Kimkim Trip Reviews

I really appreciated the care and organization that our guide, Andrea, provided for our trip. We had a great experience with every guide. The tours gave us an intimate understanding of the history and joy of Italy. Andrea kept in touch throughout the experience and was always available. He supported me when my family was complaining and tired. The only glitch in our trip was a typo in the road book that sent us over 3 hours in the wrong direction after we rented a car in Florence. When I called Andrea, he chided me for not putting the address of our hotel into the GPS. We put in the name of the hotel, which was in the road book, not the address. The address was correct, but the name of the hotel was incorrect. Fortunately, we ended up getting to the right location in time for dinner. And it was probably the best dinner we had during the entire trip. I would have given Andrea five stars had he been able to take responsibility for the typo instead of shaming me.
I would definitely use Kim Kim again, but I would rigorously check the names and addresses of everything to avoid drama.

Hotel Review

Hotel Florence

Bellagio

Beautiful room with plenty of room. The staff was friendly and helpful. The location is perfect and the bar/plaza is great for people watching. I would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

well maintained.

Location

On the lake.

Staff

Great attitude.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No problems.

Activity Review

Montepulciano and Pienza guided food day

Italy

Our guide, Serena, was fun and didn't hurry us. She had positive energy and even helped us find a restaurant for dinner. Love her.

Quality of Experience

Transport

On time, but the driver who picked us up in Milan, hit a guardrail on our trip to Bellagio. No one was hurt, but the car.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in portugal. We had knowledgeable guides who spoke good English and enriched our knowledge of their country's history.
Our tour was well organised by Pedro who kept in constant contact with us every step along the way
The highlight of my trip was the Fado evening, a "must see" experience.

Hotel Review

Porto Royal Bridges Hotel

Porto

Staff were friendly, clean, good selection of food for breakfast, well positioned for sight seeing the area by foot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Accessable by foot to most sightseeing places in Porto.

Staff

All were friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfy

Activity Review

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Andre was an excellent guide with a great deal of knowledge of the history of Porto and especially the history of the jewish people. His english was excellent. I would like to suggest that a breal for a coffee or suchlike in the middle of the 3 hour walkabout would have been nice for us older people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They interacted with us in a friendly way

Transport

It was roomy nicely air conditioned and had water available

We and our children and grandchildren just returned from a fabulous 11-day trip to Bergen and the Western Fjords. Our travel specialist, Linda Verasdal, did an impeccable job of crafting the perfect itinerary tailored to our interests and needs. What memories we made!

We started and ended our trip in Bergen. Must-do’s: Take a walking tour of the harbor area with a local guide to learn about historic Bryggen and tour its colorful, ancient wooden buildings; ride the funicular up Mt. Floyen for amazing views of the city, harbor, and surrounding mountains; then, hike back down to town. Take the light rail to visit an impressive stave church. Eat dockside at Fish Me or lunch as we did at Egon.

We then traveled into the Hardangerfjord region via private transport, stopping at the Jondal ski resort where we snowshoed up to the glacier! Exhilarating!

As we toured the fjord region, we spent two nights in each of these small villages: Lofhus, Ulvik, and Flam/Aurland. Highlights and faves: taking scenic cruises on the fjords on while counting the numerous waterfalls (!!) and taking in the breathtaking beauty, tasting the local apple cider at farms where the trees were in full bloom, kayaking, hiking, getting our thrill on a wild rib boat safari, and taking walking tours with local guides who told us about the area.

In the tiny town of Gudvangen, we took a private tour of the authentically reproduced Viking village of Njardarheimr where our excellent guide Cory debunked the myths and explained what life was really like in the Viking era. Craftspeople demonstrated traditional trades. Faves: trying archery and axe-throwing, meeting the Chieftain of the village, and being introduced to the ancient chess-like board game Hnefatafl. (No, we can't pronounce it!)

After a relaxing cruise on the beautiful Naeroyfjord to Flam, we feasted on the Viking Plank Dinner of local ingredients and brews at the Aegir Brewpub.

We finished our trip with two wonderful days in modern cabins right on the fjord in tiny Aurland. Lastly, we took the famed Flamsbana railway from the bottom of the Aurlandsfjord to the mountains in Myrdal, stopping midway at the powerful Kjosfossen waterfall.

What an experience!

Hotel Reviews

Brakanes Hotel

Ulvik

Brakanes Hotel was a good experience. The location is absolutely stunning, with cabins right on the fjord. Despite undergoing an ownership change, the hotel remains a great place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Hotel Terminus is ideally located opposite the train station, making it easy to catch a train to the airport. The hotel is a renovated older building, but could use more refurbishment. The breakfast served at the hotel restaurant is excellent, however, the lack of a consistently open evening restaurant was a minor inconvenience. However, the location is very walkable, being a few blocks from downtown Bergen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ullensvang

Lofthus Hardanger

We requested rooms facing the fjord and were glad we did. The rooms were spacious and updated. The hotel itself is large and offers many amenities including multiple pools, historic buildings, a dock with seating, a large restaurant, and a bar downstairs for after dinner .

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

We stayed in the cabins with decks overlooking the fjord where we soaked in the peace and quiet as we took in the gorgeous views in all directions. We also very much enjoyed dining at the gastropub at this hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore a Cider Farm in Hardanger

Ulvik

The cider farm tour was a great experience, but there were some issues with communication regarding the amount of walking involved. The tour included a lot of walking, which was a challenge for some members of the group. The cider tasting was done back at the hotel rather than at the farms, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Osafjellet and the Tunnel

Ulvik

The visit to Osafjellet and the Tunnel was interesting, but the guide spent too long on a PowerPoint presentation at the beginning, which was a bit dry. The tunnels themselves were fascinating, but the uneven, wet footing was a challenge, and the lack of provided lighting made it potentially dangerous. The overall experience was okay, but some aspects could have been better planned

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Experience in Undredal

Norway

Louis, our guide, picked us up in a shuttle van and took us around the end of the fjord in Flam to Undredal on the other side. He took us on a walking tour of the tiny town while he explained the history of the area. We then visited the tiny stave church in town, which was an inspiration for the Disney movie Frozen. We admired the ancient painting on the wooden staves and ceiling inside the church and marveled at the two drawings dating from the Viking era, which were carved into small squares on the walls. We lunched on goat at a restaurant fjord-side where we tasted various kinds of goat cheese. The whole valley is famous for its goat herds and the cheesemaking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

This was a leisurely tour of Naeroyfjord after our tour of Viking Village in Gudvangen and ending in Flam. Beautiful scenery and ore waterfalls!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided kayak in Ulvik

Ulvik

Our guide Christophe was genial and attentive to the widely varying abilities of our group. (Yes, I did bring up the rear!) He took us all across the bay at the end of the fjord where Ulvik is situated and then across the fjord. We stopped on an island where Christophe demonstrated how to start a fire using a rustic flint knife and a steel. Our grandsons were thrilled when he helped each of them to start a fire of birch bark and scraped tinder bits. He then made a fire on a portable grill and brewed us tea and coffee! Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

RIB Fjord Safari

Norway

Driver Richard was great! He had a good sense of humor and gave our grandsons a thrilling ride in the speedy rib boat while not overdoing it. Loved it when he spun a yarn about how getting we in a waterfall with give you a longer life and then nudging the boat up to a waterfall at the fjord's edge so our grandsons could catch the spray! Only time will tell on the veracity of his yarn...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Ana gave us a full tour of downtown Bergen and the Bryggen area. She provided extensive information about the history of the area and offered suggestions for restaurants and shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Glacier Hike in Jondal

Norway

Great experience with guide Wilde who was very friendly, accommodating, and attentive to each person's needs in our group with a wide age range.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guides were fabulous! All very knowledgeable, timely, and came from a diverse background and perspectives. There was the architect, the accountant, the economist.... Every one of them loves their country and showed us things we would not have noticed on our own.
So why not 5 stars? There were a few things where we informed our specialist, Pedro, of our preference, but got overruled... We don't drink alcohol, and yet Pedro sent a gift bag with a bottle of port. Several guides were caught off guard and had to change the agenda on the fly because they were not informed. They were great, and able to make those changes. It was awkward.
The trip was too ambitious: we went from top to bottom in 12 days. Even though it was an independent schedule, it felt like a tour, instead of an exploration. We usually stay in one place, and take our time... but, shame on us for not insisting on longer stays per location.
Portugal is beautiful. It's so popular as a destination that there are more tourists than residents. Yet, the locals don't seem to resent us! So many helpful, nice people made our trip fun.
Shout out to BlueFleet in Lagos: We had a great time touring the caves and laughed, a lot. So nice! Except for the guy who sang "Baby Shark" right as we were leaving the dock... yeah, that stuck in our heads for days!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Baia

Cascais

Fabulous view, great staff, and comfortable space. Balcony overlooking the harbor is where we spent our last day in Portugal. No need to go anywhere else with a view like that!

Authenticity & Character

Modern, clean, comfortable

Location

Beach front, walkable to shopping and restaurants.

Staff

Bartender was funny and attentive while we played cards overlooking the harbor at the rooftop bar.

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'AR De AR Muralhas

Evora

If you have a large crowd you are travelling with, this would be great. Our travel agent booked us into a huge suite: big outdoor deck, large living room, large bedroom, 2nd balcony, huge foyer. Too big for the two of us, but made me want to come back with more people. It did allow us to have plenty of space to hang our laundry. Lots of spaces to gather and hang out at this hotel. The decor is an odd combination of antiques-style and Ikea.

Authenticity & Character

less Ikea...

Location

Easy to get to, onsite parking garage.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Large suite: floors were clean, but spider webs and grime on upper surfaces.

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Awesome view! Efficient design. Helpful staff. Great breakfast. Nice, small, outdoor seating on room deck. Rooftop pool. No bathroom privacy as it's just a glass partition. Only stay with people who know you poop, and don't care if they hear or smell the process.... Very efficient layout.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and beautiful

Location

Overlooks the harbor, walking distance to most everything you want to do in Lagos "proper"

Staff

Helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A real wall and door for the toilet.

NH Hotel Porto Jardim

Porto

Great location: easy walk to the waterfront, bridge and city center. This hotel, the "newest in Porto" suffers from new construction quality... the bathroom door handle fell off, the shower drain is incorrectly vented, so the room smelled like sewer if the bathroom door was left open. On the bright side, the windows opened. Mostly clean: nail clipping behind the bathroom door --not ours: pet peeve! The restaurant breakfast buffet has lots to offer and was tasty. Dinner was disappointing as the meat and fish were overcooked. Waitstaff was friendly and helpful. Front desk was efficient.

Authenticity & Character

It's fine! just not a "wow"

Location

Easy access to the bridge and waterfront

Staff

Front desk friendliness--smiles would help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds are rock hard. Corners need cleaning.

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

If old elegance is your jam, this hotel is for you. Recently renovated, it's maintained its art deco feel -- even has time-capsule vignettes. The staff is lovely. They have port, tea, coffee and snacks available at no charge, from afternoon to evening. And by "snacks" I mean pastries. Yum. Our room was large, with a foyer, high ceilings and tile floor. A bottle of port is kept refilled, daily, and if you don't (like me) drink, they provide juice or sparkling water or whatever you'd prefer, instead. The staff moved furniture, the first housekeeping day, to better accommodate our two-suitcase-living. On our departure day, after joking with the breakfast staff that I was going to steal the whole tray of pastiche de nate, they arrived at our table with a container packed with a dozen of them! So nice! We loved this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Art Deco with service of yester-year.

Location

Just steps away from the grand avenue, quiet street, with good restaurants.

Staff

Everyone was so helpful and friendly. They anticipated needs we didn't know we had, and accommodated all those that we did.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

We were skeptical going into this, because the Fado we'd heard on TV was not enjoyable. These performers were amazing! At least the 2 we got to hear. It starts late (10:30) and some of the performers were late arriving. We had an early start, the next day, so left at midnight while they were still waiting for the next act to arrive. The dinner is a fixed menu and was disappointing. Entrees were cold, and overcooked.... The highlight were the starters: little taste sensations that were all delicious! The singers set up in front of the exit doors. Don't plan on leaving, mid-performance!

Quality of Experience

The food.

Food

It's hard to serve ~60 or so people at once: cold entrees that are overcooked

Transport

We walked to the event. It's quite the journey! Medeival roads, lots of switchbacks, tiny allies and a few drug deals on the way (witnessed, not executed!) We cabbed back. Very easy, lots of taxies come past this restaurant.

We had the most wonderful time in Brazil and Rachel from KimKim did an incredible job designing, organizing and arranging our personalized honeymoon. This is the first time we used a travel agency and we got everything we asked for from the trip and within budget!
In Rio, our local guide Luis was wonderful and friendly. He was super thoughtful and even bought us a Brazilian drink we wanted to try. The trip to the Amazon was our highlight, spending some days in the lodge built into the jungle was breathtaking. Our guide Jojo spoke amazing English and took us on boat rides. In Foz do Igaszu, we saw the waterfalls from the Argentinan and Brazilian side. Lordes, our guide, was very friendly. We then spent a few days with our friends, which Rachel built into our itinerary. After that we flew to São Luís, from where we were picked up to visit the Lencois Maranhenses for a couple of days. The pousada where we stayed was the best and the guide, Josiel, was great. From there, we went back to Rio and had Luis, the same guide, picking us up.
We had an unforgettable holiday - Rachel was always available when we had questions and checked us into our internal flights. From the moment we decided to have the trip arranged and reached out to Rachel to the time we landed back in the UK, this trip has been brilliantly organized and we cannot recommended Rachel and her tours enough!

A great resource to have especially if you don’t have time to plan. I had just started my Icelandic adventure research when I came across Kim Kim. My trip was less than a month away so I knew it was last minute. Eric was incredibly responsive and helpful in planning out the trip, especially it being so last minute. Eric and his icelandic contact Sergue (sp? ) were very responsive and helpful. Some of the accommodations were fairly new and still under construction and expect to drive a lottt in Iceland as everything is very spread a part. My only suggestion is if traveling with an active kiddo, to request more action based activities vs site seeing based tours. We ended up adding our own zip line and ATV tours that Eric recommended. Iceland is incredible though and so full of beauty and the daily driving plan helped us so much hit all the amazing wonderful spots. It was reassuring to have someone to call or email when we weren’t sure of where to go or what to do. Highly recommend and will consider using them in other countries when traveling.

Hotel Review

Northern Light Inn

Grindavik

Our favorite hotel we stayed at! The best restaurant in all of Iceland - Max! And super close to blue lagoon.

Authenticity & Character

A Scandinavian dream!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Amazing! Touristy for sure but it’s a must do. Very well organized and clean. Fun to do the silica masks and sit in the steam rooms and soak in the pool. The color is amazing and our bodies felt so good afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Horse Riding Tour

Iceland

Very lovely to ride along black sand beach and be with sweet horses

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thorsmork Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

Absolutely gorgeous area…. But a very long day and got stuck in back of the Jeep and got a little motion sickness. Was not enough action for my kiddo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip was absolutely amazing! Liz did a fantastic job of coordinating our travel plans, even when there were some last minute changes. I am thankful for her willingness to go above and beyond to help us with those changes. All of our flights, hotels, pick ups/drop offs, and tours went smoothly and as planned. Visiting Sydney during Vivid and doing the Vivid BridgeClimb was absolutely breathtaking! We also thoroughly enjoyed the nocturnal tour with Wait a While Tours in Cairns with Paul. During the tour we were able to to see two platypus in the wild...a dream come true! And, of course, you can't beat snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. Last of all, my favorite place was Kangaroo Island. Seeing koalas, kangaroos, and sea lions in the wild was incredible. And, Admiral's Arch is a must see for anyone visiting KI. Thank you, Liz, for all that you have done for us! It was a trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge

American River

The hotel was secluded and peaceful. Loved walking along the lagoon in the morning. However, there are limited dining options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Grand Chancellor Adelaide

Adelaide

The hotel was downtown, but Adelaide was a bit congested and not as pretty as other locations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

The hotel was nice and well-located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rainforest & Nocturnal Wildlife Adventure

Australia

The Wait Awhile tour in Cairns with Paul was great. He was very knowledgeable, and we saw two platypuses in the wild as well as other wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ultimate Kangaroo Island Tour (Day 2)

Australia

Remarkable Rocks was another highlight on Kangaroo Island. The island was remote and full of wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ultimate Kangaroo Island Tour (Day 1)

Australia

Kangaroo Island was beautiful, especially Admiral's Arch. Highly recommend doing the two-day tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef

Australia

The pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef had an all-you-can-eat buffet, submersible, and underwater window view. The snorkeling experience was enjoyable, even for someone who doesn't swim or snorkel much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

The bridge climb during Vivid Night was amazing, even for someone who is scared of heights. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eleni was fantastic. Very personable and kind. Definitely had the best interest of the tourists in mind. I would highly recommend her.

Hotel Review

Acropolis Hill Hotel

Athens

Not the best, but not the worst that I have stayed in. Had roaches in our room, TV did. It work, twin beds shoved together is not ideal, breakfast was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hard to get a bus in and out of location

Staff

Told of concerns and they did nothing to address the issues.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Saronic Islands Day Cruise (for Linda & Friends)

Athens

Loved the islands, but the additional tours were not worth the money and guides were not good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was fair at best, cold, not that tasty. Dry chicken.wait staff was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Meal in Nafplio

Greece

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day in Vouliagmeni Lake (for Linda & friends)

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was ok, coordination of meal could have been better. The staff was confused and we were confused as to whose food was whose. They did not provide plates prior to handing out food, which was family style.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Custom Food & Wine Day Trip to the Peloponnese for Linda & Friends

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cape Sounion Driving tour

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Custom Agora & Flavors Tour for Linda & Friends

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just came back from a 12-day trip to Morocco, and it was one of our best travel experiences ever.
It was our first expedition in a Muslim country and we wanted to make sure we were given all the tools and tips to discover it under the best conditions, with respect and reverence.
We provided Hakim with a detailed account of the type of experience we were hoping to realize (a cultural and societal introduction) and he did an amazing job of crafting the unforgettable tour with the right guides in each major city.
But ultimately, it is our driver Erdwan who made this trip simply perfect and worry-free. From the moment he picked us up at the airport he took care of us every step of the way. With his warm personality, his genuine desire to make things easy for us, and his serious professionalism, he is a tremendous asset for Kimkim. He made us feel like royalty and coordinated everything around us with simple efficiency.
In 12 days, we drove hundreds of kilometers and saw many aspects of a rich and fascinating country. We learned an enormous amount about the history of the place - our guides were erudite, friendly and very interesting.
We stayed in beautiful places (except the last hotel in Casablanca, close to the airport, a brutal way to finish a magical trip as we were not ready to be so practical and wanted to fairytale to last until the very end).
We could not have hoped for a better vacation.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Another amazing hotel, superbly decorated, and superbly staffed.

Authenticity & Character

so gorgeous, we spent a lot of time indoors

Location

Staff

outstanding personnel

Cleanliness & Comfort

our suite was a gem

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

The property is gorgeous, but I had mixed feeling about that place. It did not have the cachet and the attention to detail we experienced at the other hotels. I felt it could be so much better - the food and the staff's attitude. Hard to pinpoint. Just a 3 stars despite the exceptional garden.

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

A unique experience with the Berberes and an unforgettable camel ride through the dunes.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karawan Riad

Fès

An absolutely stunning place!!

Authenticity & Character

our suite was sumptuous

Location

Staff

The staff was perfect, especially a young lady who took very good care of us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

charming, authentic; a very good introduction to beautiful Moroccan hospitality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kenzi Sidi Maarouf Hotel

Casablanca

it was the least exciting place of our entire stay I was sad to finish our trip there the bathroom did not smell fresh; I felt I was already back in New York and I understand it was practical for us to stay there with a morning flight the next day but still...

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

A stunning property in a fairytale environment!

Authenticity & Character

Our suite was filled with tasteful artifacts

Location

Once you are there, you are in your own bubble. Our suite was magnificent; the property superb.

Staff

warm and dedicated staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Morocco

Our guide was wonderful Marrakech is a very interesting city but a bit frantic compared to other places we visited.

Afternoon Guided Tour in Casablanca

Morocco

By the end of our trip, we were exhausted and I was disheartened by the hotel we were staying at. Casablanca was a chaos of traffic jam and confusion. Thank God, our driver was patient and always protective of us. Our guide was a very interesting fellow but we did not benefit from his knowledge as much as we could have.

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

a fantastic experience in an authentic place with a very good staff

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

I felt sorry for our guide because this food tour was a misunderstanding. We were under the impression that we would have small tastes of unknown specialties over several stops, followed by dinner somewhere. But at our first stop, we were offered more food than we normally eat in one day. Everything was succulent, but the quantities were absurd and that took the wind out of our sail. I guess our guide was used to more hungry tourists and I know he was disappointed.

Day Trip to Meknes & the Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Fes

Volubilis is a must-see. Our guide was friendly but a little bit on the light side; we learned more about Volubilis from your Fes and Marrakech guides. Unforgettable visit, nevertheless.

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Fes is a magical city. We liked it better than Marrakech. Our guide was fantastic; very knowledgeable, very friendly, very warm.

Morning Guided Tour in Chefchaouen

Morocco

We loved this small village and our young guide was funny and personable. Not your typical guide, but he easily conveyed his love for his town and gave us wonderful insights into the Moroccan way of life. We enjoyed him very much.

Morning Guided Tour in Rabat

Morocco

we were very impressed with Rabat and it gave us a very good first impression

Was such a great trip thanks KimKim

Hotel Reviews

Locanda Leon Bianco on the Grand Canal

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Sunset Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking tour Path of Gods

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the local tour company, Zaman Tours, which was selected for us during our recent trip to Jordan. Our disappointment with Zaman Tours was significant as we had previously experienced an excellent trip to Peru last year with Peruvian Tours, also arranged through Kim Kim. As a result, we placed our trust in Kim Kim again to find us a reliable tour company for our trip to Jordan and Israel. Unfortunately, our experience with Zaman Tours was far from satisfactory, leaving us feeling let down by the quality of service provided.

During the booking process, we were impressed by the website claim that Zaman Tours creates tailor-made tours with local experts. Regrettably, our experience did not meet this promise. The itinerary provided was inadequate and lacked details such as local contact information and a clear timetable. When we asked for a more detailed itinerary, we were told that it was all that could be provided. We specifically requested a thorough schedule, but instead, we were given a vague response and told we had total flexibility to change it ourselves. We were hoping to have an expert guide us through the best schedule so that we didn't have to worry about the logistics ourselves.

During the first two days of our trip in Amman, we were disappointed to be guided by an inexperienced tour guide who had only joined the tourism industry for a month. Despite informing Zaman Tours before our trip that we were interested in history, our guide didn't seem to know the city or its history well enough to provide us with any meaningful information. He clearly did not do enough research beforehand and left us feeling frustrated and underwhelmed by the experience.

To make matters worse, we had to pick him up and drop him off at his home before heading back to the hotel as apparently it was "on the way." However, we later realized that we actually made a detour just to send him home, which was very unprofessional and a waste of our travel time. We could have planned the sites and booked separate tour guides ourselves, which made us regret paying a premium for an "expert" when we could have done a better job ourselves.

It was disappointing that Zaman Tours linked us up with an inexperienced, young guide and claimed that he was an expert. We expected to receive professional and expert guidance from a tailor-made tour company, but instead, we received the opposite. The lack of attention to detail throughout our trip caused us stress and frustration, which is not something we would expect from a professional tour operator.

Another example of poor service we encountered was when Zaman Tours planned Petra by Night for us on a Tuesday when it only runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Despite being informed that it was a must-see attraction, we were not told about its opening dates and hours, which was quite disappointing. As Zaman Tours claims to provide local experts, we were expecting them to have this information readily available. Instead, we found ourselves having to navigate our itinerary and communicate with the driver, who was not a tour guide and did not have the necessary information. We feel let down that we missed Petra by Night, which was the most important highlight of our visit to Petra.

When we contacted Zaman Tours to complain about this issue, their response was dismissive. They seemed to think we were making a big deal out of it as we could just visit it the next day, Wednesday, when Petra by Night would be open. However, what they didn't take into consideration was that we had also planned to stay at a Bedouin Camp and participate in their nighttime activities, so we had to choose between the two activities. By going to Petra by Night, we would have missed the Bedouin Camp activities and vice versa. Unfortunately, Zaman Tours did not take our dilemma seriously and suggested we skip the Bedouin Camp if Petra by Night was more important to us. We felt disappointed that they did not understand the significance of missing out on an activity that we had been looking forward to, especially since it was one of the highlights of our visit to Petra.

On the night of the Petra by Night incident, we were informed that our agent had quit Zaman tours for personal reasons. This left us feeling even more helpless and worried. We were essentially left on our own with the driver. The lack of communication and professionalism during this situation added to our disappointment with the overall service provided by Zaman Tours.

Despite our attempts to reflect our discontent to Zaman Tours directly, we were met with an unsatisfactory response from even the CEO. His reply was "We have successfully handled thousands of clients this month, and we have not received any negative feedback thus far. All of our clients have utilized the same services, stayed at the same hotels, engaged in the same activities, and been driven by the same drivers." This response is frustrating as it is clear that they claim to provide a tailor-made trip, yet all of their clients have apparently been provided with the same services, itinerary, and experience. It begs the question: what is the point of paying for a tailor-made service if it is the same as everyone else's?

Furthermore, their unwillingness to acknowledge and address our concerns shows a lack of professionalism and customer service skills. We feel that Zaman Tours does not take constructive criticism well, leaving us dissatisfied with the entire experience. If we wanted a generic itinerary, we could have easily found one online at a lower cost and without the unnecessary stress and trouble of dealing with a tour operator.

In conclusion, we were disappointed to be linked with this local tour company. We expected better from a company that claims to provide tailor-made trips. Instead, we found a lack of communication, professionalism, and local knowledge. We hope that Kim Kim will take steps to ensure that clients are only connected with reputable and reliable tour operators to avoid similar experiences in the future.

David went beyond his skills as a guide! He took us to some other areas that were not even part of our site seeing plan. He made sure we were comfortable and took care of all the necessary needs we had. At the ice cave he took care of us and helped me feel safe . He was with us at all times making sure we had an experience of a life time! He is extremely knowledgeable not only about Iceland but the world as well!
I would definitely go with him again and recommend him to everyone that is going to Iceland.

Activity Reviews

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Iceland

Great choice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zodiac Boat tour

Iceland

A must! Experienced a breaking off of an iceberg! Was a great experience. Went very close to the glacier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave- under the Volcano

Iceland

A must see and do!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inside the Volcano Helicopter Tour

Iceland

A must do!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amandine & team were great at building an itinerary that was packed, but at a manageable pace. A private guide at the Louvre with David was a must as no time was wasted lost in the museum. It was crazy busy during our visit, so having him there to whisk us to the main attractions and to our personal interests made it all the better. Lucey in the Loire Valley and Yann guiding us in Cote Rotie and Beujolais wine tours offered the perfect mix of information and freedom to make day trips relaxing. The dinner cruise on the Seine in Paris was luxurious. Bastien encouraged us not to skimp on that and I’m glad for it. We got the most inclusive package for the dinner and it was well worth it. Alban in the Alps took the cake for the trip. He led us on a hike overlooking a glacier and offered up a gourmet picnic which included a mix of fruits and vegetables from his own garden. The whole experience at Aguille du Midi far exceeded expectations. All the hotels were clean with friendly and helpful staff in each city visited. We only pivoted once veering off itinerary by taking a “down day” to lounge on the beach in Nice. That turned out to be one of our favorite days. Visiting Cannes was a bust. Red carpet was under plywood. Antibes was just ok. Same for Grasse and Valbonne. St Paul de Vence and Goirdon were gorgeous though as was the Bellet wine tasting. If I were to change anything it would’ve been to do St Paul de Vence/Goirdon/Bellet in one day and have a second beach day in Nice. 4 days in Paris, 4 days in Lyon, 2 in Chamonix and 4 in Nice. I think it was the right number of days. All in all a fantastic trip.

The trip was amazing and the food was fabulous.
Quan made Harnoi trip fun. Loved the scooter ride and water puppet show.
The eco village tour was great.
Thanks to our guide HA on the hike to Fanispan mountain. I would recommend him to every hiker. Extremely helpful and patient. The whole organization by Kimkim was excellent!!!

Angela was amazing to work with. She made great tour suggestions and was able to customize as we requested. She was available during our trip to answer questions and responded quickly. She was able to switch the day of a planned tour last minute and checked us in for the ferries. The private transportation and tours were exquisite. The hotels were comfortable and luxurious. My favorite Greek Island was Milos and the rib boat tour with Captain Paolo Farinola was the best part of the trip! I would definitely use kimkim for my next trip abroad and highly recommend their services.

Hotel Reviews

Nana Princess Suites, Villas & Spa

Hersonissos

Hotel was beautiful. Our room was amazing. Pool and ocean view were breathtaking. I highly recommend this place. It’s off the beaten path, but well worth it.

Authenticity & Character

The pools and accommodations were amazing.

Location

Not in the middle of everything - I liked that.

Staff

Courteous and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless rooms!

Andronis Luxury Suites

Santorini

Loved the mattress in the room the best. Blinds closed to make the room dark and slept like a baby!! Pool was awesome. We had a cave style room that was very unique! All amenities were complimentary and replenished daily. The couple we went to Santorini with was in the room next to us and we found that very convenient. Room service breakfast on the patio outside was so nice. The flowers were beautiful. Staff was very nice and accommodating. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Cave style room was one I will never forget.

Location

Close to all the action in Santorini and had a beautiful view.

Staff

Everyone was so nice and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

LOVED the mattress! And cleaning was exquisite.

Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel

Pollonia

Absolutely loved this place! Close to town where we could walk to restaurants and shops. Staff was so nice! Room was clean, comfortable and unique. And the custom scent throughout the hotel was pleasant and relaxing. I highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Small and quaint. Loved the heated pool!

Location

Within walking distance to town and restaurants.

Staff

Staff was SO NICE! They were pleasant to be around and made you feel special.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean, comfortable and maintained.

xenodocheio Milos

Athens

Rooms were clean and comfortable. Close to lots of restaurants. Breakfast in the dining room was amazing. Staff were pleasant and accommodating. I would definitely recommend this hotel when staying in Athens.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful room.

Location

Close to tour meeting place and restaurants.

Staff

Friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean.

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Tour guide was friendly and informative.

Rib Boat 8.5m Rib boat //300hp engine round of Milos - 8 pax max

Greece

This Rib Boat tour was my favorite thing out of our entire 2 weeks in Greece. An absolute must!! Ask for Captain Paolo !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where do I start to describe our amazing trip in Portugal! We landed in Portugal and did a quick walking food tour. In hindsight we need to remember not to book nothing. The jet lag got to us because we had an overnight flight and couldn’t get into our room before the tour. Our mistake! The Pestana Pousada, Lisboa hotel was beautiful, great breakfast and our room overlooked the square and Ocean and was close to everything! Our driver Max was prompt ant drove us to Porto via Obidos and Nazare. Our hotel was Pestana Vintage, Porto. Again, great breakfasts, a great location, for a walking tour, antique car ride and port tasting at Ramos Pinto across the river. Off to Douro valley for an amazing lunch, wine tasting and a Douro River cruise with another great driver. Next stop, driving ourselves on to Evora in a car arranged for us. Our amazing hotel for the next few days was Convento do Espinheiro hotel and spa. What an amazing history this place has. Also, great breakfasts, has indoor and outdoor pools and hot tub. The walled town of Evora is a great place to buy souvenirs, is quaint and has great restaurants…Pipa Rosa is where we ate! On our way to the Algarve, a wonderful lunch and wine tasting was planned for us outdoors at a farm/vineyard. During 3 days in our timeshare in Vilamoura we did an all day tour around the Algarve to the 2 highest pints of the regions for amazing views and lessons on cork farming and manufacturing and a great lunch at a local venue. We self drove back to Lisbon for 3 more days doing our own thing and a final tour to the Peña Palace and town of Sintra. Another amazing tour! We really felt we got the best of every region we visited, met many wonderful guides, drivers and the locals who were always glad to have us enjoying their amazing country! Thank you again Kimkim for another amazing vacation plan. Looking forward to our next one in Ireland in the fall!

Wonderful honeymoon in Norway! Definitely recommend Flam and the bike ride from Myrdal. Would love to go back!

Hotel Review

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ferry Transfers through Hardangerfjord

Norway

Cycling Adventure en route from Oslo via Flåm Railway

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aggeliki, one of the Kimkim Greece specialists, organized an amazing 20 day "Off the Beat Beaten Path" trip for my wife and I (from New Zealand) and another couple (our friends from Canada). This trip started in Athens and moved on to Milos, Amorgos, Naxos and Crete.

We found the entire process from the planning, though to the actual trip just great. In particular:
1. Kimkim's business model is excellent. You write a description of your perfect trip and they get to work finding a specialist on their team to develop the trip. They do this pro-bono as nothing is paid until the trip is booked and they get a service fee as part of the total price.
2. Aggeliki really is a Greece specialist and is very well connected across the Greek travel community. The guides and hotels staff all knew and respected her.
3. She really took the time to understand what we wanted and the first proposed itinerary was very close.
4. Changes to plan once in-country were not a problem. We did some fine tuning along the way and Aggleliki was happy to manage the changes without complaint.
5. Hotels chosen were all excellent. They were smaller places and had a very nice vibe.
6. We literally had over 10 different local guides over the 3 weeks. They were all experts and very easy to spend time with. They were open minded to our on-the-fly adjustments and we had many laughs along the way.

In summary, this was a great experience and we unconditionally recommend Kimkim and Aggleliki.

Jamas!
Geoff, Alison, Rod and Donna

Our trip was fantastic! It was well organized and we were delighted by our experience. The guides were so nice and gave us a great experience. The private car drivers were great as well. Local train reservations were very well organized. This was one of the most relaxing trips we had. Thank you for all the local travel planning as well.

Simon and his team provided thorough itineraries however there is no follow up contact from them to check on us, the travelers. With minimal of 4 arrangements with local guides during our 28 day trip, we were very much on our own most of the time. It would be more informative for us to have a guide in a city. We did not expect to have ones in small town or village stays. With the amount of research that we did ourselves, at times we thought that we could have done the trip without having to go with KimKim.