Kimkim Trip Reviews

4.8
Based on 14,242 ratings
Read 14,242 verified reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim. You can also read reviews about kimkim on 3rd party sites including Google, TrustPilot and Yelp.

Northern lights
Norway | Jan 31 - Feb 5, 2018

Mark
Mark J.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Feb 07, 2018

Really good planning. Enjoyed the activities arranged for us

Local specialist: Ingrid Thornes
Ingrid
Ingrid Thornes
Local specialist in Norway | Replied on Feb 15, 2018

Hi Mark,

Great to hear that you were happy with the planning and the activities!
If you are planning to visit Norway again, perhaps in the southern part of Norway I will be happy to plan your trip.

Thank you have a great day!

All the best,
Ingrid

Colombia Andes, Amazon & Caribbean - 14-Day Itinerary
Colombia | Jan 6 - Jan 23, 2018

Margaret
Margaret B.
LA | Reviewed on Feb 07, 2018
Our tour of Bogota was fantastic, thanks to Katiana. She had all the patience and energy needed to give us real insight into the history and culture of Colombia. She really made the Gold Museum come to life with the backstory she provided. She’s probably the best tour guide we’ve ever encountered. Susan also did a great job on showing us the sites in Villa de Leyva. What a beautiful setting. We had both a translator and a guide in Barichara. Waste of time and money. We translated for... Read more

Our tour of Bogota was fantastic, thanks to Katiana. She had all the patience and energy needed to give us real insight into the history and culture of Colombia. She really made the Gold Museum come to life with the backstory she provided. She’s probably the best tour guide we’ve ever encountered.

Susan also did a great job on showing us the sites in Villa de Leyva. What a beautiful setting.

We had both a translator and a guide in Barichara. Waste of time and money. We translated for ourselves much more quickly and accurately. The Spanish speaking guide had only very rudimentary comments on the town. We ended the tour before it ever really got started. Nice guys but they need to look for other work.

Marine and Elizabeth at kimkim are both excellent. Patient, thoughtful, and articulate.

My only complaint about kimkim is that it is not transparent in its pricing. No price breakdown is given for the individual components of the trip. Difficult to decide among various trip components / options when planning the itinerary if you don’t know what the individual pricing is. We requested a breakdown on numerous occasions but were politely refused the information. For this reason alone we will most likely not return to kimkim for future travel planning.

Local specialist: Marine Guérin
Marine
Marine Guérin
Local specialist in Sabaneta | Replied on Jun 15, 2018

Hello Peg,

Thanks for your review! I am glad you enjoyed your time here in Colombia and you had the opportunity to meet interesting people who let you in the culture. It's a country where tourism is only just taking wings and it is true that in some parts the skills need to be improved a bit... working on it!
In any case we were really pleased to have you!
Best of luck,
Marine

Colombia 2017
Colombia | Jan 15 - Jan 28, 2018

M
Martha L.
Brookline, MA | Reviewed on Feb 05, 2018

Trip to Colombia was fantastic. Guides were terrific, car services were prompt, which made this trip run very smoothly.

Local specialist: Nathalie Clavel
Nathalie
Nathalie Clavel
Local specialist in Colombia | Replied on Feb 07, 2018

Hi Martha,

Thank you for your comments! We hope to see you again soon in another trip!
Best wishes,

Nathalie

Best Trekking & Biking Trails in Myanmar
Myanmar | Jan 3 - Jan 27, 2018

M
Melinda K.
Australia | Reviewed on Feb 04, 2018
We had a wonderful month in Myanmar being looked after by a range of guides who were all fabulous. Great knowledge, love of the country and fun to spend time with. Everything went smoothly in line with the plan and any changes we requested were dealt with very quickly. We loved our trekking at both hsipaw and kalaw. Swimming at waterfall and sleeping at monetary were terrific experiences. hot air ballooning over bagan, Inle Lake was a delightful and different location, the meal we ate at our... Read more

We had a wonderful month in Myanmar being looked after by a range of guides who were all fabulous. Great knowledge, love of the country and fun to spend time with. Everything went smoothly in line with the plan and any changes we requested were dealt with very quickly. We loved our trekking at both hsipaw and kalaw. Swimming at waterfall and sleeping at monetary were terrific experiences. hot air ballooning over bagan, Inle Lake was a delightful and different location, the meal we ate at our cooking class was superb. Great to finish at Ngapali Beach relaxing after a very full 3 weeks touring.

Local specialist: Wai Lin Tun
Wai Lin
Wai Lin Tun
Local specialist in Yangon | Replied on Feb 09, 2018

Hi Melinda and the family,

It is so wonderful to hear that you enjoyed every moments and activities that I arranged for your family.
Our heartfelt thanks for trusting us, Myanmar Diaries in planning your family trip in the best way. I had a good time while planning your trip as it has full of fun activties and you were so cooperative the whole time. This time has passed with good adventure. Please do come back to us when you have time. I would love to show you the off the beaten side of Myanmar too.

All the best from Yangon,
Wai Lin

Northern coast of Peru
Peru | Jan 22 - Jan 27, 2018

bette
bette C.
Canada | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2018
Hi there, I am catching up on sleep and starting to feel more normal. I even cooked a Peruvian dish, tacu tacu, last night! My husband is on an alternating vegetarian diet. Loved the food, especially on the Phima portion of the trip. Remember we did an Intrepid trip to Machu Picchu before. All in all the trip was very good. The sites we visited were all very interesting and the meals that were arranged for us were fantastic. The only thing we were unsure of was tipping as we didn't... Read more

Hi there, I am catching up on sleep and starting to feel more normal. I even cooked a Peruvian dish, tacu tacu, last night! My husband is on an alternating vegetarian diet. Loved the food, especially on the Phima portion of the trip. Remember we did an Intrepid trip to Machu Picchu before. All in all the trip was very good. The sites we visited were all very interesting and the meals that were arranged for us were fantastic. The only thing we were unsure of was tipping as we didn't know the price of the meals.
Our hotel room, for Trish and I, in Trujillo was quite disappointing.
I don’t think Bev and Amy’s room was as drab as ours. Unfortunately, there was a stain on the carpet, mildew in the shower and some windows opened into the hotel lobby and the others fronted onto the street, so it was very noisy.
I did feel that the reception and breakfast areas of the hotel were clean and modern looking and I do want to emphasize that the staff were very kind and helpful. I checked the hotel on line and some of the comments said that the owners were going to have to step up the quality of the rooms, but otherwise good value.
The itinerary was good . I thought the pace was pretty good and we really loved everything we saw. On day 4 we couldn’t go to Ventarron as there had been a fire, we went to Huaca Rajada museum and site, were supposed to go to the Bruning Museum , but opted to go to Tumbas Reales as we really only had a couple of hours after lunch and Jhon told us the museum closed at 4. The museum guide told us that it was open until 5 p.m. and you could stay in longer. If we had known that we might have taken in the Bruning museum. We really enjoyed what we saw in any event!
Just looking at the Itinerary now, We did not see all the destinations on Day 5, We went to the Bosque Pomac, there were a couple of pyramids in the distance,. I think they were Ventanas and Loro, but I am not sure that we went to the valley of the Pyramids in Tucume/ We drove through Ferranafe but did not visit the museum. We had lunch after going to the museum in Tucume though. I believe that driver Jhon had said that there was construction or some other obstruction on the road and he felt we should leave earlier to get to the airport so we could get our flight back to Lima. I think the itinerary was a bit too ambitious for that day.

One thing I might tell you, after going to the Sipan museum at the site of Huaca Rajada, we might not have seen the actual site with the Huaca and where the tombs of el Senor de Sipan y El Viejo were found if the local guide hadn’t taken one of our group there. This is a very important site and am so glad we saw it. It should be compulsory on the tour. It all fits in with what we saw at Tumbas Reales.
Regarding our guide Jhon’s English, I thought his knowlege was very good, but when you asked him a specific question, he either didn’t understand the question, or didn’t know the answer. His pronunciation could be improved, but he was fine to chat to. He tried very hard and was very pleasant and kind.

For future tours, it would be good for the Phima guide to know when Tumbas Reales closes. The museum guide, Orlando, said it closed at 5, but you could stay later.....we might have been able to squeeze in the Bruning museum. We were happy with what we saw that day.
Just to be clear, I didn’t think there were too many excursions in our itinerary, the pace was pretty good for day two and three. Day four, we didn’t go to Ventarron because of the fire, but really enjoyed the Museum at Sipan and Huaca Rajada. After lunch we didn’t have time to see both the Bruning Museum and Tumbas REales, so we opted to see Tumbas Reales which was fantastic.
I think I might be repeating myself. Sorry, still have a bit of jet lag. If you need any clarifications, just let me know. Gracias,

Local specialist: Shirley López
Shirley
Shirley López
Local specialist in Chachapoyas - Perú | Replied on Feb 09, 2018

Hi Bette, thank you for your comments about your trip to Peru, especially your experience with us. I am glad to know that you enjoyed our gastronomy and the places you visited.

Thank you for your comment and your recommendations, we will work on that to always improve our services.
I hope you can repeat your experience in Peru some day; the Phima’s team is here to serve you.

A big hug and thanks for traveling with us.

Northern coast of Peru
Peru | Jan 22 - Jan 27, 2018

Bev
Bev D.
Canada | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2018
I loved all of the information provided to us in preparation for our trip (Lists 1-3) and the detailed itinerary that was provided. Everything that we had requested was on the itinerary and we were pleased to have some of the added items, such as the Garcia brothers who played and sang some of the traditional music using some of the instruments that date back over the years. I also enjoyed the Forest of Pomac as it was different from the other temples we saw. We didn't see everything that... Read more

I loved all of the information provided to us in preparation for our trip (Lists 1-3) and the detailed itinerary that was provided. Everything that we had requested was on the itinerary and we were pleased to have some of the added items, such as the Garcia brothers who played and sang some of the traditional music using some of the instruments that date back over the years. I also enjoyed the Forest of Pomac as it was different from the other temples we saw. We didn't see everything that was on the itinerary - the Ventarron site was closed because there had been a fire. On day 4 we did not go to the Bruning Museum as we were running out of time and we all wanted to see the Tumbas Reales. On Day 5, I don't think we went to the Valley of the Pyramids but we did go to a museum in Tucume that had interactive displays. In hindsight, I think we tried to get too much into each day. It was great to finish our day around 5:30. The other consideration is that we were nearing the end of our vacation, so may have wanted the additional sites if we had started in the north and then done the south after. As it was, for me, I liked what we did in a day.

It was nice to have John the guide (Yeltsin), and John the driver meet us at the airport on our arrival and get us settled into our hotel. Definitely enjoyed the night tour of Trujillo, but may not have given Yeltsin my full attention because I was tired from the travel.

All of the meals provided in the tour were excellent. In hindsight we figure we may have been a bit cheap on our tips as we did not know what the actual meal cost so went on a similar formula used on the southern tour. I would recommend that one of your lists include some suggestions around tipping valets, waiters, hotel housekeepers, and for breakfast.

Our hotels were basic but clean. Staff were very helpful even if we spoke minimal Spanish and they spoke minimal English. it is amazing how much you can understand with a smile and sign language and a few key words.

John, our guide, had great knowledge of the history and particular features of the sites we visited. He was willing to respond to any questions we had but at times may have had some difficulty in understanding what we were asking him. He had a great personality and great humour. He was a good guide.

John, our driver, was also very friendly and willing to help. He was a very competent, professional, and calm driver. He also pointed out things along the way - such as the tree where the egrets were nesting. He pulled over and made sure we were safe when taking pictures.

It was really nice to have the same guide, driver and van for the whole tour. It was also nice have the bottle of water (some days 2)/day.

I have and will definitely continue to recommend KimKim Tours and PHima Voyages to others.

Bev

Local specialist: Shirley López
Shirley
Shirley López
Local specialist in Chachapoyas - Perú | Replied on Feb 09, 2018

Hi Bev, thanks for recommend us, we are really happy to know that you enjoyed the itinerary and all the places you visited.
We work always thinking about the enjoyment of our customers and your comments help us to improve our services.
The phima’s team appreciates your preference, and do not hesitate to contact us on upcoming reservations.
A big hug from Peru.

Jordan: Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum - 4 Days
Jordan | Jan 20 - Jan 23, 2018

Thanya
Thanya Y.
Thailand | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2018
My overall experience with the travel arranged for me in Jordan was quite nice. Plus
- all the drivers arranged for my pick-ups were professional, polite and kind. They made some calls for me on the way to the hotel and so on to make sure everything goes smoothly. I really appriciated that
Minus
- I feel like I didn’t get enough information about Jordan and all the destinations I was going to prior my trip. Carmen created Vamoos app for me for my itenerary, which was great, but I thought...
Read more

My overall experience with the travel arranged for me in Jordan was quite nice.

Plus
- all the drivers arranged for my pick-ups were professional, polite and kind. They made some calls for me on the way to the hotel and so on to make sure everything goes smoothly. I really appriciated that

Minus
- I feel like I didn’t get enough information about Jordan and all the destinations I was going to prior my trip. Carmen created Vamoos app for me for my itenerary, which was great, but I thought I’d get more personalised information about some interesting places , where to dine, or some local facts I wouldn’t normally get from the internet. Clicking the map didn’t help much, since most of the places on the map don’t have any information. Also the traveling date was wrong, and is still wrong up til now. It’s Febuary in the app.

- on my first day, my visit to Amman beach was pretty disappointing. The facility was not great, shower room broken, no hair dryer, lockers with no lock, and no staff to borrow the lock or lend towels from. Good thing I had my towel with me so I didn’t have to, but i had a hard time showering and drying my hair after the swim, espeically with that much salt on my body and hair. I would have been willing to pay more for better places, like one of those 5 star hotel facilities nearby (Kempinski, movenpick, dead sea spa etc.)

- on my last day, it seemed like my bus ticket from Aqaba to Amman was wrong. I couldn’t read Arabic of course, but my driver was kind enough to check for me at the bus station when he dropped me off, so they changed the new one for me.
And since my bus was at 6 PM and i was dropped off at 10 AM with my luggages, I had to find a place to store those before I could do anything, which was pretty troublesome. At that point I wish I was told or suggested beforehand what to do with my luggages. In the end I mannaged to ask Movenpick hotel to keep them for me, eventhough I wasn’t staying with them.
And I also wish I was given some interesting information about Aqaba, restaurants, cafe and attractions. Since it was a very low season, whatever I tried to do (glass bottom boat tour etc.) everything was unavailable due to too small group of people joining.

I think that’s pretty much my opinion on my trip to Jordan. Thank you Carmen for all the help in planning and everything. Jordan was an amazing country and I loved my experiences there.

Thanya

Local specialist: Carmen Scholten
Carmen
Carmen Scholten
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Feb 05, 2018

Dear Thanya.

Thank you for your review. I'm sorry that not everything was completely to your satisfaction, but please understand that we did all that was possible within your budget. And planning a driver or rental car would surely have made your trip more quick and comfortable, but also too expensive, so we hope you understand our situation. Maybe I've should have informed you better about this, my apologies.

Thank you for traveling with In2Jordan!

Carmen

Myanmar Cultural trip
Myanmar | Jan 25 - Feb 1, 2018

jay
jay W.
Berlin, MD | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2018

The entire trip from the moment we touched down in Yangon until we left a week later was fantastic . The drivers and tour guides we had, Tin in Yangon, Naing at Inle and Arkar in Bagan, could not have been any better honestly with knowledge, professionalism but also made new friends with these folks as well . We even had the pleasure of meeting Anne who put the trip together . The hotels , balloon ride , internal flights all went smoothly . The only part that wasn’t enjoyable was the day we had to return.
Thank you
Jay

Local specialist: Anne Cruickshanks
Anne
Anne Cruickshanks
Local specialist in Mandalay, Myanmar | Replied on May 13, 2018

Hi Jay, Anne and Bridget- thanks so much for the feedback! It was so much fun planning your trip and sharing local Myanmar experiences with you. We would love to see you back here soon for another adventure (and another sunset boat cruise!)

Chachapoyas: Peru’s Best Kept Secret - 7 Days
Peru | Jan 17 - Jan 21, 2018

J
Janice V.
New York, NY | Reviewed on Feb 01, 2018
Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly...
Read more

Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly enthusiastic but, not fluent enough (in English) to convey much of his knowledge. As became clear at that point, Anna often needed to translate for my benefit. ( I sensed the visit was the short version. ). We learned that J was a guide-in-training. He had to train for some 900 hours before receiving license.
We returned to Cajamarca. Having risen @ 3 in the morning for our 7:30 flight we were hungry at that point and asked J for recommendations. He dropped us at a lunchroom on the square. A fairly grim experience. I mention this only because perfunctory drop-offs became the norm. I think this is an issue of manners. We are outsiders, the guide the insider. This in addition to the fact that the Hostal had no heat — it was cold and mercilessly rainy,— or WiFi. There was no way not to hear our next door neighbor’s TV. If we had foreknowledge of the lack of heat, we would not have agreed to stay there. How hard is it to recommend a few places to eat?
Driver Carlos was excellent throughout. No fruit or water in car throughout our tour.

Day2 7 hr drive to Leymebamba. Prompt pickup. J asks if we want to stop @ a grocery store. Having stocked up on snacks at the Cajamarca market, we only needed more water and stopped at bodega. We naively assumed that there would be a plan to eat along the way. We chatted for about 1 hour as we left the city and headed in the direction of Leymebamba. We stopped for lunch and J suggested we take our food and eat on the little square. Another point of confusion. We hadn’t packed a lunch. Meanwhile J & C headed into a little restaurant for lunch. Since it was clearly the only place to eat in this locale, I joined them.
We stopped only once thereafter for a photo op. For the remaining 6 hours there was an abundantly obvious silence. Our questions like, ‘what river is that?’ were answered but, no comments/ info from guide.
Then a stop at woodworker’s place. This was kind of crazy. After 7 hours in a car we did not feel like doing this but, felt obliged to do so.
We reached Leymebamba and checked into our Hostal. This proved to be a far nicer stay. A lovely well maintained Hostal and it was fortunately warmer than Cajamarca. Great family, delicious breakfast. Again though, after that very long drive, no food recommendations. We made the wrong choice. Ironically, the next day after visiting the Museum we had a great lunch, in plaza. The restaurant owner, a relative of Carlos’, was a delightful woman who really knew how to cook!

Day 3
Visit to Leymebamba museum. Wonderful visit. Felt a bit rushed as we followed J through. This seems to be an occupational hazard for tour leaders. One though that they surely need to develop the flexibility to allow for. It seems to me that a tour guide to be really good, needs to get to know his clients. Perhaps J is too young? Not curious? ( He might have heard that one of our reasons for visiting Peru was our interest in its cuisine. )
After a terrific lunch we set out to visit Revash. Sadly rained out. Roads in dangerous conditions. We were dropped off at Lola’s and Perico’s. Heaven. Spent an afternoon at their wonderful place with our consummate hosts. We loved each other’s company. Nine hundred stars!

Day 4
Kuelap Visit. Terrific.
Lunch @ Shubet also good. Again Carlos’s friends/relatives..
Drive to Gocta. Rafael not there but, his in village helper arrived promptly to let us in. Somewhat unsure how to interpret Rafael’s absence but, made ourselves comfortable. (Footnote hot water unavailable.)
Had a wonderful afternoon enjoying Rafael’s place. Also later when another guest arrived.

Day 5
Hike to Gocta Waterfall. Strenuously wonderful. Took horses half way back down.
Arrived back to Rafael’s hot and tired....wanting to clean-up and relax. J announced we were to go next door for lunch. We went. When one is staying at Rafael’s, the setting isn’t really impressive.
The food is mediocre. J had told us that C would be driving us to Jaen the following morning; a gesture we very much appreciated. Carlos happened to be dining @ same time we were (next door) with his family. We confirmed that we would see him tomorrow.

Day 6
Instead of Carlos, his young relative ( no more than 18?) w/ his friend to airport in Jaen.
Nice person. Friendly but, not a mature driver. Thought we would be seeing C and planned to give him a tip then. Plz send info regarding how we can do so.

My advice to Trip planner. Suggest visitors to this region—-@ least @ this time of the year— come and go via Jaen. Spend time in Chachapoyas and environs.

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Feb 02, 2018
Dear Janice, Thank you very much for your comments and letting me know how you felt during your stay in the Northern Andes. I guess your stay was a little overcasted because of the rain. It is true that when it rains, there unfortunately are not many options. Hotels in the region usually don't have heating (nor Wifi) and the humidity gets into you and your bones. Jhon, our guide, has already finished his training beginning of last year. He has a diploma as an official guide, a career... Read more

Dear Janice,

Thank you very much for your comments and letting me know how you felt during your stay in the Northern Andes.

I guess your stay was a little overcasted because of the rain. It is true that when it rains, there unfortunately are not many options. Hotels in the region usually don't have heating (nor Wifi) and the humidity gets into you and your bones.

Jhon, our guide, has already finished his training beginning of last year. He has a diploma as an official guide, a career that takes 3 years, and he is guiding for us since April last year. Maybe his natural Peruvian shyness added to some of your English comprehensive issues . Otherwise he is enthousiastic about his work and I am sure that he will improve to better understand the needs of our clients. Thank you so much for your comments that I will pass on to him.

I am glad that you liked the different archaeological sites throughout your stay as well as the (rather difficult) hike to Gocta.

Once again thank you for your detailed comments that I will share with our local partners. The region of Amazonas still needs to catch up about 50 years of tourism development in comparison with the South of Peru, but we work hard to improve our services together with the local hotels, drivers, communities and other partners.

Warm regards,
Martina

Ghorepani Trek + Chitwan
Nepal | Jan 15 - Jan 28, 2018

Wayne
Wayne P.
Womelsdorf, PA | Reviewed on Jan 31, 2018
Wow, what a fantastic trip. Thank you to everyone on the Kim Kim team. The trip was wonderful from beginning to end. Ngima Dorji Sherpa did not disappoint. He was there to make sure all the connections were flawlessly made. Our guide Lhakpa Chhetar Sherpa was fantastic. I described him as the mother you love dearly, taking care and looking after me every steep of the way. Our porter Nawn Pasang Sherpa was a true honor to have on the trek. We were traveling with a rock star, Pasang has made... Read more

Wow, what a fantastic trip. Thank you to everyone on the Kim Kim team. The trip was wonderful from beginning to end. Ngima Dorji Sherpa did not disappoint. He was there to make sure all the connections were flawlessly made. Our guide Lhakpa Chhetar Sherpa was fantastic. I described him as the mother you love dearly, taking care and looking after me every steep of the way. Our porter Nawn Pasang Sherpa was a true honor to have on the trek. We were traveling with a rock star, Pasang has made the summit of Everest 6 times. We fell in love with them both and feel blessed they were on the journey with us.
Chitwan was also fantastic. And again we fell in love with our guide Aasha Ram Chaudhary. He was able to get us safely close to the wildlife in the jungle. Aasha is also a birding expert and has a amazing ability to spot and identify wildlife in the air, trees, ground and water. The staff at Chitwan Adventure Resort Were great, warm and welcoming.
My bottom line, I would do this trip over again in a flash
Wayne Poplinski
01/31/2018

Local specialist: Ngima Dorji Sherpa
Ngima
Ngima Dorji Sherpa
Local specialist in Kathmandu | Replied on Feb 03, 2018

Hi Wayne, thank you so much for you wonderful review. I am glad to see that had a wonderful experience during your stay in Nepal and you are happy with all the trip arrangements. We hope to see you soon again during your next visit to Nepal.

Best wishes,
Ngima and whole NMMT family.

Trip to Colombia
Colombia | Dec 15 - Dec 23, 2017

F
frank e.
Orange, CA | Reviewed on Jan 31, 2018
This was my first experience using KimKim. I was refered from a friend. I recently traveled for 9 days in Colombia. I use travel agents for most of my international pleasure travel. On the plus side my agent, Flor was very responsive both via email and with telephone calls. Booking the trip was a bit frustrating. I think this was partially due to my unfamilarity with kimkim. Also my impression was that while Flor was very responsive and doing her best to help but she lacked in-depth... Read more

This was my first experience using KimKim. I was refered from a friend. I recently traveled for 9 days in Colombia. I use travel agents for most of my international pleasure travel. On the plus side my agent, Flor was very responsive both via email and with telephone calls.

Booking the trip was a bit frustrating. I think this was partially due to my unfamilarity with kimkim. Also my impression was that while Flor was very responsive and doing her best to help but she lacked in-depth travel experience. For example, I thought I had booked both hotel and intrastate travel. I had challenges securing a particular hotel and also plane travel times that I thought were confirmed ... but actually were not. We had to go back and forth a few times.

On the plus side I had a situation in Medellin with a hotel I was unhappy with. The room had a leak under the sink and they really were not too friendly. Flor was very responsive and moved me to a wonderful hotel. Both the private tour guides and the tours in Bogota, Medellin and Cartenga were all very good with the exception of the private tour in Cartenga- the guide was a bit flat.

If there were a 3.5 star rating, that is what I would give. That being shared, I would give Kimkim another try on my next international trip. Thanks!

Local specialist: Floriane Froc
Floriane
Floriane Froc
Local specialist in Cali, Colombia | Replied on Feb 02, 2018
Hi Frank, Thanks for your feedback. It is highly appreciated and we are glad that you enjoy your trip to Colombia. On behalf of KimKim we are very sorry for the inconvenience during the process of booking the trip due to high season in Colombia, it is indeed quite difficult to find availability during Christmas time. As for the flight, we faced several issues with Avianca airlines due to heavy strikes which cause a lot of rescheduling, cancelling and/or prices shuffling. Thank you for your... Read more

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your feedback. It is highly appreciated and we are glad that you enjoy your trip to Colombia. On behalf of KimKim we are very sorry for the inconvenience during the process of booking the trip due to high season in Colombia, it is indeed quite difficult to find availability during Christmas time. As for the flight, we faced several issues with Avianca airlines due to heavy strikes which cause a lot of rescheduling, cancelling and/or prices shuffling.

Thank you for your feedback on private tour guides, this is a valuable feedback for us and we are more than happy taking care of your next travel. Have a great day
Flor

Iceland Winter Adventure 2018
Iceland | Jan 21 - Jan 27, 2018

L
Lesley S.
Pompton Lakes, NJ | Reviewed on Jan 28, 2018
This whole trip was wonderful! Cristina was very knowledgeable and open. I requested that our trip to be manageable for my son who is 6 years old and my in laws who are in there 60s. It turned out great! We really liked our driver who brought us to the Blue Lagoon and afterwards to our hotel. He was helpful and polite. We especially liked our guide from the 4x4 tour, Ruben. He was really nice and accommodating. I could not remember the names of our guides from the Mountaineers of Iceland... Read more

This whole trip was wonderful! Cristina was very knowledgeable and open. I requested that our trip to be manageable for my son who is 6 years old and my in laws who are in there 60s. It turned out great! We really liked our driver who brought us to the Blue Lagoon and afterwards to our hotel. He was helpful and polite. We especially liked our guide from the 4x4 tour, Ruben. He was really nice and accommodating. I could not remember the names of our guides from the Mountaineers of Iceland though but they were great too. Highly recommend to do snowmobiling with them. The hotels we stayed at were very nice and comfortable. All the staff were great. We loved our stay at the Fosshotel and Hotel Ranga( where we saw the Northern lights!) We liked Hotel Hilda too. Its was a quaint hotel near thr harbor. Overall the trip was a once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommended!
Sidenote: We went on a Game of Thrones tour and was really entertained by the guide. He was fabulous! Loved the inside jokes and his passion for the show. I wish I knew his real name. I just remember his facebook name: Swordbiter. I made my whole family join the tour ( only my husband and I saw the show) but they still enjoyed the tour.

Local specialist: Christina Degener
Christina
Christina Degener
Local specialist in Reykjavik | Replied on Jun 04, 2018

Hi Lesley,

I am very glad to hear that you were happy with your stay in Iceland and thank you for your kind words. I am so happy to hear that everything worked out well and that your whole family enjoyed the excursions.

Best Regards,
Christina

Journey through Peru & Bolivia
Peru | Jan 11 - Jan 11, 2018

Vicky
Vicky U.
Anaheim, CA | Reviewed on Jan 27, 2018

Thank you for arranging this amazing trip! We have a really big party so there were a lot of times we had to change the reservations but Stephanie really handled all the situations well which I feel really thankful. She is also very informative whenever we asked her questions. During the trip, everything was prepared really well and we really like all the tour guides as they are very friendly, knowledgable and are really helpful to us. Overall, it had been a fun and memorable trip. Thank you again for your help and also for the chocolate!

Local specialist: Stephanie Guerra
Stephanie
Stephanie Guerra
Local specialist in Cusco | Replied on Feb 21, 2018

Hello Vicky,

It was great to plan your trip and help you with the details. I'm happy you had a memorable trip!

Introducing family to the Kingdom
Nepal | Jan 11 - Jan 24, 2018

G
Giles G.
Australia | Reviewed on Jan 26, 2018
We had the experience of a lifetime with 2 teenagers.
Chhring and the porters Kobe and Kancha deserve a special mention for their empathy when we were feeling under the weather and their changes to the trek which made the trek more suitable to our needs. When there was any issue Raj , Surendra , Mads and Chhiring could not have been more accommodating. Thank you Chhiring!
The trek was everything we could have hoped for and I am coming back to do another one once I am fitter and will be using...
Read more

We had the experience of a lifetime with 2 teenagers.
Chhring and the porters Kobe and Kancha deserve a special mention for their empathy when we were feeling under the weather and their changes to the trek which made the trek more suitable to our needs. When there was any issue Raj , Surendra , Mads and Chhiring could not have been more accommodating. Thank you Chhiring!
The trek was everything we could have hoped for and I am coming back to do another one once I am fitter and will be using your team!
The team are superb, we are old hippies working at home so needed the basic structure, the rest we wanted independence. The team did this and more and we will use them again.
Tansen Srinagar Hotel had the best food we have had. The Chef and owner obviously seemed to enjoy it. My only regret was that I was not able to enjoy the spectacular wine list as I was on Flagyl Without Mads and the team we would never have heard about this place.
Lumbini should be on peoples list. Driving around Ankor Wat was the same as driving around here the difference is the 35 Temples are all working with Monks in them. It is vast. We stayed at the Buddha Maya Hotel and enjoyed the luxury.
Chitwan had a good game drive.
Hiring a vehicle with a driver when there are 4 of you is cost effective and so pleasant as we got to know the drivers and would use them again.
We have not had so much family time and wish we were still there.

Local specialist: Mads Mathiasen
Mads
Mads Mathiasen
Local specialist in Nepal and Australia | Replied on Jan 30, 2018

Thanks for taking the time to post a review and your kind words Giles. Glad you had a good time with your teenagers and that everyone enjoyed the places you saw and the company of our guides! We would love to have to have you back and show you more of Nepal in the future, thanks for traveling with us!

Hughes Parkes Costa Rica
Costa Rica | Jan 8 - Jan 23, 2018

L
Lauren H.
New Zealand | Reviewed on Jan 26, 2018
Kimkim organised a 16 day self drive tour of Costa Rica for my family (my, my partner, our kids 5yrs, 8yrs, 11yrs and my mum). They were extremely prompt, very responsive and personal throughout the planning. They showed great attention to detail regarding our car seats, wifi and GPS. Fabulous accommodation everywhere. We had a wonderful time. It was great to have that extra flexibility a package tour cant provide.
Marco and the team are Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero were an absolute...
Read more

Kimkim organised a 16 day self drive tour of Costa Rica for my family (my, my partner, our kids 5yrs, 8yrs, 11yrs and my mum). They were extremely prompt, very responsive and personal throughout the planning. They showed great attention to detail regarding our car seats, wifi and GPS. Fabulous accommodation everywhere. We had a wonderful time. It was great to have that extra flexibility a package tour cant provide.
Marco and the team are Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero were an absolute highlight. We loved the whole immersive experience of living on the rivers and in the jungle.
I was really glad we drove down the Carribean Coast. El Encanto Inn was great. Dinner at Sonja's home restaurant was gorgeous. We walked to a great Calypso night from the hotel and El Encanto organised all our tours. Luis escorted us to a Medicinal and Chocolate Farm in the Bri Bri reservation which was wonderful. The Jaguar Rescue Centre was also fabulous, thanks to our guide Carlotta. Puerto Viejo was a wonderful swimming beach and we narrowly missed a world surf comp. Playa Negro was sadly quite polluted but it was a great community to walk amongst. We saw several sloths up close from the road.
The drive to Sarapiqui was a big one. The Rain Forest Lodge was a bit of a let down with its Museum closed and Gallery never opened. It seemed to cater for large bus groups and wasnt quite our style. KimKim were right that we needed to stop somewhere closer than Arenal that night though so we were glad of somewhere to sleep.
Arenal Springs was luxurious. Their hot pools were a huge hit with the whole family. I wouldnt book a tour through the hotel though as they add a hefty surcharge.The local laundromat gave fabulous local advice and we had our own car. The road to El Castillo wasnt nearly as bad as the guide book says and we really enjoyed our visit to the Eco Zoo, meeting Victor and our guide Andrew. Victor's wildlife photography is stunning.
The Pacific Coast was much more commercial than I had hoped for but we were excited to see Turtles nesting there (we were out of season in Tortuguero). Pasa Tiempo was a great lodge with a fantastic shared living, dining, entertaining area. We were treated to love music and enjoyed the pool, reading and playing cards amongst others.
Monteverde and Manuel Antonio were both spectacular. It was really worth saving our ziplining for the cloud forest. 60km per hour through a cloud was truly exhilarating. The guides at Selvatura were fantastic with our family.
If you have already been to Tortuguero you dont need a guide at Manuel Antontio. I was pleased we did it independently to allow the kids to travel at their own pace. Gorgeous beach. I'd never seen a raccoon before so that was exciting! Plaza Yara was gorgeous and Roger was a fabulous host who even gave us a wee gift on departure.
Trapp Family Country Lodge was a fabulous airport oasis. Definitely recommend over a chain hotel.
Thanks for everything Kim Kim we will definitely use you again.

Local specialist: Mariana Monestel

Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Peru | Dec 28 - Jan 6, 2018

E
Ellen A.
Middletown, CT | Reviewed on Jan 22, 2018
Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history. Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake... Read more

Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history.

Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake Humantay which was spectacular. We were welcomed back with a delicious dinner cooked by the gentleman who ran the lodge.

The day 2 hike over the Salkantay pass to Chalullay was grueling but satisfying. We arrived at Chalullay in the late afternoon. Accommodations were a bit chilly but beds were comfortable. Day 3 we hiked through rainforest cloud, a more gentle up and down hike with lush vegetation and views of the river. The evening at the Coffee plantation was a highlight. Fredy the owner and his family were wonderful hosts and the accommodations were very nice. We enjoyed the warmer climate at this elevation. With our guide translating, Fredy showed us the step by step process from growing and harvesting the coffee beans to roasting them for our breakfast. From here we started on an Inca trail with a long but not as challenging hike.

Highlights were the ruins of Llactapata and lunch with views to Machu Picchu. At the end, we took a short train ride to Aquas Caliente and Macchu Picchu. We were very glad to have the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu on our visit to Macchu Picchu. At Nicole's recommendation, we added an evening in Ollantaytambo where we enjoyed the lively town square, local activity, and the ruins. On our return trip to Cusco by car, we explored the salt mines and a village were weaving and knitted goods were produced and sold. The knitted goods in Peru are beautiful.

We also booked 3 days in the Amazon rainforest in Puerto Maldonado, also arranged by Nicole and Haku. Our guide Efraim was excellent-- extremely knowledgeable and helpful. And Freddy, the local contact who picked us up by boat, cooked us lunch and carried our luggage through the jungle had endless energy. Our stay at Lake Sandoval lodge was memorable. Great food and service and the setting, overlooking the lake was memorable. The lake was full of otters, caiman, and fish, and at the water's edge, we enjoyed the monkeys and variety of birds.

We would highly recommend Haku to plan a custom itinerary for a Cusco based travel adventure.

Local specialist: Nicole and Bill Koch
Nicole and Bill
Nicole and Bill Koch
Local specialist in Cusco, Peru | Replied on Apr 05, 2018

Thank you Ellen for the Review. It was lovely meeting your family and helping you on this trip of a lifetime!

Journey through Peru & Bolivia
Peru | Jan 11 - Jan 11, 2018

Ingfah
Ingfah S.
Thailand | Reviewed on Jan 22, 2018

Initial planning process was great - Stephanie was knowledgeable, assisting, and patient. However, the service "during" the trip was a bit inconvenient. Stephanie was hard to contact and in the moment we couldn't reach out to anyone, like the time we arrived at Uyuni but no one was there to pick us up, we waiting til 10 am local time Peru to call Stephanie, but still we couldn't reach her.

Other than that the trip was well organized with great guides in every stop. Especially our Macchu Picchu guide and Norma from Puno. Our Uyuni guides were great too.

Local specialist: Stephanie Guerra
Stephanie
Stephanie Guerra
Local specialist in Cusco | Replied on Feb 21, 2018

Hi Ingfah,

It was great to plan this trip for you and the group and meeting you!. Sorry about the contac issue, sometimes signal is not that strong in Bolivia and specially in Uyuni. I'm glad you had a good time!

North Peru
Peru | Dec 24 - Jan 7, 2018

Darlene
Darlene C.
Canada | Reviewed on Jan 19, 2018
Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic. Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very... Read more

Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.

Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very interesting and we enjoyed our horse ride to the site. Visiting Miguel in his workshop and painting our own Sarcophagus was a lot of fun. Perico and Lola's private conservation property in the Utcubamba Valley was so beautiful and was a favourite of ours. It was hard to say goodbye to them and the family they had visiting at the time. Then off to Kuelap by cable car and another hike to the site...fantastic!

The biggest surprise and highlight for us was our stay at Villa del Monte in the coffee country of Rodriguez de Mendoza. We have a coffee roasting business and requested some time with coffee growers. The home we stayed at in the area was really great and the caretakers living next to the home were warm and friendly. We did an afternoon at an underground cave that was pretty cool although fitting through a small hole to start was a little scary but worth the effort. The best part for us was spending our time with the coffee farmers (owners of Cafe Monteverde) who provided us with such a detailed education of their business from the growing of the coffee at their farm (tasting included) to going to their laboratory in town to watch and participate in grading and cupping of the coffee. This was fantastic for us.

The Gocta Falls is another favourite. The hike is fairly difficult so the horses came in handy. Lunch at the Gocta Lodge is outstanding and so is the view. Our last stop on the coast was the Pyramids of Tucume and Museum Tumbas Reales with the latter being our favourite museum.

With a little more time, Jhon will get better at his English. It's good but sometimes we had translation difficulties. He is a great guide and really cares about what he does. Both him and Carlos were always available and willing to make things work for us.

Thank you Phima Voyages for a great adventure in Northern Peru!
Darlene & Gary Carlton

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Jan 24, 2018

Dear Darlene and Gary,

Thank you so much for your nice comments.

I am so glad that you enjoyed your trip. It was a lot of fun planning it for you, as it gave me the opportunity to include activites and adventures. You had enough time to meet with the locals and interact, like at the coffee experience :)

If you have any pictures you would like to share, don't hesitate to send them through to me.

Warm regards,
Martina

Cultural and beach trip of Myanmar
Myanmar | Jan 1 - Jan 16, 2018

Mary
Mary F.
New Zealand | Reviewed on Jan 18, 2018
Myanmar Diaries represented by Wai Lin, our local kimkim specialist for our Myanmar Trip, was exemplary .... Wai Lin was highly professional, helpful, accommodating and informative, we could not have asked for better. All our guides were most respectful with very good English speaking skills and knowledge of their areas, likewise our drivers skilful and very safe, the cars in excellent condition. Our 16-day Trip was absolutely amazing ... we were very pleasantly surprised at how totally... Read more

Myanmar Diaries represented by Wai Lin, our local kimkim specialist for our Myanmar Trip, was exemplary .... Wai Lin was highly professional, helpful, accommodating and informative, we could not have asked for better. All our guides were most respectful with very good English speaking skills and knowledge of their areas, likewise our drivers skilful and very safe, the cars in excellent condition.

Our 16-day Trip was absolutely amazing ... we were very pleasantly surprised at how totally safe we felt at all times given the recent unrest in the Northern area of Rakhine, which is well away from all tourist hot spots such as Bagan, Lake Inle, Ngapali Beach (divine), Mandalay and Yangon ... do not hesitate to visit Myanmar as it is an extremely scenic, culturally fascinating and safe country to visit, the Myanmar people utterly delightful! And incredible value for money as a holiday destination!

Do not hesitate to use Myanmar Dairies as your travel agent, you could not ask for better!

Local specialist: Wai Lin Tun
Wai Lin
Wai Lin Tun
Local specialist in Yangon | Replied on Jan 18, 2018

Thank you so much Mary for your review on our service.

In every moments from planning until the end of the trip, you are so understanding and considerate all the time. I am already grateful to hear that you have enjoyed your Myanmar trip. It was so unfortunate that you missed Mandalay and Inle side of Myanmar. But I am sure you had good times in Ngapali over the skip. Please do come back to us again for Mandalay and Inle lake.
I am looking forward to welcome you again in the near future!
Warmest regards,
Wai Lin

Vietnam post medical clinic
Vietnam | Jan 5 - Jan 7, 2018

A
Amy J.
Englewood, CO | Reviewed on Jan 17, 2018
Everything from KimKim was great. I had a large group with a lot of moving parts. Andy was calm, cool, and collected each step of the way. I had some people in the group who extended their stays for private tours - Andy helped them each individually and gave them exactly what they wanted. I couldn't have asked for more. The chat setup made communication easy, payment was a simple link, and when one member of my group had an emergency visa problem, KimKim stepped in and got it done in... Read more

Everything from KimKim was great. I had a large group with a lot of moving parts. Andy was calm, cool, and collected each step of the way. I had some people in the group who extended their stays for private tours - Andy helped them each individually and gave them exactly what they wanted. I couldn't have asked for more. The chat setup made communication easy, payment was a simple link, and when one member of my group had an emergency visa problem, KimKim stepped in and got it done in less than 12 hours with concierges service. The entire staff is great at KimKim and they work beautifully together as a team to make everything perfect and more. I will be using KimKim again for groups in the future! Thank you, Andy!!

Local specialist: Andy Carroll
Andy
Andy Carroll
Local specialist in Hanoi, Vietnam | Replied on Jan 24, 2018

Hi Amy,

It was my and the entire teams pleasure to work with you and make this trip happen, my only disappointment was not getting the chance to meet you in person! Thank you for such a wonderful review, it really does mean a lot to me and all involved.

Thank you as well, for coming to Asia to help others, I am sure those people are even more thankful thank we are.

I hope to get chance to meet you on your next journey Amy, it will be my pleasure to assist you again.

Take care and many thanks,

Andy