below the restaurant and it’s very noisy as the footsteps sound is loud

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room With A View Apartment Hotel

Reykjavík

Location is good but parking is a problem

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping is not 24hrs

Fosshotel Núpar

Kálfafell

Small room with very little leg space

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Vatnajökull

Lindarbakki

Room small

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eskifjordur

Eskifjordur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sel - Hótel Mývatn

Myvatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hvammstangi

Hvammstangi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arnarstapi Hotel

Snæfellsbær

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Very good experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iceland Thermal Bath Experience

Iceland

Good experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A day excursion in Thorsmork

Iceland

Not worth to go

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide walk too fast and did not even wait for us

Transport

Our trip was very well planned and Sao Miguel Island is much more beautiful than expected. The hotel view was so calming and delightful and the staff was eager to please. However, by the third day, we escaped the breakfast buffet as it was too crowded and the food became boring a repetitious. I may never eat scrambled eggs again.

Our first tour guide was Natasha who took us off-road to see the blue and green lakes at the top of the crater. She was very informative, but we later learned, through our other guides, that some of her information was inaccurate.

Our second guide, Paulo, was very kind while we hiked to the top of the caldera to see Fire Lake. What was not part of the description of this hike is that there are NO restroom facilities and the hike, although labeled "medium" difficulty, was probably only medium for mountain goats. The hike took us approximately 8 hours and covered over 22,000 steps, up a very high mountain (hill) and down the other side. It was worth the hike because the scenery was breathtaking, but became increasingly more uncomfortable because of the lack of facilities. I've never learned to "go in the woods" so that wasn't really an option, and because there were so many other hikers, privacy would have been difficult to find.

Our third guide, Gary, did a really masterful job of driving us into a caldera and hiking us around the lake at the bottom. This hike was the day after we summited our equivalent of Mt Everest, so by the end, we were done and asked Gary to bring the car and pick us up, which he happily agreed to do. We got a very good history of the island and more accurate information. All the cows are not milked by hand but rather with moveable milking machines. I do not recommend booking two hikes back to back as we did, and therefore had little time to recover.

My horseback ride was primarily through residential neighborhoods and the forest was really just overgrown, abandoned land, so not like the forests we saw in the other places we went. Also, the path we took was very littered, which was disappointing, as most of the island we saw was really clean.

The blooming hydrangeas and yellow ginger lilies all over the island were so unexpected.

Our trouble began when we left the Azores and went to Lisbon. The hotel we were booked into, Hotel Mundial, is surrounded by homeless people and the air smelled like urine. My view was of a very old building that looked like a crack house. We found a much better hotel, closer to the water, and moved, which was a pain, but totally worth relocating to a much lovelier and safer part of town where the air smelled sweet. We had to do this on our own because we were told that other hotels were $700 euro per night; we paid $200 euro at the Pastano CR7, which we found while waiting on our tuk-tuk tour, guided by Dominic. I would skip this if I go back. The streets are exceedingly bumpy and the ride uncomfortable. We got only a small bit of history.

Our very best tour was with a different Paulo who took us to Sintra and Cascais. He was so knowledgeable about the country, history, and political changes and made the whole day so worthwhile. He was our very best guide for the entire trip, and he should be requested as a guide if possible.

The rest of our trip was uneventful and restful and we were picked up timely for our trips to our next destinations. I felt that we received a very good value and overall, we had a wonderful trip and learned many things that we will take with us as we plan our next excursion.

Thank you, Bea, and the rest of the KimKim team for making this a vacation we'll remember and talk about for years to come.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marina Atlântico

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

The view of the harbor each evening was so relaxing. This is a well-located hotel and very busy.

Authenticity & Character

It is really a tourist hotel with many busloads of people arriving daily.

Location

the view

Staff

Very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

My room was both clean and comfortable.

Hotel Mundial

Lisboa

We changed hotels because this one was impossible to stay in. The neighborhood is surrounded by homeless people who must use the gutters as their toilets, because the air around the hotel smell like urine, and worse. Also, the neighborhood it is in seems to be very shabby and run down. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone who has had experience with better equipped and more modern facilities. I think the in-room hair dryer was an original model from last century, probably from the 1970's.

Authenticity & Character

Not sure what authenticity it's striving for but it only succeeds as a run-down has been. If that's the goal then it wins.

Location

It isn't close to shopping or the water.

Staff

The only people who seemed interested in us were the managers when we checked out and couldn't understand why. They should stay at probably any other hotel of equal ranking and then they'd know why we left.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I don't know how Lisbon is addressing their homeless problem so can't comment on how that could be improved, but the hotel could start with a total remodel, including the hair dryers. Really? It looked like a vacuum cleaner.

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

the Azores

This was my favorite part of the trip; the guide was amazing in his knowledge of the country and was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

For the most part, very well planned.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrived exactly on time, every time.

Guided Excursion to The Furnas Valley

São Miguel Island

This area was so unexpected in its beauty. We could have been in Colorado.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Experience in Lagoa do Fogo

São Miguel Island

This hike is rated medium on the difficulty scale, but it isn't or wasn't for me. It was very difficult and parts of the hike are straight up which means other parts are straight down. This is not a hike for people who are not in good shape and have little hiking experience. Sticks would have made this much better, but they weren't suggested. Our guide, who does the hike, probably weekly, didn't break a sweat, but we were exhausted and exhilarated when we finished. The views from the top were worth the trouble. He explained that the government determines the difficulty scale, and I know I would never do a hike they deem difficult. I can't even imagine what that would be like.

