Kimkim Trip Reviews

Alvaro booked a series of wonderful tours for me. With one exception, the Galapagos partners and guides were reliable, knowledgable and personable, with a true interest in sharing their knowledge of the island and its wildlife and ecology, willing to share of themselves and make a personal connection, as well as get me to and from destinations safely and on time. Particular standout guides were Danny (for the introduction to the Island), Solange (everyday assistance and San Cristobal Highlands visit), Christian (for Espanola), Patricio (for Santa Cruz), Freddy and the crew of the Nautilus (for Bartholome), Rita (Santa Cruz), for getting me to and from places on time and helping me search for my phone, and the crew of Wreck Bay Adventures.
Best trips, in my opinion, were Espanola and Bartholome, with the service and comfort on the Nautilus exceeding all expectations. Occasional miscommunications did occur, but the overall experience was wonderful.

Hotel Review

Isla Azul Eco Hostal

Puerto Ayora

This hotel was a good fit for me. I like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, and a nice common areas, but don't need much in terms high luxury. The rooms were clean and nice and the owners and staff were very interesting to chat with and very accommodating to my dietary needs. overall I had a wonderful stay at Isla Azul.

Authenticity & Character

I liked the use of wood in the rooms and the building, it made it very cozy and pleasant to sit in. There is a semi-outdoor common area/lobby that was very comfortable and stocked with books. The owners had interesting stories to tell

Location

It's an average location, felt safe, some stores and bars nearby, about 10 min walk to the "strip"

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

rooms were cleaned daily, water refilled every other day.

Activity Review

Embracing Nature: Discovering Wildlife on Española Island

Isla San Cristóbal

This was a fantastic trip -- the amount of wildlife we saw was mind-blowing and Christian was a wonderful guide. The crew on the boat was very personable and even found my lost waterbottle! Should have brought a better wetsuit for the snorkeling. The water was really chilly!

Quality of Experience

All of it

Food

The food was good. I liked the fresh fruit. Overall the boat lunches are so -so, but they always have rice, so great for gluten-free dietary needs.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So helpful, communicative, and personable. The guide knew a lot!

Transport

We were lucky with the ocean not being too choppy that day. The boat can be a little crowded for longer trips

One hotel was changed from the documentation the Driver and Guide carried with them that was printed from "Enjoy Jordan" (aka i guess Samir). Petra Moon was changed to the Premier Elite and may have been similar quality but one (Petra Moon) was in the hub of the Petra area and the other was in the dark outskirts. Thus, not the same, as when the guide called about the change from the documented itinerary, the office response was the Elite is better (not) , The downgrade was at the Wadi Rum camp here the room was stated on "EJ" (aka Samir) printed documentation guide and driver carried. Thus, the top of the line room (all booked up!) and thus we were in standard accommodation. First time we have ever been downgraded (:.
A few days prior to leaving I would have thought Samir (EJ) would have touched base to see if we were alive and to "assure" the customer. No response thus we emailed him just to assure him we were coming and our plans re: flight etc had not changed. Also one would think the agent was inform us of the names of the driver and guide in advance. I would suspect that that EJ (Samir) might respond that a disclaimer of "things may change but all quality will remain the same) would be appropriate. Maybe in his eyes but in ours a communication well in advance of those changes would be appropriate and certainly not by us calling attention that the final documentation the driver and guide carries states what we were told. I have my own suspicions as to why the changes occurred. Some other annoyances and concerns between his staff and our interaction with them was really pushed at us and was a little uncomfortable.
We have traveled extensively independently and using "my terms" booking agents (i.e. Black Tomato, Belmond, A and K, Kensington, ATR to name a few). This journey overall was only slightly dented by KimKim local agents / company. My suggestion is to really check out the local agent and get final truly final verified document. KimKim and, at least the agent need to acquaint themselves with the service RATER principle.

Samir tailored the type of trip was asked for through Israel abs paired us with an amazing driver and Jerusalem guide. I highly recommend KimKim and Samir to use them as their number one drive and number one guide. Both then tailored our trip even more for us once we could focus on what we really really wanted to see on our trip. Although none of the hotels in our voucher where actually booked due to over flow the replacements hotels were in even better relocation for us to make the most of our trip… so that was also a major win! Thank you for everything!

Hotel Reviews

Harmony Hotel Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Did not stay at any of these hotels but I will say amazing to all as don’t want to hurt the hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Magdala Tiberias

Migdal

Did not stay at any of these hotels but I will say amazing to all as don’t want to hurt the hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tal By the Beach Hotel

Tel Aviv

Did not stay at any of these hotels but I will say amazing to all as don’t want to hurt the hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit to Bethlehem

Israel

Bethlehem is a must!!!!! Incredible day and again our guide and driver made the day so smooth and amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

JERUSALEM WEST TOUR (J)

Jerusalem

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

JERUSALEM TOUR (J)

Jerusalem

Very moving morning to go to the Holocaust museum. Our guide was phenomenal and changed a lot of the planned day to accommodate what I’d really like to see. Amazing day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Just like our driver… our guide was Professional, prompt, informative, personable and listened to what we’d like to do and flexible with leaving times from Hotels

Transport

Safed, Golan Heights

Israel

Banias Springs was lovely to walk round and Golan Golan Heights Fascinating

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TEL AVIV / CAESAREA / HAIFA / ACRE (ACO) / ROSH HANIKRA / GALILEE. (J)

Israel

Loved R.H and Gailiee!!! Everything else was fascinating too but really enjoyed that part of the day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional, prompt, informative, personable and listened to what we’d like to do and flexible with leaving times from Hotels.

Transport

JORDAN VALLEY TOUR (J) (Tiberias to Jerusalem)

Israel

This was a great day as we wanted to tailor it complete so our driver suggested the Dead Sea… so we had an incredibly beautiful and fascinating drive to the Dead Sea. Great day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lovely trip. Great help in planning the trip by Ravi who was knowledgeable, kind, gracious and really made us feel that he cared for us to have a great trip.

Our guides were very insightful and welcomes d us with grace. Special mention for Giriraj, Harish and Jitendra. Our driver was also incredibly kind (Rahul) and brought a smile to my daughter every day.

My only constructive feedback would be:
-just as restaurants in India ask westerners « how spicy do you want it » this should be asked as well to the guests. We sometimes felt too protected , experiencing an abstract visit taking us by car from one historic site to another and then to a « hygenic » restaurant. The great service that Ravi offered was to pivot and allow us to change plans last second in order to get spend time in markets and just walk around with everyday people.m which was also important to us.

- just a slightly negative note on our hotel in Delhi. After great hotels across all other cities we visited, this was definitely a grade below.

That said, KimKim and using Active India was the best decision. Ravi was truly a marvelous host as were the individual guides who shared the love and knowledge they have of this marvelous country - INDIA.

WE HAD AN AMAZING JOURNEY

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Udman Ferns N Petals

New Delhi, Delhi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Mercure Agra

Agra, UP

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Heritage Haveli

Khatipura, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Amet Haveli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Great guide.

Agra - Delhi (Train - 1745/1930hrs)

Delhi

Part of a visit is trying to blend in and not being accompanied or guided. So we loved this experience.

Quality of Experience

Jaipur - Agra via Abhaneri

Agra

Abhaneri is worth the detour

Jaipur Sightseeing and Spending time with elephants

Jaipur

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Udaipur Sightseeing

Udaipur

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First class trip with amazingly informed and helpful guides.Kinlee and sonom were extremely kind, fun to be with and went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed. Kinlee helped me find the perfect Piece of art and is following up making sure the shipping and everything goes smoothly. Vishal was very helpful from the start helping me to plan and organize The trip to fit my needs. Definitely exceeded my expectations and would not hesitate to use this company again! Namaste🙏 Chris

My sister in-law booked our trip so I can only report on the planning experience second hand. We were very pleased with Sallam our driver and tour manager and couldn't imagine a more pleasant person to spend our time with. The cities we visited and the country side we rode through provided an encompassing perspective of Morocco. I learned a great deal about Morocco's history and culture. We enjoyed the local food and found the prices unbelievably reasonable. Our day tours were educational. We appreciated all of our city guides. We especially like Said who was very knowledgeable. I enjoyed the co-ops where we were shown the artisans working on leather, jewelry, pottery, etcetera. It is good to see crafting traditions being preserved. Overall, I thank Kimkim for a wonderful vacation which was a great value.

My trip to Morocco was once in a lifetime experience. Megan was very helpful in finding us excellent Riads & hotels , she is quick to response if i have questions. There's 3 of us on this trip & were assigned to Hassan as our driver from Casablanca to Marakech. Hassan is very friendly & jolly and a joker at timeshare's like a brother to us, if we need a local food he took us to a place where we can taste local Moroccan food which we enjoyed . All the places that were selected by Megan were all excellent. Kamal our tour guide in Fes is also wonderful, We learn some history of Fes & took us to a beautiful restaurant. Our stay in Sahara desert was also excellent a high end tent with a/c & our own toilet. Our servers & entertainers the 2 Saeds & Mohammad work hard just so we can enjoy our stay and lastly Mohammad our tour guide in Marrakech did an excellent job touring us in the market area. above all we had a great time thanks for everything

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Es Saadi Marrakech Resort - Palace

Marrakech

Merely had her birthday in Marakech the staff came to our room & had a cake for her to blow. We didn't expect that & we say thank you for that wonderful gesture.

Authenticity & Character

the hotel is really nice & beautiful

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar Sultan Dades

El Hart

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradis Du Sahara

Merzouga

Mohammad, & the 2 Saeds were very helpful they're the cook & entertainers as well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Mohayut

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

very unique & beautiful

Staff

Edriss & Navil very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dar Mounir

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boumalne Dades to Marrakech, via Ouarzazate and Ait BenHaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guided Hike in the Dades Valley

Boumalne Dades

We did not hike coz it start to rain

Quality of Experience

Erg Chebbi Dunes to Boumalne Dades

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Transport

From Fes to Merzouga via the Atlas Mountains (Ifrane, Azrou and Zaida)

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Quality of Experience

Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Transport

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Its a must to see this magnificent mosque

Quality of Experience

Transport

Everything was great.
The tours were excellent. I was a little late to the ATV tours in Sedona because I did not have enough time to drive from the airport to Sedona.
The grand canyon was impressive.
The antelope tours were great but very busy.

One note: communication was very challenging when we were trying to finalize all the details because Leo was in a remote part of the world and had very bad service.

We wish to thank Hakim that helped organize our trip to Morroco. Communication with Hakim was always easy and he was always willing to help. We had to make changes due to flight cancelations but Hakim took his time to make the changes that will work for us. We had such a wonderful experience and overall had pleasent company especially with Mohammed. He was a God sent to us. We felt safe and he was so knowledgeable about everything we asked him, and believe me, we asked alot! He was punctual and went out of his way to make us feel comfortable. What a wonderful personality he has!

Our trips to the Medinas with our guides made a great difference. We really enjoyed how Youssef (in Marrakech) and Hafid (in Fes) explained with passion about their culture, their history and their faith.

The hotel Riad Kniza was a beauty, but specially the owner of the Riad and his staff made us feel like family. The Saharai was gorgeous. We enjoyed how comfortable the rooms were and the food was delicious. However, the hotel in Casablanca could have been better in the sense that the rooms where a bit rundown.
The balloon ride breath taking and Abdala was such a treat to get to know. We will not forget our crazy photographer. Thanks for the wonderful pictures he took. We are truly thankful to everyone that made our trip so special.
Cecy, Lilly, Mary and Taty

We had a fantastic time on our trip overall though there were some logistics that I wish had been communicated better. I had provided the hotels and general itinerary and I was pleased with my choices. The guides in El Chalten were wonderful. Some items that could have been improved upon:

- When telling us the documentation necessary to travel, it would be helpful to have been told the tipping expectations for our trip.
-Seeing a detailed price breakdown for the total cost
-Park fee for the Perito Moreno was not included in our cost and we were not told how much to bring, that should've been mentioned
-Private transfers were requested for the entire trip, but my transfer to the Perito Moreno glacier was in a large tour bus of over 50 people and the guide there did not know how/when I would meet my mother later in the day.
-Every excursion had two options, one for me and one for my mother. I assumed this would be communicated to Awasi, as when we got there, they did not know we needed to do different activities. They luckily had an extra guide one day, but if not, we would have had to choose between my mother not visiting Torres del Paine park or me skipping the iconic Base de las Torres hike. This caused several hours of miscommunication upon arrival that should have been avoided.
-Unsure if Awasi communicated with you, but the hot tubs were not working due to weather and the park was partially closed off due to a strike - we would have appreciated knowing that prior to arrival.
-Awasi requires a guide to accompany us on every activity (this was unclear to us) and the guide who I was given to do my trek with had never done the trek and therefore did not know the correct signed route up, was not knowledgeable about the weather and climate (he claimed my outfit would not be enough, turns out it was completely fine), and walked over 30m ahead or behind me most of the way. Guides should match the speed of the guest they are with.
-It would be helpful to have been told about the various exchange rates in Argentina, it was confusing to see different ones across the country.
-We requested a private driver only for four hours in Santiago and I was shocked that the quote was $750 USD. We were able to get a taxi each way for less than $60 each way. No follow up was made to try and find us an alternative.
-We would have appreciated being told about a ten hour layover in Santiago, as we were not able to check in until four hours before so that would have left us six hours with no plans and our suitcases. Had we known before, we could have planned something earlier than day before.

Absolutely wonderful trip! We had a fabulous time in South Africa.

To start off, we stayed at the Hotel Onyx. It was a great location - not far from the airport or the tourist-friendly waterfront area, but not itself in a crowded or tourist-heavy area. Enough street activity that you felt safe walking around, but nothing loud to keep you up at night. The hospitality from the staff was first rate. Our room was beautiful and gave us a great view. The breakfast spread was expansive and the waitstaff was very attentive. We never ordered off the menu because the continental offerings were more than enough food to get us started. We took advantage of all the amenities - the lounge on the 4th floor, the pool, and the spa. All were great and lovely options to have. The lounge especially was a great option for those in-between times when you didn't want to be in your hotel room, but maybe too tired to be out at a bar or restaurant. The spa was beautifully soothing and the massage I received was the perfect ending to our stay in Cape Town before a long flight home. 10/10 would definitely recommend.

We walked to the V&A waterfront and kept walking along the path curving along the north side of the city, along Mouille Point. We walked for about an hour and a half, finally stopping for a drink and snack at the Hussar Grill along the seafront. We walked through Green Point Park, which was abuzz with families picnicking in the shade, before uber-ing back to our hotel. After a short rest, we hopped in the car and drove down to coast to the Cape of Good Hope. We saw our first wildlife - some ostriches and springbok were along the roadside. There were only a few tourists, so we were able to climb up a few of the boulder paths to the top and got our picture with the sign. We drove back north along the False Bay coast, and stopped in Simon's Town to see if we could still see some penguins. The very helpful parking lot attendant told us the beach was closed for the day, but we could still walk along the path. I'm so glad we took him up on it, because we had such a unique experience - all the penguins had come in off the beach for the night and were nestled along the fenced boardwalk, and we had the place to ourselves to see the penguins get ready to sleep for the night. It was a top rate experience. That educated us on parking attendants and learned that tipping those folks was a wise investment to feel your vehicle was secure. We ate dinner at Dixie's in Glencairn and had a great meal. The hospitality from all the folks we interacted with in SA was really stand out.

The drive to Hermanus was pretty simple and straightforward. The Guest House was beautifully appointed in a French country style and a major change from the urban hotel in Cape Town. We were again greetly very warmly by the host/receptionist, who directed us to the parking and our room. We had an amazing balcony that faced the water with doors that opened spanning the length of the balcony. Unfortunately, the weather was quite windy, so we weren't able to take full advantage of the beaches or waterside offerings. I walked along the beachwalk that started directly outside our hotel and was a lovely way to spend an afternoon and get a sense of Hermanus. I walked to the quaint little downtown area and perused the many artist galleries and shops. We went out in the downtown for dinner and had a lovely meal. We returned in the morning and purchased some art to remember our trip by. We had a quick stay in Hermanus. It was a lovely, quaint beach town that we didn't get to know very well, but we were charmed by what we were able to see/experience.

It was a long drive to Knysna, but the landscape and scenery were enrapturing. My husband comes from a dairy farming family, so he really enjoyed seeing the farmland and cattle. We were advised by one of the gallerists in Hermanus to stop by a farmstall along the way, and I'm glad we took his advice. We stopped by a farm stall and roadside shopping area, where we picked up some locally made snacks and adorable keepsakes for us and friends and family back home.

The Brenton on Sea guest house was a luxurious stay, and if anyone is interested in true beach time, I highly recommend it. Again, the weather was quite windy for our stay, so we weren't able to use it as such, but I still greatly enjoyed walking along the beach picking up shells and watching the waves. It was both mine and my husband's first times touching the Indian Ocean. Our room had a deck that looked out to the ocean and a walking path that led directly down to the beach. That was great and felt very special. We drove back into Knysna and east towards Plettenberg Bay to check out the area. On our full day in Knysna, we found a place that offered 4-wheeling (4x4) rides, which was a fun stop. Chase had been wanting to golf, so we popped into the Knysna Golf Club and he was able to scoop up the 3:30 tee time for the same day.

We had a bit of a nightmare the next morning when we woke up to realize our 3:30 am alarm had never gone off and we were going to miss our flight from George. That is when the travel agency came in clutch and were able to reschedule us out of Cape Town and, overall, we only landed about 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. It was a stressful morning, but we were grateful to have someone on call to help us. And boy, am I so glad we didn't lose a day at the Thabamati. I am in love with that place.

We have never stayed at a place so beautifully designed as Thabamati. Mich and Charlie are wonderful hosts, and again, the staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. We both so enjoyed our time there and could rave about it at length. But I will summarize to say - the accommodations were beautiful and luxurious. The food was incredible - every meal was a delight. Charlie and Caswell were a great guide/tracker team, and their approach to game drives were incredibly respectful of the animals, which made me feel very comfortable. Their knowledge was incredibly deep and broad. I am an "animal nerd" and peppered them with questions - none of which they could not answer. We saw lots of animals, and even on the "slower" rides, it was a joy to take in the scenery, and Charlie didn't shy away from calling out every bird and bug to really give us an in-depth knowledge of the place.

We were sad to leave, but excited to experience our next stop. We are low key, flexible travelers and I would encourage anyone who is traveling from the Timbavati to Sabi Sands to bring that same attitude. It is a very long drive from one to the other - about 3.5 hours. A lot of the roads are dirt and ridden with potholes, which makes for very slow-going. Only about 1/3 of the drive is on paved roads where you can drive with some speed. You also travel through some villages, which is a real opportunity for humility, gratitude, and reflection about the developed vs the developing world and the history of colonialism by the white Europeans into black Africa. We drove through both on our way to and from the Sabi Sands, and both of our drivers were friendly and chatty about village life. I was glad to have learned from them about what day-to-day life is like.

By the end of our time in Nkhoro, I really came to enjoy it, but it was a real adjustment from Thabamati. Coming from a lodge of 4 tents, only 3 of which were occupied, a lodge of 8 fully-booked tents felt like a huge change. There were a majority German tourists there, so we weren't really able to chat with any of the other guests our first night. However, the game drive our first evening was a very good night of animal sightings. That was really the saving grace in our first 24 hours. And luckily, all 10 of the Germans left the next morning, so the rest of our game drives were only with one other Dutch couple, who were our age and much chattier. Our guide, Deon, was also much younger than Charlie at Thabamati, and while he was also incredibly knowledgeable about the animals and the Sabi Sands overall, you could tell he was still getting his "sea legs" with working with the tracker, while also operating the vehicle and keeping track of the radio. The general attitude was also different from Thabamati. Because there are so many more reserves in the Sabi Sands, the radios were almost constantly going off, and there was a bit more of a frantic attitude when one car would report a sighting to rush to get there. It by no means felt exploitative or invasive to the animals, it was a little more competitive than Thabamati. However, the animal sightings were top notch. We saw some incredible sights and some really rare animals, which was very special. My advice for future planners would be to start with Nkorho, then move to Thabamti, because Thabamati is a superior stay, but Nkorho had better animal sightings. But we still saw the Big 5 at both. Another minor disappointment was that at Nkorho, the ranger was away for the week, so we weren't able to go on a game walk there, like we were able to at Thabamati. Overall, I'd say Thabamati was a 10/10 and Nkorho was a 8.5/10. Still a wonderful experience, but Thabamati is hard to top.

Our travel on the way back home went very smoothly. We had about 6 hours once we landed back in Cape Town before our flight out of the country, so we returned to Hotel Onyx, where they didn't blink an eye when we asked if we could stash our luggage there. That is when I took advantage of the spa, which was very enjoyable and soothing before 24 hours of straight travel. After the massage, we walked back along the V&A Waterfront and got dinner and a drink in the shadow of Table Mountain, which was a beautiful way to say goodbye to a place we had really come to love!

One small area of improvement for KimKim. As we got closer to the start of our trip, I thought of a few different logistical questions. I was a little disappointed in the nature of the answers - they were quite vague and didn't really give me what I was looking for. In the future, I'd recommend a bit more in-depth answers or a more personal touch. I felt like I needed to look elsewhere (which is what I was trying to avoid) to really get the real answers I wanted. However, I was overall very pleased with our experience with KimKim. We definitely wouldn't have found the accommodations they booked for us, and I was very thankful to have someone hand me an itinerary with every booking and activity listed in one place, as well as a resource to fall back on when/if anything went awry.

We both thought of this trip as a trip-of-a-lifetime, but I think we might be back! We so enjoyed our time and everything was absolutely beyond our wildest expectations.

Hotel Reviews

Nkorho Bush Lodge

Kruger National Park

Furnishings were a bit more economical compared to Thabamati, but still clean and functional. The A/C unit in the room was greatly appreciated.

Authenticity & Character

We were treated to a dance performance by some of the staff our 2nd night.

Location

If you want to see a lot of animals, you will be thrilled.

Staff

The staff were very friendly - the hosts and guides dine with you at night, and we had a great time drinking at the bar and chatting after dinner on our 2nd night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We really could've used a welcome mat at the entrance to our room/tent, as our shoes got quite sandy on the game drives, and we couldn't help but track that into our space. Each day, I smacked my shoes together outside the room to get the dirt out.

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

The best stay of our whole trip. Send everyone here. The lodge, the tents, the food, the staff - all stunning.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. You can feel the love that Mich and Charlie have for the lodge and the area overall. They really set the tone for the whole place, and it's amazing. They knew it was our honeymoon, so they arranged a lovely meal at our tent for our first evening's dinner. They had also drawn the bath and strewn the bathroom with rose petals. Made us feel very special.

Location

Not a far ride from Hoedspruit, which is nice after a busy morning of travel.

Staff

The place is so small you know all the staff by name/sight. All very friendly and ready to pour you a drink at the drop of a hat. Left them all hefty tips.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brenton Haven Beachfront Resort

Knysna

Amazing for real beach time. The walk out from the deck directly to the beach path would be worth it alone to me. But the room was also huge, and the restaurant had great breakfast and dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit off the beaten path if you're looking for time in Knysna itself, but if it's beach you're looking for, it's the perfect spot.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hermanus Boutique Guest House

Hermanus

We only had one night here, but it was great. Staff were friendly, rooms were beautifully appointed, breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy drive from Cape Town. Right on the water. A quick 15 min walk from the quaint downtown.

Staff

The receptionist that greeted us was exceptionally friendly and ready to make recommendations at the drop of a hat. If we were to spend more time here, I think she would have been a great resource.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Onyx Hotel

Cape Town

I talked about the hotel in my previous review. A great place - beautiful design, lovely accommodations, warm and friendly staff, great location that is convenient to the airport and the waterfront.

Authenticity & Character

Location

20 min from the airport, which is great. Wouldn't really want to be any further than that. And walkable to the waterfront, which is very tourist-friendly, and a great place to walk around your first day in Cape Town to get your barrings.

Staff

Staff went out of their way to be accommodating. All very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very clean and comfortable. The bathroom showers were lovely.

Activity Reviews

Days on Safari

South Africa

We saw an unbelievable amount of animals. It was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think our guide Deon will get better and better with time. He was still amazing, and I recognize I'm being a little nitpicky. He's quite young, and I think can get sucked into the competitive nature of spotting something first or rushing to someone else's sighting, but that seemed to improve even over the course of the 4 game drives we did with him. A wealth of knowledge.

Transport

Timbavati Game Reserve to Sabi Sands Game Reserve

South Africa

There's no getting around it's a long day in the car. But our driver Kingsley was friendly and chatty, and willing to put the car in reverse when I spotted a buffalo snoozing under a tree along the roadside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Amazing. We saw a lot of animals, but also had some down time. Charlie and Caswell did a great job - they were a good team and communicated well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife and I had an incredible experience in Iceland, largely thanks to KimKim.

More specifically, our local specialist Sylvia. She was responsive and organized. She suggested many activities we would have never thought of by ourselves and help us coordinate along the way as our plans changed. I can’t stress enough how amazing she was!

Countless waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, lakes, and of course natural hot baths. I would recommend to anyone that they visit, and get Sylvia’s help to do so!

Thank you thank you THANK YOU, Megan!!
Beautiful Moroccan adventure. Everything was even better than expected. Hassan made our long-hours trips very enjoyable. He was very professional, super nice, kind, patient, and funny. He always had our requested water available and cold. He made us feel safe. Our check-ins were easy and smooth. The riads were the best stays, and every single one of our guides was very knowledgeable.
Ever since I came back I've been telling my friends and acquaintances that KIMKIM is the best company.

Maribel Gonzalez

Portugal was one of our favorite trips we have taken. Karina was wonderful throughout the process
and it was a long process during the tough covid period. She was always responsive and helpful throughout.
Karina laid out a very good itinerary of Lisbon, Porto, and Algarve region. The hotels were very consistent in quality and
the transportation provided to and from train stations and hotels was very efficient and friendly. We are already
taking about our next trip and thanks to Karina and our amazing Portugal experience we would certainly use KimKim again.

This was our first trip to Nepal. 8 days only. Thanks to Ngima for arranging this trip for us and keeping in touch with us every step of the way.
Lakpa, our guardian angel and driver stayed with us during the entire trip and we learned so much about Nepal from him. His attention and enthusiasm made all the difference!
In Kathmandu area, we loved discovering the Newari culture and the town of Bhaktapur the most. Pohkara was also lots of fun and walking the trails in Nagarkot was nice too. Knowing our interest for genuine local food our local guide, Kamaal, took us to several tiny local food outlets we would hv never found on our own. We just loved it.
We did not stray far from main areas this time, and we also enjoyed the white water rafting with a fun team. Next time we intend to explore other areas farther afield, with kimkim of course!

Hotel Reviews

Da Yatra Courtyard Hotel & Resort

Pokhara

A 2 star hotel with big ugly rooms and bathrooms. Its clean and functional, and is very conveniently located close to tge lake and restaurants but certainly not pleasant. Website says luxury hotel, definitely a far cry !! Most horrible breakfast with cold and stale food. Terrible coffee and tea. On second day, we decided to get our breakfast outside instead to get decent coffee and danish pastry. Definitely not recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Redo all interiors, make a small cafe opening to street. Get oroper management.

Location

Close to lake area

Staff

Staff was pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Design, wiring, furniture, bedding, towels,

Hotel Country Villa

Nagarkot

Lovely hotel with a Swiss spirit. Great location for hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely , well maintained. Felt like Swiss !!

Location

Great views of the mountains

Staff

Nice and pleasant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are good, lovely balconies and heater working well.(necessary in the hills)

Hotel Ambassador

Kathmandu

Excellent hotel. Great rooms! Good rooftop restaurant. Breakfast OK, but staff lazy.

Authenticity & Character

Ok.

Location

Easy to walk to Thamel and other places

Staff

FnB staff lazy.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well appoibted

Activity Reviews

Explore Kathmandu: Bouddhanath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square

Kathmandu

Excellent guiding by Kamaal and Lakpa who really adapted to our needs.

Quality of Experience

Going to local places.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Personal attention and knowledge

Transport

Comfortable car

Depart Kathmandu

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pokhara Sightseeing Tour

Pokhara

Ok. Nothing too much really, but guide was pleasant and Lakpa very attentive to our needs

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car used.

Welcome to Kathmandu

Kathmandu Int. Airport (KTM)

Loved the personal welcome from Ngima and Lakpa.

Quality of Experience

Personal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone very pleasant

Transport

Good jeep. Perfect for Kathmandu.

We had an amazing trip to Norway, and appreciated all the work and responsiveness of the entire KimKim staff that was involved with our vacation including Ezdi, Julia, and Merée. So many great memories, and will try to highlight a few. We loved staying at Anker Brygge, and spending time in Svolvær. The cabins on the water are great, and the tour of the Lofoten Islands with Maurizio and Lofoten Lights was excellent. So glad the cruise up to Tromsø with Hurtigruten was included, a unique and beautiful trip through the Fjords, and saw Northern Lights over Lofoten Islands on our departure. Without a doubt the biggest highlight of the trip overall was staying in the glass igloo at Lyngen North. Incredible place, wonderful dinner, and we were lucky to have a very active aurora evening - stayed up late into the night watching the lights dance across the mountains. Back in Tromsø, enjoyed walking and exploring the town, shopping and hiking, and the cable car is definitely a can not miss experience. What a view. The dinner cruise was nice even with no Northern Lights to view. The only disappointment was that the Whale Watching Tour was not canceled/refunded. Easy to get overbooked, especially with a night activity followed by an early morning.

I was extremely satisfied with the booking process and communication as we changed itineraries and had questions leading up to departure. The KimKim team was great to work with.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Great location near water and easy to walk a lot of places within the city including across the bridge. Had a great corner room on 7th floor with wrap-around windows, overlooking water and town. Breakfast is very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Oslo Airport

Gardermoen

Good location near airport, with smaller rooms and above average restaurant. Can catch shuttle from Airport (S55) or right out front of hotel to/from airport. Had trouble communicating with hotel before trip trying to arrange transportation. Was not easy getting a cab to hotel since it is relatively close (but not walkable). Once we learned about shuttle, it was easy getting back and forth.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anker Brygge

Svolvær

The cabin on the water was wonderful. Spacious and peaceful, with incredible views across the water. Our experience was quiet, liked being away from, but able to easily walk to the restaurants and shops. Would definitely recommend and return.

Authenticity & Character

Unique cabin design.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whale Watching Excursion by Electric Ship

Tromsø

Did not go. Despite trying to cancel 46 hours before trip, did not get refunded due to 48 hour cancelation rule. Not sure what they need two full days to prepare for.

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Beautiful cruise around Tromsø. Had a beautiful clear evening, however no lights. Enjoyed being on the water and a different perspective of the city. Food was average, staff above and beyond excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Main course was not very good. First course was fun sample of regional food and dessert was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lofoten Winter Photography Adventure

Svolvær

Nice half day trip exploring all sides of the islands. Loved our guide Maurizio, who was personable, knowledgeable, and made the day fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maurizio was fantastic driver and guide.

Transport

Nice comfortable van. Easy to get in and out at the various stops.

Fjellheisen Cable Car Ticket

Tromsø

A must do when in Tromsø. Incredible views from top.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Glass Igloo

Tromsø

100% highlight and a must do. We were blessed and lucky to have a night filled with Northern Light activity. I would have loved the stay regardless - what a setting. The three-course dinner was our best meal of our vacation and the staff is terrific. The travel up to the igloo was simple, and bus ride went by quick due to views and two ferry boat rides that break up the 3-4 hours.

Quality of Experience

One of the most unique stays you'll have.

Food

The best dinner we had our 9 day trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was fantastic.

Transport

Bus was comfortable and easy to figure out.

THANK YOU TO MICHAEL GOLD who was especially attentive to me and my trip mate as we planned our trip to Colombia. He booked a fabulous week for us.

While in Medellin: The hotel, the experiences, and the guides were perfect in every way. The hotel was basic but got the job done. BH El Poblado: friendly staff, great beds, hot water, terrific breakfast and views.
A BIG SHOUTOUT TO OUR GUIDE FROYLAN GARCES and DRIVER MARTIN CHALARCA as they were both quite knowledgeable in all areas of history, current events and where to get a great cup of coffee. They focused on our safety and comfort and really represented the heart and soul of Medellin.

While in Cartagena: The first hotel we stayed in was not a place that should be booked for future guests. Upon letting Michael Gold know about this he and his team immediately jumped to our aide. The sign of a great tour company is their availability to their guests and Michael and his team at Chaska took excellent care to make sure we were put somewhere else - Casa Lola. Terrific!

Hotel Review

Bh El Poblado

Medellín

Authenticity & Character

cheap modern. could use a little freshening up.

Location

Staff

front desk friendly. Breakfast room chefs were so nice - great food.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were solidly good.

Activity Reviews

Cartagena Dance Class

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

more information at stops please.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

bikes need a serious upgrade.

Drum Workshop in La Boquilla

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nature-Experience: Los Saltos Eco-Park

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to San Basilio de Palenque

Cartagena

Skip. A total money grab

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Guatape is a fab little town to walk around in.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GUIDE FROYLAN GARCES and DRIVER MARTIN CHALARCA were amazing in every way

Transport

We absolutely loved our trip to Morocco, it was an incredible experience.
Our thanks go to our local specialist, Megan and her Kimkim + Wonderlust team who organized an amazing, memorable 14-day trip for us. From our first inquiry Megan, was professional, taking into consideration our age and interests. She was always prompt and patient in replying to our endless emails, concerns and enquires. Our trip was planned and booked in 2019, due to covid, it was rolled over to 2022 and a few changes had to be made, which Megan efficiently accomplished.
We can highly recommend Megan she was excellent; Thank you Megan, you gave us outstanding service.
Hmad Oussidi, was our excellent driver, he took care of us with smile, he was considerate, obliging, punctual and happily answered all of our questions. He introduced us to our local guides and the different genres of Moroccan music, plus he was good company. It was wonderful not having to navigate ourselves around the cities etc. He certainly helped to make our trip stress free. Thank you Hmad.
We found having a local guide in each city invaluable, they had different personalities, which made them even more interesting. Thier knowledgeable, insight and passion for their city, was commendable.
Our accommodation was excellent. We enjoyed interacting with the friendly staff and fellow tourists.
Each day of our trip was exciting and held its own special experience, so it's impossible to single out favourite experiences. We visited the four Imperial Cities and their medinas; they all had their own uniqueness and feel. Their history was incredible, so glad UNESCO is invested in helping to preserve various heritage sights. We so enjoyed getting a taste of the Atlas Mountains, the Berber villages and the countryside when traveling from one city to another. We had a great time in the coastal cities of Tangier and Essaouira, their history, medina and seaside atmosphere, was fabulous. The Hassan II Mosque is an architectural marvel with incredible artistry, it was awe inspiring. Chefchauouen, was visually appealing and we loved the relaxed atmosphere. We had a great holiday.
We can highly recommend Kimkim & Wanderlust Voyages.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Hicham

Chefchaouen

We had a fabulous stay; the atmosphere was great it was attractively decorated; we certainly knew we were in Morocco. The staff were very welcoming, helpful and friendly. Location was perfect, just off the main square, within easy walking distance to lots of restaurants the medina and various attractions. Our room was spacious and comfortable. The Riad Hicham Restaurant, was excellent we enjoyed the breakfast, ate a lunch in pretty little alcove in the courtyard, very romantic. The waiters were chatty and helpful re our menu choices; had a delicious dinner on the terrace. We can certainly recommend staying in Riad Hicham.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Wow

Marrakech

This hotel really lives up to its name, "Riad Wow." As we walked into the reception, we both said, WOW! We received a very warm welcome and were offered mint tea and biscuits. I couldn't stop my eyes wondering around the reception area, as there were so many interesting decor items. There was definitely a wow factor to the deco, in all of areas of the hotel; bright, bold, colourful with interesting artefacts. It certainly looked and felt Moroccan, with a modern touch. Our room was large, richly decorated and we were welcomed with rose petals everywhere, a lovely romantic touch. The wooden window shutters and doors were exquisite. Loved the huge, golden, tassel tie backs, very majestic. The courtyard had lovely pool and the surrounding area was interesting and colourful. The roof top terrace was where Moroccan breakfasts and dinners were a served, it was also a wonderful place to put your feet up and relax. We spent 4 nights in this special Riad and would do so again, in a heartbeat. We very got very friendly with the staff, nothing was too much trouble for them, they only wanted us to be satisfied and happy. I'm gluten intolerant and at breakfast I said another, wow! as I was presented with a plate of gluten free breads, a crepe and huge slice of breakfast cake, much more than I could consume. They said, I had to have a choice. A big thank you to the chef as our couple of dinners were also delicious. Our evening waiter was very knowledgeable, interesting and we were impressed with his language skills. We certainly had an amazing, memorable experience. We can highly recommend Riad Wow.

Authenticity & Character

It was very different with loads of colour, felt Moroccan

Location

It was accessible by car, near an ATM, within walking distance to the Koutoubia mosque, Jemaa el Fnaa, the souks and restaurants.

Staff

Their service was excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was spotless and our bed comfy

Hotel Le Medina Essaouira Thalassa Sea & Spa MGallery

Essaouira

We thoroughly enjoyed this excellent hotel, the location was great, the staff are friendly, obliging and helpful. It's situated on the beach front and within easy walking distance of the medina and the harbour. The hotel is designed around a large outdoor pool, which is very pretty and well protected. We enjoyed our excellent breakfasts, outside, next to the pool. The hotel's restaurant and bar are on the beach, it was a good place to relax after a day of walking and exploring. We can recommend a visit to beautiful Essaouira and this well managed hotel.

Authenticity & Character

A combination of Moroccan and beach style decor

Authenticity & Character

A combination of Moroccan and beach style decor

Location

Sitting on our little balcony enjoying the ocean views, sunsets and fishing boats going in and out of the harbour. Within walking distance to everything.

Location

Sitting on our little balcony enjoying the ocean views, sunsets and fishing boats going in and out of the harbour. Within walking distance to everything.

Staff

Service was very good

Staff

Service was very good

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Casablanca City Center

Casablanca

We wouldn't recommend the Radisson Blu. When we arrived, we were told, they'd moved us to the Best Western, as they were full. We'd not had any prior notification thereof. (We think, they had a large group of more important guests to accommodate.) Our driver then took us to the Best Western where we spent the night, very pleasant. Radison Blu sent us, a bottle of wine, a tray of nuts and raisins and a note, apologizing for the inconvenience. (We weren't the only couple moved, luckily for us it was a one-night stopover.)

Riad El Amine Fès

Fes

This Riad is absolutely stunning. The architecture is authentically Moroccan, the symmetry, mosaic tiles, traditional carved wooden doors, lamps etc show off the sophisticated artistry of the Moroccan craftsmen. It's richly and beautifully decorated, it felt as though we were staying in a Moroccan palace. It was a very special experience. Unfortunately, it had no welcoming reception area. If you need to speak to a staff member you had to go hunting for them. The staff were very friendly and obliging but in general there was insufficient staff especially at mealtimes. During the breakfast period, we felt very sorry for the two staff members who were trying to serve breakfast, reset tables, plus checkout guests. (The credit card machine wasn't working,) They also had to get the departing guests' suitcases to the parking area. The food was good, but we did find the dinner menu very limiting and would've preferred an al a cart menu. No internet in the bedroom. Renovation was going on all over, so it was quite noisy. The roof top terrace was also closed. Very sad, as this Hotel has great potential, just needs to be managed correctly.

Authenticity & Character

That the architecture and decor were traditionally Moroccan. Stunning!

Location

Staff

More staff members and proper a reception area with a bell.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Farah Tanger

Tangier

Tranquille and peaceful, modern with amazing views of the ocean. It was perfect for our two-night stop-over. The hotel is located quite far from the town centre and you would need a car to commute to restaurant's etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

A reliable shuttle service would help

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Atlas Mountains Hike

Morocco

We changed our activity to a Berber Village Tour. It was great to get away from the bustle of Marrakech. Our excellent driver, Hmad fetched us, and we wound our way up into the Atlas Mountains, enjoying the beautiful scenic landscapes, and small 16th and 17th Century Berber villages along the way. We stopped at Setti Fatma where we met our young, local guide Mohammed. He led us further up the road to his small village, which was clinging to the side of the hill, all the while informing us of their way of life, their families, homes, culture and terraced farming. We explored the village, met Mohammed's uncle who invited us to have mint tea with him in his little home. We loved the interaction and it felt spontaneous. Mohammed recommended having lunch at a restaurant, alongside the Ourika River, Hmad joined us, the atmosphere was wonderful and the traditional meal delicious. We had an amazing experience, thanks to Mohammed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so friendly and obliging.

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Marrakech is a busy city, and we were so thankful we'd organized a guide and driver who help us to experience so much in one day. Our local guide asked us what our interests were, and from then on, he was very informative and engaging re the history, architecture, the Koutoubia Mosque, medina and the various other attractions we explored. We would never have seen and experienced as much as we did without our guide who helped navigate through the buzzing medina, you were continually getting out of the way people, mopeds, and huge carts filled with all manner of goods. We enjoyed the workshop area. What an experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

Our local Essaouira guide introduced us to the harbour which was bustling with fishermen and tourists. While we strolled around the well laid out the medina, he informed us of the 18th century ramparts and the town's interesting history. It has a little bit of a hip vibe and easy to shop and browse, as you don't get hassled. Our guide recommended a lovely, terraced restaurant overlooking the ramparts and the ocean. We so enjoyed visiting this relaxed resort town with its beautiful long beach and promenade.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Hassen II Mosque, is an absolute architectural marvel, it was awe-inspiring, very elaborately decorated and amazing. Our local guide was very good, interesting and entertaining as she was humorous, BUT our group was far too large couldn't always hear. We were supposed to be English speaking group only, but we were joined with an Israeli speaking group, we had to continually wait for everything to be interpreted and we'd be rushed to the next talking spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Our local guide, Mohammed Agali, gave us a wonderful insight into the amazing Imperial City of Fes. He introduced us to its history, its architecture explaining the significance of the intricate decor elements. He guided us through the maze of lanes and alleyways and told us about life in the medina. We would never have been able see and experience what we did without our local guide. He took us to the best spice souk ever and a hidden gem of a restaurant for lunch. We were interested in the various local crafts, which are a living tradition, but did find some of them to be a bit touristy. Thank you, to Mohammed, for enhancing our experience in Fes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Fes, Volubilis & Meknes

Morocco

We found visiting Volubilis, this ancient Roman/Berber, partially excavated settlement fascinating. Our local guide was very knowledgeable, he captivated us with the history and the importance of this archaeological site. He made the ruins come alive for us, explaining just how this settlement worked, with its large merchant homes, water and heating systems etc. We loved his telling of the mythological stories explaining the beautiful mosaic floors etc. Definitely worth visiting. Next stop was the Imperial City of Meknes. Unfortunately, many of the historical sites are being extensively renovated, but our happy, friendly, interesting local guide Rashid, answered all of our questions and we did get an idea of the vastness an importance of these sites. He helped us explore the medina, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail with its magnificent architecture and Dar Jamai, which was beautiful and interesting, gave us a good idea of a residence in 1882.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Hmad, once again, introduced us to our local guides and drove us safely to our various destinations.

Transport

Very comfortable

Explore Tangier & Asilah

Tangier

We liked our private local guide, Morda, he was chatty, informative and knowledgeable about Tangier's history which was very interesting. We enjoyed exploring the medina with and seeing the art murals of Asilah. It was our first time in Morocco, so we asked a lot of questions which Morda happily answered. We're very glad we had the opportunity to spend time in Tangier, it's charming and definitely worth visiting, and doing a guided tour makes it more meaningful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Hmad, introduced us to our guide and drove us safely to all the various the points of interest. The land cruiser was very comfy, and my husband had plenty of room for his long legs.

Guided Tour of Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Our Guide, Abdul Salam, was a very fit elderly gentleman who spoke rather loudly. He was a traditionalist, extremely passionate about Chefchaouen and a very proud Muslim. He was informative and engaging re the history of his city, and he gave us a better understanding of his culture. He also helped us familiarize ourselves with the medina.

Our trip to Chile was amazing. Full of WOW moments. Chile is a varied and beautiful country.
We started in Santiago, staying at the Cumbres Lastarria Hotel. Great location; terrific service from the staff. Highly recommend. Only drawback was that it was a holiday weekend (Columbus Day) and many restaurants and sights were closed on the Sunday and the Monday. Did a free walking tour with a very good guide - you tip what you would like at the end of the tour. Had a very good meal at Ambrosia.
We then took a drive to Valparaiso stopping at 3 vineyards along the way with tastings at the first 2 and lunch at the 3rd. I can recommend that. Valparaiso is visually very interesting - the way the houses are painted with art is great. Again took an informative free walking tour which was a little too long - 3 hours turned into 4. Again ran into trouble finding places to eat and a visit to Pablo Neruda house because of the holiday weekend.

Atacama was definitely a highlight of the trip. Spectacular! Stayed at the Cumbres Atacama which was a very nice hotel but the food was mediocre and repetitive night to night. First day went on excursions to Moon Valley and Cejar Lagoon. Moon Valley is spectacular and definitely feels like being on another planet. A lot of walking and some climbing. Cejar Lagoon is highly saline and you can swim/float there. Harriet did, I just waded in a little. Next day I had some difficulty because of the altitude so Harriet went without me to the Rainbow Valley which was also spectacular. In the afternoon we went to Chaxa Lagoon where there is a nice walk and wonderful experience with the flamingos who come back in the late afternoon to feed. We had wonderful guides for the two days, Sebastian and Rudolfo. We were supposed to go to the Geysers of el Tatio the next day which is located at 14,170 feet altitude. Because of my problem with breathing at altitude we opted out of that trip and went into San Pedro de Atacama.

From there a trip to Pucon whose primary attractions were being very close to the active Villarica Volcano and a trip to Conguillio National Park. We had a very helpful guide there, Daniella who went beyond the call of duty to help me deal with the local hospital and with an audiologist. The volcano was awesome to look at. Conguillio was a long drive but also beautiful scenery - lakes, waterfalls, a walk to a lagoon. The visit to the Termas Geometricas hot springs on our free day was also a nice experience, although again a long drive. Pucon itself was touristy. Food not very good. If you needed to shorten your trip, I would skip Pucon.

The next highlight was the trip to Rapa Nui. A never to forget experience. Our guide there, Martin Hey, was a major contributor to our enjoyment. He was very knowledgeable about the Rapa Nui history and customs, spoke excellent English (he had lived in the USA), and was just a pleasure to be with. We would recommend that you request him if you have an option. Note that it was necessary to have a Covid PCR test within 24 hours of going to Rapa Nui. This was well arranged by KimKim. No matter what you've read about the moai or the pictures you may have seen, seeing these huge sculptures in person is an amazing and perhaps spiritual experience. There was a fire the week before we went that damaged several of the moai at the quarry, Rana Raku, where most of them were created, but we saw no evidence of that when we visited that site. Perhaps our favorite site was Tangariki where there are 15 Moai representing important people from the different clans. We went back there on our own to commune with them on our own. We visited several other sites including Orongo, the site of the Bird Man culture and the beach at Anakena. Definitely worth spending 3 days on Rapa Nui.

Our last stop before returning to Santiago and home was in Patagonia, staying in Puerto Natales.
We spent a day in a group tour to the Torres del Paine National Park, stopping to see several lakes, flocks of guanacos, and a prehistoric cave. We stopped for a very nice lunch after which there was a scheduled walk, but because it was raining and we had met a couple on the tour we enjoyed being with, we stayed at the restaurant with them. We later took a nice walk to the cave. The next day we took the Glacier Navigation on a very comfortable catamaran boat to the Serrano glacier stopping to view waterfalls, condors, sea lions. To get to the glacier you had the choice of a 10 minute walk to view it from a distance or a one hour plus walk to get closer. In spite of the rain and the cold we opted for the long walk which was challenging but we were happy we did it. It was sad to hear that the glacier had receded 200 meters in the last decade. Afterwards we stopped for a good lunch of roast lamb and chicken. The hotel was basic but adequate. The food there was mediocre except for the steak which was good. We also ate in Puerto Natales.

We returned to Santiago for one night before flying home. We had a very good dinner that night at Bocanariz. Our last day before taking the flight home we spent with the cousins of a good friend in Savannah for a home-cooked lunch and the afternoon. Probably the best meal we had in Chile.

All in all, a trip to remember. The hotels were mostly quite good to excellent. The guides we had were excellent. We also met a number of people who were traveling in Chile from various countries that we became friendly with. I also want to compliment the service provided by Liane from CTS Turismo who answered all our questions and made some adjustments in the schedule in a timely manner. We would not go to Chile for a culinary experience as we found that outside of Santiago most of the restaurants we ate in were not very good.

Lastly, want to thank Paul for leading us through the many changes we made along the way dealing with the uncertainty of whether Rapa Nui would open up or not.

Howard Zabusky and Harriet Zabusky-Zand

My fiance and I visited Australia and New Zealand for about 1 month in August and Liz helped us plan an incredible trip. We would definitely use Kimkim and Liz's planning services again. Liz and her team were immediately available to us before and during the trip. When one of our excursions had a hiccup, Liz and co. worked to get us a refund and clarify what happened. They made us feel at ease. Liz also did a great job understanding what we wanted from our trip and helping to make that happen, and the hotels/excursions she booked us for the most part were all what we were looking for. Our biggest piece of constructive feedback is in regards to domestic flights, which we asked Liz to help us with--even though we packed light, we still had 1 month's worth of things with us for our multiple domestic flights, which meant we had to navigate baggage/carry on rules for a lot of regional airlines we had never flown before. We did not know to pack a small, hand-held scale which would have been very helpful, so we recommend that anyone flying domestic flights do so. We also would have just wanted to pay more ahead of time and have more baggage allowance, but we did not think ahead to request this so had to re-pack our bags a few times to avoid some exorbitant last-minute baggage fees. I guess the best way Liz and co. could have helped us with this is potentially giving us some insight into what the rules for baggage are roughly for each of the domestic airlines we were to use, or clarifying with us how many bags we intended to have before booking our tickets. But we certainly learned from this experience as well.

Hotel Reviews

Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocks

The Rocks

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Browns Boutique Hotel

Queenstown

Good location, but felt uncomfortable wearing masks (owner made some comments about it) and the bathroom was difficult to keep dry (shower leaks around onto the floor in a large puddle)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Atura Adelaide Airport

Adelaide Airport

So convenient that this was connected to the airport for our early am flight

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Robe House

Robe, SA

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Southern Ocean Villas

Port Campbell

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cumberland Lorne Resort

Lorne

Nice pool & work out room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laneways by Ovolo

Melbourne

Absolutely loved this hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silkari Lagoons Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Found the location to be a bit too far from the city center; having to rely on shuttles was difficult. Room was a bit musty. Did love the patio hot tub though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harbour Rocks Hotel

The Rocks, Sydney NSW

Love the location and the service, front desk was super helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Jet-Boat Adventure & Funyak River Safari

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Heli Cruise

Queenstown (NZ)

The helicopter company changed the type of tour we had and didn't tell us, but Liz and Southern World Tours were able to fix things for us to get our refund back. Other than that, the experience itself was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Yarra Valley Food, Wine and Wildlife Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mossman Gorge Adventure Day

Australia

Loved this, highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mackay Coral Cay Great Barrier Reef Sail & Snorkel with Lunch

Port Douglas

Really great, would do again

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Was nice to get out to the Blue Mountains but this excursion involved a lot of sitting in a car, spending a few short moments at the nature look out sites. We wouldn't do this again, and instead would find some way to do a small hike instead.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

Consider doing a night time one instead for the view of the lights (we wish we would have done that)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Sydney Classic Tour (Bike)

Sydney

Really loved to see the city this way

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Plus Upgrade

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laneways & Arcades Discovery Walk

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport