Kimkim Trip Reviews

I love researching and planning trips but this year I just did not have the time to do it and as our family wanted to try somewhere new and different I was delighted to find KimKim ! The process of booking our Norway trip was really easy and Merée was able to design a customised itinerary based on a little feedback on our group needs and interests. This included some really enjoyable events that I don't think would have been on our radar had I been researching myself, such as Ciderhuset and Oslo Opera House. The kayaking in Sognefjord was a big hit. We had a nice amount of down time to go find our own experiences and found Oslo and Bergen really easy to get around, with plenty of things to do. The best part of the planning process was how easily we could tweak it before arriving at a final plan. All of our hotels were great and Merée managed to get the best room configurations for our group despite a busy hotel season. The KimKim platform was excellent for the planning process and also while on the trip, and Merée and her colleagues were very quick to respond when I posted enquiries. We really appreciated having them on board as they were very responsive and helpful when we hit issues with the travel delays that are unfortunately an inevitable part of travelling these days! Finally, the weather for our trip was amazing and definitely a big part of its success - although I don't think Merée can take the credit for that!

This is an overdue review for a trip completed pre-pandemic. Pauline did an amazing job planning the trip. We loved driving around and exploring the waterfalls, black sand beaches and cliffs. The natural springs were great too. Looking forward to planning more trips through kimkim now that traveling is more accessible!

We had a terrific time in France thanks to kimkim!

Isabelle was terrific to work with in the planning phase of the trip, and Joel helped us finalize details and offered us valuable on-the-ground support when we needed it. We loved our stay in Paris at the Baum Hotel that Isabelle recommended. It was in a great location, the breakfasts were delicious, and the staff was tip-top. Our excursions were excellent -- though the heat caused some members of our party to pass on a few of the planned outdoor activities. The catacombs and Louvre were wildly different, but equally intriguing. Everyone appreciated tasting the sweets on our Paris tasting tour. We were especially grateful for evening tickets to visit the Eiffel Tower -- not only because it was cooler, but also because we got to see the magic of the lights of Paris. A few of us braved the heat to see Versailles, and we won the jackpot with our Fat Tire guide, Nick. He was deeply knowledgeable about French history and culture, very clever and entertaining, and his positive energy and enthusiasm kept the group from flagging in the 100+ F temps.

After our stay in Paris, we journeyed south to explore some historic towns and our own family history near Loudon. The place we stayed, Domaine de Roiffe, was a spacious, albeit quirky place with an "old school" country club vibe that took us back at least half a century. The restaurant offered something for everyone, and we enjoyed excellent local wines at our family dinner.

Further south in Bergerac we stayed at an incredible accommodation -- Clos d'Argenson -- for five fabulous nights. Our hosts Francois and Ann Marie were wonderful, the three-story building was beautifully appointed and full of interesting art, we enjoyed spacious common areas to read, play billiards, and eat scrumptious breakfasts with homemade delights on the balcony. The grounds were beautiful and quiet, with a peaceful swimming pool we used each day of our stay. In addition to enjoying the charming city and local village connected with another side of our family tree, we took advantage of the excursions Isabelle recommended: canoeing on the Dordogne with spectacular views of castles and chateaus, visiting the site of the Lasceaux caves, and dining at a Michelin starred-restaurant in St. Émilion. A small group of us even ventured a couple hours away to see a French cyclist win Stage 19 of the Tour de France in Cahors. Worth the 2-hour scenic drive!

Our time in Bordeaux exceeded our expectations -- it's a spectacular city with so much to see and do, and the FOOD was fabulous everywhere we went. Because of road closures due to wildfires, the crew that wanted to visit the Dune of Pilat had to make alternative plans. Our place in Bordeaux, Maison Bordeaux, was in a great location and was quite nice, though my parents encountered a few minor issues that did not get resolved during their stay (e.g. their door did not lock).

It was too sad to say goodbye, so we decided to go with, "See you next time!" Thank you, kimkim, for helping us put together our itinerary, figure out the lodging, arrange for our three separate car rentals, the various transfers, and all the local tours/activities that made our time in France an unforgettable experience. We're proud of our French heritage and connecting with it together as a family was a true gift.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Baume

Paris

We loved our stay in Paris at the Baum Hotel that Isabelle recommended. It was in a great location, the breakfasts were delicious, and the staff was tip-top.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Professional, responsive, friendly, and competent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms were especially bright and sparkling clean.

Domaine de Roiffé

Roiffe

Domaine de Roiffe was a spacious, albeit quirky place with an "old school" country club vibe that took us back at least half a century. The llama and sheep grazing on the property were entertaining, and the horses were beautiful to visit on an early morning walk. The restaurant offered something for everyone, and we enjoyed excellent local wines at our family dinner. The breakfast buffet was also really good, and we enjoyed the outdoor eating option. If we'd had more time, some of our party would have enjoyed playing some golf, but we had to set out for our adventures in the south. The location was really great for us since we went to visit the Maison de l'Acadie in La Chaussée.

Authenticity & Character

The rustic charm was appreciated by many in our group, but others were concerned that we didn't have air conditioning.

Location

Very close to one of our family heritage sites.

Staff

Everyone was really helpful. Wait staff and front desk especially!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Same as above: The rustic charm was appreciated by many in our group, but others were concerned that we didn't have air conditioning.

Clos d'Argenson

Bergerac

We HIGHLY recommend this incredible accommodation. Our hosts Francois and Ann Marie were wonderful, the three-story building was beautifully appointed and full of interesting art, we enjoyed spacious common areas to read, play billiards, and eat scrumptious breakfasts with homemade delights on the balcony. The grounds were beautiful and quiet, with a peaceful swimming pool we used each day of our stay. In addition to enjoying the charming city, a local village connected with another side of our family tree. It was a perfect place for us to stay.

Authenticity & Character

The space and decor was both comfortable and interesting -- very tasteful without being pretentious.

Location

In the heart of the city center, but not noisy.

Staff

Perfect hosts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioning was great. The bathrooms were sparkly clean, the linens and towels changed as we requested.

La Maison Bord'eaux

Bordeaux

Maison Bordeaux was in a great location and was quite nice, though my parents encountered a few minor issues that did not get resolved during their stay (e.g. their door did not lock). The parking on the premise was a tad clunky to manage (e.g. needed some help a few times with the gate).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Sweet Side of Paris Food Tour

Paris

We ALL looked forward to this tour. Our guide was really friendly and easy-going, and she took us to some of the best locations for delicious treats. At our first stop, for eclairs, we asked about the history of the eclair and our guide was stumped -- which seemed a bit odd since she has no doubt been there many times. With the help of the internet we looked up the answer to our question. Problem solved. Later on in the tour, our guide had more of a handle on the history of specific sweet delicacies, which made the entire experience more interesting. Because it was a Monday, and nearing the start of the summer holiday for the French, a few places we would have stopped at were closed. It was not a big deal, but if I had been leading the tour, I might have called ahead to the places I planned to go to confirm whether they would be open or not. Despite a few places with locked doors, we got to see and taste a lot of excellent tidbits. The tour provided a wonderful orientation/welcome for our trip to France. And since it was a really hot afternoon, I would recommend including a place for ice cream or sorbet tasting. Lucky for us the tour ended near where we were staying!

Quality of Experience

I liked the fact that it was a private walking tour for our family group. We got to try lots of goodies and everyone was quite pleased.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Barbara was easy-going and friendly. And she had great recommendations for what to try.

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

We were glad we did this in the evening when the temperature was cooler. Our guide was really good, sharing history of the tower with us as we looked up at it from various vantage points. It was especially useful having him guide us around the different directional sections of the tower pointing out key sites below.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was nice having the option to walk the stairs.

Biking Day Trip Through Historic Versailles

France

This was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Overall a 10 out of 10!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We won the jackpot with our Fat Tire guide, Nick! He was deeply knowledgeable about French history and culture, very clever and entertaining, and his positive energy and enthusiasm kept the group from flagging in the 100+ F temps. He was also extremely helpful. When a member of our group had difficulty with her bike, he rode it back while we were getting our picnic items and brought her a new one. When the store we were shopping at lost electricity, he helped us get to the best places for alternatives.

Transport

When we got there the train that departs from our meet up location was not operating, so we had to get on the metro for a few stops and take a different regional train. The 3-speed bikes worked well for the flat terrain we had that included some gravel.

Canoeing in Dordogne

France

This was a winning excursion among all members of the family. The biggest surprise to our group was how MANY canoes were on the river at the same time -- it was not as crowded as "bumper cars" but you were never on a stretch of river when you were alone among your party.

Quality of Experience

Stunning scenery. Lovely way to spend a summer day. Three folks in our party of eight dared to jump from the rock ledge after seeing some other people do it without hurting themselves. Very exciting!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff were really helpful at the point of set up and departure. It's just that we were surprised that no one shared more about the history of the river or offered any details about the specific sites we anticipated seeing along the way. It would be handy to have a printed guide with some interesting facts, or a basic orientation -- perhaps akin to what we heard guides sharing on the motorized tour boats along the river -- that would give us a bit more context to the region.

Transport

The equipment was good and the bus rides to the launch and from the end point were excellent. It was helpful that they provided each boat with containers to keep your stuff dry in the event of a capsize.

The Vezere Valley and Lascaux IV

Sarlat

Two of us eight had been to Lascaux II back in 1998, and we were impressed with the improvements afforded by Lascaux IV. Having the audio transmitter/headsets made listening quite easy. And the new space created as a replica to the original cave gives visitors more opportunity to get close to the cave paintings.

Quality of Experience

It's a powerful learning opportunity!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was quite good and the exhibition floor guides were also very knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

Parking was not completely full, but quite crowded. As mentioned above, give yourself time to park and walk from further away than you might have anticipated.

Our trip to Colombia was amazing. I whole heartedly recommend this trip to anyone seeking an interesting, inspiring and fun vacation. Wendy was a fabulous specialist - very responsive, helpful and kind. We enjoyed so many activities! In Bogota we loved visiting the Traditional Farmers Market with Maria Jose. She was so passionate about Colombia and her work. We learned so much and enjoyed the fruit and market. We had a blast dancing during a LBGT night in Bogotá! Our guide throughout, Andrea, was absolutely lovely. We learned so much about the city, Colombia and a bit about what it is like to live there. We loved our experience in Medellín. What a beautiful city. Our guide Andres was awesome. We were in awe of how this city and the community has transformed after so much suffering. The vibrancy and passion we felt in the Comuna 13 was amazing. I think I will most remember the moving stories, hopefulness and how much incredible work performed by the community has transformed this city. We also had a fun evening out to a gay bar with Andres. Great conversations! The visit to the “silletera” farm was lovely as well. Our last days were spent in Cartagena. Really had some great meals! Also had a blast with the rum and chocolate tasting! As I write this review, I feel a longing to go back! It truly was amazing. My impression is mostly of the people we met, our guides and others we spoke with. I feel so grateful for how much I learned and got to experience in this beautiful country with such amazing people.

Activity Reviews

Traditional Farmers Market

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The City of The Eternal Spring & Comuna 13

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

LBGT Night in Bogotá

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colorful Colombia: Hike to Guatapé Rock, Guatapé & Peñol-Guatape Reservoir

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Medellín Nightlife

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rum & Chocolate Tasting

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

To William , Stephen and all the KimKim team. Ron and I want to thank you for all the work you put into planning our trip. We enjoyed out tip through England to Scotland and back to England. All of the choices for our accommodations were wonderful. One of our favorite places to stay was The Upper Largo Hotel. The pub and restaurant there was so nice. The food was wonderful. Also, our accommodations in Port Isaac , The Slipway was so ver nice. All the Bed And Breakfast and Hotels were extremely nice. We would stay at all of them again.
The excursions, punting , Tea at Blenheim palace, The tour of Manchester stadium and one of our favorites was the walking eating tour. The guide was fun and so nice and very informative and all the places we stopped to taste food were awesome. Definitely anyone who wants to visit in Manchester I recommend that eating tour with our guide. From there we go to bath . Accommodations at the Abbey hotel were wonderful. Circus Restaurant was beautiful inside and the food was so delicious. We also toured the Roman Bath. We would recommend everything to anyone asking about our trip. Port Isaac was a wonderful way to end our vacation. Very beautiful village . Restaurants were all delicious. We never had a bad meal the whole trip. We are big fans of the British TV show Doc Martin and the setting for the show is filmed in Port Isaac. How fortunate were we to actually be there when they were filming the last episode of the series. From our balcony at the bed-and-breakfast we were staying in we could literally watch the actors and the filming happening.
Thank you so much for everything. Thank you for dealing with my phone calls I made through out the trip. There is not one bad thing to say about our trip. It was wonderful.

Ron and Gloria Beavers

Hotel Reviews

The Head of the River

Oxford, Oxfordshire

Beautiful setting. Food is delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Setting, location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Dakota Manchester

Manchester

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lionsgate Guest House

Bicester

Absolutely wonderful place to stay. Very very clean. Great location to walking. Staff was wonderful. Will definitely stay here again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Upper Largo Hotel

4 Main St

Absolutely awesome. Love this hotel the staff was so friendly and helpful. The restaurant was so clean and the food was out of this world delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Love the charm. The setting and all the stuff

The Slipway

Port Isaac

Couldn’t ask for a better place to stay. Great view from our balcony. Such a charming village. Food was awesome at all the restaurants we try. All around definitely want to go back

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Eton Mess Boutique Hotel

Eton, Berkshire

Very nice place to stay. The staff were very accommodating and helpful. Set an a perfect location for touring.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hard Days Night Hotel

Liverpool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Punting in Oxford

Oxford

Great experience very relaxing. The picnic lunch was out of this world. Way more than we expected. Loved it

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were so lucky to have a seasoned guide. He made it a great experience and he was very knowledgeable

Transport

We were so lucky to have a seasoned guide. He made it a great experience and he was very knowledgeable

Liverpool by The Beatles - Classical tour

Liverpool

Old Trafford Stadium Tour

Manchester

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eat the City Tour

Manchester

This was very enjoyable. Our guide was awesome and made the experience even more fun with his knowledge of the city. Everywhere he took us to eat was absolutely delicious. Just a lot of fun and would definitely recommend this to anyone wanted to do something in Manchester.

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome. really friendly guide.

Transport

Everything

Cornwall Private Horse and Carriage Tour

Padstow

So fun and relaxing. Great getting to see the countryside from the horse and carriage

Quality of Experience

So fun and relaxing. Great getting to see the countryside from the horse and carriage

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Or guys were so friendly and very informative. Had a lot of fun with these guys

Transport

Or guys were so friendly and very informative. Had a lot of fun with these guys

Port Isaac Walking Tour

Padstow

Very very informative. Our guy was so knowledgeable and the village is absolutely adorable and had just so much fun on the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had never heard of KimKim prior to booking this trip. Once we read the reviews, we were sure this is the agency to go with...and we were NOT disappointed. Our local specialist, Nada, helped us plan our trip from A to Z. She had really good recommendations, travel advice and was extremely responsive. Our itinerary, driver's contact details, hotel information etc. was all provided well in advance with a lot of detail so we knew what to expect.
Our driver, Awni Naser, who was with us for 5 days carting us around the sights of Jordan was exceptional as well. Very knowledgeable and helped re-arrange our itinerary slightly based on our needs for an even better experience. He gave us excellent pointers during the entire trip.
Our Jordan trip included Amman, Kerak, Mt. Nebo, Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum and Dead sea. Wadi Rum and Petra were the highlights for us. We stayed in a panoramic dome "tent" (in Aicha camp, highly recommend the accommodations and food here). Nada also organized a dinner for us with a local Petra family, which was nice to see how people in the area live. We highly recommend the Petra By Night tour, it is simple and quite magical.
Overall, we have nothing but good things to say about our trip - very well organized and executed. We will definitely book with KimKim again for our next adventure. 5 stars all around (would rate it higher than 5 stars if we could!). Thank you very much, Nada and Awni!

Michele, our local specialist was fabulous! He went out of the way for us when we were called home early due to some issues at home. He made all the last minute changes we needed and they were perfect. The hotel accommodations we had during the entire week were very nice, but we especially enjoyed the Hotel Laki and Hotel Selja, both of which were newer facilities with more spacious bathrooms. The others were nice, too, but these were nicer. All the tips for things to see along the route were excellent and much appreciated.

Overall, we absolutely enjoyed our Iceland vacation. Iceland is so unique and special; it was definitely worth our effort. We enjoyed hiking to various waterfalls, such as Grundarfoss, Kirkjufellfoss, Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, and those higher up on the hike to Skogafoss – Hestavaðsfoss and Fostorfufoss. We attempted to hike to the Glymur falls, but were turned away when we thought the log bridge crossing over the river Botnsá was beyond our capability – the river was flowing rapidly! We enjoyed driving around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and hiking off of Road F575 and hiking to Klukkufoss and Snekkjufoss. Taking in the sights of Djúpalónssandur beach on the west coast of the Peninsula was a unique experience. Our adventure to the Secret Lagoon for a dip in the oldest swimming pool in Iceland – located in a geothermal area near Flúðir was warm and relaxing. We also thought the sights of Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon were exceptional as was hiking in the area of the Svinafellsjokull Glacier near Vtnajökull National Park. But our absolute favorite activity was the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon excursion! It was a magnificently beautiful and warm day and the sights were once-in-a-lifetime views. How special - we will remember it for the rest of our lives.

Lize did a good job. Some suggestions in hindsight:
At Victoria Falls, I recommend doing both sides of the falls. Pioneer Lodge is very good. The trip to Chobe is very good.
At Cape Town our guide Mario was very good.
Tangala--the tents have no heat. The sleeping and shower were accordingly very uncomfortable. Guests should be made aware of that before hand; we were not.
Elephant Plains is a great property, but the wi-fi is very limited to the bar area--nothing in the rooms. The quality of the wildlife viewing was good, but the quantity was lacking. The quantity at Chobe and Tangala was much greater.

I cannot thank Bryan from Serendipity adventures enough!

He helped us to plan the most wonderful trip in Costa Rica! Not only did he give us wonderful suggestions but he also took into account our interests and our desires to see as much as possible in a short frame of time. He planned our activities meticulously and followed up with us throughout the trip to ensure that everything was going smoothly.

All our guides arrived on time and were extremely well trained and informed. Their enthusiasm to share their knowledge about their country, the wildlife and the forests was contagious.

I would like to particularly mention Arenal Star, their service was impeccable. The owner picked us up and had local sweets and chips as well as drinks for us in the car. Not only that he stopped on the side of the road to get us Rambatans so that we could taste them. We made use of his company the next day for a hike and again we had the most incredible experience with fresh fruit being beautifully cut for us after our hike. Our guide was extremely informative and really went over and above to ensure we had an unforgettable experience.

In Monteverde we would really like to mention Andy from Forest Alive. He was by far the most experienced guide we had for the whole trip. He allowed us to freely use his spotting scope so that we could see all the animals. He had an array of specialist equipment that he used to show us so many interesting things that we would have otherwise not seen. He also understood our desire to take it slowly and really "see" the forest. We noticed how other guides were on their second or third trip with clients whilst we were merely completing our first excursion. He really took his time to show us nature at its best. He also showed us how diverse the forest is and gave us an in-depth explanation of the difference between all the various forests (dry, could, rain, dwarf). Our experience in Monteverde with Andy was one of the main highlights of our trip. He really is an exceptional guide and we will be forever grateful to him for everything he shared with us. Not only that he is also a fantastic photographer and he was able to teach us and show us how to take beautiful photos of what we were seeing.

We had an amazing time and we will definitely be using the services of Kimkim in future for all our trips. They make planning your dream trip a walk in the park!

Thank you to everyone for the most unforgettable experience in Costa Rica!

We were so very lucky to meet Tamer , and have him help us plan our trip to Ecuador . Planning is really not the right word , for what he did , caring , constant communication , before , during and after the trip . He listened to our personal needs, responded immediately at all hours , altered the itinerary as needed, and went above and beyond to not only assure comfort , but safety . A couple examples would be :, he took me out to coffee upon arrival , met our whole group after first day , and walked us to dinner to be sure we were safe, rearranged our guide , added two days of tours while we were there, had breakfast packed for us by hotels when leaving early . He is not only in constant contact with us , but also the guides. His english is perfect , all this is very comforting in a foreign country away from home for a extended trip .

I was recovering from a broken knee , he made sure steps were minimized at all hotels. Everywhere we went they knew ahead about my limitations and our dietary restrictions . He also stayed within our budget .
We loved everything about the trip . Especially the Amazon trip to the Napo cultural center . We had a wonderful guide , Jose, and terrific accommodations . Our driver and guide Francisco , could not do enough for us . He brought us homemade treats his mother cooked, coffee his friend grew , and tried to arrange for us to see his friends rose farm , when my daughter asked if we could see one .. he took us to much needed trips to the pharmacy , where his Spanish was necessary . There are countless little things he did to enrich our experience .

I hope this is the beginning of a long travel relationship with Tamer and a Kimkim . I can’t think of a better service , and really friendship .

Thank you , thank you . It was a meaningful experience for us , a once in a lifetime trip . Can not recommend them more . Beyond grateful .

Hotel Review

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

This was a really great and special experience . The guide , the program , the food, and the accommodations were so wonderful . It is extremely well run . The most clean place we were in Ecuador . They care a lot about you being there . It is a rugged trip , but we’re were very surprised with how nice the room was .

Authenticity & Character

Not a tourist trap . Authentic

Location

Amazon , tree tops

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanest place we were

Activity Reviews

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kuri Muyu (Kichwa traditions) - Canopy Tower - Traditional Dinner

Yasuni National Park

The hike and the canopy tower was one of my most favorite activities of the 3 weeks in Ecuador . It was amazing . Pictures don’t do it justice . Seeing the birds , going at sunset . Being above the trees and seeing the whole forest and eco system . Our guide was beyond knowledgeable .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Papallacta

Quito

This was a nice day . Easier ride than mindo . Liked the hot springs . Definitely go to the more expensive spa . Even that was quite crowded . I guess I would try to go on weekday . We were there on weekend , and it was packed with little kids , very crowded . This took away from the experience for us . But the whole setup w food , hot springs and services is nice .

Quality of Experience

Food

We are there and the food was good and well priced

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What a wonderful experience we had in Galapagos!

Alvaro was super attentive and responsive to all of our questions and had great insight on local activities. We felt very safe in our travels. Safe even to walk at night dressed like a tourist honestly. In all the places we visited in the Galápagos Islands. We speak Spanish but in all honesty the trip was so completely planned from start to finish with transportation and quick support that it really didn’t matter. I would definitely recommend the planning service to my friends who speak no Spanish. We wish we had done our scuba certificate because this is an incredible place to dive, but we did get to do a beginner/non-certificate “discovery” dive which was an amazing experience.

Some favorite places we visited below:

Isabella: smallest town we visited but the tours were WOW

Hotel- Casa de Marita - beachfront boutique hotel with an incredible view walking distance from the doc/ snorkeling/ beachfront dining. Walk the boardwalk and explore the seaside. =]

Volcano (Sierra negra) 10 mile hike in Isabella - Visit to the second largest crater in the world. This was an intense, gratifying hike. Definitely bring hiking boots (not sneakers) and a camera. Incredible view, and and quite satisfying.

Tintoreras: This tour was rather short compared to some others but we saw the most penguins, blue footed boobies, and sharks (in just a snorkel) than any other tour! Also lots of sea lions and marine iguanas.

San Cristobal:
Here the sea lions are everywhere along the boardwalk area (the most we saw anywhere). Go for a walk and greet MANY sea lions on the way on the park benches and sidewalks.

Casa Blanca- ADORABLE boutique hotel with incredible view (on the bay) and just in front of the main doc which was very convenient for our tours that left from there. Restaurant there is superb. Hostess was incredible.

Tijeretas- easy paved hike with a favorite snorkel spot. Up close and personal experience with playful sea lions and tortoises! Interpretation center is a great family activity.

Santa Cruz:
This is a fun island with lots of food, shopping, tours, and activities! The below 2 favorites are great family activities!

Acacia hotel - beauuuuutiful eco hotel that definitely felt like a treat with a private pool and modern/tasteful amenities.

Exploring and uninhabited island- Bartolomé. I wasn’t sure what to expect here but this was a great package because it was a larger boat with a great crew/ tour guide. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and champagne included with a rather easy hike and beautiful snorkel. We saw new and different creatures such as a manta ray and puffer fish in the reef, as well as tortoises, playful sea lions and parrotfish up close.

Highlands tortoises farm- a beautiful home for the tortoises and we were able to see them up close, watch them eat their fruits freely and had a wonderful tour guide who was passionate about her work. Wonderful restaurant was there too.

Hotel Reviews

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

This was so wonderful and charming. Beauuuuutiful eco hotel that definitely felt like a treat with a private pool and modern/tasteful design and amenities. The had robes hung up for us and several beautiful lounge areas. Also the hostess was wonderful, helpful, and inviting. Breakfast was fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Modern eco style was very tasteful

Location

Central location

Staff

Warm, inviting and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Lived the robes and also the bathroom was no the stylish and clean.

La Casa de Marita

Puerto Villamil

This place was very impressive. One of our favorite hotels! The waterfront view was incredible. The garden was also so charming! Water front tapas for happy hour was a classy treat and dinner was also very good. Staff made us feel very taken care of as well.

Authenticity & Character

This place was very charming and definitely had a proud Latin American personality.

Location

This is located on the end of the beach where it’s quieter, but also just a few steps down the beach are many waterfront restaurants and also pharmacy/essentials in walking distance.

Staff

Welcoming, warm, and took great care of us!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Areas were clean, comfortable, and beautiful.

Casa Blanca

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

We stayed at the top floor suite and it had a great view, and a huge private patio. We could see the sunset from their incredible restaurant downstairs. Hospitality was wonderful and we felt well taken care of as well as safe in the area. Overall very impressed. This place is right near the bay doc which is both convenient and provides a great view!

Authenticity & Character

Lots of personality- was quaint and charming.

Location

Very convenient and beautiful sunset waterfront view .

Staff

Very attentive and took care of us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Loved the privacy of the top floor suite.

Activity Reviews

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

This was an intense, gratifying 10 mile hike. Definitely bring hiking boots (not sneakers or hiking sandals) and a camera. Incredible view, and and quite satisfying. Tour guide was very energetic and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Was the kind of challenging hike I was hoping for!

Food

Bagged lunch provided was good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable

Transport

Dinner by the Sea

Galapagos Islands

Isla Grill was incredible. There were small sharks by the foot of the restaurant in plain view which was an added bonus for us! It really felt like a special occasion place. We had a bottle of the Isla Grill wine which was so good!

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

I wasn’t sure what to expect here but this was a great package because it was a larger boat with a great crew/ tour guide. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and champagne included with a rather easy hike and beautiful snorkel. We saw new and different creatures such as a manta ray and puffer fish in the reef, as well as tortoises, playful sea lions and parrotfish up close.

Quality of Experience

Staff was so attentive and friendly! Also so many amenities. Very relaxing yet eventful day.

Food

Salad and dressing, fish, fried/battered bananas, huge breakfast, champagne, flan, everything was great and they thought of everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and attentive.

Exploring the Underwater World: Discovery Basic Diving Day in Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

We did the discovery tour and felt very well taken care of. We had an instructor walk us through instructions (just 2 students:1 instructor) and our instructor was very attentive. He made me feel safe and comfortable and took great go pro pictures and videos which were provided to us for free!

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

This was a favorite tour for sure. This tour was rather short compared to some others but we saw the most penguins, blue footed boobies, and sharks (in just a snorkel) than any other tour! Also lots of sea lions and marine iguanas.

Quality of Experience

Food

Gave us tangos (local chocolate covered biscuits kind of) after our snorkel =]

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable and friendly, enthusiastic, and funny =]

Transport

Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

This tour was rather self paced which was good for fitting different schedules. A long simple walk through town and on a beach, then kayaking was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self paced and more hands off large group tour

Transport

This was a lovely walk to the beach through town

Exploring the Santa Cruz Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Galapagos Islands

Beautiful family friendly experience with wonderful guide and ability to get up close and personal with land tortoises free range style. They seem very happy here. It was a beautiful tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Cafe we visited on site was a delicious 3 course meal. So good!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing tour guide. Passionate about her field, educated, and an obvious live for the wild life.

Transport

Cabs

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

This was our first real tour. We actually were offered to do both areas to snorkel but elected to do just the first (tijeretas). This was a wonderful snorkel with an easy paced hike beforehand. Sea lions were very playful and friendly. Tortoises also were happy to swim with us! Snorkeling go pro pictures were included for free =]

Quality of Experience

Diego did an excellent job planning our trip! All the excursions and airport/city transfers were timely in picking us up. All our tour guides were knowledgeable and excited about sharing their expertise with us. The hotel selections were perfect. There was one last minute change with one of our excursion providers and we received multiple notifications to ensure we were aware of the change. Overall, my family and I had a wonderful trip!

Very well thought out trip plan, great picks for both our hotels and activities. Beatriz, our local specialist really catered to our needs and was very helpful whenever we contacted her.

My husband and I recently made a very successful first trim to Norway and Sweden, spending a total of 2 1/2 weeks. The Swedish leg was straight-forward so we made all arrangements on our own. For Norway, we used KimKim Tours because we felt that the intricacy of the transportation system (in our case, a combination of domestic trains and ferries) was more than we were comfortable handling on our own. In addition, KimKim offered the maximum degree of customization compared to other providers. They took care of booking all hotel stays, 'Norway in a Nutshell' train tickets from Oslo to Myrdal/Flam, ferry tickets to Balestrand and one dinner reservation there (Kviknes Inn), Fjaerland fjord excursion, ferry to Bergen, and a walking tour of Tromso. To reach Tromso from Bergen, we self-booked a 4-night Hurtigruten cruise; however this could also have been arranged through KimKim.
While in Norway, we traveled with friends from the US -- a couple who, in addition to participating in our jointly developed itinerary, requested tickets for a Grieg tour in Bergen and slightly different hotel arrangements so that they could extend their in-country travels to accomplish ancestral research. The KimKim system allowed us to view each others exchanges with the specialist which was most helpful. It’s worth noting that at the start, the four of us were set up as a single account. However we learned that the way the cancellation insurance was structured, if one couple had to cancel for any reason, then the other couple would be impacted. As a result, KimKim offered to split us apart though we had already put down a deposit. This was very much appreciated though there were some initial technical difficulties in accomplishing the split. Therefore we suggest that KimKim clarify this particular aspect of their offered insurance before any money is collected. In the end, the global covid-19 pandemic seriously interrupted our travel plans which began in 2019. Our trip was finally undertaken in 2022. KimKim held the money we had initially paid and applied it to the trip when conditions made it possible for international travel to be resumed.
Overall, our bi-country trip was a great experience. In Sweden we easily got around on our own. We rented an apartment in Stockholm, took the train to Gothenburg to visit Swedish friends and from there went on to Norway via bus to Oslo. Once in Norway, we followed our customized itinerary designed through use of the KimKim online platform with advice from KimKim's selected local travel specialist (in our case, Guide Sør based in Kristiansand, Norway). As noted, the KimKim process allows maximum customization (up to 100%). For this to work well, the specialist needs to be given as much detail about the goals of the trip as possible. Upon request, the specialist was able to suggest specifics such as hotel bookings which we had the freedom to use or reject; we were also able to request that the specialist book alternative arrangements. In addition, the specialist advised us about days/hours of operation for various venues (e.g., restaurants, museums) so that we knew this before traveling.
A concern prior to departure was that the final itinerary was posted at least 2 weeks later than anticipated and was not packaged or delivered as expected. The itinerary was posted online in the system 'conversation' requiring us to then print a copy for travel as opposed to being sent to us in hard copy via regular or overnight mail. Nevertheless, the online version allowed us to move forward and provided reassurance that each booking requested had been made.
Land accommodations were all satisfactory (rooms were fine; included breakfasts were excellent). However, at 3 different hotels, our fellow travelers who had booked and paid (in full) in coordination with us, were told that that they had not yet made payment. The first such incident was resolved overnight by KimKim with no additional payment necessary. In the other two cases, our friends had to pay again and then get reimbursed by KimKim. This was accomplished timely but double-payment shouldn’t have been necessary. Apparently, there is a problem with the way things work 'behind the curtain' so to speak. It seems that KimKim uses a third party to accomplish hotel bookings rather than making or re-confirming them directly with each hotel. Other reviewers have similarly commented so our suggestion is that KimKim find a way to avoid this situation in the future. A similar, less concerning glitch occurred when we showed up at Kviknes Inn for dinner, i.e., the reservation noted in our itinerary was not recorded in the restaurant's log. Fortunately there was plenty of seating and no money had been paid in advance.
Of great value was KimKim's ability to advise us on the specifics of local transportation so that getting from one point to the next, whether overland or by water, worked seamlessly. Our helpful specialist secured passage for us, providing detailed input on the location of various stations and docks.
In summary, the degree of customization we sought led us to choose KimKim -- this is a strong selling point for the company. International travel, especially in the midst of a pandemic, can be fraught with problems so we were happy to have accomplished our journey knowing there were specialists we could reach if necessary. A final suggestion is that an emergency phone number to reach a ‘live’ voice after hours should be given to every client; using the number provided, we were only able to reach an answering machine. Luckily, because all hotels honored KimKim’s reservation requests on our behalf, the four of us we were never without accommodations and the various payment glitches were resolved.
Lastly, we’d like to personally thank Julia, Sonia and Kjeld of Guide Sør. We believe that each worked very hard to make our trip a success in spite of the extreme impact of the pandemic.

James put together a customized itinerary that was tailored to our interests. He listened carefully to what we were looking for, presented an itinerary, and worked closely with us to tweak it until it was perfect! Our drivers and guides made our vacation stress free and very informative. Most memorable were our cooking class in Barcelona, our “Cultural Triathlon” and flamenco night in Sevilla, hiking the Caminito del Rey, and visiting the Alhambra in Granada. Each hotel was beautiful in its own way. I especially loved our hotels in Sevilla and Granada!
Once we arrived in Spain, James or a member of his team were always available and checked in with us regularly to make sure everything was going well. We really appreciated that!
I would absolutely recommend KimKim and specifically Tailor Made Andalucia if you are planning to travel to Spain!

Hotel Reviews

Gallery Hotel

Barcelona

Friendly, helpful front desk staff, large and modern rooms, excellent breakfast buffet! Perfect location for walking to just about everything or using the subway. Yummy gelato place across the street!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza

Sevilla

Really pretty hotel with beautiful courtyard for breakfast and lovely pool and lounge area! Restaurant onsite with good food. Very relaxing to eat poolside!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

Perfect location for walking around the city. Tucked away from the noise on a small pedestrian street with lots of charm! Very peaceful, beautiful courtyard where afternoon tea and sweets are served… a really nice touch and much appreciated! Nice breakfast buffet as well. No elevator, so ask for help if your room is at the top of the stairs and your bags are heavy!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff should offer to have someone carry bags for those whose rooms are on the top floors.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Walk of the Gothic Quarter with Tapas Dinner

Barcelona

If you love history, this is the walk for you! Very informative tour guide! Tapas dinner was fun… we went to 2 places to experience some variety.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Cooking Class of Spanish Cuisine

Barcelona

Great experience! Class of 12 included retirees, a family of 6, and 4 others including us. Our chef took us shopping for the ingredients at the big market and gave us a tour of the market which was an unexpected perk. We made many different dishes and then sat at a big table to enjoy the meal. It was a unique experience, one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Triathlon in Sevilla!

Seville

Our guide, Pilar, was exceptional. She clearly loves her city and loves to share its history and its charms! The horse drawn carriage picked us up at our hotel and took us to the Plaza de Espana. After the ride was finished, we walked to the river where our boat was waiting! The boat took us to Triana, where we learned some of the history, walked through the market, and did some shopping. It was a great trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip from Ronda to Hike the 'Caminito del Rey' - Ending in Granada

Spain

Very beautiful, cool experience. Perfectly safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the best time in Iceland! Every single attraction Terry set on our daily itinerary and paid adventures were so beautiful and fun.

We decided to book our trip through a travel agency, which we've never done before, because our Iceland adventure was part of a larger travel plan that we were already overwhelmed with booking. All through our time in Iceland, and since we got back, we've been congratulating each other on what a good idea that was!

We heard from Terry, our travel agent, within a few hours of filling out our interest form. And she was amazing. She was responsive to our questions and our priorities, she worked with us as we chose and changed activities (often) and she was communicative about roadblocks.

And, to top it all off, she put in a ton of extra work--all in secret--to help me plan a surprise proposal in front of an Icelandic waterfall for my now fiancee! She was so helpful and excited about being my "secret agent," and she planned everything so perfectly. It all went without a hitch, and my fiancee hadn't expected any of it!

Thank you, Terry, for a trip of a lifetime!

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

A super relaxing first outing. What a great way to refresh and relax after a long trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach

Iceland

Very fun! We learned about the horses and got to do the Icelandic gait. It would have been fun to go on a bit of a longer/more varied route.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was horses. What's not to like?

Zipline Adventure Tour

Iceland

Wonderful guides and such a fun adventure! It was the perfect length, as well. Zoom zoom! Such a thrill!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fantastic! Loved the history we got sprinkled in, and the wonderful good humor. Total sweethearts!

Transport

Whales and Puffins

Iceland

A trip highlight! What an amazing experience. The boat was comfortable. We were given coveralls to keep us warm, and the tour guide was passionate and articulate. We really learned something on this trip, and our tour guide made us as tourists feel very connected to the larger cause of animal conversation in this beautiful country. Also puffins rock.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A+

Transport

Boats are fun.

Eleni did a wonderful job providing great lodging, locations, and experiences during our trip to Greece. We had a family of four with two teenagers and got to experience a little bit of everything. We had a couple hiccups with car rentals, but that didn't take away from how well organized the whole vacation was. The team was incredibly responsive during our trip 24/7 and every guide we interacted with was the best! If I ever go to Greece again, I would be happy to work with Eleni and her team! Thank you for the memories.

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

It's very close to the Plaka district and within walking distance of most shopping and restaurants. The room was pretty basic, but quiet. Really the staff was the highlight of this location. Pretty amazing customer service.

Authenticity & Character

It's a fairly basic hotel room. Not bad in any way.

Location

It doesn't have the best curb appeal in the alleys of Athens city. But inside is secure and lovely.

Staff

Staff was amazing! They recommended good places to eat and were great at making us feel at home.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thanos Village

Gialova

Our family all loved this location. Quiet. Private. Stunning views in all directions. I enjoyed being surrounded by all the plants. Air conditioning worked well, close to beaches, shopping, and food. Loved the balcony and pool.

Authenticity & Character

The surrounding area.

Location

The ocean views and easy access to shopping.

Staff

I never saw the staff. We never needed anyone for anything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Klymeni Traditional Homes

Nafplio

Probably one of the coolest places I've ever stayed. The homes are so neat with all the stone, marble, and wood. Beautiful views from the balconies of the castle, town, ocean, churches, and lime trees. Very magical. Our whole family loved it. Quiet, safe, peaceful, romantic, cozy, and you have easy access to anything you want to do in the area.

Authenticity & Character

The design of the villas is magical.

Location

The views are amazing!

Staff

The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Totally felt comfortable walking around barefoot

Activity Reviews

Private Sailing to Proti Island

Greece

Captain Nikos ensured that this trip would be a favorite for the entire family! The blues of the ocean were to die for! The sea was so calm and clear. The company and snacks were awesome. We didn't even make it to Proti island... We were having way too much fun getting a customized private route through the bay. Would do again 100%

Quality of Experience

Favorite for the entire family!

Food

The coffee and peaches

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain Nikos was the best!

Transport

We've never been on a sailboat before. Super relaxing and fun.

Kalamata private Food Tour

Greece

A cant-miss highlight for a trip to Kalamata! The tour combined great food, wine, coffee, company, city sights, and history with memorable local interactions. Maria was like an immediate best friend to our entire family. You could tell she was incredibly passionate about the food tour and making sure we all had a blast. I would recommend her food tour to everyone!!!

Quality of Experience

Maria was the best!

Food

All of the food was delicious. Had to pace ourselves because the is so much and you want to eat it all.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayak above sunken Epidaurus

Nafplio

A wonderful combination of beauty, activity, history, fun, relaxation, good food, and good company. Kayaking on the sea was therapeutic. The water was so calm and beautiful. Very laid back. Snorkeling over the sunken city was a magical experience. Loved every minute of it!

Quality of Experience

The tropical feel and snorkeling

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides had very different personalities and were all fun.

Transport

Easy drive in. Easy to park. Easy to find. Great location.

Private Epidaurus Guided Tour

Greece

Unless you're a big history buff... This location is just okay. We liked our guide and all, but for the amount of time it took to drive out there and then walk around in the heat... I don't know that it was worth it. Also, so much of it is covered with or surrounded by modern construction equipment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Palamidi Castle

Nafplio

So we had a private guide who took us up the back way through the forest to the castle which we thought was cool until we realized we could have just driven and parked at the castle. Also, by the time we got up there, the castle was closing in 30 min so we didn't get to see a lot of it before getting kicked out. And our guide didn't really tell us anything about the castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The only negative was that our guide seemed really tired or out of shape and we're a pretty athletic family that wanted to get up the mountain quickly.

Transport

Horse Riding in Nafplio

Nafplio

The horseback riding would have been better if it hadn't just been around the town... I'm use to horseback riding being an opportunity to see countryside you normally wouldn't see by foot or car. Also these particular horses were difficult. They were either bitter or slow. However, our guide was terrific. The best part of the edventure was when we stopped riding horses and just hung out at his place for drinks and fruit.

Quality of Experience

Better horses and location

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was friendly and generous

Transport

Private Acropolis & Agora Mythology Tour

Athens

The ruins took a backseat to our guide Maria who was really fun, funny, and the best part of the experience. Our family arents really big on history so we mostly just wanted to see the pantheon for photos. As cool as it was, the only negative were the crowds. We liked that our guide has photos of what the structures use to look like. :)

Quality of Experience

Maria, our guide was the highlight for sure!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver to the Acropolis was awesome!

Local Sunset Dinner

Greece

Fabio was very nice to work with. I think he was a little busy as sometimes we didn't hear back. We also didn't quite get the level of detail and communication that we would have liked to understand what he had planned and feel comfortable and confident in our trip. For instance, we asked for a boating experience and didn't realize until we got to the boat place that what he booked was a 9-hour excursion that was more focused on visiting towns than boating.

We did very much appreciate some of the concierge's help while we were there. Our luggage was lost and she was very helpful in tracking it down and getting it to us. And the drivers were always on time. We didn't understand the purpose of the person who met us in Sorrento, as he didn't live there and didn't provide any helpful info. Neither he nor the concierge could help us with local restaurant info, etc.

We also didn't really understand who to ask for questions we had and felt like one person would say, no ask the other person, etc. which wasn't great.

We did really love the person who was with us in Radda, Felipo. We are glad we did too as even though we thought we were getting booked on totally different excursions, he ended up leading them all - a biking tour, a hiking tour, and even a cooking class.

All in all, we had a great trip, but feel there are some kinks that Kim Kim, etc. should work out.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balestri

Florence

Very nice people, updated rooms done quite nicely. Very bizarre collection of Goofy figures in the lobby area that clashed with the vibe of the hotel. Great location. Not a very sound proofed room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo Leopoldo

Radda in Chianti

Very bare bones hotel. Cheap towels, toilet paper, sheets. You have to pay to get a robe or an extra towel. We could hear word for word conversations of the people outside. It also wasn't cleaned very well, and the AC could not keep up with the extreme outdoor heat. I found most of the staff to be overly formal and one, when we requested an upgraded room, to be on the rude side. It is super old, so if you are looking mainly for historic character and not a higher-end experience, this may work for you.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Capodimonte

Sorrento

We ended up enjoying this hotel, but giving it 3 stars because the first room they put us in smelled strongly of mold and had black mold around two of the vents in the room. It was also right next to the pool so we could hear the people at the pool in our room, and it also did not have hot water. The hotel initially said sorry we are booked when we tried to get another room, but I was persistent and magically they gave us a different room that did not have these issues. We loved that room. The other thing that was a bummer about this hotel was the pool. We had not had a break from our kids in years and so were bummed that the pool was full of kids being kids - it just was not at all relaxing and so we didn't use it other than the initial time we went. Very good breakfast. Really pretty hotel overall.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tough one - the initial room they put us in would get 0 stars, but the one we finally got did not have issues and was great.

Activity Reviews

Private biking tour with lunch & wine tasting

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Organic cooking class in a typical farmhouse - semi private

Italy

Quality of Experience

It was lovely, but quite hot

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We've just come back from an amazing trip with another family to Costa Rica. Planned and supported by Yuliana, KimKim and Amazilia throughout. Fantastic service from start to end. Thank you Yuliana and KimKim/Amazilia.

From the moment I contacted KimKim with a speculative query, KimKim’s responsiveness was immediately apparent.

A local agent was assigned to help me plan the trip within 24 hours and thereafter, all queries were responded to, at maximum within 24 hours, or within minutes if my queries were sent within office hours of Costa Rica time zone, which I've noticed can often run to 7 or 8pm local time. Our minds were made up to choose KimKim to help plan our holiday within the first few interactions and supported by the excellent reviews they've received for trips all over the world.

We were not disappointed. Yuliana was the local agent assigned to us, she has been professional, helpful, and responsive throughout; irrespective of the number of questions I had and boy, I had a few questions as we knew very little about Costa Rica. Whilst there were a few tweaks to her draft trip plan, it had met the brief straightaway. We played around with hotels, number of nights at each destination and activities to suit our families. We had some specific requirements and date constraints as two of our teenagers were volunteering at a Turtle conservation centre in Uvita, in week one, therefore we had to fit in with their timeline. Yuliana helped us arrange the private transfer to collect them up from the conversation centre before picking the rest of the party up to our onward destination. She changed things around, provided additional options or clear feedback on suggestions where things may not suit, we really valued the honesty and her local knowledge.

The trips and transfers were done with a mixture of providers but we felt reassured that KimKim/Amazilia were there in San Jose to support if there were issues. The trip ran like clockwork, transfers were prompt, activities were enriching and fun and the guides were knowledge and entertaining. There were only a couple of hiccups which were not the fault of KimKim but they were on the case promptly and helped us resolve.

Hotel Reviews

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

A large hotel, with beautiful ground and great facilities - multiple pools, 3 restaurants including a sushi bar, it's own crazy golf course and monkey trail. Rooms were not the biggest but adequate and well equipped. Small balcony, looking onto the courtyard. A wonderful local beach, Playa Biesanz which is walking distance but quite a steep walk. We felt the hotel was very security conscious, all entries and exits were questioned and confirmed for vehicles and pedestrian. Great ocean views. We loved the Pedro, the resident iguana!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Up a very steep hill, which put us off venturing out to try the local restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and comfortable, however, there was a faint damp smell to the linen.

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Not the biggest hotel. More basic than the previous two we'd stayed in. We ended up being allocated a room without air con although it did have a fan. The hotel room was quite small but adequate. Storage was a bit of a challenge in that the hanging space was limited, within a short cupboard where my husband was not able to hang his shirt up without being crumpled. We had an issue with our plumbing which was quickly rectified. The grounds were very well maintained with beautiful planting. The hotel had a covered pool area with a good bar, a large jacuzzi and a large fire pit with seating which were popular in the evenings. There was a short walking trail around the grounds and plenty of outdoor seating, which I made use of to compensate for the smaller rooms. It's the only hotel out of 5 that had a menu option for breakfast, which was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

lovely grounds, with plenty of outdoor seating and a walking trail within the grounds. It was also very handy to have ramp access for the heavy cases on check out!

Location

Great location for access to Santa Elena, where we were able to sample the local bars and restaurants of which there are many.

Staff

responsive and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Lovely hotel set in a lot of grounds. I like the lodge arrangements that was separate to the pool and restaurants. Good choice of restaurants, we particularly liked the Italian, the Sushi bar and the snack menu which was offered during the day. There was plenty of choice for breakfast and the service time from 6:30 helped with several of our early morning excursions. We preferred the evening meals from the other restaurants on site. There was a mix up upon checking where my acceptance of an upgrade for one of the rooms turned out to be a change the hotel had made, reducing our 3 room requirement to a single room which was upgraded to the Master Suite. Whilst this did come with a double room, it would not have worked accommodating with 2 families, 7 people. The hotel did insisted that we had to settle for this arrangement as they were full, fortunately KimKim were already on the case and by the time we went back to reception after assessing the room. Arenal Springs did provide us with another double room which we made work. That was an unfortunate start to an otherwise wonderful stay at Arenal Springs. We all loved the daily towel displays and chocolates and the Master Suite was luxurious with two in-room jacuzzis powered by Hot Springs, an indoor and outdoor shower and a hammock with a view of Arenal Volcano.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Good hotel, room size and facilities as you'd expect of a large chain.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very convenient for the airport and the free shuttle was handy

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa

Playa Ballena

Cristal Ballena is one of our favourites on the trip. The hotel was fairly small therefore an intimate feel. It was tucked away off the main road and had amazing views, floral, fauna and wildlife. We got best close up view of a sloth of the whole holiday at Cristal Ballena. The staff were attentive, the food was good. We had dinner at the hotel on all 3 nights we were there. Rooms were of a good size, with air con. We had a balcony with a view into the the hotel grounds, swimming pool, the ocean in the distance for incredible sunsets.

Authenticity & Character

Relatively small and intimate, with great staff.

Location

Tucked away from the main road. Well maintained and beautiful gardens. It would be 5 star if the beach was a bit more accessible. Great views and sunsets.

Staff

Friendly and attentive. They would often come over to let us know if wildlife had been spotted.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Whales & Dolphins Boat Tour in Marino Ballena National Park

Costa Rica

A great adventure with a relatively small group. We were rewarded with sightings of plenty of dolphins and a turtle, even though the whales didn't make an appearance on that day. We liked the way the guide was in communication with all the other boats out with the same purpose so if one boat spotted wildlife, the others would rush to the same spot so others could also. It brought an additional element of excitement to the tour. We particularly loved the way the tour started and ended, where the passengers had to enter the boat from the beach rather than a jetty and surfing the waves to get back onto the beach! What fun. The fresh fruit was a nice touch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Mangrove Kayaking

Costa Rica

Thanks Alain and the other guides for a wonderful experience. We saw lots of wildlife, had enough freedom to go at our own pace although there were some quite competitive kayaks :). We appreciated the food at the end of kayaking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hanging Bridges Hike

Monteverde

Thank you to our guide Phillipe, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. We learnt a lot about Costa Rica's eco system and climate. The transfer was a little confusing, as it was a bus full and no communication about where we had to go at the beginning so we joined the main queue, along with the other bus loads. However, all was clear when we got to reception. We were assigned Phillipe as our guide. It was really busy at the time so Phillipe suggested that we did the bridges backwards, ie. from 8 to 1 to avoid the crowds. That worked really well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Thank you to our wonderful guide, Carla for spotting all the wildlife (we don't know how you manage to see some of the well camouflaged insects and animals), flora and fauna and particularly for help us take some tremendous photographs through your binoculars with our smart phones.

Quality of Experience

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Callidryas Sloth Watching Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

We spotted 7 in all, two and three toed sloth. We also saw plenty poison dart frogs, a Jesus Christ Lizard, howler monkeys and a tiger heron. Thank you to our knowledgeable guide and the local spotter who'd spent hours before tracking down the animals.

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Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

3 star, not because we didn't see as much as we'd like but because our guide whilst informative was less conversational. Again, he tried to avoid the crowds and the searches felt a little desperate towards the end. That said, we did enjoy it and managed to capture great photos of a glass winged butterfly, pit viper, hummingbird amongst others. Thank you for providing torches.

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Transport

Pick up was slightly late. We came to the realisation that this can happen where there are multiple pick ups. The buses can get very full which can be a challenge for those over 6 foot.

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Thank you Franklin, we believe he's one of the best. We were entertained. The teenagers even enjoyed the singing and the dad jokes ;). Hot and humid but we really enjoyed it. Franklin kept a good pace, although he did say at the beginning that we could ask him to slow down if we'd need him to. The heavens opened when we got to the thermal springs and for the most of our time in the springs but we enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good choice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was never going to be our favourite activity, as a group we're not experienced, therefore I don't review the horse riding part. The 3 star review is because of the mismatched in expectations around the La Fortuna Waterfall and optional opportunity to swim. We didn't expect this to be a hike (at least 30 mins) down steep steps (and back up for the return) to get to the waterfall. We were prepared for a short walk but not this level of difficulty. The walk also didn't bring us to the waterfall, whilst it was visible at the end of the walk. For those who had opted to swim, they can cross the water with a further short walk to get to the waterfall. For those who had opted not to swim, there was no way to get to the waterfall and there was nowhere to stand/sit and wait for the rest of the part. We collectively felt that this detail need to be reflected in the activity description.

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Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

What a finale activity for us. Once again, our guide was brilliant, knowledgeable, full of humour and chat thank you Martin. We had to do a little bit of work but not a lot given the flow of the river. Our activity was made some what more exciting by an unplanned rescue of a couple of stranded kayakers (both were rescued, unharmed and laughed about their experience).

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Luisa est une jeune femme pleine d'entrain de joie de vie communicative qui a su être à notre écoute et nous a concocté un planning de voyage au Pérou vraiment parfait et surtout correspondant à nos envies déterminées à l'avance.un grand merci donc à Luisa pour ce voyage plein de découvertes. Nous recommandons vivement et même plus encore.

Activity Reviews

Must sees in Lima

Lima

On a découvert Lima dans d'excellentes conditions voir privilégiées

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Drive towards Paracas

Lima

Quality of Experience

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Overflight Nazca Lines & Sunset over the dunes

Peru

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Drive back to Lima from Paracas

Paracas

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Welcome to Cusco City

Cusco

On a eu le bonheur de rencontrer Guido, notre guide local qui a été fantastique,communicatif, plein d'humour,un vrai coup de coeur pour Guido

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Cusco Walking City Tour

Cusco

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Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines

Peru

Exceptionnel

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Lunch at the Shores of Piuray Lake

Peru

Un endroit bien secret et authentique

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Chinchero Village & its archaeological park

Peru

On y fait nos achats,on a passé un très très bon moment

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Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Guido, toujours Guido était là pour nous donner toutes les informations nécessaires et répondre à nos questions

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Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Sacred Valley

Beaux souvenirs

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Il est temps de remercier très chaleureusement notre chauffeur, discret, très sympathique et excellent conducteur

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

L'endroit est juste magnifique et magique

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dommage guide pas du tout à la hauteur de nos attentes

Transport