Quality of Experience

Food

Our guide was nice to bring us lunches and water and we had a nice picnic near the lake.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was incredible! Anne did an excellent job in listening to what we were looking for. The food tour in Lima was an excellent way to start our adventure. It was like A to Z in Peruvian cooking ending with a Pisco sour. Yum! The accommodations were all in convenient locations to walk around the cities. The restaurant recommendations , we were never disappointed. Julio was one of my favorite guides as he loves his culture and was so informative. He just really gave us a first class history tour of Peru. The dinners in m people's homes allowed us to see first hand the farming as well as the hospitality the Peruvians show. Lake Titikaka was lovely with the beautiful people sharing a long heritage of culture and the pick up at the hotel by boat was so nice not to have to take another shuttle.
But the best part of our trip was hiking the Inca trail with Richard. The pied piper of Peru. Altho the hike was tougher than we thought it would be, Richard shared his love of his culture all the way along, the porters were so helpful and the cook outdid himself.
Ending in the Amazon was like the dot at the end of a perfect sentence.
No detail was spared. 5 stars to a great company. You helped make our bucket list trip truly a trip of a lifetime. Hats off!!!!

Kristy was meticulous and attentive in planning the trip and setting up our itinerary. Kristy's advice and expertise was accurate and thoughtful in all phases of the trip. The trip was executed smoothly and our trip was immaculate in all aspects. Every leg of our trip was serviced with tour professionals. My group couldn't have been happier with our experience and would highly recommend using Kristy and her team. The service level provided was far superior to any other travel agency I have worked with. It was a pleasure being in Kristy's care.

Hotel Reviews

Atoq San Blas Hotel

Cusco

The hotel was meticulously clean and the hospitality was top rated. We looked forward to the excellent breakfast service each morning. The hotel concierge ran down to the main boulevard twice to bring our luggage up the hill and all the stairs which was amazing. We felt at home and so well taken care of during our stay. The views from the hotel of Cusco were breathtaking.

Authenticity & Character

The San Blas has nice a charming atmosphere with old world charm.

Location

That it was in San Blas and away from the main square and hustle and bustle. Got to love the stairs and hill :)

Staff

The staff provided top notch service in cleanliness, breakfast service and being so accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotlessly clean during COVID

Katari Hotel

Arequipa

Nice hotel in the main square which had old world charm. It was enjoyable to see that the hotel retained the historic aspect and culture.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Puno

Puno

The hotel had it's own dock and this was special surprise that we didn't have to leave the premises for our Uros island tour. The restaurant food was delicious and had a great selection to offer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Colca Lodge Spa & Hot Springs

Yanque

The Colca Lodge had nice amenities with their own domesticated Alpaca and Llama area. The hot springs, although we didn't have a chance to use the facilities, was nice to have on premises. The layout and views of the grounds were enchanting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Location was close to bus and train, clean and convenient. Had the best sleep during the trip at the hotel. The staff was very welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Miraflores

Lima

The hotel was at a nice location and the staff was very helpful in explaining the amenities and services offered. The rooms were immaculate and relaxing. The exercise room had the right balance of cardio and weights. The staff was helpful in procuring cab rides and safeguarding/storing our luggage. If the hotel room is available before check-in, the hotel staff should allow earlier check-in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arequipa to the Colca Canyon

Colca

The drive to Colca Canyon gave us a chance to see the scenic landscape of Peru and the wildlife along the way. This was also an opportunity to acclimate to the varying altitudes during our itinerary. Antonio from Giardino Tours was outstanding in explaining the historical and cultural aspects of Peru. Hector was an excellent driver during the ascent and descents so we didn't get car sick from the winding roads.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colca Canyon & Puno Arrival

Peru

Arriving in the morning to watch the condors soar was spectacular. The drive to Puno was quite long and slow due to slow traffic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island

Puno

Spectacular views of Uros island and understanding how the local people lives was the highlight of both Uros and Taquile Island. Jose was amazing in bonding with the locals and how welcoming they were. The food on Taquile was simple and delicious. All the locals were so welcoming and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch on Taquile was simple and amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The captain was nice.

Machu Picchu Excursion: from Aguas Calientes - Huayna Picchu- Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Amazing and picture perfect views of Machu Picchu. Every picture was perfect. Best to see the citadel first before climbing Huayna Picchu so the fog can lift and you can get a spectacular view of the citadel from Huayna Picchu. The climb is tough but doable and watch out for the nasty mosquitos. Sonya was engaging and thorough in the history of the ancient Incan empire and Machu Picchu which added to the experience. Sonya guided us away from the crowded touristy spots to enjoy some of the quieter sites.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had such an amazing trip to Spain & France! Marina did an excellent job sending us several different trip plans to choose from with various hotel options / activities. A major bonus was the pre-arranged travel to and from the airport, (especially since we were unfamiliar with the airports). It made it that much easier and quicker at all our our stops. Highly recommend!!

Hotel Review

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an absolutely amazing time in Norway thanks to our trip planner Linda. Every place we visited was more magical than the last, and the lesser known towns she sent us to were our favorites. We never could have had this trip without her. My only regret is that we didn't have more time to explore these magical places.

We only had to reach out to KimKim once while we were away to get some advice on timing with the ferries. Linda was off that day, but her team member figured out exactly where we were based on our shaky directions from inside a tunnel, as was able to calculate our travel times and and give us advice on our next move. I was shocked at the level of customer service.

The tour guides Linda matched us up with here so kind and knowledgeable, it felt like walking around with our new Norwegian friends rather than being on a tour. Special shoutout to our inn keeper in Værlandet, who gave us food out of her own freezer when we arrived after the grocery store had closed. Above and beyond!