Kimkim Trip Reviews

I can not say enough how amazing our experience was with Kimkim. I worked wih a Amanda who customized our trip to fit the very limited time we had in Nepal. We did a 3 day trip and were able to hike and explore the Kathmandu area which would have been very difficult to do on our own. We had a hiking guide and a city guide and both were amazing, knowledgadble and super friendly. We loved the hotels Amanda reserved for us. The Namo Buddha Resort was beautiful and very peaceful. If and when I go back to Nepal I will use this company. I highly recommend them!

Overall trip was great, got to see a lot of the countryside and beautiful landscapes. From a logistics point of view would probably recommend to others to not do such a tightly packed schedule and enjoy more time in some of the bigger towns. Driver was safe and efficient, good English, initially not as interactive but soon warmed up to conversation. Unfortunately the day tour guides left a bit to be desired. The fes guide whilst kind, too much taking to cooperatives and shops, would prefer more historic information and sight seeing. The Marrakech guide was lovely as well, more historic information which is nice, but once again too many cooperative stops. The mountain guide unfortunately was very odd, barely spoke to us for the entire day and did not have much information about local species of plants and animals, needed more persona. Larbi was great at listening to our needs and helping us arrange optional activities and transport so thank you for that. Accomodation was good throughout the stay, clean and comfortable. Ideally not all dinners would be included in future as we did could not finish the meal and it was a waste of food as well as money. Overall good experience, thank you Kim Kim!

Been there. Done that. Have the t-shirt to prove it.

That’s usually what people say when they have travelled to a place, or have completed a task.

Well two out of three ain’t bad, especially since buying t-shirts is not part of my aesthetic. LOL!

Instead, I’ll sit grinning madly with memories of the “been-there-done-that” when I flip through my passport, my gmail account or my phone photos.

Jordan was amazing. The people are amazing. The food is incredible. The history is epochtic. The landscape is jawdropping.

Ahmad was waiting to pick me up at the airport and from the-get proved to be the best companion for this five day trip that I could ever ask for. He was my driver, my dj, my translator, my dance partner, my diary, my sidekick, my smilemirror, my protector, my lunch partner, my tea connoisseur, my phototakeouter and the best tourguide that I’ve ever had on any of my travels.

On our many roads to cross journey, I was introduced to songs that I had never heard before! Music, dancing and laughter was our modus operandi. He even played an Arabic song that would become the songtrack of my trip – so much so that I made him stop the car so that I could get out and dance barefooted in the desert. I wish I remembered it now. He told me the name but I forgot. Needless to say I had F.U.N!

Unto Jordan.

I loved visiting Jordan. I loved it. It helped that I was riding a wave of happy. The visit to Jordan was the culmination of my one-a-year odyssey that I started in 2012, visiting one of the New Seven Wonders of the World every year. Jordan was the one that happened last and may arguably be the best visit for several personal reasons.

Considering its location, the country is pretty peaceful but mostly known for the ancient Nabataean city of Petra which was carved out of rock over 2000 years ago and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The city is carved out of these massive towering boulders that occupy several complexes. There is one gate in and one gate out but you rarely ever repeat your steps; often every cornerturn yields a new and magnificent site. Its dramatic and astounding and the walls echo a remarkable history.

After you enter through the gate, you walk through what is called a Siq which highlights the way in which water was harvested and channeled throughout the city, the Siq opens you up to this massive monument called the Treasury. I got there at 7am, it was kinda cold, not many tourists were around, so I got to poke around, peep in, explore at leisure and have not too many people in my pictures. A few hours later, the place was crawling with tourists.

Then I took a different route to climb to the top of an adjacent mountain to see the Treasury from the top. After I dismounted one mountain, I began an epic journey of climbing 1000 steps to view the Monastery – the largest of Petra’s carved structures and an amazing monstrosity of a building. The symmetry of the structure built at a time when engineering was not what it is today, is a sight to behold and the views from on top of the mountain of the surrounding landscape were nothing short of amazing.

As I was making my way off of the mountain, possibly at the last one hundred steps, the sky got dark and it started to rain. I had my umbrella, so the torrential rain was hardly a challenge, but I got to see first-hand how the water is channeled through the gorges of Petra, and how the engineering actually worked. That in itself was an amazing sight. After a couple of minutes though, the water grew fierce. The guides started shouting “save yourself, run for your lives” as the water started swiftly collecting and gushing through the Siq. Not exactly what you want to hear on your travels! The Treasury was opened and tourists piled in as its higher ground provided security and shelter. Needless to say, no one died, the tourism authority trucked the tourists who were stuck far into Petra out. I walked out, but my sneakers never made the journey back. I lost them to Petra.

I called Ahmad to pick me up, I got home and changed and got to Petra Kitchen just in time for my culinary dinner tutorial on the food and delicacies of Jordan, myself and about 20 other persons cooked five courses and sat and ate them all. By the time I got home, I was spent but completely satisfied.

Over the next few days, I toured the enchanting desert landscape of Wadi Rum, where I camped out one night under the desert moon listening to a very silent night. I also visited little Petra, Shobak, the Dead Sea, Mt Nebo and Madaba. When I left Jordan, I felt such a connection with its people who at the drop, were less interested in me buying their wares, and were more intrigued to invite me for copious amounts of fragrant tea, have me sit with them as they tried to figure out from whence I came and laugh uproariously at their confusion of what the Caribbean is.

Jordan is a country of settlers and refugees in that many persons moved there from neighbouring states; and were forced to forge an identity out of a new landscape – possibly one of every three persons hail from a neighbouring country. Quite similar to what the Caribbean represents – it is a place that people make their own. I felt awed by the landscape which since biblical times had held such importance to the region and I felt moved by the culmination of my own insatiable desire to see the world as the world sees itself.

Oh, the joy of travel.

A friend recently reminded me of a response that I had given to the question of my travels, where is my favourite place in the world, and my response to him, is that I haven’t been there yet! That’s so me!

Now that the seven wonders are done, I need to see more. I need to travel even more. There is so much more to discover and so I wonder and I wander and I can’t wait to see where my wanderings take me to next!

The Manaslu Trek was everything we hoped for and more! Right from the start, our travel specialist Amanda, was very helpful and quick to answer all of our questions and concerns. She helped to plan and organize the perfect trip tailored specifically to our requests. The online booking experience was also very efficient and easy.

Upon arriving in Kathmandu we had the opportunity to meet with both Amanda and our guide Chhiring and were given a full briefing of the itinerary prior to the start of the Trek. Amanda also took the time to meet with us at our hotel after the trek to debrief about our trip. Everything was very well planned and organized.

We had a wonderful experience throughout the trek enjoying the spectacular scenery and observing the village life along the way. Our guide Chhiring, and porter Santa, were both extremely attentive, professional and respectful. We felt well taken care of and are grateful to have had them accompany us on our trek. In addition, Chhiring's knowledge and experience provided us with detailed insight into the local culture and trekking routes through the Himalayas.
From start to finish we received great service that surpassed our expectations! Thank you to all involved for making this a trip to remember! Tina & Jason

The Lang Tang trek was exactly what I was looking for! Following a beautiful blue river through the jungle like forest, past a variety of rhodedendron and finally up, up, up to the Himalayas was spectacular. Rishi our guide was lighthearted and fun. Susan our porter not only carried some of our weight but added to our enjoyment throughout our journey. By the end of the trail we had become friends, sharing laughter and life stories. It was refreshing to get away from the crowds of people and take in the beauty around us. Along the way we met some very friendly people, one of our favorite interactions was with Sylee at the Lama Hotel, her bright spirit and playfulness made us feel right at home! We lucked out with a clear day at the top and really enjoyed taking in all of the breathtaking views. I wiuld definitely book a trip with Kim Kim again and again!

This was truly a trip of a lifetime for our family. We spent 9 days just below Everest and had a wonderful time. Our guide Tendu was excellent and his attentiveness and personal touch made this trip unforgettable. He worked hard to make sure we were all looked after and that everything went smoothly.
Sadly, the weather was much colder than predicted which impacted us on the last few days. The teahouse in Panbouche was below standard and the ownership seemed indifferent to the comfort of their guests. Luckily the next day Tendu had arranged for an excellent teahouse in Phortse - which was the best one we stayed at.
I would highly recommend that portion of the trek (Panbouche - Phortse) - it was the highlight of the trek.

My experience in Jordan would not have been what it was without my travel specialist, Carmen answering ALL my questions, working around my own plans etc., and just being accommodating! My driver, atef, was unbelievable. He was so gracious and kind and knew all the routes and gems of each place. My Bedouin guide, Ibrahim, who took us through Petra's backdoor to the monastery was wonderful. He was patient, helpful, and an overall great guide who showed us so many cool things along the way. From jerash, to the sites in Amman, to the absolutely magestic Petra, my husband and I had an incredible time. Petra by night was also such a beautiful experience. And driving along the dead Sea was really beautiful. It was thanks to Carmen's expertise, I was able to pack so much into my trip. I highly recommend working with this team! It'll make your life and experience that much better!!!! Thank you Carmen!

Speaking no Spanish we found that we could not communicate with our drivers. We could confirm where we were going but that was it. Sometimes it would have been good to know a little about where we were on the road, if there was interesting facts about the area and if there were any good view points to take photos along the way. However, the drivers were always punctual and many times our plane or bus was late but the drivers were always there.
Floriane was constantly in contact with me to check everything was going well which was very comforting.
Marine who originally helped with our itinerary was excellent. However, when it was given to Floriane to take over all the information given already had to be redone which became quite frustrating. Whereas everything was written down and if Flor had read the conversation she would not have had to ask everything again.

We loved our trip to Jordan! We saw everything we wanted to see at our own pace. It was the perfect blend of rest, relaxation and activity, all thanks to Lena, our kimkim trip organizer and Wael, our tour guide and driver, Wael. Lena was professional, answered all our questions in a timely manner and planned an amazing trip for us. She worked with us as we requested for numerous adjustments and changed itineraries. Thank you Lena for your patience!
Wael showed great customer experience. Super friendly. Kept us safe. Gave us the appropriate warnings at certain sites. Highly knowledgeable of Jordan. Always prompt. Drove extremely well through the changing terrain and crazy traffic. Introduced us to delicious authentic Jordanian cuisine. We felt like we were on vacation throughout the whole trip. No stress at all, like our other trips. Would highly recommend this trip to anyone! Thank you kimkim, Lena, Wael and Jordan for give us an awesome vacation!

Fantastic experience. I am a last minute planner and Ingrid was exceptionally patient and helpful. Helped arrange a great tour, was available for last minute changes and was always on top of things.

Highly recommended!

My girlfriend and I booked a week's vacation in Costa Rica through Sylvia. It was super easy and Sylvia customized a great trip for us! We flew into San Jose from Toronto on April 14 and spent time in 3 spots - San Jose, Arenal and Manuel Antonio. It was an amazing experience and I felt like we had 3 vacations in one! Everything including the transfers, hotels and excursions was organized and we just had to turn up! Our guides were all fun, knowledgeable and gave us an exciting and authentic experience. Our transfers were generally private so trips were relaxing and we got a lot of history enroute.

The cultural city tour with Abelardo was fascinating. We really enjoyed the National Museum and National Theatre. Arenal was gorgeous and our juniors suite has an incredible view of the volcano (thanks Sylvia). We had a little hiccup with the ziplining/hanging bridges excursion, and missed our transfer. Sylvia and Kimkim stepped up and covered the taxi to get us there and we had an awesome day. The intense hike trekking through the rainforest down the crater of an extinct volcano was incredible. The crater was heavily forested and had 3 lagoons in it. I swam in 2 of them and was the only person in the water! It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! This was finished off with a traditional lunch at a Costa Rican family's home with spectacular views of the rainforest. Our guide Andreas was amazing and pointed out wildlife as we went along.

Manuel Antonio was another incredible place with beautiful beaches and a national park teeming with wildlife. The tour we had in the park was truly amazing. We saw so much wildlife. We stayed in a hotel called Si Como No - a beautiful property was many rooms set in the hillside. Our balcony had an ocean and rainforest view (thanks again for this booking Sylvia!)

The vacation was capped off with a private tour of a coffee plantation - yet another highlight! There's lots more to tell, but you're gonna have to discover Costa Rica yourself.

This was one of the best vacations I've ever had, and I've travelled extensively. I would recommend both Costa Rica and Kimkim! Special thanks to Sylvia for arranging this fabulous vacation!

An excellent trip. Choice of guides and destinations inside Sicily was excellent. Accomodation excellent except for two nights in Cefalu where the accommodation was too basic and better suited to backpackers.

