Kimkim Trip Reviews

My siblings (ages 52 & 54) and I (age 57) traveled to Lisbon and Porto, Portugal for our annual siblings trip from May 27 through June 4, 2023. Our wonderful guide Joao met us at the airport and stayed with us throughout the trip. Joao truly was a friend we have not yet met. He was friendly, punctual, conscientious, flexible, and informative. He had a plan in mind---as scheduled through Tiago, who by the way is very responsive to all communications before, during, and after our trip---during our tour but allowed us to pick and choose what we wanted to do and he modified the plan accordingly. We particularly liked the fact that Joao did not overwhelm us with information we would never retain. Have you had tours where you had to appear interested because the guide was gushing information like the water out of a firehose? Joao focused on the historical information we should take away from the trip and delivered it so that we can sip it, as if drinking wine. By the way, the food and wine here are incredible. We particularly enjoyed having coffees and multiple afternoon drinks with Joao at outside cafes to balance out the History Channel moments. He is well read and informed about Portugal and we all learned a great deal about Portugal's current state of affairs---the good, the bad, and . . . well there is no ugly in Portugal. We really enjoyed learning about the past and present about Portugal and highly recommend Joao for your trip. My sincere hope is to return to Porto---liked it better than Lisbon---when I turn 60 with my wife and see Joao again. Finally, Joao introduced us to the best football club in Portugal---Lisboa Benfica!

We planned our trip to Scotland May 23-June 4 2023 to celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary using KimKim for the first time. We were unsure of the process initially, but we were connected with Stephen who was very knowledgable and helpful. After several variations we landed on the perfect vacation! At this point partial payment is due, to confirm the vacation, with the final payment due approx one month prior to your trip. About 2-3 weeks before you leave you will receive your detailed itinerary including tickets and reservations for things like your accommodations, car rental, tickets to sites, private tours, etc. The package you will receive, via KimKim as a pdf, is very detailed and helpful. One thing we found is that the complete addresses for most locations was not included in the package, which made it a bit difficult when using the GPS in the rental car. Using our cellphone we would look up the location and input the post code to the GPS. (You may want to get the complete addresses before your trip, incase you are unable to use your cellphone.) All the bookings for accommodations, events, etc was perfect. Stephen and Celina from KimKim were even in touch with us a few times throughout the trip to make sure all was ok and that we knew how to contact them if needed.
Overall our special vacation was amazing... everything went as planned and the weather was better than we had expected. Having sunshine, warm temperatures and NO RAIN for our entire trip. We did a lot of walking, used the bus system (which was terrific) and experienced the welcoming and helpful people of Scotland. We travelled through much of Scotland, spending just enough time in each location and enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. Since we are from Canada and not used to driving on the left, this took a bit of getting used to, but was fine. There are many roundabouts, which also takes a bit of getting used to. Road rules and signs were unfamiliar and different, so may be worth looking into ahead of time.
All of our accommodations were great, each being just a bit different from the last. Check in times were usually around 3 or 4pm so keep that in mind, as we arrived early for many of ours. (especially on the first day after travelling overnight). All the tickets for our excursions worked perfectly and we had no issues. Everything was booked and on time as planned. We wanted to immerse ourselves in the culture, and experienced the local food (haggis, big Scottish breakfasts, scotch and fish and chips), music,(bagpipes) pubs, etc. and we had a lot of fun doing it. Our private guided tours were great and highly recommended. The castles are incredible, the landscape was impressive and sometimes a bit scary driving in the highlands.
Lastly, just an FYI, since we are from Canada and due to our exchange rate our trip was expensive. The cost of the trip through KimKim was charged in US dollars and while in Scotland we felt the exchange again being charged in pounds. But, overall this was a trip of a lifetime and was perfect!

Hotel Reviews

Courtyard by Marriott SEC

Glasgow

Hotel was very close to airport (6 min walk to airport) , but approx 20 min from central Glasgow. We had an extra day here before our flight left, so we took the airport bus to the town center which worked perfectly and we spent the day touring around Glasgow. This is your typical Courtyard by Marriott hotel and did the trick.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to airport, but not close to downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perle Oban Hotel & Spa

Oban

This is a lovely hotel and very modern and spacious. We had a lovely view of the harbour. Perfect location, but no parking. We had to park in the railway parking lot across the street which was £3 per day. Restaurant for breakfast was spacious, but understaffed. Staff were friendly and helpful. Great little town for walking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ardrhu House Fort William

Fort William

Ardrhu House is in a secluded bay with beautiful views and beautiful grounds. The exterior is well maintained and the castle like building is lovely. It has many positive features, the spa, hot tub, outside sitting areas and sun room. The bedroom was a bit small but comfortable. It had an authentic feel. The staff were friendly and helpful. Food was great and the dining was enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not good signage and not easy to find.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was small and bathroom just had a tub. (no shower)

Canowindra Bed and Breakfast

Portree

Georgie and Rick were both friendly and very welcoming. This is a beautiful B&B and our room was spacious and well equipped. Modern and clean with a wonderful breakfast. Very relaxing. Georgie recommended Gasta Pizzeria and bar for dinner and it didn't disappoint. It was close by and had great pizza.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Initially this was a bit hard to find, but they have lots of signage to help you.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heathmount Hotel

Inverness

The exterior of this hotel may leave you feeling that the inside will be the same, but that is not the case. The rooms are modern, clean and well equipped. There is a restaurant/bar located in this hotel which was also had an amazing atmosphere. Food was excellent and the staff were all very helpful and friendly. The only issue is that there wasn't any parking in their small lot as it was full of the restaurant patrons. They did have overflow parking available in a small lot across the street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We arrived on a Saturday night and didn't spend much time there on Sunday.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B+B Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Amazing hotel and staff. Unfortunately, when we were there they had issues with the WiFi and the elevator wasn't working. ( we were on the 4th floor). Great location, great breakfast, and the staff were so welcoming and helpful. Liam especially went out of his way to help us out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

Beautiful castle and surrounding area. Very high up and amazing. Parking lot was full so we had to park in a public lot and walk to the castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat tour from Oban - see the coast of Mull

Oban

We had the perfect weather for this. Staff were awesome, very knowledgable and friendly. We had our tour booked for 3pm but asked if we could change to 10am, and were accommodated. Excellent narration.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day out on the Jacobite Train (of Harry Potter fame)

Scotland

This was so fun. The stopover in the town of Mallaig was nice, and just enough time to grab a quick lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isle of Skye Whisky immersion at Torabhaig

Scotland

This was a beautiful distillery and our tour was great. Our tour was booked for 3pm but we arrived at 1:45pm and they were able to accommodate us at the 2pm tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

Boat trip was great and well narrated. Urquhart castle was a pleasant surprise and definatley worth seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

Our guide was knowledgable and friendly. Again hard to locate her at the start of our tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Kate was amazing, so knowledgable and friendly. Loved this tour. Meeting up with Kate at the start was difficult. We didn't really know what to expect and how to locate her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

A bit disappointing. Food was great, but the experience didn't seem as authentic as we were expecting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

staff weren't very attentive

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Excellent, worth the visit. This is a must.

Quality of Experience

We took an 11 day trip all over the country, starting in Marrakesh, and moving to essouaria, onto the Sahara in Merzouga and then up to Fes, before concluding in Chef Chaouen. We were accompanied the entire time by our driver, Tariq, who was absolutely fantastic. He made sure we had everything we needed, was warm and funny, and had a flexible and hospitable spirit. We had a terrific time with him, and felt lucky to have found someone that matched so well with the family. We traveled with our three kids, who are ages 16, 18, and 20 and they also enjoyed his sense of humor and positive attitude. Can’t say enough good things about him! The Sahara trip was really memorable and the accommodation (both the owner of the camp and the staff - yousef and mostafa in particular) were so kind and fun.

Awesome awesome awesome. Connie was very knowledgeable about New Zealand and had lots of great tips on how to travel with kids. She got us some of the best tours, transfers, hotels, and recommend great activities. Will work with Connie again, for the next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Bolton Hotel

Wellington

Nice apartment style hotel. They do have a washer/dryer combo machine but we weren't able to get the dryer to dry.

Authenticity & Character

It's a nice apartment style hotel.

Location

It's a bit of a walk if you have kids if you plan on walking to Cuba street. It's really close to the cable car though.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful for any questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very spacious and clean

On The Point

Rotorua

Wow! This has to be the best hotel ever. It's more of a house than a hotel. My only regret is we stayed here for only two nights, wish we could have stayed here longer.

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful property, lots of character.

Location

Right on the water, breathtaking views

Staff

Amazing staff, super helpful and were glad to answer any questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just amazing place, recommend it to everyone

Scenic Hotel Te Pania

Napier

Modern hotel with what you would expect in the states. Has a restaurant downstairs and has okay food. Great location with access to walk around nearby shops. The suites are nice since the connecting room has its own bathroom, so a two bedroom suite will get you three bathrooms. Great of you have kids.

Authenticity & Character

Cool round design

Location

Right next to shopping and great views of the sea.

Staff

Didn't seem to friendly when I checked in. Also didn't offer to help with luggage when checking in. Check out the staff was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Restaurant bathroom was dirty and we had to let the staff know that it needed cleaning.

Activity Reviews

TE Puia: Te Ra (Day Pass) Guided tour (90 minutes)

Rotorua

Great seeing the geysers and mud pits. They also have a kiwi house that has 3 kiwis. Great hit with the kids

Quality of Experience

Knowledge guide. Really great to hear from someone who grew up in the area and learning about their culture

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mitai Cultural Experience & Dinner

Rotorua

Great seeing the traditional dance and the new Zealand buffet was amazing too!

Quality of Experience

Food

Great traditional new Zealand Maori buffet!

Transport

Initially told 515 pickup time but didn't show up until 550.

Hobbiton Express -

Auckland

Kids really enjoyed it. Was also great seeing the movie sets. Really makes you want to rewatch the movies.

Quality of Experience

Pick up was timely and driver made pit stops so the kids could use restrooms or get breakfast.

Food

Good new Zealand buffet. Kids enjoyed it

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gave great commentary when driving to the site. Was good to hear about the background and culture of some sites while we drove by.

Transport

The seat I was on had a faulty seatbelt.

All the guides were excellent. I especially appreciated Silvia who took us on a hike and exploring Bellagio. She was outgoing, informative & prepared with hiking poles and other things, just in case. She customized our outing based on weather. She even brought supplies to make us tea once we arrived at the highest point.
Phillip was outstanding too. He customized our Bellagio bike trip to suit our needs. We were introduced to people we saw along the way & who knew him, which was a great way to learn about their culture. Janis & I discovered the most amazing restaurant for dinner that evening because Phillip showed us the property during our bike ride. We would have never experienced it without phillip’s help. He provided so much information & was very helpful to Janis when she needed to find a dentist.
Several of the guides took us on tours that were longer than the itinerary stated, because we were all having a good time. You can tell how much they enjoy sharing their knowledge by their willingness to spend time with us travelers.
The wine tour & tasting was amazing (in the Piedmont area) &i loved the truffle hunt. Both exceeded my expectations. I learned so much from each experience.
And WOW! The pesto making experience was a memory I’ll always cherish.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Stella della Marina

Monterosso

I loved this hotel & the hard working owner who carried our bags up the stairs, checked us in, was also the breakfast cook & server.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

STAR HOTEL ECHO

MILANO

Excellent breakfast buffet. Hotel staff was very welcoming too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal

Stresa

Beautiful hotel & property. I prefer hotels that are less fancy, however. The staff was adequate, but not as personable as staff in the other locations. The bartender, however, was very outgoing & friendly. The hotel restaurant would not allow us to order ala Carte for dinner. We prefer not eating two or three course meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Cortiletto d'Alba

Alba

I loved everything about this place. Their restaurant was a wonderful place for dinner too. The hotel had so much character. The owner went out of her way to help us find free parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andirivieni Bellagio Guest House

Bellagio

Authenticity & Character

Charming….

Location

I got a bit lost a time or two. My fault.

Staff

Very helpful by providing information about the town & restaurants.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I’m

Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pesto Experience

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cinque Terre Train Card

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Trekking Card

Cinque Terre

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alba & Barolo Exclusive Experience

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

!. Dinner cruise on the Seine - relaxing and beautiful.
2. Culinary tour in the 7th district (where we were staying).
3. Monet's Garden and House - very worthwhile. It was more beautiful than I imagined. Walked around the city of Paris
on our return. The area around the Eiffel Tower was full of people selling trinkets and wine, and seemed kind of
trashy. Notre Dame had a high fence around the renovation, but had lots of information about the project.
4. Normandy Beaches & American Cemetary - excellant guide, cold and very windy, lots of walking so wear good shoes.
5. Train to Loire valley - Be ready to get off quick, we missed our stop. Wine tasting and touring the vineyards. Stayed in
Sancerre, VERY hilly.
6. Went to a goat cheese manufacturing plant, learned about the process and tasted cheese. I do not like goat cheese,
but the cheese was delicious. Maybe because the French don't pasteurize their cheese. More wine tasting. Guide
was very knowledgeable.
7. Back to Paris to fly to Nice. A beautiful city on the French Riviera. Picture postcard perfect! We shopped, ate, drank
our way across the city. We were fortunate to get a sailboat cruise on the Mediteranean. We ate at a restaurant in
the town of Ese, or EZE. Did not get into the main restaurant , reservations have to be made 6 weeks in advance. The
drive and view were worth it. Spectacular!!!!!

I loved France. It is beautiful, historic. I was prepared to meet people who didn't care for the loud, brash Americans, but everyone was so helpful and nice to us. I would definitely like to go back! I struggled with swollen ankles and blisters from all the walking, but it was worth it.

This was the trip of a lifetime. Received first class treatment from start to finish. Our guide Leo-in Athens was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating , even taking us to a cemetery, requested by one of us . In Mykonos our guide showed us her favorite spots, and we were not disappointed. Santorini guides Kostis and Lazarus were our favorites by far. Entertaining, passionate, friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated every moment. Each boutique hotel had its own vibe. Breakfast delivered to our room in Athens and Santorini, and off the menu in the restaurant in Mykonos. Food was fantastic. Not one complaint about anything. Thank you again for making this happen.

Hotel Reviews

Senses Suites

Santorini

Plunge pool and balcony. Awesome view of the caldera. Clean and fresh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful with our luggage, and breakfast was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mykonos Bay Hotel

Mykonos

This hotel made us feel like we were special. The attention we received from staff was unlike anything else I have ever experienced.

Authenticity & Character

Everyone and everything at this hotel screams first class

Location

Private beach and balcony. Not far from restaurants and shopping.

Staff

Extremely friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Foundry Suites

Athens

This hotel had an industrial vibe. Plenty of space with a terrace and view of the Acropolis. Absolutely stunning, and the staff was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Industrial vibe

Location

It was very near restaurants and shopping

Staff

Gave us information on where to eat and made sure we had breakfast to go if needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plenty of space , kitchen, terrace.

Activity Reviews

Depart - Time to say farewell to Greece !

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - Free Morning & Santorini Catamaran Gold Sunset Cruise (Small group cruise)

Santorini

Quality of Experience

This is a don’t miss tour. Sunset was beautiful.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - Sights, Wines & Clicks Private day tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - Walk, Drink, Eat Sunset Small Group Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

lol

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini - The Island

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos-Day Trip to Delos island & Mykonos Free Afternoon

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos - Walking Tour with a Local

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - Acropolis at Sunset & Plaka neighborhood | Private tour with an archaeologist/guide

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - Markets, Ruins & Ancient Athens Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - Free time - What to do in the city on your own!

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens - The City

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Athens

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall we were very pleased with our trip to Colombia. The trip was well organized and balanced. In fact before the start I was a little worried, but it worked perfectly for us that out of 12 nights we spent three nights in each of four very different locations: Bogota, Pereira, Medellin and Cartagena. We definitely recommend this approach for first visit to Colombia.

Filipe and his team took care about every detail and all four local guides (David, Omar, Patricia and Sandra) were very knowledgeable and passionate about their country.

Fact is that we were quite lucky with the weather, but regardless of this we dare to say that going to Colombia in rainy season was the right decision and a great experience.

We loved our trip to Iceland and greatly valued the advice provided by our KimKim specialists. Navigating the coastline throughout the Westfjords was incredible, and something we probably would not have tackled without their help constructing a fabulous itinerary! In a country such as Iceland where the tourism infrastructure does not seem like it has caught up with the exploding consumer demand having assistance in planning your trip is important.

Hotel Reviews

Dalahyttur Lodge

We had no idea what to expect when we pulled up to this lodge, but we absolutely loved it. The rooms are really cozy and the views are tremendous. If you want to grab a meal you will love the food and service.

Authenticity & Character

Really simple, yet incredibly cozy and comfortable.

Location

Views are great!

Staff

They treat you well here!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and tidy.

Hotel Blönduós

Blönduós

Our favorite accommodation in Iceland. Everything about the hotel is top notch.

Authenticity & Character

Owners passion for this hotel and the town are amazing. He clearly has more in store and I am sure many others will notice soon enough if they haven't already!

Location

Cute little town on the coast. Can walk to a small beach line.

Staff

Very personable staff. The owner and Petur Oddbergur Heimisson very great to speak with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and beautifully designed. A lot of care and thought has gone into this hotel.

Activity Review

Horse Riding Tour

Iceland

This was definitely one of our favorite tours we scheduled over our trip. This is a family business/farm and the passion for what they do is definitely felt. You will definitely see things from a different perspective from a horse than you will on foot at Lake Myvatn.

Quality of Experience

Horses and ride was beautiful. Loved they friendly sheepdog and tour of their farm post ride.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and passionate about what they do

Transport

My trip to Morocco was wonderful; Hakim and the group of tour guides were incredible. I was able to cover a lot of ground quickly thanks to my wonderful driver Khalil.

If I could do it over again, I would change a few things. For one, I'd spend more time in Fes/Marrakech and make day trips to other locations (such as Chefchaouen and Volubilis). Rabat and Casablanca didn't have enough for a full day each, whereas more time could be spent exploring the older, more dynamic cities. I think a slightly longer trip would've been great to get used to the medinas a little bit more.

Hakim was excellent in setting everything up and for the most part I'm very happy with the quality of the accommodations and the guides on the trip. Everything went smoothly from day 1 and I am thankful for the help planning.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Baraka & Karam

Marrakech

Good hotel outside the heart of the medina; easy to find and get to from the main sites. Staff was not as helpful as other places (didn't speak English as well, which isn't a problem for everyone) but was still good. The room itself was great, very spacious and had a great bathtub.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not overwhelming in the middle of the medina but close enough to everything without being too noisy. Easy to find.

Staff

Staff was fine, no problems per se, just not as easy to communicate with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best room of the hotels I stayed in.

Dar Al Madina Al Kadima

Fès

Great location in the heart of the medina. The front desk staff was extremely helpful in organizing a wonderful hammam and pointing out good food spots. Everything was clean and on time; my favorite hotel I stayed at in my favorite city in the country.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of everything

Staff

Extremely helpful front desk staff, very talkative and set me up with a wonderful hammam after a long day of travel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Showers were a little bit hard to control but the room was spacious, clean, the bed was comfortable, and the wifi was great.

Puerta Azul

Chefchaouen

Clean room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Was about a 10 minute walk into the old medina; would've been nice to stay in the middle of town, not much else around the hotel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and normal. Wifi was not particularly good but no problems with the hotel

Riad Dar Dar

Rabat

Located in the old medina; very easy to get in/out of the medina from here. Rabat is a quieter town than some of the other spots so not as much near here, but the rooms were nice, the food was good, and the front desk staff was helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kenzi Basma Hotel

Casablanca

The hotel was clean and spacious, food was good, and it was in a great location to walk towards the old medina/restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Felt very western, which was great for the first day

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

The food tour was extremely fun and potentially the highlight of my trip. Tarik showed me 6 different stops, all in very different parts of the Medina, and each place we went was authentic and delicious. It was helpful to have someone demonstrate the best parts of the Moroccan cuisine in an orderly fashion. Even the snails were delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Morocco

Youssef was a great guide and we were able to beat crowds at both the Saadian Tombs as well as the Bahia Palace. The information was clear and helpful and gave me a better understanding of the history of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Guided Tour in Casablanca

Morocco

Abdelhadi was a great guide - his information was easy to understand and added a lot to my understanding of Casablanca as a city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Fes, Volubilis & Meknes

Morocco

Volubilis was an absolutely stunning spot. A guide is not necessary if you're somewhat in tune with how Roman cities work, but a bit of research beforehand goes a long way towards understanding what you're seeing. Spending a few hours there is totally worth it as either a day trip from Fes or a place to visit on the way. I was excited for Meknes but everything is closed for renovation, so I don't really have much to add. But per usual, my driver Khalil was great and took me to a wonderful restaurant there.

Quality of Experience

If you like history and ancient ruins, this will be a nice treat and is very different from the rest of the country. Use Meknes as a lunch spot after a morning trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

This was a disappointing experience, compared to the hammam I went to in Fes. I was largely left unattended and the woman who was doing the hammam felt disinterested in the process as a whole. For the price I would much rather organize a more authentic experience than a touristy place like this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Hafid was an incredible guide. Took me everywhere I wanted to go (city walls, old palace, through the souks) and brought me to great shops to find what I was looking for. His English was great and the city itself is incredible - easily my highlight of the country. Have already recommended him to friends/family who are traveling to Morocco.

Quality of Experience

The city was an incredible combination of history and markets, and the food was extraordinary

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hafid was incredible

Transport

Stephania and the KimKim team planned a 10/10 trip for my fiancé and I. We had a trip from Sunday-Friday all throughout Southern Italy and all of our expectations were met! Every excursion was great, all transfers were easy to find and on time, and hotels were to our liking.

Once again, it was an amazing trip and we would definitely use KimKim again!

Activity Reviews

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

We loved the food and wine tour because it took us to places that we probably would have not gone to on our own. It was nice to see the history behind certain aspects of trastevere and meet new people! Chiara our guide was excellent in showing us around and was very well spoken and kind.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Italy

We loved this boat tour. It was great being able to go to two different cities and also seeing the amalfi coast and the scenic views. We also loved the authentic lunch included. Anna, our boat staff, was amazing! Please make sure she knows how great of a job she did

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maurice our guide for hiking nearby La Fortuna / Arsenal was the high point of the trip., I recommend him highly bec his knowledge of the area flora and fauna was amazing. Now I know what really big Howlers (monkeys) sound like - not for the timid!
The La Fortuna Hotel was very nice but spartan (facial tissues?). Breakfast was very good, we chose the restaurants in town rather than than dinner at the resort. The weather was perfect all week and beautiful sunsets in Tamarindo and Monteverde. A little too warm in Monteverde but if you don’t mind bugs the night air is very cool with the huge sliding doors open. There are no screens on the doors so I recommend the hotels offer mosquito drapery around the bed to get a restful sleep.
Tamarindo was nice with the beaches and pools and we enjoyed the catamaran team that ran things - very friendly - I recommend folks use them. My daughter accompanied me and she had a great week.

It didn’t rain which was good and bad. Beautiful Weather. WAVE Adventures is a top-notch company with many guides who were very entertaining, I recommend them. But the whitewater rafting was disappointing from the low water flow, mostly class 1 with a couple class 2. I was also in Panama and whitewater rafting was much better.

PS: We rented a car as we used different airports and got to see more, driving off the beaten path had some beautiful sights but leave extra time as about 50% of the roads were paved. I personally enjoyed driving like the locals, you get around faster.

Hotel Reviews

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

On the ocean, great sunset views from the balcony patio

Authenticity & Character

Huge complex, we stayed in the older part close to the lobby and restaurant

Location

Staff

Just the nicest helpful people

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ficus Sunset Suites

Monteverde

Beautiful complex of suites along the hillside, we stayed in the sunset rooms at the top and the views were worth it. Rolling back the huge glass doors allows the cool night breezes to make the rooms great for sunsets and sleeping. As there are no window or door screens, I recommend the Ficus Inn install mosquito netting drapes over / around each bed so patrons can enjoy a restful sleep with the lights out. Unless you love flying bugs keeping you company! A nice eco-friendly hotel at the edge of town at a steep uphill road. Good parking, breakfast, and wi-fi. Pleasant staff.

Authenticity & Character

Eco-friendly

Location

Sunset views. Sound of big rigs struggling up the hill was distracting, I guess that’s what earbuds are for.

Staff

More knowledgeable staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Netting around/ over beds to keep flying bugs out of your ears.

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Very good hotel and grounds for the middle-tier resort. You should walk everywhere and skip the shuttle - burn some calories as the resort is on a steep vertical hillside. The best feature is the landscaping and water features. Don’t expect rooms like a Marriott, it’s spartan so spend your time exploring the outdoors. Good breakfast every morning. The town is close by if you desire a dinner out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Maurice (guide) and Paloma (driver) were the high point of our trip

Quality of Experience

Small group, 4 people + guide was perfect size.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge imparted to us and seeing our guide show us so many plans and their uses.

Transport

Paloma the driver- and a very good singer!

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great bunch of guides. Unfortunately water level too low, mostly class 1 with a couple class 2

Quality of Experience

See above

Food

We were hungry! I liked the cookies and beer!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides

Christina and the Kim Kim team were there for us every step of the way. Christina was so helpful in planning and logistics - we appreciated her pespective, suggestions and helpful tips! When we arrived in Norway, we had a few uncontrollable mishaps along the way and were thrilled that the Kim Kim team were so responsive to our questions and needs.

Kim Kim contracted a few different outfitters/guides for hiking and kayaking activities - all the guides were fantastic, they paced the activity to our level and shared so much rich Norwegian history as well.

Thank you Christina and Kim Kim for making this dream trip come true!

Stephania helped us to include many of our "wish for" experiences on our trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast. Having the transportation set up in advance was fantastic and our drivers were really more like guides. Rino was the best tour guide we could have asked for. He took great pride in showing us the Amalfi Coast, pointing out the highlights in Positano, Amalfi, Furore and Sorrento. We were fortunate to have an extremely knowledgeable guide for our Vatican tour, whose father is also a guide. In fact, Rebecca was also born in the Vatican City so this was a special place for her share with us and she pointed out all of the "fake news" that the Romans had created centuries ago that is on display in the museum. We took a few boat tours to Capri and along the Amalfi Coast, but the boat tour to Positano was made even better by our Captain who stopped several times to let us jump in and swim near the Grottos. Our stay in Sorrento was made extra special by spending three nights in the Grand Hotel Capodimonte. This 4 Star Hotel has 5 cascading pools, with a view that will take your breath away. The Hotel Modigliani in Rome did not disappoint and is filled with very cool contemporary art and upscale furnishings. We loved it. In hindsight we might have asked to do too much as we were very tired after a 10 hour flight and missed our first ferry to Amalfi because we decided to sleep in. My suggestion would be to give yourself at least one day to just relax before getting into high touring mode!

This was the first time I travelled solo; I was understandably worried; Patricia and her Kimkim team looked after me marvellously! I rate this trip as the best I have had, and I have travelled in groups a fair bit.

Hotel Reviews

Monument Hotel

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Experience the spirit of Barcelona, new with the old, cleverly manicured modern design with features of the old building preserved; fantastic cusine. I love the stay.

Hotel Alfonso XIII

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt like I was treated and pampered as a royal guest of Alfonso III

Hotel The Principal

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

100% exquisite Spanish experience without foreign interference

Activity Review

Private Guided Tour of the Art Walk & Prado Museum

Madrid

Must not miss. I felt fortunate that I was able to learn a lot from my private guide; there is so much to Spain's past, history and art that I was not aware of.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were flexible, walking or taking a taxi depending on how we felt.

Helena is absolutely fabulous. The trip from beginning to end was perfect. The local guides and drivers were very professional and just a delight. I could not be happier. Thank ou.

Olman did an excellent job planning a 10-day trip to Costa Rica that delivered the kind of experience my family of four (2 adults, 12 and 17 year olds) was looking for. We visited 3 locations (La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio) with a balance of nature-based adventure and relaxation. The recommended accomodations were great. The vendors for all tours were professional and experienced and the guides were top notch. Olman worked with me ahead of the trip to tweak the agenda to fit our needs. He was flexible and patient and provided so much information that I felt I knew exactly what we would be paying for prior to needing to send any money. I have never before worked with a travel provider to help plan my trips and I typically spend many hours over weaks and months putting together an itinerary. I was anxious about relying on someone else - but Olman made it easy, enjoyable and the delivered product was fantastic. For future travelers, my one recommendation is to start every day as early as possible. This will maximize your time enjoying what Costa Rica has to offer in the morning/early afternoon, avoid afternoon rainshowers and also allow late afternoon evenings for relaxing and meals (as well as early bed-times earned during adventurous mornings!). To that end, the only change I would have made to my schedule was that our zip-lining day in Monteverde did not commence until the vendor picked us up at 10:20 am- which kind of killed the whole day. I would highly recommend starting the day earlier - and driving yourself to the vendor's location so that you are not reliant upon their return transportation schedule.

Our trip was specifically geared toward our desire to see as many of the major waterfalls in Norway. Tricia put together the customized itinerary along with three tours - a hiking trip to The Valley of the Waterfalls, a kayaking / hiking trip in Øvre Årdal, and a kayaking trip to the Seven Sisters in Geiranger. The custom itinerary hit all of the major waterfalls in western Norway and the tours were wonderful. We unfortunately had some issues with the rental car but Tricia and the team at Ethical Travel have been supportive in trying to resolve them as much as possible.

We (my cousins and I in differing age groups) planned a two week trip with Moreno to Italy to include Florence, Rome, Pompei, and Sorrento (lodging in Vico Equense). Moreno and his associates arranged most of our lodging, transport and excursions. We feel with few exceptions the trip was beautifully planned and was a fantastic blend of learning and leisure. I can't express enough the value of private transportation and private tours if you are planning to see and do a great deal in a short time in Italy. These are predominately touring cities so in the interest of time management, private transport and private tours were a blessing.

If you get the opportunity to chose your travel guide in Rome be sure to request Sabrina. She was wonderful at both the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and the following day at the Colosseum. She brought the experience to life and was passionate and knowledgeable about the area.......be sure to request her!

The boutique bed and breakfasts were a game changer as well. Caio

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Ancore

Vico Equense

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful building.

Location

for the most part you must take transport to other areas as there are limited dining options

Staff

GREAT staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

I need to rate comfort low as the bathrooms - especially showers are VERY small and difficult to manage a shower in them. secondly, we had an A/C issue the first couple of days which was difficult.

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Excellent staff and very helpful. It was nice to have staff avail later in the evening (11p).

