Kimkim Trip Reviews

WOW. We just got back from our honeymoon of a lifetime! Since my husband and I started dating, I always told him of the cold wonders of Norway - the sparkling snow, sharp mountains, and crystal blue ice water of the fjords - and was so excited when we decided to go for our honeymoon. Knowing I would also be planning a wedding, there was no way I would have planned a successful 2-week trip around the beautiful country and that's why I'm so overjoyed I found KimKim. Being able to have a local specialist with such great knowledge - of both the country and what we were looking for in a vacation - Tricia gave us memories we never would have thought to ask for.
Tricia's kindness and willingness to work with us really made all the difference when planning. She was able to take our initial ideas, such as enjoying ice fishing, food, and beer, and give us things like a Viking dinner at a microbrewery, a walking food tour of Oslo (loved Stig!!), and getting us to see so much more of the country than we had anticipated.
If I could do it all over again, the things I would say you absolutely could not miss would be having an amazing dinner at the Bergen Bors hotel in Bergen, a sleddog ride in Lyngen, and a walking beer tour in Tromso.
We cannot thank Tricia enough for putting together such a wonderful adventure, and Norway for being so awe-inspiring and full of the best people.

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

If you have the chance to stay here, DO. This amazing hotel was nothing short of incredible - very kind and professional staff, the food was delicious, and the building is so beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view from our room overlooked the harbor and was about a 10 minute walk from the train station.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfort Hotel Karl Johan

Oslo

The hotel staff was very kind, the breakfast was incredible, and it is very centrally located. The room was quite small but I think having the charming character and decor while also being a few minutes from the train make this a great place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Very cute and quirky!

Location

Very easy walk from the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lyngen North Glass Igloo

Lyngen

The Lyngen North hotel is such a unique and incredible experience. You cannot beat the view out into the fjord, and you absolutely cannot beat the talent of the chef there. Out of our vacation across Norway, the dinners at Lyngen North were hands down some of the best food we've ever had. The atmosphere is very calm and clean and the other staff are more than happy to help at any time.

Authenticity & Character

Although the main attraction is the glass igloo, we adored the main hotel area. It was a very modern and tranquil area to relax in.

Location

LOVED the view, but it is very out of the way and would be difficult to do anything outside of your scheduled activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dogsledding Evening Tour

Lyngen

Out of two weeks worth of Norwegian adventure, this tour was our favorite! Riding along with the dogs was so easy and it was an absolute joy to see their excitement for running. The trail we went on was perfectly worn in so the dogs did all the work! We were able to have fish soup and coffee by the fire to warm up and really enjoyed the company of the guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So kind and funny!

A Taste of Oslo's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

We loved our tour with Stig! We had a great time walking around and learning about the city's history and culture.

We planned our trip to Argentina one month prior to leaving. With that being said, Matias and the KimKim team were amazing and were able to bring our dreams to light in such a short amount of time. Matias was extremely responsive and prompt, and provided great recommendations for dining and tours. Argentina is such a beautiful country and we are so grateful for Matias ability to help facilitate and cater one of the most memorable trips of our lifetime. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I highly recommend Argentina, Matias, and the entire KimKim team!

Our driver Yassine was excellent. He was there whenever we needed him or had any questions! Also, our guide in Fez was very knowledgeable and very informative. I highly recommend them both.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Sahrai

Fès

This was a very beautiful hotel with a great rooftop.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Casablanca Hotel

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Anika

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was exceptional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

I absolutely loved the hammam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yassine was excellent always available and accommodating

Transport

The car was perfect for all of our luggage and very roomy for the 4 of us.

Emanuela helped make my dream Greenland trip a reality. She was super responsive throughout the entire trip, ready to rearrange an activity when any unforseen circumstances came up due to weather, and would check in to make sure everything was going well. Everything exceed expectations, and we were grateful to have Emanuela and her expertise to help navigate Greenland's hotels, DMCs, and more. 10/10 recommend.

My highlights:
- Boat tour through UNESCO Ilulissat Icefjord
- Version of an Inuit kaffemik in Oqaatsut
- Seeing the Northern Lights
- Dog sledding over frozen lakes
- Drinking wine while enjoying Ilulissat sunsets from our hotel room, epitome of "room with a view"

The chofer was a kind and friendly man. He was a chofer and NOT a guide as you describe!.
He hardly spoke ENGLISH and came with another man that was doing his training ship, who did NOT spoke a WORD of English. All trips they were speaking in the Berber language and at all times Beber music. We were NEVER notified of this no speaking English and two men.
We NEVER got complete information of the day activities and options for lunch. We were just taken somewhere they decided. We DID called Said and Abdel for HELP. The just called to the "driver" to ask him to give us detail information of the day activities. Which didnt make a difference.
YOU SHOULD SELECT ""BETTER"" THE CHOFER AND MAKE SURE THEY REALLY SPEAK AT LEAST ENGLISH AND IS REALLY A """GUIDE"".
The guide provided in Fes had experienced and spoke English. Before and after Fes we were left alone and hardly information of the places.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Dar Maya

Essaouira

Not too clean, hardly English spoken

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Xaluca Dades

Boumalne

Too crowded

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Titrit

Ait Ben Haddou

Friendly people

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Good dinner and friendly people, well organized

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

HOTEL WASNT TO GOOD AND CLEAN

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

WE WERE LEFT WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION

Transport

Argan Oil Women's Cooperative

Morocco

YOU SHOULD NOT PROMOTE THIS ANIMAL ABUSE!!!! GOATS WE WILL SHARE THIS CRUEL EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE PUTTING THEIR GOATS ON TREES FRO MONEY IN THE SUN FOR MANY HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quality of Experience

YOU SHOULD NOT PROMOTE THIS ANIMAL ABUSE!!!! GOATS

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NOT PROMOTE ANIMAL ABUSE!

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Enchanting Essaouira

Morocco

Hotel wasnt that clean, no guide. no information at all. We were just left on our own without any inofrmation.

Quality of Experience

Hotel wasnt too good and clean

Food

We selected our own restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes: Morocco's Spiritual Heart

Fes

Guide was good and did an effort to communicate in English.

Quality of Experience

Food

Give options

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer From Merzouga to Fez

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

ASK where we want to eat!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

NEED to speak English!

Transport

Transfer from Dades to Merzouga via Todra Gorges & Erfoud

Morocco

We were taken to the snake road without asking. And the stone road also without asking. Once we arrived the chofer asked if we wanted to walk by the high stones, we responded NO. And still we were stopped and had to walk.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive from Aït Benhaddou to Boumalne Dades via Ouarzazate & Rose Valley

Morocco

NO INFORMATION GIVEN

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou via the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Chofer hardly spoke English and we were not informed of all details fro the trip. We were NOT given an option for lunch. And it there wasnt an option we were not informed of that and the expensive 120 p.p cost! nd payment only CASH.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip overall was definitely one of the best trips I've ever had. Europe was a whole vibe.
Pros:
Got to visit a lot of locations in a short amount of time. the activities Harris planned were good. I wished he had also included the museum in Florence as well. but the activities in Athens, and Santorini where really enjoyable. I loved it. Harris was also very responsive to my requests during the trip and made changes to the hotel when I wasn't happy. the activities in Greece were the best. I truly feel I got a good dosage of what Santorini and Athens have to offer.

COns: We had a cooking class in Florence, although it was nice it took up our whole day, considering we were only in Florence for 2 days, I would not have recommended this activity. The hotels were in really good locations but the Athens hotel room was incredibly tiny. It was soo tiny there was no bathroom. just a shower, toilet and sink but they were in the room, instead of separate room. I didn't like this at all, but the pro here is Harris was able to get me an upgrade in Santorini to make up for this.

Using Kimkim, made my trip so much easier and stress-free as all transportation and schedule were already planned out so it took off that stress of having to plan things out,

This was our second trip with KimKim - the first was in Greece. But the service was excellent on both continents. Matias was so helpful with the planning as we arranged and re-arranged as plans and guests changed. Landed on a very active and busy holiday which was what we wanted. He also rolled with changes that came up. Juan and the Victoria Island boat trip, hike and barbecue was a definite highlight. He was very knowledgeable about the area and about fishing - which was an added bonus. Kayaking was on a crazy windy day but we liked the challenge. Nido del Condor was well located and provided a great jumping off point for all our activities. All the drivers were on time and obviously well trained. Buenos Aires was a great contrast. Patricia was our guide throughout and she was wonderful. Knew so much about the history of the city and the country, she presented it all so well. We loved our trip to the Delta and lunch with Sylvia and her husband. Just the sweetest couple. I’m sure they would have had us stay longer. Again, the drivers were so timely and attentive. Everything went without a hitch. Highly recommend.

Tremendous, authentic knowledgeable and kind guides and drivers shared the culture, cuisine, and history of a very special part of Mexico.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Morales Historical & Colonial Downtown Core

Mexicaltzingo, Guadalajara, Jal.

A historic and authentic hotel very close to the historic District of town. Very comfortable, clean, and busy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón de los Poetas

Guanajuato

A very comfortable and convenient historic hotel in the heart of downtown.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Morada Hotel

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

Authentic, historic and beautiful hotel right on the edge of the historic district. Perfect location, excellent staff, comfortable beds, and large rooms, very safe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

This is a fabulous hotel however, it’s not where we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Please do not report these comments as this is not the hotel that we stayed in on this trip.

Activity Reviews

Horse-riding through the mountains of Guanajuato

Guanajuato

There is really nothing like exploring the Santa Rosa mountains side from the back of a horse. Antonio rode along with us so he could interpret our Spanish ranch on her and guide. They have been friends for generations. After the ride, we had a beautifully prepared Mexican lunch at the ranch. A one-of-a-kind experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historical urban walk en Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Susanna was, I think the most well, educated, well spoken, and authentic guy that we had on our trip. We learned so much about her city in a short period of time, and really enjoyed touring with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting Tour in San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende

Visiting this unique young winery, tasting wines, and having a fabulous lunch was just beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bernal, Querétaro: colonial Mexico’s home

Mexico

We really loved visiting this mountain town sitting underneath his magical rocks! Going on a weekend when many local people were out and enjoying a beautiful day was extra special. I also really loved seeing the authentic weavers and their looms.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli

Mexico City

This was such a unique and interesting museum. After everything we have read about Diego Rivera I did not expect to experience his art in such an amazing spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the famous and picturesque neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Mexico City

A really beautiful part of the city to explore with a knowledgeable guide. We had a wonderful day, walking and learning about the culture and food. Also a great way to learn about how all the local people live, and the history of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tequila Route and Agavero Landscape with family distillery visit

Guadalajara

This is a must do you activity if you are in the area! We learned so much about the business of tequila from our visit to the distillery, fabulous lunch in downtown tequila, and a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Historic Route of Guadalajara

Guadalajara

An excellent tour to get acclimated to the history and culture of Guadalajara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide grasp of the history of the area needs to mature quite a bit, he was very nice, and he did a good job.

Transport

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

An excellent way to get acclimated to the history, culture and food of Mexico City. Our tour guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camillia was extremely helpful with our planning. She was prompt, courteous, friendly and professional. Charlie, Luk and Vivian were fantastic! Very flexible and informative. Awesome experience!!

Incredible country, rich history, amazing culture, beautiful art, wonderful people!
Smooth road trip with our driver Elias in a Mercedes van organized by Ali of original travel.
Our driver was very responsible and patient with us four women and we always felt secure.
He was very professional and responsive.
Original travel was flexible and worked well with us and accommodated all our interest and requests.
We had small glitches a few times were the hotel rooms were not quite what we thought we booked but over all a very memorable and enjoyable trip.

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

We were not sent to this hotel We were at Dar Mounir instead and hence will be unable to review Lina

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

We were at yacout! Not at this hotel

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Kasbah Titrit

Ait Ben Haddou

Gem of a place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Surrounded by almond groves and a small Berber village it was a Kasbah fit for a nobleman!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

A trail that goes from Maulay Idris to volubilis was very enjoyable. We loved walking through this rich green area And loved touring the ruins of volubilis

Aït Benhaddou to Casablanca via Tizi n'Tichka Pass & Marrakech

Morocco

Transfer from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou via the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes: Morocco's Spiritual Heart

Fes

Not much sightseeing More just guided shopping!

We were skeptical at first, but We absolutely loved our experience using kimkim. I couldn't ask for a better specialist than Veronica to plan our Costa Rica adventure. She understood exactly what we were looking for, planned the ideal trip, and made herself available for phone calls and messages at all times.

We traveled with our 3-Year-Old. She loved the trip and especially the nature hikes and spotting wildlife and birds. The food was incredible. Nothing fancy but everything is so fresh, and a lot of attention is paid to preparation regardless of where you eat from Soda’s to the 4-star hotels. My wife is a vegetarian and she had plenty of options to choose from.

All our pickups were timely and all we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves. Transportation between our destinations of La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio were seamless.

I highly recommend Kim Kim; it made my life and trip so much easier!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Paradise Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Tour (Sloth Territory)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marina planned an excellent trip to Spain that was truly off the beaten path! For all of our excursions, we had local guides who were personable, knowledgeable, and extraordinarily helpful for any questions we had or recommendations for places to eat. We greatly enjoyed our bike tour of Barcelona that hit many of the famous Gaudi houses, our small group tour of Montserrat accompanied by a wine tour, our private tour of La Sagrada Familia, our cooking class where we made paella, and multiple private walking tours that got us quickly acclimated to each city we visited! Marina was always available for any questions we had and offered additional recommendations for places to go and eat.

Our family trip to Spain was absolutely fantastic! The entire process with Marta (and KimKim) from start to finish could not have been better! Everything was planned meticulously, and Marta was always promptly available with guidance, expertise, and assistance. The drivers were always on time and professional. The hotels were all luxurious and right in the middle of all the action in each city. The Flamenco Show was so quaint and intimate, it felt like we were at a private performance. And beyond a doubt the guides and local experiences really made the whole country come alive! Boris made the tapas crawl so much fun. Miguel brought Barcelona alive with his wealth of knowledge. Manu made our trip to the coast an absolute blast. Jorge showed us the history of Madrid’s streets. Elena braved the weather in Segovia to show us all the ancient nooks and crannies. Pablo transported us back in time with his vast knowledge of Seville’s past. And Geza pointed out all the things in the Royal Palace we would have missed without him! This trip truly exceeded all of our expectations. We are so thankful for all the effort that went into planning such a fantastic trip for our family. We look forward to picking out another destination and letting KimKim handle the rest!

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Beautiful hotel in a fantastic location! Super helpful and friendly staff! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Villa de la Reina

Madrid

Beautiful hotel in a great location with very friendly staff! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

Fantastic hotel in a lively location! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk & Royal Palace Experience

Madrid

Geza was great! He really pointed out all of the things that would have escaped our notice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

Pablo was fantastic! His vast knowledge really brought us back in time through Seville's history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Evening of Flamenco

Spain

Such an intimate environment with a passionate performance!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Segovia Highlights Day Excursion: a Fairy Tale Getaway

Madrid

Elena brought us to magical, out of the way places on our tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights Walk of Old Madrid

Madrid

Jorge really made us feel like locals as we strolled through the streets of Madrid!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Medieval Girona and Costa Brava

Barcelona

Manu was a blast! His connections made for a really enjoyable trip to off-the-beaten path places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona Highlights: Guided Walk & Iconic Sagrada Família

Barcelona

Miguel really made Barcelona come alive with his vast knowledge of the city - both the people and the buildings!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

This was an awesome way to dive into the Barcelona tapas scene - Absolutely delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was good, the guides were good. I checked the hotel rates, the transfers, the guides the activities to book on your own. I had a hard time getting to a cost that was more than $400 a day. We were charged $900. I am willing to pay for convenience and local knowledge but not 2x more. Get a travel guide book, spend a week planning and you can do this same trip for half the cost. Would not use KimKim again. I don't know if the markup is because of KimKim or the agent but this was taking advantage.

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Wine House Hotel - Quinta da Pacheca

Lamego

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

1872 River House

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Nice, central

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Winery Visit & Riverboat Ride

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Introduction to Portuguese Wines

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bike Experience Through Historic Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Nazaré & Óbidos

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural & Historical Highlights of Lisbon

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Roots: A Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a trip for the memory book. A big part of that was Karim, our tour driver extraordinaire. He was knowledgeable, flexible, resourceful and so in tune with anticipating our needs. On top of that, he had a smile that went to his eyes, a wicked sense of humor and a protective approach that supported us and made us feel safe. I have hearing issues and hearing aids but I had no trouble hearing Karim and understanding his English. I was wowed by the local guides we were given for tours in the medinas in Fez, Marrakech and Essaouira, plus the food tour and the Roman ruins tour in Volubilis. Karim and all the guides shared great stores about the sites and themselves and their lives in Morocco. It made for such a rich and deep experience. Truly a trip for the memories.

Original Travels’ team of professionals, level of organization as well as expertise in this field is unmatched. My husband and I felt incredibly secure and exceptionally taken care of during the booking process as well as during our trip in March 2023. Saïd exhibits nothing but professionalism and expertise as it relates to his business and care of his guests. Soufiane, our driver, not only safely transported us around the country of Morocco during our 12 days of travel, he also grew to feel much like family and treated us as such. Soufiane is an incredibly skilled driver and should be known as the best of the best. When it comes to making guests feel comfortable, welcome and worry free during their journeys, Soufiane is the finest. Soufiane is not only respected and beloved by his colleagues, friends and family, but by us as well. I would certainly recommend booking your Moroccan vacation with Original Travels, moreover, I would highly highly recommend requesting Soufiane as your driver during your travels.

We had a fantastic trip! It was an experiment travelling with both my kids, and my ex-husband. But it worked out really well. Tricia (my 'secret weapon'!) was a great help organizing and booking everything, suggesting wonderful places to stay, and giving inside advice to help us navigate along the way. I particularly appreciated the in-country support both from Tricia, and from Tom when Tricia was away.

Hotel Reviews

MS Trollfjord

Tromsø

I think that we were spoiled with our trip on a Havila boat. Hurtigruten was also very nice, but older, and darker, and felt a bit more claustrophobic. There was less outside deck space, but there was an outside jacuzzi, though we didn't use it. I can't comment on the cabins since we travelled deck class, but we did find some long, cushioned window seats outside the dining room, so actually got some good sleep before we disembarked at Bodø at 2:30am. This was probably a lot more comfortable than the deck class lounge on Havila which looked like it only had reclining chairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A good way to get from place to place without flying, and with getting to see a different perspective of this beautiful country.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Loved this place! It was the first part of Svolvær to be settled (1828) and comprised a whole village of original fishing rorbuers, a telegraph house, a general store filled with everything you could ever want (in the 1800's!) now the reception, and a very atmospheric dining area with beautiful wooden beams, on two levels, with windows looking out over the boats in the harbour and Svolvær beyond. We stayed in the telegraph house with its two comfortable bedrooms, an excellent kitchen space (with appliances/drawers hidden behind elegant panelling), and comfortable chairs/sofa/table. There was an art gallery, but it wasn't open.

Authenticity & Character

Everything! See my main review for specific comments.

Location

Set apart from the main town, over a small bridge, but still very accessible on foot. Amazing views of the harbour and the mountains behind the town.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating. If they didn't have someone else coming into the rooms we were in, they would have let us hold onto them until the evening when our boat left. They told us about an excellent hike that we went on (one of the best of the trip). They let us leave our bags in the general store, and didn't seem too upset when we totally repacked at the end of the day!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sommarøy Arctic Hotel

Sommarøy

Stunning location looking out across a beach, over the bay, towards the mountains, with a row of windmills along a ridge on one side. The beach house we stayed in was huge, with unobstructed views from giant windows. The main bedroom was amazing with cathedral windows (the other two were are little small and cramped). The food was beautifully prepared and very delicious. There was a superb breakfast. We were very appreciative of a place to charge an electric car (which we had), which meant that it could charge overnight and we didn't have to spend time during the day to charge it.

Authenticity & Character

It seemed too fancy for us, but I'm so glad we ended up spending a night there. It was quite high-end, with a very elegant dining room, waited on by very attentive staff. There was breakfast right over the water, a sauna and outdoor jacuzzi (and we were lucky enough to be treated to an amazing display of the Northern Lights from the jacuzzi - I will never forget that experience!)

Location

Not far from Tromso distance-wise, but quiet and surrounded by beautiful countryside and ocean. Also very close to the ferry to Senja with its incredible mountains

Staff

Very patient with all my many questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beach house was literally right on the beach. There were a number of others, but the way they were arranged one wasn't aware of the others. It was very well appointed with kitchen and dining area as well as comfortable places to sit, very comfortable beds, nice bathrooms, a deck, and amazing views

Havila Cruise

Fosnavåg

A relatively new cruise ship - so new that there were no signs at the harbour in Bodo, so we were a little confused as to where we should wait/embark [it comes in to the Hurtigruten quay]. We only went from Bodo to Tromso, but it was quite an experience to get a little taste of what life on cruise is like. The ship itself was beautiful, the cabins were bright, clean and comfortable, there was plenty of deck space to wander and to enjoy the scenery from. There was an interesting film about the Northern Lights, and interesting information panels about the history of Havila, fishing in the area, the Sami women's lives etc. There was even a sauna and jacuzzi on the top deck that anyone could use! The food was very good, though the portions a little small for a 6ft 3" 15 year old boy [we were allowed to order several breakfasts :-) ]

Authenticity & Character

We passed a southbound Havila ship outside Svolvaer and there was great excitement - fog horn blaring, sweeping search lights, and lots of people on deck waving flags and shouting!

Location

Incredible scenery especially the Lofoten Islands (unfortunately, being winter it was dark), and the narrow passage through the islands to Tromso

Staff

Very welcoming, friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cabins and the observation lounges, everything really

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Excellent location, helpful staff, very comfortable beds, full of character, a little dark. We left very early in the morning to catch a flight, and they provided us a packed breakfast - unfortunately this included bottles of orange juice which didn't make it through security :-(

Authenticity & Character

very grand, vintage hotel, grand piano (very out of tune!) on one floor, interesting artwork

Location

a few steps from the main station (just go under the arch and you're there)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

super comfortable beds

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

The most amazing breakfast ever! The staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful, and the rooms bright and colourful. There was tea and coffee in the reception area at any time.

Authenticity & Character

loved the colours!

Location

just a few minutes walk from the central train station, bus and tram lines

Staff

very helpful with directions and using public transport system

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds were really comfortable

Activity Reviews

Trollfjord Cruise

Norway

The Trollfjord was beautiful, as was the whole trip along the Lofoten Islands. We saw lots of White Tailed Eagles, and even an eagle nest. Our guide pointed out other interesting things along the way (including a llama!). I appreciated how long we spent in the Trollfjord and how quite it was with the electric motor.

Quality of Experience

Incredible scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was a marine biologist from Italy. She studies orcas and was very knowledgeable, and interesting.

Transport

The boat was very comfortable and the windows were large. We enjoyed being on deck, but eventually it got too cold, but you could get a good view from the inside too. There was good food on board, but we also brought sandwiches.

Jacuzzi and Sauna

Sommarøy

Fortunately we were the only people to use it that night, so we had the place to ourselves. It felt very indulgent, and we were able to change the time that we went. It was nice that use of the jacuzzi and sauna were included in the price of the hotel. The best bit was that we got to see an incredible showing of the Northern Lights from the jacuzzi!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very flexible with timing, and helpful with setting up the sauna and the jacuzzi

We really appreciate the role that Erin and Nara had in helping us to put together a personalize adventure in Patagonia at a reasonable cost. The hotels were great, especially the Hotel Lago Grey in Torres del Paine and Kosten Aike in El Calafate. Everywhere the hotel staff were very professional, helpful and friendly. All the daily activities and pick ups happened on time as per the program. The guides were outstanding with detailed knowledge and experienced especially Chri in Torres del Paine, Leila in El Chalten and the drivers were very safe and personable especially Kevin in Torres del Paine and driving us to El Calafate. The weather is a very significant part of a visit to Patagonia and we experienced the full range of weather from snow, rain, clouds and wind. I mean real wind. We also had some sun but it was on rare occasions. The weather adds to the unique Patagonian atmosphere that reminds one they are in a wild, unique and remote part of the world. We also saw many Andean condors, many guanacos and several pumas that was a real thrill. The trek with Paul into the wet clay canyon to see petrified trees and strange rock formations was a unique experience though we were sliding around on the wet clay. The sun emerged for our visit to the Perito Morena glacier which we saw up close by boat and on the view points in front of the glacier, a breathtaking experience. The walk with our guide Liila to the lookout above El Chalten was fun while she provided many details about the area. The boat trip on the Lago del Desierto was amazing with the hanging glaciers and snow capped mountains. The hike up to the lagoon Huemel and glacier through the forest and rain was beautiful. More warning about the challenging last portion of the trail should have been provided. Our final trip to the airport was a bit uncomfortable because the vehicle was too small for the amount of excess luggage we had but we were able to manage.
Just a few suggestions, we found that information in the trip plan a bit scant about the daily activities and could be improved. You may make visitors aware of the constantly changing weather is an essential part of the trip and sunny days ca be a rare treat.
Overall a great trip for us. It was unfortunate that some of our party developed colds during the trip but otherwise, it was great, a real trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lunajuim

El Chalten

Great staff and good location, spacious bar and sitting room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

iGreat location in the town, beautiful interiors of wood and traditional motifs, great staff

Authenticity & Character

the building is a masterpiece

Location

2 blocks from the main street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Helpful staff, amazing views, spacious rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view of Lake Grey, the mountains and the glacier

Staff

very helpful and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aquaterra

Natales

Great Location, nice design with several sitting rooms, very helpful staff. Room are a bit small but adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are a bit small

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Mirador Los Condores and Mirador Las Aguilas

El Chaltén

Nice hike and not too difficult, saw condors and good views, Laila was a great guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the La Leona Petrified Forest, Transfer to El Chalten

Argentina

Very interesting to see the petrified trees and geological formations but it was wet and slippery the day we went

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour

El Calafate

Great experience, with the boat and walking to the view points, fantastic with the good weather we had

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karim, our driver/guide, was terrific. He took care of us, making us feel welcome, safe, and informed. His English was excellent, which was essential because we don’t know Arabic or French. He handled arrangements with ease and a great attitude. I learned so much on this trip and had a great time. I wholeheartedly recommend KimKim, Original Travels and Karim!

Hotel Reviews

Inara Desert Camp

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Our guide — Hana? — was excellent. She was fun to hang out with and she introduced us to great food and fascinating culture. .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our guide was excellent. He was engaging and informative, and he was mindful of our reactions and requests.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Meknes, Moulay Idriss and Vollubilis

Fes

Visit to Meknes wasn’t ideal because of extensive restoration projects. Volubilios was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Nice and welcoming!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

The tour was great but I was surprised that a significant part of the experience was a push to shop. I appreciated that our guide knew history and confidently guided ua through the medina maze.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Architectural Elegance: A Journey through the Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Hi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Casablanca to Fez Passing via Rabat

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning our trip with KimKim was easy from start to finish. I just let them know dates, desires of the family and a budget, and they did the rest!

Everything happened when and as planned. When there were little issues (the rental car was booked to be returned to the wrong location ) - they were immediately corrected with follow up emails to ensure that everything went well. I never had to wait longer than a day to reach anyone for non-urgent matters while on vacation, and we didn't have to contact them for any emergencies because there weren't any!

We started at Playa Hermosa, following a simple private transfer from the airport. Our stay at the Bosque Del Mar was great. We had a large ocean view room with a separate bedroom and large balcony. The food on site (additional) was relatively expensive but delicious, but the service was good and it was very quiet at night (except for the occasional howler monkey!). The kids loved the pool, the beach, and the full-size pool table in the lounge, where we enjoyed the 2-for-1 daily happy hour and great views from the second floor.

We went SCUBA diving for 3 days, leaving from Playas del Coco (15-minute drive from the hotel). We found the service at Deep Blue Diving to be quite good for a PADI-certified site. The equipment was maintained (few minor air leaks in the rental BCD's) and the dive masters and the boat captains were attentive and safe, including extra safety equipment and plenty of food and water on-board. Everything was on time with no delays. The dive sites had about 20-30 feet visibility with very calm surface conditions (minimal wind each day) and a great variety of underwater life.

While we were diving, our children stayed with their own local Serendipity guide, Juan Carlos. They loved hanging out with him especially because his family was in the area and he offered to bring his kids with him to play! He took them to the pools at the hotels and mini golfing! They also explored the local tide polls and raced hermit crabs on the beach. He kept them feed, sun-screened and very happy. He also chauffeured us around to diving and dinners as needed.

We were then delivered a rental car to our hotel (a new Toyota Rav4), which was a great car to have for the rest of our trip. The agent delivering the car noted that the drop-off location was for a different airport than our itinerary but this was quickly corrected. We drove to the Hacienda El Viejo, where we had a good lunch of local cuisine and then went on a private river boat excursion in the Palo Verde National Park. Our guide seemed a bit more interested in talking with the boat captain than with us during the exploration but we did see alligators, a Jesus Christ lizard, a variety of monkeys and many birds. When we got back to the hacienda our guide asked us to give him a ride home. While that was a bit unexpected it's understandable given the distance from the remote park to his home and that it was in-line with our next destination. We were happy to help, too, since the rural roads were not paved and some routes shown on Google Maps were closed or weren't the standard local way to navigate. As we drove him to a drop-off point to catch a bus he pointed out additional wildlife from the car that we wouldn't have otherwise known to look for.

Our final destination was the Arenal Manoa Hotel and Hot Springs. The switch from a relatively dry and sunny oceanside into a humid rainforest, and the many twisting mountain roads, made for an interesting 3-hour drive. Our room at the Manoa was beautifully appointed and situated at the back of the resort, surrounded by dense trees, flowers, and many, many birds. The room was large and was kept very clean throughout our stay; the maid even left little treats and towel sculptures for the kids each day. Our room was close to the restaurant and the regular pool, though a bit of a walk to the on-site hot springs at the front of the resort. Again, the food was quite expensive at the hotel, so we dined nearby in La Fortuna frequently. All the food, both at the hotel and in town, was genuinely excellent. There were always options for the kids, too.

Our first private excursion in Arenal was zip-lining at the Vista Arenal Adventure Park and this was a family favourite. The equipment was great with good fitting harnesses and each of our kids had their own guide, Daniel and Tiago, who did each zip line with them to control the speed and breaking. There were fourteen platforms high in the forest near the base of the volcano. We zoomed through the canopy and over a river with incredible views. The kids were never scared and loved the thrill of the ride. Our main guide, Isaac, was very informative and discussed the wildlife and vegetation that we saw.

After a break at the hotel we went to the Hanging Bridges, which is very beautiful, but unfortunately it rained very heavily and we couldn't enjoy this to its fullest. It was neat to experience a rainforest in its full, rainy state, but it was also rather cold and limited views. What we did see was very impressive with beautiful pathways through the jungle and lots of different birds. We even saw a pack of peccary (feral pigs) wandering about.

The next day we went spelunking at the Venado Caves; this was the kids' favourite activity! They were a bit nervous starting the walk though the river in the caves, but after passing through some tight crawl-throughs, they explored with enthusiasm. One of our headlamps ran out of batteries midway through the spelunking, which is a bit disconcerting, but with the larger group (there were 7 of us) it was OK. This excursion included a transfer from our hotel, but this wasn't really needed and we would have preferred to drive ourselves as we would have stopped for food on our way home.

Our next day, we lounged at the hotel to rest in the morning and hang out at the pools while enjoying oven roasted pizzas that were popular at the resort. Then, we were picked up by Callidryas Tours for a sloth viewing expedition. For this tour, you do need the guides driving because they search for sloths in the wild while driving the local streets! They have amazing eyes to pick them out of the trees and we stopped multiple times to view the sloths in their natural environment through telescopes. We were able to see both two toed and three toed sloths and also found moms and their babies!

On our final day, we chose to stop at the Centro de Rescate Las Pumas, a wildlife sanctuary and rehabilitation center between Arenal and the airport in Liberia. This was additional to our KimKim itinerary but we note it here because it was nice to see a few of the rarer local animals that we hadn't already encountered and to break up the drive for the kids. Plus, they're doing great work for the local animal populations. The car return was super easy, over in about 3 minutes followed by a 5-minute shuttle to the airport terminal, where we enjoyed a final meal before our flight.

Altogether this was a great trip, well-organized, well executed, and worry free. Thanks to everyone for helping us!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Our room at the Manoa was beautifully appointed and situated at the back of the resort, surrounded by dense trees, flowers, and many, many birds. The room was large and was kept very clean throughout our stay; the maid even left little treats and towel sculptures for the kids each day. Our room was close to the restaurant and the regular pool, though a bit of a walk to the on-site hot springs at the front of the resort. Again, the food was quite expensive at the hotel, so we dined nearby in La Fortuna frequently. All the food at the hotel was genuinely excellent. There were good options for the kids, too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of the volcano and close to La Fortuna

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Our stay at the Bosque Del Mar was great. We had a large ocean view room with a separate bedroom and large balcony. The food on site (additional) was relatively expensive but delicious, but the service was good and it was very quiet at night (except for the occasional howler monkey!). The kids loved the pool, the beach, and the full-size pool table in the lounge, where we enjoyed the 2-for-1 daily happy hour and great views from the second floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fantastic beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We were picked up by Callidryas Tours for a sloth viewing expedition. For this tour, you do need the guides driving because they search for sloths in the wild while driving the local streets! They have amazing eyes to pick them out of the trees and we stopped multiple times to view the sloths in their natural environment through telescopes. We were able to see both two toed and three toed sloths and also found moms and their babies!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing driving while also picking our sloths!!!

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the kids' favourite activity! They were a bit nervous starting the walk though the river in the caves, but after passing through some tight crawl-throughs, they explored with enthusiasm. One of our headlamps ran out of batteries midway through the spelunking, which is a bit disconcerting, but with the larger group (there were 7 of us) it was OK. This excursion included a transfer from our hotel, but this wasn't really needed and we would have preferred to drive ourselves as we would have stopped for food on our way home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very informative about the limestones formations and fossils found in the cave

Transport

We could have driving ourselves and likely would have preferred this.

Private Canopy Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a private excursion at the Vista Arenal Adventure Park and this was a family favourite. The equipment was great with good fitting harnesses and each of our kids had their own guide, Daniel and Tiago, who did each zip line with them to control the speed and breaking. There were fourteen platforms high in the forest near the base of the volcano. We zoomed through the canopy and over a river with incredible views. The kids were never scared and loved the thrill of the ride. Our main guide, Isaac, was very informative and discussed the wildlife and vegetation that we saw.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Isaac was very conscientious of checking the harnesses and equipment of our kids (and us) at each platform to ensure safety. I was never concerned.

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

We drove to the Hacienda El Viejo, where we had a good lunch of local cuisine and then went on a private river boat excursion in the Palo Verde National Park. Our guide seemed a bit more interested in talking with the boat captain than with us during the exploration but we did see alligators, a Jesus Christ lizard, a variety of monkeys and many birds. When we got back to the hacienda our guide asked us to give him a ride home. While that was a bit unexpected it's understandable given the distance from the remote park to his home and that it was in-line with our next destination. We were happy to help, too, since the rural roads were not paved and some routes shown on Google Maps were closed or weren't the standard local way to navigate. As we drove him to a drop-off point to catch a bus he pointed out additional wildlife from the car that we wouldn't have otherwise known to look for.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Given that this was a private tour, I was expecting a bit more about the history of the Hacienda and the family or some more info about the surrounding vegetation and wildlife.

Transport

2 Tank Scuba Diving at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

Better visibility at this site as it is further from the beach areas and less sandy debris in the water. The wreck at Tortuga was small but amusing to see and had an eel living in it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful with the gear organization and distributing water and pineapple during the breaks.

Transport

Coastal SCUBA Diving in Northern Guanacaste

Costa Rica

We went SCUBA diving for 3 days, leaving from Playas del Coco (15-minute drive from the hotel). We found the service at Deep Blue Diving to be quite good for a PADI-certified site. The equipment was maintained (few minor air leaks in the rental BCD's) and the dive masters and the boat captains were attentive and safe, including extra safety equipment and plenty of food and water on-board. Everything was on time with no delays. The dive sites had about 20-30 feet visibility with very calm surface conditions (minimal wind each day) and a great variety of underwater life

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive to safety

Transport