I feel so fortunate to have discovered Inaki Rubio and his company, Just Follow Me. The tour that I took with him of the French Basque Country was the highlight of my trip to Spain. I had suggested a few places that I would like to visit (specifically St. Jean de Luz, Espalette, and the Le Petit Train de la Rhune), and he helped me to plan a day that I will always remember. Inaki was the ideal host, as his knowledge of the area was evident throughout the tour. I am fascinated with learning more about the Basque culture, and he answered all of my questions, sharing anecdotes and history with me. I really appreciated his flexibility, as we were originally going to take the train up to the top of La Rhune and hike down, but I changed my mind when I realized that the weather was a bit too cold and windy. So instead I was able to spend more time in Espalette, Biarritz, St. Jean de Luz, and Hondarribia. I also appreciated that he showed me some interesting places to visit in San Sebastian, and even offered to help me make reservations at a local restaurant. I will definitely be recommending Just Follow Me to all of my friends and family, and I hope to take another tour with Inaki when I visit the area again in the future.

We wanted a hassle-free trip and Raj and his team had certainly delivered. Everything was executed as communicated ahead of time with positive surprises threw in here and there. One certainly has to pay for this kind of service but it's nice that the result is as advertised. We had a short and easy trip and would really love to go back to Nepal to explore her natural beauty in the future.

I had a wonderful experience on my trip to Nepal. I will remember it forever. Amanda organised us a wonderful Trip. Mingma Sherpa our guide was very professional & friendly, happy to accommodate our changes when asked.
Megshha Karki our yogi was very friendly & made us laugh often. He is a funny guy. His yoga sessions helped us continue on our Trek everyday with all our aches & pains. The Porters, Bashil, Hindu, Navarus, Rokman & Mingmar 2 were all very friendly & helpful, ready to help us whenever needed. I was almost virtually carried down the mountain a couple of times with my bad knees. I looked forward to their cups of tea to warm us up. The accommodation we stayed in varied from Ok to terrific, but the families were always friendly & inviting. The toilets were a bit difficult for me with my knees 7 took a bit getting used to. We were fed lots & I loved the food. The trail was difficult at times but we loved it. Seeing Everest for the first time was amazing. Walking past Glaciers & seeing the Rhodedemdrum Forest was beautiful. People said Namaste with a smile wherever we went.
We had such a good time travelling together for the 10 days & I would recommend it to anyone thinking of going.

We were very happy with all of the arrangements made by Kimkim. Our drivers and guides, both city and hiking were excellent . They were warm and welcoming and all went beyond the call of duty making extra stops where they thought appropriate. We learnt a great deal about modern day Jordan from them . Of special note were Fahdi ( Abu Hamza), Fawaz and Bilal. The hike from Dana to Feynan and from Little Petra to Petra were especially memorable and we will treasure our memories of our stays at the Dana Guest House and the Feynan Ecolodge . The home hospitality meal was a great addition to the itinerary. Thank you Andy for always keeping us informed of pickups and arranging the last minute drive to Amman from Aqaba.

First of all, Nepal and Nepali people were just amazing! Himalayan Trails were great!! Amanda and Himalayan Trails couldn't have more helpful, knowledgeable and coming up with solutions when issues arose.

We were very pleased with our trip to Corsica. Anthony planned the itinerary, including hotels, trains and route notes for walks in the areas we were staying. Aurelia completed the bookings for the trip. We loved Corsica and felt that we got a good overview of the island. Our information included recommended walks with route notes. We loved hiking in the different areas. The weather was perfect everyday. I highly recommend the train through the mountains. And end of April was the ideal time to visit with very few tourists compared to summer and blue skies, wild flowers, scenic views everywhere and helpful hosts at the hotels. Thankyou KIMKIM for helping us have a wonderful trip.

Patricio was an excellent guide, caring, intelligent, always interested in making our trip a better experience, taking us to places that he thought of as we went along, if Susie Astec and truly an asset to your team. His driver Hugo was excellent and always helpful and smiling and respect full. He even made a special trip when my brother-in-law left his camera on the bus, Patricio Is an asset to your company, and go board did a great job Putting a beautiful package together. We will certainly recommend your company in the future and hopefully will be able to talk and use you again. Lois and Lee Dornfeld, Mace and Joy Bloom

Hello,
I found the experience to be good overall. I especially enjoyed the Tremisana lodge in South America and the folks at Marc's treehouse were very accommodating. They had not received my requirement or did not accurately record my requirement for an ensuite but they switched rooms without any problems.
It happened to be a low season and the switch perhaps could not have been possible during the high season.
Initially I found Carla, my kimkim travel agent to be hard to get a hold of but she explained that she had been out of reach because she was at a conference. I found her colleague (who took over from Carla on the day to day details of my trip) to be very responsive and helpful.
Regards,
Vinita