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soggiorno Battistero

Florence

Located in the center, it is well positioned to get to and from important areas. As for the room itself, if you are on the upper floor it is more inviting, bigger space. Plan to eat a big lunch and dinner as the breakfast is light fare and will not sustain you for a long period of time. Bathrooms/bedrooms upstairs were well appointed but the rooms on the lower floor were a bit small for our taste.

Authenticity & Character

Location

If noise isn't an issue, the location is great. Felt safe.

Staff

I only experienced issues with one staff member, I found him to be less than helpful but the rest of the staff were very accommodating and easy to communicate with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfort - it was a loud area but to be expected as it is in a square. We weren't prepared and wish we would have known better. When you travel to Italy a good nights rest is important.

Activity Review

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

We had the very best tour guide - Sabrina. She was awesome, interested, entertaining and informative. It was one of my favorite tours due to her enthusiasm of the history .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Most Memorable
1. The cooking classes: Toscana Mia was my favourite! Simonetta and Paola welcomed us into their home and it felt so authentic! The Giglia class in Florence was my second favourite. We did end up preparing the same food as our first class in Rome but the instructor was wonderful.
2. Day trip to Cinque Terre with Tanya. I loved it because we got to experience 3 of the towns. The lunch in Vernazza was excellent. I loved the mini hike and boat ride. Tanya was a pleasant, knowledgeable guide.
3. The Food and Wine walking tour of Trastevere! Excellent guide and delicious food. Eileen was so fun and shared many great cultural food aspects of the area.
4. Wine tour of the Val D’Orcia area with Georgia. This was a lot of driving but we learned so much about wine. Loved the lunch at Il Cocco.
5. The view from our hotel room La Cisterna was breathtaking!
6. Favourite overall hotel was VOI Donna Camilla Savelli in Rome. Best breakfast and most welcoming staff.

Some Issues and Questions
1. Value for our money spent on the trip. I understand that KimKim does not offer an exact breakdown of the separate costs. However, in order recommend KimKim to my friends and family, I would really like to know some general percentages of what we spent on accommodations, private transfers with Icarelimo, the tours and activities.
2. Knowing some names of restaurants nearby our hotels would have been so appreciated.
3. The self-guided aspect when visiting different areas was somewhat vague. For example, In San Gimignano, we ended up booking our own 2 hour walking tour of the town to learn more.
4. I was confused about buying my own tickets to Accademia in Florence. My impression was that I needed to buy these tickets because, as part of the Florence walking tour, we would only pop in to the Accademia. As it turned out, the tour of the Accademia was thorough for us and I felt we I didn’t really need to buy the tickets myself.
5. Buying the tickets to The Colosseum was super confusing, based on the your information. I couldn’t get the tickets ahead of time so I used Viator. When we got there it was so overwhelming and we could have benefitted from a private tour.
6. If I were to plan another trip, I would have built in more down time because the pace of this trip was somewhat hectic. A possible solution would be KimKim asking more about how much we want to walk ( we are 60 and good walkers but still felt exhausted and overwhelmed at times).
7. Of course, nothing KimKim could do about how crowded we found all the places we stayed, except to offer alternative ideas of where to visit when we began our planning.

Hopefully, KimKim appreciates this feedback. Overall, we had a great time in Italy. It was an expensive vacation at a very busy time of the year but we loved our time visiting and learning about all things Italian. The hotels were mostly situated in good places for walkability. I loved having the breakfasts included. The drivers, guides and hotel staff were overall friendly.

Hotel Reviews

9Hotel Cesari Rome

Rome

Very much in the middle of the heart of Rome. Great walkability but very busy street and some noise. Loved the rooftop patio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Cisterna

San Gimignano

Amazing views from our window. Bigger room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel

Florence

Small room, no view and a bit far from where we walked each day. Good breakfast and very kind female host.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Donna Camilla Savelli

Rome

Loved the location in Trastevere. The old monastery and courtyard had a relaxing oasis feel in busy Rome. Great breakfast, lovely room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Val D’ Orcia Wine Tasting

Italy

Really good day of learning about wine and visiting Montalcino and Montepulciano

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Chianti

Italy

My favourite!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking Class in Florence

Florence

Fun class! The instructor was very good. A lot of her time was spent on the 5 children in the class

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Our guide was having difficulty organizing the group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence

Florence

Yes, would totally recommend this because of scenery, lunch, activities and what we learned

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

Just excellent. Super personable guide! Wonderful food and cultural insights

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Last minute change(s)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Campo De' Fiori Market Visit & Pasta Making Class

Rome

Great instructor, lovely lunch that we prepared. However we were disappointed that our original tour of market and cooking class were cancelled.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff