Kimkim Trip Reviews

All the bus drivers, each and everyone were wonderful. They were conscience of our time schedule and making sure we connected with the appropriate guides. Demistris the first person at Athens was kind and cordial and provided me with the phone and crucial information. He also greeted me again and my group just before we left to Meteora, which as breathtaking. All the guides were also fabulous, They all shared stories both personal and factual which made the information more enjoyable. All the hotels were excellent and loved taking advantage of the spa services at Santorini, absolutely loved the Catamaran tour and mineral springs, they even played music from Mamma Mia and my group were Dan I g and singing to the music as we entered the docks as we embarked and those who were on shore were clapping at us.
By the way he tour guide at the Oracle was great, she told stories like nobody else could😊
The workshop and the guide who escorted us to the soap making, ancient Olive tree and wine tasting event was outstanding! The woman who provided the workshop were great and my group bought a lot of soap from them and a lot of olive oil etc from the wine tasting tour. My artist gave our tour guide a special drawing of the ancient tree to him and he provided myself with a sketch and my assistant, so personal.😊 My group fell in love with Crete, and the family that took us on Easter Day were so very special, they were outstanding and provided us with Easter bread and Raku(sp). And written information about the tradition of your Easter, super special.
Botanical Garden and special meal was excellent!
All the hotels excellent, food and boat rides. The first boat ride (ferry) to Santorini though was a bit tough, as it took an extra hour and half due to weather, but the other two was great. The only issue with Jeremy on the last overnight ride, but u all are taking care of that. Of course the Olympia was extraordinary, My students had the opportunity to stand on the ancient blocks in the field and I even raced against my husband on the field, didn’t realize others were watching we received a clapping from those who were watching when we finished as I won😊
Communication with myself an some of those I encounter my have been a bit difficult at times, but with this communication and the phonetic provided along with the detail agenda for me, it all helped. Everyone you provided for us were kind, patient and courteous.
Confusion on what tickets were included and not was mostly the issues, but we resolved it. On past trips, that was always included. The only issue that I had was the lunch at Olympia, I thought it was part of the amount, but I was good once I spoke with Tasos. The place the bus driver recommended was excellent and the husband and wife (owners) went out of there way to provide special plates they my group enjoyed.
I would definitely use Tasos again, for he did an excellent job working with me to make this an extraordinary adventure, learning experience for my students

Everything was well taken care of. No significant glitches. Good guides provided, who were knowledgeable, helpful and attentive. Superb experience. Communication and responses from Linda were prompt and clear.

Amazing trip to Jordan people we lovely and Petra did not disappoint

We had a great experience from planning our trek with Kripa through to leaving Nepal after 10 unforgettable days. Our guide Tendu and porter Gulu were exceptional and passionate about trekking especially through their home region of Nepal. Great trek which was quiet and spectacular.

Thanks for a well organised holiday Raluca!

I really enjoyed travelling in Transylvania. The infrastructure is good even if not top rate. The people were friendly and helpful. Communication was quite good as most young people spoke some English and non-speakers were keen to try to understand and help. Speaking a bit of German and Hungarian was useful.

Accommodation was reasonable in price. At times I felt that I would rather look at history than live in it. However every place was spotlessly clean and inviting.

I enjoyed walking through old villages where the old pace of life was still visible. Seeing storks nests on top of electricity poles was amusing.

The food was mostly good quality if not very varied.

I would like to return and explore other parts of Romania.

Brahim did an excellent job in guiding us while we planned the trip. He coordinated well that we did not need to connect with him during the trip. We had Rachid as our driver and he was excellent.

Our daughter has food alllergjes and the entire trip was arranged so she was safe

WE had a fantastic experience using Kimkim again this trip. We were linked with Anne and here tour guides really did their best to make our trip perfect. We really did not need to worry about anything and every day we had something interesting to do. The selection of accommodation was really comfortable even in the remote town's and we really felt like we were having thw 'boutique' and personalised trip we wanted. I am really happy we did it this way and let Anne organise everything because we would have never been able to have so many local experiences and have been so well looked after if we'd tried to organise everything ourselves. The highlights were Bagan and Inle Lake, it was boiling hot during the time of year we visited but when we got to more altitude the weather was more pleasant. I definitely will be using Kimkim again, twice now I have had great holidays and such memorable experiences through using these guys.

My husband, daughter (18) and I have just returned from a week in Nepal, a trip organized by HIMALAYAN TRAILS (HT) - trekking in the Annapurna Valley, visiting Pokhara and Kathmandu. A long held dream has been fulfilled and exceeded by our well-conceived and finely executed trip. From our planner, Reshma, and our guide Rissi to our porters, drivers and the staff in our accommodations, the level of expertise and professionalism were outstanding. Reshma’s depth of experience and her responsiveness provided us with a stimulating itinerary – from the duration of our treks, to the quality of the lodges (mostly Downey and Ker). The organization was impeccable but most importantly our days were filled with beauty, joy, surprises and comfort. In organizing our adventure, Reshma quickly grasped the type of experience we sought and we, in turn trusted her to make the right decisions. Rissi has a ton of experience. He is kind and extremely responsible. Every lodge was in a spectacular setting with charm, comfort and healthy, delicious and filling meals. When we hit a challenge at the end of our trip, Reshma, Raj and others from HT went well beyond the call of duty. Our last day in Kathmandu began with a medical issue (nothing to do with the trip): our friends were on site immediately, found us excellent care and supported us throughout the day as we dealt with the aftermath. It is a pleasure to recommend HT. If you choose them, you will be richly rewarded.

We had a wonderful trip to Morocco thanks to Brahim, our local specialist. This was our first time using KimKim. He was very responsive to questions and tailored a trip that focused on our interests. The trip was extremely well-organized from start to finish. We landed in Casablanca, spent the first night in Rabat, then traveled to Fes, and finally Marrakesh. Our driver, tour guides, and accommodations in the Riads were all organized by Brahim. All we needed to book on our own was our flights.

Everyone involved, from our driver to the local tour guides knew exactly where to be and when to be there. Our driver, Yahya, was the most important part of our trip. He was available 24/7 and attentive to our needs. He was friendly, knowledgeable, punctual, and always made sure that we were safe. He also served as a translator from Arabic-to-English and French-to-English. Having a good driver in Morocco is invaluable!

Thanks again to Brahim, Yahya, and the KimKim team for making this the best vacation we've had so far!

We had a wonderful trip to Greece and loved every minute of it. The kimkim team, Tasos and the team at Travel12 were all very helpful and professional. The accommodations were lovely and the guides on the tour were extremely knowledgeable and so personable. We could not have asked for a better vacation and will certainly use kimkim again for future travel! Thank you all for helping us make some beautiful memories!

We were looking around for private tours that would tailor to our preferences for China and found Kimkim on the internet.
Our initial consultant was very attentive to all the communication and was happy to many small changes to the itinerary to suit our needs and budget. The process was smooth and saved us a lot.of time planning our own accommodation, ticket and transportation bookings etc...
The only issue we had was that we had a flight scheduled from Xian to Shanghai in which we had advised to have our seats booked sitting towards the front with window seat if possible. This was noted by the consultant but upon turning up to the airport with our private tour guide, we had found out that not only we didn't have our seats by the window, my husband and I were also seated in different rows which annoyingly we couldn't even change at the airport (was told they didn't have any available, despite the fact that we were one of the first to check in based on our tickets).
The private tour guides that we had in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai/Suzhou were all good and knowledgeable, with our tour guides Tom and Jessica for Beijing and Xian were standouts. We'd highly recommend private tours so you can skip most queues and have your own private vehicle to travel in. It was also super flexible and us being sick for the first couple of days, our tour guide and driver were more than happy to move things around for us.
The highlights for us were definitely the Great Wall of China, and since we arrived early in the morning as per your guides recommendation, there were barely a sight of tourists on the section we visited, so it was quite a nice experience as we got the wall to ourselves for almost half an hour. Another great highlight was the Terra Cotta warriors which were just surreal when we got there. Our tour guide had so much knowledge and she just knew almost everything about the history when we asked her questions!! We'd highly recommend Kimkim even though we had a small hiccup (which they apologised and did make up later on)! The private tours have many benefits and one of it also includes the great local food that our tour guides did not hesitate to recommend us, which often in big tours you don't really get.

Mads, his team and especially our guide and porter could not be faulted when it can to looking after us. A dream trip

My husband and I went to Colombia in February - Bogota, Medellin and the Coffee region. Kimkim helped us tremendously planning our trip. The hotels were great, the guides (Hector in Bogota, Santiago in Medellin and Milton in the Coffee Region) were fantastic - knowledgable, kind and always on time. We really wouldn't have gotten an understanding of the country, its people, its struggles and future without our guides. Our only hiccup was one guide didn't show to take us on cyclovia in Bogota. We were able to borrow bikes from the hotel (not super comfortable, but functional) and manage ourselves. Kimkim refunded that portion and apologized. We enjoyed very much the tours of both Bogota and Medellin - but the most beautiful area was the coffee region and the Cocora Valley. Los Nevados was very interesting too. I will definitely use Kimkim again - and think I'll get better at deciding how much to do on my own and how much to let them handle.

The goal of our trip was to visit the area of Albania where my grandparents lived before emigrating to the US and become acquainted with Albanian culture and history. Alban,our guide , was extremely knowledgeable and we accomplished everything we set out to do and more.
Hopefully we will return to Albania someday -it is a beautiful country and the people are wonderful!

Our trip to Phu Nar was incredible. Our guide Dawa and porter Malan were impressive. They worked so hard to ensure our safety and comfort every step of the way. At times our trek was very challenging and physically tough due to the track conditions. The level of difficultly was high but the scenery and cultural experience was exhilarating. Our interactions with village locals, drivers, tour guide and Erin our tour organizer was perfect. No complaints and highly recommend KimKim

Our Ecuador adventure was amazing due to the excellent support from Linda and Kimkim. Linda helped us pull together a diverse itinerary for the relatively short amount of time we had in a country we knew nothing about. She was very responsive to emails and patient with our questions and worked within our parameters that kept changing. We loved all the accommodations recommended by Linda, in particular the Inti Sisa Art Guesthouse in Guamote and Hosteria Mandala at the coast in Puerto Lopez - both so amazing and gorgeous, and each supporting important social and environmental projects in their communities which was important to us. And in our price range! We appreciated Linda’s recommendation to have a driver/guide traveling from Quito to Banos, and enjoyed a full day with Annibal V learning about Ecuador, and seeing the sites. A more expensive transportation option, but but well worth it and balanced off with the super inexpensive (and more adventurous!) buses we took at other points in our travel. Another highlight was our day trip to Isla de la Plata with Machalilla Tours - again recommended by Linda and we felt confident in the quality and safety of their equipment, services and guides. Thanks Linda for helping to create such a memorable trip for three Canadian gals, we would not hesitate to highly recommend your services to others.

I traveled to Colombia solo and returned home to Seattle with incredible memories, thanks to the KimKim team. My guides were attentive, informative and very punctual. They ensured that I had a great time - I got to tweak the itinerary to best suit my interests. So I was off learning salsa one afternoon and traipsing through the streets of Cartagena the next. I got to see the incredible variety of birds that Colombia is famous for - from the Andean cock of the rock and the wax-eared parrot in Jardin to the birds endemic to Santa Marta. Yuliana was very good about making last-minute changes to my itinerary. My local guides in Jardin, Diego and Paula were a young, enthusiastic pair that shared my passion for birding. Erik Ramirez knew the birds of Santa Marta as well as he knew the people. I have pictures to prove it! The members of the Colombian Project were proactive and responded quickly anytime I had questions.
I wish I could have visited Tayrona National Park - but if I finish everything in one trip I wouldn't have anything left for the next time, right?
Thanks again for a memorable trip. My friends are visiting Colombia and you are guiding them too! I hope they have an incredible time too!
Vimla

I liked working with KimKim because I always felt in control of our trip. I liked being able to add experiences which allowed us to make the trip personal. We could make decisions along the way and not have a tour guide telling us to get on the bus.
Our first tour guide in Tokyo (name?) was wonderful. She interacted with the children and they learned so much. She took the time with them and let them set the pace somewhat, making adjustments to places and time easily if needed.
The second tour guide in Kyoto was very nice but seemed more intent on getting us through everything rather than creating an experience.
The experiences such as tea ceremony and ninja lessons, and cooking lessons were wonderful. One of the highlights of the trip.
Our only complaint was the time schedule in Hakone. We were unable to fully enjoy the area due to the bus schedule. We didn't realize how far away from the train station was the hotel. We figured we would drop off our overnight bags and then explore. But we were 25 minutes out of town. However, the inn was wonderful and the children had a great time playing in the room and attached hot spring bath.
The support team was wonderful in helping along the way with questions and suggestions.

I loved that my grandchildren were immersed in the culture and loving every minute. My grandson even asked if he could live in Japan ! We bowed at every torii gate, prayed at every shrine, admired the cherry blossoms, and became pros at public transportation.
Thanks for a wonderful trip.

We traveled a lot and It was our first time to try a self guided tour. It’s an amazing experience since we have our time and choices to maneuver which places we like and explore. It’s an adventure that time is not pressured but it’s laid out for you to venture. As long as your provided SIM card is activated then everything is easy. Our best unforgettable adventure is the hike to Mt Tarawera by kaitiaki adventure which was arranged by Kimkim and the thermal spa . Breakfast was substantial and accommodations are acceptable. Valentin our tour organizer, was quick to respond and understand our interest and so we are happy and contented with our NZ adventure. I highly recommend Kimkim but make sure to have more time in NZ rather than just one week . I’ll definitely come back in the near future with more time. Kia Ora ! We are happy camper, thank you very much.

We had two tours- one with Eon and one with Lisa- and both were wonderful! Eon took us to the wine country- 3 wineries and lunch- and Lisa took us on a scenic tour of the peninsula- Cape Point, Boulders Beach- and lunch at Two Oceans. We cannot say enough about them- both guides were so knowledgeable, fun, interesting, attentive, sweet- we were so very impressed! Would definitely recommend both to our family and friends.