Kimkim Trip Reviews

From the initial planning with Abdellatif, the Original Travels team was very prompt and responsive, tailoring our trip through Morocco to meet our needs. Our driver, Karim met us at the airport in Casablanca. He drove us from Casablanca to Fes, to the desert in Merzouga, through the mountains, and finally to our last stop in his hometown of Marrakesh. Karim shared his knowledge of the country while expertly navigating the roads and driving for long hours. We especially loved learning about the indigenous people of Morocco, meeting the village people, and driving through the mountainside. Karim was able to share a very authentic side of the country, showing us the road less traveled.

Other notable moments on our trip included our tour of Fes with Mohammed, our hike through the Dades Gorge with Nordeen, our camel ride in the Sahara Desert with Dawid, and our cultural/food tour in Marrakech with Hanan.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Ghita

Fes

This riad was beautiful, and the dinner and breakfast that they served was delicious. It was very close to the Main Street and only a short walk to the main areas of the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Akabar luxury desert camp

Merdane

This was such an awesome experience from the camel ride to looking up at the night sky. There was hot water and even internet access! We spent time around the fire with our hosts, who showed us their traditional music and dances.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

This riad was gorgeous. Very clean and comfortable. Again, the food was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Bayti

Marrakech

I can’t speak to this riad, as we had to go to a different riad due to a wedding interrupting service at this original accommodation. We ended up staying at Les Sources Berberes, which was beautiful. It was an easy walking distance to the main square and the Bahia Palace. We also enjoyed our hammam experience and massage here.

Activity Reviews

Casablanca in a Few Hours: A Driving Tour

Morocco

We went on a tour of the Hassan II Mosque. This is the largest mosque in Africa and the third largest in the world. We really enjoyed learning about the mosque and seeing the beautiful architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

We had Mohammed as our local guide during this tour. He took us around to see various sights, such as the King’s palace, the local ceramic and tile school, the tannery, and many shops. We learned about the history of the Medina, and we are grateful to have had a very knowledgeable local guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

The camel ride was everything we had hoped for. We rode about an hour to our desert camp, stopping to watch the sunset.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Dades Valley via Todra Gorges

Morocco

Hiking and local family lunch in Dades valley

Morocco

We really enjoyed our hike with Nordeen. He showed us the agriculture, irrigation system, and culture of the people in the valley.

Transfer to Marrakech via Roses Valley, Ouarzazate, Aït Benhaddou & Atlas Mountains.

Morocco

Beautiful drive through the mountains. We did some off-road driving, and we stopped to have tea with a nomadic family who calls the caves their home. We also stopped in Ouarzazate at the Atlas Studios to go on a tour of some movie and tv sets.

An Evening Food Walk in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Hanan took us on a tour of many different types of food in the Medina and souks in Marrakech. We tried the local cuisine, including breads and soup, olives, lamb, donuts and sweets, and even snails!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We liked going around and seeing the Bahia palace, the main square, the souks, and the Koutoubia Mosque with Hanan. There was some restoration work to fix some damages due to the earthquake, but we did not find that it affected our visit. We are happy that the people are beginning to recover. The city was bustling.

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Jean Carlo and the Kim Kim team were fantastic! We worked with him to plan an incredible trip, and everything happened on time, and without fail. It was so easy to plan a terrific vacation, and we will be using KimKim to visit other countries for sure!

Costa Rica is a beautiful intricate layering of ecosystems, cultures, and people. The sunset tour on lake Arenal at the foot of the volcano was by far the favorite and not to be missed! Also the coffee chocolate tour and Maleku reservation. We had the best weather and most comfortable stay in La Fortuna.

The cloud forest lodge was also an excellent accommodation in Monteverde. The food is amazing with incredible views and bird watching. Unfortunately it rained so heavily we were not able to enjoy our tours.

The end of our stay was a disappointment. The Hotel Naoz was about a 45 minute walk from the Mandrake reserve and the ocean . The rooms were very small and smelled of gas, and the amenities were lacking comfort. Soaps smelled medicinal in a bad way. The toilet paper was thin and rough to the touch. So bad that we asked to go back to our accommodations in San Jose. This was so unfortunate when we later learned of all the options at the opening of the Mandrake reserve that we could have stayed at instead. We booked well enough in advance that this could have been avoided had we been familiar with the area.

Phil was very helpful in getting us back to San Jose where we could enjoy the museums and markets and were back in the comfort of the Presidente hotel.

Hotel Reviews

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Fabulous literally in the clouds!! Great trails, excellent food and with the amenities they have thought of everything.

Authenticity & Character

Great trails and animal cams so you can get an inside view of the wild life.

Location

Literally in the cloud forest above the trees.

Staff

Very informative about the culture, eco diversity and community.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean high quality. Umbrellas, boots, everything you think you might need.

Hotel Naoz

Manuel Antonio

Accommodations are very small, amenities smell bad. 45 minute walk from the ocean and reserve entrance. Beds are uncomfortable, We could not bear to stay another night due to the smell of gas in our room. The staff was very nice, but we were unable to get a refund.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nothing it is too far from the ocean and reserve.

Staff

Excellent staff not their fault if is just an unfortunate hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but horribly uncomfortable and smelly.

Hotel Presidente

San José

Great hotel and location. Some of the rooms are small, but the amenities are of very good quality. Excellent breakfast and bar. Smelled lovely and decorated very well. The staff was friendly, knowledgable, and very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Fun refurbished factory great character.

Location

Very central location and felt safe always.

Staff

Super kind and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Fantastic, fun, lots to do!! Highly recommend. I would go back.

Authenticity & Character

The pools were over the top and walking trails easy to find with very good signage.

Location

Right at the base of the volcano with spectacular Views.

Staff

The staff was a little aloof but this may have been to respect privacy. Pool bar staff was excellent!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable and clean highly recommend.

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was very interactive. Great for all ages, very informative and we got to see Sloths and monkeys. Not only taste but also make chocolate and coffee.

Quality of Experience

Very educational and interactive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kindness and always ready to answer wuestions.

Transport

Very reliable and timely.

Maleku Cultural Immersion Day Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a wonderful experience to be learning from the native people themselves. They were generous and kind.

Quality of Experience

Very special educational activities.

Food

Lical traditional food was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their genuine kindness and joy in sharing their culture.

Transport

On time and shared knowledge on the way to the tour!!!

Lake Arenal Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wow, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the volcano up close and personal. Very relaxing, excellent views and opportunities to see the wildlife. An array of beverages to choose from and a lovely cheese platter.

Quality of Experience

Perfect sunset and views!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super friendly and knowledgable!!

Transport

On time and helpful.

Six of us went on a private van with a driver. KimKim did an excellent job with arranging our experience.

Yassine was an excellent trip planner and was in contact with us frequently and responded to all of our questions promptly. Our driver, Said with MOBT, was one of the highlights of our trip. He was so engaging and kind. He went out of his way to make sure our Morocco trip was superb. He was available any time night or day once we got to our overnight locations and stopped along the ways to bring us treats, stops for coffee, food. He is a GEM.

The 14 day trip was absolutely spectacular. We started at Casablanca, then went to Rabat, Chefchouen, Fes, the Sahara desert (camel back riding and night in a tent), Ousseriea, to name a few. The Atlas mountains were amazing - we saw Barbary macaques amongst the pine trees! The people of Morocco are so nice and they are used to tourists.

I recommend all of these locations, they were all so different. KimKim was an excellent choice.

We had an amazing trip for our family with teenage kids and my parents. For the Womens World Cup. We started in Sydney, then to Brisbane and Melbourne. We ended in New Zealand in Wellington and Auckland. All of the hotels were very nice. We had many great tours/activities. One of the best excursions was The America’s Cup in Auckland. Sabina was very helpful.

Worth every penny! Our trip was fantastic, it was planned in every detail. All the places we went were worth visiting. The lodges were fantastic as well as the services provided, the food and the activities. The car was very good. Thank you Petru for organizing an amazing trip for us. We will certainly get back to you to organize our next trip around there.

Overall, we had a a great experience using KimKim and interacting with our specialist, Gary. Gary was very responsive and we got answers to our questions right away. The responsiveness was one of the first reasons we liked KimKim and decided to book with them. Gary was able to find an amazing hotel with a great view and location for us. Gary also had wonderful suggestions for things we might like to do or see, and he offered a great guide on good eats. We loved our walking tour of The Rocks and had a very personable guide. The Blue Mountains tour and our Aboriginal tour of the botanical gardens were both very memorable. The Sydney Opera House was, itself, of course, impressive and iconic, but our tour for the Opera House didn't really compare to The Rocks tour or other tours we took. Our favorite thing that we did in Sydney was the Bridge Climb. We loved our twilight climb! It was raining, cold, and dark when we went, but the climbing suits keep you warm and dry, the tour guides are amazing and energetic, and the views are breathtaking. The only thing that happened on our vacation that I think KimKim could improve on, was two of our tour times were incorrectly written in our itinerary. We ended up missing our tour time for our Rocks tour because the itinerary mistakenly listed its end time as the start time. The Rocks Tour company was easy to work with and fixed this for us right away, but we discovered our other tour for that day was also listed incorrectly in the KimKim itinerary, so we ended up missing the end of the Rocks tour and dashing to the next tour. When we asked Gary about the mix-up, he was very apologetic and checked all of our remaining tour times and schedules to make sure everything was lined up correctly.

Hotel Review

Shangri-La Sydney

The Rocks

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Opera House Tour

Australia

I really loved touring the Opera House and seeing inside the building. The information from the tour was good and interesting, but I think our tour guide was a bit over it all. She seemed cranky and didn't really answer peoples questions kindly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aboriginal Harbour Heritage Tour (Private)

Sydney

I loved this experience. Our tour was a private tour and it really made it more personal. We were able to ask questions freely and learnt about a whole different history of Sydney and Australia's people. It was really interesting to combine this tour and the Rocks tour on our trip because there was overlap discussing some of the same histories and peoples from different perspectives (The Rocks Tour was mostly from an European perspective and this tour, was obviously, more of an Aboriginal perspective). We also got to learn about some of the different uses of the plants in the garden.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sydney Showboat Dinner & Show Package

Sydney

This show was an interesting addition to our trip. It was basically a cabaret show and dinner. The dinner was good and the show had great music and dancing. However, the boat itself was having some issues that needed some maintenance. There was water leaking onto one of the dining tables from the ceiling (this was an inside dining room, so it was not water or mist from the cove). Luckily, no one was seated at that table, but that makes me suspect it was a known problem. The pace of the show was also very slow. The show started and stopped multiple times, which I suspect was to account for large crowds and serving dinner, but we had a rather small crowd for our show time, and the pace was just off, like the entire tour time was 3 hours, but with the dinner and the show, it really could have wrapped up in 2 hours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day Tour Experience

Sydney

We had a great tour of the Blue Mountains. The mountains were beautiful and our guide had a great pace for seeing and enjoying the views as well as getting us to the next location. The botanical gardens at the end were very impressive!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

BridgeClimb Summit - Twilight

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Rocks Walking Tours

Sydney

This was the best tour we took in Sydney. Very great guide and just really interesting information about the history of Sydney.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent and perfect arrangement by Vero, she listened carefully to our needs and our desire activities, then handle it professionally within her team. She show us a very respected responsibility when some unexpected would be happen to our next trip and solved the issue as soon as possible. I can't say anything more about her except one, Truly Brilliant person on her kind of activities. Overall, a great experience with Kim Kim especially working with Veronika.

Thoroughly enjoyed the trip. In the future I probably won’t have so much scheduled, would have liked a bit more free time, but we did have lots of fun.

Activity Review

Barossa Valley Wine Tasting Day Trip

Adelaide

Loved the wine tour and that’s saying a lot considering we don’t much care for wine. The views of the vineyards were amazing and our guide was very personable, really enjoyed him. Learned a lot. Definitely recommend the tour wether you are a novice or much more.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a really enjoyable time. All of our expectations were exceeded, and we would be happy to use the service again. We didn't require a lot of help, but when we had a problem with a reservation, they were able to sort it out quickly and we fealt very well taken care of.

Our trip was amazing! We were taken care of from start to finish. Smey was our guide in Siem Reap and he was amazing - he knew everything about every carving and piece of symbolism in every temple and monument. Sopheak was with us in Phenom Penh and she was very helpful and knowledgeable about the city and its history.

Our local guide Reya was incredibly helpful and was awesome in explaining the history of the many sites we visited. She was great and super hardworking. Tina was very responsive and helpful in planning our itinerary. During our trip she was great in answering our questions and helping reconfirm our transportation and events so our trip ran smoothly. Will definitely use them again for the next time we visit Thailand.

We booked this trip to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary, and we were not disappointed!
Our personal driver/guide Samir was excellent, he picked us up from Casablanca airport and drove us around 6 cities, he was very polite, decent and helpful, he spoke perfect Arabic, French and English, he told us a lot of stories about Moroccan history, he suggested the best places to eat and shop. He even gifted us a box of traditional Moroccan sweets, his company was very enjoyable and he became our friend and we were sad to leave at the end of our trip and definitely looking forward to coming back again.
We loved our hotel Dar Jasmine in Fes, a beautiful Riyadh; the staff were super friendly and helpful, our guide in Fes Maryam was amazing, we enjoyed our tour with her a lot.
The desert get away in Agafya was a real treat and a memorable experience. And we can never forget Marrakesh with its bustling Jami’ Fna and wonderful friendly people.
We definitely recommend this company and would love to work with them again in the future in our next trip to Morocco.

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Our guide Maryam was really amazing, she was very knowledgable, friendly and nice and made sure we visited all the places we wanted even the ones that weren’t on the itinerary

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essaouira to Casablanca via Eljadida & Safi

Morocco

Our drive was Samir was very informative, the route was beautiful, he explained so many things about the different cities we passed through

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fenne and Julia from Kimkim ensured that the entire trip was a memorable one. Making sure to understand the goals and wants of my trip. At times I would get lost and confused and both of them ensured I got to the place n participated in the events.
Although I can't remember the names of everyone a big shoutout goes to everyone who helped make this event amazing
A big thank you Truelson on the Hermes 2 boat and a high 5 to Jonas from chasing lights..
Jonas was exceptionally good at what he did .. things I did were
Meet the husky
Feed and sled with the Reindeer
The cable car..
The artic plunge
The Hermes 2 boat ride and the chasing lights northern lights chase tour
Kim kim made this tour a lifetime experience for which I'm grateful

Hotel Review

Comfort Hotel Xpress Tromsø

Tromso

This hotel is ok.. slightly crammed but comfortable. Not the best of accommodations but has a good price point

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus with Photographer & Campfire Dinner

Tromsø

The whole experience was great .. the campfire the chase and viewing of the aurora was spectacular. Jonas and his team made this a great experience

Quality of Experience

Jonas made sure the journey was good.. providing warm clothing was great

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shoutout to Jonas

Transport

Our 18 day trip to Morocco was a dream come through with the amazing support of Ali and Said. Samir, our dedicated driver, was not only very knowledgeable, but kept us on time and was very respectful and professional. Our visit to Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Volubis, Fez, Merzouga, Skoura, Quazazate, Marrakech and Essaouria were all fascinating, each with its own uniqueness. I had not heard of Original Travels before but their reviews were outstanding, and it has lived up to all my expectations. A Dream Come Through with the amazing support of Ali, Said, Samir, Hanan, Sharif and Yaseer. Thank you all!

Said planned a wondrrful trip for us.

Samir was exceptional as a driver and commentator on Morocco.

A very enjoyable trip.

We had the most wonderful trip imaginable! I can't thank Johanna for all the details she put together for our trip that made it extra special and just right for us. They answered our questions when we had them, sent clarification when needed and were super responsive! We fully loved the hotels we stayed at once we clarified the types of places we wanted to stay and appreciated the extra activities like a cooking class in Cusco and the wonderful lunches planned. We also truly LOVED our tour guide, Flor. She was the absolute best and made every excursion a great experience full of learning and fun! She couldn't be any sweeter and we would 100% book with her specifically again. The drivers were lovely as well and for most part were always on time if not early. The pace of the trip was perfect for us as well. The only feedback and change we'd make was on the Aguas Calientes stay, we'd have liked to stay there 2 nights so we would have had a place to relax and unwind after our massive hiking day of Waynapicchu and Machu Picchu. It was just WAY too long of a day to do all that AND take the 1 hour 40 min train back to Ollyantambo and then another almost 2 hour drive to Cusco. That's the only negative feedback we have was we wish we'd been given that option and suggestion as it was a long day and hard physical day. Thank you again for all your planning and hard work!

Activity Review

Lunch at Mountainview

Peru

One of our most favorite meals and days!!! We would go back there in a heartbeat if not just for the food and drinks but the animals that you can pet and hang with that are all on the property and near the restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the trip of a lifetime traveling Spain and Portugal. We essentially told Irene our vibes as a couple, our interests, and told her to recommend what she thought we would enjoy. She made us a the perfect itinerary for Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, and Sevilla, and Lisbon. Majority of our time was spent in Spain (as requested) and Irene did an amazing job at creating a trip to make me fall in love with the country (castles!!!) and I will recommend every person I know to visit Spain and use her as their guide! She remained accessible through the trip via her partner so they were only ever a whatsapp message away and I was always confident if anything were to go wrong they would be able to help. I can’t recommend enough!

Hotel Reviews

Room Mate Alicia

Madrid

Perfect gem of a hotel! Amazing location. Sweet staff (shout out Miguel & Eva!!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Editory Riverside Santa Apolonia Hotel

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Sintra Centro Hotel

Sintra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vincci La Rábida

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided tour in Madrid - Los Austrias

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling tour in Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last dinner, Goodbye Spain!

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently completed the 8-night Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne Australia trip. Liz was very helpful in designing and adjusting the trip for us. Hotels were in good locations, within walking distance to attractions and restaurants and airport transportation arrangement worked smoothly.
Though the weather sometimes was challenging, we enjoyed the Sydney Opera House tour and chances to visit local farms. The Gold Class Kuranda Scenic Railway was a nice treat and the Penguin Parade in Melbourne was quite an experience. Thanks KimKim in helping us in this memorable trip.

Hotel Reviews

Pacific Hotel Cairns

Cairns

Great location but hotel is not clean as it should be. We found dust covered on coffee pot and hot water pot etc. Hotel was informed. It seems to be a group tour hotel too. There were school students staying while we were there.

Pan Pacific

Melbourne

Nice location to walk to attractions. Close to Crown Casino. Staffs are very friendly and eager to help. Modern design and clean .

The Grace Hotel

Sydney

A hotel with much history. Great location. Close to Sydney harbor and many restaurants. Breakfast starts at 6:30am which did not work us with early full day guided tours.

Activity Reviews

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Great tour to be able to see the performing stage of the Opera House.

Full Day Cape Tribulation, Daintree & Mossman Gorge

Cairns

Daintree River Cruise and rainforest are good highlights. The bus driver and tour guide Denial was great. However, Mossman Gorge does not seem that interesting. This trip involves winding mountain ride. It took a long drive to reach to destination.

Dinner Cruise Sydney Harbour Window Seat (from Darling Harbour)

Sydney

Lovely cruise to see the Sydney Harbour. Food is actually good. Window seat is a plus.

Morning Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

Tour guide was very knowledgeable. It is a good tour to know the city first before picking places to visit at free time.

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

A long drive to a few lookout points for photo shoots. I wish we have more time to walk around the Three Sisters. Knowledgeable tour guide.

Welcome to Cairns

Cairns

Full-Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail - Gold Class

Australia

Location is wonderful and the Gold Class train ride was a good treat. The bus driver, however, is not as good as all other guide.

Melbourne City & Phillip Island Day Trip with Penguin Parade

Melbourne

Funning and knowledgeable tour guide Sara. We enjoyed this tour.

Depart Australia

Australia

The ride is okay. With all of the airport pick-up and drop-off in the entire trip, the Sydney pick-up experience, the car and the driver, is amazing. I guess it is a small city. The cars used in Cainrs is so so. But all drivers are courteous.

Hien planned a fantastic trip to Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi. Her prompt communication, insightful questions, and seamless coordination made the experience exceptional. All her travel partners were punctual, and she excelled in ensuring everything went smoothly throughout the trip. Every penny was well-spent, and I highly endorse her services.

Activity Reviews

Thien Son Canh Cave - Ha Long International Port (Renea cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Highlighting the positives, the trip featured breathtaking sceneries, delightful cuisine, and an incredibly friendly crew providing excellent service. On the downside, the cruise was limited to two areas, with extended periods at anchor. The tightly scheduled activities felt somewhat obligatory. Additionally, there was no fishing village, only an abandoned area where locals sold pearls and souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Join Cooking Class and Market Tour in Hanoi

Hanoi

Enjoyed a delightful experience going to the local market for food shopping and cooking afterward. Our guide and instructor, Apple, infused the session with positive energy, wit, and valuable insights on maximizing the potential of ingredients. Definitely considering trying this at home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

A fantastic night walking tour exploring old Hanoi, with stops at local eateries favored by locals. The delicious food makes it an experience worth savoring.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport